WTA Italian Open 2021: Karolina Pliskova vs Anastasija Sevastova–Preview, Head to Head and Prediction

WTA Italian Open 2021: Karolina Pliskova vs Anastasija Sevastova–Preview, Head to Head and Prediction

Karolina Pliskova and Anastasija Sevastova

Karolina Pliskova will take on Anastasija Sevastova in the Second round of the Italian Open 2021. Pliskova is currently the World no.9 on the WTA rankings and Sevastova is the World no.47.  

Match Details

  • Tournament: WTA Italian Open
  • Match: Karolina Pliskova vs Anastasija Sevastova
  • Round: Second Round
  • Date: 12th May, 2021
  • Prize Money: €10,726
  • Venue: Rome, Italy
  • Surface: Clay Court

Karolina Pliskova vs Anastasija Sevastova: Match Preview

Karolina Pliskova
Karolina Pliskova

Life for Karolina Pliskova in 2021 has been a struggle on the court. A change in surface though brought some much needed relief for her. Playing her first tournament on clay this year, the Stuttgart Open, Karolina made it to the Quarter-final of the event. In the Quarters she was taken down by Ash Barty, the eventual winner of the tournament. At Madrid Open though her luck ran out as she faced a second round exit at the hands of Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Pliskova had a bye in the first round.

Her opponent in the first round in Rome is Anastasija Sevastova. Sevastova has in the past ranked as high as No.11 in the World. This thirty one year old from Latvia has made a decent start to life on clay. She came through the Qualifiers to reach the round of sixteen at the Madrid Open. At Rome, in the first round,  she took out Jil Teichmann in three sets 3-6 6-1 6-3. 

FS Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gnmyQ2BS7o

Karolina Pliskova vs Anastasija Sevastova: Head-to-Head

Anastasija Sevastova
Anastasija Sevastova

These two players have faced each other four times in the past and the head to head is 2-2. The last encounter between the two was on the hardcourts of Dubai which Pliskova won in three sets 6-3 6-7 6-2. 

Karolina Pliskova vs Anastasija Sevastova: Prediction

Karolina Pliskova
Karolina Pliskova

Pliskova has lost to Sevastova on clay before, 2017 Madrid, and runs a real risk of losing this match too unless she plays as well as she can. When she plays her best tennis, Pliskova serves aces at will. In Stuttgart she served 21 aces in a match against Ostapenko.

Sevastova is slowly becoming a regular on tour again after missing a huge chunk of 2020 due to Covid, and is not yet back to her best. This will be a gripping match of tennis, and can go either way. But Pliskova remains the slight favourite.  

Match Prediction: Karolina Pliskova will beat Anastasija Sevastova in three sets. 

Also Read: ‘I would cry for no reason’: Sania Mirza on her battle with depression after missing out on the 2008 Olympic Games