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BNP PARIBAS WTA FINALS SINGAPORE

October 27, 2018

Karolina Pliskova

Kallang, Singapore

S. STEPHENS/K. Pliskova

0-6, 6-4, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What exactly do you think went wrong around 6-Love, 2-Love?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I don't know. I think it was very unlucky game. It could be 3-Love. Actually, I think she went to sit because with that passing shot what I missed, but I think this game was unlucky.

I hit almost an ace on my advantage that game, but overall, I think set and a half I was playing very well. I think the best set this year, for sure.

But, you know, she's a fighter. We all know that. It's a last tournament of the season, so I think she just went for it. She just put everything in the second set and she started to play much better.

She was missing a lot the first set. I was playing fine but she was missing a lot. She stopped missing after -- we had some close games in the second set, so it could be completely different. It should be completely different, actually.

But I don't think I did that many things wrong the second set, and obviously I lost a little bit energy the third set.

Q. Rennae was here earlier in the week talking about how much of a perfectionist you are. Did it feel you were playing perfect tennis? And is it hard to bounce back from that when maybe you're not playing as perfectly as you were to start?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: When?

Q. When Rennae spoke earlier in the week when she did her press conference.
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: No, I think this week I was -- look, there is no easy match here. I think I was playing completely fine. I think I was playing similar all those matches. But obviously these players, like Svitolina, Sloane, they are so tough to beat, especially on this surface, especially when they run so far behind the baseline.

It's just tough. You have to take the risk to, you know, to make the winners against them. Obviously you're gonna do some mistakes.

I think I had good matches here. Obviously a positive week to be back in semis. Of course disappointed a little bit about this match because I felt like I should have won the second set, too. But, you know, that's tennis. Maybe if I wake up tomorrow and we play the match again, it doesn't have to be this way at all. So it can be the opposite way the first set. I just think I played pretty solid week here so I don't want to be that negative.

I said before coming here that I'm, you know, super happy, super excited to be here. So I want to keep it this way.

Q. You say you can only take positives. I'm wondering, is there anything specific you feel you did well this week or anything you're particularly proud of from the way you played this week?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Of course. I think it's my game from the baseline and of course coming to the net so often. I don't know how big percentage I won at the net, but I felt like has to be like 90% what I won, so I don't think I miss any volley. I think I was just very good at the net.

So that's what I'm most proud about, because I had some trouble by moving into the court earlier this year, so I think this was the biggest improvement. And also, I think I was just a little bit playing without serve this week, so there was not many free points from the serve. It's also together with the surface, maybe my energy. So I was just able to beat girls without my serve, which I normally was not that good this year.

Q. For the first eight games, did you get a sense that Sloane just was misfiring? What was going through your mind in those first eight games?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: No, actually, I don't think she played -- or she was missing a lot, but I don't think she played that bad. I think she was maybe also a little bit surprised the way I was playing. I think maybe she was thinking that I'm going to be more passive or that she's gonna have more time.

I just really went for it from the second game, actually. When I had the break point, I just killed the return, so I just wanted to be aggressive because I know she can run there like 20 times every shot. That's what I don't want to do.

So I think she was a little bit surprised, and she started to miss a little bit too much. And then obviously, on one hand, you think that the match is over for her, so I think she really a little bit went for it, put the speed more. She just stopped missing and went for the serve a little bit. Because for me she was just serving very slow the first set, so just every game I had chances, you know.

Yeah, she was ready for my shots. She played couple good games. But I think this can be about one point, this match, actually. It's tough to say, because if it's maybe 6-0, 3-0, I don't think I will lose that match.

Q. It's sometimes not easy when someone switches a coach in the middle of the season or switches to some completely different mentality, comes from a completely different culture. You seemed to hit it off right away with Rennae and also Conchita. I know you're going to work with her in the offseason, as well. Can you talk about the adaptation you had to make of having a Spaniard and an Aussie, both women, after so long working with another different type of coach?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I think I'm getting used to switching coaches like every half year (smiling). Yeah, I don't mind to be with different people. They give you different advices.

So I just take only good things from the people. We know that I was with Rennae last year here, so I know her a little bit already before.

I know she was a good tennis player, which is always a positive thing that she knows, she understand the game. So that's one thing. And also Conchita, Rennae took Conchita in the team because she's not always free. I think so far I'm just happy with my team.

You know, I just said before I had only Czech people, so I said I want to just change, because sometimes the Czech mentality is not the best, I think. I think we are just too hard on ourselves sometimes.

So I just wanted to have somebody more positive, which I just took. So I don't mind like -- look, we are always with different countries, with different people every week, so I don't mind to have different people in the team. If everything is working, I just gonna keep this team, and in future, we will see.

Q. What are you most looking forward to working on in the offseason?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I'm not looking forward to working on right now, actually (smiling).

Q. Obviously you have Fed Cup, so your season isn't over yet. You know, what's your thought process? What are the next few weeks looking like for you? What is a holiday for Karolina Pliskova?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Right now I just want to stop thinking about tennis. I just put everything in those six weeks right now. I started in Tokyo. So for me now one part of the season is over. Fed Cup is in one week, so there is still enough time to, you know, recover, take some days off maybe, because I don't need to practice like really in the end of the season like two times every day.

You know, I will just take some days off and then we will see. Then I start slowly preparing for the Fed Cup week and holidays after.

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