Nel tennis c'è chi serve 23 doppi falli in un match, e c'è chi serve 15 aces, fra i quali quattro consecutivi in un solo game, quello che nel terzo set le consegna la vittoria per 6/0 su Carla Suarez Navarro (quattro servizi, quattro aces). Meditate, gente, meditate... Oui, je suis Karolina...
Golden Game Sends Pliskova Into SFs - Karolina Pliskova outdid Carla Suárez Navarro to reach the Apia International Sydney semifinals. She hit 15 aces - including a game full of them to close the match out (Fonte: wtatennis.com)
Pliskova, who had never even been to the quarterfinals of a Premier-level event before this week, struggled early on against the higher-ranked Suárez Navarro, dropping serve to lose the first set and coming within three games of defeat as the Spanish No.1 hung on to build a 6-4, 3-2 lead. But the match turned on a dime from there as Pliskova began powering through Suárez Navarro's defense more and more effectively, the Czech winning 10 of the next 11 games to wrap up victory.
And as if Pliskova's 15 aces in the match weren't amazing enough, the way she served out the match was even better - she blasted four aces in a row, which WTA fans named a 'golden game' last summer.
Pliskova's breakthrough beginning to 2015 follows a breakthrough 2014 season that saw her go from No.71 at the start of the year all the way to No.24 by year-end. She won two WTA titles at Seoul (beating Varvara Lepchenko in the final) and Linz (beating Camila Giorgi in the final) and reached another three finals at Pattaya City (losing to Ekaterina Makarova), Nürnberg (losing to Eugenie Bouchard) and Hong Kong (losing to Sabine Lisicki). She also claimed three WTA doubles titles. Perhaps the biggest weapon in the Czech's arsenal is her serve - in 2014 she hit a total of 432 aces, second only on the tour behind the World No.1, Serena Williams, who hit 452 of them.
The Czech was asked about her rapid rise and what she attributes it to. "I've improved my movement on the court and my serve as well, and I'm more solid than I was aside from the serve, so overall I'm a better player and can beat the top players," Pliskova said. "Whoever my next opponent is it'll be a tough match, though. I'll have to be ready." Pliskova has a chance of breaking the Top 20 this week, depending on other players' results.
Watch highlights, interviews and more video from Sydney right here on wtatennis.com!
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