Budapest Travel Blog

A. SZAVAY/N. Petrova

6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. There been just few great women tennis players in Hungary: Eva Szabo and Andrea Temesvari. Have you ever had the pleasure of meeting those two women?
AGNES SZAVAY: Yes, I did.

Q. Have they had an impact on your tennis life?
AGNES SZAVAY: Yeah, sure.

Q. How?
AGNES SZAVAY: I mean, when I was younger I was all the time just watching them how they play. They are like stars and I want to be the same tennis player as they. Yeah, I tried my best.

Q. At New Haven in the final when you hurt your back, was it on that final point where Svetlana hit behind and you had to stop, or was it earlier in the match?
AGNES SZAVAY: No. You mean when I made the stop?

Q. Yes.
AGNES SZAVAY: No, no. It was before matches. I played too much matches and it was every day worse and worse.

Q. So you had won the first set there?
AGNES SZAVAY: Yeah.

Q. Of course, you didn't want to take a chance of not playing the US Open so you had to stop. But you had been beating a lot Russian players already this year. Do you know something about Russian players?
AGNES SZAVAY: No. I just play my game.

Q. How does this victory rank in your career?
AGNES SZAVAY: Well, I'm really happy and I try to keep going and try to concentrate on my game.

Q. Is this the best win you've had so far in your tennis career?
AGNES SZAVAY: Yeah, uh huh.

Q. What's been the sort of change for you in the last few weeks or months that's allowed you to have the confidence to beat players like Petrova?
AGNES SZAVAY: Well, I improved a lot in the last one year. I just try to focus on my game and I guess I play better now.

Q. Where are you training?
AGNES SZAVAY: At home, in Budapest.

Q. In Hungary?
AGNES SZAVAY: Yeah.

Q. Have found that it was easy or difficult to make the transition from junior tennis to professional tennis?
AGNES SZAVAY: I think it's a big different in the head, and of course they are much better. It's a good experience to play juniors, to be with the top players at the Grand Slams. It's a good life also, but it's big different I guess.

Q. Quite clearly now you look very confident on the court. How long did it take you after you turned professional to get confidence playing the faster game, the professional game?
AGNES SZAVAY: If somebody plays good juniors, then that player has enough confident to start the WTA tour. When I just stop playing juniors or I was even player juniors still, I was already 150 on the WTA rank.
But then I had mononucleosis, so that was half year or year in my career. But since that I'm coming up and playing better and better.

Q. Who are you being coached by now?
AGNES SZAVAY: Two coaches Zoltan Kuharszsky who is here with me, and Jozsef Bocskay and he is also travel with me sometimes.

Q. You been working with them for how long?
AGNES SZAVAY: With Zoltan for one year, and with Jozsef for three years or even more.

Q. The injury, is it okay now or are you still getting therapy for the injury?
AGNES SZAVAY: I'm still getting therapy for it, but it's much better.

Q. Today for example
AGNES SZAVAY: I didn't feel it.

Q. No problem at all?
AGNES SZAVAY: No. Maybe if I would play more then I would feel it. Not yet.