'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Match Details
Fixture: (WC) Garbine Muguruza vs Karolina Pliskova
Date: February 7, 2023
Tournament: Abu Dhabi Open 2023
Round: First Round (Round of 32)
Venue: Zayed Sports City International Tennis Centre, Abu Dhabi
Category: WTA 500
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt
Prize money: $780,637
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Garbine Muguruza vs Karolina Pliskova preview
Two-time Major champion Garbine Muguruza will take on former World No. 1 Karolina Pliskova in the first round of the 2023 Abu Dhabi Open on Tuesday.
Trending
After a stellar 2021 season, Muguruza was unable to replicate similar results in 2022, finishing with a 12-17 record. Her woes have continued this year as well, with the Spaniard failing to register a single victory so far.
Muguruza started the new season by competing in a couple of WTA 500 tournaments in Adelaide. She lost in the first round to Bianca Andreescu and Belinda Bencic. The 29-year-old faced Elise Mertens in the opening round of the Australian Open, but lost to her in three sets.
Muguruza then participated in last week's Lyon Open and was drawn against rising teen star Linda Noskova in the first round. The Spaniard dropped the opening set rather quickly, but took a 3-0 lead in the second. However, she went on to lose the match in straight sets.
Pliskova started 2023 on a losing note, going down to Jelena Ostapenko in the first round of the Adelaide International 1. She then competed in the Adelaide International 2 the following week and won both of her qualifying matches. However, Danielle Collins defeated the Czech in the first round of the main draw.
Expectations weren't high from Pliskova at the Australian Open, but she managed to find her groove in Melbourne. She made it all the way to the quarterfinals, her 11th at the Majors. The 30-year-old then lost to Magda Linette in straight sets.
Garbine Muguruza vs Karolina Pliskova head-to-head
The two are familiar rivals, having faced off 11 times before this. Pliskova leads Muguruza 9-2 in the head-to-head. She won their previous encounter at the 2021 WTA Finals in three sets.
Garbine Muguruza vs Karolina Pliskova odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Garbine Muguruza vs Karolina Pliskova prediction
Muguruza is a shadow of her former self these days. Her game fails to pack a punch and even if she has a healthy lead, she has been unable to close out matches. The Spaniard is also a step slower around the court.
Pliskova started the year on a disappointing note, but will be feeling confident following her run in Melbourne. She's still a bit inconsistent, and her serve, which was her best weapon, has deteriorated slightly. But her groundstrokes remain fairly solid and that should be enough against her next opponent at the very least.
The Spaniard has bounced back from adversity plenty of times and with a little less pressure as the underdog, she might score her first win of the year. However, given Pliskova's winning record against Muguruza, coupled with the latter's losing streak, the Czech should win this encounter with ease.
Pick: Karolina Pliskova to win in straight sets.
