Moscow, Luxembourg day 2: Best of the rest

Moscow schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/664/title/kremlin-cup-by-bank-of-moscow

Luxembourg schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/233/title/bgl-bnp-paribas-luxembourg-open

Match focus:

Ana Konjuh vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

Coming off a good week in Osaka, Ana Konjuh will be a tough opener for the patchy Russian, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. The Russian has hit a rough patch lately, barely winning matches. Still, her season is salvaged by her surprise title run in Paris Indoors. In the fast carpet surface, Pavlyuchenkova has the experience, having won in Paris earlier in the year, but Konjuh has nothing to lose and her powerful game is effective here as well. Pavlyuchenkova will need to weather the storm, and try to make Ana make the errors.

Pick: Pavlyuchenkova in 3 sets

Caroline Garcia vs. Aleksandra Krunic

Caroline Garcia is the anti-thesis of consistency. Just when you thought that she's getting her groove back, she bombs out in the opening round of Linz. Needless to say, it is impossible to predict which Garcia will show up. However, against someone as scrappy and stingy as Krunic, I think Caroline will lose here. Aleksandra will make Garcia crazy with her endless retrieving, which will result in wild errors from the French girl. Looks like Krunic will score another upset here.

Pick: Krunic in 2 sets

Sabine Lisicki vs. Daniela Hantuchova

Given Hantuchova's recent lack of form, Sabine should be able to cruise in her first round match. The lightning fast surface does not give any consolation to Daniela, whose movement is laborious even on other surfaces. Let's see if Daniela can summon her game and show that she still has some years ahead of her. If she loses this in a lopsided manner, I believe the end is near for Daniela.

Pick: Lisicki in 2 sets


Sure in bets: Camila Giorgi, Elena Vesnina, Alize Cornet, Andrea Petkovic
Upset alert: Caroline Garcia, Kiki Bertens, Varvara Lepchenko, Annika Beck

Linz, Osaka, Tianjin day 1: Last chance to grab points

Linz schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/461/title/generali-ladies-linz

Match focus:

Marina Erakovic vs, Caroline Garcia

When Garcia hits her stride, she's very difficult to beat. That's what's happening to the youngster as she had a good run in Wuhan and Beijing. Erakovic is also a streaky player, but I think Caroline should be confident of her chances after her Asian swing. Caroline's problem will always be trying to balance offense and defense, so if Marina plays her defense well enough, Caroline might self-implode. The New Zealander isn't a defensive player though, so the odds are against her.

Pick: Garcia in 2 sets

Elina Svitolina vs. Shelby Rogers

Both players are considered rising stars in the WTA poll, so it might develop into a nice rivalry in the future. Svitolina's run in Wuhan was surprising, as she upset the consistent Kerber and effectively ended her campaign for Singapore. With that win, it is safe to say that the Ukrainian is the huge favourite. Shelby's results has been too inconsistent to challenge the steady Elina, so she might claim a set, but not the match.

Pick: Svitolina in 3 sets

Olga Govortsova vs. Francesca Schiavone

While Schiavone is not the player that she was, she still has enough game to tame the lesser players. Govortsova is a typical one dimensional ball-basher with almost zero game plan. The wily Italian will be quick to deploy her slices to disrupt the rhythm, and make Olga self-destruct. I will be very worried if the former slam champion loses this.

Pick: Schiavone in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Belinda Bencic, Alison Riske, Barbora Strycova Zahlavova, Madison Keys
Upset alert: Sorana Cirstea, Annika Beck, Eri Hozumi, Erika Sema

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

New Haven day 3: Another post grand slam slump

Schedule of play:

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

Match focus:

Ekaterina Makarova vs. Petra Kvitova

Since her Wimbledon title, Kvitova has only won one match since. She suffered a loss right at the hands of Makarova in Montreal, so the Russian will be confident of her chances here. Seems like 2011 all over again with Kvitova failing to live up the the heightened expectations of her. She needs to right the ship here and get a good result, or she will go into New York with low confidence and an easy target for an upset.

Pick: Kvitova in 3 sets

Alison Riske vs. Flavia Pennetta

Pennetta got back some of her groove last week in Cincinnati, winning matches that she's supposed to win. This one is no different. Alison Riske has been struggling with her form lately, so Flavia should be able to take this one. However, Riske plays a risky game, so if she hits her spots, the match might be over quickly for Pennetta. The Italian will need to hang in and draw the errors from the American.

Pick: Pennetta in 2 sets

Caroline Garcia vs. Barbora Zahlavova Strycova

Things were going smoothly for Garcia until her collapse in Paris. She has never been the same again since then, losing matches which she's supposed to win. Strycova on the other hand, has been riding on a new wave of confidence since her surprise run in Wimbledon. This meeting will be a no-brainer as to who is the favourite. Caroline needs to address what's wrong with her mental game as she seemingly cannot handle the pressure of higher expectations laid upon her. If she can overcome that, she has the game to become a top player definitely.

Pick: Zahlavova Strycova in 2 sets

Wimbledon day 5: Former champions clash

Upset of the previous day:

Zarina Diyas def. Carla Suarez Navarro 7-6(12) 5-7 6-2

Carla's game has the potential to excel on grass, but her mindset is always tuned on clay court tennis. Zarina fought well and the difference was winning that ultra close tiebreak. Even though the Spaniard won the second set, she ran out of steam in the third to the younger Diyas. Zarina has been languishing in ITFs for a while now, and it's nice to see her finally breakthrough into the main tour. With her compact game, she should be competent on the green grass. Let's see how she fares against Zvonareva next.

Schedule of play:

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

Match focus:

Petra Kvitova vs. Venus Williams

Two former champions clash early due to Venus's low ranking, and the crowd will be treated to a good grass court match between these two hard hitters. Petra's form is imperious so far, serving bagels in both her matches. In comparison, Venus has struggled against Torro-Flor and Nara. Doesn't bode well for the 5 time champion. Still, I think Kvitova will need some time to get used to Venus's game before running away with the match.

Pick: Kvitova in 2 sets

Lucie Safarova vs. Dominika Cibulkova

Lucie Safarova has never taken a set off Dominika Cibulkova in their previous 3 meetings. Can she finally claim a set with Cibulkova's suspect form? Safarova's game doesn't really suit grass, but she has managed to win 2 close matches so far. Cibulkova on the other hand, struggled to put away unheralded Alison Van Uytvanck in her 2nd round. Lucie has a chance here, but I believe Cibulkova's fight will see her through. Lucie might claim her first set over the Slovak here though.

Pick: Cibulkova in 3 sets

Belinda Bencic vs. Victoria Duval

This might be the future rivalry of women's tennis, as youngsters Bencic and Duval upset their more accomplished opponents to reach the 2nd round. Duval's win over Cirstea is more impressive, and considering she injured her back during the qualifying tournament. How long she can keep that up is questionable, but hopefully she's not too hampered by the pain. Bencic will need to take advantage of this and avenge her loss to Victoria in Acapulco this year. If Duval is healthy, she has the more natural grass game. However, with her back affected, I think Bencic will clinch this.

Pick: Bencic in 2 sets

Carolina Garcia vs. Ekaterina Makarova

Makarova is the more accomplished player on grass, but both players had similar struggles to reach the third round. Caroline upset Errani, but the Italian is one of the weakest gras court players on tour. These 2 have only met once, where Makarova trounced Garcia last year in Washington. It is safe to say that Garcia is a different player now, but the Frenchwoman has the expectations on her shoulders now. She didn;t handle the pressure well at all in Paris, let's see if she relaxes a little in London. This should be a close one, but Makarova should be able to scrape through this.

Pick: Makarova in 3 sets

Sure win bets: Li Na, Simona Halep, Agnieszka Radwanska, Carolina Wozniacki, Bojana Jovanovski
Upset alert: Peng Shuai

Roland Garros day 3: Is Wozniacki in the right state of mind to play?

Upset of the previous day:

Pauline Parmentier def. Roberta Vinci 3-6 6-3 6-2

Roberta's troubles refuse to go away as she gets bounced out by someone who has absolutely done nothing for the past year. I though Vinci was better than this but losing to Parmentier is a new low. Apparently, Vinci seems to be injured and was barely moving at the end of the match. Still, it doesn't explain the weird losses she has suffered all year and the doubles success with Errani. If you're injured, your doubles results will also suffer (unless Sara does all the work). With this loss, Vinci is safely out of the top 20, and will look to slip further down if she continues her losing ways.

Schedule of play:

http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/scores/schedule/index.html

Match focus:

Caroline Wozniacki vs. Yanina Wickmayer

Caroline Wozniacki is suffering from a different kind of injury: heartbreak. Her very public break up will definitely shake her confidence, but she has the pity of the mass public now. The problem is how much practice did she get before this match. She was nursing a wrist injury and if she's not 100%, she shouldn't be here. Wickmayer will definitely not beat Caroline if she's not injured. However, under such special circumstances, you have to favour the Belgian. Let's see if Caroline rushed back too early, or is eager to prove that she plays better tennis without distractions.

Pick: Wickmayer in 2 sets

Caroline Garcia vs. Ana Ivanovic

Ana Ivanovic has the misfortune of drawing one of the most dangerous floaters in the draw. Caroline Garcia is sky high in confidence after a recent run of good results, and will be hoping for success at home with a good run here. Ana is susceptible to early upsets that's for sure, and losing to Garcia isn;t exactly shameful. However, it remains to be seen if Garcia can handle to pressure of causing the upset. Ana just needs to impose her game on Garcia, make her panic. If she can do that, Caroline will succumb to the pressure.

Pick: Ivanovic in 3 tight sets

Klara Koukalova vs. Maria-Teresa Torro Flor

Like all Czech players, Klara is a mystery. You'll never know which Koukalova will show up. After winning her first title in god knows how many years, she went MIA again and has been barely winning matches. She will need to be ready as Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor can hit a mean ball. When given time, the Spaniard can unlease bombs with her forehand, If Klara doesn't hit enough deep balls, she'll be looking at another early exit. An upset here is possible.

Pick: Torro-Flor in 3 sets

Alisa Kleybanova vs. Simona Halep

A brutal draw for Alisa, who is playing somebody who loves to dismantle a slow hard-hitter. Simona has mastered the art of playing ball bashers with limited movement, and will be salivating at this encounter. Alisa's movement just isn't going to be sufficient against someone who gets almost everything back. Alisa will need to have a very good day when she paints all the lines and gets the first strike. If not, she's as good as out of the tournament.

Pick: Halep in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Li Na, Elina Svitolina, Ekaterina Makarova, Magdalena Rybarikova, Teliana Pereira
Upset alert: Klara Koukalova, Alison Riske, Caroline Wozniacki, Alexandra Cadantu, Barbora Strycova Zahlavova

Madrid scorecard: Claypova rules

A+: Maria Sharapova

No more jokes about being a cow on ice. Best performing active player on clay with this win.

A: Simona Halep

The final loss breaks her streak of 7 straight titles in 7 appearances, but shows that she has what it takes to be in the top 5.

A-: Agnieszka Radwanska

Clay is not her preferred surface, but fought hard to reach the semi-finals.

B+: Caroline Garcia

So close to upsetting Radwanska, but the future is infinitely bright for Garcia.

B: Li Na

Her matches with Sharapova are always dreadful to watch, but she's the one who was closest to beating her.

B-: Ana Ivanovic

Close to replicating her form in 2008, and will almost definitely make her return back into the top 10.

C+: Serena Williams

Unfortunate thigh injury prevents her from a 3-peat. Still think she's one of the top favourites in Roland Garros.

C: Samantha Stosur

Brushed off her horrid loss with a good run here. Stopped by her nemesis Sharapova as usual.

C-: Roberta Vinci

Wins consecutive matches for a change. Hopefully this signals a return to form.

D: Angelique Kerber

Forgettable tournament here as she quits against Garcia. Would have lost anyway.

E: Svetlana Kuznetsova

No one except Kuznetsova can choke a lead like she does. Baffling loss here (and last week).

F: Andrea Petkovic

Green clay success does not equate to red clay success.

Madrid QF: Top 4 seeds to go through?

Serena Williams vs. Petra Kvitova

Serena Williams will face her first big test in this tournament against the volatile Kvitova. Petra has been pretty decent for this tournament, but she has not yet shown her peak form yet. You'll never know which Kvitova will show up, but against Serena, I think a meek Petra will play. Serena's aura intimidates even Kvitova, judging by their past meetings. If the Czech is firing from all cylinders, she might take a set. But a win for Serena should be coming.

Pick: Williams in 2 sets

Maria Sharapova vs. Li Na

Sharapova is hanging onto her top 10 ranking like she's hanging on for dear life. That's why I believe the Russian is at an advantage her. Maria's mental strength is up there among the best, and against the iffy Li, she will summon all her strength for the win. Their last meeting on clay was a messy affair in Rome, where Sharapova prevailed in 3 sets. I don't expect anything different here. A match riddled with huge momentum swings and high amount of errors should be in store.

Pick: Sharapova in 3 sets

Simona Halep vs. Ana Ivanovic

The admirable thing about Simona is her ability to learn from her mistakes. Losing the first set to Lisicki, she turned it around and stopped doing what wasn't working, and edged out a win. She will definitely have a lot to prove here against Ivanovic, who beat her in Fed Cup a few weeks ago. Ana is playing very good tennis this year, and looks set to break into the top 10 again. A win here will further prove that she belongs among the top. This match will be a close one, and I think both players want this win badly. Mentally, Halep has the upper hand. If Ana comes out firing, it might be too late for Simona to readjust. However, if it goes the distance Simona will prevail.

Pick: Ivanovic in 2 sets OR Halep in 3 sets

Caroline Garcia vs. Agnieszka Radwanska

Garcia is the real deal after she overcame Errani. She will face another hurdle in the form of Radwanska. Garcia's game is pure power, and it will be interesting to see how she deals with Agnieszka's crafty play. I think the French youngster's game is still a bit raw to handle the variety of Agnieszka, so I think the Pole should be able to win this. However, I hope Garcia learns from this meeting and gain the experience, so that it will make her a truly well-rounded top player.

Pick: Radwanska in 2 sets