YARRA VALLEY CLASSIC

January 31, 2021

Karolina Pliskova

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Obviously it's a different situation with playing the lead-in tournaments in the same city as a Grand Slam. How does that affect your preparation?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I think it can be good in one point because you have the matches on the same courts, same venue as the play the slam. I never actually experienced that. Let's see.

I still think this week for me is going to be like a practice week. Just we have some matches, hopefully we can have little more matches, I mean, coming into the slam. But I think it can be only positive.

Q. On the two weeks in Melbourne, obviously coming from Abu Dhabi, it's not the way everybody wants to prepare for these tournaments, but what was the focus with you and your team in terms of how you used those five hours?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I mean, of course it's not really ideal because normally I think I would practice much more than this. I think for some players, maybe it can be ideal. Also you have, like, actually three and a half together. If I can practice, I would normally do like a space in between, to do much better to practices, maybe a little bit harder.

I think we used pretty much every minute of what we got on the court and in the gym. We did something in the room even. I mean, physically I'm feeling fine. Of course maybe I would love to have more time on the court, but it is what it is.

I know some players, they didn't have anything. We just have to take it the way it is.

But, I mean, I cannot really say where my level is at now. I think we going to see in the next couple weeks or days. But hopefully it's going to be enough for some good tennis (smiling).

Q. The discussion in terms of how you planned those two weeks and the practices, was it about maintaining a level? Was it about finding a level? Was it about working on things? What was the focus of the work?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: No, I think you cannot really work on things if you have to still play against one player. You have to, like, combine whatever she wants to do. I was lucky enough, I had my Czech mate Muchova with me, so it was quite fun. If I needed to do something, she was quite open to do it. Still it's not like you're playing with your coach. I was just able to hit once with Sascha in those two weeks. I think it's not really enough to do what you really want to improve.

Mainly we played some points, mostly we hit. Yeah, it was just like more getting into the tournament rhythm because I didn't play points really till Abu Dhabi actually was my first points, those matches there. So it was not ideal.

I just wanted to play more and more points, so that was what we did.

Q. Do you feel sharp? Do you feel refreshed? Do you feel kind of ready?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I mean, "refreshed' is not ideal word for like all of this. Let's say I feel okay. I think there is still this week is going to be like not really question mark, but I feel like I did lot of work so I should be feeling fine. Not ideal, I mean, for now in the practices, but let's see what the tournaments bring.

Q. With your practices, as you said you're practicing at the venue for the last couple weeks, so how are the conditions? Does it feel like it always feels? Hotter? Cooler? What does it feel like right now in Melbourne?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, actually I think we had two, three days where it was really hot. Other than that, I think was quite cold to me. I would prefer still little more sun and little more higher temperature. I mean, yeah.

I don't know if it's because we are one month actually later than we used to be. I think for tennis, should be okay.

Q. Court conditions speed-wise, balls, all that?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I feel it's the same. Still somehow lately in the last year I feel everything is fast somehow to me, all the courts and the balls. I don't know if I'm getting slower or if the courts are getting faster (laughter).

No, I felt good pretty much all two weeks here. I love it here. It's one of the favorite tournaments on the tour. So, yeah, it's good to be back. Let's say the courts are quite similar to what they were last couple years.

Q. Coming out of quarantine, what was the first thing that you and your team wanted to do?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Actually, we stayed little more in the room because we could leave the room at 10. We left around 12 because our practice was late in the afternoon. The people were shocked, You are the last in the hotel actually (laughter).

But we went for lunch just to get some air. Also my husband is here. He was in the room for those two weeks. Finally he could go outside, so it was nice.

We had a lunch, then we went to practice. Pretty much I didn't do anything yet different than just going to the courts and going back to the room. But actually was yesterday my first day out. We had a nice dinner outside. We just did some walk around the hotel. It was nice.

Q. Does it feel different?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: To walk outside?

Q. Compared to Monte-Carlo.

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: We appreciate the things before which were normal. Still I can't wait to go to some shops. That's next on my list after getting some practices done. But I have to wait for that (smiling).