US Open day 3: All according to script?

Upset of the previous day:


Catherine Bellis def. Dominika Cibulkova 6-1 4-6 6-4

I know Cibulkova isn't playing well, but to lose to someone ranked outside the top 1000 is just baffling. Bellis took advantage of Dominika's weak serve and made her look like the one who's ranked outside the top 1000. With this, she becomes the youngest player to win a Grand Slam match since Anna Kournikova. As for Cibulkova, she needs to take a break and find herself again.

Match focus:

Daniela Hantuchova vs. Alize Cornet

Daniela is defending quarter-finalist points here, but it's tough to see her reaching that stage. Cornet's scrambling game will make Hantuchova go for too much, and hit herself out of the tournament. Daniela's form has been dire for the past year, so I don't think she can surprise at the twilight years of her career.

Pick: Cornet in 2 sets

Belinda Bencic vs. Kurumi Nara

Promising star Belinda Bencic stands a good chance of upsetting Kurumi Nara, one of the weaker seeds in the draw. However, Kurumi has been improving a lot this year, and Bencic will have to play her best to topple the Japanese. The Swiss still has some maturing to do game-wise, so while I believe she will put up a good fight, the steadier Nara will still emerge victorious.

Pick: Nara in 3 sets

Mirjana Lucic-Baroni vs. Shahar Peer

One of these ladies will have a chance to appear in a 3rd round of a Grand Slam, which is a very nice surprise for these 2 aging players. It is arguable that the best years of these ladies are over, so the reward in the last 32 will be extra sweet. Mirjana can hit with the best players of the world, but she's just not consistent enough. Peer's game will make Lucic try outrageous shots, so the Israeli stands at an advantage here.

Pick: Peer in 3 sets

Sloane Stephens vs. Johanna Larsson

Sloane Stephens is playing well, but her opponent just destroyed Virginie Razzano with the dreaded double bagel in her first round. Can Larsson carry her good form here? Firstly, she will be daunted by the prospect of playing an American on the huge Arthur Ashe stadium. Besides, Larsson's game will always be limited by her weak backhand. Sloane will take full advantage of that side and cruise to a comfortable victory.

Pick: Stephens in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Caroline Wozniacki, Jelena Jankovic, Angelique Kerber, Simona Halep
Upset alert: Roberta Vinci, Andrea Petkovic

Baku day 3: Return of form for younger Radwanska?

Schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/2184/title/baku-cup

Match focus:

Misa Eguchi vs. Urzsula Radwanska

Who is Misa Eguchi and how did Rybarikova lose to her? Since nobody really watched the match, we can only imagine it was due to Magdalena's non-existent form this year. Well, at least she will always find a way to beat Andrea Petkovic. Urszula must be relieved at facing a lower ranked player, having to retire in her last match against Rybarikova. If Urszula is injury-free, she should be able to cruise through this match.

Pick: Radwanska in 2 sets

Vesna Dolonc vs. Shahar Peer

Vesna Dolonc took half a year off to recover from her injury, and it will be a tough task to get into a winning groove immediately. She got lucky by drawing a local wildcard in her opening match, but against veteran Shahar Peer, she's not going to get it easy. Not saying that Dolonc cannot trouble her, but Peer will be more sharp having played in more tournaments. Nevertheless, Peer has been slumping for a while now, so an upset is also possible.

Pick: Peer in 3 sets

Jana Cepelova vs. Pauline Parmentier

Coming off a strong showing in Bastaad, Cepelova will fancy her chances against Parmentier. However, the surface now is hard courts, which will favour Pauline's heavier groundstrokes. Jana will need to cover a lot of court to draw the errors from the Frenchwoman. Pauline was impressive in her dismissal of Dulgheru, let's see if she can continue to surprise.

Pick: Parmentier in 3 sets

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

Katowice QF: Cornet vs Koukolova the highlight

Match focus:

Alize Cornet vs. Klara Koukalova

Looks who's back. Klara gets her surname back after divorcing her husband, and is back to being Kookie Klara. Even though her private life may not be a bed of roses, her tennis is as she is playing the best tennis of her career. She will face an equally strong opponent as Cornet has been nothing but steady for this year. I believe Alize has the game to win this, but the surface suits Klara's flat game more. Alize will need to be patient and serve well, and frankly wait for the Kookie to crumble. It will be a tough match, and I think Cornet will edge Klara here.

Pick: Cornet in 3 sets

Agnieszka Radwanska vs. Yvonne Meusburger

I don't think I need to elaborate more on this match.

Pick: Radwanska in 2 easy sets

Shahar Peer vs. Camila Giorgi

Cutie pie Giorgi will play for a place in the semi-finals against veteran Shahar Peer. The Israeli has dropped down the rankings spectacularly, and will be grateful for this result. Giorgi's game suits the fast indoor courts here, so she should have the advantage. However, it is no secret that to beat Camila, you just have to wear her out. Let's see if Peer can do just that.

Pick: Giorgi in 2 sets

Magdalena Rybarikova vs. Carla Suarez Navarro

Rybarikova's serve will be her weapon here in the quick indoor court. However, her major weakness, her backhand, will be exploited by Carla Suarez Navarro. The Spaniard will direct most of her topspin backhands to that wing and cruise to an easy victory. This is not a semi-final or final, so I don't expect Carla to go away mentally.

Pick: Suarez Navarro in 2 sets

Budapest, Palermo day 5: Halep the favourite now

Budapest schedule:

Danka Kovinic vs. Chanelle Scheepers
Annika Beck vs. Yvonne Meusburger
Timea Babos vs. Simona Halep
Shahar Peer vs. Alexandra Cadantu

Palermo schedule:

Renata Voracova vs. Estrella Cabeza Candela
Lourdes Dominguez Lino vs. Roberta Vinci
Sara Errani vs. Silvia Soler-Espinosa
Klara Zakopalova vs. Dinah Pfizenmaier

Match focus:

Timea Babos vs. Simona Halep

With the exit of the top 2 seeds, Simona Halep automatically becomes the overwhelming favourite to win this title. Timea Babos will face an uphill task trying to upset the in form player. Babos is another puzzle waiting to be solved. She has all the makings of the modern game, strong serve and huge groundstrokes. She even has a title under her name. However, maybe success came too early for her as she lost her way and almost all of her matches. Against someone like Simona who is stingy with her errors, Babos will suffer. The Hungarian should be happy that she scrapped through 2 matches here to gain some precious points.

Pick: Halep in 2 sets

Shahar Peer vs. Alexandra Cadantu

I'll be honest here, I've never like Shahar Peer's game. I think her game isn't aesthetically pleasing even at her peak. However, it is commendable for her to continue on tour after her loss of form which saw her at the brink of the top 10. There seems to be a mini revival for the Israeli, overcoming her opponents easily in the tournament. But it looks set to end here against clay loving Candantu. Alexandra thrives on this surface (being an absolute bye in the others) and will be confident after her convincing wins in the earlier rounds. Peer might steal a set, but the Romanian is the favourite here.

Pick: Cadantu in 3 sets

Klara Zakopalova vs. Dinah Pfizenmaier

Dinah Pfizenmaier lacks the experience, which Zakopalova has aplenty. This contrast will be seen in this contest between the young upstart and the veteran. Klara will boss the youngster around with her flat groundstrokes, forcing the German to go for high risk shots. That said, Pfizenmaier is one of the fastest players on tour. If she can retrieve enough balls and induce the errors from Klara, we might have a match. However, experience almost always prevail.

Pick: Zakopalova in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Chanelle Scheepers, Sara Errani, Roberta Vinci
Upset alert: Shahar Peer