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Top seed Simona Halep will be back out on court on Day 4 of the 2020 Prague Open after having gotten a day to recover from her epic three-set opener against Polona Hercog.
The Romanian will be happy to have survived the scare in the opening round, but now faces another player who loves to play on clay in the form of local favourite Barbora Krejcikova.
While not the biggest threat on paper, the wildcard entrant is still not someone you can take lightly as she has been ranked No. 1 in doubles and enjoys playing on the surface.
Krejcikova showcased her affinity for clay in her opening round match against Patricia Maria Tig, taking out her opponent in two comfortable sets. Her ascent in doubles has helped her get some sort of form going on the singles court as well. Just earlier this year, she won her first match at a Major event - against the big-hitting Kaia Kanepi.
The Czech is obviously an able volleyer, but her groundstrokes and return are also solid. It will interesting to her approach to this particular encounter.
Simona Halep vs Barbora Krejcikova head-to-head
This will be the second meeting between the two women, having played in the first round of the 2016 Bucharest Open. Halep managed to come out on top there, but only after the Czech snatched away the first set 6-3.
With that stat being out there, it's definitely not a question of whether Barbora Krejcikova has the game to upstage Simona Halep. Instead, it is a matter of how well she can cope with the reinvigorated Halep, who is less prone to mental breakdowns in between matches.
Simona Halep vs Barbora Krejcikova prediction
Simona Halep goes into this one as the heavy favorite, but she cannot let her guard down. If anything, she will have to come out firing - like she did in her opening match - and maintain that level of aggression throughout.
If Halep concedes even the slightest of inches to Krejcikova, the Czech will find a way into the match. And with an arsenal as varied as hers, you cannot rule out an underdog win completely.
Prediction: Simona Halep to win in two tight sets.
Match details
Tournament: Prague Open 2020
Venue: Prague, Czech Republic
Category: WTA International
Surface: Red clay
Prize money: $225,000
Match timing: 3 pm CEST, 6.30 pm IST
