• Elise Mertens and Kristyna Pliskova will face off in the first semifinal at the Prague Open tomorrow morning at 5:00 AM EST
• This will be the third time the two players have played each other in a singles match
• The winner will play in the final on Sunday. Read our semifinals preview below

The semifinals of the WTA Prague Open start tomorrow morning with Elise Mertens and Kristyna Pliskova. The Prague Open has been a battle for most of the players, whether it was the extended break from play due to the pandemic, or just the tough competition of WTA International play. In this semifinal match, Mertens is the favorite with -250 odds.

Elise Mertens vs Kristyna Pliskova Odds

Odds taken Aug. 14

Elise Mertens

Mertens earned her way to her first semifinal of 2020 after defeating wildcard Eugenie Bouchard in three sets. No. 3 seed, Mertens, had been pushed in every match she’s played in this tournament, and her quarterfinal win was no different.

Kristyna Pliskova

Pliskova looks to continue her impressive run at the Prague Open. She has arguably provided one of the biggest upsets, defeating second seed Petra Martic in straight sets when she faced her in the second round. Something to note about Pliskova going into her semifinal match is that she isn’t coming off a win from the quarterfinals. Her opponent, Ana Bogdan was forced to retire in the first set due to injury but was actually up 5-2.

Post-match reactions of @KrisPliskova after @ana_bogdan withdrew from the QF due to injury. pic.twitter.com/5pF6UwqXUE

— Livesport Prague Open (@livesportprague) August 14, 2020

Despite moving on to the semifinals, Pliskova addressed that she wasn’t playing her best tennis in that quarterfinal match, stating the balls felt heavy. So to have a fighting chance against Mertens, she’ll have to make sure that she’s shaken that off before Saturday.

Head-to-Head

These two don’t know each other that well, but they’re not strangers. In the two singles matches they’ve played, Mertens has defeated and dominated Pliskova every time. The last time they faced each other was during the round of 64 at the US Open last year. Mertens came out on top in straight sets, winning 6-2, 6-2. Prior to that, they faced each other at the Qatar Open in 2019 as well, where Mertens defeated Pliskova in straight sets as well.

Mertens vs Pliskova Stats

The clay surface will be an interesting factor in this match. Mertens, who has over a 60% winning percentage on the surface would look to have the biggest benefit from clay. But Pliskova has had her fair share of winnings on the surface and has dominated before as well, winning 10 matches last year.

Best Bet

Going into this semifinals match, the best bet looks to be Mertens. Both players have been playing impressive tennis in Prague, but based on previous matchups where Mertens has dominated Pliskova, defeating her in straight sets, it’s tough to think Pliskova will beat her. Because of the tennis Pliskova has been playing in Prague, don’t be surprised if it goes three sets.

Best Bet: Mertens (-250)