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MIAMI OPEN PRESENTED BY ITAÃº

March 30, 2019

Karolina Pliskova

Miami, Florida

A. BARTY/Ka. Pliskova

7-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What do you think went wrong today in the match?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I think she played well, for sure. I think it's a pity or unlucky that I didn't hold the serve a little bit longer because I was up a break, and she quite gave me a lot of mistakes in the beginning, which I think she didn't after.

And I was tired, super tired. And also, the conditions completely different than what I have played the night matches. So of course I was not playing the best tennis. I was not serving the best.

Yeah, I think she played well, so it's not that I would play completely bad. But on the other hand, for sure, I could play better. For sure, I think I could maybe, you know, hold longer in the first set the serve.

And then the tiebreak, she just went for it. She played some good shots. So I think the first set was, you know, the key of the match, because I was feeling very tired from maybe like fourth, fifth game. So if I have a set for me would be maybe different. So was somehow tough to fight in the second.

You know, I think she also improved in the second. Maybe she was a little bit nervous in the beginning, too, but, yeah.

Q. Was there something particularly she was doing today that she hasn't done in previous matches against you? Or was it maybe the fatigue keeping you from balancing it out?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: No, I think she just played what is she playing normally. Nothing what I would not expect.

But I think was more about me, so also the conditions here, we talked about it already, were maybe a little bit slower. So I think it's better for her, because she has time to play the slice. You know, she has time to run around her forehand.

I think she just -- it was a little bit better for her, of course, but it starts everything with me. I think if I maybe serve a little bit better, if I just feel a little bit more fresh, it could be different. So at some points I think I was able to put some pressure on her with some good shots, but, you know, not all of the time and not maybe two, three points in a row.

Q. Was her style particularly difficult for a player who is maybe experiencing some fatigue the way she plays?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Well, I had all of the players which I played were quite difficult to play if you are tired. But the matches were not easy, and I was just able to fight through.

You know, today was not the day. I think because she plays the slice, so it's a little bit different than if you play somebody who is just playing normal forehand and normal backhand. I think she has dangerous game, playing the slice on the backhand, and then she can really, you know, put a lot of pressure with the forehand.

So of course it's tough when you don't feel 100%, but I think still I could maybe win at least the first set today.

Q. Was her serve surprisingly good for somebody her size and whatever? She had quite a few aces today. People talk about her serve, even though you wouldn't think necessarily they would.
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I always thought her serve is good, so it didn't surprise me. Maybe she was, you know, feeling just maybe a little bit better today on the serve. So she was hitting quite good spots with the serve.

Maybe it was also that I was a little bit slow (smiling) and I was not getting to the balls. It can be a little bit of both. But I think she was serving a lot of first serves today, of course, which was worse for me, because I was ready to put some pressure on her second serve, which I can.

But she was serving great. You know, I don't think she's that small for not serving this good. I think she has some power, she has good hands, so there is no reason why she should not serve this way.

Q. There was a moment when you kind of slammed the racquet on the floor. Could you tell us about that.
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: And what you want to know?

Q. What was going on through your head?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: No, nothing. I just hit the floor. That's it.

Q. You obviously had that late finish two nights ago, but, I mean, how hard was it to recover from that? How were you feeling yesterday? And then this morning, did you already feel like the gas was empty?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yesterday horrible. Today a little bit better. But still not of course the best.

Also, I think the experience to not play a day match was also, you could see a little bit, because she played some day matches. She played some doubles, also. So that was a little bit, you know, the difference, I think, also, at some points.

Of course it's, you know, I went to sleep at 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning. Yeah, I felt it (smiling).

Q. All of the big titles this year on the hard courts have been won by younger players, 22 and under. As a veteran player, what is your reaction to that?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I think they are playing just good tennis. You know -- who won Indian Wells? Yeah. No, I think they are going for it. They don't have the pressure which maybe the other players they have.

I think on one hand it can be also lucky because all the matches were pretty close. Not only the finals but also the matches in the tournaments. So I think there were some match points down for everybody. So I think sometimes you need luck so it can go -- I think it's a little bit lucky. So that's only those two young, right now, they won.

But I think they are good, they are around for a while, especially Ashleigh, even though she took a break, but she was so good before the break, also. It's not a surprise for me. And she was playing -- I think she's slowly improving. She is so solid. This is not a surprise.

And, for me, I don't feel like she's, you know, that young. Maybe Andreescu, yes, she didn't have many experience, but for me, Ashleigh is experienced enough to play these kind of matches.

Q. This was still a pretty consistent run for you. I think quarterfinals or better at every tournament you played this year. What positives do you take out of this quarter of the year?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: No, of course positives, and last week or last tournament was quite disappointed to end in the quarterfinal. I thought I could better. I was, like, Yeah, why quarterfinals?

So now it's finals. Of course it's better. Of course I would love to take the title, but I think I played good matches. I beat Simona which I beat just couple of times. So of course this match for me was the best out of the tournament.

I want to move on with this, to take some positives. Of course, to see the bad things which I have done. But it was my first final here in Miami, and also out of those two tournaments, my first final. Yeah, of course I'm happy about this. I think the first few months were good, more than good. So my best so far in the life. Yeah, that's good.

Q. How will you prepare for the clay court season?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Now, for sure, couple days off. I'm going to move back home. Yeah, I'm going to do some preparation maybe somewhere out of Czech, maybe Monaco or maybe Barcelona because Conchita is there. Yeah, I have to see about the plan, because I have about three weeks to Stuttgart, because I don't play Fed Cup. So there is going to be enough time to prepare, looking for a change.

Q. When you are feeling tired, how do you try to shorten points? Is it with the serve or do you look for the forehand? And on Ashleigh's slice, who would you compare that to? Looks like she can play it both offensively and defensively.
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I don't know. I don't think there is that many girls play this way. Actually I think maybe it was Vinci before she retired, so I don't think there is somebody like this to playing that many slices and just to have this kind of the game. So that's why maybe she's so dangerous for everybody, because nobody's really used to it.

Of course when you feel tired, you try, but it's not working like that you say I'm tired and I'm going to hit an ace, you know. So I wish it could be this way, but, you know, of course I tried. Maybe I tried to push a little bit more, you know.

But I don't think actually she mind the speed. So I think I just went a little bit more in the court in the second set, but she was just there. And of course she was confident enough after the first set. So maybe if I could start a little bit earlier to play this way would be better for me and worse for her, as well.

Yeah, I think also sometimes just to serve and the balls, you cannot just get with the first balls, especially when you play a player like this. You still have to work for it and play two, three shots. It's never easy to -- you know, I don't think there is somebody, maybe Serena if she's on top who can really get with every return or every serve. I don't have the power for that. Of course I have the shots, but maybe not today.

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