US Open 2022: Aryna Sabalenka vs Karolina Pliskova preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (6) Aryna Sabalenka vs (22) Karolina Pliskova.
Date: September 7, 2022.
Tournament: US Open 2022.
Round: Quarterfinals.
Venue: New York, United States.
Category: Grand Slam.
Surface: Hard.
Prize money: $60,102,000.
Live telecast: USA - ESPN & ESPN2 | Canada - TSN | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Sony Liv, Sony Ten & Sony Six.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Karolina Pliskova preview
Sixth seed Aryna Sabalenka will square off against 22nd seed Karolina Pliskova in a blockbuster quarterfinal at the US Open 2022 on Wednesday.
After reaching two Grand Slam semifinals last year, Sabalenka's season has been mediocre by her lofty standards. This is the first time she has made it to the last eight of a Major this year.
Her Australian Open and French Open campaigns ended in the Round of 16 and the third round, respectively. The Belarusian wasn't allowed to play at Wimbledon due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Other than these, her most notable performances in 2022 include runner-up finishes in Stuttgart and Den Bosch. She also made the semifinals in Rome and Cincinnati, and pieced together a couple of quarterfinal runs in Doha and San Jose.
🐯💪🔥
Sabalenka soars into the quarterfinals for the second straight #USOpen https://t.co/h35vGzlfH1
At the ongoing US Open, the 2021 semifinalist's level has been constantly fluctating but her fighting spirit has been outstanding. She has won two of her four matches in straight sets, while dropping a set against each of Kaia Kanepi in the second round and Danielle Collins in the Round of 16.
Her comeback against Kanepi was particularly phenomenal as she had to save a couple of match points and make her way back from a set and 5-1 down.
Former World No. 1 Karolina Pliskova, meanwhile, had a tough start to the year, with a freak hand injury in the gym putting her out of action for the first couple of months.
Her comeback wasn't great initially but the Czech has gradually gained in confidence with every passing week. She has made the semifinals in Strasbourg as well as Toronto, and the quarterfinals in Berlin this season.
The 2016 runner-up hasn't been at her flawless best at the US Open but has managed to find the extra push to wriggle herself out of tight matches. Pliskova has conceded a set against each of Magda Linette, Belinda Bencic and Victoria Azarenka, with her only straight-sets victory coming against Marie Bouzkova.
With wins over multiple high-quality opponents, Pliskova will be highly motivated to get the better of Aryna Sabalenka in their upcoming last-eight contest.
KAJO 🇨🇿💜
@KaPliskova fends off a tough test from Azarenka to slot into the QF's. Faces the winner of Collins vs. Sabalenka next.
#USOpen https://t.co/YNNmnHd6Hv
Aryna Sabalenka vs Karolina Pliskova head-to-head
Aryna Sabalenka and Karolina Pliskova are tied at 2-2 in the head-to-head. Sabalenka won their first couple of meetings at Eastbourne and Cincinnati in 2018. Pliskova then turned the tables on her in their two most recent showdowns at Wimbledon and Montreal last year.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Karolina Pliskova odds
(All odds sourced from Oddschecker)
Aryna Sabalenka vs Karolina Pliskova prediction
Both Pliskova and Sabalenka have had to work extra hard to reach this stage. However, the Czech's comfort level on these courts gives her a slight advantage in their upcoming clash.
Pliskova has now made it to the US Open quarterfinals or better five times since 2016. Her three-set win over Azarenka in the Round of 16 helped her enter the 10th Major quarterfinal of her career.
is a thing.
Pliskova into the Elite 🎱 is a thing. https://t.co/9JFEYRbKtT
Pliskova's serve and smooth hitting are tailor-made for the fast courts at Flushing Meadows. She has also managed to contain her aggression, as evidenced by the 53 winners she struck in her 7-5, 6-7 (5), 6-2 win over Azarenka to just 36 unforced errors. Pliskova has also struck 35 aces in her four rounds so far.
Sabalenka, on the other hand, has shown tremendous guts and resilience to make it this far. Although her serve has continued to remain wobbly, due to which she has coughed up 25 double faults, her uber-aggressive return has stood out. The Belarusian has manufactured 23 breaks of serve, which has been the foundation of her wins so far.
However, Sabalenka will now come up against an opponent who is known for her big serve and might not find it easy to break it down. Her fitness also remains a concern as she needed a medical timeout to treat a left leg issue in her fourth-round match.
If Pliskova doesn't feel the effects of her long three-set matches in New York, she definitely has a solid chance of making it past Sabalenka and into the semifinals.
Pick: Karolina Pliskova to win in three sets.
Also Checkout:- US Open 2022 Results