Budapest, Palermo Day 4: The curious case of Petra Martic

Budapest schedule:

Petra Martic vs. Chanelle Scheepers
Anna Tatishvili vs. Shahar Peer
Alexandra Candantu vs. Andrea Hlavackova
Valeria Solovyeva vs. Danka Kovinic

Palermo schedule:

Lourdes Dominguez Lino vs. Nastassja Burnett
Klara Zakopalova vs. Karin Knapp
Polona Hercog vs. Roberta Vinci
Estrella Cabeza Candela vs. Kristina Mladenovic

Match focus:

Petra Martic vs. Chanelle Scheepers

Petra Martic has all the shots but somehow just cannot consolidate enough results to make a breakthrough. Not too sure what to make of this talented youngster. She always has moments of brilliance followed by months of awful play. However, when she is in full flight, she's a pleasure to watch. Surprisingly, she has won a few matches here and in recent months to suggest that her form is coming back. If she plays well, Scheepers will not be too much of a problem for her. The important thing for her is to choose the right shot to play at the right time.

Pick: Martic in 2 sets

Klara Zakopalova vs. Karin Knapp

Both these players had a nice run in Wimbledon and are continuing their good form on clay. Karin is playing at home and has a game more suited for clay with her extreme grip. Psychologically, that should give her the advantage. However, Zakopalova has been on tour long enough to not let the crowd get to her. She will be sulking anyway. Tough one to call but I'm going with experience. Klara hasn't won a title for the longest time so it will be a sweet reward for her hard work this year.

Pick: Zakopalova in 3 sets

Polona Hercog vs. Roberta Vinci

Similar to Petra Martic (the two of them are friends by the way), Polona Hercog is another puzzle. She is never consistent or healthy enough to play well for consecutive weeks. In fact, she didn't even qualify for Wimbledon. She will have an uphill task facing the in form Roberta Vinci. The Italian is really a late bloomer, establishing her best results in recent years. She will definitely be the favourite but Polona could hurt her if she's not careful. Still, experience should come through for the veteran.

Pick: Vinci in 2 tight sets

Sure win bets: Valeria Solovyeva, Kristina Mladenovic, Roberta Vinci
Upset alert: Petra Martic, Lourdes Dominguez Lino, Anna Tatishvili