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What to look out for on Day 12 of The Championships

After 116 matches whittled down to one, it has come to this – the moment of truth, on Centre Court, for a current world No.1 and a predecessor at the peak. The incumbent, Ashleigh Barty, and the erstwhile, Karolina Pliskova. Two players of contrasting styles but a joint preference for a low-key, no-fuss life.

The 25-year-old Barty stands on the cusp of her second Grand Slam, following her breakthrough at Roland-Garros in 2019. Meanwhile, Pliskova desperately bids to depart that unenviable club of former No.1s without one, having lost her previous final at the US Open in 2016.

In her bid to become the first No.1 seed to triumph since Serena Williams five years ago, Barty denied 2018 champion Angelique Kerber to book her final Saturday berth. Only three junior champions before her have gone on to land the Venus Rosewater Dish in the Open era – Ann Jones, Martina Hingis and Amelie Mauresmo.


“It was just almost a moment of relief, a moment of pure excitement. It was something that I'd never, never knew if I would feel,” Barty said following her semi-final victory. “I think being able to have an opportunity to play in a final here at Wimbledon is incredible. That match was a great level, the best level I've played, in quite some time. I think Angie is an incredible competitor. She brought out the best in me.”

Modest to a tee and more at ease talking glowingly about an opponent than herself, Barty’s interview with Australian Paralympic gold medallist Kurt Fearnley last year on ABC TV’s One Plus One proved telling. The Queenslander – one match from victory since her mentor Evonne Goolagong’s first Wimbledon triumph 50 years ago – laid her primary goal on the table.

“My dream is to win Wimbledon, without a doubt,” Barty said. “It took a long time for me to say that out loud. It took a long time for me to have the courage to say that out loud. But that’s what I want.”

BARTY: JUNIOR CHAMPION IN 2011
Almost four years since her US Open final, and at 29 years old, Pliskova knows in the back of her mind she is running out of time if she is to ditch that poisoned chalice as the best player yet to have landed a major. Comfortable and honest in assessing her ability to beat anyone on their day, the Czech stops short of publicly declaring her intentions to land any one of the major prizes that have eluded her 36 times before.

After securing a semi-final berth at the All England Club for the first time she was asked about the possibility of one day seeing her name alongside the likes of Martina Navratilova, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Steffi Graf and Billie-Jean King on the trophy.

“I mean, that's still quite far away so I would not really think about me being on this trophy. But, of course, past champions, all of them they were incredible players. I respect all of them,” she said. “But so far that never crossed my mind yet.”

The thought has undoubtedly crossed her mind since she pulled off her most impressive victory of The Championships from a set down against No.2 seed Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals. Now she is within sight of becoming the fifth-oldest first-time Grand Slam champion in the Open era.


AUSASHLEIGH BARTY
1
SINGLES RANK

CZEKAROLINA PLISKOVA
13
SINGLES RANK
EVENT STATISTICS
ASHLEIGH BARTY KAROLINA PLISKOVA
Best Wimbledon Performance 4, (2019) 4, (2018, 2019)
Total Match Wins 28 15
Total Match Losses 6 12
Total Time on Court 07:31 06:36
In her first Grand Slam semi-final at the 2016 US Open, the Czech denied top seed Serena Williams to become only the fourth woman to beat both Williams sisters in the same Grand Slam event after Hingis, Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin. That trio all closed out the careers as multiple major champions and despite coming up short against Kerber in a three-set final, the expectations naturally mounted.

Until this Fortnight, it had been more than two and a half years since Pliskova passed the fourth round at a major. Expectations were tempered after she fell in three of her four matches leading in and departed the top 10 for the first time in almost five years.

While Barty owned four of their six showdowns, including a tight Stuttgart battle in April, Pliskova was relishing the chance to take it to the world’s best for the right to join an elite group.

“I think it can't be any better than that. You want to play the best player in the final. Of course, I don't want anybody else but her there,” Pliskova said.

“It's a final. Anything can happen. Also for her, I mean, I know she has a Grand Slam, but also for her is the first Wimbledon final. I think we both have good chances. It's going to be hopefully good match to watch as well because with her it's always interesting.”

KUDERMETOVA & VESNINA CELEBRATE REACHING THE FINAL
In the ladies’ doubles final, unseeded Russians Veronika Kudermetova and Elena Vesnina look to continue their dream run in only their third event together when they meet No.3 seeds Hsieh Su-Wei and Elise Mertens. It will be a maiden Grand Slam final for the 24-year-old Kudermetova, while triple doubles major champion Vesnina bids for her second Wimbledon crown after success alongside Ekaterina Makarova in 2017. Belgian Mertens could add to her US Open and Australian Open doubles triumphs in her first major final alongside three-time Slam winner Hsieh, the 2013 and 2019 Wimbledon doubles champion.

No.1 seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic will bid to become the first all-Croatian duo to claim a Grand Slam doubles trophy when they take on No.4 seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos in the gentlemen’s doubles final in the third match on Centre Court. Pavic was a runner-up in the 2017 final alongside Oliver Marach before bowing to Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo.

Following victories in the Australian Open and Roland-Garros quad wheelchair singles finals, Australian Dylan Alcott could win his third straight major when he meets Dutchman Sam Schroder. Alcott has a chance to win his second Wimbledon title and keep alive his hopes of a Golden Grand Slam in 2021.

Can Ashleigh Barty's variety vanquish the power game of Karolina Pliskova?

When world No.1 Ashleigh Barty and former No.1 Karolina Pliskova were pitted on opposing halves on the eve of The Championships for 2021, for one it continued a battle of the body, for the other an ongoing battle of the mind.

There was uncertainty aplenty whether either would even be around to see in the second week, let alone fighting for the Venus Rosewater Dish.

Barty was forced out of Roland-Garros only a month before, while Pliskova had lost three of her past four matches to drop out of the top 10 for the first time in almost five years.

Some two weeks later, both are still standing with one set to leave London as a Wimbledon champion. If past showdowns are anything to go by, this contrast of styles makes for an enticing afternoon.

Pliskova is at her devastating best when able to dictate from her hitting zone so she is all about taking control from the off with big first-strike tennis.

The 29-year-old thrives on rhythm and Barty loves nothing more than taking that away from an opponent, unafraid to chip returns to neutralise power before unleashing when the opportunity arises.

Pliskova’s coach Sascha Bajin expected Barty would employ her exceptional court craft to manoevre his 6’1” charge around.

“Especially on grass, her slice is very effective,” Bajin said of Barty. “She has good volleys. She has this very good transitioning from baseline to volleys, which makes her very dangerous. She knows how to approach and cover the court.”

“It's going to be tough because she puts a lot of variety in. The ball, obviously after the slice, it doesn't bounce as high as it is on hard court, making the slice here way more effective.”

As two of the most effective on serve throughout the Fortnight, it comes as little surprise that first delivery is critical for both women.

Pliskova has hit an event-leading 54 aces, eight more than her opponent and has only been broken four times to Barty’s 11.

Barty is sure to threaten these lofty figures, however, having won an event-leading 45 per cent of return games to her opponent’s 35 per cent, however the Czech could make huge inroads on the Australian’s second serve, of which only 18 per cent had gone unreturned all tournament.

CRAIG TYZZER, BARTY'S COACH, ON PLISKOVA
It is nine years since the pair first squared off in a $50,000 ITF event on grass in Nottingham, when a 16-year-old Barty narrowly edged the 20-year-old Czech in a third-set tie-break on her way to the title.

Four years later, the pair clashed in their first Tour-level match, also in Nottingham, which went the way of Pliskova in two tie-break sets in what was the Australian’s first WTA event back after her sabbatical from the sport to play cricket.

The ledger now reads 4-2 in Barty’s favour, but in their last two meetings she was forced to recover from a set down, including the Stuttgart quarter-finals in April, when Pliskova failed to serve out the match.


PLISKOVA HAVING A BREAK DURING HER PRE-FINAL TRAINING
“She's an incredible player. I mean, she's got a phenomenal serve, got a big game off the ground as well,” Barty’s coach Craig Tyzzer said of Pliskova. “Her and Ash have had some battles, particularly on grass… Whenever you play her, you know it's going to be difficult. You know she's going to serve big, you know she's going to hit big shots. You’ve got to be able to be ready for that, hang in there and handle it.”