H2H: Karolina Pliskova vs. Simona Halep - Prediction (WTA Shenzhen

Preview and players comparison.

Halep has emerged as the victor in seven of their ten previous encounters, though this figure will fade under the pressure of this do-or-die match. They met twice in the first three months of the season, with the Romanian winning a Fed Cup clash on Czech soil (indoor hard) and Pliskova replying in the Miami semifinal.

Simona Halep was subdued by defending champion Elina Svitolina, 7-5, 6-3, a reversal of her previous two wins over the Ukrainian in the season. She still stands in the tournament courtesy a two-hour and 34-minute win over US Open champion Bianca Andreescu, 3-6, 7-6, 6-3; saved a match point en route. Since winning her second Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, Halep has registered multiple wins in a tournament just once. It was nearly three months ago in Toronto, beating Brady and Kuznetsova. She hopes to make her year’s fifth semifinal appearance, which would still be her lowest season count since 2012.

Karolina Pliskova was the beneficiary of some much-needed good fortune as Bianca Andreescu was forced to retire due to a knee injury after dropping the opening set, 3-6. It will count as the Czech’s fourth-only top 10 win of the season (4-3) and first since beating Angelique Kerber in the Eastbourne final in June. Pliskova is poised to finish a season inside the top 3 for the first time ever, improving in 2017 when she ended as the world no. 4. She is one of the three players to win 50+ matches this year, and one of the two to lift trophies on all surfaces. The Czech won her fourth title of the season in China, at Zhengzhou.

Halep, who entered the WTA Finals championship match on her debut in 2014, has not secured more than one win in any of her subsequent three appearances (2015-17). Pliskova, on the other hand, has reached the semifinals in 2017 and 2018, falling short to Caroline Wozniacki and Sloane Stephens, respectively.