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Match Details
Fixture: (4) Karolina Pliskova vs Bianca Andreescu.
Date: June 15, 2022.
Tournament: bett1open 2022.
Round: Second round (Round of 16).
Venue: Berlin, Germany.
Category: WTA 500.
Surface: Grass.
Prize money: $757,900.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Karolina Pliskova vs Bianca Andreescu preview
Former World No. 1 Karolina Pliskova will lock horns with World No. 4 Bianca Andreescu for a place in the quarterfinals of the bett1open in Berlin.
Both are looking to rebuild their season after a hiatus. Pliskova suffered a hand injury in December after falling down in the gym. It kept her on the sidelines for a couple of months, forcing her to miss the Australian Open.
The Czech hasn't been able to attain her peak form right after her return. After a series of early exits, Pliskova finally hit her stride on the claycourts of Strasbourg, making the semifinals.
However, she was unable to carry the momentum into the French Open, falling in the second round to unheralded Leolia Jeanjean.
Pliskova is now desperately looking to get into a rhythm on grass ahead of the Wimbledon Championships, where she made the final last year.
Her first grasscourt match of the season saw the 30-year-old work extra hard for the win on Monday. Having been edged by the dangerous Kaia Kanepi in a first-set tie-break, the fourth seed made a thunderous comeback to win 6-7 (5), 6-0, 6-0.
Pliskova will be hoping to avoid another slow start when she meets the talented Andreescu next.
Former World No. 4 Andreescu, meanwhile, took a six-month break from tennis to focus on her mental health struggles and made her way back to the tour only in April. The 21-year-old started showing her spark on clay right after her comeback, reaching the quarterfinals of the Italian Open.
Her Roland Garros sojourn, however, proved to be short-lived as she was bundled out in the second round by Belinda Bencic.
Andreescu doesn't have a good record on grass and has never been past the first round at the Wimbledon Championships. Her first grasscourt match of the season thus proved to be quite a challenge for her.
Facing the tricky Katerina Siniakova in the first round on Monday, the youngster struggled for large parts of the match before fighting through for a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 win. Andreescu needs to put in an improved display in her next match if she wants to topple former Wimbledon runner-up Pliskova.
Karolina Pliskova vs Bianca Andreescu head-to-head
Pliskova and Andreescu are tied at 1-1 in the head-to-head. The Canadian edged the former World No. 1 in three sets at Toronto in 2019. However, Pliskova emerged victorious with Andreescu retiring midway through their next meeting at the WTA Finals that same year.
Karolina Pliskova vs Bianca Andreescu odds
(All odds sourced from Oddschecker)
Karolina Pliskova vs Bianca Andreescu prediction
Thanks to her playing style and grasscourt prowess, Karolina Pliskova is the favorite to come through this contest. Of her 16 career titles, three have come on grass.
The Czech's big serve and aggressive shotmaking will give her the edge on this fast surface. Pliskova produced 17 aces against Kanepi in the first round while saving all eight of the break points she faced. If she manages to replicate this deadly serving form, she will be hard to stop.
However, Andreescu is known for her fighting spirit and never-say-die attitude. Despite her inexperience, she has the tools to make it tough for her opponent.
The Canadian has better movement than Pliskova as well as more variety. She doesn't like to rely on power alone and has the ability to mix it up as well. This could briefly put Pliskova in a spot of bother, but ultimately the Czech's past experience on the surface is likely to pull her through.
Pick: Karolina Pliskova to win in three sets.
