ROGERS CUP
Date: 2005-08-16

ROGERS CUP

August 16, 2005

Svetlana Kuznetsova
TORONTO, ONTARIO
The Moderator Questions, please.

Question You were obviously struggling out there a little bit today. Do you feel like you were lucky to get out with a win?
Svetlana Kuznetsova I don't feel nothing of luck there. I just feel like fighting a lot and just where I wanted to get some my points, you know, I wanted to get my game on because I was struggling her best and my worst. You know, it's tough sometimes because I'm not playing as well last two weeks as I would love to. But, you know, I wanted very badly to be there and to win matches. I had lots of faith on myself and wanted to play at my best level and to fight a lot, you know. The game didn't go in the start as I want to, but I think I turned it well and good level later on.

Question It looked like the first set was over in a heartbeat and you never got your rhythm.
Svetlana Kuznetsova Yeah, it's tough. You know, first match. When you have byes, totally different story. First matches are very dangerous because other players already played some and know the balls, the surface. But it's not only this. Maybe I was a little bit nervous in the first set and I couldn't find my game. I was just playing all to her backhand. It was the best shot she has. Playing worst to the other player's best, doesn't matter how good you can be or you are, you're just giving yourself there, just not doing the right thing to win. So after I had to think a little bit, to use my brain, just could start to play my game later on.

Question There were a bunch of bad line calls or maybe questionable calls that you seemed to be quite upset with. Is there anything in your mind that you would think about? Last year at the US Open, there were some bad calls in Serena's match. They're considering instant replay. Do you think that would be a good thing to have?
Svetlana Kuznetsova You know, it's funny but really one moment I was thinking, "Where is this for ask what calls," you know, you can ask to the umpire. That's what they want to do in the US Open. So it was one moment in my match, "Do we have it now or it's still not on?" You know, I think -- I know about the bad calls in the US Open. But it's only one thing that happen in the history of tennis. But I any linesman is a human, and chair umpire. It's really hard to understand it when you're on the court. You just going nuts and say, "How can you not see this?" But he's not thinking about myself, he's thinking about himself to see the ball. Of course, I can be upset, but I was not really today. I was just -- I couldn't be so upset because I didn't see these balls really clearly. So I've been just standing there and just try to play in my head and try to see the mark, you know, because there is some really lines call which I see the ball was out, but I don't really sure because, you know, I'm still playing. I got to see the ball how I hit it, not where it bounce. So it's hard. Still is some doubts there, but I was just playing. I just was stopping just to think what was going on.

Question You talked yesterday about how difficult it is being the defending Open champion, more pressure. Are matches like these at points harder? You mentioned nerves. Is that perhaps a symptom of having the pressure of winning a Grand Slam?
Svetlana Kuznetsova Well, I wasn't thinking that much about The Open, you know. Just hard because you play one tournament, you lose in the third round, you have difficult matches. The players want to beat you more. You just struggling. This makes you doubt. It's all things to learn, you know, because I feel these moments I don't have such big experience. I have not been in this moment, defending everything I own. So this is what I have to learn on, you know, and understand it. I was thinking like, okay, my goal is to get the best shape to US Open, to feel good, to feel comfortable, to don't feel like I felt today on the court in my first match in US Open. But it's could happen, you know. You have to be there. You have to plan to fight, to give your best, to start to come in from down to up again.

Question At any point in the match did you feel like it was slipping away? How do you keep that confidence to know after you lose the first set, that kind of frustration?
Svetlana Kuznetsova You know, before going on the court, it's tough because you know that this girl want to beat you badly. You know just like this in tennis. When I was like 6-2 down, you know, I was trying to get it. I start not playing my best. It's very frustrating, you know. But also I knew I'm not like focusing to change something. So at score 3-2 up in the second set, I really felt I got the game, I got it. You know, if I just stay there and do a little bit more, just to push myself up, I'll be there. It's going to be tough, and it's going to be very tough to beat her -- her to beat me because in first set she didn't have any problems at all. I just want to be there to play my best. If opponent beats me, you know, this is the game.

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