Singapore day 2: Caroline to win again?

Firstly, I want to apologize for missing out the first day. I've been on the grounds covering for another lifestyle blog, www.superadrianme.com. Please refer to that blog for daily highlights! Due to the busy schedule, I can only update the matches with text. No fancy photos this time. Sorry!

Maria Sharapova vs. Caroline Wozniacki

Sharapova lost to Caroline in their last encounter in US Open. However, the Russian seems to be hitting well again after winning Beijing. Judging by her practice seesion, Maria seems to be getting her groove back. This will not bode well for Caroline, as the surface suits the flat hard hitters. Caroline will need to take initiative or run around with out of this world defence.

Pick: Sharapova in 2 sets

Petra Kvitova vs. Agnieszka Radwanska

It's really a no-brainer to call Kvitova the favourite here. Radwanska's form is nowhere to be found, while Petra thrives on the hard indoor surface. Will be surprised if Petra loses more than 5 games here.

Pick: Kvitova in 2 sets

Singapore player focus: Serena Williams

Season highlights

Current world number one has had a less than satisfactory season by her standards. Despite winning tour-leading 5 titles, her early exits in Roland Garros and Wimbledon marred her 2014 campaign. However, like the saying "when the going gets tough, the tough gets going", Serena stepped it up big time in her US Open run-up and salvaged the season with a win in Flushing Meadows. Withdrawing from the China tournaments with injuries, Serena doesn't look to be 100% going into the tournament. But I believe the world number one is dead set on retaining her ranking, and will be hungry to prove her detractors wrong again. 

Playing style 

Serena really needs no introduction. She perfected the power game, bullying her opponents around the court with well struck and powerful strokes. Her serve is the best on tour, and can even rival some of her counterparts on the ATP tour. Serena has somewhat evolved her game to introduce more spin, which is great for her game as her younger and raw-er game is more error prone.

Chances of winning Singapore: 95%

After her draw ceremony, Serena went straight to the practice courts, showing how committed she is to perfecting her game before Monday. When she's this serious, she's almost unstoppable. Besides, only Ana has beaten her in her group, so she should emerge safely from the group stages. 

Prediction: Winner

Singapore player focus: Maria Sharapova

Season highlights

Easily the dominant player on clay, Maria collected her 5th grand slam in Paris, her second in 3 years. It's a stark difference to the past when she described herself as a cow on ice. Sharapova's clay season made up for the other disappointing ones, like her struggles during the American hard court season, and her early ouster in Wimbledon. With another title in Beijing, she is peaking just at the right time for this tournament. Can she claim her second tour championships title?

Playing style

Loke Kvitova, Sharapova doesn't need to overthink her points. Her hard hitting game is a joy to watch when in full flight. Even though she's not the best mover, she has improved leaps and bounds since her 'first career'. She now has the ability to grind out points on her best surface, clay, and paired with her superior mental game, she's a force to be reckoned with. The only weakness is her iffy serve. When Sharapova loses confidence with her serve, her whole game goes down with her. 

Chances of winning Singapore: 90%

I believe Sharapova knows she has a good chance to win this tournament. With her missing the tournament last year, she has nothing to lose. With Serena under an injury cloud, she might very well end up winning the whole thing and ending the year as number 1. 

Prediction: Finals

Singapore player focus: Petra Kvitova

Season highlights

Like Wozniacki, Kvitova's first half of the season is totally forgettable. However, she turned it on for Wimbledon, dominating her matches to win in style. With her confidence back, she went further by adding titles in New Haven and Wuhan. A recent finalist in Beijing, her form coming into Singapore is stellar. She has a chance to end the year number one depending on how Serena and Sharapova performs. Great turnaround for someone who has been ousted from Melbourne in the first round. 

Playing style

Kvitova doesn't need to overthink much. Her game is pure power, there is no need for cute drop shots or lobs. If she's on, she's unplayable, as evidenced in the Wimbledon final. Petra's fitness is also an asset, having won numerous three set matches, but mostly due to her lapse in concentration during matches. Lately, she has been able to harness her power to great effect. If she continues her free hitting, she might just add another tour championships to her resume. 

Chances of winning Singapore: 80%

There is no doubt Petra's game works well on fast surfaces. Given the quick indoor surface of Singapore, she will thrive and be able to dominate with her laser like ground strokes. However, it remains to be seen if she can overcome the top 2 seeds. She has never beaten Serena before, and hasn't beaten Sharapova since 2011. If she can overcome that, she can be the trophy holder at the end of the week. 

Prediction: Semi-finals

Singapore player focus: Simona Halep

Season highlights

Carrying on her momentum from 2013, Simona Halep continued her assault to the top, peaking at number 2 in the middle of the season. The steady Romanian captured her biggest title yet in Doha, and enjoyed a strong clay season, reaching the finals of Roland Garros and Madrid. However, she experienced a dip in form post Winbledon, being ousted early in the American hard court events, ultimately being shocked by over-the-hill veteran Lucic in New York. Are the wheels falling off for Simona? Let's see how she performs here. 

Playing style

Simona Halep doesn't overpower you with her huge serve or ground strokes. Everything she does is well produced but not overwhelming. Covering the court like speedy Gonzalez, Halep is the smart counterpuncher who waits patiently for her chance to strike. Patience is a virtue, but she comes across as too passive sometimes, when her opponent is on song. 

Chances of winning Singapore: 40%

Simona's recent form has cast a dark cloud over her Singapore campaign. She's hardly in any sort of form, and together with Radwanska will be struggling to win matches here. Not too sure what happened to the steady Romanian, but she needs to get her confidence back. When Simona is playing her best tennis, it's a joy to watch her dismantle opponents with bigger weapons. 

Prediction: Round Robin

Moscow, Luxembourg QF: Unseeded players galore

Moscow schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/664/title/kremlin-cup-by-bank-of-moscow

Match focus:

Alison Riske vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

Alison Riske comes off her Tianjin title with renewed confidence, having won the title there all by herself. She will be looking forward to extending her winning streak against Pavlyuchenkova. The Russian can play a good game, followed by 4 heinous errors. You'll never know what Pavlyuchenkova's level is. Riske's level of play is surprisingly high, evidenced by her easy first round match. An upset here is possible.

Pick: Riske in 3 sets

Dominika Cibulkova vs. Vitalia Diatchenko

Cibulkova needs to win this match to ensure her alternate status in Singapore. Why is this important to her? Well, just by being an alternate, she will get a good pay cheque without having to hit a single ball. However, with her recent dire form, nothing is concrete. I mean, who loses a match to a 15 year old girl? Dominika looks lost on the courts, but is lucky enough to draw a lowly ranked Diatchenko. Vitalia had a few main draw appearances in the past, but was sidelined by injury. I don't think she's capable of upsetting the top seed, but she can make it close.

Pick: Cibulkova in 3 sets

Johanna Larsson vs. Barbora Zahlavova Strycova

With the top seeds out, the pressure is on Barbora Zahlavova Strycova to live up to her seeding and win the title. Against Larsson, I'm sure Barbora is confident of her chances. The Swede cannot just depend on her forehand to win matches. Strycova's all court game will test Johanna's backhand, and cruise to an easy victory.

Pick: Zahlavova Strycova in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Varvara Lepchenko, Annika Beck, Kristina Mldaenovic
Upset alert: Tsvetana Pironkova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

Singapore player focus: Eugenie Bouchard

Season highlights

The most consistent player in the Grand Slams, Eugenie Bouchard makes her debut in the year end championships. The hard working Canadian has won the most matches in the Grand Slams, but still lacks a Premier title. She did win one international title in Nuremburg, but competition is comparatively weaker. It remains to be seen if Eugenie can consistently bring it against the top players, but she has beaten some of the top 8 players and fully deserves her place here. It will be interesting to see how she follows up her breakthrough year in 2015. 

Playing style 

Taking the ball extremely early, Bouchard takes time away from her opponents, staying aggressive camping near to the baseline. There isn't much weakness in her game, except her second delivery. One of her assets is her ability to stay calm under pressure, and her calculated risks. However, she has the tendency to be overpowered, mistiming the balls that cannot be taken too early. 

Chances of winning Singapore: 50%

This is her first appearance in the elite eight, which is an accomplishment in itself. I think Eugenie knows she is here to gain experience, not to actually win the whole thing. She still needs to solve the Kvitova puzzle if she wants to win this event. She might win a match and push the other players, but winning the title is a bit far fetched. 

Prediction: Round Robin

Singapore player focus: Ana Ivanovic

Season highlights

Ivanovic has the most wins of all the players this year, winning 4 titles including 2 Premier ones. This is a remarkable improvement compared to her last 5 years, where she seemed to stall in the top 20. It seems that Ana is finally back to her 2008 form which brought her her first Grand Slam and number 1 ranking. As successful as she is this year, she came short in the slams, getting to the quarter-finals only once. If she had performed better in the big events, she could have easily entered the top 5. 

Playing style

Ana dominates play with her monstrous forehand. The Serbian's first serve is also big, which sets up easy put aways for her. Her weaker backhand has improved substantially this year, and Ana has showed great eagerness to end points at the net. All these improvements are not as important as her strides made in her mental game. Ivanovic does not lose her concentration as much as last time, and she has finally fixed that wayward toss of hers. 

Chances of winning Singapore: 65%

Ana has beaten Serena in Australia, snapping her winning streak, and upset Sharapova on clay, giving her the only loss on the red surface. It will be silly to write her off since she's not part of the top seeds. Her advancement will depend a lot on whether she's drawn in the same group as Kvitova really. Poor Ana hasnt found a solution to the Czech puzzle, so she will hope to avoid the hard hitting world number 3. Whether she makes it to the semi-finals or not, I believe Ana won't leave Singapore winless. 

Prediction: Semi-finals

Singapore player focus: Agnieszka Radwanska

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Season highlights:

Radwanska's season has been marked with disappointments. With the exception of her Montreal title, she was always losing the important matches in the latter stages. Yes, she's consistent, but Aga lacks the killer blow to win the big titles. The path was clear for her to win her first slam in Melbourne after upsetting Azarenka, but instead she falls to Cibulkova, a player she double bagelled just last year. With her poor form in recent months, she barely made it to the top 8, and her chances here are slim. 

Game style

Known for her court craft, Radwanska will not overpower you with big ground strokes. Instead, she uses her bag of tricks which include deft drop shots, slices and lobs to make life a nightmare. However, her game is quite dependent on her opponent's level of play. If her opponent is seeing the ball well, Radwanska tends to be overpowered. 

Chances of winning Singapore: 10%

After her title run in Montreal, Agnieszka went AWOL, posting a 6-5 win loss record some then. The only respectable loss in that period was to Wozniacki. The rest of her losses are inexcusable and shows how bad her form is now. Personally, I don't think Agnieszka herself has any high hopes of performing well here either. Of the elite eight, Radwanska will be the one who everyone's looking forward to draw. 

Prediction: Round robin

Moscow, Luxembourg day 3: Forza Italia

Moscow schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/664/title/kremlin-cup-by-bank-of-moscow

Match focus:

Flavia Pennetta vs. Camila Giorgi

An all Italian clash features the young Camila Giorgi versus the veteran Flavia Pennetta. Giorgi is coming off a final appearance in Linz, but she lost a heartbreaker there. Can she turn it around for Moscow? Pennetta's form after US Open has been bad, so Camila stands a good chance, but I do think that her loss in Linz will haunt her for a while. Flavia also has the experience to weather the bombs that Giorgi throws at her.

Pick: Pennetta in 3 tight sets

Monica Niculescu vs. Mona Barthel

On an indoor surface, I would expect Mona Barthel to perform better. The German has won Paris Indoors before, so she would have the experience of playing under such conditions. Niculescu's junky game will be less of a factor in the indoor environment, so Barthel should be able to belt her winners at will. Mona has a clean game, but tends to make silly errors at inopportune times. I still believe she needs a new coach to bring her game to the next level.

Pick: Barthel in 3 sets

Johanna Larsson vs. Polona Hercog

Both players have a glaring weakness, which is their backhands. These 2 players seem contend to be languishing inside the top 100, not making a concerted effort to improve their weakness or game. Nevertheless, Larsson's recent form has been decent, with a 3rd round showing in US Open, and an upset of Kirsten Flipkens in her first round. That should give her the confidence boost she needs. Polona also claimed an upset over Erakovic, but it's not as significant as Larsson's win over a seeded player. Whoever wins this will probably be ousted in the next round though.

Pick: Larsson in 3 sets

Sure win bets: Svetlana Kuznetsova, Ekaterina Makarova, Alize Cornet, Sabine Lisicki
Upset alert: Monica Niculescu

Singapore player focus: Caroline Wozniacki

Season Highlights

Post Wimbledon, nobody would have expected Caroline Wozniacki to make it to the elite 8. The Dane was nursing a broken heart from a very public breakup, and seemed lost on the courts. It all changed in Istanbul, where she cruised to the title barely losing games. This gave her the confidence boost, posting incredibly consistent results thereafter. Her highlight of the season has to be her great run to the finals in US Open, where she upset Sharapova in straight sets, and destroyed Sara Errani's game in double quick time. 

Game style 

Wozniacki is the tireless retriever who plays her best tennis when being pulled around the court. Her best asset is her never give up attitude, together with her outstanding court coverage. With a dependable first serve and backhand, she earns easy points when her first serve percentage is up. However, her less than lethal forehand and second serve puts her on the defensive immediately. Not a natural volleyer, Wozniacki can venture to the net to put away easy high balls, but her instinctive volleys are not spectacular. 

Chances of winning Singapore: 30%

The hard indoor surface of Singapore will put her loopy forehand to the test. Opponents will be looking to break down that wing and take charge of the points from then on. Caroline is not her best on fast surfaces, so I don't think she will win it all. With her recent small dip in form, I think Wozniacki's chances here are slim. She might win a match in the round robin stage, but she won't advance to the last 4.  

Prediction: Round Robin

Moscow, Luxembourg day 2: Best of the rest

Moscow schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/664/title/kremlin-cup-by-bank-of-moscow

Luxembourg schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/233/title/bgl-bnp-paribas-luxembourg-open

Match focus:

Ana Konjuh vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

Coming off a good week in Osaka, Ana Konjuh will be a tough opener for the patchy Russian, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. The Russian has hit a rough patch lately, barely winning matches. Still, her season is salvaged by her surprise title run in Paris Indoors. In the fast carpet surface, Pavlyuchenkova has the experience, having won in Paris earlier in the year, but Konjuh has nothing to lose and her powerful game is effective here as well. Pavlyuchenkova will need to weather the storm, and try to make Ana make the errors.

Pick: Pavlyuchenkova in 3 sets

Caroline Garcia vs. Aleksandra Krunic

Caroline Garcia is the anti-thesis of consistency. Just when you thought that she's getting her groove back, she bombs out in the opening round of Linz. Needless to say, it is impossible to predict which Garcia will show up. However, against someone as scrappy and stingy as Krunic, I think Caroline will lose here. Aleksandra will make Garcia crazy with her endless retrieving, which will result in wild errors from the French girl. Looks like Krunic will score another upset here.

Pick: Krunic in 2 sets

Sabine Lisicki vs. Daniela Hantuchova

Given Hantuchova's recent lack of form, Sabine should be able to cruise in her first round match. The lightning fast surface does not give any consolation to Daniela, whose movement is laborious even on other surfaces. Let's see if Daniela can summon her game and show that she still has some years ahead of her. If she loses this in a lopsided manner, I believe the end is near for Daniela.

Pick: Lisicki in 2 sets


Sure in bets: Camila Giorgi, Elena Vesnina, Alize Cornet, Andrea Petkovic
Upset alert: Caroline Garcia, Kiki Bertens, Varvara Lepchenko, Annika Beck

Moscow, Luxembourg day 1: Massive withdrawals dampen season ending tournaments

Moscow schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/664/title/kremlin-cup-by-bank-of-moscow

Luxembourg schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/233/title/bgl-bnp-paribas-luxembourg-open

Match focus:

Svetlana Kuznetsova vs. Klara Koukalova

Svetlana Kuznetsova looks content just being a solid top 30 player, always pushing the top players but coming out short in the end. In an event marred by the top players' withdrawal, this will be a good chance for Kuznetsova to revive her career. The Russian enjoys home crowd support, and will be the firm favourite against the slumping Koukalova. If the Russian loses this, I'm afraid any hopes of a career revival will be dashed.

Pick: Kuznetsova in 2 sets

Tereza Smitkova vs. Roberta Vinci

Vinci may be slumping, but I certainly do not expect her to lose to unheralded Tereza Smitkova. The Czech youngster had a breakthrough tournament in Wimbledon, but faded in obscurity immediately after that. There is one factor that might work against Roberta though, as she is scheduled to play in the Year-End Championships in Singapore. If she advances to the finals, she will have limited time to travel back to Asia and readjust to the conditions. Not saying that the Italian should throw the match away, but it will be a matter of priorities.

Pick: Vinci in 2 sets

Silvia Soler Espinosa vs. Barbora Zahlavova Strycova

Silvia held a 5-0 lead against Serena in Beijing, but collapsed immediately after that when the world number 1 raised her game. The Spaniard's game is not flashy, but will make you earn your points. Barbora's season has been consistent after her Wimbledon breakthrough. She used to be a walking time-bomb, never knowing when she will self-destruct and wallow in self pity. Once she kept her emotions intact, she plays a good all-court game which is a joy to watch. I would give Barbora the advantage as she's a play maker, as opposed to Silvia's reactionary game. It will be close though, with a lot of scrambling and all court tennis.

Pick: Strycova in 3 sets

Sure win bets: Mona Barthel, Karin Knapp, Monica Niculescu
Upset alert: Jana Cepelova, Donna Vekic, Tsvetana Pironkova

Linz, Osaka, Tianjin finals: Riske claims her maiden crown

Linz finals:

Karolina Pliskova def. Camila Giorgi 6-7(4) 6-3 7-6(4)

Camila Giorgi certainly has to rein down her ultra aggressive game, and stengthen up her mental game because she just gives away too many free points. Pliskova served well and had some goo returns, but Camila's game is just too hit or miss to really win anything significant. Giorgi came all the way from 1-5 down and wasted a match point on Pliskova's serve, showing how up and down her game is. Hopefully she will find a middle ground for her game as when she's nervous and piling up the errors, she's already putting herself at a disadvantage. With this win, Pliskova bolsters her chance of making the mini-YEC in Sofia, and with some steady results in slams, I'm sure Karolina will be a staple hold in the top 20.

Osaka finals:

Samatha Stosur def. Zarina Diyas 7-6(7) 6-3

As expected, Stosur claims her 3rd title in Osaka, defending her title from last year. Samantha always does well in this tournament, and will be looking to qualify for the mini-YEC in Sofia as well. Diyas played well for her first final, but losing the first set in such a tight manner did her in. If Zarina somehow edged out the first set, I'm sure she will be more confident of her chances. Nevertheless, it's been a stellar year for the young Kazakh, going from outside the top 100 to firmly in the top 40. I believe she can be a steady top 30 player if she keeps up her form.

Tianjin finals:

Alison Riske def. Belinda Bencic 6-3 6-4

Belinda Bencic must be too nervous at the aspect of becoming the youngest winner since 2006. She was not her steady best, while Alison just had to be solid with her game. The American had an uneven season this year, but her last season form has been solid, culminating in her maiden title run. Alison's game is still a bit hit and miss for me, so it'll be interesting to see how she follows up after this triumph. As for Belinda, time is on her side, so 2015 will be an exciting year for her after her first full season.

Linz. Osaka, Tianjin final: 3 peat for Stosur

Linz final:

Camila Giorgi vs. Karolina Pliskova

Karolina Pliskova is having a very good season, making her 5th final of the year. She faces the hard hitting Giorgi, whose all-or-nothing game seems to be tailored to the fast indoor surface. Giorgi will be hunting for her first title, so there will definitely be nerves. When the Italian gets nervous, the only way she knows how to deal with it is to hit harder. Sometimes it pays off, sometimes it doesn't. Against Pliskova's hige serve, I am leaning towards the Czech player as she has a more powerful and reliable serve compared to the Italian's erratic one. However, you'll never know which Giorgi will show up.

Pick: Pliskova in 3 sets

Osaka final:

Samantha Stosur vs. Zarina Diyas

Osaka is Samantha's favourite hunting ground. She always seem to find her game in this Japanese city, having won her first title and kickstarted her last season revival last year. I think Stosur will be poised to win her 3rd title here as Diyas is making her final debut and will definitely be nervous. Stosur's game doesn't work well against tall hard hitting players, which Diyas is neither. The Kazakh is more of a scrappy counterpuncher, who can be overpowered. Stosur's spinny and unorthodox game will be difficult for the young rising star to deal with.

Pick: Stosur in 2 sets

Tianjin final:

Alison Riske vs. Belinda Bencic

Both final debutantes, I believe this final will be a nervy affair. Bencic is trying to be the youngest title winner since 2006 at 16 years old. Not too sure whether is will spur her on or add pressure to her shoulders, but I think the calm Swiss Miss has the more well-rounded game. Riske's game is a pleasure when it's on, but when she feels the pressure, she can spray the balls all over the court. Bencic's more steady and counterpunching game is more dependable, and will be the slight favourite to capture her first title.

Pick: Bencic in 2 sets

Linz, Osaka, Tianjin SF: Rising stars mke SF debut

Linz schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/461/title/generali-ladies-linz

Osaka schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/340/title/japan-womens-open-tennis

Tianjin schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/3783/title/tianjin-open--tianjin-china

Match focus:

Anna-Lena Friedsam vs. Karolina Pliskova

I cannot comment much on Anna-Lena's game as I have honestly never seen her play before. The young German rising star has had a dream run to her semi-final debut, and will be facing the in-form Karolina Pliskova. Judging by Pliskova's form in recent months, it's a tough task for the youngster to stage another upset. The fast indoor surface suits Pliskova's huge serve, so Friedsam will need to go for her own shots more. I believe Karolina will win this and reach yet another final, her 5th this year.

Pick: Pliskova in 2 sets

Zarina Diyas vs. Luksika Kumkhum

Both these players were nominated for the Rising Stars poll to play in a mini-exhibition in Singapore, and Diyas made it to the top 2 in the Asia Pacific region. However, judging by recent form, I would have to say Kumkhum does stand a chance. Luksika's all-or-nothing game has been reaping rewards for her, capturing a gold medal in Asian games doubles and a silver in singles. If she continues to hit the lines and play with courage, she can hit the slightly underpowered Diyas off the court. Zarina will really need to be patient and "push" to irritate the Thai. With her maturing game and rising ranking, I think Diyas will eventually find a way to overcome the rather one-dimensional game of Luksika.

Pick: Diyas in 3 sets

Zheng Saisai vs. Alison Riske

Zheng Saisai makes her semi-final debut as well, showing why she's one of the rising stars coming to Singapore. Against the hard-hitting Riske, I do think she has a good chance of reaching her maiden final. Riske plays a high-risk game as her names suggests, and Saisai has the game to neutralize the flat balls that Alison is sending to her. Zheng has been patient so far with her game, and I believe she has what it takes to outlast the American and reach her first WTA final, provided her nerves doesn't get to her.

Pick: Zheng in 3 sets

Sure win bets: Camila Giorgi, Samantha Stosur
Upset alert: Peng Shuai

Linz, Osaka, Tianjin QF: Keys ready for the next level?

Linz schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/461/title/generali-ladies-linz

Osaka schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/340/title/japan-womens-open-tennis

Tianjin schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/3783/title/tianjin-open--tianjin-china

Match focus:

Camila Giorgi vs. Marina Erakovic

With the lightnig fast surface, it's no wonder these 2 players have posted good results here. Out of these 2 players, I would say Giorgi has the more lethal game on the indoor surface. The Italian's flat serve and groundstrokes have been clicking so far, so it's difficult to get into a rhythm with her playing so well. Marina will need to disrupt Camila's rhythm by using slices and volleys to rush her. It won't be an easy task though, with the way Camila has been playing.

Pick: Giorgi in 2 tight sets

Luksika Kumkhum vs. Madison Keys

Madison Keys has won her first title this year, but has since regressed back into her erratic ways. The American has the game to be a solid top 20 player, but has to rein in her aggressive play at the right time. This probably wouldn't happen too often, but Keys is facing an opponent with an even more aggressive mindset than her. Kumkhum can wallop the ball as well as anybody, but her lack of a defensive game puts her at a disadvantage when she's pulled wide. Both players need plenty of maturing to do, but Keys should be the one who is more experienced in the big stage.

Pick: Keys in 2 sets

Zheng Saisai vs. Sorana Cirstea

With her huge upset over Jankovic, Zheng Saisai will need to focus immediately on another dangerous opponent in former top 20 player Cirstea. The Romanian has rekindled her fire recently, and will be the slight favourite here. Zheng will need to play a very steady and counter punching game against the hard hitting Sorana. If the Chinese can get the Romanian riled up, she can cause another upset. However, Zheng has the habit of faltering after a big win, so I expect Sorana to cruise.

Pick: Cirstea in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Belinda Bencic, Varvara Lepchenko, Samantha Stosur
Upset alert: Zarina Diyas