World Ranked # 1, Czech " Karolina Pliskova "

at  2017 US Open Player Media Availibility Press Conference !

NEW YORK(SMI-WIRE,08.26-09.10.17)The USTA held its annual US Open player media availibility today, inviting credentialed US & International press members from broadcast and media outlets to participate in a press conference with World Ranked men's & women's tennis professional players that will compete in the 2017 US Open Tennis Championship starting on August 28, 2017 at Flushing Meadow Park Queens New York.Top ranked players from Karolina Pliskova (Czech, world ranked# 1 ), Rafael Nadal(Spaniard world ranked # 1),

Simona Halep (Romanian, world ranked #2), Roger Fereder (Swiss world ranked #3), Garbine Muguruza( Spaniard-Venezuelan world ranked #3 ), Angelique Kerber (German, world ranked #6 ),  Alexander Zverev (German, world ranked #6), Madison Keys (American, world ranked # 16), Andy Murray (British, world ranked # 2), and Caroline Wozniacki( Danish, world ranked #5 ), participated in the player media availibility with the press.

Karolina Pliskova is a Czech professional tennis player. She is currently ranked world No. 1 by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA).

Plíšková has won nine singles and five doubles titles on the WTA tour, as well as 10 singles and six doubles titles on the ITF circuit in her career. On 31 October 2016, she peaked at world No. 11 in the doubles rankings.

She reached her first Grand Slam final at the 2016 US Open, where she was runner-up in three sets. As a junior, Plíšková won the girls's singles event  at the 2010 Australian Open, defeating Laura Robson in the final. She has also played for the Czech Republic in Fed Cup competition.On July 17, Plíšková reached the WTA world No. 1 ranking for the first time in her career. She was the first female player representing the Czech Republic to achieve the feat.Plíšková is known for her extremely aggressive style, highlighted by her powerful, accurate serve as well as her forceful groundstrokes. She uses these, often in tandem with her net play, to extract errors from opponents or win points outright. She also shows accuracy and power on mid-court shots, sometimes following them to net. In the 2016 US Open final, she won 80% of her serve-and-volley points.

 

Starlight Media Illustrated attended the player-media availibility event at the US Open and this is what Karolina Pliskova said during the Q & A from the press

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Q. How do you feel generally coming into this tournament this year? You have not always played your best, well enough to win. How well do you feel you're playing right now?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Obviously definitely feeling the best on hard court. Had couple of matches in the last two tournaments, I think I played quite okay, not the best, but some matches were better, some matches were worse. There were good moments in that matches.

I feel good here. I've been here for a week practicing and feeling good on this court with this ball. Hopefully I can show it in the match, as well.

Q. Does it feel any different to be at a Grand Slam tournament as the world No. 1? Obviously you have been No. 1 for a few weeks now, but much bigger event arguably.

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, but for me, nothing change and I don't feel any difference compared to the other tournaments. Obviously this is a Grand Slam, but for me, I think it's a little bit difficult with the way that I got to world No. 1 and I'm defending now every week something, and quite a lot of points. And so it's a little bit different situation.

Yeah, I just try to handle it. Yeah, just take match by match. And, like I said, I have been feeling well here, so I don't want to put any extra pressure. I have enough of pressure (smiling).

Q. Obviously, as you said, you're coming in as No. 1, but one thing that's very different is that eight women, including yourself, have a chance of walking out as No. 1. What does that do for the openness of this draw? What difficulties does that pose?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I think it's tough to say before the tournament. You know, everyone is feeling different. It's last Grand Slam of the season. Obviously we have a few tournaments we played already, each one of us. So everyone is feeling a little bit different way.

Tough to say. I cannot speak for the others. For me, I just gonna try to stay there. I know it's gonna be very difficult with obviously so many girls playing for this position, but I think I have a good chance to stay there if I play well this week or two weeks.

Q. You talk about having the pressure around you now. Billie Jean said pressure is a privilege. Do you see it that way?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I think it depends. Definitely you can take advantage from it, but sometimes on the court it's just tough to, you know, change it to the positive thing.

So sometimes I feel like it's helping me that, you know, the players behind me are pushing me and the media and all the people are pushing me to feel better. Sometimes I feel a little bit too much pressure on myself so I cannot really play freely and enjoying that game too much.

Last year I think I have been doing well with this, and I don't have that many matches under stress. Obviously there is always some kind of stress and pressure, but I think I have been handling it pretty well and still trying to play freely and enjoying it a little bit at least.

Q. Definitely is a different place to be playing a big tournament. New York is such a big city. What do you make of New York?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I love the city. I was saying for those three or two weeks in a year, I think it's always good to visit New York. Not more, because still there is a lot of things around and a lot of people everywhere.

Sometimes it can make you tired, but obviously the city has huge energy. So I love staying here. I'm staying downtown obviously in Manhattan, so a lot of things to do. I always love to coming back here

Q. You have a thing on your finger.

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yes, actually, guys, I'm engaged (smiling).

Q. Okay. So how did that happen? When?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: It happened after Wimbledon when I had the time off. So it's almost, yeah, a month and a half. At home.

Q. (Question about memories from last year, a Grand Slam breakthrough here.) Does it feel amazing to be back?

KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, like I said, amazing to be back last year what I played so well here. First time I played on Arthur Ashe last year, so obviously so important to get back on this court. We will see with the schedule. I play on Tuesday so I think there is a chance to play on this court.

I think there is a new Louis Armstrong Stadium. I think it's nice to get on any court. From last year, I have good memories from all the matches I played, so I think I was playing very well the matches, even the one what I lost the last one.

Yeah, I just feel well here. I feel a little bit in the practice -- not all the practices were good, but I feel a little bit on the court that I feel like the surface, it's enough fast and not that fast. And the balls are flying pretty, you know, quite -- for me, for my game, it's okay. I feel well here. Hopefully it can be good in my first match, as well.