Singapore day 2: Caroline to win again?

Firstly, I want to apologize for missing out the first day. I've been on the grounds covering for another lifestyle blog, www.superadrianme.com. Please refer to that blog for daily highlights! Due to the busy schedule, I can only update the matches with text. No fancy photos this time. Sorry!

Maria Sharapova vs. Caroline Wozniacki

Sharapova lost to Caroline in their last encounter in US Open. However, the Russian seems to be hitting well again after winning Beijing. Judging by her practice seesion, Maria seems to be getting her groove back. This will not bode well for Caroline, as the surface suits the flat hard hitters. Caroline will need to take initiative or run around with out of this world defence.

Pick: Sharapova in 2 sets

Petra Kvitova vs. Agnieszka Radwanska

It's really a no-brainer to call Kvitova the favourite here. Radwanska's form is nowhere to be found, while Petra thrives on the hard indoor surface. Will be surprised if Petra loses more than 5 games here.

Pick: Kvitova in 2 sets

Singapore player focus: Caroline Wozniacki

Season Highlights

Post Wimbledon, nobody would have expected Caroline Wozniacki to make it to the elite 8. The Dane was nursing a broken heart from a very public breakup, and seemed lost on the courts. It all changed in Istanbul, where she cruised to the title barely losing games. This gave her the confidence boost, posting incredibly consistent results thereafter. Her highlight of the season has to be her great run to the finals in US Open, where she upset Sharapova in straight sets, and destroyed Sara Errani's game in double quick time. 

Game style 

Wozniacki is the tireless retriever who plays her best tennis when being pulled around the court. Her best asset is her never give up attitude, together with her outstanding court coverage. With a dependable first serve and backhand, she earns easy points when her first serve percentage is up. However, her less than lethal forehand and second serve puts her on the defensive immediately. Not a natural volleyer, Wozniacki can venture to the net to put away easy high balls, but her instinctive volleys are not spectacular. 

Chances of winning Singapore: 30%

The hard indoor surface of Singapore will put her loopy forehand to the test. Opponents will be looking to break down that wing and take charge of the points from then on. Caroline is not her best on fast surfaces, so I don't think she will win it all. With her recent small dip in form, I think Wozniacki's chances here are slim. She might win a match in the round robin stage, but she won't advance to the last 4.  

Prediction: Round Robin

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

US Open final: Serena joins the legends

US Open final:

Serena Williams def. Caroline Wozniacki 6-3 6-3

It was a nervy start for Serena, but when she settled herself down, she was untouchable. Wozniacki tried to hang in there but she was no match for Serena's power. The world number 1 played with controlled aggression, and attacked on the right balls. None of that ridiculous errors in Roland Garros and Wimbledon, Serena was always in the driver's seat. With this win, Serena ties Navratilova and Evert with 18 slams. Next for her is Helen Wills Moody's 19 slams, and then Steffi Graf's 22. Can she top Steffi? With the way she played today, I would say yes.

US Open final: Serena's back on top

US Open final:

Serena Williams vs. Caroline Wozniacki

While both were favourites to go through to the finals, Wozniacki had a tougher time against Peng, and an unfortunate ending for the Chinese as she retired with severe heat illness. It was tough to watch Peng collapse on the floor writhing in pain, and good to see Caroline trying to console her injured opponent. Had Peng been healthy, there might be a possibility of a tight 3 setter. Anyway, Caroline is into her 2nd slam final, and faces the huge favourite, Serena Williams. Serena and Caroline are good friends off the court, but Serena will probably be ruthless this time as she's chasing history. A win here will give her her 18th slam, tying her with Navratilova and Evert. Besides that, Serena has already qualified for the year-end championships, which will give her more opportunities to just belt the ball. Wozniacki's defensive game can at most steal a set from Williams, but Serena's controlled aggression and superb serve will clinch her the title.

Pick: Williams in 2 sets

US Open SF: And then there were four...

Serena Williams vs. Ekaterina Makarova

Serena Williams must be hungry for this title after having experienced 3 early upsets in her slams. A win here will redeem her 'lost year' as she put it herself. Looking at the opposition left, it is hard to write Williams off. Makarova can hit a mean ball, but her movement is not as agile as Serena. Once Serena gets Makarova on the move, she has the advantage. Besides, Williams will be eager to exact revenge on Ekaterina for her doubles loss to Makarova and Vesnina.

Pick: Williams in 2 sets

Peng Shuai vs. Caroline Wozniacki

Peng is on fire this week, there's no doubt about that. The Chinese hasn't dropped a set so far, and will look to be the aggressor against Wozniacki. The problem is Caroline is playing some of her best tennis here. Her dismantling of Errani was spectacular, and only exposed how limitied Sara is as a top player. For her to upset Caroline, Peng will need to serve well like she has done through the fortnight, and not get nervous when the situation gets tight. It is Peng's debut semi-final appearance, so I'm going to give Wozniacki the edge here. An inspired Peng might sneak out a set, but Caroline will win this.

Pick: Wozniacki in 3 sets

US Open QF: Surprise semi-finalist Peng/Bencic

Upset of the previous day:

Ekaterina Makarova def. Eugenie Bouchard 7-6(2) 6-4

And the semi-final streak ends for the Canadian, as she was ousted by the big hitting Makarova. The Russian tried to choke it away, having served for the first set, but Eugenie didn't take her chances and paid for her mistakes. Bouchard also took an unusual medical timeout, which I believe was to disrupt Makarova's momentum. Sadly, it didn't work as Ekaterina punished Eugenie's serve in her last game. This is the 2nd straight year that Makarova has reached the quarter-finals. She has a real good chance of beating Azarenka, given how atrocious her performance was today.

Match focus:

Belinda Bencic vs. Peng Shuai

Nobody would have thought that these 2 players will be vying for a spot in the semi-finals. Peng is the more experienced player, but her mental strength has always been suspect. Belinda has the exuberance of youth, and has nothing to lose, so she will go into this match free-swinging. Nevertheless, I think Shuai has enough power to trouble Bencic. She will need to punish the Swiss's weaker second serve, and venture to the net to end the points. If the Chinese serves well like her previous matches, she is the favourite to win, unless her brain gets in the way.

Pick: Peng in 3 sets

Caroline Wozniacki vs. Sara Errani

Caroline's appearance here isn't really a big surprise given how well she performed in the warm-up events. Errani on the other hand, has been losing matches left and right. Her showing here is really out of the blue, which also shows how unpredictable the women's tour is. Caroline is the firm favourite here, but she will have to be the aggressor here. Errani's weak serves are begging to be punished, so Caroline should take the initiative from there. Once the Dane protects her serve well, and pressures Sara's service games, she should be the winner. A very good chance to make another final appearance for Wozniacki.

Pick: Wozniacki in 2 sets

US Open day 7: Make or break for Caroline

Upset of the previous day:

Aleksandra Krunic def. Petra Kvitova 6-4 6-4

Following Halep's massive loss yesterday, Kvitova follows her footsteps in losing to another unheralded player. Aleksandra Krunic played the match of her life, running down shots that would have been winners against any other players, and managed to beat the reigning Wimbledon champion. Kvitova was unnerved by Krunic's impossible court coverage, and hit herself out of the tournament. Aleksandra's game is kind of like Wozniacki with a better forehand, so she has the potential to do well given how brainless the other players are. Another shocking loss for Kvitova when her draw has opened up considerably. Looks like her second Wimbledon was kind of fluky as well.

Schedule of play:

http://www.usopen.org/en_US/scores/schedule/schedule13.html

Match focus:

Sara Errani vs. Mirjana Lucic-Baroni

Errani was lucky that Venus committed so many errors in her match, and she will be happy she's not facing Halep instead. Mirjana's game is even riskier than Venus, so Sara already had the perfect warm-up. The crowd will be firmly behind the Croatian though, as she's the story of the tournament so far, having struggled with her private life and making a comeback here after 15 years. Nevertheless, Sara will be prepared as she silenced her doubters defiantly against Venus, as the crowd was decidedly on Venus' side. Every fairytale has to end and not every story has a fairytale ending.

Pick: Errani in 2 sets

Maria Sharapova vs. Caroline Wozniacki

Plagued by serving woes and uneven play, Wozniacki has the perfect opportunity to upset the hard hitting Russian here. Lisicki's game was too risky, and the volatile German just couldn't find the court in her nervy 3rd round, but Wozniacki thrives on the big occasions. The Dane's superior court coverage will trouble Maria, and will make her hit that extra ball. Sharapova's game is frankly extremely fragile now, so Caroline just needs to keep getting the ball back with interest and make Sharapova make the error. An upset is very possible here.

Pick: Wozniacki in 3 sets

Belinda Bencic vs. Jelena Jankovic

Barely losing games, Jankovic is quietly advancing to the 2nd week with minimal fuss. One thing to note is that the Serbian has yet to lose serve in her 3 matches. While this is definitely about to change against Bencic, you can see that Jelena is more confident of her serve now, and her game flows with it. Bencic's game is kind of like Jelena, but the former number 1 has a better serve and more experience. With her cruising through her 3 matches, it's hard not to pick Jelena, even though Belinda will definitely put up a better fight.

Pick: Jankovic in 2 sets

Lucie Safarova vs. Peng Shuai

Peng's resurgence is very impressive, but she will meet someone who she has never beaten in 4 tries. Lucie Safarova is enjoying her best year in majors, reaching the latter stages in almost all the slams, and will be the favoured player to reach the last 8. Not too sure why Shuai is winless against Lucie, but Peng will need to mix things up to unnerve the Czech. Approach the net, hit some low slice shots, and make Lucie earn the point. That is precisely not Peng's game, so it's a done deal here.

Pick: Safarova in 2 sets

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

US Open day 1: Veterans in the spotlight

Schedule of play:

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

Match focus:
Kimiko Date-Krumm vs. Venus Williams

With the tour filled with youngsters, it's refreshing to see veterans battle it out. Instead of the bolsterious come-ons and fist pumps, veterans tend to keep it classy and dignified. Two of the tour's class acts will face off in Arthur Ashe stadium, where Venus will remain the firm favourite. Kimiko has the game to trouble most players, but she always falters at the crucial points. I don't see a surprise here as the hard courts suits the American more.

Pick: Williams in 2 sets

Maria Sharapova vs. Maria Kirilenko

Even though Kirilenko famously shocked Sharapova in Melbourne before, it will be extremely tough for her to replicate that success here. Kirilenko has been struggling with her knee injury, and was never the same player after her comeback. She is capable of playing good tennis, but her body doesn't allow her to do so. Against Sharapova who has nothing to defend and nothing to lose here, she will almost definitely be annihilated.

Pick: Sharapova in 2 easy sets

Magdalena Rybarikova vs. Caroline Wozniacki

Even though Rybarikova conquered Giorgi who ousted Wozniacki in New Haven, the organizers did the Dane a huge favour by scheduling them to play this early. The Slovak will be fatigued by her final appearance in New Haven, and Caroline will gladly run her around the court. Caroline was a bit uninspired in her loss to Giorgi, but it's tough when your opponent hits everything as hard as she can and lands it in. I believe Wozniacki will have ample rest this time, and make a good run here in New York.

Pick: Wozniacki in 2 sets

Sara Errani vs. Kirsten Flipkens

Sara Errani is struggling very badly this year in the American hard court season. This makes her a vulnerable seed and Flipkens will be optimistic of her chances. The Belgian had a good run in New Haven, reaching the quarter-finals, and prefers the hard courts more than Errani. Still, it will take someone with power to overcome Errani, and I'm not too sure if Flipkens' game is enough. I believe Sara will pick on Kirsten's weaker backhand, and grind out a hard fought win.

Pick: Errani in 3 sets

Peng Shuai vs. Zheng Jie

Sadly for Zheng, it seems that her body just cannot hold up anymore. The aging Chinese had some good runs in selected tournaments this year, but the rest of her events are all early round exits. Peng will be the clear favourite here as Zheng was barely playing in the warm-up tournaments. It seems like the end is near for Zheng, but she definitely maximized her potential given her petite frame.

Pick: Peng in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Agnieszka Radwanska, Alize Cornet, Sabine Lisicki, Simona Halep, Jelena Jankovic
Upset alert: Tsvetana Pironkova, Kiki Bertens, Stefanie Voegele, Daniela Hantuchova, Roberta Vinci

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