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How fit is Sabine Lisicki?

Whereas Donna Vekic hasn't been playing to her expectations for a while, Lisicki forfeited her Osaka match. She had problems with her back and her hip and she didn't finish the match against Hercog. She will be facing Donna five days after that and her fitness is questionable

After being stopped in the eighth-finals in Beijing by Li in a tight match, Lisicki was unlucky in Osaka. She did make it through the first round against Scheepers, but she already had pain in that match and did not play well.

It all culminated in a second-round forfeit. The reason behind it was her hip injury, which was quite surprising as she was treated for back pain in the first round. Her back has been giving her a lot of problems since she has been losing first serve speed because of that, which has been her biggest advantage. 

Lisicki has been playing good tennis lately. Her safe first serve, good baseline play and very good net approaches are the main reasons behind her success. She did sometimes fall into a "black hole" and make one mistake after another, but that keeps happening less and less often. Concerning her past Luxembourg performances, in 2009 she said the surface was quite slow, but it suited her, which is obvious from her results. 

- Wimbledon gave me a lot of self-confidence. That's the experience that helps me even when I am not playing my best tennis. It is nice to return to Luxembourg - said Lisicki. 

On the other hand, Donna Vekic hasn't been playing to her expectations for a while now. Even though rank 86 is a great success for her considering her age, her overall impression throughout the year has been that of stagnation. The public have noticed she has been spending more time doing commercials instead of playing tennis and training. 

Her last loss didn't help much either. Even though she was one set ahead of Flipkens, she retreated, became too passive and ended up losing. Flipkens managed to "neutralize" the match by long slices and forced Donna into making mistakes. Stories that such a result against a Top 20 players is a success on its own can be consoling, but she knows she had to take advantage of Flipkens' form.

Many things haven't been good in Croat's play. Not only is she late for most of the balls, she is also too insecure in backhand rallies. She doesn't approach the net often enough, which is quite useful indoors. However, she demonstrated even against Flipkens she can play quality tennis. 

- I am playing Sabine Lisicki tomorrow. Playing the world number 15 makes me motivated and proud. I am happy to have the opportunity to play her - said Donna through social networks. 

Lisicki is a much better player at the moment and no one can question that. However, even though Vekic is in poor form, this match-up should suit her. Lisicki often prefers forehand rallies and that is one of the Croat's advantages. Besides, it is questionable how fit she is considering she quit Osaka only five days ago. 

Although Donna Vekic isn't doing her best in her latest matches, this bet is still high-value. Vekic lost against Flipkens who is among the Top 20, but whose game style doesn't suit her. Flipkens has a lot wider "range" of hits, so she confused Vekic with her deep slices, only to surprise her with a short ball. Lisicki is not that kind of a player. She, just like Vekic, prefers strong forehand changes. Backhand is quite weaker than her forehand, and she almost never uses slices. True, unlike Donna, she has a lot better outings on the net, but Luxembourg is not as fast as other indoor surfaces. Besides, the main reason I will opt for this bet is the German's health condition. Only five days ago she forfeited the match in Osaka after she felt back pain in the first round, and hip pain in the second. There is a chance that was done on purpose in order to get back to Europe, but the chances for that are truly minimal. Vekic can stand up to her for a good part of the match, and I think the German won't risk to much, unless the situation gets hairy. And because of that I suggest a "one ball" bet, and I mean the bookmakers who treat forfeits after the beginning of the match as defeats.