Wimbledon 2021: Karolina Pliskova vs Donna Vekic preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: (8) Karolina Pliskova vs Donna Vekic

Date: 30 June 2021

Tournament: The Championships, Wimbledon

Round: Second round (Round of 64)

Venue: London, Great Britain

Category: Grand Slam

Surface: Grass

Prize money: £17,066,000

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | UK - BBC TV & Radio | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP

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Karolina Pliskova vs Donna Vekic preview

Eighth seed Karolina Pliskova will look to secure a spot in the third round of Wimbledon for the third straight time when she meets World No. 49 Donna Vekic on Wednesday.

Former World No. 1 Pliskova has struggled for form this season. She holds a shabby 16-12 win-loss record, with her best performance coming on the claycourts of Rome, where she made the final.

Now languishing at No. 13 in the world, Pliskova had a disastrous tune-up to Wimbledon, losing her openers at Berlin and Eastbourne.

But Pliskova seems to have found some confidence at SW19, putting in a solid performance in the first round against Tamara Zidansek on Tuesday. With 10 aces, the Czech powered her way to a 7-5, 6-4 victory over the French Open semifinalist.

Donna Vekic

Donna Vekic, meanwhile, made a dazzling run to the fourth round of the Australian Open but failed to build on that result as she had to undergo knee surgery shortly after.

She made her comeback at Roland Garros, where she succumbed to Pliskova in the first round. With the tour switching to grass, the Croat gradually began finding her range on a surface where she has won a title in the past.

Vekic made it to the quarterfinals in Birmingham before heading to London with renewed vigor and confidence. The 25-year-old kickstarted her Wimbledon challenge on Tuesday with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Anastasia Potapova.

Karolina Pliskova vs Donna Vekic head-to-head

Karolina Pliskova leads Donna Vekic 4-1 in the head-to-head. Vekic's only win came in their first-ever meeting at the US Open in 2012. Since then the Czech has dominated the rivalry, winning four consecutive matches, including at Roland Garros last month.

Karolina Pliskova vs Donna Vekic prediction

Karolina Pliskova

With both players comfortable on grass, this match has all the makings of a classic. Pliskova hasn't enjoyed the best lead-up to Wimbledon but a return to the grasscourt Major could be just what the doctor ordered.

Her serve is crucial to her success and it was a shot that worked well in the first round. Pliskova not only thundered 10 aces past Zidansek but also won 82% of her first-serve points. The 29-year-old was also very sharp on return, converting all three of her break points.

That should stand Pliskova in good stead ahead of her second-round meeting with Vekic. The Croat is an aggressive baseliner who likes to dictate play with her flat forehands. Her speed and footwork are also assets on grass.

However, her serve tends to be inconsistent. She produced two aces against Potapova in the first round but those were offset by four double faults.

For Pliskova to win this match, she must ensure that her serve and return work in tandem as Vekic won't hesitate to pounce on any slip up from the Czech.

That said, Pliskova has had the upperhand in this rivalry and should be able to come through even if the match goes the distance.

Prediction: Karolina Pliskova to win in three sets.