Miami, Florida—Greetings from the Sony Ericsson Open. It’s been a rough tournament for the women, to say the least.
Svetlana Kuznetsova was one of the few top 10 players left in the draw, but she couldn’t seem to pull off a win today, losing her semifinal match to Victoria Azarenka.
As I headed down to Kuznetsova’s press conference after her match, I wasn’t so confident that she’d be willing to talk much. Understandably.
What player who just lost a big match would be in the mood to talk about her favorite music, or what toppings she likes on pizza? (Not that I was going to ask those questions).
But, I was prepared to take a chance anyway.
As one of five Russians in the top 10, I was anxious to get to know the 23-year-old, not because she’s anything like Sharapova, Safina, Dementieva, or Vzonareva, but because she’s different.
Kuznetsova Fast Facts:
Rank: No. 8 (highest rank: No. 2 in 2007)
Turned pro in 2000 (a veteran by most standards)
Won the US Open at age 19 (Winning a Grand Slam as a teenager–not too shabby)
Speaks fluent English and Spanish
I began Kuznetsova’s press conference by asking an obligatory, match-related question:
You lasted a lot longer than most players in the top 10. You have to be proud of that, right?
(Really trying to turn a negative into a positive).
“Well, I didn’t last out the tournament,” she said.” Coming here, I’ve been a bit lost on the court.” She went on to talk about how she needs to improve some things. She says that she’s not as fit as she once was. Even though she played better today, her lack of fitness caught up with her in the quarterfinals, where she was clearly winded. “At the end of the second set, I was barely walking,” she says.
I was surprised to find that during this tournament, Kuznetsova played without a coach for the first time—ever, after parting ways with Olga Morozova just after Indian Wells.
How does it feel? “I liked it,” she says. “I liked it a lot, actually. Sometimes it’s so cool to stay on your own and lay back and not have somebody telling you always what to do. You just suit yourself.” She says that she feels strong enough to handle playing without a coach for now, but not forever. But a little bit of freedom never hurt anyone. It could even help her decide what type of coach she wants to have in the future.
I started my last interview question with:
I hope you don’t mind me asking…(always a sign that a non-tennis question will be forthcoming).
I read recently that you have a tattoo. What is it, when did you get it and why?
“I think a tattoo describes a little bit about your personality. It’s something very personal just because you put it on your body and it stays with you forever,” she says. “I love tigers. Sometimes you feel motivation maybe to fight like a tiger, so I have a tiger on my stomach, she says.
Inspiration comes from the most unlikely places.
Getting to know Kuznetsova was worth it after all. Hopefully next time it will be after she wins the US Open (again).
Note: Kuznetsova won’t be going home just yet. She will continue to battle it out in doubles with Amelie Mauresmo on Friday, after the men’s semifinals. They will be taking on Groenefeld and Schnyder.
Paula Vergara is an experienced tennis journalist, who has worked as a regular contributor to On the Baseline Tennis News, USTA New England Magazine, and New England Sports Magazine. To view her work, visit her blog at www.paula-vergara.blogspot.com.
On the Baseline’s live coverage of the 2009 Sony Ericsson Open is brought to you by Grand Slam Tennis Tours.
