2016 Australian Open- Johanna Konta vs Ekaterina Makarova

Unseeded Johanna Konta looks to become the first female Brit in thirty-two years to make a Grand Slam quarter-final as she faces 21st seed Ekaterina Makarova, in a clash between two women who have been playing well so far in Melbourne. This match takes place on the Margaret Court Arena at around 17:00 Melbourne Time (06:00 UK Time) and the winner will face 15th seed Madison Keys or qualifier Zhang Shuai in the quarter-finals.

Neither of the two has truly been tested so far. Konta started by causing an upset in the opening round, knocking out 8th seed Venus Williams 6-4 6-2, and has continued in a similar vein of form as she beat Zheng Saisai 6-3 6-2 and then Denisa Allertova 6-2 6-2 in the third round. The match against Allertova was the first time she showed no sign of nerves when closing a set (or the match) out; she is getting more and more confident. Makarova has also been impressive. Starting with a 6-3 6-0 win over Maddison Inglis in the opening round, she then beat Tatjana Maria 6-4 6-2 before beating 9th seed Karolina Pliskova 6-3 6-2; a semi-finalist last year, she will be hard to beat here.

The two have both been impressive so far, so it will be interesting to see if they can both reach the level they have so far in Melbourne. Makarova has the stronger game of the two and if she plays her best she’ll be extremely hard to beat, though she can be erratic. Serving will be key for both of them, though it will be more crucial for Konta as Makarova is a better returner and will be able to attack the Brit’s second serve. Though Makarova is the slight favourite for this match there will arguably be more pressure on Konta, as people look to see if she can continue her run.

Konta leads the head to head 1-0, winning their match at Eastbourne last year in straight sets; it was an impressive win by the Brit, though Makarova was slightly injured then. Both have been playing well though Makarova, with her experience and skill, should be able to edge this.

Prediction: Makarova in 3

 

 

2016 Australian Open- Ekaterina Makarova vs Karolina Pliskova

For the second time in a row, 21st seed Ekaterina Makarova and 9th seed Karolina Pliskova face off in the third round in Melbourne. This match takes place on the Margaret Court Arena at 11:00 Melbourne Time (00:00 UK Time) and the winner will face Johanna Konta or Denisa Allertova in the fourth round.

Both Makarova and Pliskova have been comfortable so far; neither of the two has dropped a set in their opening two matches. Makarova has been the more comfortable of the two, cruising past wildcard Maddison Inglis 6-3 6-0 before easing past Tatjana Maria 6-4 6-2; the Russian, a semi-finalist here in 2015, is playing strong tennis despite an average build up and injury problems towards the end of last year. It hasn’t been as straight forward for Pliskova. The Czech star was tested against wildcard Kimberly Birrell as she eventually prevailed 6-4 6-4, though was more impressive as she eased past the dangerous Julia Goerges 7-6 6-1; Pliskova may need to play slightly better to have a good chance of winning, though she did improve in her second round match.

Both women are powerful and very aggressive, so it will be interesting to see who is able to dominate the majority of rallies. One advantage Pliskova could have is that her serve is the biggest weapon on court; another advantage is that this is usually consistent, though she can be prone to bad days. Makarova’s serve can be erratic, but it has been consistent so far and her game has been solid; she’ll be hard to beat if she continues to play well.

Makarova leads the head to head 2-0, with their last meeting being a 6-4 6-4 win at this stage in Melbourne last year. A lot has changed since then (the two have almost swapped positions in terms of seeding) and Pliskova certainly improved in her second round match, though Makarova is playing better tennis and should be able to edge this.

Prediction: Makarova in 3

 

2016 Brisbane International- Ekaterina Makarova vs Andrea Petkovic

There is an interesting second round match on Show Court 1 at the Brisbane International tomorrow as Ekaterina Makarova takes on Andrea Petkovic. This match takes place at around 13:00 Brisbane Time (03:00 UK Time).

Both women had contrasting first round matches. Makarova, ranked just one place above Petkovic in the rankings at 23rd, had to battle past fellow Russian Margarita Gasparyan in a tough three set battle on Tuesday whilst Petkovic cruised past Teliana Pereira for the loss of just three games on Monday; an extra day off could benefit the German.

Makarova and Petkovic are both erratic so it will be interesting to see who is playing the better tennis here. The serve will be key as both of them can have varying first serve percentages, though it is usually Makarova is more consistent at serving. The Russian is also more powerful than Petkovic, though is coming back from injury; could that still be affecting her?

Petkovic has won both their previous meetings, the latest being a straight set win in Miami last year. The German will be much more rested coming into this and will be extremely confident following a strong victory the other day, though Makarova does have the slightly stronger game. This should be tight, but I think Petkovic will just edge this.

Prediction: Petkovic in 3

2015 US Open- Day 7 Picks

Round 4 action starts today, with many interesting matches taking place on both sides of the draw. Here are my picks for two of the men’s and two of the women’s matches today!

Marin Cilic vs Jeremy Chardy

After a tough match on friday, defending champion Marin Cilic should get another tough test today as he faces 27th seed Jeremy Chardy in the opening match on Arthur Ashe Stadium. Cilic was pushed to 5 sets by Mikhail Kukushkin in the 3rd round, and he certainly needs to improve if he doesn’t want to at risk of being upset by Chardy, who reached to semi-finals in Montreal and comes into this match off the back of an impressive 4 set win over David Ferrer. The head to head is evenly split at 1-1, meaning this match is even more difficult to call, though Cilic did win their last meeting in straight sets- at Wimbledon last year- and will certainly be more used to play on big occasions. However there is a lot of pressure on Cilic at this tournament and with Chardy playing good tennis, I think there could be an upset here.

Prediction: Chardy in 5

Serena Williams vs Madison Keys

Serena Williams will be looking for a much more simple match after a tough 3rd round against Bethanie Mattek-Sands, though it seems unlikely she’ll get it as she faces the talented 19th seed Madison Keys on Ashe today. Keys has not lost a set so far and cruised past 15th seed Agnieszka Radwanska, who she hadn’t beaten before in four previous attempts, for the loss of just 5 games in the 3rd round. Keys can match Williams for power and is probably more consistently powerful than Williams, so she certainly could cause an upset here. However Keys, like most the young players on tour, can be erratic and considering that she is prone to errors when she’s not at her best, Williams could get a lot of three points here. Williams could get off to a slow start again and could find near to going out though her experience and mentality should get her the victory today, but it should be very tough.

Prediction: Williams in 3

Benoit Paire vs Jo-Wilfred Tsonga

An all French battle continues action on Louis Armstrong Stadium as 19th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga faces Benoit Paire. Tsonga has not lost a set so far and has looked very impressive, though he hasn’t yet faced a seed. Paire has had an incredible run to this stage, highlighted by saving 2 match points to beat 4th seed Kei Nishikori in the 1st round and then cruising past 26th seed Tommy Robredo in the 3rd round. Paire has improved greatly this year and will not be short of confidence against Tsonga, who hasn’t reached a singles final in over a year. Tsonga is, however, much more used to playing in the latter stages of majors and leads the head to head 2-0, though they haven’t played in almost 3 years. It should be tight, but I think the form and confidence of Paire will lead him to victory.

Prediction: Paire in 5

Kristina Mladenovic vs Ekaterina Makarova

13th seed Ekaterina Makarova faces a difficult match on Ashe on sunday evening as she faces the talented Kristina Mladenovic, who is unseeded. Makarova has already beaten a difficult opponent on Ashe in 17th seed Elina Svitolina and having played on Ashe several times before it seems unlikely that she’ll be nervous. Mladenovic has never reached this stage of a major before, but started well with a straight sets win over 30th seed Svetlana Kuznetsova and has built on that. Both Makarova and Mladenovic have played well this tournament, with neither having dropped a set, and with Makarova having a few injury problems in the build up the Frenchwoman could have an opportunity to reach her 1st grand slam quarter-final. However Makarova has won their previous two meetings, and I think she’ll just edge this one today.

Prediction: Makarova in 3

Also in action

On the Men’s side 1st seed Novak Djokovic takes on 23rd seed Roberto Bautista Agut, whilst 18th seed Feliciano Lopez faces 32nd seed Fabio Fognini. On the women’s side 23rd seed Venus Williams has a good opportunity to make the quarter-finals against qualifier Anett Kontaveit, whilst following a fall it will be interesting to see how 25th seed Eugenie Bouchard plays against Roberta Vinci.

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.

2015 US Open- Day 3 Women’s Picks

2nd round action begins today, with many surprise matches on the women’s side after several seeds fell on Monday- here are three of my predictions for today!

Serena Williams vs Kiki Bertens

Serena Williams continues her campaign for the calendar grand slam and a 4th consecutive US Open title against Dutch Qualifier Kiki Bertens in the day session on Arthur Ashe stadium. Williams benefited from the retirement of Vitalia Diatchenko in the 1st round, but had won all the eight games that had been played and had just conceded five points against her Russian opponent before the premature end of the match. Bertens has had to work considerably harder, coming through qualifying before coming from a set down against Mirjana Lucic-Baroni in the 1st round. The two have never played before, but this match should be no problem to Serena in the form she has been in this year. She’ll only be n danger of losing if she is nervous or starts slowly- that seems extremely unlikely

Prediction: Williams in 2

Lauren Davis vs Ekaterina Makarova

13th seed Ekaterina Makarova may not have the easiest 2nd round match as she faces the young American Lauren Davis on Court 17. Makarova has had injury problems running into the final major of the year, but eased past Teliana Pereira for the loss of just 6 games on monday. Davis also won in straight sets, but had to win with two tiebreaks against Heather Watson. Makarova has great experience and more career success than Davis, and the Russian should also be helped by the fact that she is nine inches taller than her 5’2 opponent. The 13th seed should come through this match, though it could be tough if she is affected by her recent injury or if Davis can put up as much as a fight she did in the 1st round.

Prediction: Makarova in 3

Elina Svitolina vs Kaia Kanepi

Many people are now predicting 17th seed Elina Svitolina to make the semi-finals here, though she doesn’t have the easiest 2nd round match against Kaia Kanepi on Court 7. Svitolina has had a very good year so far, and she continued that with a comfortable win over Elizaveta Kulichkova on monday. Kanepi, a former top 20 player, has been injured in the past few months and has dropped down to 89th in the world, though she was on good form on Monday as she cruised past Anna-Lena Friedsam for the loss of just 2 games. The Estonian has played well at slams in the past, reaching 5 grand slam quarter-finals, and is certainly a potentially dangerous player in tournament she reached the last 16 at a year ago. However Svitolina has much more match practice and has had a very strong year; she should win this one.

Prediction: Svitolina in 2

Also in action

19th seed Madison Keys starts action on Arthur Ashe Stadium against Tereza Smitkova, whilst 23rd seed Venus Williams faces fellow American Irina Falconi in the night session on Ashe. Other players in action include Agnieszka Radwanska, Belinda Bencic, Eugenie Bouchard and Dominika Cibulkova.

2015 Citi Open- Women’s Semi-Finals

Only four women are left standing in Washington, as the tournament is well and truly in the latter stages. The top two seeds are both still in and both face unseeded opponents, but both matches should also be tight with all the women having played very good tennis this tournament- here are my predictions!

Ekaterina Makarova vs Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

A Russian is guaranteed to make the final in Washington, as top seed Ekaterina Makarova faces the unseeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Makarova had difficult matches in the first and second round, seeing off both Alison Van Uytvanck and Naomi Broady in two tight sets, before having to battle past sixth seed Irina-Camelia Begu in 3 sets. Pavlyuchenkova also had to survive a three set quarter-final, seeing off Christina Mchale in a final set tie break, but was impressive in a straight sets win against Belinda Bencic and saw off two-time champion Magdalena Rybarikova 7-6 7-6 in the first round.

Pavlyuchenkova certainly has a great opportunity to reach the final here- she’s been playing great tennis this tournament and Makarova doesn’t always play her best outside slams. Pavlyuchenkova has actually won more career singles titles than Makarova (7 titles to Makarova’s 2) but can be inconsistent and there is no telling what level she brings to her matches. It promises to be close!

Prediction: Pavlyuchenkova in 3

Sloane Stephens vs Sam Stosur

Two women who have been in good form as late face off in this semi-final. After an extremely disappointing 2014, Sloane Stephens has had a consistent year and has been playing much better tennis under the coaching of Nick Saviano. She benefited from the withdrawal of Svetlana Kuznetsova in the 2nd round, but has won her matches against Magda Linette and Louise Chirico in straight sets in fairly convincing style. However Stosur has been playing very good tennis as of late, winning the title in Gstaad and has beaten Kiki Mladenovic and Irina Falconi in straight sets, whilst benefiting from Monica Nicelescu’s retirement on friday.

If both women are playing their best tennis it should be a fantastic match, but consistency can be a problem for both. Stosur will need to make sure she is able to utilize her Kick Serve and have a high serve percentage, as well as having her forehand firing, and will be vulnerable if she is not at her best against a confident Stephens. Stosur leads the head to head 2-0, including in Strasbourg earlier this year, but both meetings have been on clay.

Prediction: Stosur in 3

2015 Citi Open- Women’s Quarter-Finals

Only eight women are still standing in Washington and five of them are unseeded, meaning there is certainly a possibility we could have a surprise champion in the American capital. Here are my picks for the matches today!

Ekaterina Makarova vs Irina-Camelia Begu

The top section is the only section that has gone with the seedings, as top seed Ekaterina Makarova faces 6th seed Irina-Camelia Begu in the last 8. Makarova hasn’t had easy matches so far, but has most importantly seen off Alison Van Uytvanck and Naomi Broady in straight sets to get to this stage. Begu has had a had different path to this stage- after cruising past Madison Brengle in straight sets, she had to battle past Polona Hercog in 3 sets in the second round. The two have met once before and Begu was victorious in straight sets in Moscow last year (Makarova withdrew from their match in Charleston earlier this year) but in the outdoors and in very warm conditions, it will be interesting to see who can play the better tennis.

Prediction: Begu in 3

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs Christina Mchale

An unseeded quarter-final takes place on Grandstand 2 as Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova faces American Christina Mchale. Pavlyuchenkova has been on scintillating form so far, battling past two-time champion Magdalena Rybarikova in two tie breaks before stunning 3rd seed Belinda Bencic 6-2 6-4 in the second round. Everyone knows that Pavlyuchenkova is certainly talented enough to be a force in the game, but she is extremely inconsistent and faces Mchale, who knows how to tough out victories after 3 set victories over 7th seed Coco Vandeweghe and Yulia Putintseva so far in Washington. The Russian won there only previous meeting 3 years ago in Eastbourne and if she plays as well as has so far this tournament she should win, though Mchale will have the crowd behind her and is clearly up for a fight.

Prediction: Pavlyuchenkova in 3

Louise Chirico vs Sloane Stephens

An all American battle takes place between two women who could be future stars of the game. Wildcard Louise Chirico has had a fantastic tournament so far, demolishing Heather Watson before battling past 5th seed Alize Cornet in the second round. Stephens was very impressive in her first round victory over Magda Linette, but unfortunately received a walkover into the quarter-finals after defending champion Svetlana Kuznetsova withdrew from what would have likely have been a fantastic match. Because of this it’s hard to judge how Stephens will play, though if she plays as well as she did in her first match Chirico will have to play very well to beat hear.

Prediction: Stephens in 2

Monica Nicelescu vs Sam Stosur

Two of the best athletes in women’s tennis face off as 2nd seed Sam Stosur faces off against Monica Nicelescu first on Grandstand 1. Both women come into this match in good form- Stosur won at her last tournament in Gastein and has been comfortable so far, beating Kiki Mladenovic and Irina Falconi in straight sets, whilst a runner up spit in Nottingham and a 4th round at Wimbledon have seen Nicelescu come from outside the top 60 to 39th in the world, and she has seen of Lara Arruabarrena in straight sets and Lauren Davis in 3 sets so far here. However the signs are not good for the Romanian; she hasn’t beaten Stosur before in 5 previous meetings. If Stosur plays well, that is very unlikely to change.

Prediction: Stosur in 2

2015 Citi Open- Day 4 Women’s picks

The final second round matches on the women’s side take place in Washington today, and unfortunately there are only three women’s singles matches following the withdrawal of defending champion Svetlana Kuznetsova from her match against Sloane Stephens. Here are my picks for the remaining three matches!

Ekaterina Makarova vs Naomi Broady

There is one Brit left in action but it is likely that it is not the one people expected, as qualifier and world No. 212 Naomi saved a match point to stun Jarmila Gajdosova 3-6 7-5 7-6. Broady has been rewarded for her incredible effort with a match against top seed and world No.12 Ekaterina Makarova. The Russian started the season well, reaching the semi-finals at the Australian Open, but hasn’t played her best tennis since and lost early at Wimbledon. However you would have to expect Makarova to beat someone 200 places lower than her, though if Broady can serve as well as she did on Tuesday (She hit an incredible 19 aces) she can give herself a fighting chance.

Prediction: Makarova in 2

Belinda Bencic vs Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

3rd seed Belinda Bencic has a potentially difficult second round against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. The 24 year old Russian hasn’t had a great year but is a former world No. 12 and seven-time title winner on the WTA tour, and many believe that she could be a threat for slams if she could get consistency. However it is Bencic who is consistent at the moment having won Eastbourne and made the fourth round of Wimbledon, before a 7-5 6-4 win over Tereza Smitkova. If Bencic plays at her best she should win though if Pavlyuchenkova plays at her best she could push, maybe even beat, the world No. 18.

Prediction: Bencic in 3

Yulia Putintseva vs Christina Mchale

Both these women came through three-setters to set up their second round encounter; Mchale saw off fellow American Coco Vandeweghe 6-2 4-6 6-4 whilst Putintseva rallied from a break down in the final set to battle past Kurumi Nara 4-6 6-4 7-6. Both Mchale and Putintseva will be well rested after not having to play on Wednesday, and it will be interesting to see who comes out and plays their best tennis early on in the match. Putintseva is fiery and won their only previous meeting. However that was over two years ago and Mchale has the advantage of having a home crowd- It will certainly be intense!

Prediction: Putintseva in 3

Also in action

The is a Russia vs UK battle in the doubles, as Alla Kudryavtseva and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova face Jocelyn Rae and Anna Smith. Irina Falconi and Monica Nicelescu also face off against Chia-Jung Chuang and Chen Liang.

2015 Citi Open- Day 2 Women’s Picks

The action for the women continues in Washington, as more seeds begin their quest to win the 2015 Citi Open title. Here are three of my predictions for today!

Kristina Mladenovic vs Sam Stosur

An extremely intriguing battle kicks off the action on Grandstand 1 as 2nd seed Sam Stosur takes on the talented Kristina Mladenovic. The young Frenchwoman has had a good year, and is just one place off her career high ranking (set last month) of 35th. Stosur’s year has been highlighted by titles in Strasbourg, where she beat Mladenovic, and at her last tournament in Gastein but has not played well at the slams this year. The 2011 US Open champion has a good opportunity to improve her current ranking of 21st, with very few points to defend over the coming tournaments, but will have a tough opener against Mladenovic.

Prediction: Stosur in 3

Ekaterina Makarova vs Alison Van Uytvanck

Top seed Makarova doesn’t have the easiest opening match against French Open quarter finalist Alison Van Uytvanck. The coming few weeks will be important for Makarova, as she has semi-final points to defend at the Rogers Cup and the US Open following a disappointing grass court season. Makarova doesn’t always play her best outside the slams and the young Belgian Van Uytvanck, who has the best year of her career, has the potential to cause a surprise result on Court 1.

Prediction: Makarova in 3

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs Magdalena Rybarikova

An intrguing battle of unseeded players takes place last on Grandstand 2, as  40th ranked Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova faces 45th ranked Magdalena Rybarikova. These two have played 3 times before, and Slovakian Rybarikova cruised past the Russian Pavlyuchenkova 6-1 6-1 in the final here two years ago. Both women could make a deep run here, but it all depends on who has the consistency today.

Prediction: Rybarikova in 3

Also in action

Defending champion Svetlana Kuznetsova begins her campaign against US qualifier Sanaz Marand, whilst Belinda Bencic begins her campaign against Tereza Smitkova and Sloane Stephens takes on Magda Linette. Also Stadium Court kicks off with an all-American battle between Coco Vandeweghe and Christina Mchale.