INTERNAZIONALI BNL D'ITALIA

May 15, 2021

Karolina Pliskova

Press Conference

K. PLISKOVA/P. Martic

6-1, 3-6, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you just talk through the match today, the challenge of playing Petra, also what you think you did well to get the win.

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I mean, I think the best start overall what I had this tournament. Of course I could go double break up, but I think she was also on the other hand not playing that well the first set. I thought she was missing quite a lot.

To be honest, especially after playing Jelena yesterday, I thought I had so much time in the first set today. It's just different game. Not that she would be playing slow, but she puts more spin, just hits the ball a bit different. Yeah, that was nice just to feel.

But overall I think quite solid. A bit too much frustrated in the second set, which took me like these couple games which I lost. I was just, like, too angry with myself which happens sometimes for not really any reason. I think I could do a bit better there.

Other than that I think the first and third set, they were super solid for me, playing the game I want to play, not really going for crazy shots, but like super solid. Quite good serve today. So, yeah, I think was a good match.

Q. Obviously you were playing well in Stuttgart, Madrid. Is it any different to play that level but not be getting the wins? I don't know if that makes any sense. The difference in result versus level.

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I think it's big difference. No matter how much you feel good on the court, if you lose, you know, you can say to yourself that it was incredible, you can say to everybody that I played well, but I lost. I think that doesn't matter in the end how really you played.

I think it's just important somehow to get the wins. That's the only confidence -- how you can make the confidence, right? What I was doing in the beginning of the year, I think I was playing also quite well, but I was just not able to have couple wins in a row. Yeah, just super happy that I did it here.

I think starting from Stuttgart things were much better. Actually even Miami I thought I had unlucky match there, but I just felt much better on the court.

Q. Which opponent do you prefer in the final tomorrow?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I don't care, to be honest. I mean, anyway it's not in my hands, so I will not think about it.

Q. Thinking about tomorrow, Swiatek took the first set, if it ends up being her, what do you make of that matchup? How familiar are you with her as a player?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: To be honest, not much. But I had the chance last year, not season, we played one exhibition match in Prague. We split the sets, we played super tiebreaks. A bit of feeling I have. That's the only time I played with her.

I think she's, like, super tough on clay. Let's say similar Martic, but a bit better. She hits the ball a bit bigger I think. Other than that, I think she has a great game for clay. She make it like ugly and difficult for the opponents.

I think she was also struggling a bit this week. Also when you get some wins when you are match point down or something, it gives you extra strength. Happen to me, happen to her. We both have that match in this week.

Yeah, I mean, she's a champion of Roland Garros last year. I think it's not going to be easy.

Q. With Coco, obviously you've played her before, familiar with her game. What do you make of her as a young player?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I played, yeah, in Madrid. Also had one practice here in Rome. I pretty much like know what is happening there. Also in Madrid was first time for me to play with her.

I think she has a good game. She's very strong. She's moving very well. She can be also a bit up and down. But I guess that's also a bit the age.

Definitely she's going to be big in the future. I mean, she's already big, so...

Yeah, I think anything can happen there. She can serve big, then she can miss a bit. I think she's not that consistent yet. Of course, she looks like she's doing great this week. I didn't see her really playing, but at least I know a bit more like what to expect. I had that match last week. Yeah, I will be ready for that one.

Q. Regardless of what happens tomorrow, do you feel like this week is kind of a turning point, that things have just kind of come together that put you at a different spot coming out of Rome than you felt going into it?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I mean, it's tough to say because doesn't matter what I say now, I can still lose in Paris in first round. No matter how good I feel now, it doesn't really give you anything in the next couple weeks. You still have to work for it.

But I hope I will feel better and maybe like more relaxed a bit to go to the other tournaments in the next couple weeks, months, with this kind of result, with having the matches I had this week, overcoming some situations which I had this week and beating some players, Martic, for example, I never beat on clay. For sure this gives me some strength.

As I said, I think nobody really looks on it that way. If I play the opponents first round, they all want to win. Doesn't matter what happened in Rome. I always have to start from zero.

Q. Third final in a row here. What's the key for you at this tournament? The conditions, the food, the weather?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Maybe a bit of both or all of the things you said. Somehow I feel relaxed here. I think also the conditions, because I don't really remember that I would have -- I'm here already two weeks, so I would not have any bad practice.

I just think that maybe the balls, the courts, because I had the success in the past, I think that comes together with that feeling which I have on the court.

Yeah, feeling quite relaxed. Also I worked hard the last couple weeks and didn't really get that many wins. I think right now maybe just came together a bit of luck as well. Yesterday coming back from match point, I think you need that sometimes. I think this week, just everything went a bit more together.

Q. You get one hour to go out of the hotel. What have you been doing? Getting out a bit? Seeing the city at all?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I went actually like three times. Now since I have matches every day for the last five days, I don't really go out much because I just want to use my energy somewhere else.

But it's been super nice to just go out, like relax a bit, just to leave the bubble for a bit. It's been now a bit too much of the same people, just everything, like hotel, tennis, hotel, tennis. I think that helps a bit, too, that you can just go and relax.

Yeah, I felt that helped me a bit, too, this week.