'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAUACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABhAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAwYQAAICAgIDAQAAAAAAAAAAAAECAwQAEhMhBhExcQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABwgRAQACAgIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECEQAhEyIDBEL/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/ALXlLvIXPJwIzFX7Dan4f3bNbU8YS/UgtrJDCLESSiMROQgcbag79+sYwavpSRevidg/GUGSkevyDUuacbNaFz//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Match Details
Fixture: (1) Iga Swiatek vs Karolina Pliskova
Date: April 21, 2023
Tournament: Porsche Tennis Grand Prix 2023
Round: Quarterfinals
Venue: Stuttgart, Germany
Category: WTA 500
Surface: Clay
Prize money: $780,637
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Iga Swiatek vs Karolina Pliskova preview
World No. 1 Iga Swiatek will take on Karolina Pliskova in the quarterfinals of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
Swiatek's only title so far in the 2023 season came at the Qatar Open, where she beat Jessica Pegula in the final. The Pole started her clay-court season at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, where she is the defending champion and top seed.
Swiatek received a bye to the second round of the tournament where she took on Zheng Qinwen. The 21-year-old beat the Chinese 6-1, 6-4 to book her place in the quarterfinals. This was Swiatek's first straight-set win in three meetings against Zheng.
Pliskova has reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open and Dubai Tennis Championships so far this season and entered the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix unseeded.
The Czech faced eighth seed Maria Sakkari in the first round and beat her 6-2, 6-3 to book her place in the Round of 16. Here, she was up against Donna Vekic and started the match strongly, winning the opening set 6-2.
However, the Croat fought back in the second set and won it 7-6(5) to force the match into a decider. The third set was tightly contested, with neither player being able to break the other's serve. Another tiebreak was played and this time it was Pliskova who won it 7-5 to book her place in the quarterfinals of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
Iga Swiatek vs Karolina Pliskova head-to-head
Swiatek leads 1-0 in the head-to-head against Pliskova, thrashing her 6-0, 6-0 in the final of the 2021 Italian Open.
Iga Swiatek vs Karolina Pliskova odds
Iga Swiatek vs Karolina Pliskova prediction
Swiatek will enter the match as the favorite to win but Pliskova should not be written off as she has produced some good tennis in recent months. The Czech might be feeling the effects of her grueling encounter against Vekic, which could give Swiatek the edge from a physical standpoint.
The Pole is a magnificent player on clay, and her groundstrokes, especially her heavy-topspin forehand, swift transitions, and on-court movement, will all come in very handy, not to forget her mentality and composure.
Pliskova has already served 22 aces so far at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix and will look to accumulate more of those against Swiatek. However, her serve will be put to the test by the World No. 1's return game. The Czech will have to be at her very best if she is to come out on top.
While Swiatek may not dominate Pliskova the way she did in Rome two years back, she should be able to beat her again and book her place in the semifinals of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
Pick: Swiatek to win in straight sets.
