Beijing day 4: Garcia vs Venus rematch

Schedule of play:

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

Match focus:

Caroline Garcia vs. Venus Williams

Just last week, Garcia beat Venus in a nail-biter third set tiebreak. The American will be eager to exact revenge on the French youngster. Venus served for the match in Wuhan, but let the match slip with loose errors on crucial points. Caroline did raise her game also, but I still feel her game is too all or nothing. If Garcia can strike a balance between defense and offense, I think she has what it takes to be a top 10 player. Until then, she will always be undone by unnecessary errors on easy put aways.

Pick: Venus in 3 sets

Andrea Petkovic vs. Madison Keys

Petkovic hasn't been playing well recently, but has been toughing out wins despite her dip in form. She will need her legs in this encounter against the erratic but aggressive Keys. The keys to the match will be Petkovic's ability to make Madison hit that one extra ball. If the German can succeed in retrieving enough balls and making Madison play, she has a good chance of making Keys self-implode. Like Garcia, Keys will need to strike a balance between offense and defense before becoming a player to watch.

Pick: Petkovic in 3 sets

Eugenie Bouchard vs. Sabine Lisicki

Eugenie Bouchard just came off her best showing in a Premier event in Wuhan, but will be bothered by her inability to pressure Kvitova in the final. She will face a similar opponent in Lisicki, who serves big and possesses big groundstrokes. Eugenie will breathe a sigh of relief though, as Sabine is much error-prone than Kvitova, but if the German is hitting her spots, she can score an upset anytime. The Canadian is fighting to cement her place in the WTA finals, so I believe she will be very motivated to beat the dangerous German in as little fuss as possible.

Pick: Bouchard in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Serena Williams, Simona Halep, Ana Ivanovic
Upset alert: Flavia Pennetta

US Open day 5: Venus's golden opportunity

Upset of the day:

Karolina Pliskova def. Ana Ivanovic 7-5 6-4

Ana's grand slam woes continues as she crashes out to her earliest defeat in majors this year to Karolina Pliskova. While the Czech is no pushover, as the tour leading player with the most wins, I expected Ivanovic to win this. As usual, the jittery and inconsistent Ana showed up, and Karolina was steady enough to cause the upset. This will cause a huge dent to Ana's chances of qualifying for Singapore. She will have to make it up with a congested fall schedule, which may result in another burnout.

Schedule of play:

http://www.usopen.org/en_US/scores/schedule/index.html?promo=subnav

Match focus:

Sara Errani vs. Venus Williams

Playing arguably her best tennis since her auto-immune diagnosis, this is Venus' golden chance to stay in the draw for the second week. Errani has had a horrific US Open swing, and barely made it against journeywoman Rodionova. Venus' power should be able to derail the pesky Italian, as long as she doesn't make silly mistakes. With the US crowd firmly behind her, an upset is likely here.

Pick: Williams in 2 sets

Maria Sharapova vs. Sabine Lisicki

Sharapova played an ultimate atrocious match in her 2nd round, and was only able to squeak through a lowly ranked Dulgheru. If she continues playing that badly, Lisicki will make her pay. The German's serve is already a weapon, but coupled with Maria's unstable serve, the match might be over soon if Sabine finds her range. However, being the tour's biggest fighter, Sabine might falter when nearing the finish line. So be prepared for a topsy turvy match.

Pick: Sharapova in 3 sets

Roberta Vinci vs. Peng Shuai

Confidence is a funny thing. When you just caused the biggest upset of tournament, can you carry the momentum forward to your next match? Peng will have to answer this question as she attempts to replicate the form that destroyed Radwanska. Vinci reached the quarter-finals here last year, but is plagued by bad form throughout the year. If Peng imposes her powerful game, it will be a straightforward victory for the Chinese. The trick for Peng is to concentrate on this match and not look ahead. She tends to overthink, causing her to lose matches and countless title matches.

Pick: Peng in 3 sets

Andrea Petkovic vs. Caroline Wozniacki

Wozniacki had a minor incident with her hair in her 2nd round match, but was straightforward in her dismissal of Sasnovich. She didn't need to get into second gear in fact. But against the dangerous Petkovic, she will have to play her best. While the German hasn't enjoyed the easiest wins so far, she tends to raise her level against quality opponents. It will be a close fight, but I believe Caroline's recent fine form will gain her the victory.

Pick: Wozniacki in 2 tight sets

Sure win bets: Simona Halep, Jelena Jankovic, Angelique Kerber
Upset alert: Sara Errani, Roberta Vinci, Lucie Safarova

Cincinnati day 4: How much has Eugenie improved?

Schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/535/title/connecticut-open

Match focus:

Samantha Stosur vs. Eugenie Bouchard

There is no doubt that Eugenie Bouchard is one of the tour's most improved players. This match against Stosur will show how much she has improved since last year, where she lost a close match to Samantha in Osaka. However, it can also be said that Stosur has regressed, suffering shock losses this year with no real upsets of any kind. I believe Eugenie is back on track with her easy win in her previous round, and will hand Stosur another early exit.

Pick: Bouchard in 3 sets

Caroline Wozniacki vs. Camila Giorgi

Camila announced herself to the tennis world with her upset win over Caroline last year in US Open. Can she repeat that feat? The Dane was not in her peak form last year that's for sure, so it is safe to say that Caroline of the old is back. When the Dane is playing well, players will need to hit through her, which is very tough to do. Camila isn't as patient as the other players, so I expect an easy win this time for Wozniacki.

Pick: Wozniacki in 2 sets

Andrea Petkovic vs. Kirsten Flipkens

Flipkens had the good fortune of drawing a lowly ranked Doi in her first round. I'm sure Petkovic will be the favourite here as the Belgian has been struggling with her form for quite some time. Andrea overcame Cibulkova in her first round, and despite not playing well herself, managed to win in straight sets. The German's confidence seems to be back and when she's hitting her shots, Flipkens cannot do much. Looks like the Belgian has peaked and might never return to the top 20 again.

Pick: Petkovic in 2 sets

New Haven day 2: Last min preparation before the big one

Schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/535/title/connecticut-open

Match focus:

Dominika Cibulkova vs. Andrea Petkovic

The American hard court season is normally where Cibulkova excels. However, this year, she is in absolutely horrific form, winning only 1 match against an unheralded Abanda. Looks like her woes will continue against Andrea Petkovic, who is playing good tennis once again. Not too sure what's bothering Dominika, but she needs to either take a break to regroup herself, or get a new coach. The constant losing will not be good on her mental game.

Pick: Petkovic in 2 sets

Garbine Muguruza vs. Sara Errani

Like Cibulkova, Errani has been struggling for the American hardcourt swing. She will face another hard-hitter, Muguruza after being ousted twice by Lisicki. Muguruza might not serve as hard as the German, but she can hit a mean ball from the ground. Sara will need to be patient and make Garbine commit the error. The good thing for Sara is that Garbine can lose to grinders, as evidenced by her puzzling loss to Annika Beck last week. Sara's game is better than Beck's, so the Italian looks poised to win another match here.

Pick: Errani in 3 sets

Bojana Jovanovski vs. Eugenie Bouchard

Major alarm bells will ring if Bouchard manages to lose this one. The hyped-up Canadian hasn't won a match so far in the American hard court season, so she has to prove herself here against Jovanovski. To be fair, Eugenie only played badly against Shelby Rogers, while Kuznetsova is always a dangerous opponent. So I believe Eugenie will right the ship and cruise to an easy victory here. If she manages to lose this, it will seem like she has crumbled under the heavy expecations laid upon her.

Pick: Bouchard in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Kirsten Flipkens, Elina Svitolina, Caroline Wozniacki
Upset alert: Dominika Cibulkova, Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, Magdalena Rybarikova

Cincinnati day 2: Test of endurance for Venus

Schedule of play:

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

Match focus:

Lucie Safarova vs. Venus Williams

It is no secret that Venus Williams is suffering from an auto-immune disease that saps her energy. Recovering from a final run in Montreal to playing her in a span of 2 days might be too much for the 34 year old. Even though Venus is playing good tennis at the moment, it is forgivable to feel tired after her long matches in Montreal. I'm afraid Venus might run out of steam here.

Pick: Safarova in 3 sets

Andrea Petkovic vs. Sloane Stephens

Sloane was so close to beating Jankovic in Montreal, but lost the crucial points. She needed that win to boost her confidence. Petkovic is a player that plays well when confident. She's been reaching the latter stages of her tournaments now, so it's safe to say Andrea is the favourite here. Sloane will need to take the initiative and seize the net whenever possible to counter Petkovic's aggressive grinding game. However, given how adverse the American is to the net, I doubt so.

Pick: Petkovic in 2 sets

Camila Giorgi vs. Svetlana Kuznetsova

 

Kuznetsova retired from her match in Montreal, so she might be still under some sort of injury. However, there is also a possibility that she's just tired and needed to rest. Nevertheless, the Russian has a more rounded game than Camila Giorgi. The Italian's game is simply to hit the hell out of every ball, while Kuznetsova will try to make her hit uncomfortable balls with her spinny forehand. Barring a brain injury from Kuznetsova, she should be able to subdue the wild Italian.

Pick: Kuznetsova in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Caroline Wozniacki, Simona Halep, Carla Suarez Navarro
Upset alert: Roberta Vinci, Victoria Azarenka

Stanford, Washington SF: Serena to exact revenge

Stanford SF:

Serena Williams vs. Andrea Petkovic

Petkovic ruined an all-Williams encounter, which Serena will be hungry to take revenge for elder sister. Serena showed old signs of being a fighter in her ultra close match against Ivanovic, so Petkovic will need to play much better than against Venus. Andrea was lucky that Venus got tired in the end, but Serena looks fit and ready, so a win for the world number seems more likely. Besides, Serena has dominant wins over Andrea this year, so this match should be the same.

Pick: Williams in 2 sets

Angelique Kerber vs. Varvara Lepchenko

Interestingly, Lepchenko has a leading head to head against the higher ranked Kerber. The American won 4 times in 6 meetings, but lost the most recent 2 meetings in the last 2 years. All of Varvara's victories came when Kerber was still languishing below top 50. Thus, Kerber looks set to inch closer to tying the head to head here. Except for that bizarre bagel set loss to Vandeweghe, Kerber has been playing well and clinical in her matches. It will be a surprise if Lepchenko can cause another huge upset after beating Radwanska.

Pick: Kerber in 2 sets

Washington SF:

Svetlana Kuznetsova vs. Ekaterina Makarova

 

As a 2 time grang slam champion, it's really mind-boggling to see Kuznetsova struggling like this. It's not as if she has lost her ability to hit her thunderous forehand. Maybe her serve has regressed a bit, but her flaky mentality is at its best, hindering her from obtaining the results that she can achieve. As a former US Open champion, she should be the favourite here, but Makarova has been steady throughput the tournament. The advantage the Svetlana had will be her extra day off given Vania King's withdrawal. Let's hope Kuznetsova can win this title to give her frail confidence level a boost before New York.

Pick: Kuznetsova in 3 sets

Kurumi Nara vs. Marina Erakovic

Out of nowhere, these 2 slumping players managed to somehow reach the semi-finals. Erakovic has been on a decline recently, struggling to win even the most basic matches. It's not that she doesn't have the game, but her consistency is not there. Seems like she got it right this week, playing good aggressive tennis to win her matches without much trouble. These 2 haven't met since 2011, but Erakovic last won their match with a dreaded double bagel. With the fast hard courts, I believe Erakovic's aggressive game will have the advantage. She just needs to be patient enough to attack on the right points.

Pick: Erakovic in 3 sets

Stanford, Washington QF: Serena faces stern test again

Stanford schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/637/title/bank-of-the-west-classic

Washington schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/2182/title/citi-open

Match focus:

Serena Williams vs. Ana Ivanovic

The only quarter-final where the players played to their seedings, Serena will face another tough test against Ivanovic. The Serbian famously started her year with an upset over the formidable American, sending Serena doubts for the rest of the season. While Serena seems to be back in the groove, she cannot afford to lose focus as Ana is a quality opponent. I would still give Serena the edge though as she's playing in front of her home crowd, and also Ivanovic's recent coaching change.

Pick: Serena in 3 sets

Venus Williams vs. Andrea Petkovic

Venus continues her winning streak against Azarenka with a convincing straight sets win over the former world number. Victoria wasn't at her best yet, but a win is a win. Venus might find Petkovic a tougher test as Andrea is a better defender than Azarenka. Venus must be patient and finish the point at the net for an easier time. If they go on a baseline slug fest, Andrea might tire the elder Williams out. If Venus wins this, we might have a tantalizing all Williams match-up yet again.

Pick: Venus in 3 sets

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs. Ekaterina Makarova

 

These 2 Russians are pretty evenly matched on all aspects of their game, but Makarova is arguably the more consistent player. Anastasia tends to have periods where she loses focus and starts losing points rapidly. Makarova won their last encounter, but it was on Ekaterina's preferred surface, grass. I believe hard courts will suit Anastasia more, but given her up and down form, I would still go with the safer bet. Whoever wins this has a pretty good chance of hoisting the trophy on Sunday.

Pick: Makarova in 3 sets

Sure win bets: Varvara Lepchenko, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Bojana Jovanovski

Upset alert: Angelique Kerber, Kurumi Nara, Andrea Petkovic

Stanford, Washington day 3: Serena starts her comeback!

Stanford schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/637/title/bank-of-the-west-classic

Washington schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/2182/title/citi-open

Match focus:

Serena Williams vs. Karolina Pliskova

Serena claims to be healthy and ready to go for her US Open series campaign. Nevertheless, there will be doubts about her health given how out of sorts she was in Wimbledon. Serena did mention that she will get a health check after the season, so maybe the mysterious illness is still bugging her. The question is can Pliskova take this chance and upset the rusty Serena? Karolina's game is pretty one-dimensional, so Serena shouldn't have a problem. The Czech isn't exactly known for her fighting abilities as well. Looks like a straightforward opener for the world number 1.

Pick: Serena in 2 sets

Naomi Osaka vs. Andrea Petkovic

Samantha Stosur's days as a top 20 player are number if she can lose to someone who's making her main draw debut. Naomi Osaka has a hard-hitting game, but it's not something that Stosur isn't accustomed to. Her mental frailty was painfully exposed by the teenager, who seemed like the veteran on court. Petkovic is likely to impose herself on the gutsy teenager. Andrea's game is scrappy, so Naomi will have to hit that extra ball to win the point. Tough to do it for the whole match.

Pick: Petkovic in 2 sets

Kristina Mladenovic vs. Taylor Townsend

Mladenovic unceremoniously dumped top seed Lucie Safarova in her opening match, opening up the top half of the draw. Kristina's game blows hot and cold, so it's important to stay with her when she's hitting the spots. Taylor Townsend has an all court game which will give Kristina no rhythm to work with. Coupled with her tricky lefty serve. the American is poised to take this match. I just hope that the pressure doesn't get to Taylor, playing in front of her home crowd.

Pick: Townsend in 3 sets

Sure win bets: Monica Puig, Agnieszka Radwanska, Serena Williams
Upset alert: Sorana Cirstea, Kurumi Nara, Marina Erakovic