China Open 2011 Interviews: Radwanska and Petkovic

Written by: Resendiz on 8th October 2011

China Open 2011 Interviews: Radwanska and Petkovic

Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska returns the ball to Italy's Flavia Pannetta at their semi-final match in the China Open Tennis tournament in Beijing, China 08 October 2011. EPA/ADRIAN BRADSHAW |

A. PETKOVIC/M. Niculescu

6‑2, 6‑0

An interview with:

ANDREA PETKOVIC

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Firstly, congratulations.

ANDREA PETKOVIC: Thank you.

Q. As we all know, you have reached the quarterfinal of the Australian Open, Roland Garros, and the US Open. Now you have been in the final of the China Open. You still have the chance to reach the YEC, right? So I want to ask you a question: do you have any adjustment of your schedule after China Open? And if you get qualification of the YEC, what is your preparation for Istanbul?

ANDREA PETKOVIC: Yeah, well, when I started my season I definitely didn’t know that I was going to play for the Masters in the end possibly at all, so it’s a surprise for me.

But I just improved a lot. You know, I played each week better and better tennis and I handled the expectations better, so now being able to reach the year‑end final would be a great achievement for me.

I just have to try to focus on each match and just try to play my game and not get ahead of myself. So that’s what I’m going to try to do. But it would be a great honor to reach the Masters in the end.

So I’m really hopefully, and I hope I can play some good tennis to deserve it.

Q. Could you talk about your opponent’s performance today? She seems like underdog coming to the event, but stunned a lot of big stars. How was your preparation for her?

ANDREA PETKOVIC: Well, it was really tough because it’s a total different style than all the other girls play, so you have to prepare differently than to all the other girls. I don’t think I had one match that’s like this in the whole yeah, in the whole season.

So what I just did, I took my two coaches, I put them on the other side, and I made them play slice all the time. So I was quite prepared for what was waiting for me.

You know, the good thing is I never underestimated her, because I knew that I lost to her the last two or three matches. So I went into the match as if I’m playing the No. 1 in the world and not if I’m playing ranked 50, you know.

In the last stages of such a big tournament, you just have to prepare for each and every point to put up a battle out there. I think I did a pretty good job, and I was really satisfied with the intensity and the focus that I managed to have in each and every point.

I think that made the difference today.

Q. The Petko Dance is well‑known to everybody now. If you win here tomorrow, will you try some new dance moves for the Chinese audience?

ANDREA PETKOVIC: I had two really great fans from Shanghai who came here just to see me, see my matches, and they promised me to show me some Chinese dance moves. They didn’t, so I have to see what I do.

But if I win I should do something special, yeah. First I have to win, so that’s a big hurdle in front of me at first.

Q. You’ve been playing extremely well this year in big tournaments. Tomorrow is going to be your first match to try to win a big tournament like China Open. So in your mind, how big it is for you to try to win here? And we have been talking about the German women’s tennis for years, the lack of top stars. So if you win here, do you think it’s going to be a big step for you to try to step up and carry the flag for the German women’s tennis?

ANDREA PETKOVIC: Well, it’s definitely very special for me to be here in the final. I played really well this season; I played very consistent; I won a lot of the matches.

But, you know, I never really won a big title. I was never in a final of a big tournament. So it is different definitely. It’s still the final. I still didn’t win one point in the final, so it’s a long, long road for me to the title. I just try to focus on my game and game plan and not get ahead of myself. That’s just everything that I try to do.

But obviously the German tennis had a great season this year, especially the women’s tennis. And I think it’s just because we have a really healthy competition, you know. We pull each other up. When I play well, the others, we practice all the time together, so they know I’m not much better than them. They just go head and play better the next tournament.

It’s just a healthy competition. We are all friends, and it’s been a great year. I hope that it continues so German tennis kind of wakes up again. Because really after Boris Becker and Steffi Graf, the public in Germany just forgot about tennis.

I think it’s such a beautiful sport, and I really hope that we can keep up the level and keep winning ‑ hopefully ‑ winning big tournaments, and that we sort of start a renaissance in Germany. It would be great for German tennis.

Q. (Through translation.) First one, in the next match, who do you think you would like to play against, Radwanska or Flavia?

ANDREA PETKOVIC: Who do I think will win? Oh, that’s really, really tough. Agnieszka is obviously in the best form of her life because she won Tokyo; she played an incredible US Open Series.

And Flavia, I saw her playing against Caroline. She was playing really, really well as well, and she played quarters at the US Open.

So both of them showed that they are in the best shapes of their lives. I also know that both of them play really great on hard court. I lost to Agnieszka three times ‑‑ or two times at the US Open Series.

So I’m just going to prepare for each ‑‑ it doesn’t matter who I play. I’m just going to prepare for myself and try to focus on myself and hopefully be a little lucky tomorrow.

Q. The last question, would you like to show some Chinese dance moves right here?

ANDREA PETKOVIC: Can you show me? No? Well, I cannot show you if you cannot show me.

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A. RADWANSKA/F. Pennetta

6‑2, 6‑4

An interview with:

AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Comment on this match. Do you have special tactic for Pennetta?

AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: If I have any tactic?

Q. I mean comment on this game. What’s your comment on this game, and do you have a special tactic for Pennetta?

AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Well, actually, you know, when you play a player from the top actually it’s hard to say about tactic. You know, you just have to play 100%, to be focused from the first point until the end, and trying to play aggressive and just fighting for each point.

I think against Flavia we didn’t play in a long time, so…

You know, actually, you know, I just knew that she’s playing well, you know, last couple of weeks, so I was really, you know, just focusing on my game from the beginning.

Just very happy that I close this match in two sets.

Q. (Through translation.) Last week in Tokyo you won the championship, and in the China Open you reached the final. How do you maintain your top level at the end of the season?

AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Say again.

Q. How do you maintain your top level at the end of the season?

AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Well, to be honest, coming to Asia I didn’t really think about anything because I was far on the race so I didn’t think about the chance or anything. I just knew that are big tournament, you know, and it’s going be nice to play here good, you know, and have some more points in the end of year.

Actually I am feeling pretty well. You know, I’m playing actually every day very tough matches against top players.

What can I say? I’m just very, very happy that I can reach final again second week in a row.

Q. Can you talk about the final a little bit.

AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Well, we played actually in U.S. two times against each other; I won those both matches. But I think doesn’t mean anything. I was playing very well also in those matches. It was actually 6‑4 in the third, and then again we played such a long match.

It’s always very tough and very tight against Andrea. She’s playing well, very consistent player. So I think, you know, I have to play even better than today to beat her tomorrow.

Q. Congratulations. First, just before the conference, Petkovic told us that if she won tomorrow she will show the Chinese dance to the fans. Do you have any plans to show to the fans if you win the title? Because if you win tomorrow, it will be the biggest title you have ever held.

AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Yes, but I just finished my match ten minutes ago, so I didn’t think about tomorrow pretty much.

Well, if you show me some Chinese dance, of course I will dance if I win. Not a problem. (Smiling.)

Q. For this China Open we have a lot of top players disqualified. Do you think you reach the final, and the Andrea Petkovic, and it’s because you’re age gave you a special advantage?

AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Well, um, it’s hard to say. I mean, you know, in every tournament, you know, some top seeded are really losing very early and it’s not really surprise. But, well, I think we are ‑‑ I don’t know. Maybe we are young, we are still fresh, so maybe in the end of the year we can reach the finals.

But I think every tournament, each tournament is different, so, well, it’s just I think we were just playing very well here and we could easily be in the final.

Q. Congratulations. I have two questions. The first is: Have you discovered something new in this year’s China Open? The second is: in what aspect do you believe that China Open need to improve to be the fifth Grand Slam? Thank you.

AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Well, good question. What to improve? Well, I mean, so far I didn’t have any problems here, so I cannot say anything bad about this tournament. I’m in the finals and it’s the second time I’m here in the finals, so I think it’s one of my best tournaments in Beijing.

So, yeah, maybe if I will have any problems I will let you know. (Smiling.)

Q. Have you discovered anything new in this year’s China Open?

AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Well, for sure, you know, it was very nice new players’ lounge, of course new center court, bigger gym. You know, this is like some details, but, you know, important for the players.

So I think improves a lot from last year.

Q. Do you enjoy the joint events more than the regular WTA events, or do you like a combo? How do you feel on that?

AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Well, it’s hard to say if it’s different or not. You know, it’s big tournament like couple of others, but…

Well, like I said, I’m really feeling good here on the center court. It’s been, again, good tournament for me.

But, you know, it’s hard to ‑‑ I mean, for the players I think each tournament is kind of the same. You know, the same players, kind of the same matches, center courts. I cannot really say that it’s a little bit different than others.

Q. Now you’re one step closer to the year‑end championship. Will you play Osaka or Moscow after Beijing?

AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Yes, I will play Moscow. I’m going to go home for a couple days after this. You know, I think I need some break after those two weeks. So I’ll take some time off and practice at home and go Moscow, and hopefully I can go to Istanbul.