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ROLAND GARROS

June 8, 2017

Karolina Pliskova

Paris, France

S. HALEP/K. Pliskova

6-4, 3-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. It was obviously a close match. What do you think, if anything, made the difference in the end? You were right there with her, getting back on serve in the third set.
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Definitely I think I could serve better. Third set everything was through the long rally, which I think is better for her and she's winning almost -- not all of them, but higher percentage definitely.

After all those rallies, I was just tired. So was just better, I don't know, to have some free points. I didn't have it from the serve, so that's probably the key way she won the third set.

I think I was more aggressive in the second set, so that's why it worked. She made some mistakes. I don't think she made any in the third one. That's why it was so tough. But I think it was really close. Even the first set was one break.

In the beginning I was serving pretty bad there, so I did two double faults in that game. So didn't have to happen. This is one the match could be totally different from the beginning.

But I think was really high-level match, yeah, the best one in the tournament for me.

Q. How do you look back at your time here at Roland Garros? By your own admission you have not always played your best tennis and yet you have done really well to get to the semifinals. How do you reflect on that? What positives can you take forward?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I mean, definitely positives that I was not playing well the whole tournament. I was just still winning.

The other thing is that I prove again to myself if I play against the better players, against the top players, I can play really high-level tennis and doesn't have to be in the beginning of the tournament, you know. So that's what happened here.

And I think I will beat 99% of the girls with this tennis what I was playing today, so just unlucky that it was Simona today there. I think she's one of the best on clay, maybe one of the best on this tournament. She loves this tournament. She played final here few years ago, and every year I think she's playing very well here.

So was just tough and happy that I was so close to win it. Obviously I know or we all know I was playing for World No. 1, but not that disappointed with this match.

Q. Are you more encouraged by the level that you played today? Are you more frustrated that you went out in the match where you played your best tennis of the tournament?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: No, I'm -- finally I can say I felt good on the court. And even that I lost the match, I feel good with the way how I played today. I was expecting I'm not gonna have almost any chances before the match, but I just somehow made it.

And I was playing with Simona almost all the rallies, and I was even winning few. So that was the good point. That's for me quite positive to play this match with her on clay, you know. I don't think we met on clay, and she's tough to beat on clay for me.

Definitely if it would be hard court or maybe grass would be different for me, but didn't happen. So just happy that I played well today.

Q. If you can describe it, what is it that makes her so tough on clay? Makes her such an annoying opponent to try to have to beat in long rallies, especially?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I think she's reading the game pretty well and together with she's moving very well. It's just tough to make winners against her.

And then she makes you do, like, more unforced errors. So she's pushing, pushing, putting back, putting back till you make the errors.

Not always. I did some winners, as well. But sometimes when it's close and you feel a little bit nervous, then there's a big chance you're going to miss.

And also she's receiving pretty well. I think she's one of the best from returning the serves. So she's not staying that far away but just putting everything back so that it's just tough.

I know it's just up to me, but it's always -- it's not easy to make the winner all the time.

Q. Do you think that the two weeks that you had here in Paris and especially the match that you played today against Simona, playing really well on a surface you're not comfortable on, that it's a bit of a warning shot? A little bit, to the rest of the field, like this is how well you're playing these days and this is how confident you are that you can pull off these results even on a surface that maybe doesn't reward you for your weapons?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, definitely I was just waiting for this result for a longer time. Didn't come. Everyone was just saying that I cannot really play good on clay. But even David and me were talking that this is not really like clay. You know, it's not that slow.

Even the girls like me, I think they have a chance to play good tennis here. Was just tough against somebody like Simona. So I think I still have a chance in future. Maybe if I'm going to meet her, I know on hard court I have a big chance to beat her again. But on clay it's not like I don't have a chance, but it's just tough, you know, so it can goes like this. I play well but I still lose.

But I feel in future and in my clay future it's definitely a positive thing.

Q. In terms of having No. 1 ranking being a goal eventually, how nice is it to pick up 700-something ranking points at Roland Garros which you probably weren't thinking would be what you leave here with?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I mean, I was almost celebrating after the first round what I won. So I take those 700 points right now.

No, I don't want to be frustrated after this match, because like I said, I lost to somebody who is the best on clay right now at the time and at semifinal Roland Garros. So unfortunately I could have different draw or she could lose yesterday, which would be probably better for me, but didn't happen. And that's how it is.

And I think it's a good fight for World No. 1. I think she has a big chance now to win the Roland Garros. And definitely with this game what she's playing, she's going to deserve it.

Q. What do you expect from yourself on grass?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I'm going to play few tournaments before Wimbledon. Still no idea about any of my preparation about grass. Just finish for me clay right now.

I'm going to take few days off, and, yeah, right now I think I have chance everywhere on any surface (smiling).

Q. Looking at Wimbledon, can you just talk to us about how you think that surface suits your game and which weapons you will be able to bring out on the grass?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Well, the weapons stays the same. I'm not gonna change much. Maybe a little bit from the serve, maybe a kick for the second serve, maybe play a little bit more slice. That's mostly it. I didn't change much on clay. The shots gonna stay and a little bit different tactics, but it's going to stay. Obviously the movement will be different, but that's it.

Q. So you're going to take a couple of days off after the French Open, but would you mind giving us what do you make of the final, Ostapenko and Simona? What do you make of that match? Can you give us a little preview?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: No doubt that Ostapenko she's having a good run here, and she's dangerous player for everybody, I think, but I would bet everything what I have on Simona (smiling).

Let's just see. But I think on clay -- maybe hard court, grass would be different -- but I think on clay, with the way how she's moving and how many balls she's putting back, I think she has a very big chance. Still doesn't have to happen, but I think she has it in her hands.

I don't know what would happen. I don't know. Ostapenko still can play good tennis. I saw a little bit of today, and she was playing quite okay. But I think Simona, she's just not Timea. And I think she can also not only be running and putting balls back, but I think she can also be sometimes aggressive. That's what is important against her. But it's open, as always.

Q. To get back to you on clay, since you have played so well here, do you think that next year you will be looking forward to Roland Garros, actually?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Every year I was looking forward to Roland Garros. No, but definitely it's gonna be better for me to come back knowing that I won few matches here, and that I went that far in the tournament and was able to play some good tennis in the end of the tournament.

So definitely it's gonna be better for me to come back, and doesn't still have to be that I'm going to play good tennis again, but at least I know I did it once.

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