Dominika Cibulkova vs. Simona Halep
This is potentially going to be a great match. Both players when playing good tennis fight for every inch of the court and never surrender a point. Each is playing well and healthy at the moment. Cibulkova leads their head-to-head 3-1, but Halep’s one win was their only meeting on clay. They have not faced off since the 2014 Australian Open so their head-to-head may not mean much. I expect a lot of tough rallies and physical play. In this sense, I favor Cibulkova due to her being less likely in my mind to physically breakdown during a match from injury. However, I think Halep is the better clay court mover and that makes this more or less a 50-50 match. Fans should enjoy this one, but if I have to make a pick I will say:
My Prediction: Simona Halep d. Dominika Cibulkova 7-5, 6-4
On any other surface, I likely reverse this pick