Eastbourne 2022: Karolina Pliskova vs Katie Boulter preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick | Rothesay International
Match Details
Fixture: (4) Karolina Pliskova vs Katie Boulter
Date: June 21, 2022
Tournament: Eastbourne 2022
Round: Second round (round of 32)
Venue: Eastbourne, United Kingdom
Category: WTA 500
Surface: Grass
Prize money: $757,900
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Karolina Pliskova vs Katie Boulter preview
Fourth seed Karolina Pliskova will square off against Katie Boulter in the first round of the Eastbourne International on Tuesday.
Pliskova had to miss a few tournaments at the start of the season due to a hand injury. The 30-year old returned to tour at Indian Wells in March and has won eight out of 17 matches since, with a run to the semifinals of Internationaux de Strasbourg being her best result.
The Czech will be entering Eastbourne on the back of a quarterfinal run at the bett1open, where she was outwitted by French Open finalist Coco Gauff in straight sets 7-5, 6-4.
The World No. 7 squandered four set-points to gain the advantage in the opening hour of tennis and even led the second set 2-0, but couldn't capitalize on her opportunities against Gauff in Berlin.
Pliskova has lost four WTA finals since her title-winning campaign at the 2020 Brisbane International.
Meanwhile, Katie Boulter is coming off a second-round exit at the Nottingham Open and a run to the quarterfinals of the Birmingham Classic, where she was ousted by 2019 Wimbledon champion Simona Halep in straight sets.
The Brit has only played eight matches this season and has a 50 percent success ratio. She may not have made an impact on the main tour yet, but is a regular on the ITF circuit and has won the W60 Grenoble event this year.
Boulter has moved up to 224 places in the WTA rankings since 2020. She's achieved 447 points and is the new World No. 141 as of 13 June 2022.
Karolina Pliskova vs Katie Boulter head-to-head
Boulter leads the head-to-head 1-0 against Pliskova. She defeated the Czech at the 2021 Miami Open 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Karolina Pliskova vs Katie Boulter odds
All odds are sourced by BetMGM.
Karolina Pliskova vs Katie Boulter prediction
Pliskova has been grinding it out on the tennis court since her return, showing glimpses of her best form, which came in 2019 when she won four WTA titles. The former World No.1 will want to play as many matches as possible in the build-up to the Wimbledon Championships.
Even though Pliskova ended up on the losing side, she had a lot of positives to take from the match against Gauff. The Czech won 62 percent of her first serve points and saved five out of nine break-points. She uses her height to great advantage and has a towering serve which has always caused problems for her opponents. She is aggressive and has the ability to hit the ball flat and hard off both wings.
Boulter won 60 percent of her first serve points and saved 5 out of 10 break points against Halep. The 25-year old also plays an offensive brand of tennis and is known for her athletic abilities on the court. She led the match against current World No. 5 Aryna Sabalenka at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships but couldn't hold her nerve to seal the win and secure a place in the third round. Boulter will be wanting to prepare well and gain some confidence before the 2022 edition.
Last year's runner-up at the SW19 will be the favourite to win this match. The fourth seed has a 68 percent win ratio on grass and is close to getting back to her best form. Boulter will present a decent test but Pliskova shouldn't have too many problems getting past the Brit to secure a place in the third round of the Rothesay International.
Pick: Pliskova to win in straight sets.