Last Updated on January 31, 2019
Czech tennis player Petra Kvitova shared her impressions of a victory in St. Petersburg .
– How did you feel after a difficult flight from Australia?
– I feel pretty tired, I had a jetlag. However, I managed to sleep a bit, but today it took me a few cups of coffee to finally wake up before the start of the competition. The local court suits me, I remember it from last year, so it was easy to get involved in the game. Viktoria is now returning to the Tour and acted on a very high level, especially in the second installment. I am glad that I was able to impose a struggle on her and eventually achieve victory in such a hard duel.
– How comfortable do you feel in the tiebreaks?
– Unfortunately, I did not manage to play well on the pitch and finish the match earlier. As a result of this, I even fell into some frustration, but then I was able to cope with emotions. Every time I play a tiebreak, it’s always a lottery. I take a deep breath, then exhale and concentrate on the next draw. It is imperative to take the account, and then everything is going well for me.
– You could have played later, on Thursday, but played on Wednesday, was that your decision?
– Yes, it really was my decision. Sometimes it is better to immediately enter the fight and not wait for your match. But tomorrow I will have a day off.
– The match was not your coach, what is the reason?
– This time the team did not go with me. After Australia we decided to take a break from each other (laughs). So only a couple of close friends here support me.
– How to cope with the emotional defeat in the final of the Australian Open?
– It really was very difficult. But today I had another fight, managed to win, and it helped me to mentally switch. In any case, from the finals with Osaka, I learned a lot of experience.
– How do you usually relax, what are you planning to do on the weekend?
– I will definitely go to the Hermitage.
– Did you have a positive experience of playing in tournaments without a coach?
– Yes, I have this experience. I won three or four tournaments in which I was alone. Of course, it feels quite differently, but I am very familiar with the process, so I feel comfortable.
– In Melbourne, you said that you now have a better relationship with the coach, what does this mean?
– I am a closed person, but I try to communicate with my mentor as often as possible, to share my thoughts and problems with him, I ask for advice. In this regard, I have done a great job, especially in Melbourne.
– When you have something goes wrong, how do you motivate yourself?
– On the court, I behave calmly – I will not throw rackets or cry. In this case, I often mistaken because of the aggressive style of the game. But it is necessary to be able to take it, it is on such situations that I work.
