2016 Volvo Car Open- Elena Vesnina vs Belinda Bencic

An interesting second round match sees qualifier Elena Vesnina take on 2nd seed Belinda Bencic for a place in the third round at the Volvo Car Open. This match is set to take place on Stadium court at around 16:00 Charleston Time (21:00 UK Time) and the winner will face 17th seed Eugenie Bouchard or Lourdes Dominguez Lino in the third round.

In general, Bencic has had a relatively strong 2016 so far; she reached a final in St. Petersburg and made it into the top ten of the rankings for the first time. However, the 2nd seed has not picked up many wins of the late and may be lacking of a little confidence as she starts her clay season. In contrast, Vesnina has been playing well of late. After struggling with injury, the Russian has consistently qualified for events (like she did here) and has recorded wins over the likes of Simona Halep and Venus Williams. The Russian is in resurgent form, though clay may not be her best surface.

Over the past couple of years, Bencic’s game has developed greatly and she’ll need to use it to full effect today. The Swiss star will certainly need to serve well (she has struggled with that in her past couple of losses) and should look to try and dictate play, as she is arguably more powerful than the Russian; she could use that to her advantage. The 2nd seed should also look to try and  vary her game style, though must try and keep Vesnina away from the net; the Russian is a doubles specialist and is good in this area. Vesnina will need to serve well against a relatively strong returner, and should look to try and move play around the court; she is arguably a better mover than Bencic.

The two have net met previously; another aspect that makes this an interesting clash. Vesnina does have an opportunity considering how well she has played of late, and has reached the final here previously. However, Bencic has also played well here in the past, and should be able to edge this clash.

Prediction: Bencic in 3

 

2016 St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy- Belinda Bencic vs Roberta Vinci

The seedings have gone to plan in St. Petersburg as first seed Belinda Bencic takes on second seed Roberta Vinci in a match between two players at different ends of their playing careers. This match is set to take place at 16:30 St. Petersburg Time (13:30 UK Time) and the winner will lift their first title of the 2016 season.

Neither Bencic or Vinci have had  a massively easy road to the final. Bencic started with a solid straight sets win over Annika Beck, though then had to come from a set down to beat 5th seed and home favourite Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the quarter-finals; a straight sets win over another Russian, Daria Kasatkina, followed in the semi-final and the top seed has played some solid tennis so far. Vinci also started with a solid win, beating Yanina Wickmayer in two sets, though had to battle past Timea Babos in three sets in the quarter-final. A tight straight sets win over fourth seed Ana Ivanovic came in the semi-finals and it’s fair to say that she is also playing solid tennis.

This is certainly an interesting clash of styles with Bencic’s aggressive nature facing Vinci’s tricky game of slices, volleys and drop shots. The top seed is the slightly more powerful of the two and if she is near her best she will be hard to beat, though she is facing a very experienced opponent in Vinci and cannot afford to make too many mistakes and must remain calm; she has a good chance of winning if she does. Vinci should look to keep Bencic moving around the court to try and frustrate the Swiss star, but must also serve well so that Bencic doesn’t get too many opportunities to attack early on in rallies.

Bencic and Vinci have never played before so it will be interesting to see how the early stages of this match pan out. With a similar road to the final and contrasting styles there should be some high-quality tennis and the match should be very close, though I think Bencic, with her extra power, should just be able to edge this.

Prediction: Bencic in 3

 

2016 St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy- Belinda Bencic vs Daria Kasatkina

Good friends face off in the second semi-final in St. Petersburg as 1st seed Belinda Bencic takes on home favourite Daria Kasatkina in an interesting clash between two young talents of the game. This match is set to take place at around 16:00 St. Petersburg Time (13:00 UK Time) and the winner will face 4th seed Ana Ivanovic or 2nd seed Roberta Vinci in the final.

Neither of the two have had a particularly easy road to the semi-final, though Bencic does have the advantage of receiving a bye in the first round. The Swiss youngster impressed in her second round match as she eased past the confident Annika Beck in two sets, though had to come from a set down to beat 5th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the quarter-finals; despite dropping a set, it was a good performance by Bencic and she is playing well here. Kasatkina had to battle past Kirsten Flipkens in her opening round match though beat lucky loser Laura Siegemund in straight sets after that, before facing another tough battle as she came from a set down to beat Dominika Cibulkova.

Kasatkina has spent more time on court playing singles and has also played doubles here; there is a possibility she could be worn out. However she has generally played well on home soil and will have the crowd behind her. The Russian should look to attack Bencic’s game as often as possible and should also look to try and take advantage of any mental errors the occasionally emotional Bencic makes. The top seed has the slightly stronger game and will have more energy, a clear advantage, though must be careful to not get rattled by the home crowd and Kasatkina’s tricky play. She should certainly look to grind down the Russian, who will probably have less energy.

This will be the first meeting between the two and it could potentially be the first of many, so it will be interesting to see who wins this. Kasatkina will have the crowd behind her, but could well be tired and Bencic, with her better energy and stronger game, should win this; it could be comfortable if the Swiss star remains calm.

Prediction: Bencic in 2

2016 Australian Open- Belinda Bencic vs Maria Sharapova

One of the most interesting 4th round clashes see 12th seed Belinda Bencic take on 5th seed Maria Sharapova in a mouthwatering clash. This match is scheduled to take place at 11:00 Melbourne Time (00:00 UK Time) and the winner will face top seed Serena Williams or Margarita Gasparyan in the quarter-finals.

The two have had a similar road to this stage. 12th seed Bencic started with a solid 6-4 6-3 win over the tricky Alison Riske and was equally impressive in a 6-3 6-3 win over Timea Babos, though had to come from a set down to beat the dangerous Kateryna Bondarenko 4-6 6-2 6-4; Bencic has been good so far, but may need to improve from her third round match. Sharapova was extremely comfortable in her first two matches, cruising past Nao Hibino 6-1 6-3 and Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-1 6-2, though was made to work a bit harder in the third round as she eased past Lauren Davis 6-1 6-7 6-0; the Russian has played well so far, though Bencic will be her real test.

Sharapova is the more experienced of the two and is arguably more powerful than Bencic; that could be a big advantage for the Russian in this match. The Russian has been pretty good so far and has a decent chance of winning if she continues to play well, though she had a few wobbles against Davis and Bencic has the talent to punish her. Also it is key for Sharapova to serve well and try to limit the number of errors she makes. Serving will also be key for Bencic if she wants to cause a slight upset and she must look to try and soak up Sharapova’s power; if she defends well, she could give herself a good opportunity at winning this.

The two have never met before; it will be interesting to see who wins this first meeting of one of the WTA’s biggest stars and one of its future stars. Bencic has played well so far and could win this, though it seems Sharapova will be able to edge this due to her power and experience.

Prediction: Sharapova in 3

 

2016 Australian Open- Belinda Bencic vs Kateryna Bondarenko

Two confident players start action on Day 5 of the Australian Open as 12th seed Belinda Bencic takes on the dangerous Kateryna Bondarenko. This match is scheduled to take place on the Rod Laver Arena at 11:00 Melbourne Time (12:00 UK Time) and the winner will face Lauren Davis or 5th seed Maria Sharapova in the fourth round.

Both women have had impressive results so far in Melbourne. Bencic has had two potentially dangerous matches so far, though has impressed as she has been comfortable against both Alison Riske and Timea Babos; she will certainly be confident coming into this clash. Bondarenko has also impressed in what were set to be difficult encounters. She beat home favourite Ajla Tomljanovic in straight sets and was even more impressive as she recorded another straight sets victory over in form 23rd seed Svetlana Kuznetsova; she will be hard to beat here.

Bencic is the stronger player of the two and has a generally good mentality, though can get frustrated and Bondarenko certainly has the experience and talent to take advantage of any mental errors her opponent makes. However Bondarenko is very erratic, and her chances in this match depend on whether she can continue her good form. Bencic will be the favourite for this match and she will give herself a strong opportunity if she plays well.

This the first time the two have ever played, so it will be interesting to see who is able to get to grips with the others game quicker. Bencic is the favourite and should be able to win this, though Bondarenko’s form and confidence will not make it easy.

Prediction: Bencic in 3

2016 Apia International Sydney- Belinda Bencic vs Monica Puig

Two of the potential future stars face off in the final match on the Ken Rosewall Arena on Thursday as 8th seed Belinda Bencic faces qualifier Monica Puig for a place in the final. This match will take place at any time after 20:00 Sydney Time (09:00 UK Time).

It hasn’t been an easy road for either woman. Bencic has had tough three set wins over Mirjana Lucic-Baroni and Ekaterina Makarova, though had a comfortable win the second round against Tsvetana Pironkova. Puig started with a three set win over Magdalena Rybarikova though has since cruised past Anna Karolina Schmiedlova and eased past Sam Stosur; she has, however, had to come through qualifying.

Bencic is the better of the two in terms of quality but can still be erratic (shown here by some of her dips) and can get frustrated easily; Puig, three years older, has the experience to take advantage of anything like this- if it happens. The Puerto Rican star will be confident but has played more matches here and could be tired. Also she may not have the power to deal with Bencic.

This is first meeting of possibly many between the two. Whilst Puig will be confident, she could well be worn out and Bencic does have the stronger game. The Swiss star should win this, and if she doesn’t get herself wound up it could be comfortable.

Prediction: Bencic in 2

 

2015 Wuhan Open- Day 2 Predictions

The second day of action at the Wuhan open sees some cracking matches, with many big names in action and some intriguing matches taking place- here are three of my predictions!

Sara Errani vs Caroline Garcia

16th seed Sara Errani has a very tricky opener against the talented Caroline Garcia. The young Frenchwoman hasn’t been in great form recently but leads the head to head 2-1, with wins over Errani in Madrid and at Wimbledon last year. Errani did, however, beat Garcia in the Fed Cup earlier this year and has had another consistent year overall, highlighted by a title in Rio. Errani will give it her all, as usual, and will not make life easy for Garcia, though I think the young Frenchwoman will pull off the upset here.

Prediction: Garcia in 3

Eugenie Bouchard vs Belinda Bencic

Has Eugenie Bouchard fully recovered from her concussion? Lots of people will be interested to see how she is, and she has a very tricky return against one of the stars of the year, 11th seed Belinda Bencic. Bouchard has slumped this year and has to defend final points from this tournament, though she showed some promise during the American hard court season and pushed Bencic to three sets in Toronto- the only completed meeting between the two. Bencic may struggle with the turn around from being in the Tokyo final, though if she is fit she should win this one and with some ease.

Prediction: Bencic in 2

Agnieszka Radwanska vs Venus Williams

Two players with a very different style of tennis face off as the 11th seed Agnieszka Radwanska faces Venus Williams in a battle between two of the biggest names on the WTA Tour. Radwanska will be confident coming into Wuhan, capping off her resurgence in the past few months with her first title of the year in Tokyo, though she may struggle with the quick turnaround. Williams leads the head to head 7-4 and has won both times they have played this year in 3 sets, though it has been a consistently inconsistent year for her. Radwanska may struggle with the turnaround, though if she is near her best she should edge this one.

Prediction: Radwanska in 3

Also in action

Maria Sharapova plays for the first time since Wimbledon and faces a potentially tricky match against Barbora Strycova. Guangzhou champion Jelena Jankovic takes on Heather Watson, whilst fellow Serbian Ana Ivanovic faces Alexandra Dulgheru. Other interesting matches include Alison Riske vs Sloane Stephens, Mirjana Lucic-Baroni vs Karolina Pliskova and Madison Brengle vs Dominika Cibulkova, whilst US Open finalist Roberta Vinci begins against Danka Kovinic.

2015 Toray Pan Pacific Open- Belinda Bencic vs Agnieszka Radwanska

There is an interesting final in Tokyo this year, as 8th seed Belinda Bencic takes on 7th seed Agnieszka Radwanska. It should be an interesting match between two players who play in a very different style and could still qualify for the WTA Finals- here is my prediction!

Belinda Bencic has had a great year and has had another impressive week here. After losing no games to Chinese qualifier Xu Yifan, she came from a set down to beat Sam Stosur and then eased past fellow rising star  and the 5th seed, Garbine Muguruza. Her most impressive came in the semi-final, where she eased past top seed Caroline Wozniacki to record her 3rd consecutive win over the world No.6 and reach her 5th career final- she is certainly rounding into form nicely.

It hasn’t been the greatest year for Agnieszka Radwanska, compared to her high standards, but she has looked in much better form this week against difficult opponents. After easing past Coco Vandeweghe in the 1st round, she then eased past the dangerous Elina Svitolina in the 2nd round before beating 4th seed Karolina Pliskova, also with relative ease. It was another comfortable performance against Dominika Cibulkova in the semi-final, and the Pole has not conceded a single set on her way to the final.

It promises to be close on paper- Radwanska is the world No.13 whilst Bencic is just two spots lower- and based on current form we should get a high quality match. Bencic is usually very composed and having won two big titles already this year (Eastbourne and Toronto) she will certainly not be nervous, and will remember beating Radwanska in the Eastbourne final for her first career title. For Bencic it is key that she is patient, as Radwanska will make her work for points, and she will also need a high first serve percentage, as even though Radwanska isn’t powerful she can control points on her opponents second serve. It is also important for Radwanska to serve well, as Bencic is more powerful and can attack Radwanska’s second serve, whilst she must also stay in points to try and force errors and frustrate the Swiss No2.

It promises to be an extremely close battle and hopefully there will be a high quality match. It could well be tight, and I think the power and confidence of Bencic will edge this one.

Prediction: Bencic in 3

2015 US Open- Day 5 Women’s Picks

3rd round action begins today, and there are many extremely interesting matches taking place- here are my predictions!

Madison Keys vs Agnieszka Radwanska

An extremely interesting battle of power vs finesse takes place today, with 19th Madison Keys facing off against 15th seed Agnieszka Radwanska. Both women have cruised so far, with Keys easing past Klara Koukalova and Tereza Smitkova and Radwanska easing past Katerina Siniakova and Magda Linette. It is certainly important for Keys to manage her power here; she can easily overpower the Pole, but she doesn’t want to hit many errors, which is the downfall of many people who lose to Radwanska. However it will also be interesting to see how long Radwanska can stay with the American’s play if Keys is striking and placing the ball well. Radwanska leads the head to head 4-0, but their last meeting at Wimbledon was extremely tight and with the crowd behind her, it seems Keys could reach the 4th round of the US Open for the first time.

Prediction: Keys in 3

Belinda Bencic vs Venus Williams

Another interesting match takes place here as the rising star Belinda Bencic faces the former world No.1 and 7-time grand slam champion Venus Williams. Bencic eased past Sesil Karatantcheva in her first match, but had to save 3 match points against Misaki Doi and will need to be much better today. Venus Williams has been pushed twice, seeing off Monica Puig and Irina Falconi in 3 sets, and may also need to play slightly better if she wants to beat an in-form Bencic. Williams is certainly the most powerful of the two and could over power Bencic is she’s at her best, though the Swiss No.1 has been in much better form than Williams recently and has been more consistent this year. That should help Bencic win this match, though Williams won’t make it easy.

Prediction: Bencic in 3

Elina Svitolina vs Ekaterina Makarova

Two good hard court players face off here as as 17th seed Elina Svitolina faces 13th seed Ekaterina Makarova. Both women have been comfortable so far, with Svitolina easing past Elizaveta Kulichkova and Kaia Kanepi, whilst Makarova has cruised past Teliana Pereira and Lauren Davis for the loss of just 9 games. Makarova was a semi-finalist at the US Open last year, but has struggled with injuries in the past few weeks- she’s had to pull out the doubles here- and has had very little preparation coming into this tournament. Svitolina has had a strong year and had a strong preparation for Flushing Meadows- reaching the last 4 in Stanford and Cincinnati- and is currently in much better form than the Russian. Svitolina should win this, but Makarova can severely test her if she’s fit.

Prediction: Svitolina in 2

Also in action

Serena Williams continues her campaign against Bethanie Mattek-Sands, whilst another interesting match takes place between Eugenie Bouchard and Dominika Cibulkova. Other players in action include Kiki Mladenovic and Roberta Vinci.

W&S Open- Thursday Women’s Predictions

There are some intriguing third round matches on the women’s side, with many of the big names in action. It should be exciting- here are three of my predictions!

Lucie Safarova vs Belinda Bencic

Belinda Bencic will be looking to increase her winning streak to nine as she faces 7th seed Lucie Safarova first on Center today in an intriguing match up. Their only previous meeting was a tight three setter in Tokyo, which Safarova edged, but both have improved greatly since then. Safarova, who reached the French Open final in June, edged past Coco Vandeweghe in two sets in her only match so far whilst Bencic has seen off both 11th seed Angelique Kerber and Flavia Pennetta in straight sets so far. On current form Bencic would probably win this match, though she has played lots of matches recently and it will be interesting to see if she will be affected physically. Safarova can beat almost anyone when she is at her best, but hasn’t been in great form lately and if Bencic is playing well it looks likely the new Swiss No. 1 will win.

Prediction: Bencic in 2

Sloane Stephens vs Ana Ivanovic

The crowd on Stadium 3 will have a treat this evening as the resurgent Sloane Stephens faces 6th seed Ana Ivanovic. Stephens won her first title in Washington two weeks ago and cruised past 10th seed Carla Suarez Navarro in the first round, though she had to battle past qualifier Mona Barthel in three sets yesterday. Ivanovic hasn’t been in great form this year, but it’s hard to tell how she’ll play today as after she received a bye in the first round, Venus Williams withdrew from their second round clash. Ivanovic leads the head to head 2-1, but Stephens won their last meeting at Indian Wells last year and is playing great tennis under Nick Saviano. There could well be an upset here.

Prediction: Stephens in 3

Karolina Pliskova vs Jelena Jankovic

There is an interesting battle on Grandstand today, as 7th seed and rising star Karolina Pliskova faces former world No.1 and veteran Jelena Jankovic today. Pliskova has had a great year overall but lost early in Toronto last year and didn’t have an easy win against Timea Babos yesterday, though she did come through in straight sets. Jankovic has also had a tricky road so far, battling past Madison Brengle in three sets before seeing off Madison Keys in two tight sets yesterday. Pliskova has played the better tennis this year and ,when playing well, makes few errors. However Jankovic is a counterpuncher and could frustrate Pliskova, considering her slight pick up in form recently. However, based on form overall, it seems Pliskova will win this match.

Prediction: Pliskova in 3

Also in action

Serena Williams continues her campaign against Karin Knapp, whilst Simona Halep faces 15th seed Andrea Petkovic on Grandstand. Caroline Garcia faces 14th seed Elina Svitolina in a battle of rising stars, whilst Victoria Azarenka plays Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Qualifier Anna Karolina Schmiedlova faces Vavara Lepchenko.