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Match details
Fixture: Sorana Cirstea vs Oceane Dodin
Date: 12 November 2020
Tournament: Upper Austria Ladies Linz Open 2020
Round: Second round (Round of 16)
Venue: Linz, Austria
Category: WTA International
Surface: Indoor hardcourt
Prize money: $202,250
Match timing: 2.30 pm local time, 7 pm I
Live telecast: USA - ESPN / Tennis Channel
Sorana Cirstea vs Oceane Dodin preview
Former top 25 player Sorana Cirstea will cross swords with the unseeded Oceane Dodin in the second round of the Linz Open 2020 on Thursday.
Cirstea picked up an easy win in the first round as her opponent Julia Grabher retired after taking a 3-2 lead in the opening set. Although the match did not last long, the Romanian did save five break points against the home favorite.
Overall, however, Cirstea has had a challenging time in 2020. She had a shabby win-loss record of 9-9 prior to this week, and entered Linz on a two-match losing streak.
The Bucharest native did record an upset win over Johanna Konta at the US Open though, reminding everyone that she can still give any player a run for their money.
Oceane Dodin meanwhile has a ton of momentum on her side. She won an ITF event in Reims last month and followed that up with a three-set victory over seventh seed Jil Teichmann in the Linz Open first round.
The Frenchwoman has won 28 of the 40 matches she has played this year. She was even able to take a set off 2020 Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin at Lyon.
Dodin has played some excellent tennis on the faster surfaces lately, and she will be keen to make it big at the Linz Open and return to the top 100.
Sorana Cirstea vs Oceane Dodin head-to-head
Oceane Dodin leads Sorana Cirstea 1-0 in the head-to-head record. Incidentally, the only match between these two players on tour took place in the second round of the Linz Open - back in 2016.
The 24-year-old from Lille emerged victorious 6-2, 6-4 in that contest.
Sorana Cirstea vs Oceane Dodin prediction
Sorana Cirstea's game relies primarily on her big serve and even bigger groundstrokes. But her missiles weren't quite on target gainst Grabher in the first round as she allowed her opponent six break point opportunities across five games. She also managed to win just 55% of her first-serve points in the truncated match.
On the other hand, Oceane Dodin showed great character in her match against Teichmann. After losing the first set 1-6, the Frenchwoman made a magnificent comeback to win the next two sets, breaking her Swiss rival six times in the process.
Given their current form and head-to-head record, it has to be said that Dodin holds a distinct edge over Cirstea going into this match.
Prediction: Oceane Dodin to win in three sets.
