12/09/2010 05:41 CEST - interviews

V. Zvonareva - 11.09.10

Q. Do you think that you were more overwhelmed by the occasion, by Kim, or by a combination of both?
VERA ZVONAREVA: None of those. I don't think I was overwhelmed. Of course it was a great honor to be in the finals of US Open and playing in front of New York crowd.
But, um, I think Kim just played very good match. She didn't really, you know, give me chances to get into the match.
But I also think that physically today she was just much better player than me. Physically I was not capable, you know, of playing the same level as I was able to play even like yesterday or in my previous matches.

Q. Why do you think that is?
VERA ZVONAREVA: I don't know. It's hard to say in the moment. I will have to go back and analyze a little bit. I think I have to learn how to make sure that I recover well, and I'm physically fit and ready to play when it comes down to the last matches of the tournament, like semifinals or finals.
I will still have to learn how to do it and how to pace myself, maybe, with practicing and preparing. Also maybe if I really want to go deep in the Grand Slams, maybe I will have to stop playing doubles because there are some days off on the way, you know, during two weeks.
People that are playing only singles, they can ‑‑ on those days off, they can go with a very light practice session and just work on some things that they want to work. I felt like here I had to play every day. It's tough not only physically, it's also mentally tiring.
So by the time, you know, the most important match of the tournament arrives, for me it was very difficult out there physically today.

Q. What Kim said afterwards, that you'll go on a win a Grand Slam, was that some consolation? Do you believe that will still come, a Grand Slam win?
VERA ZVONAREVA: I always believe in myself, you know. You know, of course I'm disappointed at the moment, and I'm disappointed because I believe that I was not able to play my best today.
But I'm trying to look forward. I'm trying to think about what I have to do next to, you know, play better. Hopefully I will have another chance. Hopefully I will go far in another Grand Slam. Hopefully I will be more experienced.

Q. Do you take some comfort that Kim was in four major finals before she won her first title?
VERA ZVONAREVA: Well, yeah, she told me that. I was like, Okay. It was just two for me. That's okay. It's not too bad.
But, yeah, you know, sometimes you can be disappointed and think, Okay, I had two chances and I didn't use them. But, you know, that's how it goes. It's just great experience for me.
I tried my best out there. I gave 100%. I was just not ‑‑ I was not able to hang in there physically today.
Hopefully, like I said, I will have another chance.

Q. Mentally was it very tough, because she gave you almost no chances? We saw you frustrated from time to time.
VERA ZVONAREVA: Yeah, of course I was frustrated because I was losing games like 40‑Love, 40‑Love, and was not able to, you know, come up with my game.
But I was just trying to find a way to pump myself up, to change something up. But there was a moment a little bit in the second set where I started playing a little bit better. I had a breakpoint. She came up with an ace.
You know, it was very difficult today, because she just ‑‑ she came up with some great, great shots in the key moments.

Q. Tonight concludes the Grand Slam season for the women. I know it's very soon after the loss, but are you able to look back and say, Hey, two Grand Slam finals this season; this was a breakthrough summer for me?
VERA ZVONAREVA: It was a great summer, for sure. You know, it's a great experience to be in the finals of Grand Slams, but I'm just gonna look forward.
You know, I'm just gonna look forward and think about what do I have to do to improve, you know, to go all the way in the Grand Slam.
That's about it. But when I finish my career, maybe I will look back and I will remember some great moments. But at the moment, I will try to look forward.

Q. You mentioned the frustration. Can you describe what was going through your mind when you cracked the racquet and also after the match what you were feeling when you let it all out?
VERA ZVONAREVA: Um, when I cracked my racquet, I was like, Come on. Why can't you just ‑‑ the ball is just two steps away. I was able to do it ‑‑ I was able to get this ball in previous matches, and right now I'm just like so slow, cannot move. I just need to get some energy, you know, from something.
You just let the emotions out. Maybe it will help, you know, to be a little bit more fast, quicker, I don't know, something.
But, you know, I was still a bit slower; I was physically not fast enough. With Kim, you have to be fast. You have to play fast. You have to move quick. I was just overall very slow.
And at the end of the match, you know, I was upset that I was not able to, you know, turn it around. But also, I was maybe not too upset because I knew I gave it 100%. I was just physically not there. I couldn't do better than that.

Q. What effect, if any, did yesterday's win over Wozniacki have on your performance tonight? Any?
VERA ZVONAREVA: Ah, I don't know. I think it was a good match for me yesterday. Maybe, you know, I gave a lot in yesterday's match and was not able to recover for today's match.
I'm not sure. I will have to look back and analyze it a little bit better. But, you know, yesterday was a great match. Today not so good.
But like I said, I will look forward.

Q. Kim is very gracious person. She made a point of really trying to make you feel better. A lot of players wouldn't do that. What's that mean to you when someone like Kim, in her moment of triumph, is actually looking out, trying...
VERA ZVONAREVA: I think she's a great person, and she really knows how to be in those situations. When she gives such a support, it's great from her.
You know, I think she ‑‑ yeah, like I said, she's a great champion, but also a great person. You know, maybe because she said that maybe I'm not so disappointed right now. (Smiling.)

Q. Is there a comparison possible between your loss at Wimbledon and this one in the final? Has Serena, did she give you more chances, or do you feel you had a little bit more opportunities against Serena than against Kim today?
VERA ZVONAREVA: Um, no. I think with Serena it was very difficult at Wimbledon. It was on the grass, probably her favorite surface.
I just was a little bit ‑‑ I was rushing and didn't exactly know what to do today. I think I knew what I wanted to do on the court. I just could not execute my game. It was different when ‑‑ you know, I think I was a bit nervous before the match, but when I stepped out on the court today, I was not nervous at all. I was ready to play. I knew what I had to do. I just, yeah, couldn't produce anything.

Q. Was this the best Kim you've ever played against? The scorelines in all your losses even were good.
VERA ZVONAREVA: Yeah, I think today I think probably Kim played her best match against me, but I also think maybe I gave her chance to play her best match because I was not fast enough on the court and I was not ‑‑ my shots weren't powerful enough today.
I hit every shot and it was a bit slower than usual, so she had much more time to play her game.