Sometimes there is nothing better than hearing what the players had to say in their own words. We are down to the final six women in the Singles Draw at the BNP Paribas Open. These ladies have had interesting things to say this week. It’s also a great reminder that players are people with the same thoughts, concerns, and emotions as everyone else.

We begin with world No. 3, Karolina Pliskova who seems to be flying under the radar. In fact, despite her impressive ranking, she has at present, only one written press transcript. That’s an odd circumstance for a world No. 3. However, she mentioned that she is turning down photo shoots and other media requests to prioritize her time on her game. Judging from her performance in the desert, that is a good decision.  

Karolina Pliskova [3] vs. Svetlana Kuznetsova [8]

Pliskova on her big serve:

“Everybody has something, you know, so with me, it's the serve. I always had kind of like a good serve, not that good as it is now last few years. It's my biggest weapon. I just feel it when I need some, like, points, or break points down, I can serve well in those moments, which is always a big plus. It's always important that I can have that free point, you know. Not many girls can do that.”

“Even the girls can have a good serve, but they just not – doesn't serve well in the important moments. And I'm able to do that, so I'm really happy for that. We are just trying to take care of the serve and still practicing. Yeah, even though some tournaments it's just not great, but a lot of matches I won because of my serve (smiling). Even tournaments, not only matches.”

Pliskova on tennis etiquette and not celebrating a point won on a double-fault:

“Yeah, I would not probably celebrate, like, anywhere if there would not be like some rally with 50 shots. I'm just not – I cannot celebrate somehow. But, yeah, always with double fault or also when it's some challenge and you still, like, waiting, it's strange. And then, just, I don't have any, like, emotions. Obviously, I was happy, but I wanted to close it in a different way than win on a double fault (smiling).”

Kuznetsova on appreciation of the game now versus her younger self:

“Yeah, I think I (am) enjoying the most now because the thing is when you're so young and you get to the top of the game, you don't value it so much. When you play couple years – I was couple years, what, 20, 25 in the rankings? And then, like, couple it was like three, four years, and then you make it to top 10, you value so much more the effort and what you've done, what you achieved. You know, you have been there before and you got here. So, I'm enjoying it much more now, because now I know the value of this.”

Kuznetsova on balancing her time and practicing smarter but not harder:

“You see before I was just thinking about it in the shower. Because before, when I used to play these tournaments, I used to practice hard in the days between. Now I just go in the court and I see how I feel. If I don't feel like it, I just hit couple balls. Not training two hours is not going to make me play worse next day. It maybe will give me more energy. So, I'm adjusting on my body and about my emotional statement, as well. So, I'm listening to myself more. I understand it's couple years left. It's not something, like, I've got to work for the future. My future is now, tennis future (smiling).”

Caroline Wozniacki [13] vs. Kristina Mladenovic [28]

Wozniacki on not looking ahead in the draw:

“I never look at the draw. So, I don't know who I'm playing. I don't know anything. I don't want to know.

Follow-up questions; Is this true, though, this “no look at the draw” thing? We hear this from players a lot. Is that legit? You go out of your way to not see it?

“That is legit.“

Wozniacki on the state of the Draw and the opportunity for the former No. 1 to capture the title because Serena, new mom Vika and on the mend Petra are missing:

“Even with those players in the draw, I feel like I have a good chance. Serena obviously is playing very well. When she's on fire, she's the best player in the world. But other than that, I don't really get nervous playing against any player on tour.”

The Danish star shares her candid viewpoint on Maria and the wildcard debate:

“Well, first of all, I think obviously, she's a good draw to tennis, women's tennis in general. That's one. But, two, I think it's very questionable, allowing – no matter who it is – a player that is still banned, to play a tournament that week. I think that's – from the tournament side, I think it's disrespectful to the other players and the WTA. But, you know, it is what it is.”

“Obviously, rules are twisted and turned in favor of who wants to do what. You know, I think everyone deserves a second chance, and I think that, you know, she's going to come back and she's going to fight her way back.”

“I'm sure she's going to play well. But at the same time, I feel like when a player is banned for drugs, I think that someone should start from the bottom and fight their way back because it's different from an injury where someone is out because they had hurt themselves. You know, that way I feel like a player should be able to receive as many wildcards. But when someone has been banned for drugs and something that is performance enhancing, I think that you deserve a second chance like everybody else, people make mistakes, but I think you should fight your way back from the bottom.”

Mladenovic on 2017 success what is making the difference? Kiki moved from No. 62 year-end 2016 and ranks No. 26 coming into the BNP Paribas Open:

“Well, I feel like I'm repeating myself a bit, but I don't know, really. I mean, there is nothing really that has changed. You know, it's just, you know, lots of work I put on. And just everything that will be better, I would say, in my game. Like, you know, serve, forehand, backhand. Everything just a little bit better.”

“So, it increases obviously my level, more consistent. And maybe one thing, as I said, that I could feel the difference is my movement on the court. I'm more powerful, which means that maybe my groundstrokes are so – kind of heavier, faster. And just like defensive-wise, sometimes now I can, you know, play defensive.”

“And when I have to do, I'm trying to be brave and put some balls back. Today was, again, a great example. I run down a couple of drop shots or I made some defense and earned some points like that that maybe in the past I wouldn't. I think, yeah, that maybe I can notice something obvious would be my physical part of my game.”

Mladenovic on playing doubles with Svetlana Kuznetsova:

“Well, you know, it's just our first tournament. So far, we just played two matches. Obviously, she's older than me, and, I mean, the story is nice, because she used to play with my former Fed Cup captain. So, it's a nice – she's, like, Now I'm playing with you.”

“She had time to retire from being Fed Cup captain, and I'm still here and playing with you. She's a great girl. She's also a great person, great champion for me. I mean, obviously Grand Slam champion, lots of experience. Actually, yeah, I love playing with her.”

Venus Williams [12] vs. Elena Vesnina [14]

Venus on self-coaching:

“Man, it's always changing. Today I think I asked myself a lot of times why? Why are you missing these shots (smiling)? Why? Put it in the court. At least give yourself a chance. So, that was the big question today. Thankfully I was able to answer it.”  

Follow-up question, do you get mad at yourself?

“For a moment. For a moment. Of course, losing the first set like that is disappointing, because it just felt like totally handing it to your opponent. You know, I didn't feel like I made her work for it. I didn't feel like she really beat me in that set. I kind of beat myself. So, it was good those next few sets to be competitive and, like, force the issue. In the third set, we both made each other work for it.”

Venus on the 1 thing she would change about tennis:

“Yeah, I think doubles is very exciting. It's undervalued. I'd love to see doubles be more appreciated and grow. I think it's a commodity, long-term plan. I love watching doubles. It's just – the exchanges, you can't really recreate that in singles. Perhaps down the road, that would be something that would be something we're looking at.”

Venus on her choice of a mixed Doubles dream partner:

“Serena Williams.” Mixed? “Serena Williams (laughter). I'll take my chances.”

Vesnina on California and playing doubles matches as training. (Responses are author summaries as written transcript not available.) Side note, Elena took out No. 1 Angelique Kerber to advance and she remains the only player still alive in both the singles and doubles draws.

She recalled her first taste of California as a teenager. I was like “wow” what is this place? I’d never seen anything like it, the sunshine, the beauty, not like home. I knew I wanted to come back and play here. I love the event.

Concerning doubles, Vesnina remarked that for her it is better to play doubles and gain more match experience over just practicing.  Winning is a habit that you can learn through doubles that helps your singles game. Plus, when you play doubles matches, you can make money!

As the quarterfinals wrap up today, there is no doubt that both the winners and losers will have much to say about their performance, competitors and life on the tour. The WTA semi-finals will be played Friday, St. Patrick’s Day. Both Svetlana Kuznetsova and Karolina Pliskova have punched their ticket into the event. With this draw, it remains unclear who will have the luck of the Irish on their side.