Pliskova

In a Round of 16 match, Karolina Pliskova overcame Victoria Azarenka at the US Open. Pliskova will next meet Aryna Sabalenka, who steered past Danielle ...

She also needed a medical timeout in the second set to address a left leg issue. Her ability to put the mistakes behind her has made her a dangerous and unpredictable opponent. She lost just two more games in the match. In the second set, Sabalenka dug in. After two grueling sets, the first serve was a major factor in helping Pliskova sail through the third. She lost only two games to Clara Burel in the third round. Sabalenka nearly had her plane ticket booked out of New York in the second round. In the final set, the Czech won 23 of her 27 first-serve points (85 percent) and never faced a break point. Even with improved defense and more margin, Pliskova is still going to achieve the most when her first serve is clicking. That paid dividends in the first set, where she came back from a break down and saved two set points. From 2016 to the present, Pliskova has reached the US Open quarterfinals or better five times, with a 26-6 win-loss. Azarenka has a strong record at the US Open, but Pliskova is becoming a top performer in New York as well.