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INTERNAZIONALI BNL D'ITALIA

May 19, 2019

Karolina Pliskova

Rome, Italy

K. PLISKOVA/J. Konta

6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How does it feel to be Rome champion after your journey at this tournament?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: It feels great, especially nobody really gave me chance for this tournament. Even I think me. Before the tournament, I was not super confident, not thinking about the final at all. I was just happy with every match which I played.

So it's little bit like a miracle for me because clay, this tournament, since I didn't play well here, and on clay it's always tough. I played some good clay court girls. Of course, super happy.

Q. You say that you weren't very confident, the idea of the final was far away at the start. You've played well on this surface before. Why was the confidence or ambition not there at the start?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I think, of course, I didn't have that many matches on clay before, which is always the key for me to feel better, to feel more confident. When I'm winning, everything just going easy, I'm playing without thinking, which is the best.

Yeah, so I was coming to this tournament just to get couple of matches. Always I thought the tournament is quite slow here, so that's why I just felt like maybe there is not many chances for me.

I know last year, Simona-Svitolina, all the good clay court girls with good clay court games. I thought it's going to be quite difficult to get through some matches.

Yeah, quite a miracle for me that this happen.

Q. You mentioned the good clay court girls. Keys, Kvitova, there's been a lot of power-type players winning on clay. With that, do you go into Paris believing you can win that tournament?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I have to go like this because otherwise there is no reason to go at all. If I go to lose, then you going to lose. I have to go with this mindset that my game is good on clay, too.

I want to put 100% into it and to give myself a chance to go deep in the tournament. Of course, everything starts in the first round. You can have tough opponents. Doesn't mean that I won here that I have to go far in Paris. There is still seven matches, so it's two more than here.

I think this was a good start.

Q. How are your wrists? Is that at all a concern? How do you get them better before Paris?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I would say it's getting better every day, but it's still not 100%. When I'm on court playing my matches, it's completely without pain. It's always in the morning a little bit painful. Once I start to be sweaty, once I start to play, it's getting better and warmed up.

The tapes are just to make sure that nothing terrible will happen, so...

Q. You weren't broken today. You were having a generally good serving day. Only been broken once combined in the semifinal and final. I don't think you've had a match where you haven't been broken on the tour level this year. Where did that come from and how great were you feeling the serve, and at what point this week?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, surprised little bit. I think she was little bit struggling with my serve. Maybe she was not reading the serve that good. I just thought the corners were open for me. The first I was working, I was doing lot of points. Also was little bit windy. I think it's always tough to return the serve. I did couple double-faults, which I'm not happy about. This is something what I want to improve, of course.

But anyway, I think the serve was all week great. Help me in a lot of situations, even when I was losing. Even though I lost couple times my serve, I think I was just serving good. It was maybe the key of the tournament.

Q. I'll ask you to do my job for me for a second. Who would you say the players to watch going into the French Open are, besides you?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I think for me still Simona because she's a fighter. Doesn't matter, she doesn't have to play well, but she's still tough to beat because she doesn't give you anything. On clay, double times tough to kill the ball to her. For me still, Simona.

Of course there's going to be Serena. I don't know which shape she's going to be in. It's tough to say. She's going to be always favorite for me because she's always tough.

I'm looking on the winners here (referring to the trophy).

Yeah, I think those two for me, they're always going to be there. Of course, there is good players, since now there is every week different winner. I won Rome, so it's tough to guess who is going to win Paris.

Q. On Serena, she seems unique because she doesn't play much, yet still she can't be forgotten. How much of a wild card or X factor is she in any tournament?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I played her two times in last maybe six months. I feel like I know pretty much everything about her.

It's true you never know in which shape she's going to come because she's not playing that much. If she plays one or two matches, then she withdraw, it's tough to say.

I mean, for sure, if she's playing, she's going to fight. It's going to be super difficult to beat her. Doesn't matter it's going to be on clay because she's still powerful. She played a lot in the past. I think she knows what she's doing.

Of course, she wants to be 100% healthy. Maybe that's why she is not playing as much as before. Still for me, she's always tough to beat.

Q. Conchita won here four times. What did she give you as advice?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: It's tough to give advice how to win a tournament (smiling).

Yeah, we've been trying, not only for this tournament, but we've been trying to work on couple things before the clay season. There was small things, small differences compare to tournaments on hard courts.

Of course, she loved clay, so she knows exactly what I should do. There were small differences: movement, maybe to put more topspin on the balls, use dropshots which I never use, but I start little bit, and to mix also the serves. There is more options. There is more time on clay, of course. We work on that.

It's tough to say something. I know she loved this tournament. I think she prayed so I could win today. Yeah, I think everything started with my game. I was still playing my game, so nothing really changed.

Q. You were talking about Conchita. How difficult was the decision to go solo when you were balancing things with her and Rennae? Was it a difficult one at the time?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Of course, I won tournament, so it was not for sure bad decision. I won tournaments before, too. I don't want to talk that I did the best decision in my life by stopping with Rennae. But I just felt like doing it. I just felt I can continue only with Conchi, which I was super happy about her work.

It was quite tough, everything to combine, all the tournaments. My team is quite big enough right now. I just thought it's not needed. Yeah, but I feel like if I'm feeling good mentally, physically, I don't want to say doesn't matter who is there next to me, but it's a lot about me, about my mindset. I think I can win tournaments after.

Q. There are not many WTA players who have former WTA players as coaches. Would you recommend more WTA players try finding the former women's players as coaches?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Well, for me is always important the experience which they had by playing tournaments, Grand Slams. Of course, Conchita winning Grand Slam, winning these big tournaments. That's something which she can help me with, which some coaches they never faced this challenge. It's tough to talk to them about this. That's what I appreciate about this work.

I don't need to have always like guys I had before. Now I had two women. I take their advices same as would be men. I think they are good experienced enough to help me. I support women, of course. They were great champions.

I don't know if that could work with mens, if she could coach mens, I don't know. There is Mauresmo coaching Pouille now. I think it's starting to be more. Before, was little bit strange that woman was a coach.

If she can be straight, which Conchita can be, we can find a way to talk through, I don't care if it's men or women.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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