Linz, Osaka, Tianjin finals: Riske claims her maiden crown

Linz finals:

Karolina Pliskova def. Camila Giorgi 6-7(4) 6-3 7-6(4)

Camila Giorgi certainly has to rein down her ultra aggressive game, and stengthen up her mental game because she just gives away too many free points. Pliskova served well and had some goo returns, but Camila's game is just too hit or miss to really win anything significant. Giorgi came all the way from 1-5 down and wasted a match point on Pliskova's serve, showing how up and down her game is. Hopefully she will find a middle ground for her game as when she's nervous and piling up the errors, she's already putting herself at a disadvantage. With this win, Pliskova bolsters her chance of making the mini-YEC in Sofia, and with some steady results in slams, I'm sure Karolina will be a staple hold in the top 20.

Osaka finals:

Samatha Stosur def. Zarina Diyas 7-6(7) 6-3

As expected, Stosur claims her 3rd title in Osaka, defending her title from last year. Samantha always does well in this tournament, and will be looking to qualify for the mini-YEC in Sofia as well. Diyas played well for her first final, but losing the first set in such a tight manner did her in. If Zarina somehow edged out the first set, I'm sure she will be more confident of her chances. Nevertheless, it's been a stellar year for the young Kazakh, going from outside the top 100 to firmly in the top 40. I believe she can be a steady top 30 player if she keeps up her form.

Tianjin finals:

Alison Riske def. Belinda Bencic 6-3 6-4

Belinda Bencic must be too nervous at the aspect of becoming the youngest winner since 2006. She was not her steady best, while Alison just had to be solid with her game. The American had an uneven season this year, but her last season form has been solid, culminating in her maiden title run. Alison's game is still a bit hit and miss for me, so it'll be interesting to see how she follows up after this triumph. As for Belinda, time is on her side, so 2015 will be an exciting year for her after her first full season.

Linz. Osaka, Tianjin final: 3 peat for Stosur

Linz final:

Camila Giorgi vs. Karolina Pliskova

Karolina Pliskova is having a very good season, making her 5th final of the year. She faces the hard hitting Giorgi, whose all-or-nothing game seems to be tailored to the fast indoor surface. Giorgi will be hunting for her first title, so there will definitely be nerves. When the Italian gets nervous, the only way she knows how to deal with it is to hit harder. Sometimes it pays off, sometimes it doesn't. Against Pliskova's hige serve, I am leaning towards the Czech player as she has a more powerful and reliable serve compared to the Italian's erratic one. However, you'll never know which Giorgi will show up.

Pick: Pliskova in 3 sets

Osaka final:

Samantha Stosur vs. Zarina Diyas

Osaka is Samantha's favourite hunting ground. She always seem to find her game in this Japanese city, having won her first title and kickstarted her last season revival last year. I think Stosur will be poised to win her 3rd title here as Diyas is making her final debut and will definitely be nervous. Stosur's game doesn't work well against tall hard hitting players, which Diyas is neither. The Kazakh is more of a scrappy counterpuncher, who can be overpowered. Stosur's spinny and unorthodox game will be difficult for the young rising star to deal with.

Pick: Stosur in 2 sets

Tianjin final:

Alison Riske vs. Belinda Bencic

Both final debutantes, I believe this final will be a nervy affair. Bencic is trying to be the youngest title winner since 2006 at 16 years old. Not too sure whether is will spur her on or add pressure to her shoulders, but I think the calm Swiss Miss has the more well-rounded game. Riske's game is a pleasure when it's on, but when she feels the pressure, she can spray the balls all over the court. Bencic's more steady and counterpunching game is more dependable, and will be the slight favourite to capture her first title.

Pick: Bencic in 2 sets

Linz, Osaka, Tianjin day 4: All Aussie clash in Japan

Linz schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/461/title/generali-ladies-linz

Osaka schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/340/title/japan-womens-open-tennis

Tianjin schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/3783/title/tianjin-open--tianjin-china

Match focus:

Magdalena Rybarikova vs. Karin Knapp

Karin Knapp had a great close match with Sharapova in Melbourne, and she carried her momentum onlwards with a few good matches thereafter. However, she fell off the radar soon and was losing every match in sight. She finally recaptured her form with a title run in Tashkent, and now with an upset win over Lisicki. Rybarikova also had an uneven year, from upsetting Simona Halep to losing to Misa Eguchi. The Slovak might also be carrying an injury, having retired from her last two tournaments. So I believe Knapp has what it takes to win this. The Italian has heavy groundstrokes and a big serve. If she can attack Magdalena's vulnerable backhand, she has a good chance.

Pick: Knapp in 3 sets

Samantha Stosur vs. Jarmila Gajdosova

Stosur had a good run in Beijing, and will be eager to defend her title here in Osaka. The Aussie has a ton of points to defend, having won here last year, and reaching the finals of Moscow and Sofia after. The pressure will definitely be on her, that's why Gajdosova has a chance. Jarmila is slowly regaining back her form after almost 2 years of personal problems. If she plays with no fear, she has the game to derail the higher ranked Aussie, having beaten her before. Jarmila needs this more, so I'm going with the upset here.

Pick: Gajdosova in 3 sets

Jelena Jankovic vs. Zheng Saisai

With her worrying back injury, Jankovic might just withdraw before this match happens. Nevertheless, if she takes on Zheng Saisai, it might not be as straightforward as believed. Zheng has the partisan Chinese crowd behind her, and with Jelena's compromised movement and serve, she might very well cause an upset here. Jelena should really rest up for this season, as she does seem to be mentally exhausted, losing matches she's supposed to win for the latter part of the year.

Pick: Zheng in 3 sets

Sure win bets: Peng Shuai, Lauren Davis, Zarina Diyas, Jana Cepelova, Karolina Pliskova
Upset alerts: Jelena Jankovic, Samantha Stosur, Zhang Shuai, Magdalena Rybarikova

Beijing SF: Clash of the big babes

Samantha Stosur vs. Petra Kvitova

If there is a bad match up for Stosur, it is Kvitova. Samantha's kick serve to Kvitova's lethal forehand will just be punished by the tall Czech. The only thing that should favour the Aussie is that Kvitova might be tired after playing so many matches in 2 weeks. I still think that Petra has enough reserve to win this, and reach her second consecutive final.

Pick: Kvitova in 2 sets

Maria Sharapova vs. Ana Ivanovic

Ana Ivanovic trails the head-to-head with Sharapova, but has won their last 2 encounters. The last being the controversial "check her blood pressure" match in Cincinnati. I'm sure Sharapova will be very eager to beat Ana given how vocal she has been about Ana's suspect medical timeouts. Ana does hold an advantage though, winning Tokyo 2 weeks ago and having an extra day's rest. This will be a close contest for sure, and with her place secured in Singapore, I think Ana will go out free swinging and snatch another win from the tall Russian.

Pick: Ivanovic in 3 sets

Beijing QF: Simona withdraws, Ana bolsters chance of qualifying

Schedule of play:

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

Simona withdraws from Beijing after toughing out her win against Petkovic. This gives Ana a free pass to the semi-finals, almost confirming her attendance in Singapore.

Match focus:

Svetlana Kuznetsova vs. Maria Sharapova

A rematch of last week's 2nd round match, Kuznetsova gets another chance to try to topple the tall Russian. However, it is very doubtful that Svetlana can upset Maria after that horror show last week. Sharapova was clearly not at her best but managed to toughen out a win in Wuhan. Svetlana's mental strength is just not capable of making the right shots at the right time. Expect another win for the more famous Russian.

Pick: Sharapova in 2 sets

Serena Williams vs. Samantha Stosur

Serena has not been playing her best tennis lately, and struggled with her left knee against Safarova. If Stosur plays well, she can cause another upset here. I do think that Serena is smart enough not to risk further injury before the year-end championships, so there is a possibility of her withdrawing before the match even begins. Nevertheless, if Serena steps on court, she will have to fight her way through a resurgent Stosur, whose game seem to be clicking again. Stosur's mental strength is very flaky though, so if Serena is able to pressure the Aussie, Samantha might crumble.

Pick: Serena in 3 sets

Petra Kvitova vs. Roberta Vinci

Out of nowhere, Roberta Vinci manages to win consecutive matches to enter her first Premier quarterfinal in a while. With a negative win-loss record this year, I would have expected Vinci to focus more on doubles, or look forward to next year. The Italian's run should end here though, as she collides with the ever-improving Kvitova. The Czech has been going from strength to strength here in China, still unbeaten from her run in Wuhan. Her matches have been relatively straightforward, so I don't see how Vinci's game can hurt her.

Pick: Kvitova in 2 sets

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 5: Angelique chasing for finals spot

Schedule of play:

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

Match focus:

Angelique Kerber vs. Svetlana Kuznetsova

With Radwanska surprisingly bundled out, Kerber needs a good showing here to boost her chances of appearing in the year-end championships. She will face former Beijing champion Kuznetsova, but the Russian is suffering from erratic form. I believe the German is extra motivated now that the door to qualifying is wide open, so she will chase down Svetlana's balls relentlessly. Kuznetsova will probably be irritated and go for too much, hitting herself out of the match.

Pick: Kerber in 3 sets

Samantha Stosur vs. Caroline Wozniacki

Another player trying to cement her place in the year-end championships is Caroline Wozniacki. Before the US Open, it was almost an impossible task for the Dane to qualify for the prestigious event. However, an inspired run at US Open, followed by consistent results thereafter makes her an almost lock for the final 8. Against Stosur, Caroline just needs to play her normal consistent game and make Samantha miss.  The Aussie's game is very much built on confidence, so with her recent downward form, it should be an easy win for Wozniacki.

Pick: Wozniacki in 2 sets

Carla Suarez Navarro vs. Maria Sharapova

It should be a foregone conclusion that Sharapova is the huge favourite here. However, Carla Suarez Navarro interestingly won their last encounter in Montreal. If one recalls that match, it was an absolute horror show from the Russian, so I believe Sharapova will be more than happy to exact revenge. With her superior mental strength, it shouldn't be a tough task for Maria to beat the mental midget Carla. That is if her game is at its normal level and not hitting double faults and errors everywhere.

Pick: Sharapova in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Petra Kvitova, Alize Cornet

US Open day 4: Shaky Azarenka in doubt

Upset of the previous day:

Peng Shuai def. Agnieszka Radwanska 6-3 6-4

 There's something about New York that just doesn't gel well with Agnieszka. Of all of her appearances here, she has never made it past the 4th round, which is shocking given her first real breakthrough was here when she shocked Sharapova. While Peng is a capable player, able to cause real trouble on her day, Radwanska should have used her craft to move Peng around. Just a very weird and abnormal display from the 4th seed. Maybe she just doesn't have what it takes to win a major.

Schedule of play:

http://www.usopen.org/en_US/scores/schedule/schedule10.html

Match focus:

Christina McHale vs. Victoria Azarenka

Azarenka struggled against a lowly ranked Doi in her first round, and will face a sterner test against American McHale. Christina enjoys homeground advantage, and if there's a chance for an upset, it is now. Victoria has lost her groove on her service, and is leaking double faults on crucial moments. Christina will need to be steady, and let Victoria earn her points. If she can make it tight, Azarenka might break. Still, I think McHale doesn't have the mental fortitude to finish the job.

Pick: Azarenka in 3 sets

Sorana Cirstea vs. Eugenie Bouchard

Just when you classify Sorana Cirstea as a walking bye, she astonishes everyone with a drubbing of Heather Watson. While the Brit is no world beater, Sorana was clinical in her disposal of her opponent. Against Bouchard, Cirstea does stand a chance. The Canadian barely won matches in her lead up to US Open, and might be feeling the pressure. If Sorana gets the lead early, she has a good chance of causing the upset. As always, you'll never know which Cirstea will show up though.

Pick: Bouchard in 3 sets

Marina Erakovic vs. Elena Vesnina

Svetlana really should be punishing herself now for not taking her chance with a wide open draw. Marina fought to the bitter end, and deserves her spot in the 2nd round. Elena Vesnina has not had a good year after her breakthrough last year. This is a good chance to salvage some of her pride as she attempts to reach the 3rd round in a slam for the first time this year. Both players are pretty evenly matched, with their head-to-head tied at 2-2. I believe though that Erakovic has the bigger win, and should be more confident of her chances. Vesnina hasn't had a notable win for quite a while, so she's in danger.

Pick: Erakovic in 3 sets

Samantha Stosur vs. Kaia Kanepi

Kaia seems to be back with her straightforward win over Parmentier, and she stands a good chance against Stosur. The tall Estonian can counter Samantha's kick serve with her powerful strokes. Kaia just needs to have the belief and make Stosur hit that extra ball. Kanepi has made known that she won't be on tour for long due to a chronic heel injury, so I hope she gets her last hurrah here. Kaia has been very unlucky with her injuries, and would have definitely be ranked higher if not for her constant disruptions.

Pick: Kanepi in 3 sets

Sure win bets: Serena Williams, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Ekaterina Makarova, Petra Kvitova
Upset alert: Zarina Diyas, Samantha Stosur, Elena Vesnina, Carla Suarez Navarro

New Haven SF: Giorgi continues to surprise

Magdalena Rybarikova vs. Camila Giorgi

The unpredictable Giorgi continues to defy the odds and advances to the semi-final with a hard fought win over Muguruza. Can she continue her good form and beat Rybarikova? Magdalena doesn't play a similar game with other players, incorporating a lot of slices, which will give Giorgi some trouble. I am also edging towards the Slovak as she beat a Riske in the quarters, who plays a same game as Giorgi. Nevertheless, you just don't know which Camila will show up. I do think when she's hitting well and winning matches, she's hard to stop.

Pick: Giorgi in 3 tight sets

Samantha Stosur vs. Petra Kvitova

With her tall frame and a lefty advantage, it's hard to see Petra losing this. Samantha's kick serves will bounce to the sweet spot of Kvitova's forehand, which she will not hesitate to put away. Besides, all Petra needs to concentrate on is to keep hitting crosscourt forehands to Sam's weaker backhand. If she executes her game, there's nothing much Sam can do in this bad match-up.

Pick: Kvitova in 2 sets