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Match Details
Fixture: (14) Karolina Pliskova vs Venus Williams
Tournament: Cincinnati Open 2022
Date: August 15, 2022
Round: First Round (Round of 64)
Venue: Lindner Family Tennis Center, Ohio, United States
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Hard
Prize money: $2,527,250
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - Rogers Sportsnet, TSN | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Karolina Pliskova vs Venus Williams preview
14th seed Karolina Pliskova will face off against Venus Williams in the first round at the Cincinnati Open on Monday.
Pliskova hasn’t fared well in 2022. The former World No. 1 has recorded 14 wins but incurred 13 losses.
Pliskova was out of action for the first two months of the season due to a hand injury she sustained during the off-season. Upon comeback, Pliskova suffered many opening-round losses and thus slid down the rankings.
The Czech, however, managed to reach the semifinals of the Strasbourg International, the quarterfinals of the German Open and just recently, the semifinals of the Canadian Open where she was the defending finalist. She lost the penultimate encounter to Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-4, 7-6(7) in a close battle.
Venus Williams, meanwhile, entered the scene just recently. After a long hiatus of one year, Williams first participated in mixed doubles at Wimbledon, partnering with Jamie Murray. The duo went down in the third round.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion has since participated in the Citi Open and the Canadian Open, accepting wildcards. She has suffered first-round exits in both tournaments. Thus, she has a win-loss record of 0-2.
The American has received a wildcard to compete in Cincinnati.
Karolina Pliskova vs Venus Williams head-to-head
Pliskova leads the head-to-head against Williams 2-1. The Czech won the previous two encounters at the 2017 WTA Finals and the 2016 US Open, while the 42-year-old defeated Pliskova in 2015, in Zhuhai. The duo hasn’t clashed in five years.
Karolina Pliskova vs Venus Williams odds
(All odds are sourced from Bet365)
Karolina Pliskova vs Venus Williams prediction
Pliskova, although facing slight struggles with her form, will enter as the heavy favorite. Coming off of the semifinals at the Canadian Open, a WTA 1000 event, Pliskova will be confident of her game plan.
Williams' best result in Cincinnati has been reaching the semifinals in 2012. The Czech, meanwhile, was the Cincinnati Open champion in the 2016 edition and has made it to the semifinals on two occasions – in 2017 and most recently in 2021.
The 30-year-old has an aggressive game and shows no mercy towards her opponents. Her biggest weapon is her serve, which gives her quick points. She dishes out aces and winners ruthlessly and will be expected to do the same against Williams. The American herself is known for her powerful groundstrokes and hitting outright winners. However, the lack of matches under her belt could prove to be her undoing.
Pliskova will be on a mission to defend her last year’s points in Cincinnati and should sail through this encounter.
Pick: Pliskova to win in straight sets.
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