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MUTUA MADRID OPEN

May 6, 2017

Karolina Pliskova

Madrid, Spain

K. PLISKOVA/L. Tsurenko

7-6, 2-6, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How tough was that? She was playing really well for some stretches in that match.
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, well, I have the feeling everyone is playing quite well against me. I guess that's normal.

Not really happy with the way how I was playing. Definitely the best was the third set. I was playing more aggressive, which David told me to play a little bit more aggressive. Otherwise, I was losing all the long rallies.

It was tough. I just cannot play like this with the girls. Not really good serve today. So not really many free points. In the third set was better. But still everything through the second...

Also, it's more difficult for me. Yeah, little bit lucky, I would say, the first set. I was up 5-3 and serving and everything. But could be really different way. In the tiebreaker, I was losing 4-2. I played really good. I made two aces, my only two aces in the match (laughter).

It was a win, a really important win for me.

Q. When you play like that and you don't think you're playing that well, it looked like for a while you were kind of reacting a lot more, that she was the one that was in control of the match. Is that a weird feeling for you?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, I felt that the second set was the worst because I was up a break, then was a bad game for me, my serve game. She took the advantage and was more pushing me and I was pushing her. This is not really good situation for me.

That's why then I called David. And he said, Yeah, like you cannot play like this, otherwise you are running. She was playing, like, really good. Some days maybe you can win a match like this, with running, just putting the balls back, but not today. I don't think on clay this is going to be the case.

Really solid hitting from her, from backhand. Even the forehand was quite solid. Yeah, the only thing what I was supposed to do, just play aggressive, otherwise I didn't get any free points at all from the baseline.

Yeah, just try to push a little bit on her serve, because obviously the serve is not bad. I would say it's not bad, but it's not really like fast. That was the advantage there.

Q. Do you think this sort of match helps you as the clay season progresses, just to have more match time on clay? It's not the way you might have wanted it, but in general do you think it might help you out?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Well, maybe it's better that I won it in this way, not in the way where I wanted to win, like 6-2, 6-2. Maybe it's better that I got little bit through this difficult situation, not really feeling well on the court, not having my serve always there.

Definitely, like I said, it's important win. Every first round, it's tough, doesn't matter which surface is that. For me, so far little bit struggling on the clay. Doesn't matter how I do this tournament, I always have chance in next round if I win this one. Still important coming to the next two tournaments, Rome and Paris.

Q. On a day when your serve is, like you said, not the way you wanted it to be, mentally what do you tell yourself in finding a Plan B and Plan C in your game?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Well, I don't have any plans like this. C, definitely not. Maybe some B.

But it's tough. You don't have those free points. But it's not like I cannot play without my serve, not really on clay. At least when there is something from the baseline, at least my forehand or something, I think there is still a chance to play quite good match.

Also my second serve improved a lot. It's not like the girls are pushing me from the serve. It's just there are no free points and not aces. I'm used to have at least few in the match. There was still little bit today, but not much.

I just don't want to expect much from the serve on the clay, because obviously it's a little bit different. The opponents are staying really far from the line, so they can receive more, than on the hard court.

Q. What is your take of your sister's run in Prague?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Well, I didn't want to look at the score that much because obviously my match was coming on soon. She started at 11. I was at 12:30. On my court it got little bit longer, so I could see she lost the second set. She was up a break, I think.

I talked to her now. She's better now, I would say. But I heard she was crying on the court, yeah. That's unlucky. I've heard even before the match, that Mona was not really ready, so she was kind of sick or something, so she wanted to withdraw. Then she played and won, so...

It's not a usual situation. You probably don't feel to play your best against an opponent which she's not feeling well, not playing the best tennis, but still managed to have set and break. So I would say it's really unlucky.

She said she was probably little bit shaky in the second set. That's why she lost. It was tough, obviously.

Q. Are you good at giving pep talks to your sister, like cheering someone up?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, I'm trying. In tennis, I don't think there is, like, something tragical [sic] happen that she lost. She still got into the final, which is amazing. In Prague, I don't think she ever won a match in this tournament there. She was so close to winning, that's why it's hurting that much.

But yeah, I said it's still a good tournament for her.

Q. Generally what is more stressful for you mentally, when you feel like someone else is maybe taking a match out of your hands, or when you feel you have the match on your own racquet and you just can't put it together?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Probably when I have the match on my racquet and I just cannot close it. I know, like, it's only about me, not about the opponent.

When there is someone playing well, still I'm playing well, she's playing little bit better, this can happen. It's sport. It's tennis. Just few points can decide.

Some of the matches which I think would be the one today, if I would lose it, you just have it, and it's up to you how you play. If you play aggressive, you have the point. If not, you lose the point. I think this is the worst case.

Q. Where do you fall in the balance of someone, when you're not at the courts, when you're back at the hotel, you want to conserve your energy, stay in the hotel room, kind of chill out, not do anything, or do you need to walk around the city to feel like you're part of the world?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: In the beginning of the day, I always have, like, huge plans that after practice I will go somewhere, for a walk or something. Then in the end, I never go anywhere (smiling).

Obviously, even if I have one practice or something, I spend half day here because I have some gym, then practice, then lunch, then physio or something, then the way back. The half day is away quickly. Then I don't have much energy to go anywhere.

I'm most of the time in my room.

Q. What do you prefer, combined events or the weeks when it's just the women around?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I got used to the combined events. But before I was preferring to have just women's. I thought it's, like, more quiet, not that many people, not that many eyes on you. Yeah, I could really, like, focus more on myself.

But as the Grand Slams are combined, I have to get used to it. So it's better now. Just trying to stay away of the people here in the club, just taking my time, leaving as soon as I can to the hotel, yeah, that's it.

Q. So when you're on-site, you're kind of around the lounge and locker room and things like that, you can feel the energy, the tension, or no?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Not any more. I used to feel it little bit more. There was like hundred people everywhere in lounge or so. Now not any more.

I'm always just trying to stay with my people, my team. My boyfriend is here again. I don't really talk to anyone else unless there is my sister or somebody from the Czech, from the girls.

But, yeah, that's what I'm trying to just stay way of the million peoples which is here and also on the Grand Slams.

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