Baku day 1: Surprisingly strong field this year

Baku schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/2184/title/baku-cup

Match focus:

Pauline Parmentier vs. Alexandra Dulgheru

Pauline Parmentier enjoyed an inspiring run in Paris, but continued her bad run of results immediately after that. Looks like that Paris run was a fluke. Alexandra will be the slight favourite here, being a former top 30 player. However, the hard courts will suit Pauline more, so Dulgheru will need to make the Frenchwoman work for her points. If the Romanian stays healthy, she should be able to outlast Pauline.

Pick: Dulgheru in 2 sets

Alexandra Cadantu vs. Stefanie Voegele

Stefanie Voegele must be thanking her lucky stars upon drawing slumping Cadantu. The troubled Romanian is utterly dismal this year, and even though Voegele herself isn't in sparkling form, it will definitely be enough to defeat the dire Cadantu. Not too sure what is wrong with Alex, but I think she needs to take a break to regroup herself. Her losing ways cannot be good for her mentality.

Pick: Voegele in 2 sets

Patricia Mayr-Achleitner vs. Bojana Jovanovski

As a former champion here, Jovanovski will be confident of her chances here. Mayr-Achleitner's game is more to annoy her opponent than outplaying them, so I don't expect Bojana to fall for that trap. With a better field this year, Bojana may not be able to repeat her triumph 2 years ago, but should be able to cruise through her opener.

Pick: Jovanovski in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Yvonne Meusburger, Stefanie Voegele, Bojana Jovanovski,
Upset alert: Pauline Parmentier

Bucharest, Bad Gastein day 2: One hit wonders

Bucharest schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/3823/title/bucharest-open--bucharest-romania

Bad Gastein schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/1340/title/nurnberger-gastein-ladies

Match focus:

Petra Cetkovska vs. Alexandra Cadantu

Surprisingly, Cadantu has only won a grand total of one match on clay this season. For someone who thrives on this surface, it's baffling to see that statistic. Her sole win was against a lowly ranked wildcard, which makes it even shocking. Looks like Petra can avenge her Czech Republic's (Koukalova) loss to Romania (Niculescu) here.

Pick: Cetkovska in 2 sets

Andrea Petkovic vs. Jana Cepelova

Talk about losing steam. Cepelova went into a downward spiral after Charleston, winning only 1 match since. Looks like the youngster couldn't handle the pressure of defeating the world number 1, and just lost her belief. She will face another uphill task as Petkovic is fresh of her semi-final appearance in Paris and won their last encounter right there in Charleston. The German was a former champion here, and I believe she will be the firm favourite while Cepelova continues to sink further.

Pick: Petkovic in 2 sets

Jovana Jaksic vs. Paula Ormaechea

Another one hit wonder, Jovana Jaksic found it hard to back up her run in Monterrey. Although she had a great eun, I thought that Jaksic was just lucky to reach the finals. Her game is just not good enough to be in the top 100. Paula is an experience dirt-baller, so she should capitalise on this kind draw easily. Unless Paula is bothered by Jovana's banshee shrieks.

Pick: Ormaechea in 2 sets



Sure win bets: Karin Knapp, Carla Suarez Navarro, Sara Errani
Upset alert: Katarzyna Piter, Chanelle Scheepers

Oeiras day 2: How good is Bouchard on clay?

Schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/292/title/portugal-open

Match focus:

Alisa Kleybanova vs. Eugenie Bouchard

Alisa's recent fine form will be tested by Bouchard, whose 2014 has been stellar. Still, the young Canadian sparked some controversy by refusing to shake hands with her opponent during the Fed Cup pre-match interview. Maybe the success is getting to Eugenie's head, but she must also realise that it's important to stay humble. Alisa has the experience on the surface, while Eugenie is rather normal on clay. I think Alisa has a chance here, if she makes Eugenie hit that extra ball.

Pick: Kleybanova in 3 sets

Svetlana Kuznetsova vs. Zhang Shuai

Kuznetsova almost reached the semi-finals of Stuttgart, but faltered when it matters. This will not happen here as Zhang is no Ivanovic. The Chinese is better suited for hard courts, not the slow clay. The former French Open champion will treat this as a practice match and try out new things for her clay game. An easy win for the Russian.

Pick: Kuznetsova in 2 easy sets

Alexandra Cadantu vs. Roberta Vinci

Vinci may be struggling this year, but her level of play should be able to overcome Alexandra Cadantu. The Romanian is one of the most weaponless players on tour, and is only respectable on clay. With her vast experience on the red surface, Roberta is the huge favourite despite winning only a handful of matches this year. If she loses this one, we're in big big trouble.

Pick: Vinci in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Samantha Stosur, Carla Suarez Navarro, Kaia Kanepi
Upset alert: Elena Vesnina, Eugenie Bouchard, Peng Shuai

Acapulco, Florianopolis day 3: Zhang impresses against Keys

Acapulco schedule:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/87/title/abierto-mexicano-telcel

Florianopolis schedule:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/3024/title/brasil-tennis-cup

Match focus:

Aleksandra Wozniak vs. Zhang Shuai

Madison Keys wastes another chance at going far by throwing away a winnable match against Shuai. She was up a double break in the third set but somehow managed to lose it despite her huge serve. Kudos to Zhang for roughing it out but Keys has to stop losing matches like this. The Chinese now faces Wozniak, whose career has been interrupted numerous times by injuries. Given how she took out Madison, I think Shuai can win this if she keeps the same level up. She just has to keep making Wozniak hit that extra ball, and exploit the Canadian's lack of match practice. 

Pick: Zhang in 3 sets

Julia Goerges vs. Kaia Kanepi

There are small signs that indicate Goerges is back, but she reminds us of her dire form with some unexpected losses. It's tough to predict which Julia will appear, but she was exquisite in her demolition of the Mexican wildcard. That should give her the confidence boost. Kanepi struggled against Cepelova, so I think Julia does stand a chance. 

Pick: Goerges in 3 sets

Alexandra Dulgheru vs Teliana Pereira

The long road back continues for Alexandra, as she tries to get her ranking back into the top 30. When she was at her peak, Dulgheru is a pesky counterpuncher who doesn't give up. Alas, injury set in due to the nature of her game, and she's been struggling since. Against Pereira, Alexandra has to take the initiative and be the aggressor. Given her experience, I don't think she has a problem, the question is, will her body hold up? Pereira does have the homecrowd behind her and if she can hang in long enough, she might escape with a win. Still, I think experience will triumph, barring any injury from Dulgheru of course.

Pick: Dulgheru in 3 sets

Sure win bets: Monica Niculescu, Eugenie Bouchard, Bojana Jovanovski
Upset alert: Paula Ormaechea, Christina McHale, Kaia Kanepi

Quebec City, Tashkent day 4: Pesky and resilient Lauren

Quebec City schedule:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/590/title/challenge-bell

Tashkent schedule:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/759/title/tashkent-open

Match focus:

Lauren Davis vs. Andrea Hlavackova

Lauren Davis seems to be a feisty competitor, shaking off her double bagel embarrassment in double quick time. She will face another brainless ball basher, Andrea Hlavackova. Unlike Hrdecka, Hlavackova carried her doubles confidence into her singles play as well. She is also one of the rare players who won both doubles and mixed doubles of a grand slam. As a singles player, her results are sadly mediocre. Against someone who's a resilient scrappy player, Andrea might just self implode.

Pick: Davis in 2 sets

Petra Martic vs. Kristina Mladenovic

The unpredictable Martic strikes again, taking out US Open doubles champion Lucie Hrdecka. Against Mladenovic, she is clearly not the favourite but let's see if she can surprise again. With a huge serve, Mladenovic should be able to take advantage of quick points. However, she might be bothered by Petra's variety and low balls to her forehand. This will be a test for Kristina, to see if she has it in her to consistent beat the players she's supposed to beat. She wouldn't want to end up like her opponent, posting irregular results throughout her career.

Pick: Mladenovic in 3 sets

Alexandra Cadantu vs. Olga Govortsova

Govortsova's game is a hard one to tame. She has huge groundstrokes but tends to go for too much. If she can get a decent coach, she has the game to be a consistent top 30 player. However, it's a bit too late in her career to post any remarkable results. Against a claycourter like Cadantu, Olga should be able to hit her off the court. Cadantu's game just isn't enough on any other surface other than clay.

Pick: Govortsova in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Mandy Minella, Eugenie Bouchard, Bethanie Mattek-Sands
Upset alert: Alexandra Cadantu, Lucie Safarova

Bastaad, Bad Gastein day 3: Unknowns galore

Bastaad schedule:

Klara Zakopalova vs. Arantxa Parra Santonja
Rebecca Peterson vs. Simona Halep
Johanna Larsson vs. Nina Bratchikova
Teliana Pereira vs. Lourdes Dominguez Lino
Virginie Razzano vs. Alexandra Dulgheru

Bad Gastein schedule:

Karin Knapp vs. Alexandra Cadantu
Jasmina Tinjic vs. Yvonne Meusburger
Mona Barthel vs. Lisa-Maria Moser
Andrea Hlavackova vs. Viktorija Golubic

Match focus:

Klara Zakopalova vs. Arantxa Parra Santonja

Arantxa Parra Santonja is still playing? It is shocking to see her in the main draw after disappearing for the past 2 years. Parra used to be a top 50 player 10 years ago and it's good to see her continuing despite her drop in form. However, it is almost certain that she makes her exit against an equally experienced but on form opponent. Klara is playing her best tennis despite her age and will almost definitely take out the Spaniard.

Pick: Zakopalova in 2 sets

Virginie Razzano vs. Alexandra Dulgheru

The other matches all features unknown players so it's impossible to predict. Dulgheru used to be in the top 30 but was derailed by a serious knee injury. She makes her comeback on her favourite surface and if she plays to her maximum capability, she can cause an upset. Let's not forget she owns 2 premier clay court titles, both coming from Warsaw. The main thing for her is to remain healthy enough to complete the match.

Pick: Dulgheru in 3 sets

Karin Knapp vs. Alexandra Cadantu

Cadantu is coming off a good week in Budapest and will be looking forward to bringing her form here to Bad Gastein. However, Karin is also playing well and this will be an interesting match. Karin will possess the advantage with bigger shots, but the clay nullifies the power and Alexandra and grind her way to victory. Still, I believe fortune favours the brave and I'm going to pick the Italian for the win.

Pick: Knapp in 2 tight sets

Sure win bets: Simona Halep, Lourdes Domingues Lino, Mona Barthel
Upset alert: Virginie Razzano

Budapest, Palermo day 6: Destined for an all Italian finals

Budapest SF:

Chanelle Scheepers vs Yvonne Meusburger

Yvonne Meusburger's recent form has been surprising. In fact, I thought she had retired! Out of the blue, she manages to string together decent wins and is now the top ranked Austrian on tour, overtaking Tamira Paszek. Not too sure what happened here, maybe a coaching change, but this spells trouble for Scheepers. Chanelle barely scraped through unknown, Kovinic in her quarters and will be tested more against the veteran. Yvonne might not have the nicest strokes or game, but her work ethic is commendable. Let's hope the fairytale continues for her.

Pick: Meusburger in 3 sets

Simona Halep vs. Alexandra Cadantu

Compared to the other semi-final, this match looks more promising. Cadantu's form this week has been impressive, but is it enough to topple the in form Simona Halep? Halep is just tearing through the field here and it's hard for anyone to stop her. It seems like she will clinch her third title this week. Cadantu needs to attack Simona's vulnerable second serve and dictate points. If she gets into a baseline hassle, Alexandra will lose out.

Pick: Halep in 2 sets

Palermo SF:

Estrella Cabeza Candela vs. Roberta Vinci

I'm sorry, but I've never seen Candela's face or play before today. So I don't know her well enough to comment. Vinci will probably gobble up the Spaniard for breakfast given her experience and in front of the Italian crowd. Estrella should just be glad that she reached the semi-finals.

Pick: Vinci in 2 easy sets

Sara Errani vs. Klara Zakopalova

A huge contrast in styles here as the top spin loving Errani meets the flat hitting Zakopalova. On clay, Sara is just of another league. Klara will have a hard time hitting through her. However, given her nonchalant attitude, this might favour her as she will continue to go for her shots even when she has committed 122134 errors. Klara will put up a good fight, but the consistent Errani will still be too strong for the Czech. An all Italian final is imminent.

Pick: Errani in 3 sets

Budapest, Palermo day 5: Halep the favourite now

Budapest schedule:

Danka Kovinic vs. Chanelle Scheepers
Annika Beck vs. Yvonne Meusburger
Timea Babos vs. Simona Halep
Shahar Peer vs. Alexandra Cadantu

Palermo schedule:

Renata Voracova vs. Estrella Cabeza Candela
Lourdes Dominguez Lino vs. Roberta Vinci
Sara Errani vs. Silvia Soler-Espinosa
Klara Zakopalova vs. Dinah Pfizenmaier

Match focus:

Timea Babos vs. Simona Halep

With the exit of the top 2 seeds, Simona Halep automatically becomes the overwhelming favourite to win this title. Timea Babos will face an uphill task trying to upset the in form player. Babos is another puzzle waiting to be solved. She has all the makings of the modern game, strong serve and huge groundstrokes. She even has a title under her name. However, maybe success came too early for her as she lost her way and almost all of her matches. Against someone like Simona who is stingy with her errors, Babos will suffer. The Hungarian should be happy that she scrapped through 2 matches here to gain some precious points.

Pick: Halep in 2 sets

Shahar Peer vs. Alexandra Cadantu

I'll be honest here, I've never like Shahar Peer's game. I think her game isn't aesthetically pleasing even at her peak. However, it is commendable for her to continue on tour after her loss of form which saw her at the brink of the top 10. There seems to be a mini revival for the Israeli, overcoming her opponents easily in the tournament. But it looks set to end here against clay loving Candantu. Alexandra thrives on this surface (being an absolute bye in the others) and will be confident after her convincing wins in the earlier rounds. Peer might steal a set, but the Romanian is the favourite here.

Pick: Cadantu in 3 sets

Klara Zakopalova vs. Dinah Pfizenmaier

Dinah Pfizenmaier lacks the experience, which Zakopalova has aplenty. This contrast will be seen in this contest between the young upstart and the veteran. Klara will boss the youngster around with her flat groundstrokes, forcing the German to go for high risk shots. That said, Pfizenmaier is one of the fastest players on tour. If she can retrieve enough balls and induce the errors from Klara, we might have a match. However, experience almost always prevail.

Pick: Zakopalova in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Chanelle Scheepers, Sara Errani, Roberta Vinci
Upset alert: Shahar Peer