US Open day 6: Simona to shine

Upset of the previous day:

 Ekaterina Makarova def. Sabine Lisicki 6-4 7-5

Volatile Sabine hasn't found the balance between offensive and defensive, falling tamely to Makarova. The German's powerful game will be a tough one to tame, and she needs a good coach to tell her when to attack. Her constant aggressive play will cause her to hit spectacular ugly errors and will do no good if she doesn't have a plan B. Makarova will play her first 4th round match here at the US Open, which is great for the humble Russian.

Match focus:

Maria Kirilenko vs. Simona Halep

Player of the moment, Simona Halep, will attempt to cause another upset here, facing the higher ranked Kirilenko. The Russian hasn't done anything much since reaching the quarter-finals of Paris, so Simona should have the advantage. The only problem for the Romanian is whether she has any fuel left in her tank after playing so many matches.

Pick: Halep in 2 sets

Caroline Wozniacki vs. Camila Giorgi

The hard hitting Italian's game will either blast Caroline off the courts, or she will hit herself out of the tournament. I'm leaning towards the latter. Caroline's game works extremely well with brainless ball bashers like Giorgi, and Camila doesn't have the patience nor the experience to handle Wozniacki's loopy balls.

Pick: Wozniacki in 2 sets

Daniela Hantuchova vs. Julia Glushko

Overcoming inspired Duval in dominating style, Hantuchova will be confident against qualifier, Glushko. If Daniela wins this, it will be her first 4th round appearance since... I can't remember. Lol! The Slovak shouldn't have any problems with the young Israeli, unless Daniela goes back to her mental midget days.

Pick: Hantuchova in 2 sets

Alize Cornet vs. Victoria Azarenka

Bad news for Alize: Azarenka in in impeccable form this week. Even though she is dressed like a grandma, she certainly plays like a woman in her prime. Not to say that Alize cannot trouble her though, as she did took a set of Vika in Paris. However, on Azarenka's favorite hard courts, she will run over Cornet in double quick time.

Pick: Azarenka in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Victoria Azarenka, Daniela Hantuchova, Ana Ivanovic
Upset alert: Maria Kirilenko, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Petra Kvitova