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MIAMI OPEN PRESENTED BY ITAÃº

March 30, 2017

Caroline Wozniacki

Miami, Florida

C. WOZNIACKI/K. Pliskova

5-7, 6-1, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. So it was a really great start from her again, and really did seem like you were solving some problems out there on the court. What kind of adjustments do you think you made at the end of the first and through the match?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Yeah, she started off really strongly and had quite a few winners to start off the match. I was like, Okay, welcome to the semifinals.

Then I just kind of I was like, I need to step it up a little bit; I need to hit it a little bit harder and try and take the ball a little bit earlier. I kind of worked my way into the match.

Then I had set points in the first set, and it was kind of tough losing that set. It was tough mentally kind of having to pull myself back up.

But I got a good start to the second set and kind of went on a roll from there.

Q. Actually just going to ask you about that, but I will go to the second question. You out aced her 7 to 5, I believe. How pleasing is that?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Yeah, I only realized that after the match. I was like, Wait, that doesn't happen very often, especially against her. So I was very happy with that.

I thought that in key moments I served well. I think my second serve was effective as well today.

Q. Do you think you were frustrating her? You do this to everyone with your defense. You'd make her hit three, four, five winners and eventually the errors start piling up.
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Yeah, for sure. I try to stay aggressive, make her move, and get to a lot of balls. Even when she thought she had won the point, I was like, No, I'm still going to get it back.

I definitely think that I returned pretty decent as well. I think that was frustrating for her.

Q. A lot of opportunity on the women's tour now. Seems to be a lot of room for movement. How does that affect your thinking, and is that a confidence booster? What is your analysis of the situation with Serena not being around a much and some of the other women, like Agnieszka, not playing as well?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: To be honest, I just play. I do my job and I try and do it as well as I can. That's all I care about.

Q. Did you see the ITF as announcement about their attempt to restructure the tours to maybe reduce the number of players within the ATP and WTA ranking points to 750. Did you see anything...
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: No, I didn't see that. I don't know. Hopefully I won't have to worry about that any time soon.

Q. But they're thinking that there are too many players and it's making it difficult for young players to come through.
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: I think everyone has to get through that. Everyone has been there. Everyone had to start somewhere. I think it was hard when we had to go through that, too.

But I don't know. I haven't really thought about it. That's the first time I hear it. I don't really have a proper opinion about it.

Q. I know you keep a part-time place here. To finally make a final here -- I mean, a final anywhere is obviously a pretty good deal, but to make one here, what's the significance of that for you?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: It's definitely special. I've made a few finals in Indian Wells and I've won it once. This is one of the few tournaments where I've never made a finals. I think my best result was semifinals like five years ago. You know, it's always been a tournament where I wouldn't say I've struggled, but just not had the results that I've wanted to.

You know, I'm really pleased to make it this far. There is one more match to go, and I'm going to do my best to win that one. But it's going to be against tough opponents regardless of who I'm playing.

Q. Unfortunately you lost your first two finals of the season; this is your third. What do you think you have to do differently here to get this victory and win the tournament?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Well, I'm hoping it's third-time lucky. That's what they say, right?

I'm just going to go out there and approach it the same way that I approach every match. You win, sometimes you lose, but in the end of the day if I give my best effort and if I do the best that I can, then I can be proud of whatever result it is.

I'm hoping it's going to be a win, but in the end of the day, I'm just out there to do my best. That's all I can ask from myself.

Q. Two part-question relating No. 1. When you were No. 1, did it feel lonely, quote/unquote, because everybody was going for you? Second part is: Is being No. 1 the be all and end all? To get back there, is it a case of been there, done that, doesn't really matter about going back to No. 1 as much as it might be nice to be there?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: I think obviously when you're No. 1 in the world, if you've been there, you have a target on your back and you're a favorite every time you play, and every tomorrow you come into the media after a lost match it's basically a disappointment regardless of who the opponent is because everyone is lower ranked.

I remember one time -- I don't remember which tournament it was -- I was playing Vera Zvonareva, who was the No. 2 in the world at the time. I had lost a tough, tough match against her, and I come in and the first question is, Caroline, you must be extremely disappointed since you lost to someone lower ranked than you?

I was like, Hold on. I'm No. 1; she's No. 2. I'm more disappointed about losing the match and not because she's lower ranked. Clearly everyone at that point is lower ranked.

So I think the expectations are extremely high and it's harder to stay there for a prolonged period of time than it is to get there, which is really tough in itself.

But in the end of the day, I think if you're one of the top players, you have a target on your back every week because everyone wants to beat you. They usually have no pressure when they play against you.

I think when you're regarded as one of the top players on the tour you have a target. I think it's fun, because you need to improve even more every week. You need to improve every year. Everyone is trying to find a way to beat you.

Q. And the second part to that?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Yeah, I think right now my focus is just to try and win matches and try and win tournaments. That's my main focus.

I think No. 1 is a little bit far away from me right now. I'm just working my way up there. I think first step would be to come back in the top 10, and then go from there.

Q. A lot of people might not know that you're year-ending No. 1 twice, Venus, zero. Obviously you must be surprised that she's still around and formidable, and you might have her on Saturday. Talk about that potential matchup. I know you have had difficulty over the years.
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Yeah, Venus is an inspiration. Being 36 years old, turning 37 this year, it's so impressive that she's been playing so well and playing so well for so many years.

The determination and everything that she shows, she's great for tennis. It's great to see her playing at a very high level. So, you know, I have nothing but just positive words to say about Venus.

She's a great person both on and off the court?

Q. Match up-wise, again, you want to make a play, maybe the fatigue factor, get a lot of balls back?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Yeah. Venus is one of those few players on tour that I've played quite a few times and I've never beaten her. So I would definitely try and get my revenge on court.

If I play Konta, she's also a great player and been playing really well this year.

Regardless, it's going to be tough opponents for me.

Q. Do you actually miss the sensation of being No. 1, the feeling of waking up every morning No. 1?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: I guess so, yeah. Everyone wants to be No. 1. It's nice to feel like you're the best player in the world.

At the same time, I think once you're there you're just so focused every week to try and win everything and you're trying to keep being there that you don't really think too much about it.

I think it was more my team or people around me that would go, Hey, No. 1, how are you doing today? I would be like, Oh, yeah, I am actually. That's a pretty cool feeling.

So I think once you're there, you just try and do your best. It's a grind every day.

Q. Do you appreciate it more after it's gone when you look back?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: I think so. Yeah, you realize how hard it was to get there and stay there. I think you look back and you're like, You know what? That was pretty damn awesome.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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