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Match details
Fixture: (4) Karolina Pliskova vs Ajla Tomljanovic
Date: 4 September 2021
Tournament: US Open 2021
Round: Third round (Round of 32)
Venue: New York, United States
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $40,560,000
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN/ESPN 2 | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP
Karolina Pliskova vs Ajla Tomljanovic preview
2016 runner-up Karolina Pliskova squares off against Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round of the 2021 US Open on Saturday.
After struggling for form in the first half of the season, Pliskova found her rhythm back at Wimbledon where she finished as the runner-up. The former World No. 1 has carried the momentum into the North American hardcourt swing, making the final in Montreal and the semis in Cincinnati.
That newfound confidence was evident in her second-round match against former French Open semifinalist Amanda Anisimova on Thursday. Pliskova dug deep and saved a match point on her way to a gritty 7-5, 6-7(5), 7-6(7) win.
Pliskova will hope for an easier outing against World No. 46 Ajla Tomljanovic, a player she has beaten five times in the past.
Tomljanovic made it to her maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal at Wimbledon, the only notable result for her in an otherwise underwhelming season. But at the ongoing US Open, the 28-year-old has been striking the ball well.
She has notched up straight-sets wins over Katie Volynets and Petra Martic so far, and would be hoping to continue in the same vein against Pliskova on Saturday.
Karolina Pliskova vs Ajla Tomljanovic head-to-head
Karolina Pliskova leads Ajla Tomljanovic 5-1 in their head-to-head. The Czech has won their last five meetings, the most recent of which took place in Brisbane last year.
Pliskova needed three sets to see off the Australian 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-1 in that match.
Karolina Pliskova vs Ajla Tomljanovic prediction
Karolina Pliskova's newfound belief was fully on display in her second-round cliffhanger against Amanda Anisimova. Despite being under tremendous pressure, Pliskova served her way out of trouble, while also showing improved movement and looking calm till the end.
That attitude helped the Czech save a match point and silence a pro-Anisimova crowd after an intense battle that lasted 2 hours 21 minutes. Going forward, this approach could help Pliskova immensely as she seeks her first Grand Slam crown.
The fourth seed's serve will continue to be the key. Against Anisimova, Pliskova served 24 aces and won 78% of her first-serve points. If she can keep serving this well, she will have a clear edge over Ajla Tomljanovic, who isn't known to have the most reliable serve.
An area of concern for Pliskova, though, is her return game. She was able to convert just two of the nine break points she had against Anisimova. Such a poor conversion rate could hurt the World No. 4 as she makes it deeper into the draw.
Tomljanovic on her part has been known to crumble in pressure situations. She often ends up leaking unforced errors too; even in her second-round match against Martic, the Aussie committed 38 unforced errors while producing just 17 winners.
A repeat of such numbers isn't likely to help her cause against an in-form opponent like Pliskova.
Prediction: Karolina Pliskova to win in straight sets.
