Fiona Ferro meets Barbora Palicova in the Montreux Round of 16 on Thursday, September 10, at 11:00 UTC. Ferro is rightly favoured on clay, though this rematch looks less comfortable than the price around her suggests.
One title each, and little interest in easy afternoons
Ferro arrives after beating Clara Burel 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 in Sunday's Saint-Palais-sur-Mer final, recovering from 2-5 in the decider and saving match point. She then handled Mona Barthel 6-3, 6-4 in 75 minutes, using return pressure rather than relying on routine holds.
Palicova's route has been no tidier, which appears to suit her. She came from behind to beat Alice Tubello 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 here after winning Bytom and reaching the Koksijde final; on clay, she has repeatedly stayed in matches long after the first set invited premature conclusions.
The fourth game is the difficult one to give away
These two needed nearly three hours in Hechingen five weeks ago, when Palicova recovered from a set down to win 5-7, 7-5, 6-4. That recent memory matters: she knows she can absorb Ferro's changes of height and pace, then make the match physical through return games.
Ferro's variety and tour-level experience can still decide it, but her title week, travel and quick restart leave little reason to expect clean separation. With neither serve especially secure, breaks may be exchanged often enough for Palicova to cover even in a narrow straight-set defeat.
Prediction: Barbora Palicova +3.5 games, odds 1.78
