The Miami Open will add a new name to its list of winners come Saturday. Whoever wins this promising duel between Karolina Pliskova and Ashleigh Barty will walk away with 1000 WTA points, $1,354,010 and her first ever Premier Mandatory trophy. That’s right: Pliskova, a former World No. 1, 2016 US Open runner up, winner of at least one tour level title per year since 2013, has never captured an accolade of this magnitude.
WTA Miami Open Final Prediction
Ashleigh Barty vs Karolina Pliskova
Head to Head: Barty 2-2 Pliskova
Both competitors overcame several rain delays during their semifinal victories. Barty started the match slow, trailing Anett Kontaveit 2-0 before the rain’s maiden appearance. Thereafter, the Aussie turned on the wheels and never looked back, winning a robust 83.3% of her first serve points on the way to a 6-3 6-3 triumph. As for Pliskova, it sure looked like she was going to drop the first set for the ninth time in ten career meetings against Simona Halep. However, with the Romanian ready to serve it out at 5-3, the Czech broke at love. After squandering several chances to at least force a tiebreak, Halep collapsed. The second set was a triumphant march for Pliskova (6-1).
Their previous encounters suggest we should brace for a thrilling final. In fact, according to Tennis Abstract, neither has won more than 52.3% of the points in each of their three most recent bouts. It will probably come down to who executes better on key points, as usual. For instance, at last year’s US Open Round of 16, Pliskova managed to save all eight break points she faced, while capitalizing on her only two opportunities.
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Barty will make heavy usage of her backhand slice, especially cross court. The 22-year-old needs to be effective on her trips to the net. Consequently, Pliskova must be sharp with her passing shots to keep the Aussie at bay.
Ultimately, I think Barty narrowly prevails. The Ipswich native boasts the highest WTA Elo Rating on hard court for a reason. She is just scratching the surface of her potential and is destined for stardom. The 2018 WTA Elite Trophy did not feature the world’s strongest players; therefore, the 2019 Miami Open will be known as the real coming out party for Barty!
Prediction: Barty in 3
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