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ROME — Karolina Pliskova, who won the Italian Open on Sunday, has something in common with Madison Keys and Petra Kvitova, who also claimed titles on clay this spring: it’s their least favorite surface.
The three play fairly similar games, built on first-strike power tennis and minimal movement — a combination that is often ineffective on the slow surface and allows defensive-minded players to scramble and send back more balls.
But with the French Open beginning Sunday, more women known for success on hard courts and grass have begun to crack the code of the clay.