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 QF: Another deep run for Giorgi

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:

Petra Cetkovska vs. Roberta Vinci

Vinci fought off an in form Silvia Soler Espinosa in 3 sets, announcing that she's almost back to her normal form. When Vinci is playing well, she is clearly the favourite with her all court game. Nevertheless, Cetkovska cannot be underestimated as she possess a nice all court game as well. It all boils down to whether her mind allows her to play the correct shots. I believe Roberta will be the favourite to win given she has 2 solid wins over clay courters. Petra's game is more suited for faster surfaces, so it'll be tough for her to win short points.

Pick: Vinci in 2 sets

Monica Niculescu vs. Polona Hercog

Playing in her home country clearly has inspired Monica Niculescu to play some of her best tennis. She has been slumping this year, and to reach the quarter-finals here is an achievement in itself. Polona thrives on the red clay though, so she will be eager to silence the Romanian fans. Given how much junk balls Niculescu is able to generate, Polona must not be frustrated by those weird balls. The Slovenian can instead create some wicked junk herself with her funky backhand slice. Polona has the more mature clay game, and I think she is the favourite here.

Pick: Hercog in 3 sets

Camila Giorgi vs. Shelby Rogers

Not too sure what happened to Carla, but we were robbed of an intriguing match up between Navarro and Giorgi. Instead, Shelby Rogers takes her place in her first main draw quarter-final appearance. To be honest, I have never seen Shelby play before, but judging by her appearance, I'm sure she's not a retriever. Giorgi must be happy that she's not facing Carla, and she will be anxious to take advantage of Shelby's movement limitations. Looks like we have another deep run for the cute Italian.

Pick: Giorgi in 2 sets

Bucharest, Bad Gastein day 4: Vinci's return of form?

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:

Silvia Soler Espinosa vs. Roberta Vinci

Just when you think that Vinci will never recover her form, she plays an excellent match against Dulgheru to win without much fuss. Is this a sign that the Vinci we know is back? This match will be a good indicator of her level now, as Silvia is a decent clay-courter who thrives on this surface. If Roberta is able to win this easily, I believe she's back to her good form. I wouldn't bet on an easy win though, as Roberta is still a bit low in confidence.

Pick: Vinci in 3 sets

Petra Cetkovska vs. Kiki Bertens

Both players experienced the highs and lows of dropping down the rankings and picking up the pieces. Right now, I would think Bertens is the one with more confidence with her 4th round showing in Paris. Cetkovska has a tendency to give up and play casual loose shots if she's not confident, so I don't expect a pretty match. However, Kiki might be tired from playing so many matches all the way from qualifying. Pretty even match, but the younger Dutch should have the edge.

Pick: Bertens in 3 sets

Yvonne Meusburger vs. Chanelle Scheepers

Defending champion Meusburger will be eager to defend her title right in her own country Austria. Can Chanelle stop the steady Austrian from repeating? On clay, I will give the advantage to Yvonne. Chanelle's flat strokes loses its sting on the slow surface, and Yvonne will run them down and make Chanelle hit that extra ball. I don't think Chanelle is patient enough to construct points, so Yvonne should be able to advance.

Pick: Meusburger in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Karin Knapp, Camila Giorgi, Carla Suarez Navarro
Upset alert: Petra Cetkovska,

Bucharest, Bad Gastein day 2: One hit wonders

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:

Petra Cetkovska vs. Alexandra Cadantu

Surprisingly, Cadantu has only won a grand total of one match on clay this season. For someone who thrives on this surface, it's baffling to see that statistic. Her sole win was against a lowly ranked wildcard, which makes it even shocking. Looks like Petra can avenge her Czech Republic's (Koukalova) loss to Romania (Niculescu) here.

Pick: Cetkovska in 2 sets

Andrea Petkovic vs. Jana Cepelova

Talk about losing steam. Cepelova went into a downward spiral after Charleston, winning only 1 match since. Looks like the youngster couldn't handle the pressure of defeating the world number 1, and just lost her belief. She will face another uphill task as Petkovic is fresh of her semi-final appearance in Paris and won their last encounter right there in Charleston. The German was a former champion here, and I believe she will be the firm favourite while Cepelova continues to sink further.

Pick: Petkovic in 2 sets

Jovana Jaksic vs. Paula Ormaechea

Another one hit wonder, Jovana Jaksic found it hard to back up her run in Monterrey. Although she had a great eun, I thought that Jaksic was just lucky to reach the finals. Her game is just not good enough to be in the top 100. Paula is an experience dirt-baller, so she should capitalise on this kind draw easily. Unless Paula is bothered by Jovana's banshee shrieks.

Pick: Ormaechea in 2 sets



Sure win bets: Karin Knapp, Carla Suarez Navarro, Sara Errani
Upset alert: Katarzyna Piter, Chanelle Scheepers

Madrid day 4: Still a big win left in Schiavone?

Schedule of play:

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

Match focus:

Francesca Schiavone vs. Sara Errani

3 years ago, Schiavone defeated Errani in 3 sets here in Madrid. Can the veteran do it again? Now, the roles are reversed with Errani being the top ranked Italian and Schiavone struggling. Does Francesca have the last big win left in her? Frankly speaking, beating Sara isn't exactly a big win, but any win for Schiavone now is rare. Her form has plunged to a new low by losing to Garcia-Vidagany in Marrakech  a few weeks ago. I don't expect Sara to lose this, not to a slumping Francesca.

Pick: Errani in 2 tight sets

Garbine Muguruza vs. Samantha Stosur

What a way to overcome a bad loss. Samantha Stosur demolished Cibulkova in double quick time to announce her intent on clay. Whatever happened in Oeiras is clearly behind her as she dominated the higher ranked Slovak. This doesn't bode well for the Spanish youngster. Stosur's game on clay is just much better than Garbine's. And with her limited movement, the Aussie will be sure to make Muguruza work for her points. I think Stosur has the potential to go far here.

Pick: Stosur in 2 sets

Sloane Stephens vs. Petra Cetkovska

Even though Sloane is relatively new to the tour, these 2 have already played 3 times and this will mark their fourth meeting. Cetkovska won their most recent meeting in Doha this year, and has always pushed Stephens to the brink. Can Petra even the heads to heads this time? Petra, like all Czech players, is an unknown entity. She can go from playing top level tennis, to losing easily to scrubs. I have a feeling though that she raises her game when she's up against better opponents. And with Sloane being on her least favorite surface, Cetkovska has a chance. She just needs to believe in herself.

Pick: Cetkovska in 3 sets

Sure win bets: Li Na, Maria Sharapova, Ana Ivanovic
Upset alert: Sloane Stephens

Stuttgart, Marrakech day 1: Wozniacki in action

Match focus:

Caroline Wozniacki vs. Kaia Kanepi

The only main draw match in Stuttgart today sees Caroline Wozniacki take on the volatile Kanepi. Kaia has beaten the Dane on clay before, but her form this year has been lacklustre. Caroline might not be at her best now, but she still can grind opponents out of the court. With her lack of confidence, I don't think Kanepi can upset the Dane again. However, who knows? A fully pumped up Kaia might just demolish Wozniacki.

Pick: Wozniacki in 3 sets

Yvonne Meusburger vs. Petra Cetkovska

One would expect Cetkovska to build on her huge upset over Li in Doha, but the Czech went back into mediocrity again. Petra seems to have a problem with expectations being laid on her, and only plays her best when she's not expected to win. Against Meusburger, she is the lower ranked player and has a superior game. This might mean that Cetkovska has the chance to cause an upset here. The only thing stopping her is her head.

Pick: Cetkovska in 3 sets

Petra Martic vs. Shahar Peer

Still very puzzled to why Martic is ranked so low. With her game and wide variety of shots, she can play amazing tennis. The only thing that is hindering her is her choice of shots and lack of mental strength. Peer is frankly a has-been, so Martic should be able to win this comfortably. The problem with her is that she doesn't believe in herself. If she relaxes and play her normal game, she can win this match. Maybe a coaching change (if she even has a coach) is essential for Petra.

Pick: Martic in 3 sets

Doha QF: Li and Wozniacki out of the party

With only Li and Wozniacki failing to reach the quarters, the last 4 matches promise to be nail biting affairs.

Match focus:

Petra Cetkovska vs. Angelique Kerber

Cetkovska produced stunning tennis to knock out the reigning Australian Open champion, Li Na. It's heartening to see the Czech playing to her abilities now that her injuries are healed. However, she will have her hands full with Kerber. The pesky German will run down every single shot that Petra throw at her. And the cool and heavy conditions favour defensive players like Kerber. Petra needs to play deep balls and get to the net to finish the points. Easier said than done.

Pick: Kerber in 2 tight sets

Petra Kvitova vs. Jelena Jankovic

Petra Kvitova continues to live her life on the edge with another 3 set win over Safarova. The problem with Kvitova is that she loses her concentration too often and expends unnecessary energy going into 3 set matches. Against someone like Jankovic who can run all day, she may get into trouble. If Kvitova is clicking, nothing Jelena can do will derail the Kvitova express. The Serbian needs to hope that Petra is tired and a little off her timing. I do think that Petra will keep it simple this time though, being the favourite of the top half now.

Pick: Kvitova in 2 sets

Simona Halep vs. Sara Errani

This match is tough to call since Simona has improved leaps and bounds since last year. Their only meeting was in Miami 2013, where Halep was destroyed by Errani. Will history repeat itself? Or can the enhanced Halep get her first win over the Italian? Given that these two players play a similar game, it's very difficult to choose who has the edge. Errani did struggle against Niculescu, but so did Halep against Kanepi. Whoever is the victor, you can expect long drawn rallies with both players running all over the court.

Pick: Errani in 3 tight sets

Yanina Wickmayer vs. Agnieszka Radwanska

This match is almost cast in stone with a Radwanska victory. Wickmayer's last win over Agnieszka was way back in 2010, and she barely clinched the win. Since then, it has been straightforward victories for the Pole. I don't expect a meltdown like in Melbourne, since this is a smaller event with less pressure on Radwanska.

Pick: Radwanska in 2 sets

Doha day 3: Blockbuster Venus vs. Kvitova

Schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/86/title/qatar-total-open

Match focus:

Venus Williams vs. Petra Kvitova

As usual, it is almost impossible to predict a Kvitova match. You just don't know which Petra will show up. The Czech has withdrawn from her last tournament citing illness, so she will be lacking match practice. Let's hope Venus can take advantage of this and level the heads to heads to 2 all. Venus needs this more, so I hope the American will come through.

Pick: Venus in 3 sets

Zhang Shuai vs. Petra Cetkovska

Petra finally overcame a unmotivated Sloane to set up a winnable clash against Zhang Shuai. The Chinese had a good end of 2013, but her season so far has been below average. If Petra plays to her full potential, it will be difficult for the Chinese to beat the creative Czech. Let's hope Petra continues her winning ways and get her ranking up.

Pick; Cetkovska in 2 sets

Caroline Wozniacki vs. Yanina Wickmayer

Caroline Wozniacki owns a perfect 6-0 heads to heads against Yanina Wickmayer and it's tough to see that changing. Despite her loss of confidence and direction, Wozniacki's slump isn't as drastic as Wickmayer's. The Belgian was barely winning matches and went from a top 30 staple to languishing outside the top 50. A B-grade Caroline will still win, but the next match won't be such a certainty.

Pick: Wozniacki in 3 sets


Sure win bets: Li Na, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Sara Errani
Upset alerts: Zhang Shuai, Petra Kvitova, Bethanie Mattek-Sands