Eastbourne, Dan Bosch QF: Can Giorgi topple resurgent Caroline?

Camila Giorgi vs. Caroline Wozniacki

Giorgi's playing the best tennis of her career, and winning tight matches. Can she muster the strength to defeat another former number 1? Caroline likes playing on the grass, where she can absorb the power her opponent throws at her. The Dane should enjoy playing Camila, as she supplies a good amount of power for Caroline to redirect the ball. I believe Wozniacki's pesky game will get the better of Giorgi's flashy power game, with a tight 3 sets win. 

Pick: Wozniacki in 3 sets

Lauren Davis vs. Madison Keys

It seems that the future of US tennis lies in these two players. Davis' game actually suits slower surfaces more, but credit has to be given to her for fighting and trying her best on grass. Madison has the advantage with her bombastic serve, but Lauren can draw the errors if she puts in one more ball. But Davis must be feeling the effects of playing so many matches all the way from qualifying, so I believe Keys will have the edge. 

Pick: Keys in 2 sets

Magdalena Rybarikova vs. Annika Beck

The draw for Dan Bosch has been blown wide open with the retirement of Simona Halep. Beck has benefitted from that, but Magdalena is the superior grass court player. With the latest turn of events, Magdalena will be one of the favorites to capture the title. Beck just doesn't have the firepower to excel on this surface. 

Pick: Rybarikova in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Elina Svitolina, Petra Kvitova, Garbine Muguruza

Upset alert: Angelique Kerber, Klara Koukalova

Strasbourg, Nurnberg day 3: Germans all around

Strasbourg schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/341/title/internationaux-de-strasbourg

Nurnberg schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/3204/title/n%FCrnberger-versicherungscup

Match focus:

Julia Goerges vs. Lauren Davis

Julia Goerges took out Sloane Stephens easily as expected, but runs into her nightmare, Lauren Davis. This 2 have met twice this year, and Davis won both of them, including the most recent one in Rome. On clay, Goerges should have the upper hand, but Davis' pesky game will always give Julia fits. The German needs to apply controlled aggression and attack on suitable points. Easier said then done. Look out for another meltdown from Julia after an upset.

Pick: Davis in 3 sets

Andrea Petkovic vs. Vania King

With the top 3 seeds all dropping out in their opening match, the spotlight is now on Petkovic, the highest seed left. She will face the dangeous Vania King for a spot in the quarter-finals. Vania is a good player who can beat players on their bad day. The problem with King is she tends to take sets off, without winning matches. Andrea is not playing badly at the moment, so I think she should be able to cruise through this match. Is the title going to be hers? Let's see who she faces in her next rounds.

Pick: Petkovic in 2 sets

Mona Barthel vs. Annika Beck

It will always be difficult to predict a Mona Barthel match as you just don't know which Barthel will show up. Mona did very well to oust Belinda Bencic in her opening match, and will be looking forward to winning against compatriat, Annika Beck. That win against Bencic should give her the needed confidence to overcome the passive Annika. Mona needs to have patience and attack on the right opportunities. This will be a close match, but I believe Barthel should be able to snap out of her slump and beat Beck.

Pick: Barthel in 3 sets

Strasbourg, Nurnberg: Last event before Paris

Strasbourg order of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/341/title/internationaux-de-strasbourg

Nurnberg order of play:

Not available

Match focus:

Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor vs. Madison Keys

Madison Keys took a set off Simona Halep in Rome, but collapsed totally after that. She will be facing an uphill task against Maria-Teresa, who is fresh off a title run in Portugal. The difference is mainly that the Spaniard likes playing on clay compared to Keys, who relies too much on her raw power than working out the points. Think Keys has a lot to learn in terms of maturing, so I predict a win for the Spaniard.

Pick: Torro-Flor in 2 sets

Elena Vesnina vs. Casey Dellacqua

No doubt about it, Vesnina is a more competent clay court player than Dellacqua. However, Casey has been playing good tennis for this year, and her confidence has given her results on her weakest surface as well. Elena will need to play her best tennis to see off the Aussie, whose lefty serve can pose a problem for Elena. I think this will be a close match, but Vesnina will probably edge out a win with a close 3 set win.

Pick: Vesnina in 3 sets

Jana Cepelova vs. Annika Beck

Both players are having a pretty dire clay court season, so whoever wins will probably be ousted the next round. Cepelova has practically disappeared after her Charleston run, which goes to show that her performance there is more fluke than substance. Beck is still her steady self, but goes down easily when she meets a quality opponent. I think Beck has the steady ground game. With both players having weak serves, it will be a break fest, with the German winning in 3 messy sets.

Pick: Beck in 3 sets

Indian Wells day 3: Seeds in action

Schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/543/title/bnp-paribas-open

Match focus:

Bojana Jovanovski vs. Caroline Wozniacki

Caroline will be feeling the heat this two weeks as the bulk of her points came from her final appearance here last year. She will face a tough opponent in Jovanovski, who has beaten her last year. Caroline has been nothing but disappointing since this event last year, and an early exit here will be a rude reminder to her that she has been regressing. As a player, you always seek to improve yourself but I don't see that in the Dane. She seems to be happy with what she has or can achieve and more focused on off court activities.

Pick: Jovanovski in 3 sets

Roberta Vinci vs. Madison Keys

Vinci is still winless this year and it looks like she will continue this trend against the hyped Keys. Roberta is just trouble by low confidence and seems to be more focused on her doubles career. Madison needs to take this opportunity and build her confidence. She has the talent to be a top player, but just needs to be more disciplined in her shot selections. 

Pick: Keys in 2 sets

Eugenie Bouchard vs. Peng Shuai

Bouchard has the weight of the world on her shoulders now after her Melbourne semi-final appearance. Will she succumb to the pressure against the Chinese? As the new darling of WTA, Bouchard did seem to be buckling under th expectations laid on her in the events after her breakthrough. This will be a good time to steady herself and show that she's not a one trick pony. Peng barely got pass Zvonareva, so I believe the Canadian is safe here. 

Pick: Bouchard in 2 tight sets

 Elena Vesnina vs. Annika Beck

Vesnina's year so far had been forgettable, while Beck is building on her success from last year. The German has claimed some impressive wins this year and will actually be the marginal favorite here. While these two players play similar games, I believe Vesnina is too brittle at this moment. She seems to be always injured and more focused on doubles. 

Pick: Beck in 2 sets 

Sure win bets: Agnieszka Radwanska, Kaia Kanepi, Alize Cornet, Simona Halep

Upset alert: Caroline Wozniacki, Roberta Vinci, Kirsten Flipkens

Dubai, Rio day 3: Doha woes for Dubai

Yesterday saw the 2 finalists of Doha crash out as Halep retired tamely to Alize Cornet, while Kerber lost a heartbreaker to Ana Ivanovic. Maybe playing these 2 tournaments back to back wasn't such a good idea.

Dubai schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/652/title/dubai-duty-free-tennis-championships

Rio schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/3704/title/rio-open

Match focus:

Ana Ivanovic vs. Venus Williams

A rematch of the Auckland final in January, Venus and Ana will clash as these 2 former world number 1s attempt to regain their former glory. Venus was impressive in her demolition of Vesnina, not letting the Russian bother her and hitting her serves to great effect. This bodes well against Ana, as Venus's problem now is she tries to overdo things. If the American plays steady by aggressive tennis, Ana will hit the panic mode and hit crazy unforced errors. Besides, Ana barely survived her match against Kerber, so she might be a bit tired physically and mentally.

Pick: Venus in 2 sets

Caroline Wozniacki vs. Annika Beck

A rematch of last year's Luxembourg final, Wozniacki will take on the improving Annika Beck for a place in the quarter-finals. Beck has already accounted for 2 top 20 players in Eugenie Bouchard and Samantha Stosur. Looks like the German's game has matured much more since last year. Wozniacki was lucky to have escaped Lisicki, as the German went AWOL again after clinching the first set. This definitely won't happen to Beck, whose steady though unspectacular game will not break down. Annika is the more aggressive player, but then anyone playing Wozniacki will be, so it will her her dictating the points. Sadly, Beck doesn't have a killer shot to end the points, so I believe Wozniacki will survive to live another day.

Pick: Wozniacki in 2 tight sets

Petra Kvitova vs. Carla Suarez Navarro

Predicting a match with Kvitova in it is like trying to strike lottery. You'll never know the outcome and can only pray and hope for the best. The Czech is horribly inconsistent for a top player, and strings together impressive wins and drops a few ghastly losses in between. Carla trails the heads to heads 1-5, but I won't count her out, as Kvitova might just hit herself off the court these days. Carla needs to keep the ball low with her slices, and annoy the Czech with her endless retrieving. If Kvitova's footwork is not there, she tends to spray the balls all over. It will be tough, but I do believe an upset here is possible. The only thing is, Carla's not a mental giant, so even if she gets into a lead, she might blow it.

Pick: Kvitova in 3 tight sets

Sure win bets: Agnieszka Radwanska, Sara Errani, Alison Van Uytvanck

Upset alert: Ana Ivanovic, Kirsten Flipkens

Luxembourg, Moscow SF: All Russian finals possible

Luxembourg SF:

Caroline Wozniacki vs. Sabine Lisicki

Caroline barely escaped the hard hitter in Jovanovski, and she will face a harder basher in Sabine Lisicki. The heads to heads is tied at 2 all, but I believe Sabine has the advantage in this fast indoor courts. Wozniacki did win their last encounter in Melbourne this year, but it was a hard fought 3 set match. With her injury supposedly healed, Sabine should be able to blast Wozniacki into submission.

Pick: Lisicki in 3 sets

Stefanie Voegele vs. Annika Beck

2 surprise semifinalists here as Voegele manages to upset the favoured Sloane Stephens in their quarter-final match. Sorry for shifting the focus, but Sloane is making too much noise for someone who cannot even reach the finals of a depleted event. She should concentrate on being consistent instead of saying things that she cannot live up to. Anyway, Voegele seems to picking up pace again after her impressive Charleston run. Still, I will give the advantage to Annika Beck, whose consistent strokes will be hard to break down. Annika has also won their only encounter, so she should be able to replicate her success.

Pick: Beck in 3 sets

Moscow SF:

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs. Simona Halep

Simona lead their heads to head 2-0, but I''m going to favour Pavlyuchenkova this time. Firstly, she is playing in Russia, and will get the full crowd support. Second, she was so close to beating Simona in Tokyo, but was undone by her fatigue after her Seoul final appearance. Now well rested and seemingly in the form of her life, Anastasia looks like a safe bet for the final. Halep had the good luck of drawing Kleybanova, who must be exhausted with her long drawn matches.

Pick: Pavlyuchenkova in 2 sets

Svetlana Kuznetsova vs. Samantha Stosur

Battle of the massive forehands here as doubles partners take on each other in this semi-finals. Stosur was impressive in her conquest of Ivanovic, but it was also due to Ana's mental fragility. What's more impressive is Kuznetsova''s demolition of Vinci, having lost their last match in Dubai. Will Svetlana turn the tides against the Aussie, having lost their last 2 matches as well? It seems so as Svetlana will be lifted by the home crowd, and Stosur must be tired from her recent matches. Also, Kuznetsova will be eager to join Pavlyuchenkova in the finals, should Anastasia win her match before this.

Pick: Kuznetsova in 2 tight sets

New Haven day 2: Future seems bright for Puig

Match focus:

Elena Vesnina vs. Angelique Kerber

Angelique Kerber is dropping down the rankings and she's at her lowest in 2 years at number 10 now. Will Vesnina stand a chance against the shaky German? Vesnina has had a stellar year for her standards, winning 2 titles so far. I will not be surprised if Elena manages to upset Angelique here. However, the German will fight her way through the match, no matter how badly she is playing. Maybe she has a chance if she gets into Vesnina's head.

Pick: Kerber in 3 sets

Klara Zakopalova vs. Monica Puig

Monica Puig has the game and youth, while Zakopalova has the experience. Who will prevail? I expect big things from the big hitting Puerto Rican. Her game is simple yet effective. Against someone like Klara who's a flat hitter, Monica should be careful and not be drawn into a power hitting competition. She should mix things up, unlike Cibulkova who only knows how to play one game.

Pick: Puig in 3 sets

Annika Beck vs. Petra Kvitova

Urszula Radwanska withdrew due to a viral illness and is replaced by Annika Beck. Great news for Petra, as Urszula and Annika play relatively similar games. Both players don't rely on pure power and mostly just grinds their opponents down. Petra shouldn't have any problems dismantling Beck.

Pick: Kvitova in 2 sets

Sabine Lisicki vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

Seems like the only way Pavlyuchenkova can win is by drawing unknown wildcards and retirements. Sorana's unfortunate retirement sends the Russian into the 2nd round, where she will face the Wimbledon finalist Sabine Lisicki. The German seems to be back on track with a win in her first round. And when's she on track, she will plough through the field regardless of the opposition. Against a fragile Pavlyuchenkova, a win is almost guaranteed.

Pick: Lisicki in 2 sets

Bastaad, Bad Gastein QF: Larsson to bolster local hopes

Bastaad schedule:

Klara Zakopalova vs. Richel Hogenkamp
Johanna Larsson vs. Mathilde Johansson
Serena Williams vs. Lourdes Dominguez Lino
Flavia Pennetta vs. Virginie Razzano

Bad Gastein:

Karin Knapp vs. Annika Beck
Arantxa Rus vs. Yvonne Meusburger
Patricia Mayr-Achleitner vs. Elina Svitolina
Lisa-Maria Moser vs. Andrea Hlavackova

Match focus:

Johanna Larsson vs. Mathilde Johansson

Local girl Johanna Larsson will be looking to reach her first semi-final in a while in her own country in Sweden. Even though clay is not her best surface, she manages to win her matches to reach the last 8. Johansson is the better clay court player, but Johanna can make use of the crowd's support to get into Mathilde's head. The Frenchwoman is well known for her mental fragility anyway. If Larsson hangs on, she has a good chance of reaching the last 4.

Pick: Larsson in 3 sets

Flavia Pennetta vs. Virginie Razzano

Seems like Flavia Pennetta can only win via her opponent's retirement. She is lucky that Simona injured her back and had to retire as she was already down a set. She will face the equally experienced Razzano for a place in the last 4. Pennetta needs to grab this rare chance to reach her first final since Hobart in 2012 with the open draw. She will be the favourite against Razzano, whose game is prone to errors. Flavia just needs to be consistent and wait for the errors to leak.

Pick: Pennetta in 2 sets

Karin Knapp vs. Annika Beck

Annika Beck looked shaky in her last match and will be thoroughly tested against Karin Knapp. The Italian is playing herself to form, and will be looking to advance to her first semi-final since... 2008? Knapp has the tools to beat the youngster, but she cannot rush things as Beck will absorb everything and make her hit the extra ball. That said, Beck must be feeling tired after her tussle the day before, so I think an upset is possible here.

Pick: Knapp in 3 sets

Sure win bets: Serena Williams, Klara Zakopalova, Yvonne Meusburger
Upset alert: Annika Beck