THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 5, 2021

Karolina Pliskova

Press Conference

KA. PLISKOVA/L. Samsonova

6-2, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you just first and foremost give your thoughts on the match and just your general reaction of finally making a quarterfinal here?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, super happy that I made it in singles, because I had the last (indiscernible) only in doubles which I thought is horrible. So now finally it's my last Grand Slam which I was missing to go to quarters.

Yeah, just really happy about the way I play, all the matches actually, they have been pretty similar from my side. I was super solid, especially today. I think we were super ready for her. I had two days to get ready to this match, and I think we did everything we could just to be ready for her game, for her serve, for everything, so I think it worked pretty well.

Of course always my game has been to be there. My serve, I think was serving quite good today. Everything worked well. I had good strategy, good tactics. I knew what to do, and I did everything what I had to do to win.

Q. It seems like you have been playing very free through your first four matches, haven't lost a set, serving particularly I think pretty well compared to the rest of the season. Is that an accurate assessment of kind of how you have been playing?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, you know, I feel quite free no matter how like the first part of the season was or even the tournaments before, but I just I said that before I felt like actually quite good on court no matter the results, and that's the mindset which I keep like having for like the days here. Quite positive, even though like let's say some results were not really the way I wanted, but I think we are working quite hard for like to feel this way.

I mean, if I feel like this and if I play like this, I think that's why the matches go like this. So hopefully it can stay a bit longer.

Q. It's possible you'll face Madison Keys in the next round. I was wondering how you would describe Madison from her serve to the rest of the game?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I mean, we played I think just once, I think just Brisbane final we played, and it was like super close. She has a big game, so of course she's a danger opponent because it doesn't have to be that you play well and you always win, because she's also there, she can also play amazing.

She's one of those players which you never know what's gonna happen and she can also have amazing day and there is not much you can do. But I believe I have the similar game so I can still do something.

Yeah, but big game, big serve, big forehand. Yeah, just like super-aggressive. Let's see if she's gonna make it today. I think she's a big favorite in this match, but let's see.

Q. Of all the players on the tour, is she one of the players who is most similar to you in style of play and weapons?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I mean, yeah, I would say so, because big serve, big forehand, quite like solid backhand. I think maybe she still is a bit more aggressive than I am with her game. I think she goes for quite a lot sometimes.

You know, I can play some slices. I can just mix things up a bit. I don't think she really does that. But let's say, yeah, the game is quite similar.

Q. You mentioned separating the results from your level and not getting disappointed by the match results but knowing that you're playing better, things like that. I'm curious how difficult or easy that has been for you to, yeah, divide what is the result from, you know, the tennis that you know that you have been producing at practice and looked poised to produce at a tournament.

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I mean, of course it's difficult, especially in these days where there is so many people which they just can talk to you, like, without even thinking about it. So, first of all, social media. Second of all, just some people they just approach you and they say what they think without me wanting to hear that (smiling).

So I think it's difficult because of this, because maybe I have some feeling, maybe I have some opinion about my game. But if a hundred people tells you something different, and just to still think and stick with my opinion sometimes is hard, especially in these times, but I think I did pretty well.

Of course it's not easy. If you feel like, Okay, I'm there, I'm playing well, and you're losing close matches, so of course it's not easy to just don't go down. To stay positive is always like quite hard.

But I think I did pretty well. That's why maybe it worked out in this tournament.