Wimbledon 2021: Women's final preview

And then there were two.

Current world number one Ashleigh Barty and formerly top-ranked Karolina Pliskova will go head to head for the Venus Rosewater Dish in tonight’s Wimbledon women’s singles final.

In one corner is top seed Barty, whose participation at the All England Club was in doubt after she was forced to retire from her second-round match against Magda Linette at Roland Garros, in her first appearance there since winning the title in 2019.

Many feared an early exit when she was forced into a third set against Carla Suarez Navarro in the opening round, but after sweeping the final set 6-1, the 25-year-old Queenslander has returned to top form, winning her next five matches in straight sets to advance to the final.

(Photo by Shi Tang/Getty Images)

This included straight-sets win over fellow stateswoman Ajla Tomljanovic in the quarter-finals, and also over former champion Angelique Kerber in the semi-finals.

Against Kerber, the 25-year-old started the match with a double fault but nonetheless secured an early break before taking the first set 6-3, before being challenged in the second set, where she coughed up an early break.

Barty showed her mental fortitude to break the German to love as she served for the set at *5-3, before eventually forcing a tie-breaker, which she duly dominated, winning the first six points before converting on her fourth match point to advance to her second major final.

At stake for the Ipswich native is the chance to become the first woman from her country to salute here since Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1980, and the first Australian to win here since Lleyton Hewitt in 2002.

Like Barty, Hewitt was a clear dominant world number one when he thrashed Argentine David Nalbandian in straight sets to win his lone Wimbledon title 19 years ago.

Should Barty win, it would mark the perfect ten-year anniversary of when she won the juniors’ title, in which she defeated Irina Khromacheva in the final, on either side of a brief stint in cricket in the early 2010s.

Standing between her and Wimbledon glory is eighth-seeded Czech Karolina Pliskova, who will be determined as ever to finally break through for her maiden major title.

The 29-year-old won her first five matches in straight sets, including those over recent French Open semi-finalist Tamara Zidansek and former US Open quarter-finalist Donna Vekic in her opening two matches.

In her semi-final against Aryna Sabalenka, Pliskova dropped the first set by 7-5 but nonetheless survived 18 aces from her Belarusian opponent to win in three sets and thus advance to her second major final.

(Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

She will be hoping it is second time lucky, after losing to Angelique Kerber in three sets in the 2016 US Open final. That came after she’d beaten Serena Williams in the preceding semi-final, a result that saw the American drop the world number one ranking she’d held since 2013.

Pliskova will also be aiming to become the second woman from her country this century, after Petra Kvitova (twice, in 2011 and 2014), to salute at the All England Club.

It stands to be a major final of intrigue as Barty looks to add to the French Open title she won in 2019, while Pliskova will want to rid herself of the tag of a world number one that’s never won a major title. Such players include Dinara Safina and Jelena Jankovic.

Now that you’ve got all the info above, it’s time to crunch the all-important numbers below.

[1] Ashleigh Barty (AUS) vs [8] Karolina Pliskova (CZE)

Head to head
All matches: Barty leads 4-2
At the majors: Pliskova leads 1-0
On grass: First meeting

Last meeting: Barty won 2-6, 6-1, 7-5, quarter-finals, 2021 Stuttgart Open
Last meeting at a major: Pliskova won 6-4, 6-4, fourth round, 2018 US Open

Ashleigh Barty’s road to the final
Round 1: defeated Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) 6-1, 6-7 (1-7), 6-1
Round 2: defeated Anna Blinkova (RUS) 6-4, 6-3
Round 3: defeated Katerina Siniakova (CZE) 6-3, 7-5
Round 4: defeated [14] Barbora Krejcikova (CZE) 7-5, 6-3
Quarter-final: defeated Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) 6-1, 6-3
Semi-final: defeated [25] Angelique Kerber (GER) 6-3, 7-6 (7-3)

Karolina Pliskova’s road to the final
Round 1: defeated Tamara Zidansek (SLO) 7-5, 6-4
Round 2: defeated Donna Vekic (CRO) 6-2, 6-2
Round 3: defeated Tereza Martincova (CZE) 6-3, 6-3
Round 4: defeated Liudmila Samsonova (RUS) 6-2, 6-3
Quarter-final: defeated Viktorija Golubic (SUI) 6-2, 6-2
Semi-final: defeated [2] Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) 5-7, 6-4, 6-4

The stats that matter
For both players this is their second major final, and their first at Wimbledon.

Ashleigh Barty is aiming to win her second major title, after winning the 2019 French Open, while Karolina Pliskova is shooting for her first major title after losing to Angelique Kerber in the 2016 US Open final.

This is the first Wimbledon final to not feature either Serena or Venus Williams since 2014, and just the fourth since 2000 (also 2006, 2011 and 2013) not to feature either player.

Pliskova is the first seed Barty has faced in a major final.

Not since 2016 has a world number one won Wimbledon, when Serena Williams defeated Angelique Kerber in the final, and not since the 2018 French Open (Simona Halep) has a world number one won any major title.

Barty is aiming to become the first Australian woman since Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1980 to salute at Wimbledon. She would also become the first Australian, male or female, since Lleyton Hewitt in 2002 to win at the All England Club.

She is also aiming to become the fourth former junior champion, after Ann Jones, Martina Hingis and Amelie Mauresmo, to also win the seniors’ title.

Pliskova, on the other hand, is aiming to become the first woman from her country to win here since Petra Kvitova in 2014.

Prediction
Ashleigh Barty in three sets.