US Open day 8: Makarova for the surprise

Upset of the previous day:

Belinda Bencic def. Jelena Jankovic 7-6(6) 6-3

The bottom half of the draw has officially collapsed with the higher seeds all dropping out. Sharapova was the highest ranked player to lose, but Jankovic's loss was more shocking. The Serbian has been on fire for the past week, but ran out of ideas against the feisty Bencic. The Swiss had an answer to everything Jelena threw at her, and saved 2 set points in the first set. This is a golden opportunity wasted by Jelena, where she had the chance to advance to the final. Peng, Bencic, Errani and Wozniacki are the 4 players who have the chance to make the finals. What a turn of event.

Schedule of play:

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

Match focus:

Flavia Pennetta vs. Casey Dellacqua

While Pennetta isn't playing the best tennis of her life, she was helped by the crazy upsets that happened throughout the tournament. Casey Dellacqua will be making her 4th round debut in US Open, and will no doubt be nervous about the match. Flavia, the seasoned veteran, will just need to keep her calm and let Casey's nerves get the best of her. If the Italian plays her steady game, she will get through without much fuss.

Pick: Pennetta in 2 sets

Serena Williams vs. Kaia Kanepi

Serena was tested by Lepchenko, but played well enough to subdue the tricky lefty. Kanepi's game is not as varied as Lepchenko, so Serena should be more used to Kaia's game. The Estonian has a dangeous game when it's on, but her mental game is fried whenever she faces top players. I don't expect a surprise here. Kaia might gain a lead early, but squander it when Serena raises her level.

Pick: Williams in 2 sets

Aleksandra Krunic vs. Victoria Azarenka

Aleksandra Krunic faces classic ball bashers in her previous matches, but she will be severely tested against Azarenka. The Belarussian can belt the ball, but she does it with a good margin. Victoria's safe but powerful game will definitely be difficult for Krunic to counter, who has been thriving off her opponents' errors. No fairtale ending for the young Serbian this time.

Pick: Azarenka in 2 sets

Ekaterina Makarova vs. Eugenie Bouchard

For 2 matches in a row, Bouchard struggled against her opponents. Makarova has been playing well this summer, and will not let Eugenie off the hook like her previous opponents. The Russian will need to serve well and punish the Canadian's weak 2nd serve for winners. If she keeps an aggressive mindset, Eugenie cannot get out of jail this time.

Pick: Makarova in 3 sets

US Open day 6: Calm after the storm

Upset of the previous day:

Mirjana Lucic-Baroni def. Simona Halep 7-6(6) 6-2

3 players who were expected to win crashed out within minutes of each other, but none of them are as surprising as Halep's exit. Kerber lost to a future star, while Venus' erratic play would have given Errani a chance, but the steady Halep losing this early was just unforeseen. If Halep played her normal game, she would have won quite easily, given how Lucic loves to go for outrageous winners when out of position. However, when leading 5-2 in the first set, Simona just lost her plot and started committing silly errors. Credit to Mirjana as well for still going for her shots. This is an extremely bad loss for the Romanian, even though she has already qualified for Singapore. As for Mirjana, she will be elated at upsetting the world number 2 in the age of 32. Who knows how far she can go.

Schedule of play:

http://www.usopen.org/en_US/scores/schedule/schedule12.html

Match focus:

Barbora Zahlavova Strycova vs. Eugenie Bouchard

Eugenie struggled to put away the dangerous Cirstea, but emerged victorious eventually. With so many upsets today, I believe there will be a calm after the storm. Despite having bad form coming into the Open, Bouchard is fighting through her matches here, which I believe is essential not to peak too early. She will have to be wary of the dangerous Strycova, as she can mix it up very well. Still, Eugenie's court speed is pretty good, so she should be able to win this one.

Pick: Bouchard in 2 tight sets

Elena Vesnina vs. Victoria Azarenka

Her first round was a mess, but Azarenka righted her ship with a clinical disposal of McHale. Looks like the old Azarenka is back. Against Vesnina, the Belarussian is firmly the favourite, even though Vesnina is a former top 20 player. The Russian's form is pretty bad coming into the Open, but was helped by her soft draw here. Victoria has had easy victories over Elena before, and I expect the same here.

Pick: Azarenka in 2 sets

Casey Dellacqua vs. Karolina Pliskova

This should be a nervy affair for these 2 players, having not reached the 2nd week of a slam before in their career. With the exit of Ivanovic, this section of the draw is wide open, and I believe Ana's conquerer is ready to emerge. Dellecqua is enjoying her best year on tour after her injury, but Pliskova has a huge serve and flat groundstrokes. Casey will have to disrupt the Czech's rhythm by deploying her lefty serve and make her hit awkward balls. Still, I believe Pliskova is confident after her win over Ivanovic, unless she lets her nonchalant attitude get to her.

Pick: Pliskova in 3 sets

Kaia Kanepi vs. Carla Suarez Navarro

Kaia Kanepi showed real grit, saving 2 match points against Samantha Stosur. Can she do it again against Carla is another question. Carla's game is frankly quite similar to Stosur, with a weaker serve of course. Both players use the backhand slices frequently, but Carla can hit some decent backhand topspin shots. Kaia's long drawn match with Samantha will probably have an effect here, but she should be well-rested after a day's break. As with the Stosur match, this will be a tight affair, and when things get tight, Carla breaks.

Pick: Kanepi in 3 sets

Sure win bets: Serena Williams, Flavia Pennetta, Petra Kvitova
Upset alert: Carla Suarez Navarro, Casey Dellacqua

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

Miami day 6: Venus for the final?

Schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/837/title/sony-open-tennis

Match focus:

Casey Dellacqua vs. Venus Williams

Currently in WTA, nobody is playing well consistently, with the exception of maybe Venus Williams. Coming off a title in Dubai, Venus is playing with renewed confidence. Besides, she is practically playing at home here in Miami. Casey has been in form, but the home crowd will definitely be rooting for Venus. She's my dark horse pick for the final. 

Pick: Venus in 2 sets

Sloane Stephens vs. Caroline Wozniacki

Any match with Wozniacki is a roller coaster now. The Dane's steady game is being dismantled by most players, and even Puig got close to an upset. Stephens has never beaten Wozniacki before, but she will like her chances now. Under a new coach, Sloane seemed to be on the right track, and her test will be against Wozniacki. If she can beat the steady Dane, it shows that her partnership with Paul Annacone is working. Caroline doesn't really do anything spectacular on court nowadays, so it doesn't take a lot to beat her.

Pick: Stephens in 2 tight sets

Alize Cornet vs. Dominika Cibulkova

Nothing is straightforward for the drama queen, Alize Cornet. The Frenchwoman's "allez" can get annoying, but she will meet her match with Cibulkova's incessant "pome"s. Right now, I would rate both of them equally, but Cibulkova does have a title in Acapulco, and a final appearance in Melbourne. Dominika leads the head to head 2-0, but both encounters were on clay. Suffice to say, on the faster hard courts, Cibulkova is the firm favourite. She needs to be careful though, not to let Cornet irritate her into errors.

Pick: Cibulkova in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Elina Svitolina, Agnieszka Radwanska, Venus Williams
Upset alert: Varvara Lepchenko, Caroline Wozniacki, Carla Suarez Navarro

Indian Wells report card: Veterans rule

A+: Flavia Pennetta

Biggest title at the age of 32. Doesn't get any better than this. Much deserved for the underachiever.

A: Agnieszka Radwanska

Unfortunate injury in the finals, but showcased her peak form against Simona Halep and Jelena Jankovic

A-: Simona Halep

Bumped into an on form Radwanska. If not, she might be holding the title now.

B+: Jelena Jankovic

Similar to Halep, unfortunate to meet flawless Radwanska. Looks like she's back to her peak.

B: Li Na

Never played well throughout a match in this tournament and still managed to reach the semi-finals.

B-: Casey Dellacqua

The comeback Aussie had a nice run to the quarters which will give her ranking a much neede boost.

C+: Lauren Davis

Extremely unlucky for her to suffer from an upset stomach when she's playing so well. The one to watch in future events.

C: Eugenie Bouchard

Did well to dismiss Errani, but faltered in the crucial point against Simona. Still needs to learn to handle the pressure.

C-: Camila Giorgi

Outhit Sharapova in a classic ball bashing match. Was sent crashing down to Earth though by someone who doesn't just know how to bash the ball.

D: Caroline Wozniacki

Dismissed easily by Jankovic. Tough pill to swallow for the defending finalist. Plunges to 18, lowest ranking in a while.

E: Maria Sharapova

Defending champion was out of sorts, made too many gross errors. Didn't deserve to win, but didn't expect her to crash out to a lowly Giorgi.

F: Victoria Azarenka

Why bother playing when you are injured? Puzzling decision.

Indian Wells QF: Marquee match Jankovic vs. Radwanska

Simona Halep vs. Casey Dellacqua

Simona seemed to have mastered the art of winning despite not playing well. She was down a break in her match against Bouchard in the third set, but grinded out a tight win. Casey will be very fresh after Davis had to withdrew with a stomach upset. However, Simona will take out Casey fresh or tired. The Australian has had a nice run, but has weaknesses that Simona can exploit. Look out for a straightforward no-nonsense win for Halep.

Pick: Halep in 2 sets

Jelena Jankovic vs. Agnieszka Radwanska

Jankovic was very impressive in her dismissal of Wozniacki. Can she carry that momentum forward against Radwanska? Unlike Caroline, Radwanska never gives you two same balls one after the other. Jelena will need to be ready for the Pole's tricks. While Radwanska was lackluster in her Middle East tournaments, she seemed to have turned a corner and is getting back into good form. It will be a closely contested match here with both players playing well. I think Radwanska will edge out Jankovic in a 3 set thriller with lots of entertaining rallies.

Pick: Radwanska in 3 tight sets 

Melbourne scorecard: Perfect-Li Asian

A+: Li Na

Now a multiple slam winner, Li got in the zone after her horrid error fest against Safarova. Not everyone can play perfect tennis everyday.

A: Dominika Cibulkova

Beating 2 former slam champions and 2 top 5 players en route to the finals, Cibulkova showed lots of heart. Now, just work on that second serve.

A-: Eugenie Bouchard

Didn't even qualify last year but made it all the way to the semi-finals this year. One to watch.

B+: Ana Ivanovic

Provided the shock of the tournament by ousting Serena Williams. Still, couldn't build on that and lost meekly to Bouchard.

B: Flavia Pennetta

Her last 3 slam performances are as follows: 4th round, semi-finals and quarter-finals. Big events bring out the best in her.

B-: Simona Halep

First quarter-final appearance, but was pretty bad in it. Let's hope there are more quarter appearances to redeem for this new top 10 player.

C+: Casey Dellacqua

Hard working Aussie who fought with all her heart to the 4th round. Deserves to be at least in the top 50.

C: Serena Williams/Maria Sharapova

Both players were affected by inopportune injuries. Not too worried about Serena, but Maria's serving woes seem to be back with a vengeance.

C-: Victoria Azarenka/Agnieszka Radwanska

Yes, both players made it very far in the tournament. But Victoria completely lost the plot against someone she used to beat blindfolded, and Radwanska crumbles with another final appearance at stake. Known to be mentally strong, these 2 folded at the most crucial times.

D: Luksika Kumkhum

Provided one of the biggest upsets of the tournament, but couldn't back it up. Needs to know how to handle the attention, but I'm still excited for this new Thai prospect.

E: Caroline Wozniacki

Yet another loss to an inspired ball basher. The Dane doesn't look interested in tennis honestly.

F: Sara Errani/Petra Kvitova

As top 10 players, the way they lost to lesser opponents is just inexcusable. Kvitova was just horrid in her first round, and Errani was just too passive. Both players need to refocus, or their place in the top 10 will be threatened.

Melbourne day 7: 2nd week action begins

Upset of the previous day:

Garbine Muguruza def. Caroline Wozniacki 4-6 7-5 6-3

Seriously, this is getting very common for Wozniacki. Yet another loss to a player who isn't afraid to go for her shots. Wozniacki's aura of an breakable wall has been wrecked. And she's doing nothing to change her game. If her aim now is just to be a top 20 player, she can continue her defensive game. But for someone who was number 1 for a prolonged period of time, this is beyond disappointing. She needs to prioritize and add new dimensions to her game. Just retrieving isn't going to be enough.

Match focus:

Angelique Kerber vs. Flavia Pennetta

Kerber made her name by beating Pennetta in the US Open quarter-finals 3 years ago. Since then, they have been evenly matched, with the heads-to-heads tied at 2-2. Flavia's all court game should be able to beat Kerber, but the German's tenacity is what brings her her wins most of time. Can Pennetta sustain the level long enough to defeat Angelique? If the Italian wins this, it will mark another last 8 appearance in a slam, showing a nice late career revival. For that sake, I hope Flavia wins this.

Pick: Pennetta in 3 sets

Serena Williams vs. Ana Ivanovic

For someone as mentally iffy as Ivanovic, she stands not chance against the supreme Williams. Serena is chasing the record books, and it will take a lot more than Ana to stop her. Serena will be delighted by the cooler conditions, which spells more trouble for the Serbian. The only thing Ana can do is to hope she doesn't get totally humiliated.

Pick: Williams in 2 sets

Casey Dellacqua vs. Eugenie Bouchard

Eugenie Bouchard will like her chances of reaching her first quarter-final here in Melbourne. Casey Dellacqua is in fine form, but the Canadian's game should be enough to take out the gutsy Aussie. The only thing Eugenie needs to take care is her mental toughness. The crowd will be wholly behind Casey, so she needs to shut them off and play her game. If she plays to her normal standard, she will announce her arrival in the big leagues here.

Pick: Bouchard in 2 sets

Li Na vs. Ekaterina Makarova

Following her comical win over Safarova, I'm sure Li Na spent the next day just hitting balls after balls. Li Na got her bad day off her back, so I expect a smoother ride here. Beside, Makarova mirrors Safarova's game, so I expect her to edge this out one as well. Makarova will need to hope Li puts another stinker of a performance, and she needs to take her chances and take the initiative now. She has a chance, but I still believe the Chinese will come through.

Pick: Li in 3 tight sets

Melbourne day 5: Will Stosur live up to Aussie hopes?

Upset of the previous day:

Kurumi Nara def. Magdalena Rybarikova 6-4 6-3

After her impressive dismantling of Petkovic, Rybarikova took a tumble against the diminutive Kurumi Nara. The Slovak's record in majors remain extremely disappointing, and she wastes her chance to live up to her seeding for once. Rybarikova needs to get it together for the events that matter, not tournaments that lead up to the slams. If she can string together her good form in a major, she should be a steady top 25 player.

Schedule of play:

http://www.ausopen.com/en_AU/scores/schedule/index.html

Match focus:

Smanatha Stosur vs. Ana Ivanovic

The match most people will be focusing on is this closely contested match between fan favourite Ana Ivanovic, and hometown hope, Samantha Stosur. Stosur actually leads their heads to heads at 4-3, but she's a complete headcase in Australia. However, she showed that her head is back in the game with her demolition job of Pironkova, so Ivanovic better be careful. Ana will need to remain mentally tough and not let the home support get to her. If she can grind down Stosur and make her mishit a few balls, she can win this match.

Pick: Ivanovic in 3 sets

Zheng Jie vs. Casey Dellacqua

Out of nowhere, Zheng Jie strings together 2 good matches to reach the third round of Melbourne. There must be something she really like about this place as she made the semifinals here a few years ago. She will be facing Aussie hope, Casey Dellacqua, who is on her comeback trail. There's no doubt who the crowd will be cheering for, but Zheng Jie thrives under such pressure. Her short swings suit the fast bouncing surface of Melbourne. Casey will need to carry on her form, but I guess she will be distracted by the media attention on her and falter here.

Pick: Zheng in 3 sets

Angelique Kerber vs. Alison Riske

Kerber was almost swept away by Gajdosova's crazy hitting, but she recovered well to brave out the win. That is what she's going to do to Riske as well. Alison's aggressive game is set up by her big serve. If Kerber can put enough returns in court, Riske will be flustered and make the errors. The danger for Kerber is that she's almost powerless when her opponent is disticting play and making the winners. But I'm sure the pesky German will outlast Riske's risky play.

Pick: Kerber in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Eugenie Bouchard, Serena Williams, Angelique Kerber
Upset alert: Li Na, Flavia Pennetta