Roland Garros: Simona Halep vs Sara Sorribes Tormo preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: (1) Simona Halep vs Sara Sorribes Tormo

Date: 27th September 2020

Tournament: Roland Garros 2020

Round: First Round (Round of 128)

Venue: Paris, France

Category: Grand Slam

Surface: Red clay

Prize money: Approx €38,000,000

Match timing: Approx. 2 pm CEST, 5.30 pm IST

Live telecast: USA - NBC / Tennis Channel | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP

Simona Halep vs Sara Sorribes Tormo preview

Top seed Simona Halep will kickstart her campaign at French Open 2020 when she takes on World No. 70 Sara Sorribes Tormo in the first round on Sunday.

All eyes will be on the Romanian given the scintillating form she has shown this year. The World No. 2 won the Dubai title before the season's suspension in March and added titles at Prague and Rome after its resumption to enter Roland Garros riding a fabulous 14-match winning streak.

The form she has displayed on the red dirt this season makes her the overwhelming favourite to lift the Suzanne Lenglen trophy. The 2018 champion will have additional motivation given that a second French Open title will help her wrest the World No. 1 ranking from Ashleigh Barty, who pulled out of the tournament.

Halep's first-round opponent Sara Sorribes Tormo has never been past the second round of a Slam. Apart from the ITF 80k event in France this month, where she emerged as the winner, Sorribes Tormo has managed to win only five main draw matches all year.

While the title in France would have boosted the 23-year-old Spaniard's confidence, taking down the in-form Simona Halep will prove to be a monumental task.

Simona Halep vs Sara Sorribes Tormo head-to-head

Simona Halep and Sara Sorribes Tormo have never met on the WTA Tour before, so the head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.

There is a huge gulf between the two players in terms of rankings and accomplishments. While Halep has 22 titles to her name and has been at the pinnacle of the world rankings, Sorribes Tormo is yet to taste glory on the WTA Tour; her highest ranking has been No. 64.

Simona Halep vs Sara Sorribes Tormo prediction

Having grown up playing on clay, Spain's Sara Sorribes Tormo has a game style suited for the gruelling surface. A counterpuncher by nature, she will look to use her heavy topspin forehand to inflict some damage.

However, Simona Halep's excellent court coverage and anticipation skills should ensure she comes through unscathed.

Prediction: Simona Halep to win in straight sets