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NEW HAVEN OPEN AT YALEAugust 24, 2012Maria KirilenkoNEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT M. KIRILENKO/C. Wozniacki THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. This will be your first final in the United States. Can you talk about what it means to you to make it to the final, even though it was this way. MARIA KIRILENKO: Yeah, it's my first final in the States. Yeah, I think it was a good match today. Only one set. So I played well. I think Caroline played good. But she had maybe some problems with running with her knee. And, yeah, so I think she did a right decision, you know, to take a rest before US Open. Q. Did you notice her moving differently, any problems with her movement at all? MARIA KIRILENKO: Well, it's difficult to say. I talked to her.  In the past I had the same problem as she has. Sometimes you're moving fine, but some steps it's really hurting, you know. Yeah, when I played really good angle, I saw she didn't run for it. But it was really good shot for me, so... Q. You said she made the right decision. Do you think it's smart just to save yourself with the US Open coming up? MARIA KIRILENKO: Yeah, I mean, she tried today. If she has a pain, I think it's right decision, of course, to take some rest before the big one. Q.  What will you do the night before your first final? How will you get ready? MARIA KIRILENKO: Like usual. Nothing new. Nothing like specific. So everything the same. Q. Can you tell us what she said when she came over? MARIA KIRILENKO: When she came on the court to me? Q. At the end when she retired. MARIA KIRILENKO: Yeah, I mean, I just ask what's happen with your knee. She just show me where she has a pain. So for me it's familiar pain because I'm struggling with the pain for like many, many years. So now I got better with this. Q. Did you start to gain a little confidence as the first set progressed? MARIA KIRILENKO: Yeah, I start little bit not really good. I was doing a lot of mistakes in the beginning. Then I just, you know, played more balls and I got into the game. Then it was good game for me. Q. I don't think there was a breakpoint in the match until the 11th game. Were you pretty confident she was not going to be able to break your serve today? MARIA KIRILENKO:  I was serving well today. I saw that for her, she feels uncomfortable, especially when I went for the first one. Even the second serve was good for me, so I was serving well. Yeah, no one had the breakpoint till 5‑All, I think, yeah. And then, yeah, I had a couple good returns. That's why I broke her. Q. How have you fared against Kvitova or Errani in the past? MARIA KIRILENKO: They're completely different players, you know. Kvitova, she's playing aggressive tennis. Italian one, she playing like long rallies, way high over the net. So different game. I mean, for me, I think Kvitova going to win this match because I think for her it's comfortable to play against Errani. That's what I think. You know, tennis is the game, you never know what's going to happen. Q. You see what this tournament has done for Caroline through the years. You come in and see all the billboards with her picture. Do you allow yourself to think if you win tomorrow, you can get on a similar roll? What might this do for you, as well? MARIA KIRILENKO: To be honest, I didn't even think about it. But she deserved to be on the stand if she was winning this tournament four times in a row. She really played good here. Well, I don't really care if I will be next year on the stand. Q. Do you have any inside information as to whether there's going to be a hockey season or not? Do you hope there is? MARIA KIRILENKO: I don't know. I'm not sure. I'm not really into, you know, the problem what they have right now. But I heard some stories (smiling). Q. Can you talk about your confidence level that this week has given you going into the US Open, where you are right now in your game? MARIA KIRILENKO: Well, I think I'm playing well here. I mean, the first match, like I said before, I didn't play really good tennis. Every match I feel that I'm improving. I found the way to play again on hard court, as grass court is different completely than hard. Today I played I think the best tennis in this tournament. Q. With the different surfaces, how different do you think your match with Kvitova will be versus the Olympics? Are you taking a different approach to it? MARIA KIRILENKO: Yeah, if she wins, it's going to be completely different match because we played at Olympic Games and it was so windy out there. It was tough to play some rallies. But, I mean, never know what's going to happen. It's everything depend of me, how I'm going to play, depend how she will play. We'll see. First she needs to win today. Q. After the Olympics you went back to Moscow for a little bit. How have you been able to readjust from that experience and keep playing well? MARIA KIRILENKO: Well, I took some days off. I didn't play for couple days. We went out with my boyfriend, celebrate a lot, because in Russia it's really special to win a medal, even if it's bronze one. Well, yeah, we had so many friends around us who celebrate with us. I just relax my mind. Then I went to Cincinnati to play there with the new battery. Q. Do you have any pictures of your new car? MARIA KIRILENKO: If I have any pictures? Q. Did your mom send you pictures of your new car? MARIA KIRILENKO: No. Q. You haven't seen it yet? MARIA KIRILENKO: No. Q. Will Alex come tomorrow? MARIA KIRILENKO: I don't know. Can be. Q. Having seen you play, come up over the years, you've always been in a situation of top 25, top 20. Suddenly this year the breakthrough has happened, your best year. What is your thinking as to why that is? Is it maturity or what? MARIA KIRILENKO: Well, actually to be five, six years in a row the same position, top 20, top 30, it also means you're a solid player, you know. It's not many players like that. So, of course, you want to be like as much ‑ how to say ‑ the same amount of years to be top 10. It also means that your level is much better. Well, I was practicing a lot. I was doing a lot of work, you know, to improve my tennis. Finally it's happen. Q. Where has your game improved? What have you gotten better at in the last year or two? MARIA KIRILENKO: Well, I think it's everything a little bit improved. I don't need really big improvement in my game because I have everything, you know, for to play tennis. I have all shots. It's important that my serve has improved, so I really happy I found a rhythm, I found a right technique to serve. It's helpful. When it's works, it's really helpful in the game, especially against top players. Yeah, forehand improve, backhand, so everything. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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