Laura Robson def. Maria Kirilenko 6-3 6-4
Looks like I was wrong about Laura. Well, maybe she was just having a good day. Nevertheless, the Brit showed off her great ball striking skills and took out the top 10 player. Kirilenko will always be in trouble against someone who's hitting the ball hard and deep consistently. Laura will be the favourite to at least advance to the 4th round, so hopefully she doesn't disappoint.
Schedule of play
http://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/scores/schedule/index.html
Match focus:
Flavia Pennetta vs. Victoria Azarenka
Flavia Pennetta played very well against Elena Baltacha, exceeding my expectations. She will be facing Azarenka now, who is under an injury cloud. Victoria fell and tweaked her knee, causing her to scream in pain on court. It was quite a dramatic scene and it's a miracle she managed to finish her match. We will see now if that injury has affected her physically. Pennetta will make sure that that knee is given a thorough workout. I believe Victoria will be feeling the after-effects of that scare and there might be a retirement here.
Pick: Pennetta wins via retirement
Petra Kvitova vs. Yaroslava Shvedova
Shaky Kvitova struggled through Vandeweghe in her first round as expected. Coco didn't have what it takes to cause the upset. Yaroslava on the other hand, loves the surface and is no stranger to causing upsets. She definitely stands a chance of beating the inconsisten Czech. If Petra loses, this will be a good wake up call for her to concentrate on tennis instead of her off-court distractions.
Pick: Shvedova in 2 tight sets
Petra Cetkovska vs. Caroline Wozniacki
Caroline was given a virtual first round bye with Candela. However, Cetkovska is a fine ball striker with an all court game. Will she be able to topple the Dane? Caroline needs to serve well and dictate points afterwards, If she misses too many first serves and allow Petra to gain confidence, she might be in trouble. Cetkovska is still quite early in her comeback after an injury, so I expect her to push Wozniacki, but Caroline will still win.
Pick: Wozniacki in 3 sets
Sloane Stephens vs. Andrea Petkovic
A mouth-watering clash between these 2 players with Andrea on a comeback trail. Stephens did well to take out Jamie but that was due to fatigue on Jamie's side. Andrea has played quite a number of matches herself for the past weeks so it'll be interesting to see if that affects her. Experience wise, Andrea has the upperhand while Sloane has the raw power. Andrea will need to mix things up and get Stephens on the defensive quickly. If Sloane dictates the points, Andrea will not stand much of a chance.
Pick: Stephens in 3 sets
Marion Bartoli vs. Christina McHale
Marion Bartoli withdrew from Eastbourne with an injury but seemed to be fully recovered here as she eased into the 2nd round. McHale had the luck of drawing Glatch, who is only in the draw due to a wildcard. Bartoli thrives on grass so it will be silly to discount her against McHale. What can Christina do to try to win this match? Hope Bartoli injures herself unfortunately.
Pick: Bartoli in 2 sets
Sure win bets: Maria Sharapova, Jelena Jankovic, Monica Puig, Lesia Tsurenko, Marion Bartoli
Upset alert: Victoria Azarenka, Petra Kvitova, Alize Cornet
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