US OPEN

August 31, 2020

Karolina Pliskova

Press Conference

Ka. PLISKOVA/A. Kalinina

6-4, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What was it like playing the first match on Ashe? What did you think of the atmosphere on court and how it felt?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I felt better than in my match previous, last week, what I have played on Court 17. I think the center court is better place to play no matter -- I mean, it's still without people, but I just felt somehow a little better. And I had a lot of practices on this court, so I felt just quite used to it.

And also, just to play without people, I think that even I just had one match without people, but I thought it quite help me just to know how it feels.

I mean, I still have my team and I felt like just on the center court I think there is actually like couple people. I mean, it's super huge and it still feels super empty, but I feel like there is at least the player boxes where they stay, so I felt like there is at least couple people watching there.

Q. You mentioned a couple of people. It seemed like off and on there would be a player stroll into the stands and start watching. Were there people, your friends, coming in, player friends, or were you aware of who was actually in the audience? Only a few, but...

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: No, actually I try to really don't look for people, but I know there has been people around. I don't really know the names.

This is not something what I'm really like looking for, but I know there is players, because most of the top players, which they get these lounges, they just stay in the lounges. I know there have been people watching behind the camera, millions of people, my family, my friends from home.

I feel much better, as I said, than I was feeling in my first match. I think it's just about the experience of all of this, because everything is a little bit different.

But the most time I spend here, the better I feel.

Q. In addition to having no fans, there are a lot of other special elements to this tournament, including Hawk-Eye and towels and stuff. The towel thing, players have gotten accustomed to being given their towels and having that taken care of. Psychologically there has to be a process that has to be different. Can you talk about that?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I mean, of course, I think it's quite smart to do all of these things. Of course we are not used to it and it feels maybe a little bit different. But I think it's nothing what we cannot really get used to it. It's more like you still have to think about it and you have to go and get your own towel.

But I think it's nothing really. And maybe you think more if to take towel or not because before you just show and the towel came right away. So I think it's actually in some point maybe a little bit better.

But I think it's smart, because just it's less risky, I mean, the less people touch the towels, and, I mean, everything, then the less risk there is that somebody is going to get sick.

I think it's quite smart way to do it. And then the players, they have to accept it.

Q. Was it disruptive for you psychologically to make that change and think about that stuff?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: No, I think it's not really about, you know, getting those towels, because that's really, like, small thing.

I think it's like combination of many things which is a little bit different the last couple of weeks. But I'm sure I feel better now than I was feeling the first week of Cincinnati when I played my first match.

I felt a little bit like weird on the court, especially here in New York, but now since I have been here almost two weeks, maybe little more, then I'm feeling just better.

I mean, I thought I played good tennis. I'm not sure if I would play better with people or worse with people, but it's how it is. So I think we have to accept it.

Q. Talk through that first set a little bit in terms of the 4-1 lead, letting it slip. It seemed like especially what was that, in the 4-All game, it seemed like you were starting to lose your temper a little bit but you were able to pull out of that and be able to save those breakpoints and hold. It seemed like it was very comfortable from there. Talk about just kind of the adjustments you had to make and how difficult getting that first set was.

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I think this match, especially the first set was in couple periods. I think I started not really great with the first game, but after, I was able to somehow, you know, like step in the court, was playing quite aggressive, so I was doing a lot of points.

I thought actually I played quite good until 4-1. Even after I think I could still make, there were a couple close calls and balls which I could make, so I think I could still go up to 5-2 at least. But somehow it was a little bit shaky there.

I had couple opportunities to go up, but I didn't, and then of course, I mean, happened the first match. I was up 4-1, and then it was 4-All, so I start to think a little bit too much.

Yeah, I think I just came up with some big serves on 40-15 down. I felt much stronger after this game which I made. I mean, the second set was much, much better.

Q. Did you feel calmer now that you get this first match out of the way, you've gotten a win on North American soil? How much tension does this first-round win kind of relieve?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I guess the tension is always going to be there no matter first, second, third round. It's different tension I think. Once you win a couple matches, I feel you can feel different, a little bit more calm. But of course you still want to win the next one, so I think the tension never really leaves, at least with me.

Definitely I think I have the experience now just to win the match now. It's my first match after couple months, like official match, which I won, so I'm just going to try to build on that and continue in that.

Q. Can you just talk about your next match against Caroline Garcia? What do you expect? It's not an easy second round.

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: For sure not easy. We played couple times. I think she's very good player. She's not seeded now. I think she should be or maybe in the future she's going to be. But very dangerous player I think. Especially on these fast courts. I think she can play good tennis. She can serve quite well.

But nothing unbeatable. So I have to play well.