OMNIUM BANQUE NATIONALE

August 7, 2023

Karolina Pliskova

Conférence de presse

K. PLISKOVA/Z. Lin

6-3, 6-7, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Can you give us your thoughts on the match and how you dealt with the delays in the weather today?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, I mean, obviously I was a set and a break up a little bit. I took some time off there for two games. Didn't play well.

You know, she started to raise the game a little bit, and then, I mean, quite bad suspension when it's 8-8 in the tie break. Yeah, I thought I started really strong in the third set. I'm happy that I got the win.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Just you talked about the break at 8-8. What's it like? Do you wish you could have finished possibly the match there, or what's it like in that situation?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Of course. Of course, I wished even before because I had a couple of match points there. One double fault and a match point, so it was in my hands.

Yeah, it was a little bit not nervous, but just the end was not the best. So, I mean, I still lost the second set, but the break kind of helped me to restart, to recover a little bit because it was like an hour, the break, and then I thought I started really strong, and I was playing the way that was working in the first and half of the second set.

But, of course, I mean, I was hoping it's going to just be two points there. It was a bit longer, but yeah, I won, so that counts.

Q. Players I'm guessing are used to those breaks. Just how do you deal with the rain all the time? This week there seems that there's today, tomorrow possibly a lot of rain. How do you approach, and when does it become a challenge for the players?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I mean, it always, of course, depends what's the score when it's suspended. Of course, always for some players worse than for the others because if you were leading -- I mean, it sucks in both ways because if you are up, you want to just finish it. If you are down, also you are mentally down.

I think it's not great, of course, but as a tennis player, as I said, I think we are so used to wait always for everything: to get the first win, to get the first title, to go on court.

There are so many things in which we have to be patient, so I think this is not like a big issue for us. Actually, there's nothing you can do, so I think we just have to take it that way.

Q. Just further to that, you said you had a couple of match points just before the break. Is it tough mentally not to sort of think about it too much, and then what's the process in order to reset and make sure you don't think about it too much?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Well, of course, and as I said, I think actually the break kind of helped me, but I had, like, an hour. I spoke to my team, and then I was kind of ready for both situations because it's 8-8, so it can just be like two quick points, so you have to be ready that you are going to lose them as well.

But, of course, it's tough because you kind of are so close to win, and then you just start from zero going in the third set, but there's nothing you can do. You have to still be there and fight.

I thought most of the match I was better than her, so I knew there were going to be more chances for me in the third set.

Q. Just in terms of where are you feeling physically and just mentally going into this kind of section of the season, the hard courts and the end of it, where are you at?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: That's a good question, actually (laughing). I don't know. Physically I'm kind of always good. I never really struggle physically on the court, but lately it was kind of tough.

I lost a couple of matches, which were difficult, of course. In tennis things quickly can change. I thought the beginning on the first part of the year was super good for me. I was winning a lot of matches. Then I got a little bit injured, and then somehow things changed around a little bit.

Of course, clay, which was never my best surface, so that was a bit difficult. Then a couple of tough draws, tough losses, and then I mean, we are here.

But every match, with every tournament, and especially my game it can just turn around so quickly.

Of course, now a bit tougher draw, so it's not going to be easy, but I feel like, yeah, every match which I win is going to be important for me. There are still big tournaments, many big tournaments until the end of the year, so let's see.

Q. Just looking forward you're facing Iga in the next round. You're 0-2 against her. Probably not very good memories of those matches. What do you expect from that matchup?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Now, I mean, last match I played in Stuttgart was actually -- I was half injured, and we played three sets, so I thought that was a good match.

And I was not really close to winning, but I just felt like I found the game which I have to play against her, which of course, not always is easy because she can really make you feel, like, not lost, but I mean, she doesn't give you many free points, which all the other -- even the top players, like Sabalenka and all these girls, they can miss, but she's not going to miss.

So you just have to win the points by yourself. Here I feel like the conditions this year, they are a little bit slower. Yeah, let's see. Let's see how the weather is going to be. I don't know if I'm on schedule tomorrow, but I hope to play a good match.

Q. Just on that matchup with Iga, you said not lost, but it feels like, yeah, you have to earn every single point. In the past obviously it seemed like the players were either offensive players or runners, counter-punchers or grinders. It seems like she's able to kind of strike that balance. Is that what it feels like just when you play her?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, that's a good definition. I think maybe the biggest weakness which I felt -- I mean, weakness. Not a weakness, but I think it's the serve where you can maybe push a little bit.

But at the same time she's so good in defense so no matter which kind of return you play, then she's kind of there, and she defends really well.

Then also if you play passive, she can still make winners, so I think she kind of has everything. She moves so well. So then, of course, she makes you to play and to push a little bit closer to the line still.

You do mistakes, so you have to find that balance between playing risky, aggressive, but not too risky, not too much because then she's not going to give you many points.

Of course, that's going to be the most difficult part to find what is too much and what is not enough. I believe I still have to serve well. Yeah, with a big game, there is going to be maybe some small chances.

Q. Just on Sascha, just that decision, I don't think I've spoken to you since the decision to end that. Can you just talk about the why and what your coaching setup looks like going forward?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, I've been here in this situation once last year, so there is not many new things.

Yeah, I mean, lately I feel like even if I do some changes, the changes are quite difficult for me. Not like when I was maybe younger, I didn't think about it that much.

This time I was really thinking about it. Last year as well. It's not like there would be something completely wrong, but I just don't want to be stuck in one place for too much, for too long time.

I felt like that's a little bit happening. There were a couple of things which I wanted to change, and they were not changing. My game-wise; nothing personal. It just didn't work out.

Of course, my results were not great, and it's not like I have another ten years of tennis. Maybe yes, but I don't think so (laughing). That's why I have to, like, think a little bit faster and just do these decisions a little bit quicker than I would maybe a couple of years ago.

Somehow I feel like always the change just works with me quite well. Like a new era, new maybe vision from the coach and a couple of new things, so let's see.