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[vector_icon icon=”fas fa-microphone”] Match Recap from Announcer Andy Taylor, Voice of the Qatar Total Open
Karolina Pliskova advances to the Round of 16
KP’s not messing around. After a First-Round Bye, her Day-3 Doha opener lasted just 55-minutes. Pliskova surrendered only 7 points in set-2. Enough said.
In pursuit of her third Premier-5 title, Karolina won the “Premier” title here in Doha three years ago. In fact, she won 4 matches in 3-days to capture the title, after rain completely derailed the 2017 schedule. That triumph was her her 2nd of 3 titles in 2017. Later that July, she won Eastbourne and claimed the World #1 ranking for 8-weeks.
Head to Head: First meeting between these two players
Day-3. Updated Singles Draw
[/alert]Day-3. Updated Doubles Draw
[/alert][3] Karolina Pliskova -03- (CZE) | Round-2 Announcer Introduction
Three years ago here in Doha, during a rain-soaked Qatar Total Open, she won 4 matches in 3-days to capture her first Doha title. She defeated Zhang Shuai in the Quarterfinals, then on the same day – just a few hours later – took-out World #5 Dominika Cibulkova, before overcoming Caroline Wozniacki in the championship match. She’s a Grand Slam Finalist, a 3-time Fed Cup Champion, spent 8-weeks as the World #1 – and last month, captured her 16th WTA Singles title in Brisbane (in her 28th career Singles Final). Making her 7th Doha appearance, from the Czech Republic – please welcome 2017 Qatar Total Open Champion, and the #3 Player in the World, Karolina Pliskova.
- R2 — W | [Q] Bernarda Pera -63- (USA) | Score: 6-3, 6-0
- R1 — BYE
Announcer Corner | Doha: Karolina Pliskova
Karolina Pliskova is a 2-time Premier-5 champion. She captured her first in 2016, defeating World #2 Angelique Kerber to lift the trophy in Cincinnati. Three weeks later, she reached her first Grand Slam Final at the US Open – where she fell to Kerber in a deciding set. Last May, she earned her second Premier-5 title on clay in Rome. Though she has never won a Premier Mandatory event, she did reach the Final in Miami last March.
In 2017, she won the “Premier” version of the Qatar Total Open. It was a crazy, rain-soaked week. After the first two days of play, only two Round-1 matches were completed. The 2-seed that year, Pliskova enjoyed a 1st-Round Bye. She finally opened her campaign on Thursday with a win over Caroline Garcia. Then on Friday, Karolina defeated both Shaui Zhang and Dominika Cibulkova before capturing the title on Saturday (defeated Caroline Wozniacki). In other words, she won her 7th of 16 career titles by winning four matches in three days. Not to mention, those were her first career victories over Cibulkova and Wozniacki.
[Q] Bernarda Pera -63- (USA) | Round-2 Announcer Introduction
A Qualifier in this year’s Draw, she earned two qualifying victories on Friday and Saturday — then upset former World #4 Caroline Garcia on Sunday — and tonight, is through to Doha’s 2nd-Round for the first time. She owns 9 ITF Women’s Circuit Singles titles, is a 20-time ITF Finalist, and is back for her 3rd Qatar Total Open with a career-high ranking of World #63. 2-years-ago, she grabbed headlines in Melbourne – where as a Lucky Loser at the Australian Open – she earned her first top-10 victory, defeating Johanna Konta to reach the 3rd-Round. From the United States – Please welcome, Bernarda Pera.
- R2 — L | [3] Karolina Pliskova -03- (CZE) | Score: 3-6, 0-6
- R1 — W | Caroline Garcia -47- (FRA) | Score: 6-3, 6-1 | RECAP
- Q2 — W | [13] Camila Giorgi -102- (ITA) | Score: 7-6(6), 4-6, 6-4 | RECAP
- Q1 — W | [WC] Daria Lopatetska -366- (UKR) | Score: 6-3, 3-0 (RET) | RECAP
Announcer Corner | Doha: Bernarda Pera
Despite not playing since the Australian Open, Bernarda Pera is back in Doha with a career-high ranking. Last July, she first reached World #63 after back-to-back Semifinal-runs in Lausanne and at the inaugural Baltic Open. For the first time, she ended the season ranked inside the top-65.
This year marks her third Qatar Total Open. In 2018, she qualified in her Doha debut, but fell to World #11 Jo Konta in Round-1. Last year, she fell in the 2nd-Round of Qualifying to an inspired Anna Blinkova. This year, after an easy win over a qualifying Wild Card, she earned a gutsy triumph over Camila Giorgi to reach the 1st-Round; then secured her first main draw Doha victory with a straight-sets win over Caroline Garcia.
