An interview with: Vera Zvonareva

Written by: Staff on 11th September 2010

An interview with: Vera Zvonareva |

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Crazy, crazy kind of weather out there today. Talk about the match and the conditions, how you were able to prevail.

VERA ZVONAREVA: Yeah, I think the weather was definitely not for the good tennis out there. But no matter what match had to be played, and we both were trying our best out there.

Like I said on the court, the most important thing was to find the right balance between being patient and being aggressive. I think I did it well.

Q. You’ve had such great success at the majors this year, been so consistent in the majors. Do you find yourself at a point where you’re as confident as you’ve ever been playing in the big championships?

VERA ZVONAREVA: I don’t question myself. You know, I always believed in myself. I always believe. I’m just going out there and trying my best in every match.

You know, it’s been working pretty good for me so far.

Q. If you have a matchup with ‑ we don’t know yet ‑ but with Caroline, you’ve been 50/50 with her. You’re pretty evenly matched.

VERA ZVONAREVA: Um, yeah, well, it’s gonna be tough match for both of them tonight. I don’t know who’s gonna win yet, Caroline or Dominika.

If it’s Caroline, she’s playing great tennis at the moment. She’s been so consistent this year and won a few tournaments in a row. She’s very tough opponent. You know, we played few times and we always had tough matches. I’m expecting a very tough one in the semifinal.

And even if Dominika wins, we just played a three‑setter like few weeks ago. It was a very tough one.

No matter who’s going through it, it’s gonna be a tough challenge, and I’m up to it.

Q. With how many unforced errors she was making, you were talking about being balanced and aggressive. Were you trying to be a little bit more patient because of the errors she had been making?

VERA ZVONAREVA: Well, I don’t think she was just making errors for no reasons, you know. Um, I think I was making it difficult for her. She had to go more for her shots. I was trying to, you know, guess where she was playing and reading her game.

So I was trying to make it as difficult as possible for her. With those conditions, well, unforced errors, it looks like it’s an easy shot. But with the wind going all the different directions and blowing, it’s not easy to make those shots.

So sometimes you have to make the right choices. I think today I made, you know, right choices where I had just to, you know, put the ball in play and where sometimes I had to step up a little bit and do a little bit more with the ball.

Q. What did you learn from the match against Flavia last year?

VERA ZVONAREVA: Um, well, that match was in the past, but I learn from every single match. There is something to learn about from every match you play. So there are probably things that, you know, made me more experienced player at the moment.

Q. What’s it like to compete in this tournament without Serena being here?

VERA ZVONAREVA: Um, well, I still have to go out there and fight against everyone. It’s not easy out there. It’s tough challenge for everybody.

Of course it’s great to have Serena. She’s a great champion, she’s a great fighter, but it doesn’t really make the field any more open.

There are so many great players out there. It’s a challenge for everybody.

Q. How important is it ‑ if you have to play Caroline ‑ not to get frustrated, because it seems like she makes everyone play patiently?

VERA ZVONAREVA: Well, you have to be patient against her. She’s a tough player because she reads the game well. So you have to be patient but still go for your shots.

But, you know, you cannot get frustrated if you are playing against anyone. If you get frustrated, well, you will probably lose the match. Doesn’t matter if it’s Caroline or someone else on the other side of the net.

I think you can ‑‑ you know, you should get sometimes angry with yourself. Sometimes you should pump yourself. But you have to always be out there and trying not to get frustrated against anybody.

Q. Will experience matter for you, or do you think that Caroline has enough experience now where you being on the tour longer and being in bigger matches is all that matters to you?

VERA ZVONAREVA: Well, I think Caroline’s got enough experience right now. She’s very mature for her age, and I think a lot of people are underestimating her. But she’s going out there and she’s doing her job very, very well.

I can say she’s very experienced, so it’s, you know ‑‑ if I have to play Caroline, it’s just going to be a tough match, but we both have been in those situations.

Q. What happened in your final in Montreal? Did you get frustrated there?

VERA ZVONAREVA: Oh, in Montreal I think I just couldn’t find my game. I think I had to play Victoria in the morning, and they have absolutely different styles of game, Victoria and Caroline. It was very difficult for me just to change the mindset and switch to another match.

I was getting ready and preparing myself to play Victoria for two days while we were sitting in the rain.

Then I played her, you know, the style that I wanted, and then I had to play against Caroline, who’s playing absolutely different. So I just couldn’t manage and couldn’t adapt to the differences in the game.

Then when I finally started, you know, finding my game a little bit, Caroline came up with some great shots. I felt like I just didn’t have enough time on the court to get used to the game.

Q. What does it say about yourself that you were able to reach two Grand Slam semifinals in a row this summer?

VERA ZVONAREVA: Um, what does it say? I guess I’m improving. I’m still improving, you know. I’ve been playing for a while, but I’m still out there and still working hard. I’m still improving.

That feels great, you know. I can go out there, and I will try to work even more.

Topics: Crazy Kind, Dominika, Interview Questions, Little Bit, Majors, Match, Matchup, Opponent, Tennis, Unforced Errors, Vera Zvonareva, Weather Out