French Open 2018: Playing Sharapova was my goal, says Pliskova

PARIS, France - Two former World No.1s are set to clash in the French Open third round – and Karolina Pliskova couldn’t be more delighted at the way the tournament has panned out.

The potential third-round match-up with two-time Roland Garros champion Maria Sharapova was the first thing she spotted when she looked at the draw.

Now, having beaten two fellow Czechs in the first two rounds - Barbora Krejcikova in the first, 7-6(6), 6-4, then Lucie Safarova, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 - she is preparing to take on the Russian.

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“For me it was the goal to play her in the third round,” she told reporters. 

“I was struggling little bit to get there, but I'm there, so I want to enjoy a little bit. For sure it's going to be good match, good court, good atmosphere hopefully, and hopefully good tennis.”

The pair have only played once before – in the 2015 Fed Cup final, when Sharapova won in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4.

“It's going to be [a] challenge for me for sure,” added the Czech, “and hopefully I can…improve a little bit, and I believe I have a good chance to win.”

Sharapova knows that the Pliskova she faces in 2018 is a very different prospect to the player she took on three years ago.

“I like the challenge of coming up against a really good server,” she told reporters. “She's a big champion, so for sure she's going to play well. And I know she's just going for her shots always, putting full speed in forehand, backhand, serve - but she can also give you a lot of free points, double faults.”
 

Elsewhere in the draw, Serena Williams takes on an in-form Julia Goerges – and knows exactly what she will be up against.

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“She's been playing really, really well, and I have actually been watching her play a lot when I was pregnant, because she's been winning a lot and they show a lot of her matches,” the 23-time Grand Slam champion told reporters.

“It would be good to play her. Every round for me is just an opportunity to go out there and do the best that I can do, and whether I win or lose, that's what I'm out here to do in this tournament.”