Birmingham and Bad Gastein: Main draw out

On to the grass season now as players prepare for Wimbledon and most importantly. Olympics.

Main draw for Birmingham:

SCHIAVONE (WC,1) - BYE
QUALIFIER - DOI
QUALIFIER - A.RODIONOVA
FORETZ GACON - DANIILIDOU (16)
BENESOVA (11) - MOORE (WC)
DELLACQUA - MUGURUZA BLANCO
LUCIC - SOUTH (WC)
BYE - JANKOVIC (5,WC)

VINCI (4) - BYE
BRIANTI - RAZZANO
ORMAECHEA - WATSON
CHANG - BALTACHA (15)
PASZEK (12) - KEOTHAVONG
QUALIFIER - TSURENKO
KRAJICEK - HLAVACKOVA
BYE - BARTHEL (6)

MAKAROVA (8) - BYE
TANASUGARN - QUALIFIER
ROBSON - QUALIFIER
MORITA - ERAKOVIC (9)
HSIEH (13) - QUALIFIER
PANOVA - DUBOIS
CZINK - TATISHVILI
BYE - HANTUCHOVA (3)

MCHALE (7) - BYE
VESNINA - ROGOWSKA
JOVANOVSKI - QUALIFIER
GAJDOSOVA - CIRSTEA (10)
BABOS (14) - QUALIFIER
FALCONI - CADANTU
MURRAY (WC) - U.RADWANSKA
BYE - LISICKI (2)

Not a very tough field for Birmingham which usually attracts one or two top 10 players. This year the top seed is Schiavone, who isn't a natural grass court player. So it's quite an open field. Grass court players like Tanasugarn and Makarova are slated to meet early, so it will be an interesting match up. Lisicki should be able to get some match wins, but will crumble once she meets a half decent opponent. Hantuchova just returned from injury so any win is a bonus for her. Barthel isn't that well versed on grass; and after her tremendous flop in Paris, an early exit awaits her.

Predictions:

QF:

Schiavone def. Jankovic

Vinci def. Hlavackova

Makarova def. Czink

McHale def. Lisicki

SF:

Vinci def. Schiavone

Makarova def. McHale

F:

Makarova def. Vinci

The main draw for Bad Gastein isn't even out yet. Shows how irrelevant this clay court event is after Roland Garros. :/