Miami day 3: Seeds start play

Schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/837/title/sony-open-tennis

Match focus:

Ana Ivanovic vs. Lauren Davis

Ana hasn't been the same ever since her win over Serena Williams. Or should I put it that Ana has returned to her old self after her win over the world number 1. The win catapulted her back into the limelight, and she seemed to be unable to handle the added pressure again. She is experiencing random losses again, losing to players she should have beaten. She will be pushed hard by an in form Lauren Davis, who can trouble the Serbian. Still, I think Ana can win this match if she plays her game and not rush too much.

Pick: Ivanovic in 3 sets

Nadia Petrova vs. Sabine Lisicki

One of the more vulnerable seeds, Lisicki really needs a whole lot of discipline to tame her powerful game. Her wham bam tennis can be pleasing, but when it goes wrong, it's catastrophic. Nadia just had a long battle with Urzula Radwanska, and should be feeling the effects. Sabine should be able to win this. If she loses, I think she needs a sports psychiatrist more than anything.

Pick: Lisicki in 3 sets

Maria Sharapova vs. Kurumi Nara

Sharapova will need to be careful of the rising Kurumi Nara. The Japanese hits a good ball and is lightning quick around the court. However, as with Asians, Kurumi's achilles heel will always be the serve. Sharapova will attack the serve and try to dominate from the baseline. The Russian needs to serve well, but given her recent woes with her shoulder again, I highly doubt so. Let's hope she can improve on her game, as she has major points to defend here.

Pick: Sharapova in 2 tight sets

Sure win bets: Serena Williams, Ekaterina Makarova, Sara Errani, Petra Kvitova
Upset alert: Sorana Cirstea, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

Miami day 2: Bumper day of matches

Schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/837/title/sony-open-tennis

Match focus:

Christina McHale vs. Zheng Jie

This will be the pair's first meeting, which is quite a surprise given that these 2 have been on tour for a relatively long time. Only 3 ranking spots separate these 2, so it's difficult to say for sure who's the favourite. As of current form, I would give the edge to Christina. She reached the finals in Acapulco, and lost a tight match against an in form Dellacqua. Zheng was pretty bad in her match against Li, but hopefully she'll do better here. A close match should be in the cards, with the American winning.

Pick: McHale in 3 sets

Maria-Teresa Torro Flor vs. Andrea Petkovic

For a former top 10 player, Petkovic is really struggling to find her level again. She has been abysmal so far this year, losing to players she should be beating. She gets a soft draw here, with Torro-Flor winning only 2 matches so far this year. Granted that one of her wins was against Kerber, Torro-Flor had a good day and was immediately brought down to earth the next day. Petkovic just needs to get that extra ball back and make Torro-Flor rush. If the German loses this, it might spell big trouble.

Pick: Petkovic in 2 sets

Nadia Petrova vs. Urszula Radwanska

Nadia Petrova retired from her first round match in Indian Wells, which might indicate that she's not fully fit for this match. Pity because this is a winnable match for the Russian, as Radwanska is fresh in her comeback and is extremely rusty. If her body holds up, I believe Nadia has the game to take apart Urszula. However, with that worrying retirement, I don't believe she can get the job done.

Pick: Radwanska in 3 sets

Zheng Shuai vs. Lauren Davis

Zhang Shuai is nursing an injury, so Lauren will be the favourite here. Davis must be one of the most unlucky players on tour, having being stung by a wasp, and suffering from a stomach upset after her biggest win. One week should be enough for her to recover and take out the Chinese. Both players play a relatively same game, but Davis will be higher in confidence, and getting the home crowd support.

Pick: Davis in 2 sets

Peng Shuai vs. Karolina Pliskova

Peng's focus has been on doubles for a while now, so Pliskova has a chance here to topple the Chinese. Karolina is armed with a huge serve, but just needs to be more imaginative with her groundstrokes. Peng will need to defend her serve well and hope for a lapse of concentration from the Czech. With their recent form, I think Karolina will win this encounter, but Peng will definitely give a good fight.

Pick: Pliskova in 2 tight sets

Sure win bets: Madison Keys, Alison Riske, Mona Barthel, Karin Knapp, Yvonne Meusburger
Upset alert: Alexandra Cadantu, Marina Erakovic, Peng Shuai, Zheng Jie, Zhang Shuai

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

 

Doha day 1: Petrova's back

Match focus:

Peng Shuai vs. Nadia Petrova

One will be forgiven if they thought Nadia Petrova has given up on singles. After a stellar end to 2012, the Russian faded into oblivion in 2013, and suffered a personal tragedy which made her take some time off the tour. Fresh out of qualifying with a few wins under her belt, Nadia stages her comeback against Peng. With a 4-3 lead in heads to heads and winning their last 2 matches, Nadia would like her chances against the Chinese. Nadia needs to serve well and be prepared to scramble. If she's not 100% fit, there's no way she's going to win this. My heart says Nadia, but my mind says Peng. Fitness will definitely be a factor here if it goes to 3 sets.

Pick: Peng in 3 sets

Tsvetana Pironkova vs. Roberta Vinci

I have no idea what happened to Vinci this year, but her form has been non existent. Apart from her doubles success, she has zero wins this year in singles. Despite owning a 3-0 lead against Pironkova, I don't think it matters as she's obviously feeling the strain/or not motivated enough. This is a golden chance for the Bulgarian to snatch her first win over the Italian.

Pick: Pironkova in 2 tight sets

Petra Cetkovska vs. Sloane Stephens

I've always wondered why Cetkovska wasn't ranked higher. The Czech beauty has the variety and can hit hard when needed. The only thing holding her back is her mental game. These two had epic battles for the past 2 years in Wimbledon, where Cetkovska lost in 3 tight sets. Can she take revenge this time on hard courts? Sloane has the tendency to lose concentration midway through the match. If Petra takes advantage of that, she can snare a rare win over the American. Sadly, her head wouldn't allow to do so.

Pick: Stephens in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Flavia Pennetta, Venus Williams
Upset alert: Roberta Vinci, Annika Beck

US Open day 2: Can Svetlana win a match?

Upset of the previous day:

Alisa Kleybanova def. Monica Puig 6-4 3-6 7-5

I am sure Alisa is as shocked as I am, winning a long 3 set match against a young teenager. Puig seemed to be on the fast track to tennis stardom, but is showing signs of mental frailty early in her career. The focus though shouldn't be on Puig. It should be on the courageous comeback of Kleybanova. She not only conquered cancer, but conquer a future tennis star as well. Any win for her is a bonus. Well done Alisa!

Schedule of play:

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

Match focus:

Svetlana Kuznetsova vs. Mallory Burdette

Ever since being forced out of Wimbledon, Kuznetsova is barely winning matches. Can she overcome her demons here against Burdette? Mallory has a handy game but if Kuznetsova isn't at her brainfart best, the Russian can defeat the American easily. However, Kuznetsova's double loss to Davis a few weeks ago shows that her fickle mind is back in full force and Burdette has a good chance of clinching the upset here.

Pick: Burdette in 3 sets

Bojana Jovanovski vs. Andrea Petkovic

For someone to lose to the slumping Julia Goerges, it must mean she is almost a walking bye. That is how I will describe Bojana Jovanovski. The Serb does tend to perform well in big events though, so she might wake up for this event. Petkovic will not allow her to do that as the German looks to be fully healthy now and ready to charge up the rankings again. I would say she is a sure win, but who know? Even Arvidsson won a match yesterday!

Pick: Petkovic in 2 sets

Nadia Petrova vs. Julia Glushko

I'll be honest here, I've never seen Glushko hit a single ball before. However, against Petrova, who hasn't played since Wimbledon and hasn't won a match since Madrid, anyone would stand a chance. Not too sure what is going on with the Russian. Maybe a loss of motivation? Or concentration on doubles? Nobody knows. She's barely trying so I think she will hang up her racket at the end of the year. Pity as she did have a good chance of re-entering the top 10 earlier this year.

Pick: Glushko in 2 sets

Julia Goerges vs. Christina McHale

This match between 2 slumping players will be equivalent to choosing your poison. Goerges and McHale had disastrous seasons so far, and one of them is going to get worst. Goerges did win a match in New Haven recently, and enjoyed some doubles success. So she should be the lesser of 2 evils. Not too sure why McHale is regressing so much. Maybe she is suffering from burnout, or she needs a new coach.

Pick: Goerges in 3 sets

Peng Shuai vs. Yvonne Meusburger

One of WTA's most mystical players, Yvonne Meusburger went missing after winning her first title in Bad Gastein. Normally, players will take advantage of the better ranking to get more practice before the Slams, but the Austrian just disappeared. Her good form might be gone by the time she gets on court, moreover on a different surface. Not too sure about her crazy schedule... Peng was leading Wozniacki before having to retire due to dizziness. She should be able to dominate against the rather passive Yvonne and complete the match without fainting.

Pick: Peng in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Samantha Stosur, Victoria Azarenka, Sara Errani, Alize Cornet, Simona Halep
Upset alert: Tsvetana Pironkova, Casey Dellacqua, Nadia Petrova, Klara Zakopalova, Jana Cepelova