STANFORD, Calif.—Karolina Pliskova, who is very close to reaching the Top 10 for the first time, has been pleased with her play this year, but noted that she has been unable to reach the second week at Grand Slams.
The 23-year-old started 2015 by upsetting former No. 1 Victoria Azarenka in three hours and 13 minutes in Brisbane; the next week, she reached the Sydney final, losing to two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova. However, Pliskova then lost in the third round of the Australian Open.
In February, Pliskova reached the final of Dubai, beating Ana Ivanovic, Lucie Safarova, and Garbine Muguruza before falling to Simon Halep. She won Prague on clay in April, but was upset by Andrea Mitu in the second round of the French Open. On grass, she reached the final of Birmingham before falling to CoCo Vandeweghe in the second round of Wimbledon.
“I was really disappointed at Wimbledon because I expected more and it was tough against CoCo, who played great, but even then I was excepting better results,” the world No. 11 told TENNIS.com. “I expected better results in Paris, but I have more chances to go and at the US Open, hard courts is my favorite, I cannot wait to get there because it’s my favorite.”
Pliskova has already played 15 tournaments this season, as well as Fed Cup. This week, she faces Kimiko Date-Krumm in the second round of the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford.
The Czech admitted that she gets nervous at Grand Slams, and will start adjusting her schedule better next season.
“It has been a little pressure from me,” she said. “It was a new thing. I was playing really well at the tournaments before the Grand Slams. Maybe I came a little tired and now this time maybe I will do preparations before the US Open. Also, this is the first time I am seeded and that is different. I am getting used to it and hopefully next year I will be different.”