INTERNAZIONALI BNL D'ITALIA

May 14, 2021

Karolina Pliskova

Press Conference

Ka. PLISKOVA/J. Ostapenko

4-6, 7-5, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you just talk through that match? It was so tight and decided by very, very, very small margins.

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah. Definitely horrible start for me. Super slow. Just going from that match yesterday where I had just time for everything, today there was not much time for anything.

Of course Jelena, she's a big hitter. I knew that, but somehow I could not react on it. Yeah, just took me a bit, too many games to just get back in the level what I was playing last two days.

But then, I mean, then it was about just couple points. I thought I could definitely do better at the serve, but she's, you know how she can miss everything, she can kill some of my serves. They were 180 and easily she killed. I think that was really everything in this match.

But just proud I think mostly how I fighted because I was not really feeling well on the court today. Somehow for some reason I was not playing of course my best tennis, but I found a way of course like you can call it luck, but, yeah, I'm just happy that I stayed in there and fighted till the end.

Q. Facing down the match points, I think you saved three today. I mean, just talk about how important it was and where your mind was mentally in those moments. I mean, were you positive, like, I can do this, or were you...

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: No. I'm never like that (smiling).

Q. ...like, Whatever?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: You know, I thought there was so many -- first of all, I was like really fighting in the second set. Then I think she was a bit off the beginning of the third. And I just a bit helped her to get back, and then she was playing again like amazing tennis.

So I think there were a couple of like levels from playing good to playing bad for both of us during this match. Then, you know, I had some chances. I had a break in the third. Then I had some breakpoints to go 5-4 and serve, and I didn't make it.

I think that was big. You know, that game, to go 5-4 and serve, I think that would be -- I mean, maybe not the end because you never know, but, yeah, so I was a bit down.

Of course a bit windy today. So, I mean, yeah, those double faults there were horrible, horrible. There is not much more I can say about that. I just wanted to leave the court really at that moment (smiling).

But somehow, like, things -- yeah, things happen like this, and then, yeah. Of course I was lucky. There was one, I don't know, it was not the match point, I think it was deuce, the volley which she missed. I actually thought, because I got a bit relaxed, I was, like, Okay, [expletive] it, it's almost over. So I played a bit better, served a bit better.

Yeah, like huge nerves. I don't want to repeat this anymore (smiling).

Q. Well, she has the ability to create that kind of pressure, because on some level, because you know that she is not always consistent, that you know you have a chance. But then she goes and blasts four balls right past you and it has to be emotionally tough to play her.

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, definitely. And also we played last week, so I knew what's going to be happening. You can never get ready for some of the balls which she's playing.

I was playing definitely much worse than in Stuttgart, I was serving much worse. But still I think she's super dangerous player. To be honest, I don't like to play her. I think nobody really does. Really, she can play horrible, she can play amazing, and sometimes there is not much you can do.

Of course she's super dangerous player. And then the pressure is always there because she can really, as I said, I can serve amazing, she can kill. Then I serve super slow and then she miss.

I think there is really like everything. That's why the rhythm all the match is not like amazing feeling I don't have.

Q. Semifinals of Rome again. It's becoming like your tournament.

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Habit (smiling).

Q. Talk about how pleased you are to get a result like this. It's your best result since making the final here last year.

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: No, of course extremely happy, because I thought Stuttgart I could go there. I was serving for a match. I think I had couple matches where I could really go maybe semifinal or final, but didn't really happen this year yet, so that's why I'm super happy, especially with this match with the way how it ended.

Yeah, I think I deserved, I was like trying for a while to get to semis. Yeah, so finally it happened. So I'm happy.

Q. You're facing a different type of a player in Petra Martic next. Can you just talk about the challenge of playing her as you look to make a third straight Rome final.

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, I'm happy it's not Pegula. That would be too much (smiling).

No, but actually I felt Pegula would be, after Ostapenko, it would be great because they play quite similar, but unfortunately not. So I go from completely different games.

Anyway, we played -- [expletive] when did we play? I think I lost in Paris definitely on clay. I think she's super good on clay, so it's gonna be nothing easy. But I beat her a couple times I think on hard.

I mean, she was also not doing that great till now, but now looks like she found also her game a bit, so I think if she's on, she's very dangerous because especially on clay she has good game for the clay.

A lot of slices, variations. Yeah. But it's semifinal and anything can happen.

Q. How are you feeling physically?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I'm doing good, I have to say. So this is the only thing. Mentally it's a bit (indiscernible). Physically it's good (smiling).