Tennis-Karolina Pliskova v Naomi Osaka

ByReuters

Published 23/01/2019 at 12:20 GMT

Jan 23 (Reuters) - A look at the records of Czech Republic's Karolina Pliskova and Japan's Naomi Osaka before their semi-final match at the Australian Open on Thursday (prefix number denotes seeding):

Eurosport

Image credit: Eurosport

7-KAROLINA PLISKOVA

Age: 26

WTA Ranking: 8

ATP Madrid

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Grand Slam titles: 0

2018 Australian Open performance: Quarter-finals

Best Australian Open performance: Semi-finals (2019)

Pliskova, who reached world number one in 2017 but has yet to win a Grand Slam title, has a chance to regain the top ranking if she wins the tournament.

The Czech saved four match points to record a remarkable comeback win over 23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams in the quarter-finals.

4-NAOMI OSAKA

Age: 21

WTA Ranking: 4

Grand Slam titles: 1 (U.S. Open 2018)

2018 Australian Open performance: Fourth round

Best Australian Open performance: Semi-finals (2019)

After winning her first major at the U.S. Open last year, Osaka's run to her maiden Australian Open semi-final proves she belongs among the top players on the circuit.

Osaka has managed to keep a lid on her simmering temper so far and her game management skills will be tested again when she takes on Karolina Pliskova, who defeated the Japanese youngster in the Tokyo final last year.

HEAD-TO-HEAD (Pliskova 2 - Osaka 1)

2018 Pliskova d Osaka 6-4 6-4 (Tokyo, hard)

2018 Osaka d Pliskova 6-2 6-3 (Indian Wells, hard)

2017 Pliskova d Osaka 6-2 6-7(4) 1-0 (retired) (Toronto, hard) (Reporting by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru Editing by Christian Radnedge)

WTA Madrid