Petra Kvitova – Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. It looked as if your body language suggested you would rather not be playing before lunch. You’re usually a night-match person.
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, I don’t really care. I mean, I do have a three time difference compared to Czech Republic. It’s not the best, but it’s okay. In the last couple weeks, I used to play quite late. But it’s few weeks already, new tournament.

I like to play first one, as well. I don’t really care. Now I’m done, so I have a free afternoon.

Q. She made it tough for you, didn’t she?
PETRA KVITOVA: Yeah, definitely. I know she’s playing well. Even she doesn’t have great results this year, I know she can really play well.

We practiced here before the tournament. She played very good in the Fed Cup. I was watching the matches.

She was serving very well today. Was tough to break her. I’m glad that I was able to hold my serve until the chances in the third. That was kind of my point to make it.

Q. What are you most pleased with with what did you and what did you struggle with the most?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, I’m not sure what I’m pleased with. Maybe I’m pleased with my comeback end of the match. Even I lost the tiebreak, I was really fighting in the first set to get it done, then the tiebreak was just a little bad from my side.

Every time from that one, it’s pretty tough to kind of be back, be up, play well. But I started again pretty well. I won my first two games in the second set. It was really helpful for me for the mentally. That’s probably I’m pleased with.

The bad things, it’s a lot, so we don’t really have a time to talk about (smiling). I have a free afternoon to think about. We’ll see.

Q. What did you make of the conditions? Could have been hotter, but it was still pretty hot.
PETRA KVITOVA: I think was the perfect conditions today. Sun was out, sun was in. Sometimes when I was serving, it was there. It’s not great when you serve. I don’t really see the next point, so I’m guessing sometimes. So probably that’s the bad part. It was a little bit windy in end of the match, but was same for both of us definitely.

I like those courts. It’s pretty fast, I think. So the conditions were pretty nice, I think, today.

Q. What was going through your mind at the start of the third set?
PETRA KVITOVA: She started pretty well. I couldn’t hit return. She served like four first serves in. It was pretty difficult to return it. But then I was keeping my serve, which was very, very important today. Even I made some double-faults, my service games were okay.

She really served pretty well until the 4-All, which I really thought that’s my game.

Q. Can you look ahead to your next match against Caroline Garcia.

PETRA KVITOVA: I’m playing her?

Q. On Jennifer Brady.

PETRA KVITOVA: I don’t know Jennifer at all. I know how she looks like, but I never really see her play that much, so I don’t know.

Caroline, we played many times. I do remember the match in Wuhan – was it Wuhan or Beijing, doesn’t matter – she won it anyway. I do remember that match. She was really fired up. I think she’s really trying to get back to her great form which she had that year.

She’s serving well, playing pretty aggressive. Same like me. We’ll see.

Q. What do you like about being here?

PETRA KVITOVA: I to hike being in Dubai. I’m here for off-seasons, as well, for the preparation. I been here many times for the holidays, for the vacations. I like the city.

I especially like for the vacations. You can lie on the beach all day, then in the night you can go to shop or to see the fountain or see other interesting buildings. I like it that you do have many choices what you can do here.

Q. Do you have a favorite song with the fountain? Have you seen different songs with it?

PETRA KVITOVA: Actually, you know what, I’ve been there twice. I saw twice the same song. Was the best one. Was from A Star is Born, I Will Never Love Again. It was beautiful one.

Q. If it is Caroline, what makes her tough to beat when she’s playing her best?

PETRA KVITOVA: When she’s playing her best tennis, it’s tough. When she hits those winners, you don’t really have anything to do. It’s really tough to do anything from it where you are, like, really pushing the ball back. When she miss, sometimes it’s better, of course.

She’s serving real well, as well. She can hit many aces. She has kind of an interesting second serve. Yeah, I think that she is really good mover. She’s quite tall, but she can really move well, yeah.

Q. A bit random.

PETRA KVITOVA: So many questions today (smiling).

Q. In different stadiums, sometimes you have your team closer to you, sometimes it’s far. Does it make any difference to you in any way?

PETRA KVITOVA: You know, sometimes I’m signing my coach for on-court coaching, sometimes not. That’s probably how they are sitting.

We decided to this week, so they are pretty close. Sometimes it very interesting because sometimes I want to talk with them. Obviously, I can’t.

I don’t feel, like, any differences that much in the end of the day, so…