OMNIUM BANQUE NATIONALE

August 14, 2021

Karolina Pliskova

Press Conference

K. PLISKOVA/A. Sabalenka

6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Why don't you walk us through that match and your thoughts on making it to the final.

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Well, amazing feeling to be in another final this year. I think I was super solid today. Just did everything what I was supposed to do to win this match. Played smart. My serve was pretty good, I have to say.

I think she was missing just like maybe a bit too much today. Also she gave me some second serves which I tried to always convert.

Yeah, quite happy with the performance.

Q. You were broken only once today in the second set, then you broke right back. Can you state the importance of that break that you got in the second set that allowed you to be back on serve.

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I mean, I think I had many actually chances today on the return. I tried to stay positive no matter. I was a bit upset about that game because I thought I could still win my serve. I think I had like an easy volley there just to put away. I think I did like here and there a couple things not really good that game.

Also she pick up her game those two games actually on her serve. She played some great shots, which is of course happening with her. Sometimes she's like up and down so much.

I just tried to stay in there because I know she cannot always be up for many games. I just waited. Then actually she kind of helped me. She did two double-faults that game I think. Because I stayed there, I stayed positive, I think I got the break back.

Yeah, that was like super important situation in the match.

Q. May I ask you about the wind. It seemed like it didn't bother you as much as her. Do you agree?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I think I just used my brain maybe a bit more (laughter). I just didn't want to -- sometimes I somehow accept it. It's not that I would really play amazing tennis here because every day was a bit windy. I keep having completely different opponent, like playing super slow to super fast.

I kind of accepted maybe it's not going to be the nicest way how I win this match. So I didn't try to go for, like, crazy winners. I think maybe she went for too much today, that's why she was missing so much.

Q. Looking ahead, you're going to be playing an unseeded player in the final. Is there any concern that you had problems with both of those players this season?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: No, no, not really. But, of course, I know I've been losing to them this year. Everybody knows that (smiling).

It's a final. We never played in a final. I suppose it's also like a different match in the final than it is in the first or second round.

I mean, I have nothing to lose. They both beat me. I believe I'm playing quite solid this week here. I just try to do my best and let's see. Maybe third time is going to be lucky in the final this year.

Q. Is there anything they've done to have success against you?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I think they just, like, played well. There are players, these two girls, I think it's also like Sabalenka, there are matches where of course you can still do something, but maybe not that much. Especially Giorgi, I think she goes for, like, crazy winners. If she's on and if she's playing well, you can see she's beating quite easy top players.

We going to talk about it with Sascha, I'm sure. He was at most of the matches which I played against these players. There is a lot we can take from what I've played with them. I'm sure we do better than last time.

Q. 12 of your last 14 matches you've won, obviously back-to-back finals on the tour side counting the Olympics. Does it feel different right now in the way you're playing? It was small margins deciding some of those losses. Do you feel that different right now over the last two tournaments than you did before?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I mean, of course I think is maybe sometimes confidence which you need to win some of these matches. I don't think I really play something amazing. Maybe Wimbledon I was playing really good. Here, I don't think I'm playing like some amazing tennis, like from different planet, not really.

Somehow I have the belief, of course. Mine is more like relax, don't think about losing, winning, because I already played couple great tournaments this year. So let's stay more relaxed. Of course, that always helps.

Somehow because I believed, like, in the things which we were doing in the beginning of the year, and we still keep doing them, so it's not about winning or losing, but if you still continue doing these things, I believe the results and the success going to come.

We keep doing that. It's not like it would be super lucky that I just started to play well. I think it's a process. I think we worked hard, me and Sascha of course, the rest of the team, to play like this.

Q. You'll be back in the top five on Monday. When you fell out of the top 10, big news...

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: One week. It was just one week outside top 10 (laughter).

Q. Was there any panic from you? How much did that bother you? How does it feel to get back in the top five?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Not at all, zero and zero. I mean, I never thought about that. Even if I'm 50, I think I'm still okay. Maybe if you're 50, it depends or it shows that the results are not the best.

I don't think really the ranking matters because if you can see that sometimes players which are in the final, they are also like now unseeded players, Giorgi or Pegula.

At least to me the ranking really doesn't matter. Of course it shows maybe how your year is going. Yeah, I was never afraid of the ranking. But I happy that I'm back in top five (smiling).

Q. Could you give us a few more details about how you managed to control your emotions during the match.

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I mean, it's not easy of course because you go through some situations, like you're not playing so well, maybe you don't like your opponent, maybe you don't want to hear anything from your coach, people. There is a lot of things happening on the court.

But I think the main thing is to have a goal and to follow that goal, which is of course what you want to do at certain moments, where you want to serve. If you focus on these little things but simple things, it helped me to kind of keep the focus, not to distract that much like something else.

But I think I'm doing pretty well at this. I'm quite calm. Of course I have some nerves and emotions inside me, but I try not to show it that much. I don't want it has effect on my game because I know it doesn't help. At least to me it doesn't help. I'm sure there are players that maybe it helps if they have more emotions, but not to me, so...