Player to watch: Dominika Cibulkova

Home Bratislava, Slovakia

Age 21

Rank 45

Stats 5-3, 121

Righthanded

Monday's match Svetlana Kuznetsova

In a game dominated by bigger, stronger women, Dominika Cibulkova has to use her guile and speed to win matches. She showed considerable promise since playing her full first season at the tour level in 2007 and reached No. 12 in the world after Wimbledon in 2009. But a rib injury sidelined her for two months and set back her development.

She appears to be gaining steam again. She had to win three qualifying matches to get into the Pilot Pen tournament in New Haven, then beat Melanie Oudin before losing in the second round to the tour's hottest player, Caroline Wozniacki.

Her matchup against Kuznetsova is a good one. Even though Kuznetsova has won three of their four matches, Cibulkova won the last one on hard court.