The final in Rome, which will be played on Monday, September 21, at 15.30, will bring together two top 5 world tennis players of the same generation: Simona Halep (Romania, 28 years old, 2nd place WTA) and Karolina Pliskova (Czech Republic, 28 years old, 4th place WTA). Both players were world leaders.
Simona can make a beautiful gift for her upcoming birthday: in 6 days, on September 27, she will turn 29 years old.
The Romanian focused on the slag season (Rome, Roland Garros), choosing not to register for a Grand Slam tournament (US Open). Instead, Pliskova crossed the ocean to New York, but was quickly eliminated in round 2.

Simona Halep: Team form, news and statistics

Simona Halep has the longest series of victories in her career: 13 consecutive successes (4 in Dubai, 5 in Prague, 4 in Rome).
She can also set a personal record: winning three consecutive tournaments.
The balance of 2020 is exceptional for Simona: 19 victories in 21 games! The Romanian has not lost since January 30, when she was eliminated by Garbine Muguruza in the semifinals at the Australian Open.
The rematch against the Spaniard has just taken place now, in Rome, also in the semifinals.
There was also a defeat in front of the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, at the beginning of the year, in “quarters” in Adelaide.
So, Simona has not lost a single match since the winter season in Australia, the country of her coach, Darren Cahill!
Now, the Romanian is totally focused on the slag season, which could bring her closer to the world leader, the Australian Ashleigh Barty. Simona could even overtake Barty, provided she wins both the final in Rome and the French Open at Roland Garros.

Karolina Pliskova: Team form, news and statistics

Karolina Pliskova already has 7 defeats this year (unlike Simona Halep’s only two).
The Czech started the year very well, winning the tournament in Brisbane (Australia), and until this final in Rome it had fluctuating evolutions.
Pliskova has had poor performances in the two Grand Slam tournaments so far.
At the Australian Open (Melbourne) she was eliminated in round 3 (6-7, 6-7 with Anastasia Pavliucenkova, Russia), and at the US Open (New York), recently, she lost even earlier, in round 2 (1- 6, 6-7 with Caroline Garcia, France).
In Rome, half of the tennis players defeated by Karolina Pliskova were her compatriots (Strycova and Vondrousova).

🎾Statistics of direct matches Simona Halep v Karolina Pliskova

It is already a “classic” of the WTA circuit.
There were 11 direct confrontations, and Simona is in the lead: 7-4. It was even 7-2, but the last two matches were won by Pliskova, last year: in the semifinals in Miami (USA) + in groups at the Champions Tournament (Shenzhen, China).
Also last year, Simona defeated Pliskova in the Fed Cup, in the famous quarterfinals in Ostrava (Romania – Czech Republic 3-2).
Halep also led 6-1 in the clashes with Pliskova, but the Czech won 3 of the last 4.
In the direct confrontations, over time, there were also two tie-breaks, both won by Simona Halep.

🎾Last 5 direct matches:

🔺2019: Pliskova – Halep 6-0, 2-6, 6-4 (Champions Tournament, Shenzhen)
🔺2019: Pliskova – Halep 7-5, 6-1 (Miami)
🔺2019: Halep – Pliskova 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 (Fed Cup, Ostrava)
🔺2018: Pliskova – Halep 6-4, 6-3 (Madrid)
🔺2018: Halep – Pliskova 6-3, 6-2 (Australian Open)

Tennis Prediction of the Day Simona Halep vs Karolina Pliskova

Simona Halep overcame in the semifinals an opponent at least as dangerous as Pliskova: the Spaniard Garbine Muguruza, much better adapted to slag than the Czech (a fan of fast surfaces, thanks to her strong service). For Simona it is the third final in Rome. He lost the other two in front of Elina Svitolina (2017, 2018), the third will be lucky! The same happened at Roland Garros, where the Romanian triumphed (in 2018) after losing two finals (2014 and 2017).
The parallel goes even further: Simona lost both the Roland Garros and Rome finals to players from ex-Soviet countries – Maria Sharapova (Russia) and Jelena Ostapenko (Latvia), respectively Elina Svitolina (Ukraine) ) – twice.
Simona also has the stake of returning to the 1st place in the world: if she triumphs in both Rome and Roland Garros, she will dethrone the Australian Ashleigh Barty!

Prediction Today: Halep win
Odds: 1.55