Linz, Osaka, Tianjin day 3: Struggling girls attempt to rise up again

Linz schedule of play:

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

Osaka schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/340/title/japan-womens-open-tennis

Match focus:

Klara Koukalova vs. Marina Erakovic

Klara was enjoying one of her best years on tour, until she began to return to her losing ways. Her season was highlighted by capturing her first title in 9 years, but has been 3-7 in her last 10 matches. This is the unpredictable Koukalova, who appears to sulk more than enjoy playing tennis. Erakovic enjoyed a great win over the talented Garcia, so she will be the favourite here. I do expect Klara's flat strokes to be effective here, but with her confidence so low, I doubt she will hit enough balls in the court to win this.

Pick: Erakovic in 3 sets

Yulia Putintseva vs. Heather Watson

As much as I love to loathe Putintseva, she does have a pretty powerful and compact game. Against someone with limited power like Watson, she has the chance to overpower the Brit. Not too sure what happened to Yulia, as she was on the ascend one year ago. Now, she's struggling mightily and just not winning the matches she's supposed to win. I believe this girl needs a mental psychologist to tone her on-court antics down. So much drama isn't good for her otherwise effective game. Look out for another typical Yulia meltdown.

Pick: Watson in 3 sets

Sorana Cirstea vs. Andrea Hlavackova

2 girls who are on the free fall this yeat attempt to correct their win-loss record for this season. Hlavackova has been concentrating on her doubles career so far, so it's good to see her making an effort in singles again. Even though she had a good win over Puig, I believe Sorana has the more powerful game. The Romanian is out of the top 50 for the first time in about 4 to 5 years, so this should be a humbling experience for her. It's not everyday that I say this, but Sorana has the better court sense than Hlavackova. The Czech often goes for outrageous shots in impossible positions, losing the points 90% of the time. Sorana should cruise through this.

Pick: Cirstea in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Luksika Kumkhum, Varvara Lepchenko, Camila Giorgi
Upset alert: Ajla Tomljanovic, Klara Koukalova

Baku day 2: Return of Kateryna Bondarenko

Schedule of play:

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

Match focus:

Julia Glushko vs. Kateryna Bondarenko

Now this is a name you haven't seen in a while. Kateryna Bondarenko makes her main draw appearance after several years off the tour. During her break, she recovered from her injury, and had a child as well. Another Kim Clijsters in the making? Well, she's definitely not going to be as accomplished as Kim, but kudos to her for continuing on tour despite having a baby. Glushko will not be an easy opponent, but if Bondarenko plays to her former potential, she has a chance.

Pick: Bondarenko in 3 sets

Francesca Schiavone vs. Kurumi Nara

Francesca is obviously at the twilight of her career, but can still play good tennis in flashes of brilliance. She has a chance here against the slumping Nara, who has really struggled since winning her first title in Rio. Schiavone has also been a victim of bad luck last week, when umpire Eva Asderaki overruled an out call which was obviously correct. Let's hope she gets sweet vengeance this time.

Pick: Schiavone in 3 sets

Heather Watson vs. Kristina Mladenovic

Heather Watson's perseverance finally paid off, as she obtains a seeding for this tournament. It has been a long way back for the Brit, but the results are finally coming in for the hardworking girl. Still, the road isn't going to get easier as she faces an in form Kristina Mladenovic. The Frenchwoman had a good result last week in Istanbul, and is pretty tough when she's clicking. Heather will have to bring her running shoes and wear the erratic Kristina out if she wants to win this. 

Pick: Watson in 3 sets

Sure win bets: Jana Cepelova, Magdalena Rybarikova, Elina Svitolina

Upset alert: Julia Glushko, Sorana Cirstea

Indian Wells day 1: Russians on comeback trails

Schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/543/title/bnp-paribas-open

Match focus:

Vera Zvonareva vs. Peng Shuai

Former Indian Wells champion Vera Zvonareva hopes to kickstart her comeback at her place of triumph 3 years ago. Judging by her matches this year, I do think that Vera still has a lot of work to do to get back on top. Her weight has ballooned a bit, and her movement is compromised. Against a match fit Peng Shuai, it is just not good enough. It's tough to expect results straightaway without putting the necessary hard work. I hope Vera doesn't get disheartened and continue her efforts, because I do think she has one last run in her. Sadly, it's not now.

Pick: Peng Shuai in 2 sets

Nadia Petrova vs. Silvia Soler-Espinosa

Nadia Petrova did not have a career threatening injury, but she took time off to mourn for the loss of her mother. Nadia's comeback would be less difficult considering she doesn't have injuries to worry about. Another point I like about Nadia's attitude is that she did not ask for wildcards, but instead played qualifying in her first few events. This builds confidence and give a good gauge on where her level is. Against clay courter Silvia, Petrova has the advantage. The Russian needs to serve well and be aggressive, not drawn into long rallies which favours the Spaniard. This is a winnable match for Nadia and she knows it.

Pick: Petrova in 2 sets

Yvonne Meusburger vs. Iveta Melzer

Last of the comeback players, Iveta Melzer meets the vastly improved Yvonne Meusburger. 2 years ago, I would have given Iveta the edge easily. However, I'm not so certain now. Yvonne has improved leaps and bounds since then, and Iveta is still fresh on her comeback. It will be expecting too much from her to defeat a steady top 50 player. I would suggest Iveta to start with lower expectations and play from qualifying to gain confidence. Jumping right into the main draw is too much too soon.

Pick: Meusburger in 2 sets

Madison Keys vs. Tsvetana Pironkova

Big things are expected of Madison Keys, but she falters every time. Against Pironkova, it will be a good chance to show that her mental game has improved. Pironkova is the type of player that Keys doesn't like. A fast player who mixes things up with her slice, Madison will need to be patient and wait for the right moment to attack. If the American passes the tricky Bulgarian test, it will be a testament to her improved game. If not, maybe Keys just doesn't have what it takes to be a top player.

Pick: Keys in 3 sets

Belinda Bencic vs. Heather Watson

Belinda Bencic is the one to watch as she gave Li Na a scare in their match in Melbourne. A youngster who's more crafty than powerful, she has the tendency to get blown away by more powerful opponents. She doesn't have to worry about that against Watson, as the Brit doesn't have the ball bashing game. Watson is recovering from a virus, and is slowly making her way back into the top 100. However, Bencic isn't one to be ignored as she is also rapidly rising up the rankings. A close contest is expected from these 2 and I believe the younger and more fearless player will prevail.

Pick: Bencic in 3 sets

Sure win bets: Lauren Davis, Petra Cetkovska, Yanina Wickmayer
Upset alerts: Shahar Peer, Bojana Jovanovski, Chanelle Scheepers

 

Guangzhou, Seoul day 2: Tough opening match for Cirstea

Guangzhou schedule:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/1142/title/guangzhou-open

Seoul schedule:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/1143/title/kdb-korea-open

Match focus:

Sorana Cirstea vs. Bojana Jovanovski

Sorana Cirstea hasn't done much since reaching the finals of Toronto. Will she survive the in form Bojana Jovanovski? The Serbian just clinched Tashkent last week and will look forward to carrying her form here in Guangzhou. Seems that Cirstea is nursing an injury after that final run and she might be rushing a bit into resuming play. If she manages to win this, it's an indication that she's fully recovered. If not, she needs to take a break before any permanent damage is done.

Pick: Cirstea in 3 sets

Andrea Petkovic vs. Francesca Schiavone

Petkovic's form is still very up and down and she will be tested against the wily Italian, Francesca Schiavone. The former French Open champion was swept aside by ruthless Serena, but Petkovic doesn't have the serve or firepower like the world number 1. If she gets into long drawn rallies with Francesca, she's in trouble. Being the hardworking girl, I believe Andrea knows what she has been lacking and will practice her ass off to improve it.

Pick: Petkovic in 3 sets

Heather Watson vs. Kimiko Date-Krumm

Heather Watson's season has been forgettable, but she showed signs of a revival in US Open. Will she be able to topple the crowd favourite, Kimiko Date-Krumm? The Brit's game is not imposing enough to brush aside the pesky Japanese. She will have to grind out a win against the veteran. If she goes for too much, Watson might be bidding sayonara soon. This will be a close match, and I believe Watson will edge out Kimiko in 3 tight sets.

Pick: Watson in 3 sets

Sure win bets: Maria Kirilenko, Agnieszka Radwanska, Laura Robson, Varvara Lepchenko
Upset alert: Irina-Camelia Begu, Nastassja Burnett, Luksika Kumkhum, Yvonna Meusburger

Wimbledon day 2: British hopes to be dashed?

Schedule of play:

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

Match focus:

Maria Kirilenko vs. Laura Robson

As the British number 1, Laura is carrying the hopes of the whole nation in Wimbledon. Sadly, she's drawn against Kirilenko, whose steady game is the perfect nemesis for Robson. Losing twice to Wozniacki indicates that Laura doesn't have the patience nor the discipline to go for well time winners. This flaw will be exposed ruthlessly by the Russian. Maria will play her unimpressive but consistent game to draw the wild errors from the Brit. Looks like another disappointment for the young lass.

Pick: Kirilenko in 2 sets

Heather Watson vs. Madison Keys

Heather Watson is the reverse of Laura. She plays her simple yet conservative game and waits for the correct ball to strike. She will face an equivalent of Robson, an undisciplined ball basher. Keys has the raw power and clean ball striking, but not the right tactics and footwork. Watson will wear the American out and cause her to hit unnecessary errors. Seems like not all British hopes will be dashed.

Pick: Watson in 2 tight sets

Bethanie Mattek-Sands vs. Angelique Kerber

Last year's semi-finalist, Angelique Kerber faces a tough test in her opening round. Bethanie is coming off a strong showing in Paris and she has beaten Kerber before twice. The American's ultra-aggressive game is suited for the grass and besides, she'll be wearing Google Glass! No idea how it is going to affect Bethanie but she might be distracted by it. Who knows? Anyway, things will be tough for the German. She needs to keep calm and grind every single ball. Once Mattek-Sands start missing, she will stand a chance.

Pick: Kerber in 3 tough sets

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs. Tsvetana Pironkova

If you look at Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova's results in the mandatory/premier events, you'll be shocked at how she managed to be seeded. Following the trend, she should be exiting this event early as well. Pironkova loves the grass and against someone as shaky as Pavlyuchenkova, she is primed for the upset. Sadly, Pironkova doesn't play well on any other surface, or else she can be seeded and avoid meeting the seeds early.

Pick: Pironkova in 2 tight sets

Klara Zakopalova vs. Daniela Hantuchova

Despite having a stellar start to the season, Klara Zakopalova fell off the radar and faded into obscurity. She has been playing uninspired tennis for the past few months and will likely fall victim to resurgent Daniela Hantuchova. Granted, Daniela retired from Eastbourne with an injury, but it is just due to the massive amount of matches played in Birmingham. I'm sure the Slovak is well rested and ready to go today.

Pick: Hantuchova in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Agnieszka Radwanska, Serena Williams, Kaia Kanepi, Zheng Jie, Simona Halep

Upset alert: Klara Zakopalova, Madison Keys, Nadia Petrova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Tamira Paszek