Strapping on her left thigh failed to hinder Karolina Pliskova as she muscled her way past Daria Gavrilova 6-3, 6-3, in the fourth round of the Australian Open.
Tipped by many as a contender for the Melbourne title, the fifth seed was eager to regain some momentum in her form after surviving a two-hour battle against Jelena Ostapenko in the previous round.
Facing home player Gavrilova on the Rod Laver Arena, Pliskova capitalized on the inconsistent play of her rival. Gavrilova’s serve proved to be a hindrance during stages of the match, allowing Pliskova to have 14 break point chances (five of which she converted).
The power and intensity of Pliskova’s groundstrokes was also on full display as she bullied her rival around the court with the help of 27 winners. The proceedings wasn’t entirely one-sided throughout the match as a fired-up Gavrilova tried to encourage herself with shouts of ‘come on’. The admirable approach rewarded her a break at the start of the second set before Pliskova swiftly hit back in the following game on route to her comprehensive 75-minute victory.
Pliskova’s latest win has elevated her to her best ever performance at the Melbourne tournament. Targeting a second consecutive final appearance in a major tournament, the Czech is quietly confident about her chances.
“I definitely have confidence. I came from Brisbane feeling great, so I’m playing some good tennis here (in Melbourne).” She said during her on-court interview.
“I’m so excited to be in my first quarter-final (at the Australian Open). Today it was really tough playing an Australian girl. It’s never easy, so I was just trying to stay (in contention), fight until the last point.”
Since her last appearance in Melbourne, the Czech has reached five WTA finals (winning three titles) and is now at a ranking high of fifth in the world. Speaking about her development over the past 12 months, the 24-year-old stated that things are starting ‘to go her own way’.
“I think I’ve improved a little bit of everything. A lot of things have happened since I was in the final at the US Open. I’m feeling confident, much better feeling playing in grand slams than before. Everything’s going my way now, so I’m happy to be here in the quarterfinals.” Pliskova explained.
In the last eight, Pliskova will face Mirjana Lucic-Baroni. The veteran player last reached the quarterfinals of a major when Pliskova was seven-years-old in 1999. Nevertheless, the Czech is taking nothing for granted.
“We have played a few times, so I definitely think it’s going to be a big match. She is hitting pretty big from the baseline and is serving well. So it’s going to be very quick. I have to be aggressive.” she said about the upcoming match.
Pliskova played Lucic-Baroni three times in 2015, winning twice in Wuhan and Antwerp.
