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Match details
Fixture: (2) Karolina Pliskova vs (Q) Mayar Sherif
Date: 29 September 2020
Tournament: Roland Garros 2020
Round: First round (Round of 128)
Venue: Paris, France
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Red clay
Prize money: Approx. €38,000,000
Match timing: 11 am CEST, 2.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - NBC / Tennis Channel | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP
Karolina Pliskova vs Mayar Sherif preview
Second seed Karolina Pliskova opens her French Open 2020 campaign by taking on Egyptian qualifier Mayar Sherif on Tuesday.
The 2017 Roland Garros semifinalist would be hoping to be fully fit in time for her first match. Pliskova suffered a left thigh injury during the Italian Open last week, due to which she had to retire from the final match against Simona Halep.
The former World No. 1 is reportedly getting better with each day though, and the Tuesday start would give her an extra couple of days to heal before she takes the court.
If Pliskova can put aside her injury woes, she should be primed for a fine showing in Paris. The World No. 4 rebounded well from her second-round loss at the US Open and made it all the way to the final on the claycourts of Rome. That was just the confidence-booster she needed in the lead-up to Roland Garros.
Pliskova will now face the 172nd-ranked Mayar Sherif, who has made history for Egypt by becoming the first female player from the country to make the main draw of a Major.
The 24-year-old was on top of her game in the qualifying rounds last week. She won all three of her matches without dropping a set, which included an upset win over the third seed Caty McNally.
This is completely new territory for the Egyptian, whose best result this year has been winning a 25K ITF title in Antalya.
Karolina Pliskova vs Mayar Sherif head-to-head
Karolina Pliskova and Mayar Sherif will be facing off against each other for the first time ever, so the head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.
While Pliskova has been a former US Open runner-up as well as an erstwhile World No. 1, Sherif's career-best ranking so far has been No. 170 - which she achieved last month.
Karolina Pliskova vs Mayar Sherif prediction
If the injury does not restrict her movement, the hard-hitting Karolina Pliskova should be expected to start her Roland Garros campaign on a strong note.
The Czech was in fine fettle in Rome, producing a barrage of winners from all parts of the court. That kind of play would likely be enough to set up a comfortable opening-round win - provided her fitness issues do not bother her.
Prediction: Karolina Pliskova to win in straight sets.
