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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS WIMBLEDON

July 6, 2017

Karolina Pliskova

Wimbledon, London, England

M. RYBARIKOVA/K. Pliskova

3-6, 7-5, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You looked like you were in control of that match. How did it turn around from your perspective?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Well, I would not say in control, because was only one break in each set. Even the first set it was 6-3 but I think it was very tough with her game. So everything I have to, you know, play well all the points so she didn't give me much free points.

Was more about me this time, but I think on grass she has really tricky game. That's why I played one bad game overall in second set, 6-All. Otherwise I don't think I did something wrong.

Yeah, she just played a little bit better today. Still, I know I can, you know, play better than I was playing today. Even worse, I can play. So, yeah, just tough match.

Q. Were you feeling tired at all towards the end? You were looking like you were bending over a bit, as though you might have had a problem. Did you have any physical problem?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I didn't have any problem, no.

Q. You came in with great form with your win in Eastbourne. Does that make today maybe a little bit more disappointing or do you just put it down to you didn't play too well?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Well, obviously it's disappointing. Still, my expectations were a little bit different than to make one round here. That's tennis, you know. Still, you still can play well and you don't have to win. That's my case today. I think was, like I said, very tough round for a second round. Very tricky opponent.

Yeah, I was close definitely to winning, but, yeah, didn't play well enough today.

Q. You still have a chance to become No. 1, whatever happens in this tournament, depending on what can happen in this tournament. Does it give you what kind of feeling, this knowledge?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Well, for me, the tournament is over. So whatever happens happens. I'm not going to pray for somebody's losing or winning. So that's not my thing anymore what is happening here.

I'm just going to take off and, yeah, let's just wait who's gonna win it. It's a tough draw for everybody I think. There are some opponents which are tricky on the grass, which is tough even for the favorites. You could see it today. I think there is for the first two seeded girls, Angie and Simona, they have also some tough draw. Still depends how they're gonna play.

Q. Before the match the other day you said that this was the toughest second-round draw you had ever had at a slam. You had never faced her before so I'm curious how you knew or how you were aware that it was going to be a really tricky one today?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Well, always if somebody is playing slices on grass I think it's the worst surface for putting back the slices. That was the case today. I think she's very good on the net and with a slice backhand and overall serving. I think just her game is tough to play on the grass. So maybe clay or some other surfaces would be a little bit different. I cannot say. We didn't play.

But I felt like she's playing really clever today, using that slice, coming into the net, serving pretty well.

Yeah, it was just tough.

Q. You have had very good results on grass away from Wimbledon. Is there something about Wimbledon or about the grass here that makes it particularly difficult for you?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Probably something in the air here (smiling). No, I don't know. I don't think I played bad today. It just maybe waiting for one or two good matches here in a row, which didn't happen in the past, not even this year.

So, yeah, still another chance next year. So we'll see.

Q. Jelena Ostapenko was saying she thinks the grass here is playing slower than the clay in Paris. Does that surprise you?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Maybe for her (smiling). No, I don't think it's slower. I think it's definitely not the fastest surface where I have ever played and not even on grass. I think the grass on the other tournaments where I played well always it's still a little bit faster than it's here.

Yeah, you have to get used to it, and it's different, different tennis here than you cannot compare to clay or hard court. So the balls, the jump from the ball is always different. It doesn't go much high.

You have to bend your knees, which is always trouble with me. There are few other things which I really don't like on grass but still I have to serve. So I think if I serve well but I cannot just, you know, think that with a serve I can win. Today I just needed a little bit more from the baseline.

Q. I have never heard so many times like this year the girls say that all the women's tournaments are wide open, that many, many different girls can win the tournament. Is this, in a way, surprising for you? I mean, after what happened with Ostapenko, Roland Garros, nobody really expected. How do you explain this situation?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I cannot explain. Like, well, a lot of players, I don't know, Serena, she's out now. Venus, she's not playing her best now. There's a lot of changes. Somebody was injured. Some young players are coming up. Doesn't have to be that still one woman like was with Serena I think was rare situation. It doesn't have to be for next 50 years somebody like she was.

So I don't know. I think it's maybe was like this before, but now every round, every round is tough. You can see like even the best players, they can lose in the first round. Every round is, everybody has the chance to win. So I think it's pretty open.

But I think like all the players are quite good. There is no one easy now. Maybe before you won first three or four matches like, you know, you didn't have to almost practice. But now it's different.

Q. Just in terms of now going forward, looking forward to a break, do you want to get back on the practice court and get ready for summer?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, tomorrow (smiling).

No, I'll definitely have some days off now. Yeah, I have a lot of time to prepare till my next tournament in Toronto. I will make sure I prepare well, but for me now it's vacation time (smiling).

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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