tennis | Monday, September 5, 2022 9:05 AM

Monday Tennis Best Bet: US Open Women, Victoria Azarenka vs Karolina Pliskova

Jon Reid

Victoria Azarenka vs Karolina Pliskova Best Bet: Monday, September 5th

As one would expect for a grand slam event on quicker courts, the final 16 of the women’s draw at the U.S. Open features plenty of big hitting and strong serving women.

From Caroline Garcia, to Iga Swiatek, to Liudmilla Samsonova, the first week from New York City certainly rewarded an aggressive, big-hitting game style.

Monday’s selection from the women’s action features two more names that fit that profile in Victoria Azarenka and Karolina Pliskova.

In this article:

Victoria Azarenka vs Karolina Pliskova Preview
Victoria Azarenka vs Karolina Pliskova Best Bet

Victoria Azarenka vs Karolina Pliskova Preview

September 5th, 19:30 UK Time

With the season shifting back to quicker courts, Pliskova appears to be right back at home. The Czech had an incredibly impressive run in Toronto that culminated in a tough straight-sets loss to Beatriz Haddad Maia, before bowing out of Cincinnati in relatively disappointing fashion.

Her run through three rounds in New York has been incredibly strong, though, with this being a second strong result in a string of three higher-level tournaments.

Pliskova dispatched an incredibly tough and consistent Marie Bouzkova with relative ease in the second round, and then came back from a set and break down against Belinda Bencic – a tough opponent for her game style, considering how early she takes the ball from the baseline and her preference for quick courts – to reach the second week.

Now playing Azarenka, Pliskova should feel much more confident. Unlike Bouzkova, Azarenka isn’t the pinnacle of athleticism and consistency from the baseline. She isn’t someone who can take time away by striking the ball early like Bencic, either.

In fact, Pliskova is playing someone with a very similar style to her own, but without the results that the 30-year-old from the Czech Republic over the past few years.

This should be a favourable matchup for Pliskova and she’ll likely be disappointed if she isn’t in the quarterfinals once again in 2022.

Victoria Azarenka vs Karolina Pliskova Best Bet

Considering Azarenka’s dropoff from her peak about a decade ago and relatively one-dimensional game, along with Pliskova’s strong form this summer, battle-tested route to the fourth round and success at the venue (she was a quarterfinalist just last season), I’m more than willing to back her in a matchup the betting markets and bookmakers have deemed a toss up.