Australian Open 2019, Quarterfinal: Serena Williams vs Karolina Pliskova: Preview and Prediction

Twenty-three time Grand Slam singles champion Serena Williams takes on former world number one Karolina Pliskova in a high-voltage quarter-final clash at the Australian Open.

Surprisingly, they have played against each other only three times, with Serena edging the head to head record 2-1. Their two most recent encounters have come at the US Open. In the 2016 US Open semi-final, it was Pliskova who handed Serena a straight sets-defeat in front of a stunned home crowd. Serena avenged that loss with a straight-sets win of her own in last year’s US Open quarter-final.

Serena is coming off a three-set thriller against the world number one, Simona Halep. After cruising through the first set, she faced her first real resistance in four matches, when Halep brought her A-game to the fore.

2019 Australian Open - Day 8

Having lost the second set against Halep, her first in the tournament, Serena was put under immense pressure. Her most trusted weapon, her big booming serve, started failing her and the unforced error counts began rising.

But the great champion that she is, she withstood the challenges posed by Halep in the early stages of the deciding set, saved a few break points, and then broke Halep. That crucial phase of the match showcases how Serena is not just about power and speed, but also grit and determination.

But she would certainly hope to improve on her low first serve percentage against a player who seems to be playing the best tennis of her life. Pliskova is on a nine-match winning streak, after coming to the Australian Open on the back of a title-winning run at Brisbane International.

The Czech player will present a different challenge to the one Halep presented to Serena. Pliskova’s return game may not be as good as Halep’s but her serves are much better and if she is in a good rhythm, breaking her will be a Herculean task even for Serena.

Instead of her usual aggressive returns, Serena should consider keeping the ball in play while returning the first serves, because once they engage in trading groundstrokes, Serena is expected to enjoy an upper hand. However, she can afford to attack Pliskova’s second serves.

2019 Australian Open - Day 8

As for Pliskova, she is certainly high on confidence after her recent winning streak, and especially after the way she decimated Garbine Muguruza in her fourth-round match. She has the power and speed to trouble anyone, including Serena.

However, since she tends to hit flat, she is prone to making many unforced errors when the match gets tight. She will have to ensure that Serena does not get off to a flying start, the way she has done in all her matches so far.

Prediction: Serena Williams to win in three sets.