US Open QF: Can Makarova cause another upset?

Victoria Azarenka vs. Ekaterina Makarova

It's hard not to doubt Azarenka's form when she struggled so much against the lowly ranked Krunic. The old Victoria would have torn the youngster to shreds with her powerful but controlled aggression. Makarova will now have the best chance of causing an upset. The Russian has been playing inspired tennis all week long, even excelling in doubles. If she keeps her brain intact, she has the shots to overthrow Azarenka. Confidence is a funny thing, and Makarova has plenty of them right now.

Pick: Makarova in 2 sets

Serena Williams vs. Flavia Pennetta

Sorry Flavia, but Serena will almost definitely win this match. One glaring weakness in Pennetta's game is her 2nd serve. It's very short and fluffy, and even Dellacqua has exploited it tremendously. Against a player like Serena, you can be assured that she will spare no mercy in punishing those serves. A mismatch across all board, Serena will cruise.

Pick: Williams in 2 sets

US Open day 8: Makarova for the surprise

Upset of the previous day:

Belinda Bencic def. Jelena Jankovic 7-6(6) 6-3

The bottom half of the draw has officially collapsed with the higher seeds all dropping out. Sharapova was the highest ranked player to lose, but Jankovic's loss was more shocking. The Serbian has been on fire for the past week, but ran out of ideas against the feisty Bencic. The Swiss had an answer to everything Jelena threw at her, and saved 2 set points in the first set. This is a golden opportunity wasted by Jelena, where she had the chance to advance to the final. Peng, Bencic, Errani and Wozniacki are the 4 players who have the chance to make the finals. What a turn of event.

Schedule of play:

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

Match focus:

Flavia Pennetta vs. Casey Dellacqua

While Pennetta isn't playing the best tennis of her life, she was helped by the crazy upsets that happened throughout the tournament. Casey Dellacqua will be making her 4th round debut in US Open, and will no doubt be nervous about the match. Flavia, the seasoned veteran, will just need to keep her calm and let Casey's nerves get the best of her. If the Italian plays her steady game, she will get through without much fuss.

Pick: Pennetta in 2 sets

Serena Williams vs. Kaia Kanepi

Serena was tested by Lepchenko, but played well enough to subdue the tricky lefty. Kanepi's game is not as varied as Lepchenko, so Serena should be more used to Kaia's game. The Estonian has a dangeous game when it's on, but her mental game is fried whenever she faces top players. I don't expect a surprise here. Kaia might gain a lead early, but squander it when Serena raises her level.

Pick: Williams in 2 sets

Aleksandra Krunic vs. Victoria Azarenka

Aleksandra Krunic faces classic ball bashers in her previous matches, but she will be severely tested against Azarenka. The Belarussian can belt the ball, but she does it with a good margin. Victoria's safe but powerful game will definitely be difficult for Krunic to counter, who has been thriving off her opponents' errors. No fairtale ending for the young Serbian this time.

Pick: Azarenka in 2 sets

Ekaterina Makarova vs. Eugenie Bouchard

For 2 matches in a row, Bouchard struggled against her opponents. Makarova has been playing well this summer, and will not let Eugenie off the hook like her previous opponents. The Russian will need to serve well and punish the Canadian's weak 2nd serve for winners. If she keeps an aggressive mindset, Eugenie cannot get out of jail this time.

Pick: Makarova in 3 sets

US Open day 6: Calm after the storm

Upset of the previous day:

Mirjana Lucic-Baroni def. Simona Halep 7-6(6) 6-2

3 players who were expected to win crashed out within minutes of each other, but none of them are as surprising as Halep's exit. Kerber lost to a future star, while Venus' erratic play would have given Errani a chance, but the steady Halep losing this early was just unforeseen. If Halep played her normal game, she would have won quite easily, given how Lucic loves to go for outrageous winners when out of position. However, when leading 5-2 in the first set, Simona just lost her plot and started committing silly errors. Credit to Mirjana as well for still going for her shots. This is an extremely bad loss for the Romanian, even though she has already qualified for Singapore. As for Mirjana, she will be elated at upsetting the world number 2 in the age of 32. Who knows how far she can go.

Schedule of play:

http://www.usopen.org/en_US/scores/schedule/schedule12.html

Match focus:

Barbora Zahlavova Strycova vs. Eugenie Bouchard

Eugenie struggled to put away the dangerous Cirstea, but emerged victorious eventually. With so many upsets today, I believe there will be a calm after the storm. Despite having bad form coming into the Open, Bouchard is fighting through her matches here, which I believe is essential not to peak too early. She will have to be wary of the dangerous Strycova, as she can mix it up very well. Still, Eugenie's court speed is pretty good, so she should be able to win this one.

Pick: Bouchard in 2 tight sets

Elena Vesnina vs. Victoria Azarenka

Her first round was a mess, but Azarenka righted her ship with a clinical disposal of McHale. Looks like the old Azarenka is back. Against Vesnina, the Belarussian is firmly the favourite, even though Vesnina is a former top 20 player. The Russian's form is pretty bad coming into the Open, but was helped by her soft draw here. Victoria has had easy victories over Elena before, and I expect the same here.

Pick: Azarenka in 2 sets

Casey Dellacqua vs. Karolina Pliskova

This should be a nervy affair for these 2 players, having not reached the 2nd week of a slam before in their career. With the exit of Ivanovic, this section of the draw is wide open, and I believe Ana's conquerer is ready to emerge. Dellecqua is enjoying her best year on tour after her injury, but Pliskova has a huge serve and flat groundstrokes. Casey will have to disrupt the Czech's rhythm by deploying her lefty serve and make her hit awkward balls. Still, I believe Pliskova is confident after her win over Ivanovic, unless she lets her nonchalant attitude get to her.

Pick: Pliskova in 3 sets

Kaia Kanepi vs. Carla Suarez Navarro

Kaia Kanepi showed real grit, saving 2 match points against Samantha Stosur. Can she do it again against Carla is another question. Carla's game is frankly quite similar to Stosur, with a weaker serve of course. Both players use the backhand slices frequently, but Carla can hit some decent backhand topspin shots. Kaia's long drawn match with Samantha will probably have an effect here, but she should be well-rested after a day's break. As with the Stosur match, this will be a tight affair, and when things get tight, Carla breaks.

Pick: Kanepi in 3 sets

Sure win bets: Serena Williams, Flavia Pennetta, Petra Kvitova
Upset alert: Carla Suarez Navarro, Casey Dellacqua

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

Montreal QF: Path opens up for Venus

Schedule of play:

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

Match focus:

Carla Suarez Navarro vs. Venus Williams

With the massive upsets yesterday, Venus Williams suddenly is the favourite to win here. Carla Suarez Navarro benefitted from a jarringly bad performance from Sharapova, when the Russian really should have lost in straight sets. Venus looks sharp after an upset of her own over Kerber, and looks poised to reach the semi-finals of a Premier event. Let's hope she's not too tired after her long match with Kerber.

Pick: Williams in 2 tight sets

Serena Williams vs. Caroline Wozniacki

Serena was tested against Safarova, but the Czech never had the mental strength to upset the number 1 seed anyway. The American will face a major test against resurgent Caroline Wozniacki, who breezed through her matches barely dropping games. There is no doubt that Serena's game can overpower the Dane. However, Serena will need to be sharp and stingy with her errors. The way Caroline is playing now resembles her peak form from 2011, which will trouble Serena. Let's see how Serena handles her.

Pick: Serena in 3 tight sets

Coco Vandeweghe vs. Ekaterina Makarova

Serbian killer, Coco Vandeweghe surprises everyone by reaching the quarter-finals here. Her big serve suits the hard courts here, and her game is more mature than it was a few years ago. She will face Makarova, who upset Kvitova in another roller coaster match. Seems like consistency will never be Petra's forte. These 2 are quite evenly matched, but Makarova is more experienced on the big stage. The Russian should be the slight favourite here, as Coco had 2 marathon matches in a row.

Pick: Makarova in 3 sets

Victoria Azarenka vs. Agnieszka Radwanska

Even though Azarenka owns a commanding lead over Radwanska in their career heads-to-heads, Radwanska dismantled the Belarussian in their last match in Melbourne. Since then, Victoria has never been the same again. Coming back from injury, Victoria seemed to have lost some zip in her shots, and her serve is more inconsistent. Agnieszka will capitalize on that vulnerability and try to slowly even the heads-to-heads. If Azarenka wins this though, it will be her announcement to the world that she is truly back.

Pick: Radwanska in 3 sets

Montreal day 2: Venus ready for a good run

Schedule of play:

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

Match focus:

Venus Williams vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

I firmly believe that Venus is playing at least top 20 level tennis currently. She has the ability to upset a few top players, but when it becomes a long drawn 3-setter, she loses out with her lack of stamina. Against Pavlyuchenkova, Venus should be able to overcome the Russian. The volatile Russian is capable of producing some fine shots of her own, but she's unable to string them together. I think Venus has the potential to reach at least the quarter-finals here.

Pick: Venus in 2 sets

Victoria Azarenka vs. Alize Cornet

Azarenka's return from injury has not been kind to her. She's taking baby steps at the moment, but she seems to be improving with every match. In a way, Cornet will be a perfect test for Azarenka to see if she's ready to play top-tier tennis. Alize's game will make Victoria hit plenty of balls, so Azarenka will need to balance between defense and offense well. If she can handle Alize in convincing fashion, I believe the world number 1 Azarenka is back.

Pick: Azarenka in 3 sets

Svetlana Kuznetsova vs. Madison Keys

Recent Washington winner Svetlana Kuznetsova will attempt to bring her good form here to Montreal, but she faces the big hitting American, Madison Keys. Fatigue will definitely be a factor for the Russian as she's no longer a spring chicken. Nevertheless, I think Svetlana has the experience on her side, as she will attempt to make Keys win the point on her own accord. Once Kuznetsova gets on a roll, she's a tough customer to handle.

Pick: Kuznetsova in 2 tight sets

Sure win bets: Ana Ivanovic, Eugenie Bouchard, Garbine Muguruza
Upset alert: Zhang Shuai, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

Stanford, Washington day 4: Venus to trump rusty Azarenka

Stanford schedule of play:

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

Washington schedule of play:

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

Match focus:

Victoria Azarenka vs. Venus Williams

Venus Williams will be happy that she's facing a rusty Azarenka, who has won only one match since her return from injury. Not that the elder Williams's isn't capable of beating Azarenka when she's healthy, but coupled with her auto-immune illness, you take whatever advantage you can get. Victoria's best surface is the hard courts though, so she might put up a good fight.

Pick: Venus in 3 sets

Garbine Muguruza vs. Daniela Hantuchova

Fresh from her upset win over Cibulkova, Muguruza will like her chances against fading veteran Daniela Hantuchova. The Slovak is barely hanging onto her ranking, and is only bolstered by her surprise quarter-final appearance in US Open last year. Daniela needs to disrupt Garbine's rhythm and attack the net whenever possible. However, if the Spaniard is firing, it's difficult to get a chance to volley.

Pick: Muguruza in 2 sets

Vania King vs. Christina McHale

All American clash as Vania King takes on Christina McHale. Christina took out 4th seed Sloane Stephens in 3 tight sets, but it was worth nothing that Sloane doesn't bring her best tennis to smaller events. King has the experience and leads the heads to heads against Mchale 2-0. Although the wins were during 2010, I think King has the game to upset the relatively passive Christina. Vania needs to take good care of her serve and attack the net when possible.

Pick: King in 3 sets