Analysis for Pennetta-Cibulkova (Australian Open)

Head-to-head record 0:1

Dominika Cibulkova is a Slovak young star. She is currently at her career high ranking and she is also a former World No. 3 at the junior level. There is a bright future ahead of her without any doubts and she still keeps on improving. At the 2007 French Open she qualified and made her Grand Slam main draw debut, reaching the third round. Then she made some another good results and broke through to the top 50 at the age of 18. She looks consistent and seems to be a self-confident player with all-courts abilities. She already played Pennetta once in her career and beaten experienced Italian player on clay. Pennetta has won four career WTA singles titles, 3 of them on clay courts, including back-to-back titles in Bogota and Acapulco in 2005. Her maiden title came in 2004, when she won the title in Sopot. She also has had several notable wins in her career, namely beating former world number ones and multiple Grand Slam champions Justine Henin, Martina Hingis and also Venus Williams en-route to her fourth WTA Tour title at the Bangkok October 2007. But she is still the pure clay-courter in our eyes. She used extreme topspin on her forehand and slower topspin and slice on her backhand. She is a patient baseliner who won matches by disrupting her opponents' rhythm through changes of spin, pace, depth, height, and angle. Both players seem to be in a good shape and just about anything could happen in this one but we can´t see a reason for Pennetta to be such a big favourite.