Australian Open: Karolina Pliskova poised for big tilt at title

Karolina Pliskova has joined her wounded compatriot Petra Kvitova on the Brisbane International trophy.

Karolina Pliskova with the Brisbane International winner’s trophy yesterday.

Brisbane International champion Karolina Pliskova scanned the names on the Evonne Goolagong-Cawley trophy she had just won so convincingly and locked on to one in particular — her wounded Fed Cup teammate Petra Kvitova.

“Well, it’s always nice to have some winners from Czech in the past. Of course, there she is,” said Pliskova of Kvitova’s 2011 win. “Nice to have my name there now.”

Kvitova, who is recovering from wounds she received fending off a knife-wielding intruder last month, went on to win her first grand slam title (Wimbledon) six months after winning in Brisbane. Some feel 24-year-old Pliskova could win her first in three weeks.

The man who has coached both women, David Kotyza, says he doesn’t like making comparisons but he knows he has a huge diamond in the rough with Pliskova, just as he had with Kvitova.

“I said this to the WTA just this week: that somewhere in her head a champion is sleeping. We just need to find a way to wake it up,” Kotyza told The Australian after Pliskova’s 6-0 6-3 demolition of France’s Alize Cornet in Saturday night’s final.

It was their first tournament together as coach-player.

Kotyza split with Kvitova more than 12 months ago.

Pliskova approached him nine months later to see if he would take her on.

“She sent me a message after the Fed Cup win and I thought ‘I cannot ignore this message’,” he said.

“I started also with Petra with a trophy in 2009 (Hobart). But this is a different time, different girl, different situation.

“For me she is a really interesting player and person.

“I see something big in her.

“She is really able to be a great competitor and great champion. We’ve only just started — not a bad start.

“Maybe strokes are a little similar but personalities different. I don’t like these comparisons but of course Karolina is the kind of girl who likes to play fast — deciding the points, take responsibility for the shots and this is what I like. This was Petra also.”

Of all the good things Pliskova did in the Brisbane final — 30 winners, no break points against her, no double faults, winning 11 of 13 approaches to the net — her serve was the standout. Just ask Cornet, who beat Serena Williams three times in 2014, so she knows a thing or two about returning a booming serve.

“I guess her ball is a little bit similar to Kvitova, because it’s very flat and very deep,” Cornet said of Pliskova’s strength and placement.

“I played Serena a few times, and I could always be able to return a first serve. Like, somehow I could return.

“Against Karolina, it’s impossible to read it. That’s the toughest thing ever. She has always the same toss. She just guides it with the wrist wherever she wants. When you have a serve like this it is a powerful weapon.”

Strangely, while Pliskova was reasonably pleased with her serve on Saturday night, she also pinpointed it as one area of improvement.

“I still have some feelings about the serve … the second (serve) still can improve,” she said.

Kotzya is the one driving the improvement.

“Everyone is speaking about her serve as ‘the weapon’. Maybe I’m stupid, but I see space there to improve the serve. As a coach, I see the weapons. It is my job to make them lethal.

“I’ve told her that she can serve even better than she did tonight.”

Immediately after the trophy presentation on Pat Rafter Arena on Saturday night, Pliskova and Kotzya headed to the gym with trainer Martin Nosko, who was manipulating, stretching and pressing her left leg.

Yesterday the world No 5 withdrew from the Sydney International, where she was a finalist in 2015, due to a left inner thigh injury, so it has time to heal before the Australian Open starting next Monday.

After beating Williams in the US Open semi-finals and finishing runner-up to Angelique Kerber, Pliskova is seen as the next “most likely” to claim a slam.

“I mean, everyone is saying that, but it’s not that easy. Definitely I’m going to try, but let’s see. I still have to work on my serve and a few things,” she said.

“It’s not that easy to win. I would not say it’s easy to win a tournament, but there are still two more matches (seven in slams) than in normal tournaments.”