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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 6, 2018

Karolina Pliskova

Wimbledon, London, England

K. PLISKOVA/M. Buzarnescu

3-6, 7-6, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You were a set and 4-1 down. How did you pull it off?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I don't know. First of all, I think she started to play so much better than me the beginning of the match. Obviously a set and a half, she was so much better than me.

But I just tried to hold my serve and wait for some chance because I was returning so bad her serve, even though it was not that fast. Just the lefty serve, I couldn't get used to it. Finally when I got used to it, I got my chances. Started to be very open in the second set.

I believe, because I was serving pretty well today, I have to say, a lot of first serves, a lot of points from the serve. I put little bit more speed on my shots. She started to miss little bit. I got my chances. Then obviously she was broken a little bit after the second set.

Q. What are your feelings about being one of only two players in the top 10 seeds to make it this far here?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I don't care in the draw if they are seeded or not. It's important to me that I'm in the draw. Even though they are not seeded, I think all the players are pretty strong and playing very good tennis. They wouldn't be there without playing good level here.

I think it's very open with this. Every tournament there are some surprises that some seeded players are losing. I think there's always quite big pressure on the seeded players.

Yeah, I think it's very lucky that almost all of the top 10, only me and Simona, we are in. It's tennis. Everything is possible. You can see, like, everybody is playing great tennis. Even today I could lose. There's so many close matches. For me it's important I'm in the draw still.

Q. How would you describe the way you're playing?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: For sure not best tennis, but so far I won three matches here. That's all that matters. I have a chance to improve again in the next round.

Q. Adding more power to your shots, do you think that was the key today? Why not start off doing that?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: You mean in the second set?

Q. Yes.
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I think because I was playing too slow because she was playing so good. I just stepped up little bit. I was not really playing aggressive. She had the time for everything, so she was just hitting her shots.

Again, she had nothing to lose, so she played just amazing from the beginning from the first game where she almost killed off my serves. It was very tough. But I kept fighting. I got my chances.

Q. Serena Williams is looking very strong at the moment, in your half of the draw. Is that a worry for you? Is she the person to beat in your half of the draw?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: She's not in my next round, so far I don't care about her. I know she's been winning also couple matches, tough one today. I beat her in US Open, so there is no reason why I should be worried.

Q. She can get pretty vocal. Despite her having a lead, she was still showing signs of frustration. From your side of the court, you see that she's tight like that, does that give you a little bit of belief as well?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, of course, because I know she can panic little bit. I didn't play her, but I saw little bit of matches. I know she can get a lot frustrated. Especially, like, when I see her getting frustrated being 6-3, 4-1 up, then I talk to myself, Look, there's chance she's going to panic little bit more.

Maybe if it's 4-All, 5-All, I believe there's always a chance with me. With my serve, with my game, I'm not scared at this court to play some shots. She missed more than she missed in the first set and the first half of the second.

It was only positive for me to see her like this.

Q. You mentioned you don't worry about Serena. Would you speak about your next opponent and the difference in your styles.
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Well, we played this year in Stuttgart. It was I don't want to see easy but it was probably my easiest match this year. Not that she played bad, but I just felt pretty good there after playing the Fed Cup week there in Stuttgart.

It was my first victory against her, I think. I don't remember if we played or not. Overall she just has had a great season. She played final in Madrid. She had so many good tournaments this year which she played.

For sure, beating Venus gave her a lot of confidence. You have tough match. Venus was up, down, everything happening in the match.

I don't know if she really has a game for grass. She's in fourth round. It's going to be tough, for sure.

Q. What's the biggest difference between your games?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I think she's more, like, hitting from the baseline, not really going for Venus in first shot or two. She can serve well, for sure. Maybe the second serve is not that aggressive. I still need to push. I need to play aggressive. I think she can do mistakes.

Q. How much of a weight did you feel lifted after the last match getting into the third round? How much do you feel now getting into the second week here? Feel lighter, better about this tournament?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yes, I feel better. I like more, for sure, Wimbledon now. But still all the matches pretty tough here. I don't want to really, like, lose concentration because I won two matches and because I'm in the third round. For me it's still I'm in the tournament, that's all that matters.

I want to win more matches because I know the draw is open and there is a big chance for me. I just don't want to think about in the past I didn't play well here, now I'm in the fourth round, second week of Wimbledon. There's also many things going through my mind.

All that matters is I want to win my next round. That's what I'm going to try to do.

Q. You said you have your next match, but does the draw being open make you more excited? You get two days off. More exciting two days off knowing the draw might have some opportunities?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: There is still somebody you have to beat, so doesn't matter if she's seeded or not seeded. Still she won three matches the same as me. It's going to be difficult. Doesn't matter who is there, what's her name. For me, it's still the same.

But now having two days off, I want to really not think about tennis little bit, about my opponent. If I think two days about Bertens, maybe it's not really good for my tennis.

Tomorrow probably day off, or I just do little bit. For sure I prepare on Monday for her game.

Q. I think your father is here with you.
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah.

Q. Anybody else, family-wise? Does your mom ever travel?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: No. She's so nervous she cannot watch me. I have matches like this. She never travels. They went this year actually one tournament with Kristyna. Otherwise she's not traveling, going for tournaments. She just follows the practices at home.

Q. Does she watch you play?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: No. She doesn't even see the score, nothing. She's really nervous.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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