Moscow, Luxembourg day 1: Massive withdrawals dampen season ending tournaments

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:

Svetlana Kuznetsova vs. Klara Koukalova

Svetlana Kuznetsova looks content just being a solid top 30 player, always pushing the top players but coming out short in the end. In an event marred by the top players' withdrawal, this will be a good chance for Kuznetsova to revive her career. The Russian enjoys home crowd support, and will be the firm favourite against the slumping Koukalova. If the Russian loses this, I'm afraid any hopes of a career revival will be dashed.

Pick: Kuznetsova in 2 sets

Tereza Smitkova vs. Roberta Vinci

Vinci may be slumping, but I certainly do not expect her to lose to unheralded Tereza Smitkova. The Czech youngster had a breakthrough tournament in Wimbledon, but faded in obscurity immediately after that. There is one factor that might work against Roberta though, as she is scheduled to play in the Year-End Championships in Singapore. If she advances to the finals, she will have limited time to travel back to Asia and readjust to the conditions. Not saying that the Italian should throw the match away, but it will be a matter of priorities.

Pick: Vinci in 2 sets

Silvia Soler Espinosa vs. Barbora Zahlavova Strycova

Silvia held a 5-0 lead against Serena in Beijing, but collapsed immediately after that when the world number 1 raised her game. The Spaniard's game is not flashy, but will make you earn your points. Barbora's season has been consistent after her Wimbledon breakthrough. She used to be a walking time-bomb, never knowing when she will self-destruct and wallow in self pity. Once she kept her emotions intact, she plays a good all-court game which is a joy to watch. I would give Barbora the advantage as she's a play maker, as opposed to Silvia's reactionary game. It will be close though, with a lot of scrambling and all court tennis.

Pick: Strycova in 3 sets

Sure win bets: Mona Barthel, Karin Knapp, Monica Niculescu
Upset alert: Jana Cepelova, Donna Vekic, Tsvetana Pironkova

Baku day 4: Where the real action is

Schedule of play:

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

Match focus:

Sorana Cirstea vs. Stefanie Voegele

Compared to yesterday's matches, today's matches are more interesting, with several title hopefuls in contention. Top seed Cirstea will be looking to advance to her first quarter-final this year and break out of her horrible slump. The Romanian has been lacklustre this whole season, and it's good to see her play lower tier events to gain confidence. Voegele's game is pretty much reactive, so if Cirstea can keep her errors low, she has a high chance of defeating the Swiss. Knowing Cirstea though, she will make things difficult for herself.

Pick: Cirstea in 3 sets

Kristina Mladenovic vs. Donna Vekic

This match of the rising stars pits Mladenovic against Kuala Lumpur titlist, Vekic. Kristina has been on a roll lately, reaching the semi-finals of Istanbul last week. She will be the favourite here despite her lower ranking. Vekic was expected to perform great things after her triumph in Kuala Lumpur, but failed to gain any momentum after that. Perhaps it's due to the weight of expectations on her young shoulders. It will be a good win if Vekic manages to beat Kristina, but the erratic Donna needs to get a few wins under her belt to get rolling.

PickL Mladenovic in 3 sets

Silvia Soler Espinosa vs. Elina Svitolina

Defending champion Svitolina has had a rough couple of months. She had some weird losses to players she's supposed to cruise by, so Elina's form is suspect. However, as this is played on hard courts, the Ukrainian will still have the advantage. Silvia's scrappy game works best on slow clay courts, and will find it difficult to track down so many of Elina's flat shots. Maybe we'll have a multiple Baku champion here.

Pick: Svitolina 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,

Strasbourg, Nurnberg finals: Debut titles for young stars

Strasbourg final:

Monica Puig def. Silvia Soler Espinosa 6-4 6-3

Capping off an impressive week with a dominant win over Soler Espinosa, Puig wins her first tour title here in Strasbourg. The Puerto Rican can clinical in her service games, facing zero break points throughout the match. This is a huge step for Monica, who was prone to losing her concentration in the past. A dark horse for Roland Garros? Maybe. Well done Monica!

Nurnberg final:

Eugenie Bouchard def. Karolina Pliskova 6-2 4-6 6-3

Also claiming her first title is Eugenie Bouchard, although she had a tougher time against Karolina Pliskova. It wasn't a pretty match though, with plenty of errors and breaks of serve. Karolina couldn't find her range on her serve in the third set and surprisingly only held once. Eugenie finally captures her first title after so many months of hype and will be bringing that confidence into Paris. Another one to look out for.

Strasbourg, Nurnberg final: Young stars to shine

Strasbourg F:

Silvia Soler Espinosa vs. Monica Puig

With both players playing their first tour final, it will be safe to say that they will be nervous. Silvia especially, as she has gone all the way from qualifying to the final. Almost all her matches have gone the distance and yet she still manages to beat the higher ranked players with her staying power. She will definitely need all her energy against Puig, who impressed by having 2 solid wins over good opponents. Monica's game looks to have finally matured and with her confident win over Keys and Petkovic, looks ready for her first tour title. Still, there is a chance that the occasion might get to her and totally stink up the final. Nevertheless, I think she will win this as she is the shotmaker between these two.

Pick: Puig in 2 tight sets

Nurnberg F:

Karolina Pliskova vs. Eugenie Bouchard

The Canadian finally reaches her second tour final despite having solid results throughout the year. Eugenie made a wise choice by playing here, where she can gain confidence just before the big event. Pliskova's game is not really suited for clay, but her draw has been kind, with Kerber being injured and Svitolina struggling. Still, Karolina can make things difficult for Bouchard if she utilizes her big serve. She's the underdog here, so she can afford to swing freely. However, I believe Eugenie will cap off her week with her first title.

Pick: Bouchard in 2 tight sets

Strasbourg, Nurnberg SF: First time winner in Strasbourg

Christina McHale vs. Silvia Soler-Espinosa

With the Germans crashing out one after another yesterday, it is anyone's battle in Strasbourg now. McHale had been in a final once, in Acapulco this year, and lost narrowly to Cibulkova. She will most probably be in her 2nd final this year against Soler-Espinosa. The Spaniard had to play from qualifying to the semi-finals, and will no doubt be tired. Christina will not be as generous as Giorgi with her unforced errors, so she will be the hot favourite to reach the finals.

Pick: McHale in 2 sets

Madison Keys vs. Monica Puig

I was expecting an all German clash here, but Keys and Puig succeeded in upsetting their more accomplished opponents. Keys was down a break against Goerges in the third set, when she claimed the next 6 games to win the match. Looks like she's on a roll here on the red clay. Puig proved me wrong by staying strong mentally to upset Petkovic. It remains to be seen if she can replicate that performance here. In terms of mental toughness, I will still favour Keys. She has more experience in winning close matches and it's time that she reached her first tour final.

Pick: Keys in 2 sets

Karolina Pliskova vs. Elina Svitolina

With her impressive upset over Angelique Kerber, it is safe to say Pliskova is riding high on confidence. She will be bringing that forward into this match against Svitolina. These 2 have met once before, with Pliskova winning in 2 comfortable sets in 2011. I think the Czech will replicate that success as Elina had been on a 4 match losing streak prior to this event.

Pick: Pliskova in 2 sets

Karin Knapp vs. Eugenie Bouchard

Knapp snapped out of her losing ways with 3 good wins this tournament. She will now face the hot favourite, Eugenie Bouchard for her first tour final. Bouchard takes the ball very early, and will snatch time away from Knapp's long loopy strokes. Even though this is clay, Bouchard's flat strokes will cause some trouble as Karin's movement is not stellar. Eugenie should be heartened with her close win yesterday, and will carry that momentum towards this semi-finals.

Pick: Bouchard in 2 sets

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

 

Budapest, Palermo: Precious points for journeywomen

Budapest:

Lara Arruabarrena vs. Johanna Larsson
Annika Beck vs. Tadeja Majeric
Sandra Zahlavova vs. Agnes Bukta
Sesil Karatantcheva vs. Simona Halep
Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor vs. Nina Bratchikova

Palermo:

Mathilde Johansson vs. Silvia Soler Espinosa
Caroline Garcia vs. Corinna Dentoni
Sara Errani vs. Julia Cohen

Match focus:

Lara Arruabarrena vs. Johanna Larsson

Johanna Larsson doesn't enjoy clay so it's a surprise that she's playing here. Lara on the other hand, is predominantly a clay courter, so this should be easy pickings for her. Larsson will need to be patient and wait for the right opportunity to attack the net. If she goes into a crosscourt backhand rally with Lara, chances are she's going to lose the point 9 out of 10 times.

Pick: Arruabarrena in 2 sets

Mathilde Johansson vs. Silvia Soler Espinosa

Silvia Soler-Espinosa is the one who likes clay more but Mathilde can play on this surface as well. Both are coming off a disappointing Wimbledon but they were never favoured to advance far anyway. Johansson has more power, so she will be the one dictating the points. If Silvia is patient enough, she should be able to draw the errors from the Frenchwoman. However, maybe Johansson might be inspired by Marion and pull off a good run of her own.

Pick: Johansson in 3 sets

Sara Errani vs. Julia Cohen

Sara Errani will be eager to put her nightmare Wimbledon behind her. She will face the ultimate moonball queen, Julia Cohen. Errani is definitely of another level and it'll be interesting to see Sara take the initiative this time. Julia is quite incapable of dictating the pace, so Sara should have her ball bashing mode turned on. Errani will show Cohen a free lesson on how to hit purposeful moonball and not wait for errors.

Pick: Errani in 2 easy sets