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Is Pliskova more than just a servebot?

Is Pliskova more than just a servebot?

10K views 59 replies 39 participants last post by  Mr.Sparkle 
#1 ·
I believe we might have a new 'complete' player in the making. She just needs experience now to become a real elite. Or maybe she's just a servebot? lol

 
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#2 ·
Is she being slept on?
 
#6 ·
To call her a servebot at this stage is ridiculous.

She has really effortless, strong and compact groundstrokes and she's a good returner. When you watch her returning she often hits the baseline and pins her opponents back, to me this is the biggest difference between her game now and how it was a year ago. Her netskills are above average in comparison to the rest of the tour too.

The last weakness she has is her poor movement, but if/when she works on this I expect she will beat the elite defenders more often than she does currently.

Now that she finally got the slam 4th round monkey off of her back, I think she'll contend for slams for the next few seasons. Wimbledon and the US Open are winnable for her, especially given the mess of the current tour.
 
#37 ·
Exactly :hi5:

Only a hater can call Karolina a "servebot"
Everyone with a brain sees that Karo has MUCH more than her serve
 
#7 ·
I don't see any argument that prevents Pliskova from being the future number one.
BTW she even improves her movement skills, otherwise her current ranking would not be imaginable.
 
#8 ·
She's developing still, but I think she would be really wise to get her game to be more like a Davenport-esque game. It's already pretty there. Just incorporate more net play and keep working on her touch and feel.
 
#11 ·
She's probably the worst player at the net in top 20 (?) and simply has no finesse. The rest of her game is good but as someone said, she needs to improve her record against players like Aga and Simona.
She is most certainly not and I can say that without even checking whether Wozniacki is still in the top 20 or not.
 
#19 ·
None of the above?

There is a lot between "Pliskobot" and "Sharapova/Kvitova/Azarenka level". Right now, she is below Halep/Radwanska/Woz
How exactly a #6, P5 title holder and USO finalist is below a #19 whose best title since 2012 is 1 fall season P470?
 
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#20 ·
I think she is really more and more matured and especially more quick/less lazy comparing to 1 or 2 years back. Her position will be strengthening while old generation will be saying bye bye. She has special record with the best of the players under 25yo, if you take first 10 in the ranking (U25) she is 22:6 against them. If you take most shining younger players Muguruza, Svitolina, Puig (Karo did not play yet with Madison) she is 11:1 against them. Not to mention Konta which (being only few months over 25) was not counted previously and which is 1:5 against Karo.
 
#21 ·
Now that Karo has won a bit more suddenly she has so many believers :lol: We couldn't have imagined this thread last July :lol: Her game hasn't really changed that much since then guys :wavey: It's just a bit more self belief in the execution!
 
#25 · (Edited)
The higher she rises the more easier her draws will be, I'm worried.

She could be the one that pulls away from the pack of wannabe scrubs.

Any smart player knows how to expose her weaknesses (movement) but are there enough of them on the tour..... hmmmmm not sure

Weak era.

I mean look at basiclina today, the depth in level on the tour right now is tragic.
 
#33 ·
Stop with the weak era nonsense!

True, the top players lack consistency, but there are so many strong players right now. The level of athleticism and competition is high. When they peak they are on the same level as some of the champs from the previous decade.
 
#27 ·
I find her boring (not sure if it's her robotic strokes or expression) but she's got some degree of variety with the slice, lobs sometimes and occasionally will knock off a volley. I think she is figuring things out slowly. In this regard she is a better thinker than say Keys. Slam results will beg the question this season if she has improved.
 
#31 ·
Clearly. She is the real deal. Will win at least 2 slams :worship:
 
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#34 ·
Definitely. I've never seen her as servebot.
 
#36 ·
Pliskova hasn't been a servebot for a year or two now.

Her game doesn't really have holes. Her groundstrokes are textbook-smooth, much better technique than a lot of other big babes who just whale at the ball. Her volleys are textbook as well. Her movement has improved so much in the past couple of years and is always a bit better than you think it will be - her reach does a lot of work, now that she can be bothered to move her feet.

The concern isn't how well she can play but how badly she can play, and how often she plays that badly. Her career progress has been so slow and littered with horrendous losses at every level. In those losses she looks like she has no imagination, fighting spirit or ability to go to a Plan B. There have been fewer of them recently but let's face it, she could lose R1 in Australia to half the top 100 and we wouldn't be surprised. Iron that out, and she's got all the strokes to be an elite player, but she's not there yet.
 
#39 ·
I believe we might have a new 'complete' player in the making.
It would have been cool if your poll options had anything to do with that. There are many "complete" players who never win any majors or make top-10.
 
#40 ·
No, there are not. However, there are many incomplete players who have won smajors.

You obviously do not know the definition of a complete player. It's not just the tennis.. Complete means everything from talent, physique, mental strength, all the shots in the book etc.. You were probably thinking complete means serve+groundgame+volleys+slice :lol:

Halep, Aga, JJ, LABORZ are not and have never been complete players.
 
#42 ·
:confused: seems I struck a nerve? Pliskova didn't do anything special until UO 2016 imho. Then she won Brisbane and that's when I made this thread. I remember at least 50 posts from different people saying she's just a servebot..

You're her biggest fan or something? Not all of us follow her every move in tennis, sorry to hurt your feelings. I forgive you for lashing out at me. ANYWAY.. back to topic. I think only Serena can stop Pliskova here.
 
#44 ·
The sad thing is that we have this kind of threads when in reality Karolina has way more variety in her repertoire then, for example, Halep. :rolleyes:
Considering her movement, which is her only real weakness, she actually has a great defensive game and I've seen so many brilliant points at the net from her already.
I do admit to find her a bit boring sometimes, but at the same time exciting as well. :lol:
 
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