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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 17, 2017

Karolina Pliskova

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

K. PLISKOVA/S. Sorribes Tormo

6-2, 2-0

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You pulled out of Sydney with your injury. Obviously things are okay? Looked like you were moving freely out there today.
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, yeah. I'm totally fine. Like I said, I had a few days off after Brisbane. I felt a little bit my left leg. Now everything is fine.

Q. You didn't get all your first serves in, but when you got them in you won the point a high percent of the time. Is that one where you can improve a second round?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Well, yeah, I think there are more things which I want to improve. But, yeah, first round, it's always tricky, and I didn't feel that good in the first set there.

I was a little bit nervous in the beginning, made a lot of mistakes on my forehand, especially no first serves. So this I want to improve high percentage of the first serve, definitely.

But overall, I think in the second set it improved a little bit the game. Yeah. But not the best, I would say.

Q. How was the heat out there on that court? How did it feel?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: It was fine. I don't know how much degrees there was, but I felt okay.

But I was there an hour, so... I think if I would stay longer, it would be worse (smiling).

Q. Is it different having your sister around in the main draw at a tournament?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: If it's different?

Q. Yeah.
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Well, we played a few tournaments like this already, especially Grand Slams. If she was not in quallies, we have just been together. Most of the time we are staying different places, different hotels, so it's not like we are spending time together.

And most of the time we are at the draw, other half draw. So she's playing the day when I have day off, so it's tough to somehow to catch her up. But, yeah, it's always good to have her in the same tournament.

Q. Speaking of the heat, you're under a fair bit of glare and a lot of people like your chances. I know you probably expect that after US Open, but are you handling that okay?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: With the heat?

Q. No, sorry, with the attention you're getting, after what happened in New York, the attention in the next Grand Slam.
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I heard few stuff, but I'm not, you know, thinking about this. I just don't want to get it into my head. I just want to continue in those things what I was doing the second half of the year last year and even in Brisbane.

So, yeah, I don't care about these things much. Obviously I know that people are talking somehow, even in Grand Slams and stuff. But it's not really important for me, these things.

Q. What do you do to block that out?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Nothing. I just play. I don't feel like I would be favorite on this tournament or any Grand Slam so far. Like I said, I think there are still better players than me.

Me, I don't want to put the pressure on myself. That's the main thing for me. If I'm putting the pressure on myself, it's worse than if others putting. Other people, I don't really care what they, like, talk or -- I take it as a positive thing that they just want me to win a Grand Slam or they just think I have a good chance, which is always good that they talk like this.

Worse would be, I would say, that if they would not talk like this (smiling).

Q. What do you do on your days off just to get away from tennis? Dance, music, yoga?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Not dance, not really (smiling). Yeah, I always go to the club even, like, if I'm in the tournament, so there is day off, like, tomorrow. Maybe I play doubles or maybe I just hit one hour. Easy really just to rest for the next days.

I like shopping, obviously, so I always go to the city. If there is a chance, some nice dinner and nice place to see in the city.

Q. Talk a little bit about working with a new coach. Has he had real impact on your game?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, so far I'm winning when I start with him. So I think it's just positive.

No, I think I really like the work, what we are doing together. I really believe that he can help me, and he's gonna improve my game in all the ways, I mean, to play aggressive. So we have same goals.

Like I said, I agree with all things what he's saying to me, so I believe that he's a good coach. He just want the best for me, which is the main thing for me.

Q. And his prime message to you?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Which message?

Q. Your coach's prime message to you.
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Well, like I said, I think we have both the same way where we want to go, so he's just pushing me to play aggressive and to not be scared from anything, which today, I not that sure about it.

Yeah, and still a lot of work about all shots: forehand, backhand, serve. So a lot of things to improve. But I think they are in a good way.

Q. When you went into the US Open, there was a lot of the discussion of you had never made it into the second week, and your goal was just to make the second week. This is the next slam. Do you feel like that, like, negativity or that feeling is over, that this is a normal tournament now, or do you still feel like the second week is a barrier for you?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Actually, I feel 100 times better than I felt before the US Open. So this thing, I think, is, like, already gone, like the scariness of the second week. And then I have to pass the third round.

Even if I don't now, I know I have been there, so it's really different this time. Doesn't mean that I'm going to be there for sure now every Grand Slam in the second week. It can happen that I still lose, but definitely I feel better with this pressure what I had before.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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