Ekaterina Alexandrova and Karolina Pliskova are set to face each other in the Linz tournament. Pliskova played her first match in nearly two months in the previous round, triumphing against Aliaksandra Sasnovich.
Pliskova’s Return and Alexandrova’s Challenge
Pliskova’s game shares similarities with Alexandrova’s in terms of how hard and flat she hits the ball. While Pliskova was impressive in her previous match, defeating Alexandrova may prove a step too far so soon after returning from another injury issue.
Head-to-Head Record
The head-to-head record between Pliskova and Alexandrova stands at 2-2. Both women will be aiming for a place in the quarterfinals.
Other Matches in the Tournament
Other matches in the tournament include Vekic vs Kalinina. Seeing a player of Vekic’s caliber in qualifying at tournaments remains strange, but her determination to rise again is admirable. However, the Olympic Silver Medalist may be defeated here.
Clay is Kalinina’s best surface, and it gives her the best chance to expose Vekic’s movement in rallies. Tagger registered an impressive opening round triumph over Paula Badosa, while Samsonova has yet to play as the No. 3 seed. 18-year-old Tagger has a game that could disrupt Samsonova because of her athleticism and ability to stay in points.
Samsonova’s power may ultimately prove decisive, but a hard-fought battle is expected between these two. Korpatsch is also set to face Potapova. This has the potential to be a lengthy match, even if it is not decided in the deciding set.
Neither woman strikes the ball with much power, creating a reliance on being consistent. Korpatsch possesses more variety, but Potapova is harder to hit through. On a clay court, Potapova may grind out a victory.
The tournament in Linz has seen great action so far. Four more Round of 16 matches will be played. It remains to be seen which players will reach the quarterfinals.