AUSTRALIAN OPEN

February 15, 2021

Karolina Muchova

Press Conference

K. MUCHOVA/E. Mertens

7-6, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You must be very excited with your result tonight and reaching the quarterfinals. Just talk us through how the match went from your perspective.

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: Well, it was a little bit slow there start from my side, but Elise played good. I think she didn't made any mistake and she was pushing me. Got back on the track on 4-Love and kept fighting, kept playing every ball, trying to put it in and then go for my shots. It worked out in the first and then in the second, second was as well pretty close.

But I'm happy, yeah, that the end of the first and even of the second that I was able to manage it and win it.

Q. It's three years since you played Ash in New York or two-and-a-half years ago. What can you remember of that match you played against her?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: Against Ash?

Q. Yeah.

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: Well, I remember that they moved us from a nice court to some small court (smiling). Yeah, she was great. That time I was qualifier, I think, and I had many matches in my legs, so I was a bit tired.

It was a nice game, I think. We play a bit similar, I would say. I remember that after match she actually told me, like, to keep working, that I can make it to the top. So that was nice.

Q. She spoke about the shape you have in your game, that you have that variety. Are you able to elaborate a little bit more about that in terms of some of the similarities?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: Yeah, well, I would say it's who I am. I play like that since I started to play tennis. I like to play, and, you know, to play some slices, go in the net. It's like kind of an instinct I have on the court.

Yeah, and I enjoy that game. So with my coach and with my team we working on it to improve it. That's all probably I can say about it. (Smiling.)

Q. Second time in a Grand Slam quarterfinal after Wimbledon, but I want to ask you about your father. He was a former football player for Olomouc. How much did he help you to fall in love with another sport, game of tennis?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: Well, my dad's brought me to many sports when I was a kid. I didn't play just tennis but more sports. He basically taught me and my brother how to move and, yeah, enjoy all kind of sports.

With tennis, I choose it, you know. Nobody pushed me to play it. I think I fell in love by myself for it (smiling).

So he definitely put me there, like, on these all the kind of sports, and then it was me who chose it to play tennis.

Q. How surprised are you, given just kind of the lead-up and all of the craziness of getting down to Australia and everything like that, that you have been able to make a quarterfinal?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: You know, we had good preparation with my team. It was long preparation, actually.

So I think it was all just about the work and, yeah, match by match honestly -- I think it's just the work, consistent work. I played good matches. Yeah, that's how I get there.

Q. In general, in terms of your two weeks, is it true, is David there with you or no?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: No, David is not here with me. He didn't make it with the COVID test, so I'm here with my friends and with my physio.

Q. In general, what do you think you have been able to do well to get yourself into your first Australian Open quarterfinal?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: Again, it's the work. You know, we put a lot of work in the offseason to improve my fitness, to improve my strokes.

That's it. It's everything about the work, consistent work, about believing in kind of skills or how to say, you know, what do you do, and still have a good team, good people around you to enjoy what you're doing.

Yeah, that's the way how to get there, I guess.

Q. Looking ahead again on playing Ash. What's the biggest challenge of facing her for you?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: Well, she's the I think World No. 1 now in tennis. It's a big challenge, and I definitely will have to bring my best tennis to compete with her and to have a good match out there.