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ZHENGZHOU OPEN

September 13, 2019

Karolina Pliskova

Zhengzhou, China

KAROLINA PLISKOVA/S. Kenin.

6-4, 4-6, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. You must be happy with your play in the last two matches. How are you feeling right now?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: A little bit tired but nothing harmful because I think also the weather was quite good today and of course I didn't play yesterday, so I just went to hit inside yesterday. But anyway also it helped that I didn't stay too much on the court the first match, I didn't go to the third set and it just kind of was quick, I felt, and the second match was tough, but I think I'll be okay tomorrow.

Q. You finished the first match winning five consecutive games. How did you do that?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I don't know, but I think it was a very different match than when we started, because we played so late the beginning of the match, the conditions were not perfect, it was cold, it was after it was raining. So today it was much better, it was warmer and somehow a little bit faster for me. So I just thought that, because I was starting with my serves, I just thought I'm going to hold my serve and then maybe it's going to be a good chance. Because it can change, every day is a little bit different. So I think actually it was better for me that we didn't finish the match on the first day. So I just played well also, the second match was quite good. So I think just today somehow I played better than the first day.

Q. Can you assess your performance against Kenin and what in your opinion made the difference today?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Well, I think the first set was very close, we both had a couple break points early in the first set, which kind of helped me when I made it in the first set. I just felt much better in the second, I had some opportunities to even go up, to maybe have two double breaks. But after just maybe I lost a little bit of concentration, it should not maybe have been a third set at all, if I had just stayed focused and played the same way I was playing before. But anyway I just totally forgot about what was the first two sets and start from zero and I think I played very good actually in the third set without any mistakes, with serving, a pretty aggressive game. And that's what I know, because I played her a couple times and it was working on her.

Q. Kim Clijsters announced she's coming back to the tour yesterday, so what do you think of her decision to come back to the tour and what's your impression of her as a player?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I know because I read in the newspapers. But what do I think? I'm not sure what I think because of course she has some age, I don't know if she maybe thinks that the level of tennis is not that great now, so she wants to, I don't know like why, maybe everybody's different. So it's tough to say what she's thinking. But by having three kids and also she's, I don't know, 38 or whatever is she is. Of course she can still play, but I'm not sure which level. And of course after that can come injuries. And so it depends on everything how she prepares, how she maybe starts the season, if she's ready to start. So it's tough to say and really tough because I never face her, she finished before I really started to play at a good level. So we never played, so I don't really know which level she can play and how she was playing when she was so good. Of course I saw it on TV, so, let's see, I mean, good luck, of course I wish good luck, because she was always a great player, she's going to be interesting for a lot of people if she comes to Australia to play, but let's see which level she can play.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in Chinese.

Q. This year was called the inaugural year for the Zhengzhou Open, so maybe, from the organization side, we would like to have some advice from you. For example, the good points and bad points.
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: About the tournament?

Q. Yes.
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Well, I think so far for me of course I'm still in the draw, so let's be positive. So for me it's still a great tournament and there is nothing really, because I don't need much actually, I just need good food and a good bed to sleep in. So that's what everybody needs in the tournament, because we're used to this life. So there is not much what I would really need. So there is nothing really what I would say that it's not working or that it's bad. But of course maybe in the end of the week a lot of things can happen. I think the weather can be actually much better, but it's not something that you can change, I guess. So, but anyway for me so far it's a good week and I'm enjoying it. There is nothing that I would be really thinking that it's bad.

Q. Olga is on your team right now and we're wondering, is this a long-term cooperation or a short-term, just for Asia swing?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: No, so far short. Because we are long-time friends, many years. And because I was so long in the States, so I was thinking about changing. And I will go with my father some weeks, but my father went with my sister. So I thought about Olga, and she was free, she has some jobs as well to do, but this week she was free, so I was like, why not. At least we can hit together and she understands tennis very well and we are good friends. So it was for this week. Maybe in the future, I don't know, some more weeks, but for now it's only this week.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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