Cincinnati final: Serena completes her collection

Cincinnati final:

Serena Williams def. Ana Ivanovic 6-4 6-1

Serena can finally claim that she has won Cincinnati before as she cruised to a straightforward victory against the dangerous Ivanovic. This is the American's 62nd career title, and will no doubt make her the resounding favourite in New York. After a fast start by Ivanovic, Serena stepped up her play and bamboozled her way, losing only 2 more games after trailing 1-3. Ana will not be too disappointed judging by her runner-up speech. A year ago, she was languishing between 15-20 with no real breakthrough in sight. Now, she is one of the legitimate threats for Flushing Meadows. Well done Serena and let's hope she can finally advance beyond the 4th round in a Grand Slam this year.

Cincinnati final: Can Serena complete her collection?

Serena Williams vs. Ana Ivanovic

Both players struggled in their semi-final matches, but Serena surely wants this title more as it's the only Premier title that's missing from her collection. The American has already won the US Open series though, so it remains to be seen if she will put her best effort here. Ana Ivanovic had some issues with her health against Sharapova, which erupted into some controversy with some snide comments made by Maria. Even though the match was messy, the drama made up for it. These 2 have already met 3 times this year, with Ana winning the most important one in Melbourne. Serena seems to be troubled by her back again like in Australia, so this result is very much up in the air. Let's hope both players are healthy and give a good match.

Pick: Serena in 2 tight sets

Cincinnati SF: Maria survives another day

Serena Williams vs. Caroline Wozniacki

A rematch of last week's Montreal quarter-final, resurgent Wozniacki will have another chance to topple the top seed. Serena hasn't been playing top notch tennis all year round, but still has enough game to win 4 titles so far. It will take Caroline her best effort to beat Serena, even though the American is struggling somewhat with her game and confidence. However, Serena had a good warm up against Jankovic, who plays quite a similar game to Wozniacki. If Serena took out Jelena without any fuss, I believe she is ready to defeat Caroline again. With less drama this time.

Pick: Williams in 2 tight sets

Ana Ivanovic vs. Maria Sharapova

With yet another substandard performance, Sharapova fights to see another day. Simona Halep was playing well up a set and a break when she started playing too defensively to allow Sharapova back into the match. Maria is one of the best fighters on tour, so can Ana subdue the fierce competitor? Well, Ivanovic dealt Maria with her only defeat on clay this year, so she definitely knows how to play Sharapova. The only thing that might hold Ana back is her mental fragility. You can almost predict Ivanovic to get tight when the finishing line is near. Can Maria survive another day? Maybe. However, we can be assured of a tight match here with the 2 poster girls of WTA.

Pick: Ivanovic in 3 sets

Cincinnati QF: Can Caroline continue her run?

Schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/1118/title/western-southern-open

Match focus:

Serena Williams vs. Jelena Jankovic

Almost every time these 2 players play, there is bound to be some drama involved. Jelena's game troubles Serena, but not enough for the win. Therefore, I don't see anything that can prevent Serena from winning this. Besides, Jelena's form of late is not stellar, so Serena should be able to claim this victory.

Pick: Williams in 2 sets

Ana Ivanovic vs. Elina Svitolina

Elina Svitolina continues her march by upsetting Carla Suarez Navarro in 3 tight sets. However, she will face an uphill task against the in-form Ana Ivanovic in the quarter-finals. There is no doubt that the Ukrainian can play a good game. However, Ana is very high on confidence at the moment, and will not lose to someone who's as raw as Elina. Unless the injury that bothered Ana creeps up again, I don't see how Ana is losing this.

Pick: Ivanovic in 2 sets

Agnieszka Radwanska vs. Caroline Wozniacki

With her relatively easy disposal of Angelique Kerber, it is almost safe to say that peak Wozniacki is back. She took a while to get back on her feet after her brutal public break-up, but it has done her good as she's able to concentrate wholly on her tennis. Radwanska is a tough nut to crack, but if there is a time for an upset, it is now. The Pole must be exhuasted from her title run last week in Montreal, so Caroline needs to seize the opportunity and tire her out. If Caroline can make Agnieszka hit that extra ball, she can very well cause another upset here.

Pick: Wozniacki in 3 sets

Maria Sharapova vs. Simona Halep

As Maria struggles through another match, Simona Halep will be quietly confident of her chances against the Russian. The tall blonde has been leaking errors and just lacking confidence on her serve. Simona will want to seek revenge for her heartbreaking loss in the finals of Roland Garros, and this is the perfect opportunity for this. Simona's calm demeanour will not be rattled by Sharapova's incessant fist-pumping, so this should be a great battle.

Pick: Halep in 3 sets

Cincinnati day 4: Rejuvenated Caroline up for an upset

Schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/1118/title/western-southern-open

Match focus:

Caroline Wozniacki vs. Angelique Kerber

Caroline Wozniacki is close to rediscovering her top form since 2011, and this match will be a test whether she's truly back at her peak. Kerber will definitely make her work for the points, and Caroline will need to step it up and be aggressive at the right time. These 2 players play a similar game, except that Wozniacki has a much more lethal serve. If Caroline serves well and keeps her errors low, she will be able to cause the upset here.

Pick: Wozniacki in 3 sets

Svetlana Kuznetsova vs. Ana Ivanovic

Kuznetsova conquered the rising Eugenie Bouchard in a surprising 3 set win in her previous round, and will try to continue her resurgence against Ivanovic. Who would have thought that the Russian will hold her nerve and scrap out a 3 set win. Maybe Kuznetsova is really back. Nevertheless, Ana Ivanovic is playing inspired tennis at the moment, and may be too much for Kuznetsova to handle. Unless Ana is still bothered by her injury in Montreal, I don't see how Kuznetsova can pull off another upset.

Pick: Ivanovic in 2 tight sets

Maria Sharapova vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

Maria Sharapova is not playing good tennis at all. She was horrific in her loss to Suarez Navarro in Montreal, and was gifted a place here by a brainless Madison Keys who didn't know how to make Maria work for her points. Pavlyuchenkova has beaten Sharapova before, so she knows what it takes to best her fellow Russian. Hopefully she will exploit the serving woes of Sharapova and stage the upset. However, knowing Sharapova, she's not going to go down without a fight. Anastasia will have to be mentally prepared to go the distance.

Pick: Pavlyuchenkova in 3 sets

Sure win bets: Serena Williams, Carla Suarez Navarro, Simona Halep
Upset alert: Jelena Jankovic, Angelique Kerber

Cincinnati day 3: Tough opener for Genie

Schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/1118/title/western-southern-open

Match focus:

Eugenie Bouchard vs. Svetlana Kuznetsova

After being dumped unceremiously in Montreal by Shelby Rogers, Eugenie Bouchard faces a bigger test now against Svetlana Kuznetsova. The former US Open champion signals her return to form with a title win in Washington, and will be a tough nut to crack. Bouchard has been eating bagels for her last 2 matches, but I believe she has readjusted her mentality now. The good thing about Bouchard is that she always takes the opportunity to learn after her losses, so I expect a tough fight here. It will be close, but the flaky Kuznetsova will almost definitely be the first to crack.

Pick: Bouchard in 3 tight sets

Taylor Townsend vs. Flavia Pennetta

Judging by how Pennetta struggled against Scheepers, I'm afraid that the Italian is still not at 100%. It was enough to subdue Chanelle, but I'm not sure if it's good enough to stop Taylor Townsend. The young American has been making waves for the past few months, and will be a dangerous opponent to anyone. Pennetta will have to be at her best to tame the gutsy American. The only thing holding Taylor back is her lack of concentration. She tends to go off in the middle of the match, causing her to lose unnecessary sets. Let's see if Flavia can take advantage of that.

Pick: Pennetta in 3 tight sets

Sabine Lisicki vs. Sara Errani

A rematch of their last week's first round encounter, Sabine Lisicki will be looking to add another win against Errani. The Italian has been lacklustre so far in her hard court events, so she'll be a sitting duck for Lisicki. Sabine's wham-bam game is enough to overpower the Italian, and will account for another Italian exit following her win over Vinci.

Pick: Lisicki in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Agnieszka Radwanska, Ana Ivanovic, Carla Suarez Navarro
Upset alert: Sara Errani, Sloane Stephens, Angelique Kerber

Cincinnati day 2: Test of endurance for Venus

Schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/1118/title/western-southern-open

Match focus:

Lucie Safarova vs. Venus Williams

It is no secret that Venus Williams is suffering from an auto-immune disease that saps her energy. Recovering from a final run in Montreal to playing her in a span of 2 days might be too much for the 34 year old. Even though Venus is playing good tennis at the moment, it is forgivable to feel tired after her long matches in Montreal. I'm afraid Venus might run out of steam here.

Pick: Safarova in 3 sets

Andrea Petkovic vs. Sloane Stephens

Sloane was so close to beating Jankovic in Montreal, but lost the crucial points. She needed that win to boost her confidence. Petkovic is a player that plays well when confident. She's been reaching the latter stages of her tournaments now, so it's safe to say Andrea is the favourite here. Sloane will need to take the initiative and seize the net whenever possible to counter Petkovic's aggressive grinding game. However, given how adverse the American is to the net, I doubt so.

Pick: Petkovic in 2 sets

Camila Giorgi vs. Svetlana Kuznetsova

 

Kuznetsova retired from her match in Montreal, so she might be still under some sort of injury. However, there is also a possibility that she's just tired and needed to rest. Nevertheless, the Russian has a more rounded game than Camila Giorgi. The Italian's game is simply to hit the hell out of every ball, while Kuznetsova will try to make her hit uncomfortable balls with her spinny forehand. Barring a brain injury from Kuznetsova, she should be able to subdue the wild Italian.

Pick: Kuznetsova in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Caroline Wozniacki, Simona Halep, Carla Suarez Navarro
Upset alert: Roberta Vinci, Victoria Azarenka

Cincinnati day 1: Can Pennetta break out of her horrific slump

Schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/1118/title/western-southern-open

Match focus:

Chanelle Scheepers vs. Flavia Pennetta

Pennetta's record since Indian Wells has been a paltry 7-9 win-loss record. This is really absurd for someone who has started the year so well. The Italian might be carrying an injury, but if you're injured, you shouldn't even be on the court. Anyway, Pennetta gets a soft opening match here against Scheepers. If she manages to screw this up, I'm afraid she's done for the year, or maybe even her career. Flavia needs to grab this chance, and stop the horrific slump before it gets embarassing.

Pick: Pennetta in 2 tight sets

Alize Cornet vs. Madison Keys

Even though Keys has won her first event in Eastbourne, I believe her game still needs some polishing. The American is too impatient at times and commits silly errors during important points. Cornet is a good player for Keys to play against as Alize will thrive on these small little errors. Besides, Alize will make Keys want to hit that winner with her endless retrieving, testing the patience of the American. This should be a tight one, but Cornet has the experience and might irritate Keys into hitting herself out of the tournament.

Pick: Cornet in 3 sets

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs. Dominika Cibulkova

Much like Pennetta, Cibulkova is at a disappointing 5-7 win-loss record after her appearance in Kuala Lumpur. This is extremely shocking as it was remarked on how much she has improved in Melbourne. As with Flavia, there is a possibility that she's playing through an injury, but it is never wise to do that. Thus, Pavlyuchenkova should be able to cruise through this. The Australian Open finalist is just too fragile at this moment to be winning matches against top 30 players.

Pick: Pavlyuchenkova in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Belinda Bencic, Ana Ivanovic, Caroline Wozniacki,
Upset alert: Zhang Shuai, Klara Koukalova, Samantha Stosur

Cincinnati final: Azarenka stops the Serena train

Cincinnati final:

Victoria Azarenka def. Serena Williams 2-6 6-2 7-6(6)

Azarenka deterred Serena from adding that elusive Cincinnati trophy to her collection by outlasting Serena in a high quality final. Serena shouldn't be too upset. She was beaten by a better player of the day who stayed mentally with her, which 99% of the tour isn't able to. This loss will only propel Serena to work harder in US Open. Victoria will be ecstatic with her 2nd win over Serena this season, and she will be THE favourite, in my opinion, to win the US Open. Well done Victoria!

Cincinnati final: Serena to complate her collection

Serena Williams vs. Victoria Azarenka

Serena hasn't won Cincinnati in her illustrious career, and she seems to be well on her way to completing that. Azarenka hasn't been in tip top form this week, but battled well to reach the finals. Serena herself isn't in glittering form though, but she will be eager to take revenge for her loss to Azarenka in Doha earlier this year. Serena just needs to serve well; as when her serve is clicking, the rest of her game will flow.

Pick: Serena Williams in 2 tight sets

Cincinnati SF: Top 2 seeds to cruise

Serena Williams vs. Li Na

Serena seems to be back on track with her easy victory over Simona Halep. She will face a fresh Li Na, who was gifted a place in the semi-finals after Radwanska withdrew. Serena has never won here before, so she will be eager to add this to her already impressive resume. Li needs to be firing in all cylinders to upset the American. Possible? Definitely. But Serena will weather the storm and emerge the winner, as Li will be too eager to end points and commit the unnecessary errors.

Pick: Serena Williams in 2 sets

Jelena Jankovic vs. Victoria Azarenka

Re-entering the top 10, Jankovic will have nothing to lose against Azarenka. The Serb will definitely go out swinging against the number 2 player. However, Azarenka seems to thrive in beating players with a more developed defensive game than aggressive players. She is impeccable against the best defenders on tour like Agnieszka Radwanska and Caroline Wozniacki. So I expect her to dismantle Jankovic as well.

Pick: Azarenka in 2 sets

Cincinnati day QF: Serena not in peak form

Serena Williams vs. Simona Halep

Despite her straight sets victory over Barthel, you can see that Serena is having problems with her game. She is not hitting her forehand as fluidly and only won because of her defense. As an older player, Serena cannot rely just on her defense as she's going to suffer against the younger players like Simona Halep. The Romanian surprised many by upsetting Stosur, and seems to be in the form of her life. Serena needs to be careful or an upset might occur here.

Pick: Williams in 3 sets

Jelena Jankovic vs. Roberta Vinci

If Vinci wins this, she will make her debut in the top 10 with the retirement of Marion Bartoli. This is an amazing achievement for Vinci, at the age 31. This shows that the tour is no longer brimming with youngsters and experience trumps youth. Jelena had a long marathon match against Sloane, so her legs must be feeling it. With Vinci's tricky slice, she will need her legs to be functioning well, or else it will be a straightforward affair for the Italian.

Pick: Vinci in 3 sets

Caroline Wozniacki vs. Victoria Azarenka

Caroline Wozniacki surprisingly took out Kvitova, and will face her good friend on tour, Victoria Azarenka. Wozniacki's return to form will spell trouble for the Belarussian, as she is not in full gear yet. Her match against Rybarikova exposed her serving woes and Wozniacki could take advantage of it. The Dane has nothing to lose, so she might be the aggressor here. So far, Wozniacki has defied all of my predictions. So I'm going with her this time to see if I'm right.

Pick: Wozniacki in 3 sets