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DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPSFebruary 17, 2019Karolina PliskovaDubai, United Arab Emirates THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. How are you feeling heading into this tournament? KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I feel better. I was sick the last few days. I feel better today. I managed to practice yesterday, today. I go on tomorrow. I'll be good for tomorrow night. The body is not 100%. But slowly getting there. Hopefully I can get through my first matches and then get ready. Q. Since Australia, how did you take in everything that you did there? What were you most proud of? KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Well, with the time, you take things more positively than after. When you lose, it's always tough to see the positive things. But I think I played some good matches. Obviously to win title, go in semifinal Grand Slam is always super positive and good. I beat some good players. It's not like I beat always some easy players. So the matches were actually very hard, especially of course against Serena, then against Naomi, too. I think was a good match. I saw couple of my matches already on the video. I just appreciate more the way I played because I think the level was good. Of course, I just play Fed Cup after. Also lots of positive stuff from the Fed Cup because was a tough weekend. We played in Ostrava in Czech, played Romania. I lost to Simona close, but we had a good match. Everything so far is working the same way as Australia and everything is well. Q. How are you looking at this week? KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Well, it's going to be tough week, for sure, because so many good, top players are playing here. There is not like really easy rounds. From the first round, it can be very tough. It's going to be important to start well. But I'm going to be happy if I pass my first round, as I was not feeling 100%. Trying to do everything to get through my first round match and then I think anything is possible. Q. You mentioned Naomi. The fact that she won her first slam, then won the very next one, what do you make of that kind of achievement? Haven't seen that since 2001 on the women's tour. KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Really? I think there is couple players can always play well. I know Serena, she maybe didn't win two in a row, but every year two or three Grand Slams. For sure, there is few players which are able to do this. I know she's, like, strong player, playing very good last few months already, then I think Indian Wells where she won the title. She could lose few times in the draw, so it's not like sure that you go and you win Grand Slams. Every match, it's still tough. You can even lose in the second round, third round after winning Grand Slam. It's still open, the draw. I was not close to beating her because it was still quite far, but the match was maybe about few points. I think there is chance for everybody, even Petra now. She was close. It's very open, but the top players are always tough to beat. Q. How much confidence do you get moving forward now that you are back in a slam semifinal? The way you started the year, does it maybe raise the bar a bit for you in your mind for the rest of the season? KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Of course, I feel confident, especially about beating good players. I know I just have these matches. Especially in the beginning of the year, I think it's always important to have these matches. Then doesn't matter, like, if you lose maybe in few tournaments, but you still have these matches under your belt. It's going to come one day again. Right now I feel good. I felt good about my tennis, fitness already now in Australia. I feel like it can only get better. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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