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U.S. OPEN

August 31, 2017

Karolina Pliskova

New York, NY, USA

K. PLISKOVA/N. Gibbs

2-6, 6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Talk through that match. It looked like it took a while for things to get going for you. First set, flat or was that more her?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I think little bit of both. I think she started pretty well. Her level was quite high in the beginning of the match. I quite didn't expect that she's going to play this way. I thought, like, little bit thought since we played two times, we practiced, saw few of her matches, she's going to be more like defending. She really was going for her shots. All credit to her.

Overall I think not even close to what I want to play today. So, yeah, just happy that I went through. Obviously I was improving during the match. The third one would be, like, okay, not the best, but few good shots I had, some good serves. But the first set, not even close to where I want to play.

Q. How do you think you turned it around in the second set?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I felt pretty nervous again this time, so the second time in a row (smiling). Little bit just too much pressure in the first set so I cannot really play my game. So I was not feeling the best today obviously on the court. You could probably see it. But I just believed if I could hold my serve for a while, just to wait to the time when it's 2-All, 3-All, I'm going to get a chance. I had few actually even in the third one. Even still was only one break in each set.

I felt I'm more aggressive with my serve than she is with her serve. I believed I gonna get a chance. I got it, and it was just enough for me to close it with my breaks.

Q. Are you frustrated that you keep winning but not playing as well as you want to play?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I don't think that's the problem. I'm not frustrated at all. I won, so I should celebrate. There's no need to be frustrated (smiling).

It's just that I didn't play well. That's all. I think maybe this match can help me in the next matches just to play better, feel better. Maybe this is the match what I needed in this tournament.

I'm feeling well actually in the practice. It's more about the mental side. So just, you know, to keep my nerves little bit down. Obviously, yeah, I think the pressure, maybe I put it even more on myself than the other do. But I still want to, you know, play well and keep winning. So hopefully I can do that.

Q. Speaking of pressure, go back maybe six months ago, a lot of the discussion was about how you were one of the players that didn't feel as much pressure on the court. When you play, your hand doesn't shake the way some other players' do. Does this feel completely new, the way you're feeling on court?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Actually, no. But I think you cannot really see it the way how I'm feeling inside. Even I was playing some matches last year, two years before, I still have some nerves in myself.

But I think now it's even more. There's every match when I go, I have to win. There is enough pressure on me. They're outsiders, so they're always going to play well against me, so that's also the thing.

But I don't feel like I'm shaky. I'm just kind of slow in the beginning, so I just need some time to get the rhythm and get in the game.

Q. How does pressure manifest for you in a match? With others, maybe they don't feel the ball at all. Do you just feel sluggish on your feet?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I think it's little bit of both. Even my legs, I feel little bit slower in the first set. And my hands, as well. Then it's tough to play like this. I mean, I have aggressive game, so maybe if someone is defending it can work much better. But with my game, I cannot really play like this.

So, like I said, I still had in my head the plan that I want to play aggressive, and I want to go for my shots, not waiting for mistakes. I think I was able to make it little bit in the second, third set maybe.

But, yeah, I have to improve.

Q. You took a little while to get to press. Is there any treatment or anything that you're getting a little bit more of in New York than maybe you weren't before?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I had actually a massage, so I just wanted to do everything done. Then you guys are the last for me today (smiling).

Q. New York is a very popular place, shows up in movies and songs. When you were younger, do you have your first memory of seeing New York either in a movie or hearing about it? Maybe the first time you heard about it and wanted to come to this city?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Not really. I think the first memory still stays with tennis. Was first time when I went here was actually just to visit US Open. I just spended few days here at the Open, but not really from movies and CDs, as well. More about the US Open, I think.

Q. Which matches did you see?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I went to see -- I think was Roddick at that time still playing. I went to see Vaidisova at that time. She was playing. She was Czech, so we went to see.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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