Karolina Pliskova in press conference
“I would like to prove that the people who are talking about me, they are not wrong,” she said.
“I think there's always some kind of pressure on every tournament. You either have to defend something, or you are in shape and you have to prove that you're really in a good shape. There's always something.
“I just don't want to think about it that much. These expectations and this talking doesn't win me the matches. So I think I still have to play good to win the matches.”
The fifth-seeded Czech did just that on Monday night, ending Daria Gavrilova’s home run at the Australian Open with a 6-3 6-3 fourth-round triumph.
The Czech, who had prevailed in the previous two meetings with the Australian, was particularly impressive on return to disrupt the rhythm of the crowd favourite, and struck 27 winners en route to victory.
Gavrilova enjoyed a breakout run to the last 16 in 2016, but couldn’t quite go one step further this year at Melbourne Park, up against a player many are tipping for the title.
“Definitely I have big confidence already coming from winning (the title) in Brisbane, feeling great,” Pliskova said. “I’m playing some good tennis here and I’m excited to be in my first Australian Open quarterfinal.
“It was especially tough tonight, playing an Australian girl at home. It’s never easy, but I was fighting for every point.
“Not my best performance. But it's a win, so it counts. But for sure we all know I can play better. It was strange match, I would say, even from Dasha. I think she didn't also play really well today.
“The conditions were definitely different compared to the other days, which was much warmer, more humidity, it was faster. Even with the roof closed, was everything like little bit different."
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