Baku day 4: Where the real action is

Schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/2184/title/baku-cup

Match focus:

Sorana Cirstea vs. Stefanie Voegele

Compared to yesterday's matches, today's matches are more interesting, with several title hopefuls in contention. Top seed Cirstea will be looking to advance to her first quarter-final this year and break out of her horrible slump. The Romanian has been lacklustre this whole season, and it's good to see her play lower tier events to gain confidence. Voegele's game is pretty much reactive, so if Cirstea can keep her errors low, she has a high chance of defeating the Swiss. Knowing Cirstea though, she will make things difficult for herself.

Pick: Cirstea in 3 sets

Kristina Mladenovic vs. Donna Vekic

This match of the rising stars pits Mladenovic against Kuala Lumpur titlist, Vekic. Kristina has been on a roll lately, reaching the semi-finals of Istanbul last week. She will be the favourite here despite her lower ranking. Vekic was expected to perform great things after her triumph in Kuala Lumpur, but failed to gain any momentum after that. Perhaps it's due to the weight of expectations on her young shoulders. It will be a good win if Vekic manages to beat Kristina, but the erratic Donna needs to get a few wins under her belt to get rolling.

PickL Mladenovic in 3 sets

Silvia Soler Espinosa vs. Elina Svitolina

Defending champion Svitolina has had a rough couple of months. She had some weird losses to players she's supposed to cruise by, so Elina's form is suspect. However, as this is played on hard courts, the Ukrainian will still have the advantage. Silvia's scrappy game works best on slow clay courts, and will find it difficult to track down so many of Elina's flat shots. Maybe we'll have a multiple Baku champion here.

Pick: Svitolina in 2 sets

Wimbledon day 4: Can little Jie upset Ana?

Schedule of play:

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

Match focus:

Ana Ivanovic vs. Zheng Jie

It's no secret that Zheng thrives on the green grass. She has posted her best results on this surface, and fittingly kickstart her season with several wins on grass. Against Ivanovic, Zheng is really a underdog. The Serbian is playing with confidence and striking the ball with venom. Zheng will need to be clean with her errors and be on the offensive at all times. A very daunting task. Besides, Ana will ruthlessly punish Zheng's weak serves as well.

Pick: Ivanovic in 2 sets

Karolina Pliskova vs. Sabine Lisicki

Both ladies possess a booming serve, but Sabine Lisicki backs it up with her powerful groundstrokes. Pliskova's lanky frame makes her rather clumsy on court, and she doesn't reach low enough for the low bounces on grass. Thus, Lisicki is the firm favourite here. Playing in Wimbledon obviously invigorates her as shown in her first round demolition. Let's see if this motivated Sabine will show up against seeded players.

Pick: Lisicki in 2 sets

Klara Koukalova vs. Madison Keys

Keys really surprised me with her title run in Eastbourne. I thought she will be one of those wasted talents, never fully fulfilling her talent because of her fragile mind. She proved me wrong with courageous hitting, and she seems to be carrying the form here into Wimbledon. Madison needs to be careful though, as Klara's game is also quite potent on grass. Still, I believe that Keys is high on confidence, and can cause the mini upset here.

Pick: Keys in 2 sets

Donna Vekic vs. Vera Zvonareva

Former finalist Vera showed plenty of fight against Tara Moore, but it doesn't bode well to struggle against a British wildcard. Vekic is the firm favourite here, as Zvonareva is a shadow of herself. The Russian's strokes has lost its sting, and her movement isn't as crisp as it was. I believe Vera will never duplicate her peak form again, but credit has to be given to her for trying. Donna will be looking at her first 3rd round appearance in a grand slam, and hopefully doesn't choke this great draw.

Pick: Vekic in 2 sets

Alison Riske vs. Camila Giorgi

Both players hit a very flat ball and have very little margin of error. It will be a ball bashing fiesta here, with neither one having the clear edge. However, I would favour Giorgi, given her recent run in Eastbourne, and winning matches on a regular basis these few months. Riske will have to put plenty of first serves in and keep pressuring Giorgi's serve to win this.

Pick: Giorgi in 3 sets

Sure win bets: Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Eugenie Bouchard, Andrea Petkovic, Carla Suarez Navarro
Upset alert: Alize Cornet, Klara Koukalova, Kaia Kanepi

Kuala Lumpur final: Third time lucky for Donna

Kuala Lumpur final:

Donna Vekic def. Dominika Cibulkova 5-7 7-5 7-6(4)

Continuing the recent trend of coming-up youngsters, 18 year old Donna Vekic topples Cibulkova in 3 tight sets to claim her first tour title in 3 attempts. Cibulkova falls to 1-2 in final appearances this year, but she needs to give credit to Donna. The Croatian showed maturity and calmness when Dominika crept her way back from a huge deficit in the third set. Other players would have crumbled and sought for self-pity, but Vekic continued her fight and won a well deserving title. Along side with Caroline Garcia, Elina Svitolina, Vekic will be the one to watch in the next few months. Well done Donna!

Kuala Lumpur finals: Cibulkova to grab her 2nd title of the year

Dominika Cibulkova vs. Donna Vekic

With such a depleted field, it is tough not to see Cibulkova winning the title. Alas, I was right about Vekic going far in this tournament, but she should be no match for the Slovak. Dominika looks set to grab her 2nd title of the year and cement her spot in the top 10. Vekic has nothing to lose though, so she will go out swinging. This is Donna's 3rd final of her young career, and maybe she can improve on that statistic. I think she might steal a set, but Dominika's going to finish the job.

Pick: Cibulkova in 2 sets

Kuala Lumpur SF: Vekic has a chance?

Dominika Cibulkova vs. Karolina Pliskova

Finally there are some interesting matches here in Malaysia as the top players emerged without any surprises. Cibulkova had a tough time against Zarina Diyas in her quarter-finals, so she will look to improve her performance against Pliskova. Karolina loves this event as the defending champion, the hot and humid conditions aiding her big serve. Cibulkova needs to be careful as to not gifting her too many gifts. If she plays her normal standard, she can wear the Czech down.

Pick: Cibulkova in 2 tight sets

Donna Vekic vs. Zhang Shuai

As expected, Donna Vekic is the player that upsets the 4th seed to make the semi-finals. Vekic's recent good form will put her in a good place against unsteady Zhang Shuai. The Chinese has been dropping sets in her previous rounds, so Donna definitely has a chance of creating the upset. The Croatian just has to choose the right time to attack and let her imposing game do the work. 

Pick: Vekic in 3 sets

Kuala Lumpur day 2: Depleted field

Schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/1761/title/bmw-malaysian-open

Match focus:

Hsieh Su-Wei vs. Jarmila Gajdosova

It's tough to believe that Hsieh was a former winner here 2 years ago. The Taiwanese had a breakout year in 2012, but has since slumped terribly, barely winning matches. She will try to recapture her former glory here, but will face former top 30 player Jarmila Gajdosova. The Australian can beat anyone on her good day, but is always let down by her impatience and wrong shot selection. Jarmila also had good results here, reaching the semi-finals here in 2010. If she keeps her cool, she has a winnable match here. Hsieh's shots will not be penetrative enough to trouble Jarmila.

Pick: Gajdosova in 2 tight sets

Donna Vekic vs. Chan Yung-Jan

Donna has been hitting the ball recently, and I wouldn't be surprised if she goes far here. She will face the hard hitting Chan in her first round. Chan's ball striking ability is fantastic, but is let down by her lack of fitness conditioning. If she sheds her excess weight, I'm sure her results will be much more better. However, she has been maintaining this weight for several years, so I don't believe she has the drive or belief to improve herself. Vekic should be able to take advantage of Chan's lack of movement to cruise to an easy victory.

Pick: Vekic in 2 sets

Zheng Saisai vs. Zhang Shuai

In this all Chinese battle, 2nd seed Zhang Shuai will face former youth Olympic champion Zheng Saisai. Zhang has been nursing an injury since Acapulco and might not be 100%. It is up to Zheng to test the injury and pounce on any chance that Zhang gives. Saisai has a scrappy game, and she needs to tire Zhang and make her hit the errors. The only worry for Saisai is that she tends to choke away close matches. Let's see if she can hold her nerve this time.

Pick: Zheng in 3 sets

Sure win bets: Olga Savchuk, Kimiko Date-Krumm, Patricia Mayr-Achleitner
Upset alert: Tadeja Majeric, Hsieh Su-Wei, Timea Babos

Charleston, Monterrey day 3: Draw blown wide open

The top seeds of both tournaments did not play well and even the great Serena Williams has been dumped out unceremiously by unheralded Jana Cepelova. This makes the draw very interesting as the title is really up for grabs now.

Charleston schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/738/title/family-circle-cup

Monterrey schedule of play:
Unavailable

Match focus:

Elina Svitolina vs. Sloane Stephens

Elina is slowly improving, winning the matches that she's supposed to win, and beating a few players that's ranked above her. This match will test whether she's ready for the top 20. Sloane played an awful match against Wozniacki in Miami, so Elina definitely has a chance here. Sloane is just capitalizing on her fame at the moment and not really concentrating on her tennis. This is sad as she's capable of so much more. Let's see if she will start working on her game once her points start dropping off.

Pick: Svitolina in 2 sets

Lauren Davis vs. Jelena Jankovic

Jelena now has the burden of retaining the prestige of the tournament as the highest seed left. The Serbian should have rested enough, as she was ousted in her first match in Miami. She should be careful of Davis though, as the American has a good game and can cause her some troubles. Still, I expect Jelena to win this as she's the better player on clay.

Pick: Jankovic in 2 sets

Donna Vekic vs. Karolina Pliskova

Donna Vekic is coming back to life again after going missing for the latter part of last year. She is currently playing well, and looks good to mount another upset against Karolina Pliskova. The Czech has a robotic game, while Vekic's game is more flashy. I believe Donna can win here, and go deep in the tournament where the top seeds have fallen.

Pick: Vekic in 2 sets

Kimiko Date-Krumm vs. Timea Babos

Timea Babos had been winless for 2014 until her last match against a Mexican wildcard. It is safe to say that Kimiko will be the huge favourite here, having topple Pennetta in convincing fashion. Kimiko's game will trouble the ball bashing Babos, as the Hungarian does not really have a plan B. It is a great opportunity for Kimiko to gain points here, as the draw has fallen wide open for the top half.

Pick: Date-Krumm in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Monica Puig, Caroline Wozniacki, Jelena Jankovic, Daniela Hantuchova
Upset alert: Karolina Pliskova, Sabine Lisicki, Marina Erakovic, Sloane Stephens

Charleston, Monterrey day 1: Tough test for Kirilenko

Charleston schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/738/title/family-circle-cup

Monterrey schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/1471/title/monterrey-open

Match focus:

Maria Kirilenko vs. Belinda Bencic

Fresh from her injury layoff, Kirilenko will be put to the test immediately against rising Belinda Bencic. The Swiss will be sure to make Kirilenko move around the court and test if her knee is back to 100%. I don't think Kirilenko will make it through here immediately. She needs a softer draw and maybe a lower tier event to warm herself up. This is a golden chance for Bencic to get a good win over a good opponent.

Pick: Bencic in 2 sets

Julia Goerges vs. Virginie Razzano

Goerges had only one good win this year, which is over Errani in Melbourne. She went back to her errant ways since then and looks to be happy with her mediocrity. Razzano is a dangerous player and these 2 had a close match in 2009, where Julia won in a third set tiebreak. With the German's non-existent form now, Razzano should be able to bag this. Still, you'll never know which Julia Goerges will turn up.

Pick: Razzano in 3 sets

Elina Svitolina vs. Jarmila Gajdosova

Jarmila has been hounded by personal problems for the past 2 years, and it's nice to see her qualify for the main draw. However, she faces a tough match against Svitolina, who is in the form of her life. It will be difficult for the Aussie to break down Elina, unless she has an off day. Elina should be able to cruise to an easy victory here.

Pick: Svitolina in 2 sets

Flavia Pennetta vs. Kimiko Date-Krumm

Flavia is playing the best tennis of her career now, and it will take a lot for Kimiko to upset her. The Japanese does have what it takes to trouble her, but the Italian's fitness should be able to wear Date down. Flavia has a nice draw here and it will be a surprise if she doesn't make the finals.

Pick: Pennetta in 2 sets

Garbine Muguruza vs. Donna Vekic

After her massive choke against Zakopalova in Florianopolis, Garbine was never the same player. She lost both her opening matches in Indian Wells and Miami, choking against Tomljanovic in Key Biscayne. Donna will give her a good fight here, having played herself to form in the US tournaments. The Spaniard will need to steady herself here, or else this might spiral into a losing streak.

Pick: Vekic in 3 tight sets

Sure win bets: Karolina Pliskova, Timea Babos, Lauren Davis, Lucie Safarova, Christina McHale
Upset alert: Kristina Mladenovic, Garbine Muguruza, Maria Kirilenko, Michelle Larcher De Brito, Yaroslava Shvedova

Acapulco, Florianopolis day 2: Madison Keys the dark horse

Apologies for the mistake yesterday. I seriously thought Florianopolis was played on clay as the draw was littered by claycourt specialists. No wonder the turn out for Rio was so bad as no one wanted to play a clay event in the middle of nowhere.

Acapulco schedule:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/87/title/abierto-mexicano-telcel

Florianopolis schedule:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/3024/title/brasil-tennis-cup

Match focus:

Madison Keys vs. Zhang Shuai

It was strange to see Madison Key's in the qualifying draw, when her ranking was good enough to make it as one of the seeds here. I guess she was late in her commitment and decided to play more matches before heading into Indian Wells. Good move I would say as some players scoff at the idea of playing qualifying when their ranking reaches a certain height. She faces Zhang, the lowest seed in the draw in a strange turn of events. Madison just needs to be more disciplined with her power and I do see improvement with her wins in qualifying rounds. I believe if she continues her form, she can be a dark horse for the title.

Pick: Keys in 2 sets

Iveta Melzer vs. Victoria Duval

I had to do a double check when I saw the name "Iveta Melzer" in the draw. Iveta Benesova is back! Well, as Iveta Melzer as she married Jurgen Melzer in 2012. Those who are unfamiliar with her, Iveta was a top 30 staple with several wins over top players before her shoulder started acting up. She took a 2 year hiatus and is returning to the site of her first title as a comeback. Iveta won this event all the way back in 2004 as a qualifier, but it was held on clay back then. I believe it's asking too much for the Czech to immediately spring into action after such a long hiatus. Duval has had ample practice through qualifying, and should be able to edge out Iveta.

Pick: Duval in 2 tight sets

Klara Zakopalova vs. Donna Vekic

Donna Vekic was slated to be WTA's next best thing after her run to the finals in Birmingham. However, she fizzled out and almost lost all her matches since then. What happened? It's really tough to handle the expectations weighed on you and I believe Vekic felt the pressure and wasn't ready for the added attention. She will face a tough opening round as Klara's flat game will suit the hard court surface. One thing that Donna can capitalize on is that Klara will be tired after her final loss in Rio. Maybe she can upset the Czech and start her engines again. However, I highly doubt so as this is not a final.

Sure win bets: Dominika Cibulkova, Yvonne Meusburger, Garbine Muguruza
Upset alert: Alexandra Cadantu, Hsieh Su-Wei, Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor