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INTERNAZIONALI BNL D'ITALIA

May 18, 2019

Karolina Pliskova

Rome, Italy

K. PLISKOVA/M. Sakkari

6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Thoughts on making it to the final of Rome? This hasn't been a great place for you always, as you say, but this week seems to be going very well.
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I think I had tough matches. Also this one, two sets. I think it was tough. The conditions not perfect today.

Yeah, still not feeling like I would be playing the best tennis. I think the best match was yesterday against Vika. I think it was a good level.

But today I think I could do a little bit better at some points. But on the other hand I think with her it's tough to play the best tennis because she has tricky game on clay. That's why she went to the semis.

But anyway, super happy because, like I said, I didn't feel not even before the tournament, not even during, that I'm playing amazing. I'm in the final. Especially in this tournament, it means quite a lot to me because I never played well. Okay, we all know (smiling).

On clay, I was just hoping for some matches, maybe couple, but not for this much. Yeah, really happy before Paris to go this week.

Q. Did you forget it was match point?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yes (laughter). I thought it's 4-3. I thought it's breakpoint only. I felt bad about it after because everybody was celebrating. I'm like, Okay, let's go serve.

Q. In terms of the match today, she started very well up until 4-2, hitting lines. What were you telling yourself? She played probably more aggressively than she had played against you a year ago. Did that surprise you?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Not really. Maybe a little bit. But the side against the wind was tough for both of us. With the wind, was much easier to play fast.

I think last year was completely different match. Was hot, the court was different. I think was maybe a little bit slower. But she really went for it in the first couple games. I think she just played good tennis. Then she start to miss a little bit more, which I was waiting for.

I thought she just played great shots, she had great depth of the shots. There was not much for me what I could do. She can serve great, but maybe not for two or three sets like this.

I was waiting for my chances, which I got. I was maybe too passive in the beginning. But no surprise because it's semifinal. She won couple good matches here, beat some top players. For sure, she starts to play confident. That's why she was playing so good.

Q. When Conchita comes down, she has a lot of information for you. She has her notes. Is it at all difficult to process all the information which she has a lot of different things to say?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I use what I need to use. It's not really like I accept everything or I'm listening. I'm listening to everything, but sometimes is too much. Sometimes I struggled a little bit with the return against the wind. That's what I ask about.

You have one minute. I think she wants to say everything. There was couple more things today more than usually there is. But anyway, I think was good move to call her because after I think I played better in the second set. Of course, after I made the first set, which was a little bit nervous, the end of the first set was not the best. I started to be more confident after.

Q. I feel like this question has come up over the last three years. You're saying you haven't played amazing here. You're into the final of Rome on your least favorite surface. Is your game not surface-specific? How comfortable are you in understanding that your B level can get really big results? You don't have to peak every single match.
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: True because I think this year I was winning quite lot of matches where I was not playing the best tennis. Still was enough, even sometimes for the top players. But sometimes you have to at least once in a tournament find a match where you play good tennis. I think for me that was yesterday. Maybe tomorrow, I don't know (smiling).

Yeah, I think there is also possibility for me still to win matches like this when I don't feel great or something is not working. I think I can also win matches without my serve now as I'm more solid from the baseline.

Yeah, this week, like I said, it's special because I never felt great and I just was coming here maybe without that big pressure. Maybe that kind of help me just to be more relax in those matches. That's why maybe I'm in the final.

Q. Tomorrow against Jo Konta, not a typical clay court matchup. What do you think will be the keys to that match?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, I mean she beat good players, good clay court players. Marketa she beat, and today Kiki. I think they played great tennis today.

I think she's improving now, so she's for sure back at the level where she was. Of course she's final in this tournament, so she has to play good tennis.

Last couple weeks I felt like she was playing well, I don't know where, but I think she was winning quite lot of matches. Of course, she's going to be confident. I'm going to be the one with the papers who should win, and also the head-to-head is much better for me.

Quite long time we didn't play. I think never on clay, if I don't count the first match, which was I think 10 years ago. It's a final, so I think it's new story always. Yeah, it's going to be good, I think.

Q. In terms of making this final, getting a lot of matches here in Rome, you didn't get them in the previous tournaments, how much does this change what your perspective is on yourself going into Paris regardless of tomorrow?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I mean, you can practice as much as you want, but the match is something different. That's what I need. Then doesn't really matter what I practice. It's about the confidence.

I think with most players, it's when they were just winning or they have couple of matches, even can be doubles sometimes, it just really helps mentally to be calm, to be more relaxed. You know you spent some hours on the court, under quite pressure in matches. You can still play hours a day, like practice, but it's different to have the matches.

It's very important. Doesn't matter how it's going to finish. Even if I would have lose yesterday or today, I think all those matches which I had were quite good level. It can be important for Paris.

Q. How you think of yourself on clay, if I tell you that people think you're one of the 10 favorites in Paris, do you think people are crazy or does that sound about right?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: No, I think since there is lot of winners, every week there is somebody else winning. Even couple surprises in Paris. I think Ostapenko was a huge surprise.

Of course, maybe not in top five because for clay my game is little bit different. But anyway, I think it's changing. This style, these types of style, they can win these tournaments on clay.

Yeah, I think I can be in top 10 with chances for Paris. We will see. But it's long way to go. There's seven matches. You can have tough matches. On clay, it can really hurt your body. There is everything possible that can happen. I need little bit better weather than this because this is not the best for me. Let's hope for it. There's always a chance.

Q. Sakkari and Kiki were saying they ran out of gas. Going into tomorrow, how are you feeling physically?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I think I feel good. Honestly, I felt little bit tired in Madrid after the three-setters what I played. Here, I don't feel I would be tired. Of course, there is something in my legs after this week. Only my mom texted me after when I won: Oh, you look so tired. I was like, Thank you. Actually, I don't feel that tired, maybe I only look. I feel okay.

I didn't have that long matches. Yesterday was quite tough. It was some time to recover since I played today afternoon. I feel good. Of course, I did quite good fitness block before. I also practice block with Conchi. I was ready for these kind of matches.

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