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US OPEN

August 26, 2019

Karolina Pliskova

New York, NY, USA

Ka. PLISKOVA/T. Martincova

7-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you talk generally about how you played today?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: You saw it or not?

Q. Saw some of it.
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Okay. Not perfect, but I'm through so that's important. Of course, as I said before, the first rounds they are always a little bit nervous, I would say, for most of the players. Doesn't help that you play somebody from your country, because then it adds some extra nerves, which maybe they would not be there if she's from China or so (smiling).

Yeah, but I don't think it was great. Of course maybe some shots I felt better. In the end I had a lot of winners, when I saw the statistics. Serve was not great at all. So lost too many of my serves. I won, two tiebreaks, so that's quite positive.

Q. You mentioned obviously you didn't play your best, but what is it about Grand Slams and sort of being able to play great tennis over a two-week period that's so difficult to do?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I don't know. I guess somehow you have to find a way through. Of course in those two weeks there is bigger chance that you're not going to play your best tennis. Of course there is going to be days like this or even different days. But still to find a way to fight through, I think that's the key, so I think that's what I did today.

I hope just not more days like this. Of course sometimes there are easier days, easier matches, sometimes worse. But in the end, like, if you make it through, then that's the important thing. But it's difficult, of course, to play two weeks perfect.

Q. Was it particularly frustrating for you out there? Something getting on your nerves? Court conditions? Was it the cold? Maybe the crowd noise at Armstrong can be a bit noisy?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: No, I guess a little bit of everything. Of course it's a little bit noisy. I kind of forgot from last year. There was one guy which was very nice (smiling). But it was in the beginning, so I think I was fine after.

Q. A lot of tennis players have been using a lot more data and advanced stats to help prepare. Are you one of them? Whether it's through the SAP partnership, have you been involved with that, as well?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah. I do use statistics, not only about opponents but also about myself. I just want to know how -- you know, it's numbers and they never lie. So if you didn't serve more than 50%, then of course the serve was bad.

So I think that you can for sure find something good in that, but of course in the end, you can still win without having good numbers.

Yeah, but anyway, of course with players, sometimes it can help when somebody has a good serve you just see which direction they serve a little bit more, so it can be helpful. But it's not something what I would really be thinking that much on the court, because then it can go the other way. So it's expecting something and then it's not coming so it can be even more frustrating. But we do use statistics sometimes.

Q. Your opponent today didn't play many matches this year, so I'm curious how much do you know about her before the match and how did you prepare for this match?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Well, I know her. She's of course from Czech Republic. Czech Republic is not that big, so I know pretty much everybody (smiling).

We didn't play at all, not even one practice. We used to play in the same club. That's what I know. So that was about 8. I didn't see anything from her matches in the quallies. I just saw some moments from some matches which was on Internet, YouTube or so.

I think she played actually great. Of course everything starts with me, but I think she didn't do much wrong. She went for it, and you could see that she won three matches in a row, so she was quite confident, played free, which is normally if you play third seeded.

Q. Tereza seemed impressed with how you played on the key points at the end of the match. Was it something you told yourself before the match or before those points to kind of settle down? Because it could have been touch and go up to that point.
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Honestly I think if I play these matches little bit earlier in the match, then the tiebreaks would not have to be there. So I'm impressed by this (smiling).

But it's good that I played in the tiebreak good.

Q. You mentioned your serve wasn't on today. When you're in a match like that and certain parts of your game aren't working, how quickly do you go into your brain and sort of figure out, okay, plan B, plan C, adjust, I want to work on my return, whatever it may be to push through the match?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Well, no plan B, no plan C for me. But anyway, still I can win matches without serve, so I still have a lot of plenty shots which I can still play. You know, it's not like that I don't have first serve I cannot win because there is still second serve and then there is still the rallies.

But it's of course more difficult and maybe mentally a little bit more, because, you know, sometimes I'm used to getting free points from the serve. If it's not happening, then maybe I get more frustrated or whatever.

Yeah, but of course I would love to have the serve that is working all the time. But I think, anyway, if the serve was not great today, I think in important moments I was able to just serve some good serve which is quite positive and hopefully it can just get better.

Q. Curious what your experiences of the New York City subway, if you've ever taken it?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, but it has to be, like, 10 years ago. I don't really remember. I'm not a big fan of subways. We have also in Czech, but I never really use. There can be strange people.

Yeah, nothing against, but I don't just like.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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