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FEDCUP FINALS: CZECH REPUBLIC v RUSSIA

November 5, 2011

Svetlana Kuznetsova

MOSCOW, RUSSIA

S. KUZNETSOVA/L. Safarova
6-2, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. (Through translation.) The same question as for Safarova: You began playing your match when Russia was 0-1 down in that tie. Was it an additional pressure on you, or you just felt like it helped you?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: (Through translation.) Of course I felt pressure. I felt colossal pressure, actually. But if I was playing that rubber in the year 2004, I think I would feel really tight and jittery. But now I have more expertise, and that expertise helped me to motivate myself and to motivate myself in the right direction, I would say.

Q. Regarding your performance today, Petra Kvitova and you got relatively easy wins today. Who do you think has got some psychological advantage ahead in tomorrow's clash?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: (Through translation.) I'm not really thinking about it. It will be a new match, a new day. Everyone has his own psyche and psychology. I don't know anything about her psychology, and she doesn't know anything about mine. Hard to say.

Q. (Through translation.) Do you have any energy left for tomorrow's match against Petra Kvitova? Because Kvitova says she does have some energy left.
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: (Through translation.) First, I'm joking that I'm too fatigued. I'm going to go home instead of playing.
Seriously, I do have some energy left and will be fighting till the end.

Q. (Through translation.) Question regarding the support from the crowd. There were 600 Czech fans, and they were giving like friendly support to the Czech players not quite in tennis style. So how would Svetlana evaluate the support of the crowd today? What advice she would give to the Russian tennis fans for tomorrow?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: (Through translation.) Actually, I'd like to thank our fans for their support. I think the Czechs, they are few and far between. It's hard for them to be cheering, so they were most synchronized than the Russian fans.
But do you remember the support from the French crowd 2004? There were very, very few French, but they were louder than the Russian crowd. But I think at the end of the match today, the Russian fans got all fired up, and I think tomorrow everything will be fine in terms of crowd support.

Q. (Through translation.) Have you thought about the upcoming Olympics in London 2012? What are your plans? Singles, doubles, or mixed?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: (Through translation.) Well, of course my priority would be to play singles, and nobody made me any offer with respect to playing doubles or mixed doubles, but I will be considering those offers.

Q. (Through translation.) What made the difference today in the match against Safarova? And second question, how can we possibly beat Kvitova? Because she's on top of her game right now.
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: (Through translation.) Well, today I stayed focused throughout the whole match. I was serving well; I was serving aggressively. I analyzed my game at the Kremlin Cup, and I realized I was playing too defensive a game, too cautiously.
And this time around, this specific match, I was more on the attack, I was changing pace, changing the rhythm.
With respect to Kvitova, I've never played her. She's playing really well right now. I watched her play today, and she's on top of her shape. I think it will very tough match, but there are always chances to beat her.

Q. (Through translation.) You have expertise playing Grand Slams. Why do you think there is a mental blip and psychological blip after you win your first Grand Slam like it happened to Petra Kvitova this year?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: (Through translation.) Well, actually when you play Grand Slam, you reach the top 10, and then nobody expects you. And then unexpectedly you can win it.
I remember I was, I guess, ranked 14th before the US Open I won, and that win came kind of unexpectedly. And then all of a sudden everybody raises their expectations, and you feel the huge pressure on your shoulders and everybody expects you to do well from now on.
Same thing happened to Petra, I guess. She was playing rather inconsistently before Wimbledon, and then she won Wimbledon and she felt so much pressure. It's hard to say, because we're still young players, especially Petra, very young players.

Q. (Through translation.) Do you plan to talk to Maria Kirilenko with respect to today's match of hers? Maybe she will share some tips with you?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: (Through translation.) I think we have different games, me and Maria Kirilenko. I watched that match today. I think I'm able to prepare for this upcoming match against Kvitova on my own, but of course if Maria shares some tips, I will lend an attentive ear.

Q. (Through translation.) Are you thinking about anything during the matches? And if you're thinking about anything, what is it? (Laughter.) What did you think about today?
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: (Through translation.) Players think so many things. If I enumerate all those things, you would put me in a madhouse. I was trying to think about lots of things during changeovers, but when I was engaged in rallies, I was just thinking about tactics.
But it's good to switch topics and think about something else during changeovers. Let me tell you this: I was thinking about my personal problems during changeovers.

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