World number 58, Heather Watson of Great Britain. will be up against Kristyna Pliskova of the Czech Republic, ranked 70, in the opening round of the 2021 Australian Open on Monday, February 8, with the match likely to begin at around 1 pm local time (4 am Eastern Time). Get the live streaming options of this Heather Watson v Kristyna Pliskova match along with its preview, head to head, and tips here.
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Heather Watson v Kristyna Pliskova Head to Head
They have played each other three times before, with Watson leading their head-to-head series by two matches to one. Most recently the pair met at this same stage last year, and Watson won that match in three sets.
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British Number Two Watson Looking for Consistency
Watson is the British number two and a Grand Slam winner in her own right, having clinched the Mixed Doubles title at Wimbledon in 2016.
In terms of singles, she won the US Open title as a junior in 2009 but has struggled to reproduce that form on the senior WTA tour, and has never been beyond the third round of a Grand Slam event.
2020 began well for the Channel Islander, and she won her fourth WTA title in Acapulco, beating the qualifier Leylah Annie Fernandez in the title. That win propelled her back into the top 50 for the first time since 2016, but a disappointing end of the season saw her slip back again.
So far in 2021 she has played three competitive matches. She beat compatriot Jodie Anna Burridge in Abu Dhabi, but then was beaten by the Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova in three sets.
Earlier this week, another Russian, Veronika Kudermetova, knocked her out of the Grampians Trophy at the first time of asking.
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Pliskova Overshadowed by Twin Sister
Kristyna is the lesser known and lower ranked of the Pliskova sisters, with Karolina attracting most of the headlines.
Despite this, Kristyna has achieved success in her own right. She won the Tashkent Open in 2016, and reached the final of the Prague Open the following year. She has also won five doubles’ titles.
Like Watson, she has never been beyond the third round of a Grand Slam tournament. Her best performance in 2020 came in her own backyard in Prague where she reached the semi-finals before losing to Elise Mertens of Belgium,
However, she only won one more match after that with her last appearance of the year also coming on home soil in Ostrava, and another first-round loss.
She made her competitive 2021 debut in the Yarra Valley Open but was beaten in three sets by the Russian Vera Zvonareva.
Watson v Pliskova Prediction and Tip
This is a rematch of their first round match of a year ago, and a similar outcome is predicted, Watson winning. That went to three sets, and it would not be a surprise if this encounter were to follow a similar pattern.
Tip: Watson to win: 2/5 (bet365)
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The 2021 Australian Open will be played from February 8 to 21. You can watch & bet on these matches here. Get your latest premium tennis predictions here.
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