AUSTRALIAN OPEN
Date: 2005-01-23

AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 23, 2005

Svetlana Kuznetsova
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
The Moderator Questions for Svetlana.

Question How do you feel how you're playing in the tournament so far?
Svetlana Kuznetsova I felt like I played a little more focused my first matches, but still I was happy today with my game than I played my last match, because I had a little bit less my unforced errors. But still I think it's left a little bit to get in my game, you know, to roll it up. And I hope next match I'm going to play better. Well, I have to.

Question Can you talk about the possible meeting with Maria?
Svetlana Kuznetsova I mean, if Maria going to win, both of them is going to be tough matches. So I played Maria last time. I lost in indoor courts. So I think for Maria it's more comfortable this surface than the indoor. So she beat quite easy. I beat her easy in outdoors in Beijing. But, I mean, we'll see what's happens. And I know to win this match, I really have to play well, both of us. So it's going to be very interesting match.

Question Why do you think you match up better with her outside?
Svetlana Kuznetsova Because my game matches more with outside courts, and she plays better in indoor because her tennis is a little bit more flat and I have more with spin, so.

Question Of the Russians, are you close to Maria at all?
Svetlana Kuznetsova We're okay, you know. We are good. We say hello, we talk, you know, but we don't see each other so much because only in locker rooms.

Question But you're around the same age.
Svetlana Kuznetsova She's younger two years. I never met her before we start to play WTA events, you know, so. We've been going different ways.

Question There's been a lot of talk, repeatedly, that Maria is not as in with the other Russians. Do you feel that way, that she's a little bit separate from the rest of you?
Svetlana Kuznetsova I think she's all right. I think she's talking to everybody. She's a bit different, you know, like each of us, you know, we are all different. We have maybe little bit groups, you know, when you play Fed Cup. When we play Fed Cup, we going well between each other, you know, because we have to stay as a team. But we're all fine with her. Nobody does nothing, you know, something against her. Everybody's going well with her.

Question Would you welcome her onto the Fed Cup team?
Svetlana Kuznetsova You know, it's not my decision. I don't know when I will play with her Fed Cup. The decision takes Tarpischev. So he will decide the person who play. I don't mind, as soon as we defend colors of our country, you know. So this is important for me that everybody gives the best, that's it.

Question Would you be happy to see her on the team? Myskina said she wouldn't necessarily welcome her at the end of last year.
Svetlana Kuznetsova I don't mind. As soon as everybody fights to defend our flag, I don't mind who plays.

Question Compared to the US Open, how good are you right now?
Svetlana Kuznetsova Definitely I have much confidence. Definitely when I play Grand Slam, it's not enough to me, you know, to pass two, three rounds. You know, definitely I want to go higher and higher. I mean, now I'm in quarterfinals. Before US Open, quarterfinals was for me like good result, you know. Now I feel like it's okay, I want to go more forward and I want to improve my game. Now for me starts really tough matches, so I'm really looking forward to improve my game in these matches.

Question Have you made any more decisions about possibly taking legal action against the Belgian official at this point?
Svetlana Kuznetsova You know, I'm playing in Australian Open. I don't want to even think of this, you know. My agents, everybody take care of this, and I trust them. I just do my job. I play tennis. So this is the most important for me. I'm pretty calm. I know nothing going to happen to me, you know. The person who should be nervous is this person who said about this. I didn't do any errors. I didn't do nothing, so.

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