Q. This has obviously got to be a huge win.
PETRA CETKOVSKA: It is. (Laughter) Yep.

Q. What was the key to the match for you?
PETRA CETKOVSKA: The key I think is that I was still playing and I was still trying to believe that I can do it and to play every point and we'll see what will happen.

Q. Did you have a special game plan coming in?
PETRA CETKOVSKA: A special game plan? I think that there was something that I should try to not do, to let her be aggressive on me. So every single opportunity I had, even if I could make a mistake it was to try to be aggressive before her.
That was the way that I had in my head all the time, to try to be aggressive always when I can.

Q. How did you maintain your composure? You were up 3-0 in the first set and she was up 4-3. Then you lost the second set. You managed to maintain your composure. Did you have to kind of talk to yourself?
PETRA CETKOVSKA: Well, yes. I did talk to myself. I don't know. I just said -- well, she's a great player, so I knew that she's going to -- when I was up 3-0, I knew that it's not going to be that easy. I knew that she's going to come up with something.
Then when it came, I just tried to keep what I had in my head and what I wanted to do, my game plan, and -- yeah.

Q. Is this the biggest win of your career?
PETRA CETKOVSKA: Yeah.


Q. Did you have to change anything during the match or like in the third set? Did you change tactics at all?
PETRA CETKOVSKA: Yes. I think in the second set I just -- well, she came up and she started to play better than in the first set, I think. I tried to make winners when I shouldn't, so I gave her too many points. I tried to keep the ball a little bit more in the court and give her always another ball to play.

Q. Have you been playing particularly well as of late, or did you just find some great form during qualifying and coming into this match?
PETRA CETKOVSKA: I think I find it during this match.

Q. So it's just once? Nothing particularly good has been happening this year for you?
PETRA CETKOVSKA: Well, this year I haven't win many matches. Just in Bogotá on clay, then I was in Acapulco on clay, and then in Monterrey last week on hard court.
I've been playing better and better, but this was my best match I did so far.

Q. Did you always know that you were capable of beating a player as good as she is?
PETRA CETKOVSKA: Well, I have never done that. I beat Marion Bartoli, who was 11 last year. So I didn't expect it, to be honest, but I'm very happy about it.

Q. Are you going to keep this strategy that you played today for your next match?
PETRA CETKOVSKA: Yeah. I think so.

Q. What's your routine like here at the tournament?
PETRA CETKOVSKA: My routine? I stayed in the hotel where I stayed when I was in the qualifying. I try to do the same things always that I did.
I warm up with the same -- with my friend, with Klara, every day. Seems like she brings me luck. We're always in it together, so that's what I'm going to do again.

Q. When you're going week to week on the tour and not winning matches that much, do you say to yourself, Yes, at some point I'm going to be on a big, big stadium and I'm going to play an Olympic gold medalist and I'm going to win a match like that?
PETRA CETKOVSKA: Well, in tennis, I think you always have to keep on believing. It's very easy to -- it's a very individual sport, and we always have to try to believe it's your turn.
When you're losing your matches all the time, which happened to me the last six or seven months, I haven't won a lot of the matches, it was very difficult. I just try to believe that it'll turn one day. I will start to win the matches again.

Q. So when you walked off the court today you said, I'm so happy; it finally happened to me?
PETRA CETKOVSKA: I was really, really happy today. I am.

Q. You live in Paris, France?
PETRA CETKOVSKA: Yeah.

Q. Why did you decide to that?
PETRA CETKOVSKA: Well, I decided to do that because I wanted to connect to things for my tennis. Well, I wanted to leave and my boyfriend was in academy, so it was good, because we couldn't see each other that much.

Q. Is he still your boyfriend?
PETRA CETKOVSKA: No. But I'm still in Paris.

Q. Does it fit your personality, Paris, better than Czech Republic does?
PETRA CETKOVSKA: Well, I found my game. I found my coach. I found a little bit of success there, so I feel better right now there.


(via ASAP Sports, photo/Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

Petra Cetkovska - Indian Wells 14. March Interview