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NATURE VALLEY INTERNATIONAL

June 28, 2019

Karolina Pliskova

Eastbourne, England

K. PLISKOVA/K. Bertens

6-1, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. That seemed to be a lot quicker than many of us thought. What was your take on the match?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah. I actually was expecting a little bit harder today. I was, like, with every day, like, of course it's not going to be that easy as it was yesterday, and it's still quite easy, all those days.

But, yeah, I think always when you make the quick break, which I always did in these matches which I was playing here, it kind of helped, and then I'm just able to hold my serve quite easily sometimes, although the serve was not the best today.

But, yeah, I felt like I was hitting fine. Of course the wind, I think not many players really likes and they can struggle. I think she was struggling a little bit with the wind. Of course I was playing quite good. But also surprising for me.

Q. Is that the thing about grass, that if you break early, it's easier on grass maybe to run away with a set?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, and also with the wind, like, if you are maybe serving with the wind, then it can really help and you can really go, like, 3-0 up and then it's big pressure on the other one.

And I felt like, you know, not always the serve was great but also my second serve was quite working today effective. Even from the baseline I feel confident I can play rallies, so it was not really that I would be in stress if she puts the ball back, you know.

Maybe last year in Wimbledon it was a little bit too much rallies. I think I was too passive, which I didn't want to be today. So I really put some pressure on her serve and it worked out.

Q. You mentioned last year that you didn't start very well at Wimbledon against Bertens. Do you think the fact that you started well today made her think, wow, this is a completely different Pliskova I'm playing today?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I don't know. I don't really what she was thinking. But I think I was just playing much better than last year, more free, and just went for it a little bit more. So really, she was always under pressure and I was just always attacking, even though she can still serve well at some points.

But I was just coming to the net a little bit more than I was last year, so I think I just used my game better than I did last year against her.

Q. Is it exciting, the prospect of facing a brilliant grass player tomorrow and testing yourself and seeing how you can do against Kerber?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, I mean, I think I already had couple challenges this week, not that the matches would be super hard, but I still played, I think, good players and also today.

I think I'm ready. Doesn't matter what's gonna happen tomorrow. It's a good week, good tournament for me on grass. I had good matches, and I have been playing well.

So doesn't matter what's gonna be tomorrow. I think, you know, she's tough, she's lefty. On grass obviously she's feeling maybe the best.

But I beat her before. We played once on grass, I think. You know, I have to look maybe back on that match and just to get the positives out of it and let's see.

Q. Your sister is a lefty. You said how difficult it is to face that serve. Has Angie improved her lefty serve? Because in early days it used to be just to start the point. Has she learned to...
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, I felt for sure she improved. She goes more little bit maybe -- not always the slice wide to the backhand, so she use more. But anyway, I think on grass sometimes it's, I don't want to say shit serve, but, like, the slice and slower serve, it's just difficult to play, because it really stays low and down, and I think that's her case. That's why she was always playing so well.

And after, I think she can just defend so well the return, so everybody is going to attack her serve I think always. But she's so good on legs and she's just ready for difficult balls. That's why I think a lot of people, after they do more mistakes because of this, because they feel like, ah, this is not the fastest serve so they want to kill. That's what I don't want to do tomorrow. So let's see.

Q. What will you be doing tonight to relax before the final? There was shopping in Nottingham. Is it going to be the same in Eastbourne?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I don't really know if there is good shopping in Eastbourne (smiling).

No, I still didn't have lunch, so for sure I eat something. I do treatment. As I start Monday on Wimbledon, so I have to just do the stuff which I would just do after every important match.

I just rest a little bit, because tomorrow it's again a little bit earlier than -- you know, it's 12:30, the final, and I feel like the days here, they go quite quickly. So there is not much time what to do.

Q. Have you had a look at the draw for Wimbledon?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, well, I have great friends which they always text me (smiling). So I didn't want to really, before my match today, like, think about it or look, but they wrote me, like, you play Zhu and you play on Monday. So I know everything what I have to know (smiling).

Q. When you fly through a draw the way you seem to be doing this week, how's it make you feel when you have Wimbledon next week and you're doing this well?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I played a couple times good here at Eastbourne and not always I was playing well in Wimbledon. But for sure it's a good start, so I don't want to really think about Wimby right now.

I want to finish my job here and then I go there. But I feel like it's all about the confidence. If I'm feeling well, I can also continue to play the same tennis there. I think it's pretty similar, the grass, compared to here.

It can be good. And of course Monday, maybe I would prefer Tuesday start, but I think if I really play and serve the way I'm playing here, I can go far.

Q. Do you feel like you're in the best form of your career perhaps?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Maybe (smiling).

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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