Pliskova satisfied with season despite exit
A chance to return to the top of the rankings slipped through Karolina Pliskova's fingers in Singapore, but she remained upbeat.
Karolina Pliskova feels she has improved with "small steps" in her "biggest season" after Caroline Wozniacki knocked her out of the WTA Finals.
Pliskova's hopes of ending the year as world No.1 were dashed when Wozniacki produced an all-action display to win the first semi-final 7-6 (11-9) 6-3 in Singapore and set up a showdown with Venus Williams.
The Czech needed to win the season-ending tournament to return to the top of rankings, but Wozniacki's victory ensured Simona Halep retains that status.
World No.3 Pliskova feels she is moving in the right direction after winning three titles and briefly moving to the top of the rankings this year.
She said: "Still everything is improving a little bit. Not with the big steps but with the small steps, which is good.
"I think some matches I could play a little bit differently, a little bit more aggressive. Not really the one today, but there were some which I would play in a different way, maybe the US Open or maybe the quarter-final in the Australian Open.
"But still, so far [that was] my biggest season, so I'm not going to be upset at all."
Wozniacki saved six set points in a topsy-turvy first set and felt that knocked the stuffing out of Pliskova.
"It went back and forth," the Dane said. "It was very important to win the first set. I think that broke her a little bit. I think it was important for both of us to get that first one."
