In a tour filled with talented Russians, Maria Kirilenko nearly stands alone as a high variety player, who depends more on brains than she does brawn. Now 25, the soft-spoken and life-loving Russian, who has graced the pages of more than a few lifestyle magazines, will face her childhood friend, Maria Sharapova in the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.
Currently ranked No. 23, Kirilenko reached a career high No. 18 in 2008 and is coming off a long three-set victory over her doubles partner, Nadia Petrova. Here, she discusses her goals, how she deals with fame, and her undying love for tennis.
TENNIS CHANNEL: I asked Maria Sharapova about the first time she met you and she said it was in Baden‑Baden (Germany) at a junior tournament when you were 12.
She said: “We were running around Baden‑Baden like freely, like little girls out of control,” and that you immediately hit if off. Do you remember that?
KIRILENKO: The first time we saw each other we didn’t say anything. We were just looking at each other and then my coach and her father started talking, and we started talking. And then we got crazy. We got along so easy.
TC: That was 13 years ago, half your life. While 25 is young life wise, tennis wise you have been playing a long time.
KIRILENKO: That’s what I’m thinking now. Oh my god how many years have I been on tour now, nine? I started very early. There are good things - like I have a lot of experience. I feel when I play with the younger players that sometimes even if my game doesn’t work. I still know what to do know against them. But I don’t feel old, I still feel young.
TC: Do you still like the traveling, the grind of the tour?
KIRILENKO: Yeah I always find something to do and I’m not bored. When I have a break. I’m home for two weeks and then I feel I want to practice, to travel, to compete. I miss the rhythm of this life. I didn’t reach my goal yet, so I just want to keep doing it.
TC: Do you reset your goals every year, or does it stay the same? It’s probably like a lot of players have: win a Grand Slam and reach No. 1, right?
KIRILENKO: If I can do that it would be huge, but the first goal would be to reach the top 10. I feel I’m close and my game has improved a lot. I move better, my forehand is better, so I just have to be consistent every tournament, and not like Nadia was today, up and down. I want to make the semifinals of a Grand Slam because I reached a quarterfinal once and then go from there. But when you are in the semis, you never know what’s going to happen. It’s about health, luck and the moment. You are more motivated and you are playing well, so you can play unbelievable tennis.
TC: How long to it take you to get over the marathon loss to Sam Stosur at the US Open (a 6-2 6-7(15) 6-3 victory for the Australian)?
KIRILENKO: She was lucky and maybe physically stronger than me because I remember in third set I was feeling really tired and I was looking over at the other side and I saw for her it didn’t matter. She was ready to keep going. She won the tournament and deserved it. But I beat her twice after that!
TC: I think you came into net more than 60 times in that match and you won the majority of those points. You don’t normally see that much net rushing in women’s tennis.
KIRILENKO: That was my tactic and it worked well and I started to move in more and it has brought me a lot of success. I’ve always been a good volleyer, even in juniors. I was building up that game from a young age. Then, I was not afraid to use it, but I didn’t know the exact moment to come in, and now I feel it more when I have to go and I have to stay back.
TC: Are you happy with your season so far?
KIRILENKO: I’m happy with my game and my shots. I’ve improved a lot. Sometimes even if I lose, I know I played very good and it keeps me positive.
TC: If you hear people say ‘Maria can’t reach the top 10 because she’s too small and not powerful enough and she can’t match up with the big girls and big strokes,’ what do you think?
KIRILENKO: I’m small, but I’m clever. Maybe it’s better to be taller so you can serve better and win easy games. but my return is good, so I’m not really struggling. I can make it even with their serves and my returns.
TC: Do you see a lot of other clever players on tour?
KIRILENKO: It’s hard to say, the bigger the girl is. the harder she hits the ball and she doesn’t think about whether she has to use a slice. Some girls can’t slice or play volleys, so they just hit the ball. I’m a little different.Of the young players, I think Christina McHale, you can see she is thinking and she knows what to do. She’s not big as well. I understood quite early that I’m not big girl and what kind of game I had, that I couldn’t hit a big ball every time and don’t have a lot of power. I’m fast, I can play counterattack and hit the ball on the rise and I try to change the rhythm. That’s my game.
TC: Do you like being famous?
KIRILENKO: It’s not important, it’s my personal results that are more important. To be famous is also hard because you get tired of it, so I’m not looking to be very famous.
TC: It must be hard to have a private life when you are dating a famous hockey player like Alex Ovechkin, so when you two go out you cannot have private time.
KIRILENKO: It’s not too bad. People recognize him, especially in America (he plays for the Washington Capitals and she spent part of the off season there), but he’s an easy going, nice guy. He gets bothered sometimes, but he doesn’t show it. He’s very relaxed.
TC: Do you get bothered, or does it depend on the day?
KIRILENKO: It depends on the day. Sometimes nobody will know me and then I’ll be in a super market or on the plane and they start coming. Sometimes too many. So I never know. Sometimes I think I should be recognized and I’m not, and other times I don’t think anyone will know me, and then they do.
TC: Petrova says that Russian players work hard, but sometimes they are too hard on themselves.
KIRILENKO: Yes maybe sometimes we just push ourselves too hard, but I’m not talking about myself. I’m fine - I’m not pushing myself. I’m enjoying it. Some of the girls are crying during the matches and you can see they don’t enjoy playing, but it’s healthy and to travel and play and to have people come and watch you is nice. Of course you want to have results quickly, but it’s not possible. Of course it's tough if you are practicing a lot and still losing and losing and you start to think, ‘What’s going on,’ and you have to go and practice again. I’ve had that many times but that’s sport.
TC: Have you ever woken up and said, ‘I’ve been playing tennis since age 7, maybe this isn’t for me, maybe I should have chosen another career?
KIRILENKO: No, it’s the sport for me. I can’t see myself in drawing, or singing (I’m really bad), maybe a dancer, but who knows who a good dancer is? But my parents chose the right thing for me. When I was really young. my mom and dad didn’t just give me the racket and say I have to play, they gave me different things and saw some things I’m better at than others. They saw I wanted to play. Every day I’d wake up and I’d say ‘Mama, Papa, I want to go to training,’ and they’d say, you have the day off, and I’d say to my dad, ‘Maybe I can go play with you?’ They saw I was really enjoying it, and I never had a day when I’ve woken up and said to myself, ‘I don’t want to go – never.”
