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BRISBANE INTERNATIONAL PRESENTED BY SUNCORP

January 1, 2017

Karolina Pliskova

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

K. PLISKOVA/Y. Putintseva

6-3, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You got here early, so I'm suppose you're ready for the heat? Was it steamy out there?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I think I felt pretty good on the court. The roof is definitely helping. All the practices I had, just one I had on Pat Rafter.

Yeah, I felt much better than on the outside courts today, definitely. And, yeah, you could also see it in the match I was fine.

Q. Does it put you just where you want to be going into a slam in Melbourne?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Definitely good win. Every win is good in front of the Grand Slam.

Really happy with the way, how I played today. Could be a little bit better, but 6-3, 6-1, I think it's a good start in the new year.

There are still few things what I want to improve in the next match. I have a day off tomorrow. I just hit with my coach and try and improve it. Just take it match by match and try to play at least how I was playing today.

Q. You were hitting the ball incredibly well and seemed to be reading the game quite well, also. Is there anything you and David have worked on in the offseason that you saw today immediately you implemented it and it worked well for you?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: We worked on few things, of course. We just want to make my forehand even better than it is.

Q. Scary?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah (smiling). Just wait for my chance in the rally. And I always get it if I'm playing fast and then do the winner with the forehand.

So I was just trying to move on the court to play as many forehands as I can. And with the backhand, just play solid, which I think was not that good today from backhand side.

But like I said, it's first match, so there was few mistakes and we still have some time to improve it to Melbourne.

I just, you know, take these matches more like not practice but just to maybe try few things what I was doing today. Maybe to go to the net often than I was doing it maybe on the Grand Slam.

Q. Did you have a long break after Fed Cup? How many weeks did you have where you didn't play tennis?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I had two weeks without tennis, without any moving. So that was enough for me, those two weeks, yeah.

Q. Is that because you don't want to lose too much condition?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Well, I think I lose it, anyway, in those two weeks, but I just wanted to forget about any movement and any tennis and the racquet.

So the season was long, especially with Fed Cup, Singapore and Fed Cup, so I felt pretty tired.

But those two weeks were enough. Of course then I started the preparations, so it was also one more week without tennis. I just was doing strength conditioning.

And then I was sick about one week. So I just was -- so actually three weeks (smiling).

Q. Where do you think that your return game is right now? Is it where you want it to be? Do you feel like you could get much better? You know, in all the things you need to improve, where do you see your return game?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I mean, definitely can be better than it was today. I think I had few good shots on the return games, but also few bad misses, especially from the second serve.

I just cannot miss some shots, and especially against a girl who is not serving at all. So she's not attacking me with the serve that much.

So I think there was quite few mistakes from that. But still, I just want to push, if I can, from the serve, even the first, even the second, which was working last year. I want to continue doing it this year, as well. Even if there are few mistakes, I just want to do more winners than the mistakes.

Q. Talking about Fed Cup real quick, I mean, how important do you think your performance is and involvement with Fed Cup has been in terms of you as a competitor and your game? Because, you know, that's a very unique situation to play in. It's probably some of the most pressure that you have had to play under. Do you think that it's had an impact on how you compete?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I mean, definitely. I had actually three experience this year in Fed Cup -- or last year already (smiling). And always was tough and always was some kind of pressure that you cannot lose and you have to have the doubles deciding.

So it's really different than in the tournament. You're not just playing by yourself but by the team, as well, for Czech Republic.

I think this kind of experience help me just, you know, to put it in the tournaments, and I'm handling the pressure a little bit better.

Q. Were you surprised by how well you handled the Fed Cup pressure? Do you think...
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yes, I was surprised, because the first what I have played was in Canada. I didn't feel good at all, and I thought just, okay, maybe I'm not, like, for team competitions good enough.

But then just won somehow. Now I'm feeling pretty good in the team.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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