Pliskova didn’t win her first Grand Slam, but showed fighting spirit

The most famous tournament in the world knows its new champion. It is Ashleigh Barty, who defeated Karolina Pliskova in three sets. But the Czech player certainly doesn’t have to be ashamed of her performance. Moreover, Karolina showed her form before the Olympics.

The Australian won the toss and turned her chosen serve into an opening game win. And she immediately increased her lead when she took the serve away from the very nervous Czech with a clean game. After six minutes, Bartyova led 3:0, and Pliskova had not won a single game until then.

The world number thirteen finally got her first point when serving at 0::3 and 0::30, which she added with a small ironic smile. However, she ended the fourth game with a double fault and was already two breaks down. She immediately erased one of them when she broke the world number one with a clean game and reduced it to at least 1::4.

But the series of breaks continued before the Czech ended it with a reduction to 3::5. This left only one serve to be won. And that at the earliest possible opportunity. She didn’t. The Australian won her sixth game with a clean serve and was one step closer to her second career Grand Slam trophy.

Pliskova entered the second set with a calm game on serve and had a slight psychological advantage. However, it didn’t last long as Barty, again with a zero, managed to snatch the serve from Pliskova in the third game. Unfortunately, there was still uncertainty in the Czech tennis player’s game and often cheap mistakes did not help her confidence.

However, at 3:1 from Barty’s point of view, the tables were turned. The aggressive play of the Czech tennis player suddenly brought the world number one running and one accurate ball after another. Before the tournament, the world number thirteen had turned it around to 4::3, and so the following game, where Bartyová had already held her serve, did not have to worry so much.

The second set came to 5::5, where the Czech lost a luxurious 40::0 lead on serve and suddenly faced a break point after four more points. And with a subsequent unforced error, she opened the way to the title for the Australian. She went on serve at 6::3 and 6::5.

At the beginning of the twelfth game, Barty was very nervous. Pliskova quickly leveled the score at 6::6 and the Czech tennis player’s life and death had to be decided by a shortened game. In the first points of the match, the players held their serves until the score was 3: 2 for Pliskova. The Czech then won a mini-break and the change of sides took place at 4:2.

It was at this point that probably the best exchange of the match took place. Pliskova was helped by a piggy bank, but then she ran a countercratch and finished the exchange with an accurate smash. She quickly got to four set points. Barty pulled to 4::6, but then she made a double fault and the title had to be decided in the third set.

The Australian tennis player started on serve and this time Barty had to face a rally from 40::0. However, she then managed to win two points in a row to go up 1::0. In the second game, Pliskova faced three break points and on the second one, she nailed a simple volley. Barty led 2::0 and like a magic wand the mood on the court changed.

Pliskova fought back in the third game, but another unforced error meant that she was already down 0: 3. Karolina tried to get the break back, but time was running out and the score was 4: 1 for the Australian. The Czech was teetering on the precipice of losing the third set 6: 3.

Source: Wimbledon Live