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BNP PARIBAS WTA FINALS SINGAPORE

October 22, 2016

Karolina Pliskova

Kallang, Singapore

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Karolina.

Q. Congratulations for being here for the first time. How does it feel to have such a great season as they take like five minutes to introduce you?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I was not really listening, so...

Obviously I know all my results during the year so it feels great. Especially that States was the best one so far in my career, so really excited about it.

Really excited to be here in Singapore. Like I said already few times, last year I was pretty close to get here, but in the end I just was missing few points and few rounds actually in any tournament. But I was not able to make it. I went to Zhuhai and had a great week there.

Really excited to be here this year.

Q. Welcome to Singapore. Garbine just now was talking about the tiredness she felt last year playing singles and doubles. Is that something you're worried about?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I'm used to playing singles and doubles so I'm not really worried about this. I just take it match by match. I am starting singles on Monday, and this year it's a little bit different than last year, so there is a draw of the doubles, not a group.

It can be different. Can be only one match in doubles. It's starting on Thursday, so I have those few first days only singles. So I think it's definitely better.

But I'm ready for anything. I'm ready to play two matches in a day.

Q. Tell us what does it mean for you to be here in Singapore for the WTA Finals?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I mean, it means a lot. It was always my goal to get here. It's the best eight players in the world, so I'm really excited to be here and to play. Cannot wait until the tournament starts on Monday.

Q. Now that you've made it here and this is your first WTA Finals, do you feel any extra pressure or extra need to prove that you have what it takes to make it here and stay here and remain consistent at the big tournaments throughout the year?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I don't feel any pressure. I would say there is pressure during all the year on all the players, but this is the best tournament what you can play, so I don't feel pressure.

There is other girls which are in front of me, so I would say I'm not the favorite for winning this one. I will just do my best for win every match and do anything what I can to go out of the group.

I have a very tough group. Aga, defending champion, so it's not going to be easy. I'm just going to enjoy. It's not happening every year that you're going to get here. Just going to enjoy the chance that I have the chance to play here.

Q. You talk about last year and being so close. How much was that playing on your mind in the last few weeks? Do you feel like that affected how you were on the court in any way?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, last year I knew I was actually the whole year in the Road to Singapore, and then the last three, four tournament it changed pretty much.

So this year I knew I'm pretty there. I was not sure if I can make it there, but I knew if I do one or two rounds somewhere in Asia I can make it.

In the end it was pretty easy because I didn't do much in Asia and I still got there.

So, yeah, definitely the best was the results in States which make me to came here.

Q. Having such a great result in the summertime and coming down a little bit from that high, how are you feeling in the last few weeks physically and mentally? Feel like you're ready for another big push?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I was tired a little bit in Asia because when I came back from States I didn't have much time to practice and rest and prepare for the tournaments as I did for the ones in States.

Now I just took few days off. I skipped those tournaments in Linz and Moscow, so I prepared for this last -- there is few weeks of tennis. There is FedCup for me after, and now I feel ready. I'm able to do anything for play best tennis.

I know it's last two or three weeks of tennis in this season for me, so I will try to do my best.

Q. What was the most kind of frustrating point of the season for you? Obviously everything turned around once the U.S. summer started. What was the most frustrating moment of 2016 for you?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I would say it was Wimbledon this year for me. I mean, or Paris as well. But clay is not my favorite surface so I'm counting on bad results on clay. Wimbledon I was really feeling well. I think I had a pretty good draw as well to make it even far and just didn't make it.

I didn't play good tennis there. Yeah, lost in second round with the opponent which I beat the week before.

I think was the worst week for me.

Q. You skipped the Olympics. Do you think that decision is a really important one that explains what you were able to do the second half of the year, or just coincidence? How do you measure that up?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: It was tough because of my fans, because of Czech Republic. Everyone was a little bit mad about me that I skip it. I had my reasons. I have few more reasons than only one.

So in the end I think it paid off that I didn't go and I prepared really good for Cincinnati and New York. It paid off. So I couldn't make it better in States. And even now there is few more weeks of tennis. Just don't want to get injured and just want to be ready even for next year.

So with Olympics it would mean to be six weeks in a row on a trip and two more weeks in the States or in Brazil, so I think was good decision in the end.

Q. You play your first match against Garbine Muguruza on Monday and you have a leading head-to-head over her. You won the last match in Cincinnati. Does that give you a boost in confidence going into the first match?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Well, definitely we played few times already, and I lost I think just first meeting what we played. The rest I won, which is two or three, I'm not sure.

Yeah, she's a player I like the game. She has similar game as me. It's possible to lose to her, and to win as well if you play good tennis.

I'm really confident about there match and just on the positive from the last meeting what we had in Cincinnati. I was playing really good tennis there.

For me it's still the same. I have to serve well and play fast so she doesn't have time to dictate the game. She has to be the one who's running and not me. (Smiling.)

Q. You've hit more than a 1000 aces over the past few seasons. Does that mean anything to you, and has that always been your strength?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, always I would said say, but not always like this. So since the last two years I think I improve my serve. We were working on it pretty much, so just happy that it's working and it's winning my matches. Actually a lot of times the serve save me.

Just really happy that I have this weapon. Hopefully it's going to be working this week as well.

Q. Have you had a hit on the indoor stadium court? How does it feel? Slow? Quicker? How does it feel to you?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Definitely I would say it's not fast, but it can be slower. I was playing on slower surfaces so I was expecting it's going to be a little bit slower what I heard from last year from the girls.

I would say it's somewhere in the middle. For the serve I think it's pretty fast, but when you play the rally it's not that fast. Hopefully for the crowd they are going to see some rallies and good shots from the players.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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