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BNP PARIBAS WTA FINALS SINGAPORE

October 25, 2018

Karolina Pliskova

Kallang, Singapore

K. PLISKOVA/P. Kvitova

6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. There haven't been a ton of straight-set matches this week, but you have managed to win two of them. How are you feeling about your game and your form heading into the semifinals?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I feel good. I was pretty positive even after the match what I lost against Svitolina. I think my game is just completely fine. There is no reason to panic or there is no reason to just feel bad about something. I think my shots are both pretty solid, so I can play anywhere.

I think I didn't felt this way kind of in off-season, so I feel just pretty relaxed. My serve is fine, so positive.

Q. You let out a big emotion towards the end of the second set. How tricky was that set for you?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I think the biggest emotion had my husband, not me (smiling). It was huge victory for me. I'm not gonna say no, because I never beat her, and there is some past between us that I just was fighting for this victory a lot.

So it mean a lot, and for sure, to get it to go to semifinals after beating her, it's just special. But obviously after the first set, I didn't know that she cannot make the semis anymore, but it was more about me. I just know like, look, I have set, I know I'm pretty good playing three-setters this year, so I just believed I can win this match by having the first set done. I felt pretty confident actually out there. Yeah, pretty happy about my performance.

Q. What gives you kind of more satisfaction today: qualifying for the semifinals, getting the win, or getting the win over Petra?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Umm. I think everything. You know, I think it's all those things together.

So if I would have just beat her without making it to the semifinal, that would have no sense. Maybe I would just be happy I would just beat her but I would be out of the tournament. I think first spot is to be back in semifinal, which I was last year. I came almost last to this tournament, so I didn't really count by going there back. I just was happy with my first victory.

Then I got match against Svitolina and it went well, but, you know, there is always chance in this tournament, even when you lose, so that's what I was just trying to fight for my spot. And I'm back there.

So I think that's the best on it.

Q. For you, the stress is over. You're in.
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yes.

Q. It won't make any difference for the next round what happens with the next match today, but tomorrow's matches will be quite key because then you'll find out who you're going to face. Are you going to actually watch them or leave it and see what happens?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I like to watch tennis, so I saw some of the matches. I didn't finish the last night match until 2:00 in the morning, but I watched a little bit of, I think, everybody. And I pretty much know everybody, so there is not really an opponent which I did not play, I think.

It's semis, so I just want to now a little bit turn my head off and to enjoy that I'm there. I don't have the stress now. I had enough stress this year, so I just want to enjoy one day without any pressure.

Then we will see. I think the group is very close, actually. All the matches were tough and long, so anybody can be there. And I beat, I think, everybody from the group, so I don't want to panic (smiling).

Q. Has any one result, either in this group or the other group, surprised you?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Of that group?

Q. Yeah, of either group.
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Maybe a little bit, but it's top eight players, so doesn't matter if you're 8 or if you're 2nd. You can still lose the match. I think the seedings here doesn't really matter.

But I was surprised about few matches, actually. The way I was watching I thought maybe some matches were gonna go the other way. But I'm not great with guessing. But all matches were close. I think it's the surface, because it's pretty slow so there is like chance for everybody. So everything is really like in the rally, so you cannot really serve, like, 20 aces in here, so that's why it's everything close.

Q. What do you think was a key moment or a turning point that helped you catch up in the second set?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: You know, it was two breaks. I lost my serve two times. But I was just not serving that well, and not serving that clever as I can serve. So I just tried to mix a little bit enough it was much better, because she start to hit the ball after, after the first set, and she started to be more loose, so of course it's happening with her that she can hit some winners, some good shots, some good returns of course.

So I just tried to move her around and change the speed. I just believed I have weapons which can work against her, and I felt better on this surface, I guess, than her. She was missing a lot. I felt if I play good points, there is no way I'm going to lose the points.

Q. She's played 29 matches against fellow Czech players.
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Forget it now (smiling).

Q. But only has lost to you and Kristyna. A family celebration coming up?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yes. I already saw my messages from my parents, and they said they are very happy that we both beat her.

Q. What will you do in that celebration?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I cannot do much, but for sure on Sunday I will celebrate a lot this victory.

Q. On the coaching timeouts, there were two things I wanted to ask. One is I think when Rennae came down in the first set, you said, I don't have to hit winners. I want to win the points. Or something similar to that. That sounded like kind of a new philosophy from you?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, because I think it gives her -- it's, like, very tough to really hit winners, because she's playing pretty fast, so you don't really have easy balls. Like if you play some other girls, you really have time for your shots. But with her, you really have to build the point.

And once she's on the run, there's a big chance she's gonna miss, because she's gonna overpower all those points when she's running. So that was the mentality today more about me, so I think that worked well, because I just didn't want to hit 20 winners. Because Rennae said, Look, you both want to hit winners, but it's not really only about the winners today. So she can do more mistakes than you.

I just wanted to be not passive, actually, but, you know, patient and I believe like I was happy when I was in the rally, you know. So I felt like I have a good chance to win all those rallies. I feel pretty confident and ready to play all those rallies.

So there was no reason to panic and no reason why I should be, like, overplaying or, you know, missing too much. So yeah. But I'm not like this every time.

Q. And then the second was in the second-set timeout when you called her down after going down a break. I think that you asked her, Am I gonna win this set?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah.

Q. Which is kind of weird in the moment. But why? What was your mindset like at that point?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: No, even though we break like few times, it was 0-3, actually, when I called her. And I felt like she started to play a little bit better. I didn't play that bad, but I just somehow didn't serve well.

She played some good shots. Suddenly was 0-3. So it was like, okay, so you still want to win this set or you want to think about the third set? So that's why I just ask her if she thinks that I can win this set or if we should start to worry a little bit more about the future.

Yeah, it was clear. She absolutely believed that I can win the set, and I'm happy that I fight for it.

Q. A lot of players say they don't really like to watch tennis, but you just said that you do. What is it that you like about it? Is it to scout your opponents or something you watch to turn your brain off?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I think it's a little bit both. It's not only about to study my opponents. I just enjoy the game, and maybe sometimes I enjoy more to watch than to play, but sometimes only. I just like it, you know. Since I was little I was watching tennis. So, for me, it's better than any movie. So I just enjoy it.

Of course when there are players -- or of course this tournament is fun to watch for me, because all the matches are tough, so you don't really have any guess who's going to win. To the last point it's not clear. And there is not really that big difference in the rankings, so everybody can beat everybody here, so it's fun to watch for me.

And I watch also men, so it's not about women's only. But I just enjoy to watch it. I'm curious how some matches can go. Tennis is a nice game. I think everybody has a chance to win. It's not, like, I don't know, there is no time -- so you can play till whatever time, so it's 2-6, 1-5, you can still win the match. So there is a lot of, you know, strange moments in tennis. That's why I like it.

Q. Are there specific styles or matchups you enjoy watching more than others?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: No, but you feel when there is a chance that some outsider is gonna beat a top player. So I know some players are very tricky and very tough, and they can beat top players sometimes on Grand Slams or big tournaments. So, yeah, but not really.

Q. Since you like to watch tennis, who do you like to watch the most, men and women?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: No, I think I stay with women's (smiling). Even though men's, of course, the quality is better, but also, it's not -- there are not that strange wins and not that big up-and-downs, which I like more actually about women's.

So there is like really chance for everybody in women's. Doesn't matter which ranking you are. Doesn't matter you didn't play for a year. Doesn't matter how bad you feel. There is just always a chance. And I think the game is just -- well, I play, so I'm not gonna say I like men's more, but of course they are better.

Yeah, I think we can miss everything, and sometimes like it's even surprising like what we can play on the other hand, like amazing shots, but the men's, they don't miss everything. So it's just -- I think it's more fun to watch.

Q. Anyone in particular you like to watch?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: No. (Laughter.)

Q. Since you're into the semis and we don't know who you're playing, I guess you watched some of last night's matches. What were your thoughts on the players in the Red Group? Were you surprised to wake up and see that Sloane had pulled that match out against Bertens, for example?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I was not surprised. I thought she's gonna win it, from the very beginning of the match. But I think she's actually playing well here, so I think she's -- for me, she's the best from the group, and she can, depends on her mood, but she can be very tough and very good player.

So, you know, I think the group is actually very close, because all the players are similar. I think Naomi didn't play that well. She pretty much was close all her matches, but for me, the surface, I think it's not easy for the attacking players here, because it's just a little bit slower, so they miss more a little bit.

My guess is that Sloane is going to go out of the group and Angie. So let's see who I'm going to play.

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