MATCH POINTS
Top seed Simona Halep has reached the quarterfinals or better at all tournaments she’s contested in 2020, including winning the title at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, reaching the semifinals at the Australian Open and the quarterfinals in Adelaide.
Halep’s opponent Magdalena Frech, a lucky loser, is into her maiden WTA quarterfinal. Both players advanced after winning three-set matches in the second round en route to their first career meeting.
Read more: Halep hangs tough for Krejcikova comeback in Prague
No.3 seed Elise Mertens continued her Prague campaign with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Camila Giorgi, while wildcard Eugenie Bouchard needed nearly three hours to take down Tamara Zidansek in an epic three sets, 7-6(2), 6-7(2), 6-2. Both players are going for their first semifinal of the year.
Head to Head
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It will be Mertens’ and Bouchard’s third career meeting in singles, with the Belgian claiming victory in both previous matches. Their Prague match will be their first since 2018 and their first meeting on clay.
Kristyna Pliskova is the last Czech player standing in Prague singles, hoping to advance past Ana Bogdan for a spot in the semifinals. The big-serving lefty dominates the pair’s head-to-head record, winning all five of their previous matches.
In doubles, Pliskova makes up one half of the No.2 seeded all-Czech team with Lucie Hradecka. They are one of two all-Czech teams, with top seeds Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova also in action on Friday.
ORDER OF PLAY (all courts start at 11:00 am)
CENTRE COURT
Ana BOGDAN (ROU) vs Kristyna PLISKOVA (CZE)
[WC] Eugenie BOUCHARD (CAN) vs [3] Elise MERTENS (BEL)
[1] Simona HALEP (ROU) vs [LL] Magdalena FRECH (POL)
Irina-Camelia BEGU (ROU) or [LL] Leonie KUNG (SUI) vs Sara SORRIBES TORMO (ESP)
COURT 10 start 11:00 am
Irina-Camelia BEGU (ROU) vs [LL] Leonie KUNG (SUI) 6-7(3), 0-0 (darkness)
Not Before 12:00 noon
[1] Barbora KREJCIKOVA (CZE) / Katerina SINIAKOVA (CZE) vs Veronika KUDERMETOVA (RUS) / Anastasia PAVLYUCHENKOVA (RUS)
Arantxa RUS (NED) / Tamara ZIDANSEK (SLO) vs [2] Lucie HRADECKA (CZE) / Kristyna PLISKOVA (CZE)
