US Open day 1: Veterans in the spotlight

Schedule of play:

http://www.usopen.org/en_US/scores/schedule/index.html?promo=subnav

Match focus:
Kimiko Date-Krumm vs. Venus Williams

With the tour filled with youngsters, it's refreshing to see veterans battle it out. Instead of the bolsterious come-ons and fist pumps, veterans tend to keep it classy and dignified. Two of the tour's class acts will face off in Arthur Ashe stadium, where Venus will remain the firm favourite. Kimiko has the game to trouble most players, but she always falters at the crucial points. I don't see a surprise here as the hard courts suits the American more.

Pick: Williams in 2 sets

Maria Sharapova vs. Maria Kirilenko

Even though Kirilenko famously shocked Sharapova in Melbourne before, it will be extremely tough for her to replicate that success here. Kirilenko has been struggling with her knee injury, and was never the same player after her comeback. She is capable of playing good tennis, but her body doesn't allow her to do so. Against Sharapova who has nothing to defend and nothing to lose here, she will almost definitely be annihilated.

Pick: Sharapova in 2 easy sets

Magdalena Rybarikova vs. Caroline Wozniacki

Even though Rybarikova conquered Giorgi who ousted Wozniacki in New Haven, the organizers did the Dane a huge favour by scheduling them to play this early. The Slovak will be fatigued by her final appearance in New Haven, and Caroline will gladly run her around the court. Caroline was a bit uninspired in her loss to Giorgi, but it's tough when your opponent hits everything as hard as she can and lands it in. I believe Wozniacki will have ample rest this time, and make a good run here in New York.

Pick: Wozniacki in 2 sets

Sara Errani vs. Kirsten Flipkens

Sara Errani is struggling very badly this year in the American hard court season. This makes her a vulnerable seed and Flipkens will be optimistic of her chances. The Belgian had a good run in New Haven, reaching the quarter-finals, and prefers the hard courts more than Errani. Still, it will take someone with power to overcome Errani, and I'm not too sure if Flipkens' game is enough. I believe Sara will pick on Kirsten's weaker backhand, and grind out a hard fought win.

Pick: Errani in 3 sets

Peng Shuai vs. Zheng Jie

Sadly for Zheng, it seems that her body just cannot hold up anymore. The aging Chinese had some good runs in selected tournaments this year, but the rest of her events are all early round exits. Peng will be the clear favourite here as Zheng was barely playing in the warm-up tournaments. It seems like the end is near for Zheng, but she definitely maximized her potential given her petite frame.

Pick: Peng in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Agnieszka Radwanska, Alize Cornet, Sabine Lisicki, Simona Halep, Jelena Jankovic
Upset alert: Tsvetana Pironkova, Kiki Bertens, Stefanie Voegele, Daniela Hantuchova, Roberta Vinci

Madrid day 5: It gets tougher for Agnieszka

Schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/1479/title/mutua-madrid-open

Match focus:

Svetlana Kuznetsova vs. Agnieszka Radwanska

After dispatching Bouchard, Radwanska faces another tough test as she goes up against the experience Kuznetsova. The Russian leads the heads to heads with a commanding 10-3 lead, winning the last 6 matches including the most recent one in Roland Garros. Svetlana obviously holds the advantage but the only factor will be fatigue. Svetlana has been playing for 3 straight weeks now and just won a long match against Cornet in her first round. If Radwanska can extend the rallies and frustrate Kuznetsova, she can finally get the elusive win. Otherwise, Kuznetsova should be able to take this match.

Pick: Kuznetsova in 2 sets

Carolina Garcia vs. Maria Kirilenko

Kirilenko claimed her first win on her return against Mladenovic, but will not be favoured against Garcia. Caroline has been on a roll lately, winning Bogota and being the star player of the Fed Cup team. The youngster has already upsetted Kerber in her opening match, and will look to announce her arrival with another win against Kirilenko. I don't see how Maria is going to win this so early in her comeback. She needs more matches to match up with Garcia's game.

Pick: Garcia in 2 sets

Caroline Wozniacki vs. Roberta Vinci

With Vinci on the slump, it will be a surprise if Wozniacki loses this. Caroline showed her return to form with her impressive dimissal of Makarova in her opening match. If she keeps up that standard, she will beat Roberta handily. Besides, Vinci has been losing steam in long matches and rallies. Thus, if Caroline plays patient tennis, she will prevail 8 out of 10 times.

Pick: Wozniacki in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Serena Williams, Simona Halep, Jelena Jankovic
Upset alert: Maria Kirilenko, Sabine Lisicki, Agnieszka Radwanska

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

Sofia day 1: Simona the huge favourite

Ana Ivanovic vs Tsvetana Pironkova

These two are the only wild card entries here but only one is deserving of her wild card. Pironkova's appeal in Bulgaria is debatable, so it makes no sense to me to award a wild card to her for doing nothing much this year. Granted, she had a good run to the fourth round in Winbledon, but other than that, she practically invisible. Look out for an easy win for Ana.

Pick: Ivanovic in 2 sets

Maria Kirilenko vs Alize Cornet

It's difficult to predict Maria's matches as she has a thing for competing injured. We don't know for sure if she's fully healthy yet. However, she did push Serena in Beijing, so I expect her to be almost back. Against Cornet, she should have an advantage as Alize prefers the slow clay, even though she has a losing record against the Frenchwoman. Kirilenko needs to be careful though, as Cornet can spring a surprise if she's not focused.

Pick: Kirilenko in 3 sets

Simona Halep vs Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

A rematch of the recent Moscow semi finals, Halep takes on Anastasia again in their opening Sofia match. On a similar surface, I expect the same results as Moscow, where the Russian got blown away by the Romanian. This tournament is Simona's to lose, having a stellar second half of the season and recent wins over the players participating here.

Pick: Halep in 2 sets

Luxembourg, Moscow day 3: Asian swing hangover

Luxembourg schedule:

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

Moscow schedule:

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

Match focus:

Andrea Petkovic vs. Eugenie Bouchard

Eugenie Bouchard has been on a roll lately and she attempts to continue her good form here in Luxembourg. You must give credit to the young Canadian lass for making it all the way here from her Asian tour. She must be exhausted after playing in Osaka, Tokyo and Beijing. Petkovic has also enjoyed a good run in Beijing, and is better rested than Eugenie. Can she stop the rising youngster? You have to factor in fatigue here as Bouchard had just lost the Osaka final less than 3 days ago. She was so close to her first title and to get back into winning ways isn't going to be easy. Not that I doubt Eugenie's game, but it might be too much to ask for a young inexperienced player.

Pick: Petkovic in 2 tight sets

Maria Kirilenko vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

Kirilenko has had a strange year. Her first half of the year was incredibly consistent, highlighted by a top 10 finish after Paris. However, she fell out of the top 10 faster than you can pronounce Pavlyuchenkova, as she went into a slump/injury. She pushed Serena hard in Beijing, and looked to be recovered from her injury woes. Pavlyuchenkova will have something to show though, as she has been in decent form, reaching the finals of Seoul. I believe Kirilenko is still carrying a knee injury, so I would give the edge to Anastasia. Either way, the Russian fans will be happy whoever wins.

Pick: Pavlyuchenkova in 2 sets

Samantha Stosur vs. Kaia Kanepi

Stosur finally wins another title last week in Osaka, the same place where she won her maiden title. This year has been fruitful for Stosur, winning 2 titles, the most of her long career. However, outside of those bright spots, she barely did anything significant. Hopefully, this will give her the confidence for next year to turn in more consistent results. Kaia Kanepi makes a rare appearance here, and she is one of the few player I know who can just win matches without any prior match play. Stosur will need to on her toes or else she will be saying sayonara to Moscow soon.

Pick: Stosur in 3 sets

Sure win bets: Bojana Jovanovski, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Carla Suarez Navarro
Upset alert: Eugenie Bouchard, Maria Kirilenko, Roberta Vinci

Guangzhou, Seoul day 4: Laura favourite to clinch maiden title?

Guangzhou QF:

Johanna Konta vs. Zhang Shuai
Laura Robson vs. Zheng Jie
Vania King vs. Monica Puig
Yvonne Meusburger vs. Alize Cornet

Seoul QF:

Su Jeong Jang vs. Ons Jabeur
Agnieszka Radwanska vs Estrella Cabeza Candela
Kimiko Date-Krumm vs. Maria Kirilenko

Match focus:

Laura Robson vs. Zheng Jie

Whoever wins this match, will be the favourite to clinch the title in my opinion. Robson will need to be ready for the pesky Zheng, as she likes to play big servers and catch them unaware with her aggressive returns. Robson reached the finals here last year, so she knows how to play on this court. If she doesn't let the partisan crowd get to her, she should be able to go through this match.

Pick: Robson in 3 sets

Vania King vs. Monica Puig

Monica Puig's path to the semi-finals was made easier with King's upset win over Jovanovski. Vania has been struggling for quite a while, so it's good to see her posting good results again. Puig played better in her 2nd round match, and will look to be the aggressor in this match. She has to be careful of the net rushing antics of Vania though. If Monica let's it get to her, she might lose pretty easily. This will be a good test for Puig to see if she can handle players with different playing styles.

Pick: Puig in 3 sets

Kimiko Date-Krumm vs. Maria Kirilenko

The grandmother of tennis just keeps winning. She will face the 2nd seed, Kirilenko, who's under an injury cloud. Kirilenko doesn't have the power to brush the Japanese off the court, so Kimiko has a chance here. Besides, Kimiko won their last encounter here in 2009. So she knows how to take out the Russian. With Maria's thigh tightly wrapped, you will have to give the advantage to the fitter Japanese.

Pick: Date-Krumm in 3 sets

Sure win bets: Agnieszka Radwanska, Alize Cornet
Upset alert: Maria Kirilenko, Zhang Shuai

US Open day 6: Simona to shine

Upset of the previous day:

 Ekaterina Makarova def. Sabine Lisicki 6-4 7-5

Volatile Sabine hasn't found the balance between offensive and defensive, falling tamely to Makarova. The German's powerful game will be a tough one to tame, and she needs a good coach to tell her when to attack. Her constant aggressive play will cause her to hit spectacular ugly errors and will do no good if she doesn't have a plan B. Makarova will play her first 4th round match here at the US Open, which is great for the humble Russian.

Match focus:

Maria Kirilenko vs. Simona Halep

Player of the moment, Simona Halep, will attempt to cause another upset here, facing the higher ranked Kirilenko. The Russian hasn't done anything much since reaching the quarter-finals of Paris, so Simona should have the advantage. The only problem for the Romanian is whether she has any fuel left in her tank after playing so many matches.

Pick: Halep in 2 sets

Caroline Wozniacki vs. Camila Giorgi

The hard hitting Italian's game will either blast Caroline off the courts, or she will hit herself out of the tournament. I'm leaning towards the latter. Caroline's game works extremely well with brainless ball bashers like Giorgi, and Camila doesn't have the patience nor the experience to handle Wozniacki's loopy balls.

Pick: Wozniacki in 2 sets

Daniela Hantuchova vs. Julia Glushko

Overcoming inspired Duval in dominating style, Hantuchova will be confident against qualifier, Glushko. If Daniela wins this, it will be her first 4th round appearance since... I can't remember. Lol! The Slovak shouldn't have any problems with the young Israeli, unless Daniela goes back to her mental midget days.

Pick: Hantuchova in 2 sets

Alize Cornet vs. Victoria Azarenka

Bad news for Alize: Azarenka in in impeccable form this week. Even though she is dressed like a grandma, she certainly plays like a woman in her prime. Not to say that Alize cannot trouble her though, as she did took a set of Vika in Paris. However, on Azarenka's favorite hard courts, she will run over Cornet in double quick time.

Pick: Azarenka in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Victoria Azarenka, Daniela Hantuchova, Ana Ivanovic
Upset alert: Maria Kirilenko, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Petra Kvitova