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Zvonareva hopes to play her best at this year’s Kremlin Cup

“The Kremlin Cup is a special tournament for me. Here I can play for Russian fans. It’s always nice to play at home,” the world number five told

MOSCOW, October 18 (Itar-Tass) — Russian tennis player Vera Zvonareva hopes to show her best tennis at this year’s WTA Kremlin Cup tournament that kicked off at the Olympiysky sport complex on Monday.

“The Kremlin Cup is a special tournament for me. Here I can play for Russian fans. It’s always nice to play at home,” the world number five told a news conference.

Zvonareva who’s seeded second at the Kremlin Cup, said that despite feeling tired by the season’s end, she would try to play her best in Moscow. “I’ve been staying in Moscow for several days. I’ve had a chance to feel the court and train,” Zvonareva said. Under the WTA rules, the first four seeds join the struggle only in the second round.

Next week, shortly after the Kremlin Cup, Zvonareva will travel to Istanbul to play in this year’s WTA final tournament.

“I’ll have to play three tournaments in a row: the Kremlin Cup, the final tournament in Istanbul and the Federation Cup final. All the three are very important for me. Of course, I feel tired in the end of the season but I understand that I should play my best now and then have good rest,” Zvonareva said.

The Russian confessed that she preferred team events to individual championships. “But tennis is an individualistic kind of sport that is why I have to cultivate individualism in me. I like playing team tournaments. Perhaps, I am more of a team player by nature. But I am nurturing individualistic qualities in me. So, it’s no problem for me to switch over from team’s events to individual tournaments,” Zvonareva explained.

She described the past tennis year as neither good or bad. She said it was stable. “Though I didn’t show my best tennis in most matches, I still won on court and what’s positive about it is that I won due to my stable game. I worked and trained a lot because I understand that I have to grow professionally and move forward. Women’s tennis is developing. Had I played the way I did two years ago, I would have been out of the top ten,” the Russian tennis player went on to say.

Zvonareva also said that she still had to achieve a lot in tennis and that’s why she kept playing the game. “ I have many unconquered peaks which I am trying to conquer. The most important thing is that I have a desire to work and play,” Vera went on to say.

In conclusion, Zvonareva said that it was too early to say whether 2011 was good or bad for her because there were still three tournaments ahead. She added she would be able to say how successful 2011 had been only after she plays the three remaining tournaments.

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