MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Karolina Pliskova stands head and shoulders above Ash Barty, the woman she’ll face in the Miami Open final on Saturday, in a number of critical ways, including the most obvious: At 6-foot-1, she’s a good half-a-foot taller.
Of greater concern, perhaps, to the Barty camp is Pliskova has a load of experience in big matches and is at the top of almost everyone’s “best player never to win a Grand Slam” list. While the 27-year old from the Czech Republic has never closed the deal at a major, she was a US Open finalist in 2016, arriving there the hard way as just the fourth, and last, woman to beat Serena Williams and Venus Williams in the same Grand Slam event.
Barty, by contrast, has just three WTA titles to Pliskova’s 12, and has been no closer to a Grand Slam final than the quarterfinal at the Australian Open this year.
Pliskova tends to fly under the radar and has breezed through this draw without drama. She won the first WTA tournament of the year, in Brisbane, Australia, and has rolled to an outstanding 2019 record of 21-4. That includes Thursday night’s semifinal win against No. 3 Simona Halep, who was playing for the No. 1 ranking.
Pliskova has the tools to make life difficult for any opponent. She crushes the serve and even when it’s not producing aces, the shot sets up her midcourt forehand beautifully. Pliskova moves well for her height and has shown an aptitude for volleying.
Pliskova will probably need all of those assets — and more — in order to contain and beat Barty, because the 22-year old Aussie has a genius for the game and every shot in the book. A former prodigy, she’s been steadily on the rise since returning to the game from a lengthy leave of absence (during which she played professional cricket) in early 2016. She was just 20 at the time.
Barty was a losing finalist to Petra Kvitova in Sydney early this year, but she avenged that lost Wednesday here. Her 17-3 record on the year is comparable to Pliskova’s.
“We have had a few really good matches in the past,” Barty said, referring to their 2-2 series record. “I think it’s split pretty evenly, actually. I played her most recently in the US Open in another big match (Pliskova won that fourth-round encounter, 6-4, 6-4). I think either way I get to go out there and try and play my brand of tennis, which is probably the most important thing for either matchup.”
That Barty brand of tennis is predicated on her great mobility, soft hands and a dazzling palette of shots. Pliskova knows that if Barty is playing well, she can jerk any opponent all over the court and neutralize almost any rival’s weapon. “She has a completely different style from anyone,” Pliskova said after her win over Halep. “She has slice, a good serve, really good around the court — and she understands the game so well. This match isn’t going to be just about me [imposing myself], like most of the ones this week. I’ll need to accept when she’s playing well.”
All things being equal, Pliskova can’t really hope to stay in rallies or win a track meet of a match. She will have to play bold and fearless tennis, keeping Barty from turning the match into a high-speed shell game. A lot will depend on how well Pliskova serves. But she doesn’t want to put all her eggs in that basket.
“I think I have the better serve, but we can both hold,” Pliskova said. “Every time we played, it was just one break, or a tiebreaker. So it’s going to be about small chances. I have to go for it, take my chances.”
Pliskova handled one of the more mobile, versatile players on the WTA Tour in her victory over Halep. Now she faces the challenge of beating a similar one in an even bigger match. As for Barty, she’ll be facing her second tall, rangy, hard-serving Grand Slam finals veteran opponent in three matches. It ought to be a fascinating struggle between clashing styles and differing abilities.