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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 25, 2017

Karolina Pliskova

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

M. LUCIC-BARONI/K. Pliskova

6-4, 3-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What was the most upsetting thing for you today?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Definitely losing my serve so many times. I was up a break in the first, and lost my serve twice, which cannot happen. And in the third as well, I lost twice. So, maybe three times? I don't know.

Yeah, so this cannot happen. I mean, even she was playing really well, hitting the ball really fast, just stepping up to the court and just going full power into my serve. I just cannot lose my serve so many times.

Q. Did that throw you off your rhythm?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Well, when I didn't hit the first serve, she was pushing me, so I was just trying to hit the first serve. Even I hit few times, there was the sun on one side, so we were both losing the games in the third set on the right side, so it was kind of tough to serve from there.

But yeah, I think she all situations handled a little bit better than to me today, and was more aggressive, and that is why she won.

Q. With the medical timeout, did you feel there was a little bit of loss of momentum?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Maybe a little bit. But I think I was a little mentally up after when I had 4-3 in the third set, and she lost her serve again, did some double-faults there. But she had the worst side with the sun.

Then she came back out just fine. This can happen. But she served three aces. So she played really good game, and then even the return game she played well.

Q. On the serve, was it more just that you felt the pressure from her return? Were you taking some pace off of it? Was there an execution problem?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I was actually trying to change a lot of the serve, even to play body or slice or kick from the first. She was just staying so close to the service line, so she was really playing fast, and I was always like getting back from the return. So I didn't have any chance like to push her. And especially after my second serve.

Yeah, but she didn't miss much, the return. She just played well, I think.

Q. What's it like to face her? She plays differently. From your side, playing her now, what was it like? What does she do differently?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: For sure, she's different player than probably many of the girls here. She's playing really flat and fast. But we played few times and always was close, because it's always this game. It's always about few points.

I think she's playing really well here probably the whole two weeks. She beat good players. And the fast conditions probably suit her better. Yeah, good two weeks for her.

Q. Despite the loss, do you rejoice in what she's been able to do?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: She? Yeah. I didn't see any of the matches what she was playing before, but probably she was playing well because she beat Aga in second, third round, what was it? You have to play well when you play Aga. She doesn't give you much for free.

If she was playing like this, I think she has chance to play anyone here in the tournament because she's really playing fast. Doesn't matter, even if you serve well, she can still hit it even faster back. Like I said, even the fast court, fast balls, she is just playing well in this condition.

So I played her a few times in other tournaments, and she didn't play that well. But it's quarterfinals, so everyone has to play some kind of good level.

Q. What do you take out of this tournament, do you think?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Well, positives because it's my first quarterfinal what I've played here. And especially also afterward I was struggling on the Grand Slams. Also I played final. It's also not easy just to play another Grand Slam. And I was kind of favored in every match here, so it's not easy just to take it. There was not even one match where I would play up with someone who is better than me.

So sometimes this is tougher I would say than to play someone who is better. So definitely positives. Disappointing about the match today. Could go my way as well. I'm leaving tonight and will rest a few days and prepare for the next tournament.

Q. Did you feel like it was an execution issue today? Did you feel like you handled the quarterfinals of a slam well mentally in terms of nerves, and this was just about tennis?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Well, there's always some nerves, not only in quarterfinal. But I think in this way, I was feeling fine. Obviously my game, I think I could still play better, serve better and return better. But it's about also her game, it's not only about me this time.

Yeah, I think she played just a little bit better, and just unlucky in the end. But overall on the serves and on the returns she was more aggressive. That's why she won.

Q. You already answered a bit of this question, but is there also a sense of appreciation in the locker room for what Mirjana has done the last ten days? Is there talk about that?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: No, not really. I mean, I have the same tournament as she, so I don't really think about if she's playing good or not. I just went on the court and I was still believe that I could beat her even if she was playing good those two weeks or not.

And there is all of the players have many stories in those two weeks, so I didn't really think about her story.

Q. Overall this summer you won Brisbane, and you've reached so deep in the tournament. Are you overall pleased with the way the summer's gone?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, I would say yes. Could be much worse than it is now. And even with the title in Brisbane, I think still was good start of the year. Not always you start as you want after the one month preparation when everyone is having. It's always tricky to start a new year. So it's the best start ever what I had so far ever in a new season. And yeah, started to work with new coaches, also not easy. You know, to come back in the tournament, so everything is working so far. So I think it's fine.

Q. Just on David. He said he wasn't going to be necessarily all the time with you throughout the year, just with family responsibilities and stuff. Have you guys talked about what it looks like for Middle East or Indian Wells, Miami, whether or not he'll be on the road with you?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Definitely those tournaments what you said, he is going to go. The rest we will see. There is Doha, Dubai, Fed Cup. Maybe he's going to go Fed Cup. We didn't talk much yet.

But the main tournament, he will be for sure there. Grand Slam, Indian Wells, Miami. I think it's easier when we are in Europe. This is the hardest because you cannot just leave. So he's going to travel -- we're going to see the plan. I don't know exactly which weeks he's going to be with me. He's not from my city anyway. If we practice, it has to be in my city or I have to go there. It's kind of a little bit tougher than it was before. But yeah, we'll find a way.

Q. What's the biggest benefit you are gaining from having him in your team?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: We worked just one month before I left, and even not much because I was a few days sick.

I think we still improved and I was still playing aggressive what we wanted. There are still a few things left to work on. He would tell you more.

But yeah, I think it was a good start, as I said. And even that we started, we didn't practice much together, so there was not any chance to improve some things. We didn't have that many time. I think still, I improved a little bit.

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