The Norman Renaissance against the Queen of the Balkans

The gap looks huge on paper. Sorana Cîrstea is in the form of her life, buoyed by her title in Cluj and the emotion of her final season. She has the quality of shot-making and depth of ball that could smother Fiona Ferro’s topspin. The Frenchwoman, although brave and playing at home, is sorely lacking convincing wins against top-30 players since her return.

Fiona will need an exceptional first-serve percentage to avoid being attacked on her second serve. If Sorana manages to set up her forehand inside-out game, the match could be over quickly. The atmosphere at the Kindarena is the only factor that could push the Romanian into making errors, but her experience should allow her to handle the hostility of the crowd.