Karolina Pliskova and Belinda Bencic will go head to head in the quarterfinal of the Indian Wells Open on Thursday, in what is set to be an action-packed encounter. The match will be played on March 14 and it will kick-start at 11 am local time (7 pm BST). Get Karolina Pliskova v Belinda Bencic live streaming options here.
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Karolina Pliskova v Bencic Bencic Head to Head
This will be the first time that the two ladies will face each other on the tour.
A Similar Run for Pliskova and Bencic
Pliskova and Bencic headed into the BNP Paribas Open with very similar win-loss tallies – 13/3 and 14/3 respectively. The two ladies have also won a title each two and a half months into the season and have been highly methodical and clinical in their plays.
On one hand, Pliskova won the tournament in Brisbane at the start of the year and followed it with a semifinal run in the Australian Open. In the latter, she delivered some of the best performances of her career, particularly against Serena Williams. In that classic three-set affair, she saved multiple match points to reach the next round.
After that, the Czech incurred a couple of defeats on the tour – most notably against Simona Halep in the Fed Cup and in the quarterfinal of WTA Dubai to Su-Wei Hsieh.
As for Bencic, she had a pretty opposite start to the year. Barring a semifinal run in Hobart, she lost early in Melbourne and St. Petersburg. It wasn’t until she played in Dubai where she really hit the mark.
She won that Premier 5 event and got herself a step closer to the top 20 after defeating Aryna Sabalenka, Halep, Elina Svitolina, and Petra Kvitova.
But will Experience Matter Here?
In the long run of things, Pliskova is certainly far more experienced and consistent than Bencic in many aspects. Last season, the number 5 seed won titles in Stuttgart and Tokyo, along with reaching the final in Tianjin. She has also been a part of the top 10 since 2016.
Meanwhile, Bencic started on a high note and made an early debut in the top 10 when she was still in her late teens. However, she soon lost her form and owing to injuries, she had to start her climb once again from the back.
It wasn’t until the second half of the previous season that she returned to the top 50 – courtesy of a fourth-round run in the Wimbledon and a runner-up feat in the Luxembourg Open. At the same time, given that she is just 22 right now, she has done an astounding job than most veteran players already.
In Indian Wells, Pliskova has had a rather easy route to the quarterfinal, moving past the likes of Misaki Doi, Ysaline Bonaventure, and Anett Kontaveit. Bencic too has enjoyed a comfortable run – more so in her match against the defending champion, the World No. 1 Naomi Osaka. She sent the Japanese packing with 6-3, 6-1.
Pliskova v Bencic Predictions & Tips
This is a fixture that is too close to call and can very well go either way. Against Osaka, Bencic maintained her first service win-rate at 82% – a common denominator in all her big wins. Pliskova, meanwhile, relied on her shot placement and ability to cover the court with finesse.
We have a good match at our hands here and it wouldn’t be surprising if this goes to three sets.
Tip: Three sets in the match: (bet365)
You can watch & bet on Karolina Pliskova v Belinda Bencic on Thursday, March 14 here .
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