	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

AEGON INTERNATIONAL

June 24, 2016

Karolina Pliskova

Eastbourne, England

K. PLISKOVA/J. Konta

6-7, 6-3, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Congratulations. Another final on grass. You must be very happy with your grass court season so far.
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, definitely I had great results this year on grass except the one in Birmingham, but it was after a tough week in Nottingham. But I still was able to win the doubles there. So at least something.

And so far I'm happy with the tennis the way I'm playing here this week. This was the toughest match this week but happy to be through. Looking forward to the final tomorrow.

Q. You've played with her quite a few times now. Three times you lost the first set. How can you always perform this well?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, we played few times. I remember last two where we played. One was actually on grass, last year Birmingham, and one was this year in Indian Wells, I think.

I mean, she's tough. Even if you lose the first set -- in Indian Wells I won the first set. She's still playing the same tennis. She doesn't give you much mistakes. She's serving pretty well, so it's tough. And on grass even more because of the serve. It's tricky. She can really have big percentage of the first serve like she had today.

I mean, the first set was very close. She was more aggressive in the end of the first set, so she deserved, I would say, to win the first set. We were still like we were still without break. I was just thinking and still believed I can break her once in the match, and it came in the second set. I was just happy to made it. Even in the third set I did two breaks and then third one in the end.

So I start to play much better from the baseline. The first set was a little bit tricky. Was first match on centre court for me so was a little bit different than Court 1 and was like a lot windy. So it was tough but happy with the performance.

Q. You've played ten matches on grass already this year. I think you have won nine of them. You have at least another one tomorrow. It's arguable that no one will go to Wimbledon having more experience on grass than you have this season. I wonder how that makes you feel, how excited are you going to be to head down to London?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I mean, definitely it's a good sign to have so many winning matches on grass court, but I think it doesn't really mean anything. In Wimbledon it's new tournament, new week for everyone.

All the players are practicing, all the players are resting and getting excited about the bigger tournament in the world. So I just want to be ready for the next one.

But let's not talk about Wimbledon yet because I'm in the final here tomorrow. (Smiling.)

Q. How much do you think that Jo was affected by the fall in the second set?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: What is fall?

Q. The fall. When she slipped.
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Oh, yeah. I don't know. It happened 3-1? I don't even remember.

Well, yeah, it's always tough if something like this happened to get concentrated again and get focused and play the same game. But I think -- I don't know if she felt something or not, but I thought like she's ready and she still was playing pretty good tennis. It was still tough for me to even serve the second set and then the same thing happened in the third.

Q. Did it feel like her movement was different at all?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: From her?

Q. Yes.
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: No, I didn't feel anything. I'm just saying I don't know how she felt, but I felt like she was still playing aggressive and still running pretty well. I didn't see anything.

Q. What do you think of Jo's potential to do well at Wimbledon?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I think she has pretty good game on grass. So definitely she has a big chance. I don't know who she playing in the first round. For sure she's seeded so she's not gonna have that tough first round.

But anything is possible. I think if she continues playing like this -- she beat some very good players this week. So I think she can do it in Wimbledon. She's getting stronger mentally and she's having a big game, big serve and big strokes from both sides.

She doesn't have like any weakness in the game. If she's playing solid like this she can beat anyone. I'm not talking about the top three or top four players but the others I think she's able to beat.

Q. You said that you're not the kind of player that likes to show too many emotions on court. But how is it to be playing such a tight match with all the crowd for your opponent?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, sometimes was tough. But you have to come with it. We are in England and I'm playing British girl. So I was just ready for everything. But I don't think it was that bad.

And also, the other thing is I'm used to from Fed Cups where it's really like 50 times worse than here. But, yeah, you cannot just think about this. I try to concentrate on my game and not about the people. Of course they're gonna support her. She's the only one British here in the draw left, and it's their British No. 1, I think, yeah?

So I was just counting with this. I don't feel like it had any influence on me.

Q. What challenges do you expect to face from Cibulkova in the final tomorrow?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I mean, definitely tough match. She had also some good wins this week, and I think she's also improving with every match. It's going to be tough, a little bit different game than today. She's also playing faster from the baseline but not serving that good.

Yeah, but for me still the same. I have to keep my game plan to serve well and to play aggressive. There is no other way for me how to play, and especially on grass. Just looking forward to the final.

We played once few years ago on hard court. She won. Was close match. Happy to play someone who I didn't play for such a long time.

Q. Do you expect her to try and make you move around the court a lot? That's how she likes to play.
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, I think she's playing fast and aggressive game from the baseline, and of course she's just gonna make me move. That's what all the girls have to do. But I will be ready for it. I think my movement is improving slowly but improving. Thanks God I have a long hand so I can have a lot of balls.

Q. All week we have been asking players if they weren't tennis players what sport they think they'd be able to be successful at. I wonder if there is another sport you'd be very, very good at if you weren't a tennis player?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I have no idea. I never tried anything else.

Q. You're the first one to say that.
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I'm not about to try anything. I still think I'm not that bad in tennis, so I just stick with tennis. (Laughter.)

Yeah, because I'm so tall I think it would be the best for me, basketball, some of those sports.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297