The prediction that this tournament would be all about the Pliskova sisters has come true and they meet in the final today.
Kristyna Pliskova had to save match point in the semi final, but battled through to face her sister in what is expected to be a very close final.
Kristyna Pliskova versus
Karolina Pliskova will take place today for the sixth time on the challenger circuit though I daresay they have faced off many more times. I don't know the stat for their all time head to head, but on the challenger tour, Karolina leads 3-2. Only one of those matches has gone to three sets, but then that was also the only final that the two have playedagainst one another; the 2010 Kurume 50K. That was won by Kristyna and might give her a mental advantage.
The doubles event has finished in Grenoble. The victors? The Pliskova twins. They didn't drop a set, although, that said, they only actually had to win two matches.
Certainly these two girls will be aiming to keep improving and in time make the Czech Fed Cup team even stronger than it currently is.
The pair had very different semi-finals. Kristyna failed to serve for the match against
Sandra Zahlavova and then, raced to a 5-2 advantage in the tie-break before losing four points in a row, saving match point and eventually winning 8-6. Karolina had a pretty simple match with the surprise of the tournament,
Maryna Zanevska. Zanevska is only 18 years old and has had a great start to the year so might be one to look out for. She has won two junior grand slam doubles titles and came out of the sixth sense academy of
Justine Henin and
Carlos Rodriguez.
The final is very tough to call. Hopefully it will be as close a match as it looks on paper.
QF
(1/wc)Karolina Pliskova (CZE) d. Julie Coin (FRA) 62 76(2)
(Q)Maryna Zanevska (UKR) d. (8)Tatjana Malek (GER) 60 64
(3)Kristyna Pliskova (CZE) d. (6)Naomi Broady (GBR) 62 64
(5)Sandra Zahlavova (CZE) d. Valentyna Ivakhnenko (UKR) 63 62
SF
(1/wc)Karolina Pliskova (CZE) d. (Q)Maryna Zanevska (UKR) 64 62
(3)Kristyna Pliskova (CZE) d. (5)Sandra Zahlavova (CZE) 36 63 76(6)
PK
Photo: cocolog-nifty.com
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