Beijing day 6: Kvitova Venus rematch

Match focus:

Petra Kvitova vs. Venus Williams

Venus gave Kvitova her toughest match in her road to her second Wimbledon championships. Can Venus finally top the in-form Czech to avenge for her heart-breaking loss? One thing's for sure, the longer the match goes, the more it favours Kvitova. Venus's stamina isn't as before, so she needs to win this in 2 sets. With Petra hitting the ball with authority, it's difficult to see Venus upsetting the Wimbledon champion. She might take a set, but not more.

Pick: Kvitova in 2 sets

Sabine Lisicki vs. Ana Ivanovic

The trouble with Lisicki is that she cannot string 2 good wins together. Against the tour leading woman with the most wins, I think Sabine's giant killing act will stop here. Unlike Agnieszka Radwanska, Ana Ivanovic thrives upon qualifying for Singapore. She is playing her best tennis so far, and looks super determined to finish as the top 8.

Pick: Ivanovic in 2 sets

Alize Cornet vs. Samantha Stosur

Denting Wozniacki's hopes of securing her place in the year-end championships, Stosur hits a rare patch of good form to advance to the third round. She will favour her chances against Cornet, whose last win against the Aussie came in 2009. If Samantha performs as well as she did against Caroline, there's no doubt that she will best the Frenchwoman. Cornet's second serve and loopy forehand will be punished by Stosur. Nevertheless, you never know which Stosur will show up.

Pick: Stosur in 3 sets

Sure win bets: Serena Williams, Simona Halep, Ekaterina Makarova

Beijing day 3: Overshadowed Jankovic

Schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/1140/title/china-open

Match focus:

Jelena Jankovic vs. Alize Cornet

With the resurgence of Ivanovic, Jankovic has been overlooked in many of the tournaments. And rightly so, Jelena wasn't able to replicate her success from the first half of the year. The Serbian is trying to defend her finalist points here from last year, and will need to be on song against the fiesty Cornet. Alize will like her chances as Jankovic retired from her match last week against Vandeweghe, coupled with Jankovic's dip in form. Can Jelena snap out of her losing ways? Somehow, I think she enjoys playing in Beijing, and will reverse her slump and squeeze out a win here.

Pick: Jankovic in 3 sets

Belinda Bencic vs. Ana Ivanovic

The other Serbian, Ivanovic has been enjoying a great run in Tokyo. Her title run was without a fuss, but had to retire from her match in Wuhan. I'm sure that was due to exhuastion, and Ana will be well rested here in Beijing. Ana's position in the race to Singapore is at a precarious number 8, so she will be eager to win here. Bencic's game can be overpowered, so Ivanovic should be able to pressure the youngster with her powerful game.

Pick: Ivanovic in 2 sets

Flavia Pennetta vs. Christina McHale

Flavia seems to be focusing more on her doubles in a bid to qualify for the year-end championships in Singapore with Martina Hingis. It's a pity for Pennetta as she had a pretty decent chance of qualifying for the singles campaign as well after her Indian Wells triumph. Inconsistencies did her in, but she should be able to win against McHale. If Pennetta isn't too tired from her doubles outings, the Italian's game on hard courts is pretty neat and graceful to watch.

Pick: Pennetta in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Caroline Garcia, Serena Williams, Peng Shuai
Upset alert: Tsvetana Pironkova, Mona Barthel

US Open day 3: All according to script?

Upset of the previous day:


Catherine Bellis def. Dominika Cibulkova 6-1 4-6 6-4

I know Cibulkova isn't playing well, but to lose to someone ranked outside the top 1000 is just baffling. Bellis took advantage of Dominika's weak serve and made her look like the one who's ranked outside the top 1000. With this, she becomes the youngest player to win a Grand Slam match since Anna Kournikova. As for Cibulkova, she needs to take a break and find herself again.

Match focus:

Daniela Hantuchova vs. Alize Cornet

Daniela is defending quarter-finalist points here, but it's tough to see her reaching that stage. Cornet's scrambling game will make Hantuchova go for too much, and hit herself out of the tournament. Daniela's form has been dire for the past year, so I don't think she can surprise at the twilight years of her career.

Pick: Cornet in 2 sets

Belinda Bencic vs. Kurumi Nara

Promising star Belinda Bencic stands a good chance of upsetting Kurumi Nara, one of the weaker seeds in the draw. However, Kurumi has been improving a lot this year, and Bencic will have to play her best to topple the Japanese. The Swiss still has some maturing to do game-wise, so while I believe she will put up a good fight, the steadier Nara will still emerge victorious.

Pick: Nara in 3 sets

Mirjana Lucic-Baroni vs. Shahar Peer

One of these ladies will have a chance to appear in a 3rd round of a Grand Slam, which is a very nice surprise for these 2 aging players. It is arguable that the best years of these ladies are over, so the reward in the last 32 will be extra sweet. Mirjana can hit with the best players of the world, but she's just not consistent enough. Peer's game will make Lucic try outrageous shots, so the Israeli stands at an advantage here.

Pick: Peer in 3 sets

Sloane Stephens vs. Johanna Larsson

Sloane Stephens is playing well, but her opponent just destroyed Virginie Razzano with the dreaded double bagel in her first round. Can Larsson carry her good form here? Firstly, she will be daunted by the prospect of playing an American on the huge Arthur Ashe stadium. Besides, Larsson's game will always be limited by her weak backhand. Sloane will take full advantage of that side and cruise to a comfortable victory.

Pick: Stephens in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Caroline Wozniacki, Jelena Jankovic, Angelique Kerber, Simona Halep
Upset alert: Roberta Vinci, Andrea Petkovic

Cincinnati day 1: Can Pennetta break out of her horrific slump

Schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/1118/title/western-southern-open

Match focus:

Chanelle Scheepers vs. Flavia Pennetta

Pennetta's record since Indian Wells has been a paltry 7-9 win-loss record. This is really absurd for someone who has started the year so well. The Italian might be carrying an injury, but if you're injured, you shouldn't even be on the court. Anyway, Pennetta gets a soft opening match here against Scheepers. If she manages to screw this up, I'm afraid she's done for the year, or maybe even her career. Flavia needs to grab this chance, and stop the horrific slump before it gets embarassing.

Pick: Pennetta in 2 tight sets

Alize Cornet vs. Madison Keys

Even though Keys has won her first event in Eastbourne, I believe her game still needs some polishing. The American is too impatient at times and commits silly errors during important points. Cornet is a good player for Keys to play against as Alize will thrive on these small little errors. Besides, Alize will make Keys want to hit that winner with her endless retrieving, testing the patience of the American. This should be a tight one, but Cornet has the experience and might irritate Keys into hitting herself out of the tournament.

Pick: Cornet in 3 sets

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs. Dominika Cibulkova

Much like Pennetta, Cibulkova is at a disappointing 5-7 win-loss record after her appearance in Kuala Lumpur. This is extremely shocking as it was remarked on how much she has improved in Melbourne. As with Flavia, there is a possibility that she's playing through an injury, but it is never wise to do that. Thus, Pavlyuchenkova should be able to cruise through this. The Australian Open finalist is just too fragile at this moment to be winning matches against top 30 players.

Pick: Pavlyuchenkova in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Belinda Bencic, Ana Ivanovic, Caroline Wozniacki,
Upset alert: Zhang Shuai, Klara Koukalova, Samantha Stosur

Montreal day 2: Venus ready for a good run

Schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/740/title/rogers-cup

Match focus:

Venus Williams vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

I firmly believe that Venus is playing at least top 20 level tennis currently. She has the ability to upset a few top players, but when it becomes a long drawn 3-setter, she loses out with her lack of stamina. Against Pavlyuchenkova, Venus should be able to overcome the Russian. The volatile Russian is capable of producing some fine shots of her own, but she's unable to string them together. I think Venus has the potential to reach at least the quarter-finals here.

Pick: Venus in 2 sets

Victoria Azarenka vs. Alize Cornet

Azarenka's return from injury has not been kind to her. She's taking baby steps at the moment, but she seems to be improving with every match. In a way, Cornet will be a perfect test for Azarenka to see if she's ready to play top-tier tennis. Alize's game will make Victoria hit plenty of balls, so Azarenka will need to balance between defense and offense well. If she can handle Alize in convincing fashion, I believe the world number 1 Azarenka is back.

Pick: Azarenka in 3 sets

Svetlana Kuznetsova vs. Madison Keys

Recent Washington winner Svetlana Kuznetsova will attempt to bring her good form here to Montreal, but she faces the big hitting American, Madison Keys. Fatigue will definitely be a factor for the Russian as she's no longer a spring chicken. Nevertheless, I think Svetlana has the experience on her side, as she will attempt to make Keys win the point on her own accord. Once Kuznetsova gets on a roll, she's a tough customer to handle.

Pick: Kuznetsova in 2 tight sets

Sure win bets: Ana Ivanovic, Eugenie Bouchard, Garbine Muguruza
Upset alert: Zhang Shuai, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

Wimbledon day 8: Can Bouchard make it 3 in a row

Shock of the tournament:

Alize Cornet def. Serena Williams 1-6 6-3 6-4

Following the exit of Li Na, Serena follows her footsteps in yet another early Grand Slam loss. Serena's powerful game was just missing. Her imposing game which is so effective on grass is gone. Her confidence is shot. Something is wrong and Serena knows it. The American came into the tournament full of confidence and was all serious when talking about her game. This is a major setback for Serena, with her aura of invincibility diminishing. It will be interesting to see how she performs in the US Open series. Let's hope this shocking loss will finally spur her into action.

Schedule of play:

http://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/scores/schedule/index.html

Match focus:

Alize Cornet vs. Eugenie Bouchard

Eugenie Bouchard may become the only player to reach 3 successive slam semi-finals this year with Serena Williams being ousted. Alize Cornet's run is surprising, especially on grass, but Bouchard should be able to take care of the Frenchwoman. Eugenie looks set to taste top 10 success this year with her stellar results so far. She's also living up to the expectations, which not many rising tennis players can claim. I believe she will win this, and make another breakthrough in her young career.

Pick: Bouchard in 2 sets

Angelique Kerber vs. Maria Sharapova

With Serena out of the way, Sharapova suddenly becomes the number 1 favourite to clinch the title. Her transition from clay to grass has been impressive, with her barely losing games so far. Kerber will be a tougher test with her pesky play, but Maria should be up for the task. Angelique's weak serve is begging to be punished on this surface, and Maria will spare her no mercy. All the Russian needs to do is to take care of her own service and she will be fine.

Pick: Sharapova in 2 sets

Petra Kvitova vs. Peng Shuai

Well well, look who's in the second week of a grand slam. Peng Shuai reaches her first 4th round in a Slam since 2012 right her in Wimbledon. This run is surprising especially with her poor form recently and her focus on doubles. Peng has the game to thrive on grass, but her opponent is just even more lethal than her. Kvitova's game is devastating in Wimbledon, and not even the great Venus Williams can stop her. If Petra continues her striking, she might end up winning the title again. Sorry Peng, but a 4th round appearance is good enough.

Pick: Kvitova in 2 sets

Ekaterina Makarova vs. Agnieszka Radwanska

Even though Makarova dumped Radwanska out in last year's US Open, I believe Agnieszka is not going to repeat the same mistake this time. Ekaterina has a handy game on grass, but with the courts being slower this year, it give Radwanska the advantage to make Makarova move around the court. Look out for Agnieszka's deft drop shots which has been so effective this year throughout the tournament.

Pick: Radwanska in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Caroline Wozniacki, Lucie Safarova

Wimbledon day 6: Serena to exact revenge

Upset of the previous day:

Barbora Strycova Zahlavova def. Li Na 7-6(5) 7-6(5)

Li Na has once again been ousted before the 2nd week with an inspired performance by Barbora. The Czech player served well, and ventured to the net behind strong approach shots. Li can only concede defeat to a player who played better than her. Strycova is stringing a nice grass season, with a final showing in Birmingham and now a 4th round. Let's see if she can continue her form and live up to her hype when she was a junior player.

Schedule of play:

http://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/scores/schedule/index.html

Match focus:

Serena Williams vs. Alize Cornet

Alize Cornet claimed the biggest win of her career earlier this year in Dubai against Serena Williams. The American will be hungry for revenge this time, on her favourite surface. On grass, there is no contest. Alize's shots do not bounce as high as clay or hard courts, giving Serena ample time to hit them in her sweet spot. Add that with Serena's formidable serve, it's au revoir Cornet.

Pick: Williams 2 sets

Ana Ivanovic vs. Sabine Lisicki

Defending finalist Sabine Lisicki will face her first big test against recent Birmingham winner, Ana Ivanovic. The Serbian has been winning matches regularly this year, and will be the favourite here. However, Sabine clearly adores the green turf of Wimbledon. Can she put up another inspired performance and upset the more accomplished Ana. First, she'll have to attack Ana's second serves, and put up a strong service game. If Ana has doubts in her head, it'll be Sabine's chance. Still, I believe the volatile Sabine has too much pressure on her shoulders this year, and will succumb to the expectations.

Pick: Ivanovic in 3 sets

Vera Zvonareva vs. Zarina Diyas

Look who's back in the 3rd round of Wimbledon! Vera certainly surprised me, (and maybe herself) with 2 wins in a row. The former finalist will be very happy with her results now, and has a winnable match here in her hands. Zarina is still young and inexperienced, so the Russian has to seize the opportunity here and get herself into the 2nd week. Still, Diyas game is compact and will pose a threat. Vera will need to cover the court well and force Zarina to come up with the winner.

Pick: Zvonareva in 2 sets

Andrea Petkovic vs. Eugenie Bouchard

Surprisingly, Eugenie has never beaten Petkovic in 3 tries. However, their last 2 matches were very close, and Andrea only won by the smallest margin. This time, I believe Bouchard will be ready for Petkovic. Given that Andrea's game doesn't really match well with grass, Eugenie's game of taking the ball early will have the advantage. Another plus point for Eugenie is that she's winning her matches despite not playing her best tennis. This is a mark of a top player. Still, I think it will be a close one.

Pick: Bouchard in 3 sets

Sure win bets: Madison Keys, Serena Williams, Simona Halep, Maria Sharapova
Upset alert: Zarina Diyas,