Draw for Rome is out!

Next week's tournament: Rome.

Another Premier event and back to the real red clay! Let's admit it, blue clay was an absurd and ridiculous idea. I absolutely do not enjoy seeing players slipping on that ridiculous surface (or the American green clay for that matter). This tournament should be the real indicator for the red-hot favourite going into the 2nd slam of the year.

Rome Singles Draw

We have a couple of potential rematches from Madrid this week. We have another potential Li-Azarenka QF and Serena Williams-Wozniacki 3rd round clash. We shall see if the outcomes are the same.

Interesting 1st round matches:

Venus Williams vs Simona Halep

Big sister is back and trying her best to qualify for the Olympics being held in Wimbledon. Venus has put up a great fight in her first tournament back, reaching the QF of Miami. However, you still have to look at her losses this year. She looked absolutely spent in her loss to Radwanska in Miami, and struggled mightily against Halep just last week in Madrid.

Will Halep learn from last week and take out Venus? Or will Venus fight her way to another victory? I am going to have to choose the Big Venus for the win. She might be 32, but she has a heart of a lion. Nothing is going to stop her from qualifying for the Olympics.

Pick: Venus in 2 tight sets

Ana Ivanovic vs Svetlana Kuznetsova

Oh Svetlana. I cannot believe you just won the French Open 3 years ago. Where is that heavy-hitting and hard serving Kuznetsova? I've been watching her recent matches and she seems content on just spinning her serves in to start the point. Not sure if she has any injury issues there. If there is, it's in between her ears.

However, Ana Ivanovic is not mental giant herself. The 2008 Roland Garros winner went into a free-fall after her sole Slam win. She seems to be back to her consistent ways again this year, not having freak losses to unknown players. Still, she couldn't find a way to defeat the top players like when she was among the top girls.

So who will win the first round match of the former Roland Garros champions? I am leaning towards Svetlana. She did win their last encounter on last in Fed Cup a few weeks ago. Still, I think Ana is going to be hungry for a good showing here.

Pick: Kuznetsova in 3 tight sets

Ekaterina Makarova vs Francesca Schiavone

Another former Roland Garros champion here who is in a terrible slump. Francesca hasn't won a match since Indian Wells in early March. And that was against unknown, Lesia Tsurenko. You have to worry when Francesca is even losing in her Fed Cup matches. These matches normally bring out the best in her. Being 32, time is running out for the Italian. She fought her way against all odds last year to reach the finals of RG but I'm guessing she's going to hang her rackets after Olympics.

Makarova, on the other hand, just had a decent run in Madrid. She lost to surprise semi-finalist Lucie Hradecka in the 3rd round, defeating Maria Kirilenko along the way. Makarova has been silently having a good year, highlighted by her QF appearance in Australian Open where she upset the great Serena Williams.  She isn't afraid of the big names and she sure as hell will not be afraid of Francesca Schiavone.

Pick: Makarova in straights

Sure win bet: Serena Williams, Sara Errani
Upset alert: Francesca Schiavone, Peng Shuai, Sabine Lisicki