Maria Kirilenko - Official website

The Czech Klara Zakopalova won in two hours and 16 minutes against Maria in the first round of the AIG Japan Open in Tokyo. The score : 4-6, 6-2, 7-5.

Finally, Maria will not play the doubles tournament with the Argentian Gisela Dulko because of a left hip injury.

To see the singles draw, click here.

Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Singles Rankings
(as of September 29, 2008)

Maria is 36th at the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Doubles rankings

Full ranking, click here

Maria, seeded 4, will start the AIG Japan Open against Czech Klara Zakopalova. In the head to head, Maria leads 3-0 : 2006 in Berlin (6-4, 6-3), 2008 in Auckland (6-4, 6-1) and 2008 in Estoril (2-6, 6-3, 4-5).

To see the singles draw, click here.

Tokyo, Japan
September 29-October 5, 2008
Tier III

Prize Money : $175,000
Draw : 32M/32Q/16D
Surface : Hardcourt/Outdoors
Official website : http://aigopen.jp/08/index.en.shtml

Interview of Maria after the final against Samantha Stosur on Hansol Korea Open website.

Maria, how do you feel about winning the championship ?
I feel good, I feel tired. (laughter) It was two matches, the last two matches were very difficult. Even before, I won 6-3, 6-2, both matches, and also it was long. So you know, now at the end of the week, I feel a little bit tired. Still, I need to go play doubles.

How different does it feel last year compared to last year when you were runner up ?
Well, I think this year, I’m a much better player, and I also had more difficult wins than last year. From the, I don’t know, the first round, I didn’t know the girl with whom I played, but anyway, she played quite good. And then from the second round to the final, I had very good players. And I’m really happy that I beat all of them. I feel that I’m improving.

You were having problems with your service game in the first set, and your opponent had a strong kick serve. How did you prepare for it ?
I did a lot of mistakes. It was unbelievable how many mistakes I did. And she started to play very good and she served so good, and for me it was difficult to return her serve. She always served 192, 189… Then in the second set, I started to be more concentrated because in the first set I was a little bit out of the game. Also, I felt a little bit tired after yesterday, my doubles and singles. But anyway, I concentrated, and then I decided to play every ball, doesn’t matter what happened, and so I just started to fight. It worked, and I’m very happy.

When you started the match, in the first set, your level didn’t seem quite 100%. How would you describe your level at the start of the match ?
What I told before, I started to make a lot of mistakes. I think it was because of a little bit tiredness, you know, after a difficult match yesterday, the day before yesterday. And of course, I’m not a robot, you know. I feel tired. Especially, it’s sunday, and it’s normal. And well, I tried to do my best in the first set, but didn’t work you know, it happens sometimes. But the game, it’s not only one set, it’s from three sets. I think my first set was just, 50 or 40%, what I think. And then, I started to play better and better, and then I started to play much better. I started to play more aggressive, do the right things, don’t make stupid mistakes.

It looks like you’ve got one of the best return of serves in women’s tennis. Do you see the ball early ? I mean, how do you return it so well ? And number two, was her second serve has got a lot of kick. Is that hard to return ?
So I’ll answer the first question. Yes, since small age, my return is quite good. It’s always better than my serve. And I don’t know, maybe it’s because it’s the reaction. My reaction is not so bad. I don’t know, just feel the ball when the ball is coming, I know what to do, like my hand going through the ball. It’s always quite good. The second question is…

Her second serve. Was it tough, the kick, to return ?
I knew her second serve. I’ve played against her already and I played doubles against her many times. I knew it’s only two possibilities. You go two steps back and return from the defence, or you go just two steps in the court and just, you return aggressive. Today, I decided to go two steps forward in the court, and my return was perfect. It wasn’t really problems for me, but anyway, but she had a few aces from the second serve. Even I went two steps in the court, and anyway, it was aces. (laughter) It’s a really good serve. I think she’s one of the best who is serving so good. She’s serving so fast like men sometimes.

In the first set, you seemed to be having trouble with your leg. What happened ?
Just during the point, I just hit my knee with the racquet, and it was so painful. I thought I broke something. (laughter) And I couldn’t step on my leg, it was like a little bit shock you know. Just happened a strange step during the point, and I got trouble. Maybe it was good to wake me up. (laughter) Then I woke up, and I started to play.

In last year’s and this year’s run to the final, you wore the same outfit for all your singles matches. Is there a reason for it, maybe sponsorship reasons ?
Yes because I’m playing in Adidas by Stella McCartney, and she makes the clothes for me. And for every tournament, she sends me the clothes… Maybe not for every tournament, but for a couple of tournaments, I have to play in the same dress or the same dress, and that’s how it works.

It seems you control your emotions very well out on the court. What do you do to control your emotions ? And secondly, when things are not going well, you sometimes turn around and say some things. What are the things that you say in those times ?
I don’t remember. (laughter) Well, yeah. Usually I try to control myself, and I never throw the racquets and I never do some strange things on court, and sometimes I feel that I’m going asleep, to sleep, you know, during the match, and I need to wake up somehow. Or I start to like, scream something loud, or I don’t know, just maybe once hit the racquet to wake me up, then I can be in the game. Because otherwise, I’m getting slow, and no emotion, nothing. And the game doesn’t go, so… Actually, I don’t even remember what I’m screaming. (laughter)

What do you need to do to win Wimbledon or the US Open ? And another quick question, generally you don’t like to move forward, you looked a little bit hesitant. Is that a physical thing ? Is it hard to move forward ? Or is that mental, you just don’t want to ?
Well, that’s what I’m trying to do some times. I think it’s not of my type of game to come slowly to the net. I always come when I have a chance, and when it’s some moments during the match, just to come to the net and surprise my opponent. And the first question, I don’t know, I just need to make more physical work, to be ready for two weeks. Also, I need to believe in myself that I can play good, and can beat the good players also. Just this, and then I can win.

Maria won sunday the final of the Hansol Korea Open against the Australian Samantha Stosur. The score : 2-6, 6-1, 6-4.

Stosur started brighter, taking the first set 6-2. Starting at 1-1 in the second set, however, Maria had a run of nine straight games, taking the set and going up 4-0 in the third. Stosur came back one break to 4-3, but the remaining games went to serve and Kirilenko took the match when Stosur sent a backhand long.

Chia-Jung Chuang (TPE) and Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE) won the doubles tournament of the Hansol Korea Open against Maria and the Russian Vera Dushevina.

To see all the results, click here.