Dubai: World number three Karolina Pliskova has trained her sights on a couple of scalps she wants to conquer during her campaign in Dubai Duty Free Women’s Open this week.
The lanky Czech, who turns 25 next month, has been one of the biggest success stories of last season and has maintained her form. Just two months into 2017, Pliskova has already captured two singles titles — Saturday’s crown in Doha being topped by the Brisbane Open title in January.
Known for her all-round and aggressive game coupled with her powerful, accurate serve, Pliskova is one of the few new players to watch out for in the near future.
“Yes, definitely my game has evolved quite a bit. Now I am beating players who I didn’t beat in the past. This week [in Doha] I beat two of them and I think there are one or two left whom I have not beaten,” Pliskova told media on Sunday.
“I think anything is possible, and with my game I have big opportunities to beat those players. I just have to play well, serve aggressive and stay focused and then I can beat anyone. One of them is [Agnieszka] Radwanska. She is the next one I want to beat and then I have played Maria [Sharapova] just once and then against [Ekaterina] Makarova, I don’t have a good record,” she added.
Seeded No.2 and with a first round bye in Dubai this week, Pliskova’s second round opponent will be the winner of the match between Kristina Mladenovic and Katerina Siniakova scheduled to be held on Monday.
Interestingly, at least one of her two adversaries, namely Radwanska, is in the lower end of the draw with a likelihood of the two meeting only in the semi-final. Makarova, on the other hand, has been pitted in the upper half of the draw, along with Karolina’s twin Kristyna Pliskova.
“Yes, definitely I am comfortable with my form at the moment,” she said.
“Last night I was trying to enjoy the title a little bit [in Doha], and today I am starting a new tournament. So this is the last time that I am going to talk about my trophy as I just want to prepare well again for this tournament as it is going to be totally different — new balls, new players and a bigger draw. I just have to get ready,” she added.
Pliskova was pleased she could push herself despite a busy start to the season that included the Czech Republic’s Fed Cup win against Spain earlier this month.
“It was very difficult especially with the weekend that I had after Fed Cup. I just wasn’t too sure about my tennis as Fed Cup was indoors and Doha was outside. Everything was different, and then the conditions there were very tough as well. I didn’t practice much before the matches and I played four matches in three days. It was a special week and I think in the end I was playing some good tennis in the final,” she said.
