The Czech Republic v Romania fixture of the 2019 Fed Cup World Group will feature the World No. 3 Simona Halep against the World No. 5 Karolina Pliskova on Sunday in Ostrava. The match will start at 1:00 pm local time (12: 00 pm BST).
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Simona Halep v Karolina Pliskova Head to Head
Being two of the best players in the world, Halep and Pliskova have often met each other at the highest level. They have met a total of eight times on the WTA Tour and the Romanian currently leads by 6-2.
The two ladies last played each other in the 2018 Madrid Masters, where it was Pliskova who won in straight sets to get her second win over Halep.
Pliskova Looking to Maintain her Momentum
So far in 2019, Pliskova has lost only one match – the semifinal of the Australian Open against Naomi Osaka. Before that, she won the Brisbane International, lifting her first singles trophy of the career.
In Ostrava, she guided her nation to the first win of the fixture by defeated Mihaela Buzarnescu 6-1, 6-4. Pliskova, who won the Fed Cup with her team back in 2015 and 2016, has been absolutely phenomenal this year. She is building her season on the back of a splendid performance in 2018.
Last year, she won the Stuttgart Open and Pan Pacific Open and was also a runner-up in Tianjin. She also qualified for the WTA Finals but lost in the semis to Sloane Stephens.
Halep’s Uneventful Start to the Year
The Romanian started the year without a coach to see how she would fare on the tour. Much to her disappointment, she couldn’t play well and consequently, she lost her No. 1 spot to Osaka.
She started the season in Sydney where she succumbed to Ashleigh Barty in the second round. As for her run in Melbourne, it was halted in the fourth round by Serena Williams. To make amends for her mistakes, Halep has now appointed Thierry Van Cleemput as her new coach.
However, Romanian No. 1 hasn’t let that impact her performance in the Fed Cup. After her side lost the first rubber, she fought back and defeated Katerina Siniakova in straight sets to make the score 1-1. Needless to mention, her match against Pliskova will be a crucial one.
Pliskova v Halep Prediction and Tips
This fixture is incredibly close to call. Both the players are highly experienced and formidable. However, Halep, owing to her ranking and the head-to-head tally with the Czech, will start as the favourite at 5/6 (bet365) . Interestingly, the same odds are offered for Pliskova as well, making this an evenly matched encounter.
You can watch & bet on Simona Halep v Karolina Pliskova here on Sunday, February 10. The match will start at 1:00 pm local time (12:00 pm BST).
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