2016 Miami Open- Dominika Cibulkova vs Garbine Muguruza

One of the most interesting clashes of the day sees two Grand Slam finalists face off, with Dominika Cibulkova facing 4th seed Garbine Muguruza at the Miami Open. This clash takes place on Grandstand at around 13:00 Miami Time (17:00 UK Time) and the winner will face 27th seed Kiki Mladenovic or wildcard Nicole Gibbs in the 3rd round.

Cibulkova has had a decent start to the season so far and rebounded well in the first round, coming from behind to beat Johanna Larsson 4-6 6-1 6-2 to set up this clash; the Slovakian has played some good tennis this season and will be hard to beat. As a seeded player Muguruza has the advantage of receiving a bye in the first round, but the Spaniard has not been at her best this season; she’ll probably need to play quite well today.

Muguruza does have the biggest weapons of the two, due to her height and power advantage over Cibulkova, but has been erratic so far this season and must not make too many errors against such as solid opponent. The Spaniard should also look to serve well against a decent returner and should look try and finish points off as quickly as possible, as Cibulkova is a decent defender and is capable of hanging in when under attack. As for Cibulkova, her serving can be erratic and she must look to serve at a high first serve percentage, as Muguruza can be a good returner. The Slovakian is also a good attacker and should try to attack as much as possible, especially on Muguruza’s serve, and she will need to defend well against Muguruza’s raw power.

Muguruza leads the head to head 2-0, winning their last meeting in Stanford in 2014 in three sets. The Spaniard will need to improve her level to win this match and with Cibulkova playing some decent tennis this could be a tight clash. Muguruza does have more power than the Slovakian, though it seems that Cibulkova could pull off the upset here.

Prediction: Cibulkova in 3

 

 

2016 Hobart International- Dominika Cibulkova vs Eugenie Bouchard

Two high-profile WTA stars face off in the first Hobart semi-final as 3rd seed Dominika Cibulkova takes on Eugenie Bouchard in an interesting match up. This match will take place at any time after 14:30 Hobart Time (03:30 UK Time).

It has been a comfortable road for both women so far. Cibulkova started with a tough straight sets win over Johanna Konta, though then cruised past Kimberly Birrell (losing just one game) and eased past Kiki Bertens in the quarter-finals. Bouchard started with a comfortable win over Bethanie Mattek-Sands but then had a tighter straight sets win over Alison Van Uytvanck, though was comfortable again versus second seed Camila Giorgi.

Both women are generally aggressive and can be prone to errors, so this could well be a scrappy match; however if both are playing well it could be exciting. Bouchard is probably the more powerful of the two and that could be an advantage; she is also playing confident tennis again after a disappointing 2015 on many levels. Despite this, Cibulkova is more experienced and is good at turning defense into attack.

Bouchard leads the head to head 1-0; their only meeting was a thrilling match won by the Canadian in three sets. Both are playing well in Hobart, so it could be tight, but I think that Bouchard will have too much power for Cibulkova and will edge this.

Prediction: Bouchard in 3

2016 Brisbane International- Dominika Cibulkova vs Roberta Vinci

An interesting match takes place first on Show Court 1 as Dominika Cibulkova takes on 8th seed Roberta Vinci as the second round action begins. This match takes place at 11:00 Brisbane Time (01:00 UK Time).

Both women had to come from a set down in their opening round matches. Cibulkova struggled early on with the height and power of Yanina Wickmayer, but battled to eventually see off the Belgian 3-6 6-4 6-4. Vinci struggled against the strong defence of Jelena Jankovic early on, but eventually beat the Serbian 3-6 6-2 6-4.

Neither of the two are particularly powerful but Cibulkova probably has more power, and she is certainly the most aggressive of the two; Vinci could struggle if Cibulkova is near her best. However Vinci has a much more unusual game and she is capable of frustrating Cibulkova and dictating rallies with her slices and top spins; she’s also much more comfortable at the net.

The two have met several times before with Vinci leading the head to head 5-3, though they haven’t played each other in over two years. Cibulkova has played well in Australia the past few years and her aggressive nature is certainly a threat to Vinci, though the Italian will still be extremely confident following a strong run towards the end of last year. This should be tight but I think the creative play of Vinci will help her edge this match.

Prediction: Vinci in 3

2015 Kremlin Cup- Dominika Cibulkova vs Carla Suarez Navarro

5th seed Carla Suarez Navarro looks to keep her quest to make the WTA Finals alive as she faces the tricky Dominika Cibulkova in the Kremlin Cup second round. This match is scheduled for any time after 20:00 Moscow Time (18:00 UK Time).

Carla Suarez Navarro was 4th on the Road To Singapore at one stage, though a poor second half of the year means she’ll have to rely on other results, as well as reaching at least the semi-finals here, to reach the WTA Finals. She received a bye in the 1st round, and won’t have an easy first match against Dominika Cibulkova. The Slovakian missed 5 months of the year due to a foot injury and fell out of the top 60 after beginning the year at world No.10, though is nearing the top 30 again after some good results recently. She started here with a relatively comfortable 7-5 6-1 win over Elena Vesnina.

The two have played three times previously (all since 2014) and it has been plain sailing for Cibulkova so far, not dropping a single set to Suarez Navarro with their last meeting being a 6-4 6-4 win for the Slovakian in Tokyo- their first meeting was a 6-1 6-0 drubbing at the Australian Open last year. Cibulkova will need to serve well, but should also bring her normal, energetic game on court and look to attack at every opportunity- it has clearly worked previously. Suarez Navarro may need to try something different to unsettle Cibulkova, but she’ll also need to serve well and not give the Slovakian many opportunities on second serves. The Spaniard should also try to frustrate Cibulkova, and force errors from the Slovakian.

Both women have a lot to play for, with Suarez Navarro aiming to reach Singapore whilst Cibulkova will be looking to try to get a seeding for the Australian Open. This match could be tight, but there is clearly something about Cibulkova’s game that Suarez Navarro can’t handle and with the Slovakian in improving form, it seems likely she’ll see off the out-of-form Suarez Navarro.

Prediction: Cibulkova in 3

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2015 China Open- Women’s Day 4 Predictions

The 2nd round action continues to for the women, with many of big stars left still in action. It should be a great day- here are three of my predictions.

Andrea Petkovic vs Sam Stosur

13th seed Andrea Petkovic faces a difficult 2nd round match against Sam Stosur in the 3rd match on Moon Court. Petkovic may benefit from an early finish on monday, following the retirement of Eugenie Bouchard, though Stosur was impressive in her win over Monica Niculescu yesterday. This is the first time the two have played on the WTA tour- they have played three times in the Fed Cup, with Petkovic leading the head to head 2-1- and it should be a competitive match. It should be tight, though Petkovic should have enough to see off Stosur and her kick serve.

Prediction: Petkovic in 3

Angelique Kerber vs Dominika Cibulkova

10th seed Angelique Kerber should have a tricky match against the resurgent Dominika Cibulkova in the 3rd match on Lotus Court. Kerber has been in strong form the past few months and should have recovered in time after reaching the semi-finals in Wuhan, benefiting from a bye here. Cibulkova had to overcome Jelena Jankovic in a tricky opening match, though she is playing good tennis after months out with injury earlier this year. Cibulkova leads the head to head 4-3, though Kerber has one the past 3 meetings between the two and on current form, she should have enough for this one.

Prediction: Kerber in 3

Ana Ivanovic vs Venus Williams

A blockbuster match begins the night session on the National Tennis Stadium as 6th seed Ana Ivanovic takes on Wuhan champion Venus Williams. The American received a bye in the 1st round, following her run to the title in Wuhan, though she may be tired and it will be interesting to see if she’s coped with the turnaround. Whilst Ivanovic has had an average year  overall, she was very impressive in the 1st round against Casey Dellacqua and will be confident after that result. Williams has dominated the head to head, leading 9-2, though I think Ivanovic will take this one.

Prediction: Ivanovic in 3

Also in action

8th seed Caroline Wozniacki starts action on the National Tennis Stadium against Qiang Wang, whilst US Open champion Flavia Pennetta faces Teliana Pereira on the Lotus Court. Carolina Garcia faces Sara Errani whilst Marina Duque-Marino faces 12th seed Timea Bacsinszky and Lara Arruabarrena takes on Bethanie Mattek-Sands.

2015 US Open- Day 1 Women’s Picks

The final major of the year is finally here, and already on the 1st day there are some very intriguing matches taking place on the women’s side. I did predict three matches for today, but unfortunately Maria Sharapova has withdrawn from the tournament and I did make a prediction for her match against Daria Gavrilova. Here are my two predictions for today!

Eugenie Bouchard vs Alison Riske

Eugenie Bouchard will be looking to finally pick up some form this year at the US Open, though has a very difficult 1st round match against Alison Riske. Bouchard has been in awful form this year, falling from 5th to 25th in the world and lost in the 1st round at the French Open and Wimbledon this year. There were some signs of improvement in Cincinnati but she then slumped to a dismal loss to Roberta Vinci in New Haven, winning just 1 game. Riske also one just two games in her loss to Caroline Wozniacki, but had a stronger few tournaments before that- she pushed Elina Svitolina to three sets twice and beat players like Carla Suarez Navarro and Timea Bacsinszky. Bouchard has won their past 4 meetings, including a straight sets win in Eastbourne earlier this year, but has struggled for consistency and the crowd will be fully behind Riske in this match. It could be tight, but Riske could edge this match today.

Prediction: Riske in 3

Ana Ivanovic vs Dominika Cibulkova

Ana Ivanovic showed some signs of better form in Cincinnati but doesn’t have the easiest opening match against Dominika Cibulkova, which starts action on Arthur Ashe Stadium. Ivanovic has been in generally poor form this year but pushed Serena Williams in the Cincinnati quarter-finals a few weeks ago. Cibulkova has missed several months due to injury this year and is out of the top 50, but had two tough victories last week in New Haven and then pushed eventual finalist Lucie Safarova to a third set. The head to head is 2-2 with Ivanovic having won the last two times they’ve played, and if she is near her best Cibulkova will probably have little chance later today. However Ivanovic has not been great this year and Cibulkova will have an opportunity if the former world No. 1 is in poor form. It could be tough, though the better form and fitness of Ivanovic should help her win this one.

Prediction: Ivanovic in 2

Also in action

Top seed Serena Williams will be looking to get her quest to complete the Calendar Grand Slam to a good start against Vitalia Diatchenko, whilst former champion and 30th seed Svetlana Kuznetsova has a tough match against Kiki Mladenovic. 29th seed Sloane Stephens has a difficult match against Coco Vandeweghe, whilst other seeds in action include Madison Keys, Agnieszka Radwanska, Belinda Bencic, Venus Williams, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Karolina Pliskova, Elina Svitolina, Ekaterina Makarova, Carla Suarez Navarro and Jelena Jankovic.

2015 Connecticut Open- Quarter-Final Predictions

Only eight women are left standing in New Haven, with a combination of the top seed and some surprise packages left in the tournament- here are my predictions for today!

Lesia Tsurenko vs Karolina Pliskova

5th seed Karolina Pliskova will be looking to play much better tennis today as she faces Lucky Loser Lesia Tsurenko in the first quarter-final of the day. She played badly in Toronto and Cincinnati and was not at her best in the first round, edging past qualifier Polona Hercog. However she was much more comfortable against another qualifier, Olga Savchuk, in the second round yesterday. Tsurenko lost in qualifying but was chosen to replace Simona Halep, who withdrew, at the top of the draw and received a bye in the first round. She then cruised past Barbora Strycova in her second round match, and has been in great form this year. Pliskova leads the head to head 2-1 but they haven’t played since 2012 and both have improved since then. Pliskova should be able to edge this one, though Tsurenko could make life difficult for the Czech.

Prediction: Pliskova in 3

Lucie Safarova vs Dominika Cibulkova

Lucie Safarova will be looking to make her first semi-final since the French Open as she faces Dominika Cibulkova in the second quarter-final today. Safarova has had two potentially difficult matches against Daria Gavrilova and Irina-Camelia Begu, and she saw both women off by the relatively comfortable scoreline 6-3 6-4. It’s been much more difficult for Cibulkova, who’s returning from injury, as she’s had to battle past Tsvetana Pironkova and Kiki Mladenovic in two long, three set matches. She has had the benefit of a day off and leads the head to head 4-1, including a tight two sets victory in Eastbourne earlier this year. There is clearly something a bout Cibulkova’s game that bothers Safarova and whilst it seems logical to back Safarova, Cibulkova can’t be ruled out here.

Prediction: Safarova in 3

Caroline Garcia vs Caroline Wozniacki

The final match of the day sees a battle of Caroline vs Caroline, as the unseeded Garcia faces the 3rd seed and four-time champion Wozniacki. Garcia has been very impressive so far, cruising past 6th seed Timea Bacsinszky before edging past Magdalena Rybarikova in two tight sets. Wozniacki improved her form with crushing victory over Alison Riske in her first match, but then had to save three match points against the very tricky Roberta Vinci. Garcia is extremely talented but can be very erratic and will need to be near her best to be able to beat Wozniacki. However Wozniacki’s form has been average this year and Garcia could potentially overpower the Dane if she’s not at her best. Wozniacki will be the favourite, though I think Garcia could edge this if she plays well,

Prediction: Garcia in 3

Agnieszka Radwanska vs Petra Kvitova

The only quarter where the seedings have worked out delivers a mouth-watering quarter-final, as 7th seed Agnieszka Radwanska faces 2nd seed Petra Kvitova in third match of the day. Radwanska hasn’t been in great form this year but has played well so far in New Haven, cruising past Coco Vandeweghe before easing past Alize Cornet without losing a set. There were lots of doubts coming in with Kvitova, due to her diagnosis with Mono, but by beating Madison Keys from a set down, losing only three games in the final two sets, she recorded her first win of the summer hard court season. Kvitova leads the head to head 5-2 and both times she’s lost to Radwanska it’s been at the WTA Finals and she has played badly; if she’s not at her best it could be a repeat of that today. However if she’s near her best Radwanska will probably struggle to cope with her power. With Kvitova suffering with Mono we don’t know how well she’ll show up, though she should just edge this match.

Prediction: Kvitova in 3

2015 Connecticut Open- Tuesday Predictions

Action continues in New Haven on Tuesday, with some first round matches and second round matches taking place at the Connecticut Open- Here are my predictions for three of the matches today!

Caroline Wozniacki vs Alison Riske

3rd seed and 4-time champion Caroline Wozniacki will be desperately looking for form before the US Open, but faces a difficult first round match against Alison Riske. Wozniacki has lost her first match in Stanford, Toronto and and Cincinnati and really needs to play better as she is in danger of slipping out of the top 5 after the US Open. Riske has played well in this summer hard court season, pushing Elina Svitolina to three sets twice and beating players such as Carla Suarez Navarro and Timea Bacsinszky over the past few weeks. This is certainly a great opportunity for Riske, and if she plays well she should see off Wozniacki if the Dane is still in poor form. However Riske can be erratic and if she isn’t playing well, Wozniacki will have an opportunity.

Prediction: Riske in 3

Lucie Safarova vs Irina-Camelia Begu

4th seed Lucie Safarova could have a difficult match as she faces Irina-Camelia Begu on Tuesday evening. Safarova hasn’t been in great form since her run to the French Open final but reached the quarter-finals in Cincinnati and played a good match against the talented Daria Gavrilova in the first round. Begu is having the best year, reaching a career high of 28th in the world, and battled past Zarina Diyas in the first round. Begu actually won the only meeting between the two, prevailing in three sets in Moscow last year, and both women have seemingly improved since then so it should be a competitive match. Safarova should have the edge in this match, though Begu will be able to push the 4th seed.

Prediction: Safarova in 3

Dominika Cibulkova vs Kristina Mladenovic

Dominika Cibulkova looks to continue her comeback as she faces rising star Kiki Mladenovic in the second round. Cibulkova has had mixed results during her comeback so far, but toughed out a three sets victory over Tsevtana Pironkova in the first round. Mladenovic was also made to work in her first round match, but eventually pulled off the upset against 8th seed Sara Errani and will be confident following that result. Cibulkova has won all four of their previous meetings, including in Sydney earlier this year, but has been injured since then and is not in as great shape as she was earlier on in the year. It’s been a good year for Mladenovic, reaching her first career final in Strasbourg, and this is a great opportunity for her to record her first victory over Cibulkova.

Prediction: Mladenovic in 3

Also in action

Barbora Strycova starts the action today against lucky loser Lesia Tsurenko, whilst Magdalena Rybarikova faces Caroline Garcia. There are also several doubles matches taking place.