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ROLAND GARROS

June 1, 2017

Karolina Pliskova

Paris, France

K. PLISKOVA/E. Alexandrova

6-2, 4-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. You looked pretty happy with that win at the end. Just talk through the match and why it meant something to you.
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Well, happy because it's my first third round here at Roland Garros. I was every year struggling, even this year struggling, but with better end. Not really happy with the way still I was playing. I would say a little bit better than first round but the opponent was different so she was playing much faster. Sometimes I didn't have just time to do anything and to be aggressive as I would like to be.

Yeah. I would say the serve saved me in the third set. I was serving pretty well. Second set only one break, so there anything could happen. I had some break chances. I didn't make it. I think I was too passive today differently.

Yeah, I didn't talk to my coach yet so we'll see. But happy anyway. If I didn't play well, but it's a win, so...

Q. Are you familiar with her at all? I guess she lives and trains in the Czech Republic. Does your coach know anything about her at all?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: We knew something. He's always preparing for the match what I'm playing, even if I didn't play with her ever and I had just one practice what I remember and it was on hard court. I didn't know much, but we knew a little bit about what she was playing, the last matches she was playing against Katerina Siniakova the first round.

Yeah, all these girls are from my club, so I know a little bit about them. We were prepared for it.

Q. Just in terms of the first two matches, obviously happy to be in the third round, but rate how you've played. What can you do better as the tournament continues?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I think the serve is quite okay, I would say. I think the percentage of the first serve is pretty high. I have a lot of free points. Not many aces but free points, which is the same.

So that's what is good. I think my forehand sometimes is good. But like I said today, I felt like I can be more aggressive sometimes. I was playing too short so that's why she was a little bit more pushing me. So definitely that's what I want to change into the next match.

Yeah, and today I think I was running more than her, which I don't want it to be this way. And still my backhand, I don't think was great really, so not playing down the line that much as I would like to. Like I said, everything I can improve still.

Q. What does it mean for you to make the third round here?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: It's great. Last year I was also coming to like a favorite, top seeded here, not as like second seeded but everyone is still expecting me to win something, and I didn't make it. I lost in first. So even the first round means a lot to me, what I done even today it's kind of special still. I have a chance.

Even I don't think I am playing the best tennis what I played this year, but somehow I still won two matches which is very important. I know I can play better if I go deep in the tournament.

Q. Do you feel that you've come into this tournament based off of the last few times you have played Roland Garros with a different mentality, a different approach to the tournament, different expectations? What do you think?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Well, I would say the biggest chance is the Grand Slam, my mentality of the Grand Slam. So last year was still different. Still I didn't pass third rounds till US Open. So I change a lot even those two what I was playing, and I pass it always right now. So US Open and Australian Open gives me some confidence, doesn't have to be every Grand Slam.

But still, I feel like -- I feel better if I play. So doesn't have to be that I played the best tennis but at least I feel like I'm there and I'm fighting and not scared that I'm going to lose.

So this change a little bit.

Q. You had some notes on the court that you were taking out to read. They looked like they were in Czech so we couldn't really see it. They might have known what it says, but I don't. Are those notes from your coach, yourself, and what generally...
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: No, it's from David. I always have something for my match. Not always, I take it, but I always have it in my bag. So if there is some, I don't know, something in the match that I am not sure what to play or if I don't feel really great, I have some things I want to read to myself. Nothing that I would not know, but it's just better to read it.

Q. More tactical?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: It's both. It's like mental and tactical, as well.

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