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Simona Halep is a heavy favorite against Lesia Tsurenko in Dubai

By Harry Floyd

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - FEBRUARY 19: Simona Halep of Romania plays a shot in her match against Eugenie Bouchard of Canada during day three of the WTA Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships at Dubai Tennis Stadium on February 19, 2019 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)
DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - FEBRUARY 19: Simona Halep of Romania plays a shot in her match against Eugenie Bouchard of Canada during day three of the WTA Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships at Dubai Tennis Stadium on February 19, 2019 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images) /
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Former world number one Simona Halep wins her opener at the 2019 Dubai Tennis Championships. She is a favorite moving forward.

The odds are in favor of former world number one Simona Halep next at the 2019 Dubai Tennis Championships. Halep enters the action this year in Dubai as the third seed in women’s singles. The tournament’s top seed Naomi Osaka has been OUSTED.

Osaka finds herself being upset by French tennis star Kristina Mladenovic. The unseeded Mladenovic wins a much needed match over Osaka in straight sets.

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Halep could be a solid pick overall now that Osaka is gone. The Romanian tennis star takes on Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko in the round of 16 next. We have to pick Halep.

Tsurenko is coming off of two strong wins over the likes of Yulia Putintseva and Zhu Lin but she is a tremendous underdog against Halep. Looking at their career head to head, Halep has the edge. She is 5-0 all-time when playing Tsurenko in women’s singles.

Halep enters the match with Tsurenko fresh off of a win over Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard. The young Canadian put up a tough fight, taking Halep to tiebreak in the first set but Halep wins a straight set match to start her time in Dubai. Bouchard remains alive on the women’s doubles side of the action along with her partner Sofia Kenin.

If we have to make a prediction for the Halep-Tsurenko match, it is Halep in straight sets. The Romanian reached the finals at the Qatar Total Open last week and appears to be maintaining her poise so far at the Dubai Tennis Championships. It is hard to pick Tsurenko in this one. As we have already seen this week though, anything is possible. The Osaka upset is proof of that.

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Check back to see if Simona Halep can advance through the round of 16 and how the rest of the action in women’s singles unfolds at the Dubai Tennis Championships. The former world number one sets her sights high and is looking to retake the top ranking in the sport again soon. Stay tuned for more updates from all around the WTA Tour.

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