News & Photos / Interviews / Interview with Dominika Cibulkova

6‑2, 6‑4

An interview with:

DOMINIKACIBULKOVA

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English, please.

Q. So how does it feel after all that stress and nerves to be through?

DOMINIKACIBULKOVA: Um, you know, it's such a bigdifference to be on the court and to have a match point and to get so tight,how I got, you know, because I wanted to win so badly.

Then I missed a couplematch points, you know, and the last one was very tough. So it's just amazing.

Q. Have you been surprised? BecauseI guess you lost the matches before. Itwas so easy to a certain stage.

DOMINIKACIBULKOVA: You know, it was realdifficult, because I think we both were very nervous, and in the beginning itwas, you know, I think very deciding who will not make so many mistakes and whowill just better serve and better return. I think I was better in the beginning and then I got more confident.

Yeah, I was expectingthe way she play ‑‑ I was expecting how she was going to play and sheplayed like this. We practiced with mycoach like the day before, and it helped.

Q. Do you think you won that match because mentally you're a really toughplayer? You can deliver pressure maybebetter than Agnes today?

DOMINIKACIBULKOVA: I don't want to say she's notmentally tough, but I was really, really prepared for this match. I was not going on the court like, you know,it will be easy and I was not going on the court like it will be tough, youknow.

I was not expectinganything, and I just wanted to play my game. I think I did well.

Q. Could you describe just the feeling at the end of the match when youthrew the racquet, like maybe you were going to cry on the court today?

DOMINIKACIBULKOVA: Yes, I felt like I going to,you know, cry, because I was just so happy. This moment, you know ‑‑ for this, I play tennis, for thesemoments. It was just great. And you cannot even imagine when you win thematch point, you know. You are noteven ‑‑ I mean, you are enjoying so well, so you cannot realize what justhappened.

Q. You're in the quarters now. Doyou feel like now you kind of make a step further to another career, maybe?

DOMINIKACIBULKOVA: Everything is open. My next opponent is either Li Na orMaria Sharapova. I played both. It was really very close matches. Every match is different, and, you know, Ihave nothing to lose.

I'm in thequarterfinals. I was coming here forthis tournament, and I didn't know what to expect, because I was injured beforeand I didn't play the big tournaments, so I was a little bit afraid, how it'sgoing to be, how hard you going to play.

I'm in the quarterfinals, so it's justamazing.

Q. Youdidn't play in Stuttgartbecause you were injured. What kind ofinjury was that?

DOMINIKACIBULKOVA: I pulled my muscle. I don't know how to explain in English. It was here.

THE MODERATOR: In your thigh? Groin muscle?

DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA: Yeah, and I was injured ‑‑ I got injuredin Charleston. I retired against Dementieva. I went to play Fed Cup. I wanted to play so badly. I didn't make it. I think I made it even worse. And in Stuttgart,I was already, you know, injured and it was not good.

So I didn't play for two weeks. I practiced only one week before RolandGarros, and I came here and it's great.

Q. Do you like to see men's tennis? In this case, who's your favorite to win here?

DOMINIKACIBULKOVA: Win here? I think I'm not going to give you a surpriseanswer. I think Rafa Nadal is a favoritefor me here.

Q. He's a player you like more than others?

DOMINIKACIBULKOVA: Yeah, I like his game, and,yeah, I just like this player.