Karolína Plíšková (6)
-Czechia
-30 years old
-World number seven
Intro and last year
Last year’s runner up Karolína Plíšková has been described as one the best players to never win a slam. She made her second ever grand slam final at last year’s Wimbledon, losing to the super Ash Barty. Along the way she beat the world number two at the time.
At 30 years old, Plíšková is in the latter half of her career, and time is running out to become a slam winner. She might stand her best chance here at Wimbledon, but have we already seen the best of her?
History at the event
Last year, Plíšková made the final, but that was the first time she had been beyond the fourth round. She has slowly made an upward trend over her nine entrances to the main draw of Wimbledon, never doing worse than the year before, doing this in 2022 would require a victory.
Her record at Wimbledon is 17-9, 65% win rate.
This season
Plíšková missed the Australian Open and its build up events due to a hand injury. She then had a poor clay swing as a combination of poor form and the French Open being her worst slam.
Her best result was a semifinal in the recent Strasbourg 250, where she lost to Kaja Juvan.
Plíšková has won eight matches out of 16 this year.
Build up and form
The Czech’s best result occurred just before the French Open, which gives some indication of hope, but the rest of the season she has been in poor form, dropping from world number four to world number seven.
She has won her first two grasscourt matches this year, in the German Open, she has beaten Kanepi and Andreescu.
Positives
Plíšková is effective on grass, with her power and strong serving. She is a former world number one and cannot be counted out. She’s also started well in Germany.
Negatives
She is inconsistent, and may be past her best in 2019, achieving no titles or finals so far this year. Plíšková has a 50% record in career finals, and 0% in slams. Even at her best she has poor movement, and this season hasn’t seen her in good form yet.
Expectations
To get a more accurate prediction, you’ll have to watch the German Open, but Plíšková is equally capable of a final and a first round exit, though the latter is more likely. Whatever the result, she is surely worth watching.
Best expected: F
Expected: 2nd round
Worst expected: 1st round
