Each day during the Australian Open, Richard Pagliaro will preview three must-see men's and women's matches—and offer his predictions.
Francesca Schiavone vs. (20) Dominika Cibulkova
Head-to-head: Cibulkova leads 2-0
Margaret Court Arena, second match
This match pits Schiavone’s all-court versatility versus Cibulkova’s bold baseline shotmaking. The former French Open champion seldom hits the same spin or speed on successive shots, while Cibulkova will camp out close to the baseline and blast the ball into the corners.
The 33-year-old Italian will try to use her court savvy and sharp angles to coax Cibulkova into errors. The 24-year-old Slovak will try to take the first strike in rallies and make the lighter-hitting Schiavone defend on the run.
For a refresher on Schiavone’s toughness, revisit the 2011 Australian Open, when she fought off six match points in outlasting Svetlana Kuznetsova, 6-4, 1-6, 16-14, in a four hour, 44-minute marathon—the longest women's Grand Slam match in Open Era history. I don’t doubt Schiavone’s staying power, but I believe Cibulkova’s baseline power will prevail.
The Pick: Cibulkova in two sets