AUSTRALIAN OPEN

February 18, 2021

Karolina Muchova

Press Conference

J. BRADY/K. Muchova

6-4, 3-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. The last set, so many emotions. What was going through your head when you survived the first match point, the next three after that?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: Was not very much in my head actually. I was just trying to focus on another point. I think I actually had the chances there and I didn't take them.

Yeah, I mean, she played great. She just let me play. I did mistakes. Maybe that's what I'm a bit upset about now.

That was not really going much through my head in that moment.

Q. Talk through the match in general. How did you see it play out on your end?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: You know, again, a bit slow start from me. Many mistakes, unforced errors in the first set. She played great. She served very well. Can't say the same about my serving games.

I get back on track in the second set, try to play faster. Again, try to attack more.

Yeah, third set, she served well. I didn't take chances I had. She took hers. Yeah, that was about it.

Q. The second set, it seemed like you had full control of things, making one unforced error, nine winners. Seemed like the momentum carried through the beginning of the third set. What changed? Your level dropped? Her level went up?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: Yeah, she played great. Again, I'll say her serve was very good. The games were going pretty fast on her serve. On mine, we were playing a lot.

I was just trying to play aggressive. I started to do a bit more mistakes than I did in the second set. She went for it, yeah.

Q. Can you reflect on the two weeks, three weeks? What do you leave Melbourne with?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: Well, the semifinals (smiling). I mean, I think I need to process it still. But obviously it's a nice achievement. It's my best result so far. I have think maybe tomorrow or after I'm going to be happy and leave with a good feeling.

Q. Do you feel like you proved anything to yourself or learned something new about yourself and your abilities or is this what you expect from yourself, there's no surprise?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: I beated many good players here, so definitely that's nice. World No. 1, before I played Elise, very tough matches. I played great. So definitely show me that I can play these players, and I still need to work on many things. I will.

So, yeah, I wish every tournament would go this way with a bit better end.