Stanford, Washington SF: Serena to exact revenge

Stanford SF:

Serena Williams vs. Andrea Petkovic

Petkovic ruined an all-Williams encounter, which Serena will be hungry to take revenge for elder sister. Serena showed old signs of being a fighter in her ultra close match against Ivanovic, so Petkovic will need to play much better than against Venus. Andrea was lucky that Venus got tired in the end, but Serena looks fit and ready, so a win for the world number seems more likely. Besides, Serena has dominant wins over Andrea this year, so this match should be the same.

Pick: Williams in 2 sets

Angelique Kerber vs. Varvara Lepchenko

Interestingly, Lepchenko has a leading head to head against the higher ranked Kerber. The American won 4 times in 6 meetings, but lost the most recent 2 meetings in the last 2 years. All of Varvara's victories came when Kerber was still languishing below top 50. Thus, Kerber looks set to inch closer to tying the head to head here. Except for that bizarre bagel set loss to Vandeweghe, Kerber has been playing well and clinical in her matches. It will be a surprise if Lepchenko can cause another huge upset after beating Radwanska.

Pick: Kerber in 2 sets

Washington SF:

Svetlana Kuznetsova vs. Ekaterina Makarova

 

As a 2 time grang slam champion, it's really mind-boggling to see Kuznetsova struggling like this. It's not as if she has lost her ability to hit her thunderous forehand. Maybe her serve has regressed a bit, but her flaky mentality is at its best, hindering her from obtaining the results that she can achieve. As a former US Open champion, she should be the favourite here, but Makarova has been steady throughput the tournament. The advantage the Svetlana had will be her extra day off given Vania King's withdrawal. Let's hope Kuznetsova can win this title to give her frail confidence level a boost before New York.

Pick: Kuznetsova in 3 sets

Kurumi Nara vs. Marina Erakovic

Out of nowhere, these 2 slumping players managed to somehow reach the semi-finals. Erakovic has been on a decline recently, struggling to win even the most basic matches. It's not that she doesn't have the game, but her consistency is not there. Seems like she got it right this week, playing good aggressive tennis to win her matches without much trouble. These 2 haven't met since 2011, but Erakovic last won their match with a dreaded double bagel. With the fast hard courts, I believe Erakovic's aggressive game will have the advantage. She just needs to be patient enough to attack on the right points.

Pick: Erakovic in 3 sets

Eastbourne, Dan Bosch day 3: Unpredictable girls

Eastbourne schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/644/title/aegon-international

Dan Bosch schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/756/title/topshelf-open

Match focus:

Sloane Stephens vs. Caroline Wozniacki

Caroline is back in her winning ways with a good win over Samantha Stosur. Granted that Stosur's game is not suited for grass, any win for Caroline is a confidence booster. She meets the underachiever, Sloane Stephens. The American is a mystery in non-grand slam events, losing to players she should be owning. However, playing Caroline can be considered a big match, so I think Sloane will raise her level here. Even though Caroline lacks the match play, I think her game suits well against Sloane, and will prevail here.

Pick: Wozniacki in 2 tight sets

Varvara Lepchenko vs. Petra Kvitova

Kvitova is as always unpredictable. Scrapping through her first match against her pigeon, Lucie Safarova, she faces another lefty who can hit a mean ball. It seems that Petra is just content with being a top 10 player, with no real Grand Slam aspirations. Pity as she had the game to win multiple slams. We all know that Petra needs a new coach, a new approach to the game, but she is too stubborn to change. Oh well, watch Petra struggle her way to another win here.

Pick: Kvitova in 3 sets

Michaella Krajicek vs. Yaroslava Shvedova

Michaella Krajicek was once hailed as a future star of WTA until injuries and personal problems took a toll on her. Now at the age of 25, she's beginning to climb back into the top 100. On grass, her serve is a weapon. However, her lack of mobility is a problem and Yaroslava will be eager to exploit that. Shvedova seemed to have overcome her demons with an impressive win over Cibulkova. If she wins this match, it will signal a return to form for the Kazakh. Let's see how she handles the pressure of playing a hometown favourite.

Pick: Krajicek in 3 sets

Sure win bets: Camila Giorgi, Angelique Kerber, Simona Halep
Upset alert: Elena Vesnina, Kirsten Flipkens, Vania King

 

Indian Wells day 5: Can Davis follow it up?

Schedule of play:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/543/title/bnp-paribas-open

Match focus:

Varvara Lepchenko vs. Lauren Davis

Lauren Davis displayed her cool temperament in her dismissal of a disabled Azarenka. Can she do the same against a fully fit opponent like Varvara Lepchenko? This is their first meeting and both have had a turbulent season so far. Davis was impressive that she did not panic and rushing her shots when Azarenka had a mini-comeback. However, Lepchenko has the ability to play spectacular tennis when she has the time to hit her shots. Davis' forehand will be put to the test here as it's really a fluffy defensive shot. Lepchenko will pounce on that wing and hopefully take advantage of the open draw.

Pick: Lepchenko in 3 sets

Eugenie Bouchard vs. Sara Errani

This is the match where Bouchard needs to win to show that she deserves to be a top player. Against someone as stingy as Errani, Bouchard needs to come up with the goods and win the match, rather than Errani losing it. Sara's season so far is unimpressive, so Eugenie will have the advantage. If the Canadian loses this, maybe the success came too early and she's not ready for it.

Pick: Bouchard in 2 sets

Yaroslava Shvedova vs. Caroline Wozniacki

Interestingly, Shvedova enjoys a leading head to head against Wozniacki, beating her in their only meeting last year in Madrid. Can the Kazakh repeat her win? Or is the steady Dane going to scrap by again? Wozniacki was pretty tidy in her win over Jovanovski, so she should be back to her retrieving never-give-up self. It will be difficult for the inconsistent Yaroslava to keep hitting her spots. For once, I will go with Caroline, as Shvedova is too volatile to complete the win.

Pick: Wozniacki in 2 sets

Sure win bets: Agnieszka Radwanska, Caroline Wozniacki, Jelena Jankovic
Upset alert:  Sara Errani, Roberta Vinci, Carla Suarez Navarro

Washington, Carlsbad day 1: Stosur in trouble

Washington schedule:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/2182/title/citi-open

Carlsbad schedule:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/342/title/southern-california-open-

Match focus:

Jana Cepelova vs. Kiki Bertens

Something is going on with Kiki Bertens but she continues to play anyway. Her last win was in Rome and her last 2 losses were to players outside the top 190. No idea what's bothering the Dutch girl, but she needs to take a break to sort out her problems before it snowballs and erodes her confidence completely. Jana is a good ball striker and I guess will be more than happy to take out the troubled blond girl.

Pick Cepelova in 2 sets

Samantha Stosur vs. Varvara Lepchenko

Stosur's US Open preparations fell apart in Stanford and she will face a tougher opponent here in Lepchenko. Will the fragile Aussie crumble again? Lepchenko has a wily lefty serve and will be aiming for Samantha's weaker backhand. Stosur's kick serve will bounce into Varvara's forehand sweet spot for the American to swing freely. The only thing that is preventing Lepchenko from a sure win is her mental strength. I'm still not convinced she believes in herself enough to upset a top player. Maybe this match will be the one where she finishes the job.

Pick: Lepchenko in 2 tight sets

Flavia Pennetta vs. Francesca Schiavone

These 2 Italians meet again after drawing each other in Indian Wells earlier this year. Schiavone won that match and it will be a sign of things to come for this match. Pennetta seems to be struggling with her fitness, unable to maintain her form for the entire match. Schiavone is still fit and speedy around the court, and that will make the difference. I admit I have a soft spot for Flavia but Francesca will be the slight favourite here. I wouldn't mind an upset though.

Pick: Schiavone in 3 sets

Sure win bets: Jelena Jankovic, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Paula Ormaechea
Upset alert: Samantha Stosur, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Kiki Bertens

Stanford SF: Jamie the dark horse

Sorana Cirstea vs. Dominika Cibulkova

Cibulkova manages to reach a semi-final out of the blue after a disastrous year. Outside of her Sydney final where she got slaughtered, the Slovak did nothing memorable and was languishing in mediocrity for a while. Will she be able to turn the tide against Sorana Cirstea? Last year, these 2 met in the quarter-final stage where Cirstea won against Dominika. I expect it to be the same this year. The fast court surface suits Cibulkova as well, but Sorana has a little more pop on her serve. It won't be a pretty match that's for sure.

Pick: Cirstea in 3 sets

Jamie Hampton vs. Agnieszka Radwanska/ Varvara Lepchenko

The match between Radwanska and Lepchenko hasn't been played yet at my time of posting, so I'm putting both possibilities here. Jamie has beaten Radwanska in Eastbourne and will be looking forward to doing it against here in her country. Hampton is slowly becoming a force to be reckoned with after another successful tournament so far. If Lepchenko somehow manages to beat Radwanska, Hampton might be troubled by the lefty's game. Still, Jamie should come out victorious in the battle of the Americans should that happen. Even though Jamie has that upset win over Agnieszka, I'm sure the Pole will be hungry for revenge.

Pick: Radwanska in 3 sets (vs Radwanska), Hampton in 3 sets (vs Lepchenko)

Stanford day 3: Radwanska in action

Schedule of play:

Tamira Paszek vs. Varvara Lepchenko

If Kudryavtseva hadn't injure herself, I'm pretty sure Paszek won't be here. Despite winning the first set easily, she tightened up and allowed Alla to win the second set. Varvara will not have any mercy on this slumping player and will claim an easy straight sets victory over the Austrian.

Pick: Lepchenko in 2 sets

Sorana Cirstea vs. Coco Vandeweghe

Coco Vandeweghe loves Stanford and it's apparent in her results. She reached the finals last year and just easily took out Monica Niculescu. The quick service suits her wham bam game and her serve becomes a big weapon here. However, Coco will face an equally hard hitter in Cirstea. Sorana will tee off on anything and everything, so Coco needs to serve well to keep the Romanian honest. I believe the American has what it takes to cause an upset here.

Pick: Vandeweghe in 3 sets

Agnieszka Radwanska vs. Francesca Schiavone

Francesca Schiavone is obviously not done with her career yet. She proves that she's got some wheels left in her by beating Mallory Burdette in her first round. However, Radwanska will definitely drive Schiavone crazy with her deceptive drop shots and lobs. The Italian needs to up the aggression to stand a chance.

Pick: Radwanska in 2 sets

Stanford day 2: Virtual byes in action

Stanford schedule:

http://www.wtatennis.com/schedule/tournamentId/637/title/bank-of-the-west-classic

Match focus:

Tamira Paszek vs Alla Kudryavtseva

With Yvonne Meusburger sparkling results in the last few weeks, Tamira Paszek is no longer the top ranked Austrian. Will this spur Tamira to break her slump? Judging by her performance on her best surface, grass, she is far from getting herself together. There is just no confidence in her shots and errors are flowing freely. Alla is a qualifier and she has already accustomed herself to the courts with a few wins under her belt. She should be happy that she drew a virtual bye for this Premier tournament.

Pick: Kudryavtseva in 2 sets

Yanina Wickmayer vs. Daniela Hantuchova

Yanina Wickmayer has really done nothing for this year except for a sporadic win once every 3 tournaments. She did reach the semi-finals of Eastbourne, but she got promptly kicked out of Wimbledon in the next week. Daniela is also suffering from the same fate. She has a few good wins here and there, but is never consistent enough to make an impact on the main events. If somebody has to win, I guess it has to be Daniela. Her superior record over Yanina (5-0) will be an indication that she knows how to play the Belgian. However, given how shaky Daniela has been in recent months, I won't be surprised if Yanina claims her first win over the Slovak.

Pick: Hantuchova in 3 sets

Sure win bets: Samantha Stosur, Alla Kudryavtseva, Varvara Lepchenko
Upset alert: Monica Niculescu, Urszula Radwanska