A matchup between Elina Svitolina and Karolina Pliskova may not have the glamour it would have done a few years back when both were Top 5 players but it is one of the more interesting ties in the first round on the women’s side. They are placed in the third quarter of the draw, where Elena Rybakina feels the most vulnerable of the top four seeds.
A decent start to the year for Pliskova quickly turned south, with the Czech losing five of her last six matches. That includes a loss in Strasbourg last week to Clara Burel, meaning she will come into the event very low on confidence. The Paris clay has never really suited her playing style with a 2017 semi final looking very out of place on her record.
Svitolina failed to defend her title in Strasbourg, also falling victim to the home favourite Burel. She is not quite in the form she showed this time last year but a Rome run that saw her run Aryna Sabalenka very close should at least mean she is a contender for this quarter of the draw at least.
The head-to-head between these two is a curious one with Pliskova leading it 5-4 but also being on a four match losing streak. They have not met since 2019 but the tide did turn as Svitolina’s became on more equal footing with the Czech. The matchup should continue to suit Svitolina with the Ukrainian still solid on the surface while Pliskova’s decline is even more pronounced on this surface given her movement struggles.
Prediction – Elina Svitolina in straight sets
