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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 21, 2020

Karolina Pliskova

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Ka. PLISKOVA/K. Mladenovic

6-1, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. It looked like a fairly straightforward first set and then a little bit of a test in the second set. Is that how you saw that match?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, I think I started very well. For sure she improved her level a little bit in the second set. So that's why it was a little bit closer. But still it doesn't have to be that close. I think I could do better definitely on 4-3 and serving.

But I think was quite good for first match. I was little nervous in the beginning, so I think could be much worse. Of course the match was not easy. So I think, yeah, it was a good test for a first round.

Q. From a tactical perspective, playing her, did you have any sort of patterns in mind that you wanted to attack, or did you just go out there and play, not worry about opposite net, but were you going at the forehand, looking at second serve? What was the game plan?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Well, I mean, you still have to worry a little bit because obviously I'm not there alone and sometimes she can also play good points. I still need to worry a little bit where I play or what I play.

But I think it's more, always it's more about myself. And then to worry about other people if they maybe play good, they can still play good, but I think it starts always with me. And if I play good and fast enough, deep enough, then there is not much which she can do, I think.

So it was today was mainly about me, because I thought if I can just play good tennis, I think I'm going to be fine, which I kind of was fine.

But as I said, I was little nervous which is normal before the first match. So, yeah, today I was actually worrying more about myself, my serve, and my game.

Q. For you, when you talk about kind of the nerves of the first match, and then also through the first week -- once you get to the second week you're quite strong at majors and maybe there is a little bit more tightness in the first week and getting a match like this against a quality opponent and the win, does that make the nerves a lot easier for the first week or do you still carry it into second round and third round, as well?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Well, now I cannot say because I was very pleased that this one is done. Because even for just being nervous, you're always a little nervous, but just playing good players, I think that doesn't help because you just need to play good tennis to beat her.

That was kind of combination today, that I knew I have to play well to beat her, and, you know, I was just not sure how I'm gonna play, how I'm gonna play and stuff.

But I think for sure to start like this it's a good start of tournament, and it gave me some at least feedback, how I played and that I managed some tough situations in the first round. I was not, of course, feeling the best, so for sure was good start. I hope to feel better in the next round.

Q. Speaking of the next round, you get either Siegemund or Vandeweghe. Both tricky opponents when they're playing at their best. Can you talk about what you anticipate in both those matches, very different players?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, different. I played both of them, of course. CoCo not for a while because she was not around for a while. But still, she can play huge game, can serve well. So there is going to be a lot about patience and just waiting for chances.

Of course with Laura -- we played I think in Stuttgart. Maybe that's the only match we played, and she's kind of always good there. And it's clay. So I think she's much better on clay.

She's using pretty much everything what she can use on the court, dropshots, coming to the net. So it's going to be a lot of things happening on the court. But I think if I just play solid enough and just fast and maybe similar to today, it should be okay.

Q. The Australian Open account tweeted out a video of you and Kiki chatting with each other in the hallway before taking the court. What were you guys talking about?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: We were there kind of too early, both early, so I said, Come on. We were there waiting 10 minutes, I think both little nervous of course before the match and there was nobody else.

But we actually talked about the schedule, because one match that was on Melbourne, her and I was surprised it was on this court, but nothing about our match (smiling).

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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