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U.S. OPEN

September 5, 2016

Karolina Pliskova

New York, NY, USA

K. PLISKOVA/V. Williams

4-6, 6-4, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You're standing out there at match point. The crowd was going crazy. Did you feel a little bit lonely at that time?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: A little bit. No, but at least I had my serve. So at least something was on my side. I played pretty good point. I was just thinking, I have to go, I have to put everything into this point. And, yeah, I made it.

Q. Could you talk us through that point. You decided where to serve?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I knew where to serve. I wanted to serve to her forehand. I did pretty good serve, then second shot. Then I went to take the volley.

I just wanted to play aggressive because I knew if she's going to have a small chance to be aggressive, you know, she's going to make the point. She stopped missing shots in the end of the third set, so I knew I have to be the one who is dictating the point.

Q. Do you think people will stop discussing now about your problems in Grand Slam tournaments?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, I hope they will stop. Even if they will discuss in the future, I don't care anymore.

Q. What was going through your mind on your own match points you had previously?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I mean, it was unlucky game because I wanted to risk the second serve when I was up 40-Love. Was a bad miss, double-fault. Then she did five winners in a row. I didn't do much things bad. I didn't serve first serve. That was a mistake.

But, yeah, she played everything great at that time. Obviously I was a little bit down after this game because I was so close. I believed I can close it in the last game for 7-5. But then I had to, you know, stay in the game because was last tiebreak in front of me. I couldn't be just mad that I didn't make it because I still had a chance to win the tiebreak.

Q. Do you think it takes a long time to learn how to play a match point the way you played the one against you, which is as well as it possibly could have been played?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I would say yes, you can have few good matches. But to win matches like this, it takes some time. You need to have experience definitely on the big stages, on the big tournaments.

I played against her, played good match against her in Zhuhai. Was also close, but I wouldn't say it was like here. I was fighting with more things here, especially with the people as well. So it was more difficult.

Yeah, with years, with experience, I'm feeling better on these stages and against top players.

Q. Did you talk to Kristyna at all before the match or after the match? Any insight she can give you because she probably knows you better than anybody else.
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, we talk all the time before the match and even after the match. She's in China, so we have different times. She was sleeping when I went on the court. I think she was even looking, because she write me right after the match. But we talk every time.

Q. What is the most important thing she tells you before you go on court?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: We didn't talk about tennis at all. I have three guys here with me, my boyfriend and two coaches. So I talk with them more.

Q. The expression most players use is, If I play to my game, to the best of my ability, it doesn't matter who the opponent is. When you were out there today, what was your thought process as far as who was on the other side of the net and what relevance was that to your thinking?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I mean, I still had my game plan, but also a little bit difficult because the first few games she came up and she was playing really aggressive. I didn't have much chance to do anything. I wasn't serving well. She put a lot of pressure on my second serve. She was just the one who was playing aggressive and not me.

The beginning she was just much better than me. But I knew I still going to get the chance, she cannot hold like this. I don't think there is a player who can hold like this for two sets, especially in girls. So I knew I'm going to get my chance. I got it even in the first set. Like I said, I wasn't serving pretty well, so that was tough. I went through everything through the second serve. She is so aggressive on the return. I didn't have many chance there.

In the second set I improved a lot my serve, even the strokes. I was the one who was more aggressive in the end.

Q. What do you think you do best besides serve?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I think I improved my return a lot. So I'm trying to going into every second serve. But with her it's tough because she's having such a good serve, even the first one, even the second. So sometimes it's tough.

But I'm trying to go and be the one who is dictating the rally first.

Q. The crowd was pretty loud today. How did the crowd compare to other crowds you've seen before?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I mean, that was the biggest stage what I've played. In States obviously against American girl, I knew it's going to be tough. I knew if she's down or if it's somewhere close that the people will cheer for her.

But, you know, I just wanted to beat her, not the crowd, which is impossible to beat 23,000 people. I just were not thinking about the crowd there.

I had my box there. I had my people there. In the important moments, they helped me. I knew they are with me there, so was enough for me.

Q. In all of your matches this week you have been very calm and very measured, even. Were you nervous today, even in the dicey moments in the end?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I was kind of nervous. It was not nervous like shaky. I knew was big match. Maybe if I win it, I'm in quarterfinals. If I lose, I would be sad but still would be a good match. No one would say anything to me because was my first fourth round.

But I was little bit nervous. But in the end I was still saying to myself, I have to be aggressive, not be the one who is pushing. I was fighting with the nerves. I want to just go through and hitting as many first serves as I can.

Q. What were you able to take out of the match from Zhuhai and apply here, if at all?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I was going in my mind through that match, even with my coach. Even it's not that far what we played, this one. And she played unbelievable match there, as well. Me, as well. I knew it's going to be tough. Even if I'm playing well, doesn't mean I will win.

I just, you know, tried my best. She came up the same way where she came up there. She started pretty well. She's so aggressive, if she's playing her game, you don't have any chance to do anything. She's returning well, serves well. She can serve four aces in one game. There's not much to do about this.

But like I said, I tried to stay in the game. I got my chances in the first set. In the second set she slowed down a little bit on the first serve, I would say. So it wasn't that fast anymore. It was more through the rallies. In the rallies, I have bigger chance to win.

Q. In Cincinnati you spoke about the experience of Fed Cup having helped you sort of be ready for the next stage up. You've had a lot of pressure matches. How has all that helped you be more prepared for the stage of the US Open?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Definitely that was one of the biggest step for what I did with winning Cincinnati. I had some pressure matches there, as well. Then the semifinal, final against top-five girls, which is never easy. Even if they are not playing that good, it is still hard to beat them.

So it was a big step and big success. So I took a lot from that week. I'm really happy that I took it here with me in New York, and it's paying even here. I still continue to do the same things what I did before. Like we already talk before, I was struggling a little bit with my game on the Grand Slams. I knew I can play big tennis and good matches, but I couldn't just, you know, put it in the Grand Slams. I felt little bit pressure on myself.

So happy that right now it's all paid off and I finally find my game.

Q. You've joined the last eight club. Does that mean something to you?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: That was the first thing my coach told me. Now since you are in the last eight club, you are going to have one extra badge every year.

I said, Yeah, that's why I was fighting there.

Just excited to be there. For me this last eight cup doesn't mean as much to be in the quarterfinal this year.

Q. Venus is 36 years old. How impressive is it to you that she can still play like that?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I mean, it's huge, huge tennis what she's still playing at that age. I still have the feeling she can play for so many years because she's moving so well. I don't know how she feels. But she's still playing so fast and serving.

If she stays healthy, I think she can still play few years. I remember her, I was little girl watching her, obviously Serena, on TV. They are still playing. They are still playing the best tennis ever. It's amazing.

Q. Do you think you'll still be doing that at 36?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Me? No.

Q. Why?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Well, tennis is a lot for me, but I also want to do other things in the life. But I'm not even 30 yet, so let's see.

Q. They said they wouldn't be playing this long either, just so you know.
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah.

Q. Do you think you can win, be the champion? Have you actually visualized yourself being a champion? Can you see a picture of that?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I mean, I'm not thinking about this thing at all. I know it's still far. It's closer than it was yesterday, but it's still far.

What I know, I'm waiting for Radwanska there, which is the girl I never beat, I never did a set on her. I mean, everything is different probably this week. But I have to take it step by step, so I'm not thinking about any trophy this week here yet. Well see.

Q. Now that you sit there making the quarterfinals, how big was that decision not to play the Olympics? Do you think it's cause and effect at all?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I mean, definitely like I told you already, I did two weeks good preparation home, which probably paid off. But also could happen that I will lose, I don't know, in quarters with Kuznetsova in Cincinnati. I could lose this one here.

Even if I lose those matches, I would not change my decision what I did because of the Olympics. When you have tough weeks like this and tough days like this, you cannot just play everything. It's impossible. I just want to stay healthy and put everything into the tournaments, into the big tournaments like this.

That's why I play the tennis. So for me this is more than Olympics. I'm just really happy that my decision, it wasn't easy decision, but I'm happy that it paid off.

Q. The third set, you serve a first serve and you fault, some people cheer. Do you notice? Do you care?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yes, I heard that. Yeah, I was a little bit mad sometimes on the people. But on the other hand maybe if I would be in Czech they would be the same. I was thinking, I cannot think about the people because if I would put it in my head, I would be missing. I cannot be thinking about the things around. I just have to be me on the court and my game.

But this was not nice, and it was some close situation, I'm not sure which score it was. But when you miss a first serve, it's always tough. Even when she put the pressure on the returns and the people put the pressure between the first serve and second serve, it's not nice, but I'm happy that I handle it.

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