Dominika Cibulkova and Elena Vesnina will make a quarterfinal appearance at Wimbledon on Tuesday. Both players have had a challenging path to the final eight stage, but they have overcome four previous opponents on the prestigious grass of the All England Club. One of the two players will make their semifinal debut at the year's third Grand Slam.
Previous matches: series tied at three wins all
Cibulkova and Vesnina have matched up on six previous occasions in which they have split their matches as both players each hold three wins. The Slovak was the victor in their opening encounter six years ago before the Russian took home the win in all three of their meetings in 2009. Cibulkova then won the next two in Moscow over Vesnina with the matches coming in 2011 and 2015. Despite Vesnina having won their only match on grass, Cibulkova was the victor in their most recent matchup which came less than a year ago.
Analysis
Cibulkova is fresh off of a title run in Eastbourne and has gotten past a handful of dangerous opponents en route to the quarterfinals. She holds the confidence and form to pass Vesnina, but she will need to focus on a few inconsistent aspects of her game. The Slovakian tends to get tight off the forehand side during times of pressure. If she can dictate play with authority off both the ground and on serve, her opponent's game should not hurt her. However, if she lets Vesnina get off the hook with several errors and poor shot placement, then Cibulkova may be in trouble.
Vesnina lacks the experience unlike her Slovakian counterpart, but she holds all the weapons to succeed on the grass. Her feisty aggression, intensity, and flat ball-striking effectively work on the slick surface. Not to mention, she is a decorated player on the doubles court which means she maintains high skill and touch at the net. If she can keep the 19th seed in a defensive position for the majority of the match, then Vesnina may see herself in her first-ever major semifinal.
Prediction
More than likely, a second career semifinal appearance at a major awaits Cibulkova. She holds wins over Eugenie Bouchard and Agnieszka Radwanska this past week and has shown her everlasting fight no matter what the score is. Her mental strength should oust the sometimes temperament of Vesnina, which will play a huge role in the outcome of the match.
Prediction: Dominika Cibulkova in straight sets.
