NEW YORK—Karolina Pliskova bolstered her Grand Slam title chase hiring a Grand Slam champion.
The 2016 US Open finalist has added 1994 Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez to her coaching team.
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Martinez, who helped guide Garbine Muguruza to the 2017 Wimbledon title, was in Pliskova's box today as the eighth seed scored a 6-4, 7-6 (4) triumph over Zarina Diyas to power into the US Open second round for the fourth time.
Former world No. 2 Martinez joins former Grand Slam doubles champion Rennae Stubbs in Pliskova's coaching box.
Pliskova said Stubbs' duties working as an ESPN analyst can limit her coaching availability in New York. Stubbs and Martinez are friends and have known each other for years.
"Well, I'm still with Rennae, too," Pliskova said afterward. "She's pretty busy at this tournament. I was thinking to add somebody in my team who is going to be with me all the time. She was the option for me because she's also pretty much friendly with Rennae. It's working pretty well actually."
Together, Stubbs, who was a serve-and-volleyer during her playing days, and Martinez, a baseliner who mixed a heavy topspin forehand with a slice backhand, provide Pliskova with different strengths.
"Also I need some Spanish drill a little bit," Pliskova said. "That's what we did for last few days. I feel much better after some intense practice. She just loves, you know, to play tennis, to play a lot of tennis. Actually we use every minute of practice what we have, which is good. Also they are both so much positive. We don't have people like this in Czech, that's why it was an option for me."
Martinez previously served as Spanish Davis Cup and Fed Cup captain.
Pliskova, who parted wtih coach Tomas Krupa before bringing Stubbs on in Cincinnati, said women coaches who were former major champions can relate to the challenges she faces chasing her first Grand Slam crown.
"I think women can understand women better, for sure," Pliskova said. "Also I think they played before, so it's little bit different. Also their style was not really a women's style.
"Rennae, she was playing a little bit not like half men, she was using the court, trying to serve, trying to play volleys. It's a combination of some styles what they play, what I play. For me, I think it can only be good because I can, you know, practice a little bit different things that I was doing before, maybe a little bit more approaching to the net too play some volleys. There's couple of things where we want to get better. Hopefully we will together."
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