Beijing F: Maria ascends to number 2

Beijing final:

Maria Sharapova def. Petra Kvitova 6-4 2-6 6-3

Sharapova proves her doubters wrong by defeating the Tokyo and Wuhan title holders in succession. The Russian slugged through a dramatic but erroneous match to win her first Beijing title and claims the number 2 spot from Simona Halep. This is Sharapova's 4th title of the year and first that is non-clay. She shows that she still has it on hard courts, and erases her bad run of form since Roland Garros. Kvitova cannot be too disappointed with herself though, as she had a nice winning streak before this, and was so close in the end. Both players will be the huge favourites going into Singapore, with Serena and Simona under an injury cloud. Well done Maria!

Beijing SF: Clash of the big babes

Samantha Stosur vs. Petra Kvitova

If there is a bad match up for Stosur, it is Kvitova. Samantha's kick serve to Kvitova's lethal forehand will just be punished by the tall Czech. The only thing that should favour the Aussie is that Kvitova might be tired after playing so many matches in 2 weeks. I still think that Petra has enough reserve to win this, and reach her second consecutive final.

Pick: Kvitova in 2 sets

Maria Sharapova vs. Ana Ivanovic

Ana Ivanovic trails the head-to-head with Sharapova, but has won their last 2 encounters. The last being the controversial "check her blood pressure" match in Cincinnati. I'm sure Sharapova will be very eager to beat Ana given how vocal she has been about Ana's suspect medical timeouts. Ana does hold an advantage though, winning Tokyo 2 weeks ago and having an extra day's rest. This will be a close contest for sure, and with her place secured in Singapore, I think Ana will go out free swinging and snatch another win from the tall Russian.

Pick: Ivanovic in 3 sets

Beijing QF: Simona withdraws, Ana bolsters chance of qualifying

Schedule of play:

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

Simona withdraws from Beijing after toughing out her win against Petkovic. This gives Ana a free pass to the semi-finals, almost confirming her attendance in Singapore.

Match focus:

Svetlana Kuznetsova vs. Maria Sharapova

A rematch of last week's 2nd round match, Kuznetsova gets another chance to try to topple the tall Russian. However, it is very doubtful that Svetlana can upset Maria after that horror show last week. Sharapova was clearly not at her best but managed to toughen out a win in Wuhan. Svetlana's mental strength is just not capable of making the right shots at the right time. Expect another win for the more famous Russian.

Pick: Sharapova in 2 sets

Serena Williams vs. Samantha Stosur

Serena has not been playing her best tennis lately, and struggled with her left knee against Safarova. If Stosur plays well, she can cause another upset here. I do think that Serena is smart enough not to risk further injury before the year-end championships, so there is a possibility of her withdrawing before the match even begins. Nevertheless, if Serena steps on court, she will have to fight her way through a resurgent Stosur, whose game seem to be clicking again. Stosur's mental strength is very flaky though, so if Serena is able to pressure the Aussie, Samantha might crumble.

Pick: Serena in 3 sets

Petra Kvitova vs. Roberta Vinci

Out of nowhere, Roberta Vinci manages to win consecutive matches to enter her first Premier quarterfinal in a while. With a negative win-loss record this year, I would have expected Vinci to focus more on doubles, or look forward to next year. The Italian's run should end here though, as she collides with the ever-improving Kvitova. The Czech has been going from strength to strength here in China, still unbeaten from her run in Wuhan. Her matches have been relatively straightforward, so I don't see how Vinci's game can hurt her.

Pick: Kvitova in 2 sets

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 5: Angelique chasing for finals spot

Schedule of play:

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

Match focus:

Angelique Kerber vs. Svetlana Kuznetsova

With Radwanska surprisingly bundled out, Kerber needs a good showing here to boost her chances of appearing in the year-end championships. She will face former Beijing champion Kuznetsova, but the Russian is suffering from erratic form. I believe the German is extra motivated now that the door to qualifying is wide open, so she will chase down Svetlana's balls relentlessly. Kuznetsova will probably be irritated and go for too much, hitting herself out of the match.

Pick: Kerber in 3 sets

Samantha Stosur vs. Caroline Wozniacki

Another player trying to cement her place in the year-end championships is Caroline Wozniacki. Before the US Open, it was almost an impossible task for the Dane to qualify for the prestigious event. However, an inspired run at US Open, followed by consistent results thereafter makes her an almost lock for the final 8. Against Stosur, Caroline just needs to play her normal consistent game and make Samantha miss.  The Aussie's game is very much built on confidence, so with her recent downward form, it should be an easy win for Wozniacki.

Pick: Wozniacki in 2 sets

Carla Suarez Navarro vs. Maria Sharapova

It should be a foregone conclusion that Sharapova is the huge favourite here. However, Carla Suarez Navarro interestingly won their last encounter in Montreal. If one recalls that match, it was an absolute horror show from the Russian, so I believe Sharapova will be more than happy to exact revenge. With her superior mental strength, it shouldn't be a tough task for Maria to beat the mental midget Carla. That is if her game is at its normal level and not hitting double faults and errors everywhere.

Pick: Sharapova in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Petra Kvitova, Alize Cornet

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

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

Beijing day 2: Can Halep find her groove back?

Schedule of play:

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

Match focus:

Barbora Zahlavova Strycova vs. Simona Halep

It is no secret that Simona Halep has been struggling to find her form ever since her early exit in US Open. The consistent Simona looks vulnerable now, and is just content with keeping the ball in. Not too sure why Halep is playing so conservatively, since it was her smart counterpunching game that brought her to number 2 in the world. Maybe the pressure is too much. She needs to get her gears working against the tricky Strycova. If she's just relying on mistakes from Barbora, I'm afraid she will be looking at another early round exit.

Pick: Halep in 3 sets

Kaia Kanepi vs. Maria Sharapova

Another player struggling with her form, Sharapova has not been the same ever since her Roland Garros triumph. Perhaps she's too zoned in on her clay court tennis that she's not comfortable on her former best surface, hard courts. Maria's vulnerable serve is back to its errant ways, but it still takes a player with good mental strength to beat her. Kaia is well known to crumble under pressure, so I won't be banking on her for this upset. Nevertheless, Kanepi has the game to make this competitive.

Pick: Sharapova in 2 tight sets

Ekaterina Makarova vs. Garbine Muguruza

Makarova is having a remarkably consistent year and may be the dark horse to qualify for the championships in Singapore. She has a tough opener against the hard hitting Muguruza, who had a good showing last week in Wuhan. These 2 players will be bound to hit the fibres out of the tennis ball, and it will be a close one. The Russian had an unexpected loss against Bacsinszky last week, and will be eager to correct that against Muguruza. Besides, the Spaniard withdrew due to gastritis last week, so Makarova should have the edge here.

Pick: Makarova in 3 sets

Sure win bets: Venus Williams, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Karolina Pliskova

Upset alert: Andrea Petkovic, Samantha Stosur, Roberta Vinci

Beijing final: Serena claims title number 10

Beijing final:

Serena Williams def. Jelena Jankovic 6-2 6-2

It was a rather anti-climatic end to this tournament, as Serena calmly clinched her 10th title in 2013 without much diffuclty. Sure, the games were long, but Serena always had the upper hand. Things didn't go well for Jankovic as she had a medical timeout in the second set. Nevertheless, Serena should be proud of her year no matter what happens in the Year-End Championships. This shows that if Serena commits to her tennis career more in her earlier years, she could have been so much greater. Well done GOAT!

Beijing F: Old scores to settle

Beijing final:

Serena Williams vs. Jelena Jankovic

2 former China Open champions will meet for the 11th time in their careers, as they attempt to claim another title here in Beijing. These 2 met earlier this year in Charleston, where they got into an argument over Serena's request to wait during Jankovic's serve. That match was close until then, when Serena got fired up and dismantled Jelena. She should have enough energy now, considering how she disposed of Wozniacki and Radwanska easily. Jankovic knows how to play Williams, but with Serena's imperious form now, it's hard to stop her.

Pick: Williams in 2 tight sets

Beijing SF: Old vs new guard

Serena Williams vs. Agnieszka Radwanska

Serena improved on her second round performance with a nice straightforward win over Wozniacki. She will face Radwanska, who plays a similar defensive game as the Dane. Radwanska has never won a match against Serena and barring any surprises, the trend is set to continue. The American can always use her massive serve to get out of trouble. If Serena remains as focused as she did against Caroline, Radwanska doesn't stand a chance.

Pick: Williams in 2 sets

Petra Kvitova vs. Jelena Jankovic

Kvitova just loves to live life on the edge. Another 3 set victory, Kvitova is aiming to win back to back Premier titles. Jankovic stands in her way of making it to the finals. The Serbian was stretched by Lucie and will have to tame another aggressive leftie Czech player. Unfortunately for Jankovic, Kvitova is a better version of Lucie. If Jankovic barely made it past Lucie, she won't win against Petra. However, as always, Kvitova will only win if it's a 3 set match

Pick: Kvitova in 3 sets

Beijing QF: Serena in danger

Petra Kvitova vs. Li Na

Li Na will face another big server with huge groundstrokes in this intriguing quarter-finals. In terms of form, Li looks better. However, the crazy Czech will always complicate things by play 3 setters against all her opponents. Li, please teach her a lesson on how to focus and not make your fans suffer.

Pick: Li in 2 sets

Serena Williams vs. Caroline Wozniacki

Call it lack of motivation or pure laziness, the slam winning Serena Williams is just not here. Against players that she owned in her previous matches, Serena is sluggish and played longer than necessary. Against Caroline, she will be in trouble with her lazy footwork. Look out for the upset here as the Dane tries to secure her year-end championship place.

Jelena Jankovic vs. Lucie Safarova

Wow... Jelena looks to be in the form of her life by dismissing Suarez Navarro with the dreaded double bagel. Against Lucie who barely scraped through her match against Petkovic, she is the firm favourite to win this. Lucie needs to serve well and take control of the point from the first ball. Tough task for her after a long drawn match.

Pick: Jankovic in 2 sets

Agnieszka Radwanska vs. Angelique Kerber

A rematch of their Tokyo quarter-final clash, Radwanska will be eager to take revenge for that loss. Being the smart player that she is, she will definitely come in with a game plan and work on the mistakes she committed earlier in Tokyo. Kerber will be confident as well, defeating her just last week. Whatever it is, this will be a good match. Maybe Kerber wants it more with the YEC place hanging on the thread.

Pick: Kerber in 3 sets