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Match details
Fixture: (4) Sorana Cirstea vs Tereza Martincova
Date: 16 September 2021
Tournament: Slovenia Open 2021
Round: Second round (Round of 16)
Venue: Portoroz, Slovenia
Category: WTA 250
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $235,238
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Sorana Cirstea vs Tereza Martincova preview
Sorana Cirstea and Tereza Martincova will lock horns in an exciting second-round clash at the 2021 Slovenia Open on Thursday.
Following a stellar first half of the season, Cirstea suffered a spate of early exits in the North American hardcourt swing. The Romanian opened her Portoroz campaign with a straight-sets win over Heather Watson and will be hoping to carry the momentum deeper into the tournament.
Martincova, meanwhile, is in the midst of a breakthrough season. Having competed on the ITF circuit for many years, the Czech finally made a mark on the main WTA Tour this year.
Martincova posted her first Grand Slam main draw victory at Roland Garros and followed it up with a run to the third round at Wimbledon. She also made it to her first career final at her home event in Prague earlier this year.
The Czech dismantled Kristina Kucova 6-4, 6-1 in her opener in Slovenia and will fancy her chances of taking down Cirstea.
Sorana Cirstea vs Tereza Martincova head-to-head
Sorana Cirstea and Tereza Martincova have split their previous two meetings, so their current head-to-head stands at a 1-1 deadlock. Their most recent meeting came on the hardcourts of Chicago last month, with the Czech winning in three sets.
Sorana Cirstea vs Tereza Martincova prediction
Given the two players' similar game styles and recent form, this second-round match has all the makings of a high-quality, closely-contested affair.
Sorana Cirstea has enjoyed a significant amount of success playing on hardcourts in the past. The 31-year-old likes to take the ball early and dictate play from the baseline. She possesses the raw power to hit through most opponents, but has the tendency to leak unforced errors.
Tereza Martincova, for her part, will take plenty of confidence from her victory over the Romanian in Chicago. The Czech was especially strong on serve and held her own in the rallies, managing to frustrate the Romanian into errors.
She will look to employ the same tactic when the two face off on Thursday. But if Cirstea can stay composed and play at a decent level, she should be able to eke out a win and move into the quarterfinals.
Prediction: Sorana Cirstea to win in three sets
