Simona Halep vs. Karolina Pliskova Odds & Preview: WTA Italian Open Finals
- World No. 2 Simona Halep reaches her third Italian Open final
- World No. 4 Karolina Pliskova looks to defend her 2019 Italian Open title
- Halep leads 7-4 Head to Head, however Pliskova has won their last two meetings (2019 WTA Finals, 2019 Miami Open)
It will be quite the spectacle as the top two seeds face off against each other at the first premier clay court event since the resumption of the 2020 Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) schedule.
The No. 1 seed, Simona Halep of Romania will take on a long-time rival and No. 2 seed, Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic at the Foro Italico clay courts in Rome.
The action begins Monday, September 21st 8:30 AM ET, with 1,000 spectators allowed to enter and watch the final match.
WTA Italian Open Final Odds
| Player | Spread | Moneyline | Over/Under |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simona Halep | – 2.5 (-129) | – 195 | Over 18.5 (-286) |
| Karolina Pliskova | + 2.5 (+102) | + 150 | Under 18.5 (+215) |
Odds taken September 20 from DraftKings
Third time’s a Charm for Halep?
After losing to Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina in both the 2017 and 2018 final, Simona Halep is looking to finally claim her first International BNZ d’Italia title.
The World No. 2 extended her winning streak to 13 as she just got through Spain’s Garbine Muguruza in the semifinals. The 2018 French Open Champion won 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in two hours and 16 minutes.
The match had its share of ups and downs with Muguruza taking a long medical timeout off the court in the second set.
Halep started the third set with a 4-0 lead but took her foot off the gas at 5-1 and was broken twice, allowing the Spaniard to comeback.
At 4-5 in the final set, Muguruza couldn’t hold serve and double faulted the last two points sending Halep to the finals.
Lucky No.13.
Simona Halep books a spot in her 3rd Rome final, holding on a gritty Garbiñe Muguruza 63 46 64.
Halep now 6-0 in 3-setters in 2020, riding a 13-match win-streak.
How It Happened: https://t.co/OvF5ajVOO3#ibi20 pic.twitter.com/Jfx13sMMyc
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) September 20, 2020
Halep posted straight-set victories to open the tournament. Then she enjoyed a walkover in the quarterfinals when Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan retired with a lower back injury.
Pliskova looking to repeat history?
Karolina Pliskova is looking for her second consecutive title in Rome after taking the 2019 crown. Last year, Pliskova demolished Britain’s Johanna Konta 6-3, 6-4 on the clay.
The 2016 US Open finalist dispatched fellow countrywoman and No.12 seed Marketa Vondrousova to secure her 12th meeting with rival Simona Halep.
It took a total of 82 minutes for the former World No. 1 to beat the 2019 French Open finalist Vondrousova 6-2, 6-4.
Pliskova was off to a quick 4-1 start with punishing returns and powerful serves. She ended the match with a remarkable 73% first serve percentage and a total of six aces.
The title defense is on.
Karolina Pliskova holds off Marketa Vondrousova to win 62 64 to return to the Rome final.
Pliskova vs. Halep for the title on Monday.
How it Happened: https://t.co/KHFQZY8erz pic.twitter.com/A9JvHPT5W3
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) September 20, 2020
Since her appearance in the final at Roland Garros last year, Vondrousova has struggled with a left wrist injury that put her out for the majority of the season. That’s left her with little match experience before this tournament.
En route to the finals, Pliskova only dropped a set in the quarterfinals against the No. 11 seed Elise Mertens 6-3, 3-6, 6-0.
Halep Hoping to Add to 2020 Success
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Simona Halep has two titles under her belt this year. The 28-year-old first won the 2020 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on the hard courts back in February.
In August, Halep defeated Belgium’s Elise Mertens 6-2, 7-5 on the outdoor clay courts to win the Prague Open, a lower tier WTA tournament.
Pliskova, on the other hand, is coming off a disappointing second-round loss at the US Open to Spain’s Caroline Garcia two weeks ago. Her only title of the year came at the Brisbane International in Australia, conquering American Madison Keys in a nail-biting final, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5.
Simona Halep vs. Karolina Pliskova Head-to-Head Stats
| 2 | WTA Ranking | 4 |
| 7 | Head-to-Head | 4 |
| 28 | Age | 28 |
| 15-2 | 2020 Record | 9-5 |
| 21 | Career Single Titles | 16 |
Overall, Halep and Pliskova have played a total of 11 times, with Halep leading 7-4. In 2019, the women faced off three times, with the Czech winning the last two meetings (on hard court).
Their last meeting on clay was in the quarterfinal at the 2018 Madrid Masters, where Pliskova won 6-4, 6-3.
The 5’6 Romanian is known for her quick movement and long rallies. But she will have to find a way to counter Pliskova’s aggressive shots and power to win her 22nd career singles victory on the WTA.
Despite having a more challenging semifinal match, Halep’s motivation to win the Italian Open crown will come through in a close three set victory against Pliskova.
Prediction: Halep in three sets (-195)
An experienced sports journalist, Martha K has written feature stories for CBC and Yahoo Sports, hosted Sauga 960 AM, worked with ESPN production and covered a variety of major events, including the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. She is a former Division 1 tennis athlete.
