News & Photos / Interviews / Interview with Svetlana Kuznetsova

6‑4, 1‑6, 6‑1

An interview with:

SVETLANAKUZNETSOVA

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English, please.

Q. It was kind of an up and down match. How did you pull it back together in the third?

SVETLANAKUZNETSOVA: Yeah, it was tough,mentally. I was really nervoustoday. I don't know why. And I saw she also was.

But first set, it wasnot very great game from both of us, but she did more unforced errors and Iwon. I served well.

Second set, I played little bad and I did alot of mistakes. I wasn't moving thatmuch.

After I went to change the clothes,I been thinking, I relax a little bit, just to play my game. I started to do much better. You know, started to move her around, notdoing many unforced errors from my side.

Because I was doing too much ofthis, and served better. There were notthat many double faults.

Q. You'reat the point of the tournament where that kind of mental lapse is probablygoing to take you out of the tournament. What do you need to do to sort of keep it together and focus through theentire match?

SVETLANAKUZNETSOVA: You know, something positiveout of this match, and it's not bad and it happened today, that I could ‑‑that I won this match. I had ‑‑well, it was a challenge to do this, and I did it. Not on purpose, but it came up like this, youknow.

Definitely I not happyto play three sets, but I already been through a little bit of fight,because other matches were too easy andsometimes it's not too good.

Today I was a little bit on test. So it's also good in this stage oftournament. But next matches, I cannotallow myself to do this. I reallyunderstand that. I just have to be moreprepared.

Q. Canyou just talk about the challenge that Serena presents to you?

SVETLANAKUZNETSOVA: It's great. I have fun, you know. I maybe don't have great record to playSerena, but I really enjoy playing her. It's always fun. It's always wehave very tough matches, and I'm looking forward to play her.

Q. I know this is clay, but can you just reflect a little bit on whathappened in Australiaand how you can turn that around in two days from now?

SVETLANAKUZNETSOVA: Well, yeah, definitely canturn it around. It's going to be verytough, you know. Serena, maybe shedidn't play that many tournaments on clay. Maybe she didn't do well, but you cannot discount her. She's big champion, she's great player. She won here, and definitely she knows how toplay on clay.

I feel ‑‑ myself, Ifeel a little bit, I guess, more comfortable on clay than her. I have to try to use it in advantage of mine,for myself.

Yes, I have to just to play my game and totry to dictate. I think the serve goingto be big in this match, gonna to mean a lot. So I think definitely we both have chances. I think she's favorite, but still, you know,I'm looking forward to play and have fun out there.

Q. Canyou talk about the coaching relationship, how that's going and what you'relearning?

SVETLANAKUZNETSOVA: It's going great. I enjoy working with Larisa, because she's not only my coach,she's my friend. This is great. For me, atmosphere in the team, it's means alot.

Now I have my hittingpartner, which is 22, my massagist [sic] which is 24. So it's funny, you know. In some way I just start to think about itright now, and it's very funny. But Ienjoy it so much. I cannot explain it.

Q. Why is that funny?

SVETLANAKUZNETSOVA: Because everybody is soyoung. We're like in school almost. A little bit grown school.

Q. Are you the school teacher or are you the student?

SVETLANAKUZNETSOVA: I'm medium. I'm in between. Larisais the mama of us, kind of. No, she'snot definitely mama. She's like mysister, but older sister which tells me what to do sometimes. It's great.

Atmosphere, it'samazing. Yeah, I think it's veryimportant for the team.

Q. You get along with Serena pretty well offcourt, don't you? Some other players find herintimidating. Can you just talk aboutyour relationship with her and why you don't find her to be a person to befeared.

SVETLANAKUZNETSOVA: Well, first of all, Irespect her a lot. She achievedunbelievable effort in tennis, you know. Every player dreams to achieve what she did in tennis. I respect her for her achievements.

Outside of the courts,she has great personality. We text onBlackBerry. Definitely in thesetournaments we talk less, but we listen kind of similar music. We have similar interests. We laugh a lot, you know.

I don't know, maybe before when I was comingto the tour, you know, they were ‑ her and her sister, Venus ‑ theywere kind of intimidating.

But lately, you know, we're in kindof the same ‑‑ I mean, top 5, top 10, we don't intimidate each other, youknow, because we face each other every week.

So it's not really ‑‑ we'relike friends, but in the court, it's business, you know. It's two different things.

Q. Couldyou talk a little bit about Agnieszka's game? Weak points, strong points?

SVETLANAKUZNETSOVA: Well, I don't think ‑‑first of all, I didn't think she was in the best shape today. Neither were I, but I play much better onclay, for me.

She plays good, but ifI use my spin and move her around, I think I have more advantage than her. She's always tough opponent. That's why maybe I was maybe a little bitnervous. She reads the game good; shemix the points; she has a lot of dropshots; she's very smart player.

Q. What do you think she needs to improve to be a solid top 10 player, maybe even higher if you think she could getit?

SVETLANAKUZNETSOVA: You know, I'm not ‑‑it's not my job to tell you how good she can be. My job is to play and to win matches, so I'mdoing this.

But she can be goodplayer. She needs to work basic oneverything. Maybe little more strength,because the girls are maybe sometimes overpowering her.

But the rest, she's very good and verysmart. She reads the game very well.

Q. Wecame into this tournament sort of saying, Well, we don't know who's going towin on the woman's side. On the men'sside it's pretty clear. Now Rafa is out,Novak is out, Roger is down two sets. What are your thoughts on what's going on?

SVETLANAKUZNETSOVA: I'm terrible with predictingsomething, because in another press conference ask me who gonna win, and Isaid, Djokovic in good shape. He loses.They said, Do you think somebody can beat Rafa? I say, I doubt. But Rafa lookslike machine, and only who I want to win, it's Roger against Rafa, and then Rafaloses. Now I would say Roger, but Rogeris two sets down, so it's very difficult situation.

Definitely I still hopeRoger can do it, you know. I still wouldlove to see him win it. I still believehe can win today's match, even though it doesn't ‑‑ the conditions areextremely hard to play.

There is definitely French guys doing great,you know. Gäel is doing great. I'm also good friends with him, so I wish himdefinitely good luck. With his knees, itwas tough for him. Hopefully he can makeit through.

And Andy is starting to play betteron clay, so it's also getting interesting. Tsonga is always interesting to watch. He's unbelievable athlete with what he does on the court. Gaël and he, it's unbelievable. It's like acircus to watch, you know.

Q. Anypredictions today from you?

SVETLANAKUZNETSOVA: Um, I don't know. I better not do this, because it's all comesup opposite.

Q. So you're not pulling for Davydenko?

SVETLANAKUZNETSOVA: Oh, he's good friend ofmine, also. (laughter.)

I wish ‑‑ youknow, I'm good friends of all guys. Forme it's hard to say somebody. I wish himgood luck, also.