WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 21, 2021

Karolina Pliskova

Press Conference

J. TEICHMANN/Ka. Pliskova

6-2, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Bad luck today. Just talk us through the match, and especially what Jil did really well today.

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I think I was not playing definitely my best tennis today, but I think she made it very difficult. Of course her game is not really comfortable for me to play. First of all, she's lefty, she's serving great, and of course she was playing confident. She was playing fast and making me move a lot.

I was just not, you know, like not feeling the best today. Still, I tried. I think I had couple chances actually, so I could go maybe a bit better in the second set, but unfortunately didn't happen.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. A great week otherwise. Just talking about today, what did you find that made it tricky playing against her?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Well, first of all, I think it was my level, you know, which I gave her so many opportunities to play her game, which is of course is really good. And especially this week I think she's feeling the ball really well, so you can see that. She beat of course so many players. She's confident. She has nothing to lose. That was quite obvious.

But of course I think I can just play so much better. But somehow the energy was not really there, which I needed to have today.

I guess that's like normal after all those matches which I had, and somehow the amount of matches that I played this summer, I feel like it never stopped (smiling). So finally I will have couple days off.

But anyway, no matter how, like, bad I was feeling, I still thought I have some chances, like couple games, of course some breakpoints, couple points that I think it could go really, because you know how tennis can change super quickly.

I think also she's lefty. I didn't play a lefty for a while now, so of course it's completely different game, but I think she was playing well. So of course credit to her.

Q. You mentioned how quickly matches can turn around, and just your ability this week, I mean, against obviously Pegula, being down in both of those sets and being able to turn it around, and Badosa, as well, started off really quickly, and you were able to turn that first set around. Today, even with the way she was playing and how you were feeling, looked like you were still, you had your chance in that second set. You still kind of scrapped back. Can you talk about the mindset now being able to pull these sets out? Because it's pretty impressive, having that track record right now.

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, I suppose last couple of weeks I really have been there, like mentally I think quite tough, you know, even though things maybe didn't always start my way and I was not always playing the best tennis since the beginning. But somehow I was quite positive, which is not really happening often with me.

That's just why I find a way how to get back in these matches and then play quite good tennis by end of the, like, matches, second set or third set.

But with some players it's tough. Of course, as I said, today just went maybe too fast the first set, and then just to play like next two sets just like really the energy was not there. Of course she was playing quite fast, so you need to be explosive. You need to have fast-thinking, fast legs, fast arms, which was not really there.

Actually, I'm quite happy, because I don't think I was playing my best tennis. Maybe some matches better, some worse. But somehow with the way how I fight, I earned this final and semifinal the last two weeks.

Q. Just going into New York obviously is going to be the big focus. I mean, it sounds like from what you're saying that rest is probably a priority between now and when that event starts, but, I mean, you must be feeling really good about everything going into New York, no?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, of course, and especially I think the best way how to feel better or good on the court is just having matches.

You can feel amazing in the practice, but to win matches is something completely different, which I'm happy that I find a way how to get in this rhythm by end of the, like, the other half of the year. First it was a bit tough.

But, yeah, I feel good with my game. Of course I need maybe two days off, not one but two (smiling). Then I have still plenty days to go to the start. Of course excited to be back in the city, in New York, because last year was not really like New York. So some shopping of course and then back to business.