OMNIUM BANQUE NATIONALE

August 15, 2021

Karolina Pliskova

Press Conference

C. GIORGI/K. Pliskova

6-3, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Describe the match today, what you think made the difference.

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I mean, I thought it was very close. Of course, big points... To have that chance in the first set to go up a break, I think it was a big mistake from me. Other than that, I think I had couple chances.

I think she also played, like, super solid all week actually, not playing crazy like she can play sometimes. I think she played really well, serving well important moments. Yeah, just a bit better today.

Q. What made it difficult for you to make some adjustments in this match?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: With players like this, it's kind of tough because if you have maybe one, two chances, and if you don't take it, you're not going to have many more.

Of course, she's a player which she's playing super aggressive. It's not like it's always in your hands, which I felt was not really today.

Still I thought maybe like here or there a couple points could make the difference. It was super close both sets actually, like all the games. She just played a little bit better, maybe more aggressive, just returning better, serving better, just like small moments. I think she deserved that.

But just overall happy with my week. I think it was positive to have these kind of matches here.

Q. This is your third big final this year. You've come close. Do you think you're making the right kind of progress for the season, you're getting better in these moments? What has been the big change in your approach?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: No, I think I'm doing quite well now. Since actually the first final in Rome, I think my game really improved and I'm playing some good matches. Of course, it's normal to lose sometimes. Of course, I would love to win all of my finals. It's not like that it's only in my hands. There is also somebody else. I'm playing really good players in the final.

But I believe it's not going to be that I will lose all of the finals. If I can make it every week to the finals, still I think it's amazing. Still I think maybe it can be better sometimes that you not like too flying after the finals. Now I can be more, like, ready and actually gives me more motivation to play in the next tournament.

But anyway, there is Cincinnati, there is New York. I have plenty of tournaments to go this year. But just happy that my level kind of went back where it was before the COVID break. Yeah, I feel like I'm playing well now.

Q. How happy are you for Camila, who has been waiting for a moment like this for such a long time?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I'm super happy for Camila (laughter).

No, I mean, of course I think she deserves. She played well. I like her. I think she's a good girl. I mean, it's not that I'm super happy, I'm going to celebrate for her.

At the same time it's, like, I can't really do much about it right now. I still think I had a good week, good matches. Even today I think was quite good match. It was not like disaster I played horrible. There are still some things which I want to improve. You're going to see we have Cincinnati next for both of us. Let's see how the U.S. swing is going to go.

Q. A lot of times the game plan going in for any player against Camila is there's going to be hot streaks, but she can't hit that way all the time. She's been consistent this week. How surprised were you with how much her groundstrokes were able to stand up on the baseline?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I mean, not really surprised since we played already like two times not far a go. I think she really likes -- she's maybe more relaxed. You can see that, that she's even more pumped on the court than maybe she was at some moments. She was really like up and down I felt like the last couple years.

Now somehow I had the feeling from her that she's, like, more solid. Even when we played in Eastbourne, she beat super good players. Even here, even there. She's doing quite well.

This confidence, it helps always. It's all about confidence I feel like in tennis. Still I think she's a player which can hit, like, big winners. You can't only wait for mistakes. That was not really my mindset.

Of course, even sometimes you play well, she can still play fast because she has all these possibilities how to play. At some point she's missing, as well.

Yeah, it's difficult to play these kind of players because it's not only like about me, she has big weapons as well. It's tough.