WTA Finals Preview, Day 5: Halep vs. Cibulkova, Kerber vs. Keys

Halep would seem to have a very good shot at reaching the semis. She and Madison Keys are each 1-1 in matches and 2-2 in sets, but on Thursday Halep gets the last-place Cibulkova, while Keys has to deal with the top seed, Angelique Kerber. But the Romanian isn’t out of the woods just yet. Cibulkova actually has a 3-2 record against Halep, and she has won each of their two meetings on hard courts. We know Domi will be her usual high-energy self, which means this match will likely come down to which Simona we see. Will she be the confident winner from her opener, against Keys? Or the frustrated loser from her second match, versus Kerber?

Winner: Halep

Kerber, at 2-0, is on the verge of qualifying for the semifinals, but she hasn’t officially booked her spot yet. That’s bad news for Keys, who needs all the help she can get to slip past Halep and into the final four; a less-motivated Kerber would have been a more beatable Kerber. As it is, Kerber is 5-1 against Keys, and has won both of their matches this year in straight sets. Her steadier style should also favor her over the erratic American on the slowish hard courts in Singapore. Coming in, Keys is tied in the Red Group standings with Halep; by the time she takes the court, she’ll know what she needs to do to make the semis. I’m going to guess it won’t be enough.

Winner: Kerber