Moscow, Luxembourg day 1: Massive withdrawals dampen season ending tournaments

Moscow schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/664/title/kremlin-cup-by-bank-of-moscow

Luxembourg schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/233/title/bgl-bnp-paribas-luxembourg-open

Match focus:

Svetlana Kuznetsova vs. Klara Koukalova

Svetlana Kuznetsova looks content just being a solid top 30 player, always pushing the top players but coming out short in the end. In an event marred by the top players' withdrawal, this will be a good chance for Kuznetsova to revive her career. The Russian enjoys home crowd support, and will be the firm favourite against the slumping Koukalova. If the Russian loses this, I'm afraid any hopes of a career revival will be dashed.

Pick: Kuznetsova in 2 sets

Tereza Smitkova vs. Roberta Vinci

Vinci may be slumping, but I certainly do not expect her to lose to unheralded Tereza Smitkova. The Czech youngster had a breakthrough tournament in Wimbledon, but faded in obscurity immediately after that. There is one factor that might work against Roberta though, as she is scheduled to play in the Year-End Championships in Singapore. If she advances to the finals, she will have limited time to travel back to Asia and readjust to the conditions. Not saying that the Italian should throw the match away, but it will be a matter of priorities.

Pick: Vinci in 2 sets

Silvia Soler Espinosa vs. Barbora Zahlavova Strycova

Silvia held a 5-0 lead against Serena in Beijing, but collapsed immediately after that when the world number 1 raised her game. The Spaniard's game is not flashy, but will make you earn your points. Barbora's season has been consistent after her Wimbledon breakthrough. She used to be a walking time-bomb, never knowing when she will self-destruct and wallow in self pity. Once she kept her emotions intact, she plays a good all-court game which is a joy to watch. I would give Barbora the advantage as she's a play maker, as opposed to Silvia's reactionary game. It will be close though, with a lot of scrambling and all court tennis.

Pick: Strycova in 3 sets

Sure win bets: Mona Barthel, Karin Knapp, Monica Niculescu
Upset alert: Jana Cepelova, Donna Vekic, Tsvetana Pironkova

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

US Open day 2: All eyes on Serena

Upset of the previous day:

Mirjana Lucic-Baroni def. Garbine Muguruza 6-3 7-6(4)

Looks like Garbine is still struggling to find the consistency to win matches that she's supposed to win. Mirjana can be classified as a has-been, being over 30 and not achieving anything significant for the past 2 to 3 years. Not saying that Mirjana cannot hit a good ball, but Garbine should have been able to weather the storm. Disappointing end of the year for the Spaniard after starting her season so well. Looks like she still needs a lot of maturing to do.

Match focus:

Serena Williams vs. Taylor Townsend

I believe it will be a dream come true for Taylor Townsend to play against Serena, a woman who she has idolised and aspired to be. Just on that point alone, Serena will be able to stamp her authority, and start her US Open campaign on a good note. It will be Taylor's first time playing on the gigantic Arthur Ashe stadium, so it will take her some time to settle down as well. By the time she does that, the match might be over. The only question is if Serena is too eager to prove the doubters wrong. If she rushes things, she might give away too many free points and bolster Taylor's confidence.

Pick: Serena in 2 sets

Flavia Pennetta vs. Julia Goerges

As with all Goerges' matches, you'll never know when peak Julia will show up. Right now, Goerges is going through a drought, losing almost every match in sight, but still manages to spring an occasional surprise from time to time. Against a less than optimal Pennetta, can she do the same? Well, Flavia is defending major points here, so she definitely feels the pressure here. However, I believe Flavia is experienced enough to let Julia self-implode to advance to the next round.

Pick: Pennetta in 2 tight sets

Mona Barthel vs. Zhang Shuai

Somehow, Zhang Shuai finds herself seeded at 32 despite never winning a Grand Slam main draw match before. Mona Barthel will be relieved at drawing the weakest seed in the draw, and will revel at the chance of at least reaching the 3rd round. Zhang's game is elementary, and her high ranking mostly consists of lower tier events, where competition is much lower. I expect an upset of sorts here.

Pick: Barthel in 2 sets

Klara Koukalova vs. Petra Cetkovska

Here is a fun fact. Klara Koukalova has never won a singles match in US Open in her long career. Will she break the duck here against her compatriot Cetkovska? Well, both players haven't been playing well recently, so this match is pretty even. On the whole, I believe Klara has had a better year, and should stand a chance to break the curse. She just needs to believe in herself more and stop sulking so much.

Pick: Koukalova in 3 sets

Francesca Schiavone vs. Vania King

Francesca Schiavone holds the record for the longest consecutive Grand Slam appearances for active players, and will like her chances against Vania King. The Italian's all court game will test the feisty American. Schiavone needs to attack King's weak delivery, and make Vania guess by using drop shots and lobs, not letting King get into the rhythm. All in all, I think this is a very winnable match for the veteran.

Pick: Schiavone in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Petra Kvitova, Madison Keys, Eugenie Bouchard, Dominika Cibulkova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
Upset alert: Pauline Parmentier, Zhang Shuai

Bucharest, Bad Gastein day 1: Clay anyone?

Bucharest schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/3823/title/bucharest-open--bucharest-romania

Bad Gastein schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/1340/title/nurnberger-gastein-ladies

Match focus:

Klara Koukalova vs. Monica Niculescu

Doubles partners face off in this intriguing encounter. Monica's suffering from a dip in form in recent months, but will be eager to play well in her home country Romania. It will be tough facing Klara, as she's higher ranked and her doubles partner. However, there's a chance that the home crowd will get to Klara and make her bothered. If Klara gives up, Niculescu can win this. I think this will be a close match, with Klara emerging the winner though.

Pick: Koukalova in 3 sets

Flavia Pennetta vs. Grace Min

It seems that winning Indian Wells did more harm than good to Pennetta. She has been struggling mightily since then, and suffered humiliating exits in both Roland Garros and Wimbledon. On clay, Flavia should be the favourite, but with her current form, I cannot be sure. Grace Min hits well and can challenge players, but her mental strength is still an unknown. Flavia should be able to win this despite her recent dip in form. If she loses this, I will be very worried.

Pick: Pennetta in 2 sets

Stefanie Voegele vs. Julia Goerges

The good news for Julia is that she's playing close matches with top players, but she just couldn't get the win. For Voegele, the Swiss is barely winning matches against anyone of note, so Goerges can relax a bit. Besides, this is on her preferred red clay surface, which suits her long swinging strokes. However, you just never know which Julia will turn up, so I think this will go to 3 sets.

Pick: Goerges in 3 sets

Sure win bets: Flavia Pennetta, Annika Beck
Upset alert: Nadiia Kichenok, Anna Schmiedlova

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

Roland Garros day 3: Is Wozniacki in the right state of mind to play?

Upset of the previous day:

Pauline Parmentier def. Roberta Vinci 3-6 6-3 6-2

Roberta's troubles refuse to go away as she gets bounced out by someone who has absolutely done nothing for the past year. I though Vinci was better than this but losing to Parmentier is a new low. Apparently, Vinci seems to be injured and was barely moving at the end of the match. Still, it doesn't explain the weird losses she has suffered all year and the doubles success with Errani. If you're injured, your doubles results will also suffer (unless Sara does all the work). With this loss, Vinci is safely out of the top 20, and will look to slip further down if she continues her losing ways.

Schedule of play:

http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/scores/schedule/index.html

Match focus:

Caroline Wozniacki vs. Yanina Wickmayer

Caroline Wozniacki is suffering from a different kind of injury: heartbreak. Her very public break up will definitely shake her confidence, but she has the pity of the mass public now. The problem is how much practice did she get before this match. She was nursing a wrist injury and if she's not 100%, she shouldn't be here. Wickmayer will definitely not beat Caroline if she's not injured. However, under such special circumstances, you have to favour the Belgian. Let's see if Caroline rushed back too early, or is eager to prove that she plays better tennis without distractions.

Pick: Wickmayer in 2 sets

Caroline Garcia vs. Ana Ivanovic

Ana Ivanovic has the misfortune of drawing one of the most dangerous floaters in the draw. Caroline Garcia is sky high in confidence after a recent run of good results, and will be hoping for success at home with a good run here. Ana is susceptible to early upsets that's for sure, and losing to Garcia isn;t exactly shameful. However, it remains to be seen if Garcia can handle to pressure of causing the upset. Ana just needs to impose her game on Garcia, make her panic. If she can do that, Caroline will succumb to the pressure.

Pick: Ivanovic in 3 tight sets

Klara Koukalova vs. Maria-Teresa Torro Flor

Like all Czech players, Klara is a mystery. You'll never know which Koukalova will show up. After winning her first title in god knows how many years, she went MIA again and has been barely winning matches. She will need to be ready as Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor can hit a mean ball. When given time, the Spaniard can unlease bombs with her forehand, If Klara doesn't hit enough deep balls, she'll be looking at another early exit. An upset here is possible.

Pick: Torro-Flor in 3 sets

Alisa Kleybanova vs. Simona Halep

A brutal draw for Alisa, who is playing somebody who loves to dismantle a slow hard-hitter. Simona has mastered the art of playing ball bashers with limited movement, and will be salivating at this encounter. Alisa's movement just isn't going to be sufficient against someone who gets almost everything back. Alisa will need to have a very good day when she paints all the lines and gets the first strike. If not, she's as good as out of the tournament.

Pick: Halep in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Li Na, Elina Svitolina, Ekaterina Makarova, Magdalena Rybarikova, Teliana Pereira
Upset alert: Klara Koukalova, Alison Riske, Caroline Wozniacki, Alexandra Cadantu, Barbora Strycova Zahlavova

Stuttgart, Marrakech day 2: Errani in danger

Stuttgart schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/651/title/porsche-tennis-grand-prix

Marrakech schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/84/title/gp-sar-la-princesse-lalla-meryem

Match focus:

Klara Koukalova vs. Sara Errani

Even though these 2 players never faced each other in Fed Cup, Errani will be eager to take revenge for Italy's loss to Czech Republic just last week. The thing that is going against Sara is her poor form, and her injury. The Italian has been struggling this year, falling out of the top 10 for the first time since 2012. Klara on the other hand is playing her best tennis. She has just won in Florianopolis, and clinched an important win in Fed Cup doubles. The one thing that favours Errani is that the surface is clay. Clay loving Errani might be too much for Koukalova, but Stuttgart's clay is famous for being quick. I don't think that will play into Sara's hands.

Pick: Koukalova in 3 sets

Lucie Safarova vs. Maria Sharapova

This will be an interesting match after their titanic tussle in Miami. Sharapova will be looking for a three-peat here in Stuttgart, and draws one of the most dangerous unseeded player. The field has always been strong for Stuttgart, so I think Maria is well prepared. Lucie's game on clay is less potent, while Sharapova has evolved her game to suit clay. This type of quick clay surface will favour the Russian more, having more experience and matches on it. It will be a tough fight, but Sharapova should emerge the winner.

Pick: Sharapova in 3 sets

Patricia Mayr-Achleitner vs. Elina Svitolina

Patricia Mayr-Achleitner is one of the tour's most hated players with her sorry attitude. It will take a lot of maturity from young Elina to look pass that and beat her with calmness. This is a good test for the young Ukrainian on her mental toughness. If Elina plays to her normal standard and not let Patricia get to her, she should be safe. I believe Svitolina has the game to go far here.

Pick: Svitolina in 2 sets

Sure in bets: Jelena Jankovic, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Francesca Schiavone
Upset alert: Sara Errani, Roberta Vinci, Chanelle Scheepers