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U.S. OPEN

September 7, 2016

Karolina Pliskova

New York, NY, USA

K. PLISKOVA/A. Konjuh

6-2, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Were you surprised that it went so smooth, so quick? You played great, but --
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: A little bit.

Q. -- did you expect before the game it would be a little tougher?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, a little bit. I was surprised and I was still waiting even in the first set. Even in the second set I was still waiting some complications gonna come.

But, well, I'm not gonna complain. (Smiling.) I'm happy that it went so easy. Of course I was expecting a little bit tougher battle, but happy that it went so easy.

Q. You had a great day serving. You have had a lot of great days serving. How do you practice your serve? Do you have a routine? What works best for?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I mean, now in the tournament I don't practice much anymore like a specific thing. It's more about -- I mean, I can serve, even if the serve that day is off. Doesn't mean there is some mistake or something. It's more about the toss.

But I still know I can serve and there is nothing wrong in the technique. So overall we just go and serve a little bit couple of the serve in each side. And that's it?

Q. Have you always been so calm on the court? Doesn't seem like you want to show much emotion, or maybe as a little kid you used to show emotion.
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, I was more angry before with myself on the court. (Smiling.) So that I am improved a lot. Sometimes I'm still smashing my racquets.

More in the practices than in the matches. I'm trying to be calm in the match because it's not really helping me. I don't really want to show even the opponent and even the crowd and the people any frustration.

But there are matches when I'm not that calm, as the one with Venus. I was emotional a lot in that match. I was pumping myself. But of course if it's a match like this, I'm just -- you know, it doesn't mean I'm not in the game and not in the match, but I'm just trying to be calm. I have some emotions inside, of course.

Q. Does this result seem early, late, on time for you? You know, you're 24. Not old, but not young.
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I mean, to be honest, I don't care at what time it came. I'm just happy that it's now and that it came. There are people saying that I could be there earlier, but right now I feel great and I feel it's the right time for having the results like this.

Q. What do you think held you back before from getting this kind of result?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Definitely some experience from the biggest matches. Obviously the title from Cincinnati helped me a lot. I was waiting for the bigger title for a few years, let's say two, so that was next step.

I think just everything is on time. I was practicing hard this year, and even the results in the beginning of this year were not that good as the last year. I'm happy that I could, you know, play my game on the biggest tournaments, which I didn't play last year.

Q. You now have possibly two matches to go. Can you imagine yourself lifting the trophy on Saturday? Is that something in your gut that you think you're gonna do or are capable of doing?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I mean, it would be a dream, but unfortunately I'm in the part of the draw with Serena, so it would be very tough to get through this one.

So I'm not gonna think about the finals yet. Obviously I know there is a chance. Always there is a chance. So I'm going to do everything for, you know, get at least close to the final.

But even if Serena is not going to win, there is Simona. That will be very tough match for me in the semifinal. I'm just looking forward to this challenge.

Like I said, anything is possible, so I know I have a chance if I play good tennis.

Q. What did you learn from playing Serena in the past?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I played her once only, actually. I was in Stanford I think two or three years ago.

I was completely different player at that time, so I am I improve a lot and obviously she probably as well. She's a big hitter and she can, you know, have 50 winners and you cannot do much about it.

But I still gonna hope that there is gonna be some chance in the match where I can get my chance and be the one who is playing aggressive. Obviously I played Venus this week, which is not probably that good as she is, but it's very similar game.

So I'll just have to be ready for it, I think.

Q. What is your earliest memory of Serena Williams? And what do you remember most about what you thought when you watched her play?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: We were pretty young when we were watching her and her sister. Actually the first memory about the sisters was that they had this thing on their hair. I think it was Venus, and it somehow broked and it was everywhere on the court. (Smiling.)

So that's the first memory about them. And then obviously there are there for so many years and they have so many titles together. And especially Serena now. She's just one of the best players in the world, so it would be honor to play her.

Q. What qualities of her game impressed you most when you were a young player aspiring to be in this situation?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I think they were not that good as -- or let me talk about Serena only -- as she is now. She improve a lot in the last few years. Most of the titles she was winning now, and she had now so many years which she's on top.

I think she's just -- you know, she probably needed some experience and some years of the tennis, as well, on the tour.

Right now I think she's just playing amazing and going for her shots. She's really believing in herself and using everything what she has.

Q. What have you learned from watching her, if anything?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Sorry?

Q. What have you learned from watching her play?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I mean, I would say we can have similar games, as me and her, but she's a little bit different level than me.

But she's also playing aggressive and going for her shots. And even if she has the day when -- even if she has the day when she is missing, she is still going for it and she turn it around like this a lot of matches.

So I would say probably this from her.

Q. It certainly didn't show on the court, but has it affected you at all that this is kind of new territory for you at a Grand Slam?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I was kind of nervous this morning, or let's say before the match. But always when I get on the court I just forget about everything and I'm not nervous anymore.

And I'm just, you know, trying to play tennis. Maybe I will think about all what I have been playing last few weeks after the tournament, but right now I just don't want to, you know, put it in too much inside me. I just want to, you know, still playing.

Q. How did your serve feel today compared to the last few rounds? Felt better? Same? Different?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I would say it was better, much better. At least the percentage. Also, I had quite a lot of points from the first serve. I won almost, I don't know, about 95% on the first serve points, which is great.

I don't know if she was a little bit nervous or she was playing totally different opponent the last match, so maybe it was different for her so she was not that ready for a big serve.

But I played Venus, so I was ready for all. I knew if I played the same way how I was playing Venus, I'm going to get a chance and win a match.

Q. You mentioned that against Serena it's important to not let her take control of the match and her being aggressive and run all over you. How do you stop that?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Well, everything is starting with the serve and receive. So that's the beginning of all the rallies, so I have to just, you know, serve well. That's the main thing from my side.

And then if she's serving well, I cannot do much. And if she has some second serve, I have to go and attack it.

Q. Talking to Angelique yesterday. Her previous US Open semifinal, her only one prior to this year, was five years ago. She was 23. I asked her to compare sort of what the mindset is now as opposed to five years later, more maturity and obviously so much success she's had. Looking back, she said it was really just a bit of nervousness that held her back. Do you think that's a big battle, going into your first US Open semifinal and stay within your game and not let the nerves overtake you?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I don't know. It's tomorrow, so I will see how I feel tomorrow.

But I'm sure always when you play someone who is better than you it's a little bit different because you don't have any pressure. Like I had a little bit pressure today that she was outsider, so there is kind of like you have to beat here. I just gonna go and play everything that I have and put everything in that match, because I have nothing to lose.

Of course maybe in the beginning I'm expecting some nerves a little bit, but I don't want to have this in the whole match.

Q. You come from a relatively small country. Czech Republic is, I think, like 10 million people.
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah.

Q. You always have new talent. Last year more on the female side. Always new talents, young talents. What do you think? Is it the work of the individual talents or the Federation, Czech Tennis Federation? Because you always have so many new young players.
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I would not say it's about Federation. I would say every girl is from different city. Every girl has their own coach. We have good talents. Maybe because of the history of Czech tennis - we had good tennis in the past - so maybe they inspired the young ones.

Maybe the girls which are playing now, they inspired another one. So let's see who else is coming up. Really happy that especially the female tennis is doing so well in last few years and there is still some young girls coming up.

Q. So many great Czech players. Which one inspired you the most?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Tough to say. Would be Martina Navratilova. There was today in my box Helena SukovÃ¡. She was always good player, as well. And there is obviously Ivan Lendl and more of the guys, as well. So there is a lot of them.

Q. Has Navratilova helped you at all?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: No, but in the last, let's say year, I'm meeting her more often than before, but we never really talk about tennis.

Q. If it's not Serena in the next round, what would be your thoughts on facing the other person, the person playing Serena, who might be pulling off a big upset, to set up a matchup with you?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: There is Simona. I have played her a few times. That would be probably -- I don't want to say easier for me. They are both really good. It's going to be probably very close match tonight.

But she's not hitting that big and she's not that dangerous as Serena is, so I would have more chances probably in the match to play my game and attack her serve and to going for the shots.

But as I saw some statistics, she won last -- from 24 matches, I think she won 22 or something like this, so she's playing very good tennis right now. Probably she feels confidence. Will be tough to play her, as well.

Q. Will you watch the match tonight? If you do, what will you be looking for?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I want to watch, for sure, but normally I go dinner about 7:30 and they play at 7:00. So hopefully we find some restaurant where the tennis is in TV (smiling.)

I'm going to just, you know -- I know both players, and like I said before, it always depends more on me than on them. So I don't want to talk about their tactics or thinking about their game, because everything has to start in my game. So that's what I just want to do tomorrow, as well.

But obviously I'm going to watch.

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