Linz, Osaka, Tianjin day 4: All Aussie clash in Japan

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

Tianjin schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/3783/title/tianjin-open--tianjin-china

Match focus:

Magdalena Rybarikova vs. Karin Knapp

Karin Knapp had a great close match with Sharapova in Melbourne, and she carried her momentum onlwards with a few good matches thereafter. However, she fell off the radar soon and was losing every match in sight. She finally recaptured her form with a title run in Tashkent, and now with an upset win over Lisicki. Rybarikova also had an uneven year, from upsetting Simona Halep to losing to Misa Eguchi. The Slovak might also be carrying an injury, having retired from her last two tournaments. So I believe Knapp has what it takes to win this. The Italian has heavy groundstrokes and a big serve. If she can attack Magdalena's vulnerable backhand, she has a good chance.

Pick: Knapp in 3 sets

Samantha Stosur vs. Jarmila Gajdosova

Stosur had a good run in Beijing, and will be eager to defend her title here in Osaka. The Aussie has a ton of points to defend, having won here last year, and reaching the finals of Moscow and Sofia after. The pressure will definitely be on her, that's why Gajdosova has a chance. Jarmila is slowly regaining back her form after almost 2 years of personal problems. If she plays with no fear, she has the game to derail the higher ranked Aussie, having beaten her before. Jarmila needs this more, so I'm going with the upset here.

Pick: Gajdosova in 3 sets

Jelena Jankovic vs. Zheng Saisai

With her worrying back injury, Jankovic might just withdraw before this match happens. Nevertheless, if she takes on Zheng Saisai, it might not be as straightforward as believed. Zheng has the partisan Chinese crowd behind her, and with Jelena's compromised movement and serve, she might very well cause an upset here. Jelena should really rest up for this season, as she does seem to be mentally exhausted, losing matches she's supposed to win for the latter part of the year.

Pick: Zheng in 3 sets

Sure win bets: Peng Shuai, Lauren Davis, Zarina Diyas, Jana Cepelova, Karolina Pliskova
Upset alerts: Jelena Jankovic, Samantha Stosur, Zhang Shuai, Magdalena Rybarikova

Beijing day 3: Overshadowed Jankovic

Schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/1140/title/china-open

Match focus:

Jelena Jankovic vs. Alize Cornet

With the resurgence of Ivanovic, Jankovic has been overlooked in many of the tournaments. And rightly so, Jelena wasn't able to replicate her success from the first half of the year. The Serbian is trying to defend her finalist points here from last year, and will need to be on song against the fiesty Cornet. Alize will like her chances as Jankovic retired from her match last week against Vandeweghe, coupled with Jankovic's dip in form. Can Jelena snap out of her losing ways? Somehow, I think she enjoys playing in Beijing, and will reverse her slump and squeeze out a win here.

Pick: Jankovic in 3 sets

Belinda Bencic vs. Ana Ivanovic

The other Serbian, Ivanovic has been enjoying a great run in Tokyo. Her title run was without a fuss, but had to retire from her match in Wuhan. I'm sure that was due to exhuastion, and Ana will be well rested here in Beijing. Ana's position in the race to Singapore is at a precarious number 8, so she will be eager to win here. Bencic's game can be overpowered, so Ivanovic should be able to pressure the youngster with her powerful game.

Pick: Ivanovic in 2 sets

Flavia Pennetta vs. Christina McHale

Flavia seems to be focusing more on her doubles in a bid to qualify for the year-end championships in Singapore with Martina Hingis. It's a pity for Pennetta as she had a pretty decent chance of qualifying for the singles campaign as well after her Indian Wells triumph. Inconsistencies did her in, but she should be able to win against McHale. If Pennetta isn't too tired from her doubles outings, the Italian's game on hard courts is pretty neat and graceful to watch.

Pick: Pennetta in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Caroline Garcia, Serena Williams, Peng Shuai
Upset alert: Tsvetana Pironkova, Mona Barthel

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 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

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

Montreal day 3: Serena and Montreal don't mix?

Schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/740/title/rogers-cup

Match focus:

Serena Williams vs. Samantha Stosur

A rematch of the 2011 US Open final, Serena Williams will be making her appearance since her debut in 2000. Serena and Montreal seemed to have differing paths as the American is either injured, or chose to skip the event when it is held there. Stosur will provide a stern test for Serena, who is not in peak form yet. Nevertheless, Stosur's form is even worse, losing to unheralded Osaka last week, so I think Serena will be fine. She might struggle at first, but should be able to win this.

Pick: Williams in 3 sets

Jelena Jankovic vs. Sloane Stephens

Jelena Jankovic will be eager to put away her atrocious grass season and start anew on her favourite hard courts. Immediately, she will face a tough opponent in Sloane Stephens, who annihilated Aleksandra Wozniak. Jelena's confidence must be a bit fragile given her winless grass season, but hard courts is where she excels. Sloane will push her, but Jelena thrives on pace, and will grind Sloane to make errors. If she's motivated enough, Jelena should be able to take this.

Pick: Jankovic in 3 sets

Sabine Lisicki vs. Madison Keys

Battle of the big servers here. Sabine Lisicki proved everyone wrong by demolishing Errani, and looks to be in good form on hard courts. Madison Keys got lucky that Kuznetsova got injured, gifting her a second round place. On current form, I believe Lisicki is playing better. Keys is still under an injury cloud that forced her out of Wimbledon. It might flare up any moment. Sabine, on the other hand, is taking baby steps in winning matches she's supposed to win, and also causing an upset over Errani. When the German is confident, she will be lethal.

Pick: Lisicki in 3 sets

Sure win bets: Venus Williams, Petra Kvitova, Caroline Wozniacki
Upset alert: Madison Keys, Dominika Cibulkova, Carla Suarez Navarro

Eastbourne, Dan Bosch day 2: Azarenka's comeback

Eastbourne schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/644/title/aegon-international

Dan Bosch schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/756/title/topshelf-open

Match focus:

Victoria Azarenka vs. Camila Giorgi

Azarenka faces a tough match on her first tournament back after her injury. Giorgi's hard strokes work well on grass, and Victoria needs to be on the alert immediately. I guess it's too early in her comeback for Azarenka to spring back into winning matches, so I believe Camila will score an upset here. Victoria should just test if she's fully healed and gain some match play before Wimbledon.

Pick: Giorgi in 2 sets

Madison Keys vs. Jelena Jankovic

On grass, Keys' massive serve is a weapon. However, she doesn't have the patience to construct points, committing numerous silly errors. Jelena will attempt to exploit this flaw in Madison's game by retrieving all the balls that the American throws at her. Unless Keys commits no errors, Jelena will emerge the winner. Still, we can expect flashes of brilliance from Madison. However, flashes do not win the match.

Pick: Jankovic in 3 sets

Yaroslava Shvedova vs. Dominika Cibulkova

Yaroslava's famous golden set happened on grass courts, so it's obvious she's comfortable on the surface. Against Cibulkova, she definitely has a chance as Dominika doesn't excel on this surface. However, the mental game of Shvedova is brittle, and Dominika fights for every point like it's her last. Besides, Cibulkova is eager to erase her forgettable clay season with good results on grass. This will be close, but Dominika should be able to edge out a win.

Pick: Cibulkova in 3 sets


Sure win bets: Belinda Bencic, Petra Kvitova, Garbine Muguruza
Upset alert: Flavia Pennetta, Sara Errani, Roberta Vinci