Australian Open 2019 Preview – January 21st, 2019 at 1:30 am
This is a massive fourth-round clash at the Australian Open between two very strong challengers. It has already been a big effort from Spaniard Muguruza to have reached this stage. Will she be able to take out Pliskova, who is favourite for this match? There’s no easy path forward now as the winner will face either Simona Halep or Serena Williams in the quarter finals.
Garbine Muguruza v Karolina Pliskova odds*
Karolina Pliskova 4/5
Garbine Muguruza
* (betting odds taken from bet365 on January 19th, 2019 at 11:27 pm)
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Steady progress from Pliskova
Pliskova was always going to be a threat up in the congested top section of the draw. While a lot of the spotlight was, of course, focused on Serena Williams and Simona Halep in the section, Pliskova has been making steady progress. She took a straight sets victory in her opening match but was taken to three-set matches in the second and the third round. In her last two matches, Pliskova has put in some really strong performances in the final sets of her matches.
Pliskova has her big service game working really well at the moment and the fact that she is running well at Melbourne Park is no great surprise. She warmed up this year by picking up a title at the Brisbane Open and while that wasn’t the strongest of fields that she prevailed in, it was a good five-match tournament of getting match-sharpness under her belt. After dropping the first set in the second round against Madison Brengle, she won the next two sets dropping only one game in total.
Muguruza shows some mettle
It is that service game which is going to be a threat to Muguruza in this one. The Spaniard had an easy opening match at the tournament but then was involved in that epic extended game against Britain’s Johanna Konta in the second round. Muguruza took a 7-5 result in the deciding set in that one. She found herself being challenged by Swiss player Timea Bacsinszky in the first set of the third round. But Muguruza took it on the tiebreak and that broke the resistance of her opponent.
Head to head
So there are two very strong players here, both with big serves and plenty of grit in their game. Pliskova does have a big 7-2 advantage in the head to head between the two players though. Their most recent meeting was back at the WTA Finals in 2017 with Pliskova taking an easy win. The Czech player has won seven of the last eight meetings, with Muguruza’s only win in that run coming at the Cincinnati semifinals in 2017. There has been just the one Grand Slam meeting between them, a first-round win for Muguruza a long way back at the 2013 French Open.
Prediction
Pliskova looks sharp and her serve is, undeniably, going very well at the moment. There are going to be small margins in this one between these two heavyweights of the game. We are sticking with Pliskova who has a strong head to head against Muguruza. Pliskova to win at 4/5 odds* (betting odds taken from bet365 on January 19th, 2019 at 11:27 pm)
