Pliskova destroys Cornet to claim Brisbane crown

Karolina Pliskova swept past France’s Alizé Cornet 6-0, 6-3 to win the Brisbane International on Saturday. The third-seeded Czech collected the first set in 18 minutes dropping only five points to Cornet during the barrage.

Karolina Pliskova will rise to number five in the world following her victory in Australia. Reuters/Steve Holland

Cornet registered her first game when she held serve in the first game of the second set. But she was unable to offer sustained resistance and Pliskova toook the match in just 66 minutes on her second championship point.

Pliskova, runner-up at the US Open last September, will leapfrog Dominika Cibulkova to become world number five when the next list of rankings is released on Monday.

The manner of her surge to the Brisbane title is also likely to single her out as one of the favourites to win the Australian Open which starts in Melbourne on 16 January.