Acapulco, Florianopolis F: Zakopalova breaks her curse

Acapulco final:

Dominika Cibulkova def. Christine McHale 7-6(3) 4-6 6-4

For someone making her tour final debut, Christina McHale fought her heart out impressively and only just lost to a much experienced opponent. If she continues her form, I'm sure the American will be contending for many more finals to come. Congratulations to Cibulkova, cementing her good form from Melbourne. With a couple of good runs, she will be in the top 10 soon.

Florianopolis final:

Klara Zakopalova def. Garbine Muguruza 4-6 7-5 6-0

Trailing 6-4 5-2, it was almost safe to say Klara is going to lose yet another final. Somehow, something clicked in her and she fought hard for every point since then. What resulted was an epic meltdown from Muguruza, and Klara winning her well deserved 3rd title, her first since 2005. Garbine lost it after losing her lead, and was too impatient to work out the points. The veteran took full advantage, and avenged for her loss in Hobart. Zakopalova's game is always pleasing to watch when she's clicking, and it's great to see her playing well at the latter stage of her career.

Acapulco, Florianopolis F: Can Klara get over the final hurdle?

Acapulco F:

Dominika Cibulkova vs. Christina McHale

Congratulations to Christina for finally reaching her first tour final. It was a jittery semi-final affair with Garcia but she did it in the end. Against Cibulkova, she'll definitely be the underdog. Dominika has had plenty of final experience and is riding on a new wave of confidence. Still, it's still a good week for the American whose career has been interrupted by unfortunate injuries. 

Pick: Cibulkova in 2 sets

Florianopolis F:

Klara Zakopalova vs. Garbine Muguruza

In her 15th final, Zakopalova is the first player in 2014 to reach 3 finals. This is her second consecutive final after last week's Rio. However, she won't be the favorite as Garbine Muguruza just beat her two months ago in the Hobart finals. It's a pity as the Czech's game is free flowing when it's on. But she just doesn't show up in finals. I do not expect anything different to happen here. 

Pick: Muguruza in 2 sets

Acapulco, Florianopolis SF: Buckling under pressure

Some players thrive under pressure, while others just crawl back into their holes. Eugenie Bouchard has been thrusted into the limelight and the added pressure on her seems to be taking a toll, as she succumbs meekly to Caroline Garcia. I guess it was too much too soon for the Canadian.

Acapulco match focus:

Dominika Cibulkova vs. Zhang Shuai

Cibulkova ought to be careful of Zhang, as she showed her fighting capabilities in all her matches here in Acapulco. However, Dominika has the experience on her side, so she should be able to get through this match. Cibulkova just needs to protect her serve and let her groundstrokes do the work.

Pick: Cibulkova in 2 sets

Christina McHale vs. Caroline Garcia

Fresh from her upset win over Bouchard, Garcia must be brimming with confidence. If she carries her form forward, she might be able to reach her maiden WTA final. Both players have never reached a final before, so it will be a nervous affair. Garcia has more flair while McHale is more steady. Contrasting styles make this match an interesting affair, and I predict a close 3 set match here. Hopefully Garcia will fulfil her potential and show that she's no one match wonder.

Pick: Garcia in 3 tight sets

Florianopolis SF:

Carla Suarez Navarro vs. Klara Zakopalova

If only this was a final, we would have an extremely interesting situation here. Both players are well known to falter in the finals, with Suarez Navarro winning 0 out of 5 finals, and Zakopalova winning 2 out of 14 finals. Carla has won their last 2 meetings, but they are tied at 2 all. I do think that Klara should be exhausted from all her activity recently, so I think the Spaniard will emerge the victor. And hopefully, whoever wins this can finally clinch the title!

Pick: Suarez Navarro in 2 sets

Yaroslava Shvedova vs. Garbine Muguruza

For someone who is able to golden set a top 10 player, Shvedova is really an underachiever. She has always been a streaky player but her lows are more than her highs. This week, she hits a high with this semi-final appearance, but the problem is can she keep it up? For Shvedova, she needs to know when to play the right shot. She has all the shots, but her mental game is a mess and she fades when things don't go her way. Garbine however is a fighter. She might not have the quickest feet or the biggest serve, but she perseveres until the end. Against Yaroslava, the Spaniard just needs to weather the storm and wait for Shvedova to crumble.

Pick: Muguruza in 2 sets

Acapulco, Florianopolis day 4: Future of WTA

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:

Caroline Garcia vs. Eugenie Bouchard

It seems like yesterday when Garcia was slated to be the next big thing after she pushed Sharapova to the limits in Roland Garros. Caroline didn't capitalize on her good form and has since languished in the bottom half of the top 100. Compared to the meteoric rise of Bouchard, Garcia has a lot to catch up. She is one year older than Eugenie, but the Canadian has already accomplished more than her. If Garcia can get her mental game going, I believe this match-up has a potential to be a good rivalry. Right now, Bouchard has all the confidence in the world. Garcia did well against 2 retrievers in her first few rounds, which shows growth in her mental game. Eugenie should be able to win this, but it might go the distance.

Pick: Bouchard in 3 sets

Klara Zakopalova vs. Alexandra Dulgheru

Klara Zakopalova continues her busy schedule with wins here in Florianopolis. After reaching the finals in Rio, she continued her good form despite the surface change, and will vie for a spot in the semi-finals with resurgent Dulgheru. The pair has met twice before in 2011, splitting both meetings, but Klara has won their hard court meeting. I believe the surface suits the flat hitting Czech, but she might be fatigued from all the matches so far. Dulgheru also had to come through qualifying, so she will also be feeling the strain. Because of that, I believe Klara will snatch another win against the Romanian.

Pick: Zakopalova in 3 sets

Carla Suarez Navarro vs. Monica Niculescu

Defending champion Monica Niculescu faces a tough test against top seed, Carla Suarez Navarro. Monica clinched her first title here last year, but did relatively nothing after that. Carla is still seeking her first title and like Zakopalova, has the tendency to blank out during finals. The good thing for the Spaniard is that this is not a final On hard courts, I believe Carla's variety will be enough to counter Monica's junky balls.

Pick: Suarez Navarro in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Garbine Muguruza, Dominika Cibulkova
Upset alert: Alexandra Cadantu, Zhang Shuai

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

Rio final: The Kookie crumbles yet again

Rio final:

Kurumi Nara def. Klara Zakopalova 6-1 4-6 6-1

14 finals with only 2 titles to account for, Zakopalova shows that she's an absolute horror when it comes to finals. Even if her opponent is Kurumi Nara, who just reached her first WTA final and was outside the top 100 just last year. No words to describe how absurb the Czech is in finals. Maybe she just doesn't want to win. Overall a pretty dire match as Nara couldn't capitalize on her chances and end this misery sooner. Her break point conversion is abysmal, but she got the job done. With this win, she enters the top 50 and is Japan's highest ranked player now. I don't expect her to reach the heights of Ai Sugiyama or Kimiko Date, but I think Nara can be a top 30 staple.

Dubai, Rio Final: Venus claims her 3rd consecutive Dubai title

Dubai final:

Venus Williams def. Alize Cornet 6-3 6-0

Venus Williams should be singing "This Is How You Do It" to Serena as she ruthlessly punished Alize Cornet to claim her first title in 2 years, and her third consecutive Dubai final. Venus has been on scintillating form all week, winning all her matches in straight sets. Showing no signs of her illness, she covered the court like in her peak, and boomed down serves like rockets. Maybe this is a sign that Venus is finally back, as she soars back into the top 30 with this win. Cornet's performance was lackluster compared to yesterday. She couldn't keep her emotions in check and was frankly whiny throughout the whole match. Still, no one can take away her big win over Serena Williams, so she can have that as a consolation.

Rio final:

Klara Zakopalova vs. Kurumi Nara

In the much overlooked tournament in Rio, Klara Zakopalova has been virtually unchallenged in her path to the finals. The top seed has yet to drop a set, and is the huge favourite to claim her first title since 2005(!). Nara has never reached a final before, so this will be a nervous match for the petite Japanese. Klara needs to be careful though, as Nara has improved a lot throughout last year. Even though she struggled with her concentration in her semi-final, Nara is capable of playing scrappy tennis and springing surprises. Still, I do think that Klara will clinch the title despite her customary final meltdown, as she has too much experience over Nara.

Pick: Zakopalova over Nara

Melbourne day 1: Another early exit for Stosur?

Schedule of play:

http://www.ausopen.com/en_AU/scores/schedule/index.html

Match focus:

Samantha Stosur vs. Klara Zakopalova

A rematch of Hobart's semi-final, Stosur will have to meet her vanquisher in the first round. Will the Czech be able to replicate the win against Australia's highest ranked player? It's no secret that Stosur cannot handle the pressure of playing at home, and compounded with the fact that she just lost to Klara 3 days ago is going to plague her mind. Still, the organizers did her a huge favour by scheduling the match on the first day, meaing Zakopalova gets minimal practice and rest before this match. This match might be close, but I believe Samantha will tough this one out.

Pick: Stosur in 3 sets

Ekaterina Makarova vs. Venus Williams

Unseeded Venus Williams is in unfamiliar territory as she's the unseeded player here. Makarova has just made a statement in Sydney, having brushed aside Jankovic in straight sets. Can she do the same to the multiple slam champion? I commend Venus for her love of the game and refusal to give up. But her speed and power isn't as before, and the only thing that she's got for her is her hunger to win. If she can hang on long enough with the Russian, Makarova might succumb under the pressure. Still, there is a possibility of the younger Ekaterina just running away with the match.

Pick: Williams in 3 tight sets

Julia Goerges vs. Sara Errani

Struggling Goerges is going to take another tumble in the rankings if she loses here to Errani, which is extremely possible. The steady Italian has the perfect game to counter the erratic flashy game of Julia. The German is showing signs of a comeback though, as she played a close match with Wozniacki and won some qualifying matches there. If Julia can play to her 2011 standard, Errani might be in trouble. Although chances of that happening is extremely small.

Pick: Errani in 2 sets

Laura Robson vs. Kirsten Flipkens

Robson has been hampered by a wrist injury last week, but I'm sure she's only taking precautionary measures. She now has a winnable match against Flipkens, who can be prone to being overpowered. Laura just needs to know when to pounce against the craft Belgian. The Brit can be a little bit impatient with her aggressiveness, resulting in unnecessary errors. If she can rein it in a little, a win here is very much possible.

Pick: Robson in 3 sets

Casey Dellacqua vs. Vera Zvonareva

Look who's making a comeback! Zvonareva makes her long awaited return to the tour, sporting a fuller figure. The former world number 2 has nothing to lose against Dellacqua, and will go out there swinging for winners. Casey has been slowly playing herself to form in the challenger events as well. She should be able to give Vera a close fight given Vera's recent return to tour. A win here for Zvonareva is possible, but I wouldn't be surprised or worried if she loses here. Not everyone is like Kim Clijsters, who can go into match mode immediately.

Pick: Dellacqua in 3 sets

Hobart F: Another qualifier takes the crown

Hobart F:

Garbine Muguruza def. Klara Zakopalova 6-4 6-0

Perhaps inspired by Pironkova's Sydney run, Muguruza made a fairytale run of her own all the way from qualifying to clinch the Hobart title in dominant style. The aggressive Spaniad not only claims her first title, but also shows the tour that she is well recovered from her previous career threatening injury. Garbine plays different from the usual Spanish players with her huge serve and groundstrokes. She had been poised to breakthrough but injuries almost derailed her. It's nice to see that another player has beaten the odds and finally accomplished something to be proud of. As for Klara, another final loss for the veteran. The pressure of winning a title is just too much for the experienced player. Let's hope she can overcome this hurdle sometime this year, because she's a joy to watch when she's clicking.

Sydney, Hobart F: Fairytales do come true

Sydney final:

Tsvetana Pironkova def. Angelique Kerber 6-4 6-4

Pironkova goes from strength to strength as she completes her fairytale run from qualifying to winning the title. Sydney has always been one of the strongest events on tour and it's quite miraculous that the Bulgarian got through all her opponents with relative ease. Tsvetana always had a scrappy game but now she has learnt when to go for winners. Against Kerber, she put that to good effect with her backhand winners. Kerber will be disappointed. It seems that she always crumbles against lesser known opponents in finals. Now, let's see how Pironkova carries her momentum forward to Melbourne. Let's hope she doesn't get too contended with her mini success here and concentrate on the main slam.

Hobart final:

Klara Zakopalova vs. Garbine Muguruza

Whoever wins this will be a fairtale come true. For Klara, it will be her first title since 2005, a staggering 8 years gap. I don't think any player has this kind of perseverance to stay on tour despite not having much success. For Garbine, it will be her first title and a sign that she's fully recovered from her career threatening surgery. Being the younger player, Garbine will have nothing to lose and will go all out with her attack. Klara will have to draw on all her experience to weather the storm. Still, one has to favour the younger Spaniard as Klara has an abysmal 2-10 record in her final appearances. Looks like the Kookie might crumble again.

Pick: Muguruza in 2 sets

Sydney F, Hobart SF: Against all odds

Sydney final:

Tsvetana Pironkova vs. Angelique Kerber

Coming through qualifying, Pironkova continues her fairy tale run by upsetting Kvitova in straight sets. What is amazing about her accomplishment is that she has already played 7 matches so far and was able to take out players with vast different game styles, ie. Errani and then Kvitova. She will have her hands full with Kerber, whose defensive game has an added aggressive side now. The German has increased her aggressiveness this year and is the favourite to take the title. Pironkova should be very satisfied with her first final appearance, and go down meekly to the pesky German.

Pick: Kerber in 2 sets

Hobart SF:

Samantha Stosur vs. Klara Zakopalova

Looks like Stosur really tuned her mind to tell herself that she's not in Australia. Taking out the dangerous Jovanovski easily, she faces another flat hitter in Zakopalova. Sam's top spin shots will be sitting nicely for Zakopalova to slam for winners. The Aussie will need to serve well, and punish the Czech's weaker serve. As with Samantha, you'll never know which player will come out to play. But if she plays to her normal standard, Stosur should be able to edge out Klara.

Pick: Stosur in 3 sets

Estrella Cabeza Candela vs. Gabine Muguruza

Nobody would have expected these 2 Spaniards to be facing each other for a place in the finals. Whoever wins here will make their first final appearance, so a few jitters is expected. Candela's game is more suited for the clay courts, while Muguruza's aggressive game is more lethal on hard courts. With more main draw appearances, Garbine has the game and the experience to win this winnable match. She just needs to calm those nerves and play her usual game.

Pick: Muguruza in 2 sets