TENNIS WTA LINZ – Karolina Pliskova conquered her second title of the year by defeating Camila Giorgi in the WTA Linz’s final 6-7 (4) 6-3 7-6 (4). From Linz, Giulio Gasparin
Karolina Pliskova’s post match press conference
It was a terrific afternoon of high quality tennis and sports tension in Linz, where two rising players faced each other at the best of their qualities for almost two hours and a half, before one of them could lift the crystal lion reserved for the winner.
Despite the support of the crowd had gone in favour of the Italian, it was the Czech player to take the victory in a nerve wrecking finale.
In the first set, Giorgi looked to be in full control of the match, she served well and, most of all, showed great improvements in the way she handled tactically the game of her opponent. However, she was the first one to be broken.
It looked like a mere incident, as she managed to regain the break back and barely lost any point behind her serve until she closed the set in a one sided tiebreak.
The Italian was not able to carry her massive display of power onto the second set, instead she suffered a little drop in her level of game, which allowed Pliskova back in the match.
The Czech took her chance and started to serve better, as well as returning better and finding deeper shots limiting the errors.
With ease, she found herself 4-0 up and the reaction from the Italian came too late to bother her taking the second set, becoming the first player this week to win a set off the world number 42.
In the third set, Giorgi started by saving a serving game where she faced two break points, while Pliskova needed the trainer to put a tape on her upper left thigh.
Despite looking quite in pain, the Czech managed to find a solid streak of great serves and solid returns, whereas the Italian became slightly more erratic.
On 5-1 in favour of the seventh seed, the match appeared to be over, but it was not. On the contrary, Giorgi uppered her level of game, hitting a terrific amount of flashing winners, which mined Pliskova’s confidence.
All of a sudden, the parts were flipped and, after twice failing to serve for the match, the Czech was forced to hold if she wanted to reach the tiebreak. It was a very nervous game from both players, in which Giorgi had a chance to close the match, which vanished with a netted backhand.
As Pliskova will have said during her press conference, she thought: “I will lose and I will go and cry somewhere.”
But that did not happen, and maybe relieved by the gift of her opponent, she managed to find a last push in the final tiebreak, which allowed her to capture the second title of the year. It was also her second title at the WTA Linz, after the one she won in doubles last year.
Pliskova will hence rise to a career best ranking of 27 and has a shot for going higher next week in Moscow.
