Maria answers to the questions of the Australian Open official website (www.australianopen.com)

Maria, the score of the first set says it’s an easy match, but it wasn’t for you, was it ?
No, actually, first set was really tough. And first, like six games, like it was like quite long, and I thought, “Oh, my God, if it’s going to be, like, all game, it’s going to be really difficult”. But, well, then it went, I didn’t feel so tired. Actually the end of the first set, we start to make easy mistakes because I think of concentration, her, mine. Then when I lost I thought, “So nothing’s happened”. Just, the game with three sets, so just decide to fight like in the first set, and went much easy, you know, 6-1, 6-2. Pretty good, I think.

Do you see this as a bit of the breakthrough win at a Grand Slam ?
Yeah, actually I think it’s quite good to win for me. And before, of course, I beat a couple good players, like top 10. Usually I’m losing like every time first round in the Grand Slam. Really it’s good I broke this tradition in the first round already, so I’m quite happy.

Can you talk about maybe the last six or seven months, why your game has been improving so much, and how you’ve gotten to this stage ?
I don’t know. I just continue to work really hard. Before I work really hard. Now I start to play better. Actually, I started to work with the coach, also with another one, and so I think it’s going very good. I understand him, and he’s saying to me, the things,which before I didn’t maybe hear. And so I think we working also on a good things. What I didn’t do before maybe. I think maybe it’s also helped me in this.

So it’s that you have confidence in what he’s telling you, and then you can bring that to the court ?
Yeah, I like it. Before the match he’s saying me some things, like getting more confidence, and I know he’s right. Maybe he can say me just simple things, and I’m like thinking, and of course it’s true. And I’m just going out there and just fight, playing my best game, showing everything what I can.

Were you surprised at how Anna fell away in the second two sets ?
Yeah, like I saw that she’s little bit tired, because there’s like two big screens on the court. Sometimes I watch on that. And it was like big face of Anna, she’s seems like she was really tired. And actually I wasn’t so tired in the second, third set. Just, I was tired in the first set. I don’t know why. Then when I broke it, then it was like good.

Gave you a big boost to see she was really struggling ?
Of course when you see someone is dying on that side you feel more energy.

Are you two good friends ?
With Anna ?

Yeah…
Yeah, I know her from small age. Like we practiced in the same club and also was quite friendly. I couldn’t say that we’re like best friends, but, I mean, good friends. Yes.

Does that make it hard for you to play somebody you know so well ?
Actually not. It’s different, when you’re like, for example, in the locker room with the girls, everybody laughing, smiling. Then when you go on the court you don’t really think, “She’s my friend. Oh, my God.” You just going like with everybody. Playing, don’t think anything. Just thinking about the right thing, what you should to do.

When you were in the juniors and at the club with Anna, who won most of those matches ?
Usually, actually I was always the best, like when I was small. Like in juniors every time. Then like last two years she had very successful, like, wins everything, so she became like top 10 player. To be honest, like I was little bit surprised, because — I don’t know, because from the small age I never thought that she could play as good as like she’s playing. It’s good for her. She always practiced a lot, I remember. And she always, like she has a good character, like she’s like fight and like angry on the court. I think it’s helped her a lot. It’s good that I won today. I’m happy.

Do you feel a little bit more calm and patient in the court ?
Yeah. Well, like, I try to be more calmer. Because sometimes I feel like when I’m playing too much energy, and so I need to keep it more for the game. And, yeah, I try to be more calm, to show that I’m quite confident, to show that, like, here I am. So it’s helped, actually.

You work with your trainer, or it’s just a matter of you growing and getting more…
I don’t know. Maybe because I’m getting older, “older.” I don’t know how to say. I don’t know how to say. Yeah. I know like sometimes what I should to do on court, what I should. I already feel inside, like the second voice already telling me what should to do, so it was good.

When Anna passed you in the rankings the last couple years and she beat you three times in a row coming into this match, did that give you sort of a wakeup call ? Did it tell you, I have to do something else with my game now, because now I’m seeing players I used to beat and they’re going beyond me ?
Yes, of course, it’s true. Like first time I played against her in Miami, or like in WTA, I remember I beat her like two sets, but it was also like difficult. And then always like we had like competition between us, like who would be better and better. And last few times I lost her, like, both in Indian Wells, and I got really pissed. “Oh, my God, I beat her every time and now I’m losing”, you know, like two times. But it’s getting better. It’s not really easy to play against her because she playing quite deep and she has good hands. But today, I felt like I was running good, and it was like the key, also. And I felt like I’m strong like I can run, like I can play the ball like how I want, not just hitting. I tried to change. I think it’s also help, because she likes to play when someone is hitting. She just, like make running the opponent.

So now you’re in your first fourth round of a Grand Slam. Can you dream a little bit that maybe you can win a couple more matches and belong with the top players ?
Yeah, of course. I wish I keep going like this. If I’m going to play, like, good game I’m going to go far. Tomorrow I have a rest day. I mean, I will practice, of course, one hour, and just, concentrate on the game. I want to think about each game, each opponent so I’m not too far away. It’s better step by step, so…

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