ROLAND GARROS

September 29, 2020

Karolina Pliskova

Press Conference

Ka. PLISKOVA/M. Sherif

6-7, 6-2, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Well played. Very difficult match. You must be pleased that you were able to weather the storm and turn it around.

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, I mean, for sure conditions not easy, and I think she also played a little better than I maybe thought, because I didn't know much.

Let's not talk about my level. I think there is big room for improvement, but it is what it is and I'm in the next round, which counts.

Q. Not many people know much about Mayar because she's a qualifier, first one from Egypt. I noticed the returns came up quite high over the net. Have you dealt with anything like that before and how did you deal with it today?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I saw, and of course I played, I spent two-and-a-half hours there, so I saw the way she plays. But it's still -- I think more in these conditions it's more tough than maybe normally or maybe, maybe hard court it would be, because it was super wet, it was raining half of the match. Not an easy to kill a ball, and especially if everything jumps this high.

I think she was playing very smart today. Of course she had a lot of confidence just winning three matches from quallies. She had nothing to lose. I think she was playing good tennis, using the dropshot and using the forehand quite well. And the second-serve kick I think was working because, as I said, the court was kind of slow together with the balls.

Definitely I could do better there on the return especially. Yeah, just happy that I'm through.

Q. In this kind of a situation with these conditions, how do you feel about the tiebreaker in the third set? Do you like the lack of a tiebreaker here? Do you think they should impose one?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I mean, it's tough question, because I think can be sometimes good for me. Should be good because of course my game and my risky game and my serve, but can be also matter of luck.

I think what they did in Australia actually that there is a tiebreak till 10, I think that's kind of like a little bit bigger chance doesn't only have to be about just couple of points. I think till 7 is quite -- of course it's a risk, but anyway in these conditions just to keep going and to play maybe one hour extra without tiebreak I think the body just can get much more tired.

So maybe I would do -- or something like combination, you know, like maybe 10-10, if it's still 10-All, then tiebreak or something like that. Or tiebreak or super tiebreak in the third.

I think tiebreak would be brutal, but, yeah, it's how it is.

Q. I know you had that thigh problem coming in, so how did that feel on the court? Also, if you don't mind looking ahead to the match with Ostapenko.

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: It was okay. I was not really thinking about it at all. It's not 100%, but it's okay. I think nobody is really 100% here.

For sure, this was not the reason why I was not playing great. With Jelena, we had some good matches, some strange matches. I think she's a lot up and down but for sure she can just play well. From the baseline she can just like really hit the ball. She can make a lot of winners, but also a lot of mistakes.

So let's see which conditions we will have on Thursday. Let's see how my level will be.

Q. Can you tell me a question about the bio-bubble and the fact that you are not allowed to exit the hotel. Do you suffer from that until now? Do you fear next year will be the same that all the tournaments will have to be with a bio-bubble?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: No, I think it's great idea to make the bubble, because we can see it already worked in America. So I think the tournaments should continue to do it, at least this year and then maybe beginning of next year.

I don't know what's the plan, but maybe later next year I think depends how the situation is. We cannot really say now. But I think it's working, because you see there is not many people sick and not really spreading the virus.

So I think it's quite smart move, and I really don't mind the conditions because anyway you spend a lot of time practicing and just playing matches and just being around tennis courts and in the hotel.

So of course maybe I miss little shopping, but that can wait, I guess.

Q. At any point during that match, especially the way that she had played and even as tight as it got in the third set, how do you stop your mind from kind of spiraling into a negative space of, Here I go again, one of the top seeds, a player I don't know is playing unbelievable, all that stuff?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I think you cannot really stop the mind. It's what you do. The mind always going to be thinking, especially my mind (smiling).

So I don't know. I think I relax a little bit in the second set, and of course she was just playing an ugly game. There was not much room or not many points where I would feel really great.

But I was just able to find a little bit better level than in the first set.

Like never giving up, I mean, that's the only thing which I can do no matter how it goes, because there is always a chance, especially against these players. I think for them it's really tough to close the match. Maybe they can play great two sets but three sets is quite tough.

I just thought maybe the experience which I have, I have much more than she does. But of course I still have to play something, because she was fighting and she was not giving me much.

No matter how, I mean, terrible was my level, I still somehow like believed, let's say, but after first set was very tough (smiling).

Q. What was the problem with your ball toss? It looked like you were really struggling with it.

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Next question.