Moscow, Luxembourg day 2: Best of the rest

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:

Ana Konjuh vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

Coming off a good week in Osaka, Ana Konjuh will be a tough opener for the patchy Russian, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. The Russian has hit a rough patch lately, barely winning matches. Still, her season is salvaged by her surprise title run in Paris Indoors. In the fast carpet surface, Pavlyuchenkova has the experience, having won in Paris earlier in the year, but Konjuh has nothing to lose and her powerful game is effective here as well. Pavlyuchenkova will need to weather the storm, and try to make Ana make the errors.

Pick: Pavlyuchenkova in 3 sets

Caroline Garcia vs. Aleksandra Krunic

Caroline Garcia is the anti-thesis of consistency. Just when you thought that she's getting her groove back, she bombs out in the opening round of Linz. Needless to say, it is impossible to predict which Garcia will show up. However, against someone as scrappy and stingy as Krunic, I think Caroline will lose here. Aleksandra will make Garcia crazy with her endless retrieving, which will result in wild errors from the French girl. Looks like Krunic will score another upset here.

Pick: Krunic in 2 sets

Sabine Lisicki vs. Daniela Hantuchova

Given Hantuchova's recent lack of form, Sabine should be able to cruise in her first round match. The lightning fast surface does not give any consolation to Daniela, whose movement is laborious even on other surfaces. Let's see if Daniela can summon her game and show that she still has some years ahead of her. If she loses this in a lopsided manner, I believe the end is near for Daniela.

Pick: Lisicki in 2 sets


Sure in bets: Camila Giorgi, Elena Vesnina, Alize Cornet, Andrea Petkovic
Upset alert: Caroline Garcia, Kiki Bertens, Varvara Lepchenko, Annika Beck

Beijing day 6: Kvitova Venus rematch

Match focus:

Petra Kvitova vs. Venus Williams

Venus gave Kvitova her toughest match in her road to her second Wimbledon championships. Can Venus finally top the in-form Czech to avenge for her heart-breaking loss? One thing's for sure, the longer the match goes, the more it favours Kvitova. Venus's stamina isn't as before, so she needs to win this in 2 sets. With Petra hitting the ball with authority, it's difficult to see Venus upsetting the Wimbledon champion. She might take a set, but not more.

Pick: Kvitova in 2 sets

Sabine Lisicki vs. Ana Ivanovic

The trouble with Lisicki is that she cannot string 2 good wins together. Against the tour leading woman with the most wins, I think Sabine's giant killing act will stop here. Unlike Agnieszka Radwanska, Ana Ivanovic thrives upon qualifying for Singapore. She is playing her best tennis so far, and looks super determined to finish as the top 8.

Pick: Ivanovic in 2 sets

Alize Cornet vs. Samantha Stosur

Denting Wozniacki's hopes of securing her place in the year-end championships, Stosur hits a rare patch of good form to advance to the third round. She will favour her chances against Cornet, whose last win against the Aussie came in 2009. If Samantha performs as well as she did against Caroline, there's no doubt that she will best the Frenchwoman. Cornet's second serve and loopy forehand will be punished by Stosur. Nevertheless, you never know which Stosur will show up.

Pick: Stosur in 3 sets

Sure win bets: Serena Williams, Simona Halep, Ekaterina Makarova

Beijing day 4: Garcia vs Venus rematch

Schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/1140/title/china-open

Match focus:

Caroline Garcia vs. Venus Williams

Just last week, Garcia beat Venus in a nail-biter third set tiebreak. The American will be eager to exact revenge on the French youngster. Venus served for the match in Wuhan, but let the match slip with loose errors on crucial points. Caroline did raise her game also, but I still feel her game is too all or nothing. If Garcia can strike a balance between defense and offense, I think she has what it takes to be a top 10 player. Until then, she will always be undone by unnecessary errors on easy put aways.

Pick: Venus in 3 sets

Andrea Petkovic vs. Madison Keys

Petkovic hasn't been playing well recently, but has been toughing out wins despite her dip in form. She will need her legs in this encounter against the erratic but aggressive Keys. The keys to the match will be Petkovic's ability to make Madison hit that one extra ball. If the German can succeed in retrieving enough balls and making Madison play, she has a good chance of making Keys self-implode. Like Garcia, Keys will need to strike a balance between offense and defense before becoming a player to watch.

Pick: Petkovic in 3 sets

Eugenie Bouchard vs. Sabine Lisicki

Eugenie Bouchard just came off her best showing in a Premier event in Wuhan, but will be bothered by her inability to pressure Kvitova in the final. She will face a similar opponent in Lisicki, who serves big and possesses big groundstrokes. Eugenie will breathe a sigh of relief though, as Sabine is much error-prone than Kvitova, but if the German is hitting her spots, she can score an upset anytime. The Canadian is fighting to cement her place in the WTA finals, so I believe she will be very motivated to beat the dangerous German in as little fuss as possible.

Pick: Bouchard in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Serena Williams, Simona Halep, Ana Ivanovic
Upset alert: Flavia Pennetta

US Open day 5: Venus's golden opportunity

Upset of the day:

Karolina Pliskova def. Ana Ivanovic 7-5 6-4

Ana's grand slam woes continues as she crashes out to her earliest defeat in majors this year to Karolina Pliskova. While the Czech is no pushover, as the tour leading player with the most wins, I expected Ivanovic to win this. As usual, the jittery and inconsistent Ana showed up, and Karolina was steady enough to cause the upset. This will cause a huge dent to Ana's chances of qualifying for Singapore. She will have to make it up with a congested fall schedule, which may result in another burnout.

Schedule of play:

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

Match focus:

Sara Errani vs. Venus Williams

Playing arguably her best tennis since her auto-immune diagnosis, this is Venus' golden chance to stay in the draw for the second week. Errani has had a horrific US Open swing, and barely made it against journeywoman Rodionova. Venus' power should be able to derail the pesky Italian, as long as she doesn't make silly mistakes. With the US crowd firmly behind her, an upset is likely here.

Pick: Williams in 2 sets

Maria Sharapova vs. Sabine Lisicki

Sharapova played an ultimate atrocious match in her 2nd round, and was only able to squeak through a lowly ranked Dulgheru. If she continues playing that badly, Lisicki will make her pay. The German's serve is already a weapon, but coupled with Maria's unstable serve, the match might be over soon if Sabine finds her range. However, being the tour's biggest fighter, Sabine might falter when nearing the finish line. So be prepared for a topsy turvy match.

Pick: Sharapova in 3 sets

Roberta Vinci vs. Peng Shuai

Confidence is a funny thing. When you just caused the biggest upset of tournament, can you carry the momentum forward to your next match? Peng will have to answer this question as she attempts to replicate the form that destroyed Radwanska. Vinci reached the quarter-finals here last year, but is plagued by bad form throughout the year. If Peng imposes her powerful game, it will be a straightforward victory for the Chinese. The trick for Peng is to concentrate on this match and not look ahead. She tends to overthink, causing her to lose matches and countless title matches.

Pick: Peng in 3 sets

Andrea Petkovic vs. Caroline Wozniacki

Wozniacki had a minor incident with her hair in her 2nd round match, but was straightforward in her dismissal of Sasnovich. She didn't need to get into second gear in fact. But against the dangerous Petkovic, she will have to play her best. While the German hasn't enjoyed the easiest wins so far, she tends to raise her level against quality opponents. It will be a close fight, but I believe Caroline's recent fine form will gain her the victory.

Pick: Wozniacki in 2 tight sets

Sure win bets: Simona Halep, Jelena Jankovic, Angelique Kerber
Upset alert: Sara Errani, Roberta Vinci, Lucie Safarova

Cincinnati day 3: Tough opener for Genie

Schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/1118/title/western-southern-open

Match focus:

Eugenie Bouchard vs. Svetlana Kuznetsova

After being dumped unceremiously in Montreal by Shelby Rogers, Eugenie Bouchard faces a bigger test now against Svetlana Kuznetsova. The former US Open champion signals her return to form with a title win in Washington, and will be a tough nut to crack. Bouchard has been eating bagels for her last 2 matches, but I believe she has readjusted her mentality now. The good thing about Bouchard is that she always takes the opportunity to learn after her losses, so I expect a tough fight here. It will be close, but the flaky Kuznetsova will almost definitely be the first to crack.

Pick: Bouchard in 3 tight sets

Taylor Townsend vs. Flavia Pennetta

Judging by how Pennetta struggled against Scheepers, I'm afraid that the Italian is still not at 100%. It was enough to subdue Chanelle, but I'm not sure if it's good enough to stop Taylor Townsend. The young American has been making waves for the past few months, and will be a dangerous opponent to anyone. Pennetta will have to be at her best to tame the gutsy American. The only thing holding Taylor back is her lack of concentration. She tends to go off in the middle of the match, causing her to lose unnecessary sets. Let's see if Flavia can take advantage of that.

Pick: Pennetta in 3 tight sets

Sabine Lisicki vs. Sara Errani

A rematch of their last week's first round encounter, Sabine Lisicki will be looking to add another win against Errani. The Italian has been lacklustre so far in her hard court events, so she'll be a sitting duck for Lisicki. Sabine's wham-bam game is enough to overpower the Italian, and will account for another Italian exit following her win over Vinci.

Pick: Lisicki in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Agnieszka Radwanska, Ana Ivanovic, Carla Suarez Navarro
Upset alert: Sara Errani, Sloane Stephens, Angelique Kerber

Montreal day 4: Can Venus cause an upset?

Schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/740/title/rogers-cup

Match focus:

Venus Williams vs. Angelique Kerber

Peak Venus would have owned Kerber easily with her forceful serves and groundstrokes. However, now that Venus is a tad slower and more error-prone, Kerber's game is the perfect strategy to counter Venus. The German's game is scrappy which will induce plenty of errors from Venus. The elder Williams isn't powerful enough to hit her opponents to submission anymore. She will need to rely on a high percentage of first serves to stand a chance. My heart says Venus, but my mind says Kerber.

Pick: Kerber in 2 tight sets

Sabine Lisicki vs. Agnieszka Radwanska

Radwanska's recent form has not been good as she's been losing to power hitters who were on. She will face the same trouble here against Lisicki, who can overpower her if she's clicking. Radwanska will need to grind out the points and make Sabine win the point. The German is looking confident at the moment, and could possibly cause an upset here. She has beaten Agnieszka before, so she will be looking to replicate that again.

Pick: Lisicki in 3 sets

Caroline Wozniacki vs. Shelby Rogers

What an upset that Shelby caused by gifting Eugenie Bouchard 2 bagels. Her massive hitting game reminds me of Davenport, and could very well be America's next big hope. Let's see how she fares against Wozniacki, who is playing herself back to form. Caroline is on a winning streak dating back to Istanbul, and will be looking forward to dismantling the powerful American's game. The Dane thrives on pace, so she will be eager to chase down all the balls and make Rogers commit the errors.

Pick: Wozniacki in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Serena Williams, Petra Kvitova, Victoria Azarenka
Upset alert: Agnieszka Radwanska

Montreal day 3: Serena and Montreal don't mix?

Schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/740/title/rogers-cup

Match focus:

Serena Williams vs. Samantha Stosur

A rematch of the 2011 US Open final, Serena Williams will be making her appearance since her debut in 2000. Serena and Montreal seemed to have differing paths as the American is either injured, or chose to skip the event when it is held there. Stosur will provide a stern test for Serena, who is not in peak form yet. Nevertheless, Stosur's form is even worse, losing to unheralded Osaka last week, so I think Serena will be fine. She might struggle at first, but should be able to win this.

Pick: Williams in 3 sets

Jelena Jankovic vs. Sloane Stephens

Jelena Jankovic will be eager to put away her atrocious grass season and start anew on her favourite hard courts. Immediately, she will face a tough opponent in Sloane Stephens, who annihilated Aleksandra Wozniak. Jelena's confidence must be a bit fragile given her winless grass season, but hard courts is where she excels. Sloane will push her, but Jelena thrives on pace, and will grind Sloane to make errors. If she's motivated enough, Jelena should be able to take this.

Pick: Jankovic in 3 sets

Sabine Lisicki vs. Madison Keys

Battle of the big servers here. Sabine Lisicki proved everyone wrong by demolishing Errani, and looks to be in good form on hard courts. Madison Keys got lucky that Kuznetsova got injured, gifting her a second round place. On current form, I believe Lisicki is playing better. Keys is still under an injury cloud that forced her out of Wimbledon. It might flare up any moment. Sabine, on the other hand, is taking baby steps in winning matches she's supposed to win, and also causing an upset over Errani. When the German is confident, she will be lethal.

Pick: Lisicki in 3 sets

Sure win bets: Venus Williams, Petra Kvitova, Caroline Wozniacki
Upset alert: Madison Keys, Dominika Cibulkova, Carla Suarez Navarro

Montreal day 1: Pennetta under threat

Schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/740/title/rogers-cup

Match focus:

Flavia Pennetta vs. Yulia Putintseva

Flavia marks her return to tour from yet another injury with a tricky first round opponent. Yulia Putintseva is a feisty competitor, and can get onto the opponent's nerves. If Flavia isn't fully recovered, she will have a tough time handling Yulia's flat strokes. Coupled with the youngster's taunting come-ons, Flavia might just lose it. A tough draw for the Italian, who has done almost close to nothing since her Indian Wells triumph.

Pick: Putintseva in 3 sets

Sara Errani vs. Sabine Lisicki

On grass, Sabine Lisicki would have been the clear winner given how well she excels on that surface. However, that part of the season is gone, and Sabine is back to her struggling ways. Sara's game is deceptively efficient on hard courts, so Sabine cannot expect to just simply blast the Italian away. The German needs to be patient and attack on the right balls. If not, it will be an extremely ugly match which Sara will emerge the winner.

Pick: Errani in 3 sets

Sorana Cirstea vs. Lucie Safarova

Defending finalist Cirstea will be under loads of pressure to defend her points here. Sorana is still in the top 50 purely based on the finalist points last year. If she loses here, she will be well below the top 50, which is not a surprise given her appalling results this year. It is not hopeless yet for Sorana, as she meets the equally volatile Lucie Safarova. The Czech looked to be in the form of her life, when she unexpectedly got knocked out last week in Washington as the top seed. Looks like consistency will never be in these 2 girls' dictionary. Cirstea has more shocking losses this year, so the edge clearly belongs to Safarova.

Pick: Safarova in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Dominika Cibulkova, Heather Watson, Roberta Vinci
Upset alert: Flavia Pennetta, Sloane Stephens, Alize Cornet