A. KERBER/V. Kudermetova
6-4, 7-5
THE MODERATOR: Questions.
Q. Angie, another really good win for you. How were you feeling on the court today and how happy are you with your performance?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yeah, I think it was a really intense match. We played almost two hours for two sets. It's another important match win for me, for sure, and gives me confidence for the next rounds.
I was feeling good. I was trying to hitting the balls good, moving good. I think on a good way to playing again good tennis against the best players.
Q. You've had some really good results at this tournament. What did it feel like to be back out there playing at such a high level at an event you have played so well?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I think the court fits my game. I don't know. I have great memories here. I really enjoy my time always when I'm here. It's my 14th time I think that I'm playing this tournament, so I have great memories.
It is really special tournament. Everyone is playing here. You have to play your best tennis from the first round, and this is what I try. You know, I try to improving from every single match, trying to learning from the matches after such a long time being out. Yeah, having now three straight wins, it feels good.
Q. When you first announced you were going to take some time off, there was a level of certainty you would be back and playing again. How difficult was it to come to that level of certainty and was there moments of doubt in the process of coming back?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Of course it's not easy to coming back after such a long time as well, and, you know, playing again on a high level. I mean, it takes time. You have to be patient.
I mean, really, I practiced now for months. I'm done with practice now (smiling). I'm happy to having matches now, because, you know, if you go out on the practice court every single day and doing the same things, it's nice to being now in the tournament.
Of course there are always doubts sometimes if, you know, you are not feeling so well or, like, it's still such a long time for playing tournaments, because I started, yeah, last year. So we had three, four months of practice, preparation. It was a long time, so that's why I'm happy to having tournaments now.
Q. It's very early, a little too early to tell, but your next match might be with Caroline Wozniacki. What do you think of that matchup and that possibility?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: You know, if I play against Caro, I think we are both looking forward to this match and we are both in the same situation.
You know, we will try to play a good match, having a good battle out there. But, you know, we are friends now, and we will be still friends after a match. So, yeah, we will try of course both to win. But at the end, I think there are more important things than a tennis match, but I think for the crowd and for everyone it will be interesting match, yes.
Q. When Elina Svitolina came back, she mentioned how much she liked having the time to practice, maybe work on different things, maybe be a different player.
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Okay. I'm different, I think.
Q. What was your approach, trying to get back to the same? What was your mindset?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: You know, for me, I'm more a tournament player. I'm not like let's practice or let's go or, like, let's have a long practice period. I'm more, like, let's play tournaments, play matches, and this is more me.
But of course you need the practice time where you have to work on some things, trying to improving, yeah, little things.
But, yeah, I know I have to do it, but I'm not like the biggest fan of it.
Q. Did you watch a lot of matches when you were off? Did you keep up with the tour and watch tournaments, or did you kind of shut it out?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: No, I was really watching a lot of matches. Yeah, I think every tournament I was watching, especially the big tournaments.
It was also quite nice to sit on the sofa and watching some tennis just on the TV, yeah.
Q. You weren't gone that long, but did you notice any changes in the tour, any changes in the way players were competing?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: You know, there are new, the new generation is coming more and more. I think this is what's change after the time I was not on tour. There are new faces and young players are coming. I mean, I'm getting older. I think I'm the oldest one right now or, like, one of them.
But, you know, this is the time and I just try, you know, to enjoying. It's different for me to being now on the level of, like, 10 years ago. It's of course also different mentally.
Q. How do you assess your fitness? It looks like you may be in better shape now than right before you left. Do you feel that way and how impressed are you by that?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I feel that I'm on a good shape. I was working a lot on the fitness things, because this is important, especially for my game, that I'm, yeah, feeling good, feeling my legs.
I was working a lot, and I feel fit. So I don't know if I'm fitter than before or not, but I'm good, yeah (smiling).
