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Match Details
Fixture: (16) Karolina Pliskova vs Sloane Stephens
Tournament: French Open 2023
Round: First round (Round of 128)
Venue: Paris, France
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Outdoor clay
Prize money: €49,600,000
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel, NBC Sports, Peacock TV | Canada - TSN | UK - Eurosport | India - Sony Ten
Karolina Pliskova vs Sloane Stephens preview
Former World No. 1 Karolina Pliskova will square off against 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens in the first round of the 2023 French Open.
Pliskova commenced her clay swing at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. Following wins over Maria Sakkari and Donna Vekic, she made it to the last eight. The Czech put up a fight against defending champion Iga Swiatek, but she lost the match in three sets.
An injury then forced Pliskova to skip the Madrid Open. She returned to action at the Italian Open but was stunned by Anna Bondar in straight sets in the second round. She was set to compete in the Strasbourg Open after that but ended up withdrawing from the tournament.
Stephens' first tournament of the clay season was the Charleston Open. She defeated Louisa Chirico in the first round but was knocked out by Victoria Azarenka in the next round. Following an opening round exit from the Madrid Open, the American dropped down a level to compete in a WTA 125 event.
Stephens ended up winning that tournament to secure her first title of the season. At the Italian Open, she lost to Azarenka yet again in the second round. The 30-year-old is currently competing in the Morocco Open, where she's up against Peyton Stearns in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
Karolina Pliskova vs Sloane Stephens head-to-head
Stephens leads Pliskova 4-1 in the head-to-head. She won their previous encounter at the 2021 French Open in straight sets.
Karolina Pliskova vs Sloane Stephens odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Karolina Pliskova vs Sloane Stephens prediction
A quarterfinal showing in the lead-up to the French Open has been the best result for both players, though Stephens has a shot at improving upon that. The American will be feeling confident of her chances against Pliskova, an opponent against whom she has performed quite well.
Pliskova's court coverage was never her strongest suit, and it has declined by a fair margin now. Her movement was quite terrible during her loss to Bondar at the Italian Open. The Czech's struggles in this department are further highlighted due to Stephens being a better mover on the court.
Stephens is able to counter Pliskova's big serve and her flat groundstrokes quite well. However, the American's level has been quite up and down this year. Her record at the French Open is quite good, having made it to the fourth round at the very least in eight of her 11 appearances at the venue.
Stephens is also a former finalist in Paris, losing to Simona Halep in the championship round back in 2018. Based on their results this season, this contest is a toss-up. However, the American's history in Paris and her winning record against Pliskova tip the scales in her favor.
Pick: Sloane Stephens to win in three sets.
