Italian Open 2021: Karolina Pliskova vs Jelena Ostapenko–Preview, Head to Head and Prediction

Italian Open 2021: Karolina Pliskova vs Jelena Ostapenko–Preview, Head to Head and Prediction

Karolina Pliskova and Jelena Ostapenko

Karolina Pliskova will take on Jelena Ostapenko in the Quarter-finals of the Italian Open 2021. Pliskova is currently the World No.9 on the WTA rankings and Ostapenko is the World No.49.

Match Details

  • Tournament: Italian Open 2021
  • Match: Karolina Pliskova vs Jelena Ostapenko
  • Round: Quarter-finals
  • Date: 14th May, 2021
  • Prize Money: €33,468
  • Venue: Rome, Italy
  • Surface: Clay Court

Karolina Pliskova vs Jelena Ostapenko: Italian Open 2021 Match Preview

Karolina Pliskova
Karolina Pliskova

A change of surface has brought some much needed relief to Pliskova. Her first stop on clay this year was the Stuttgart Open, and she reached the Quarter-finals of the event where she lost to the eventual champion Ash Barty. In Madrid she did beat Coco Gauff before succumbing to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

At Rome thus far she has been effective. After a bye in the first round, she beat her second round opponent Anastasija Sevastova in straight sets, 6-2 6-3. In the third round she overcame the veteran Russian Vera Zvonareva 7-5 6-3. Her quarter-final opponent is Jelena Ostapenko.

FS Video

Ostapenko has reached her first Quarter-finals of the year, tells you exactly what you need to know about the young Latvian’s form. In the tournament so far, she has beaten Johanna Konta in the first round, 6-3 6-1. In the second she overcame Ajla Tomljanović 6-2 7-6. The third round saw her get the better of veteran German Angelique Kerber 4-6 6-3 6-4. 

Karolina Pliskova vs Jelena Ostapenko: Head-to-Head

Jelena Ostapenko
Jelena Ostapenko

These two players have met seven times on the tour thus far, and Pliskova leads the head to head 4-3. Their last meeting was on the clay courts of Stuttgart in 2021, an encounter that Pliskova won in three sets 6-7 6-4 6-3. 

Karolina Pliskova vs Jelena Ostapenko: Italian Open 2021 Prediction

Karolina Pliskova
Karolina Pliskova

Pliskova is the winner here in Rome back from 2019 and the runners up in 2018, and that makes a difference to her mentality. She has been playing freely and unlike Stuttgart where most of her matches went to three sets, here she has been clinical.

Her biggest weapon though remains her serve, and if she serves well against Ostapenko, she should go through. Ostapenko is a powerful player and loves to hit winners, but under pressure  her serve tends to fall away. Expect Pliskova to see this through. 

Match Prediction: Karolina Pliskova will beat Jelena Ostapenko in three sets. 

Also Read: “I think I played a great match!”: Podoroska on defeating Serena Williams