2016 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix- Ana Ivanovic vs Karolina Pliskova

Two players who have under-performed so far in 2016 face off at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix on Wednesday, with Ana Ivanovic taking on Karolina Pliskova in a second round match. This will be the final singles match of the day, taking place at around 20:30 Stuttgart time (19:30 UK Time), and the winner will face 1st seed Agnieszka Radwanska or Andrea Petkovic in the quarter-finals.

It’s fair to say that neither Ivanovic or Pliskova have impressed too much this season, though they were both able to win an opening match here. Ivanovic was the more comfortable of the two, struggling in the first set but eventually seeing of Carina Witthoeft 7-6 6-0; she may need to improve, though will be happy with that second set performance. Things were much more difficult for Pliskova, though she battled past fellow Czech star (and 8th seed) Lucie Safarova 7-6 4-6 7-5 in a tight match; she may need to improve, but she could be confident after such a tough win.

Both have big weapons, with Pliskova having a big serve and Ivanovic having a strong forehand. Each are crucial for the respective player, and both must use this effectively to have a strong chance of winning this match. Apart from her serve, Pliskova also has a powerful game overall, with big groundstrokes. She should use these to try and dictate play and put Ivanovic on the back foot. However, she cannot let Ivanovic try and dictate her, as Pliskova is not the greatest mover on clay and Ivanovic is very experienced on the surface. Ivanovic must serve well (this is the most erratic part of her game) and must also be careful to not make too many errors, though is the strongest clay court player of the two and should look to try and dictate play with every opportunity she gets.

Pliskova dominates the head to head 4-0, conceding just one set to Ivanovic, and stormed past the Serbian in less than an hour in Indian Wells earlier this year. Ivanovic is the stronger of the two on clay and was more comfortable in the second round, though there is clearly something about Pliskova’s game that bothers the Serbian and if Pliskova brings her best, she should edge this.

Prediction: Pliskova in 3

2016 BNP Paribas Open- Victoria Azarenka vs Karolina Pliskova

Two in-form players face off in Indian Wells, with 13th seed Victoria Azarenka facing 18th seed Karolina Pliskova for a place in the BNP Paribas Open final. This match is set to take place at any time after 21:00 California Time (04:00 UK Time) and the winner will face 1st seed Serena Williams or 3rd seed Agnieszka Radwanska in the final.

Both women have played pretty well so far. Azarenka recorded comfortable wins over Zarina Diyas and Zhang Shuai though was pushed to three sets by 26th seed Sam Stosur in the fourth round, before not dropping  a game to Magdalena Rybarikova in the quarter-final; she’ll be extremely confident after that last win. Pliskova has had a similar road to this stage. The 18th seed also dropped a set in the fourth round, edging past 25th seed Johanna Konta, but had previously cruised past Shelby Rogers and 14th seed Ana Ivanovic, and eased past Daria Kasatkina in the quarter-final; she has regained her confidence after a tricky start to 2015.

Both women have a lot of power, so it will be interesting to see who is able to dictate most the rallies in this clash. Pliskova’s biggest weapon is her serve and that will need to be firing against Azarenka, who is a strong returner, and the Czech star should also be careful not to make too many errors; Azarenka is strong enough to take advantage of any mistakes. The former world number one is the more experienced of the two and probably has the stronger game, but must be careful to not make too many errors and should be careful playing against such a confident opponent.

The head to head between the two is split at 1-1, with Pliskova edging a three set win the last time they played- in Brisbane last year. Pliskova has been playing well so far this week and certainly has an opportunity here, though Azarenka, with her strong form and extra consistency, should edge this.

Prediction: Azarenka 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 Australian Open- Julia Goerges vs Karolina Pliskova

One of the final clashes on day four of the Australian Open sees an interesting clash between Julia Goerges and 9th seed Karolina Pliskova. This match is scheduled to take place on the Rod Laver Arena at around 21:00 Melbourne Time (10:00 UK Time) and the winner will face 21st seed Ekaterina Makarova or Tatjana Maria in the third round.

Both women were fairly comfortable in their opening round matches. Goerges was arguably more impressive, seeing off the potentially dangerous Romanian Andreea Mitu 6-3 6-4. Pliskova won in straight sets as well, though her win was a bit closer than expected as she beat Australian wildcard Kimberly Birrell 6-4 6-4. It was a decent performance by Pliskova, though she will have to improve against Goerges.

Both Goerges and Pliskova are powerful and aggressive, so there may not be too many long rallies in this. Pliskova is the stronger server of the two and that could be a key advantage- is she is serving well. The 9th seed can still be erratic and is yet to perform well in a major, and Goerges is not necessarily the type of opponent Pliskova would like to play. The German is also erratic, but has performed well in Melbourne before and a run to the final in Auckland a couple of weeks ago shows she is playing well.

Pliskova leads the head to head 1-0, winning a tight match back in Pattaya in 2014. Whilst Pliskova is the favourite for this match, Goerges is playing good tennis of late and it seems that there could well be an upset here.

Prediction: Goerges in 3

2016 Apia International Sydney- Simona Halep vs Karolina Pliskova

The first women’s match on the Ken Rosewall Arena sees an interesting match between 1st seed Simona Halep and 5th seed Karolina Pliskova. This match is expected to take place at any time after 16:00 Sydney Time (05:00 UK Time).

So far Pliskova has been more comfortable than Halep, though the Czech star has played an extra match. Pliskova started with an impressive straight sets win over Ana Ivanovic; she was even more impressive as she cruised past Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Halep received a bye in the first round, and in her only match so far was pushed to three sets by Caroline Garcia.

Pliskova has the bigger weapons of the two, which is naturally an advantage, and is also playing better tennis at the moment, though she can be erratic and play poorly against those at the top of the game. Whilst Halep is known to have her bad days she is generally more consistent than her opponent and there are no real weaknesses that Pliskova could exploit if the Romanian is playing well, though Halep is returning from injury and wasn’t entirely convincing yesterday.

Halep leads the head to head 2-0; both wins were last year in straight sets, though neither of them were one-sided. The Romanian would be the favourite for this match but with the way Pliskova is playing, and the fact that Halep may not be at her best, makes me think that Pliskova will pull off a minor upset here.

Prediction: Pliskova in 3

2015 Fed Cup Final- Karolina Pliskova vs Maria Sharapova

The second singles match of the day could be crucial, and it sees Karolina Pliskova take on Maria Sharapova. Both women played well in their last tournament, so it could be a tight match.

Maria Sharapova played some good tennis to reach the semi-finals at the WTA Finals, and will not be bothered by the partisan Czech crowd behind Pliskova- if anything, it will be the kind of atmosphere that she thrives on. Sharapova ended the year at 4th despite missing a large chunk of the year due to injury, so she will be very confident about her level coming into this.There could well be nerves on Pliskova’s part (especially if Petra Kvitova loses to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the first match) and considering she has rarely played in the Fed Cup before, she may be too inexperienced. Also, despite reaching the final in Zhuhai, Pliskova seemed tired towards the end of the season- will she be fully fit for this crucial clash?

The two have never played each other before, so it could be interesting to see who is able to adapt and get used to each others game first. Pliskova could cause trouble with her serve and there probably won’t be too many long rallies considering Pliskova’s attacking style, though she may end up making too many errors. Sharapova is by far the stronger player and should be able to win this one and if she plays well, it could be comfortable.

Prediction: Sharapova in 2

2015 Wuhan Open- Quarter-Final Predictions

Only eight women are left standing at the Wuhan, with many surprise quarter-finalists but also a few of the bigger names still in the mix. It should be a great day- see my predictions here!

Johanna Konta vs Venus Williams

Qualifier Johanna Konta will be aiming to continue her impressive run against 7 times grand slam champions Venus Williams in the 3rd quarter-final. Konta has been playing well recently and topped off her recent run of form with a stunning 3 set victory over 1st seed Simona Halep in the 3rd round- she certainly won’t be short of confidence coming into this match. However Williams herself has also played well this tournament, with wins over seeds such as Agnieszka Radwanska and Carla Suarez Navarro as well as qualifier Julia Goerges, and could overpower Konta if she is near her best. The American can be inconsistent tough, and Konta will be ready for this match. It might be tight, but Williams should edge this.

Prediction: Williams in 3

Roberta Vinci vs Karolina Pliskova

The first quarter-final of the day sees a battle of experience against youth as 15th seed Roberta Vinci faces 8th seed Karolina Pliskova. After reaching the US Open final, Vinci has continued her strong form and was impressive in a straight sets win over defending champion Petra Kvitova in the 3rd round. In contrast Pliskova hasn’t played that well in the past few weeks and with two tough  three-set matches here (against Mirjana Lucic-Baroni and Elina Svitolina) she may be slightly tired. However Vinci has had to play an extra match, meaning their fitness could be around the same level. If this match goes with current form, Vinci should win this comfortably.

Prediction: Vinci in 2

Garbine Muguruza vs Anna Karolina Schmiedlova

The second quarter-final of the day sees two rising stars face off as 5th seed Garbine Muguruza faces Anna Karolina Schmiedlova. Muguruza has had an extremely impressive tournament so far, cruising past Sloane Stephens and then conceding just one game in the final two sets to Ana Ivanovic after dropping the opener, and will be dangerous after building up some confidence here. It has also been a good tournament for Schmiedlova, coming from behind to beat 4th seed Caroline Wozniacki in her second match and then eased past Kiki Mladenovic in the 3rd round. However she has had to play an extra match than Muguruza so may be worn out and considering how well Muguruza has played this week, it is hard to bet against the Spaniard.

Angelique Kerber vs Coco Vandeweghe

Angelique Kerber could have a difficult match as she faces the talented yet erratic Coco Vandeweghe in the final quarter-final of the day. 6th- seeded Kerber had a tough battle in her opening match against Jelena Jankovic, but eased past Camila Giorgi in the 3rd round and playing someone who plays in a similar style to Vandeweghe previously will help the German greatly. Vandeweghe has had three 3-set matches so far (against Lesia Tsurenko, Caroline Garcia and Barbora Strycova) and her match against Strycova ended at 01:00 am- she could well be tired. She does have the weapons to attack Kerber, though she can be prone to making too many errors. It may be tight, but Kerber should have too much against a tired Vandeweghe.

Prediction: Kerber in 2

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2015 Wuhan Open- Day 4 Predictions

16 women are left in Wuhan, with only 8 players able to make the quarter-finals. It should be an exciting day, with many big names in action as well as some surprise players- here are my predictions for today!

Garbine Muguruza vs Ana Ivanovic

A very interesting match kicks off action on Centre Court, with 5th seed Garbine Muguruza facing 9th seed Ana Ivanovic. Muguruza will be confident coming into this, following arguably her best performance of the year in a 6-2 6-0 drubbing of Sloane Stephens, and having had a bye in the 1st round she’ll still have lots of energy. Ivanovic hasn’t had the advantage of a 1st round bye, but has cruised past Alexandra Dulgheru and Madison Brengle and is playing good tennis after a widely disappointing year. The two have never played before so it is hard what to expect, but with Muguruza being more powerful it could come down to whether she makes more winners or more unforced errors. It should be tight, but I think Muguruza will take this one.

Prediction: Muguruza in 3

Elina Svitolina vs Karolina Pliskova

Two rising stars face off here as 12th seed Elina Svitolina faces 8th seed Karolina Pliskova. It’s been a great year overall for Pliskova though she hasn’t played her best tennis the past few weeks and had a tough battle against Mirjana Lucic-Baroni on monday, edging it in 3 sets. Unlike Pliskova, Svitolina has had to play two matches but has seen off Daniela Hantuchova and Vavara Lepchenko with relative ease- will playing two matches take much out of her? Pliskova leads the head to head 2-0, though they haven’t played since last year. Based on current form, Svitolina should take this.

Prediction: Svitolina in 2

Petra Kvitova vs Roberta Vinci

Defending champion and 3rd seed Petra Kvitova has a difficult 3rd round match against 15th seed Roberta Vinci, who will be confident after reaching the US Open final and winning her opening matches here. Vinci had to work to beat Danka Kovinic in 3 sets in the 1st round, but then put in an impressive performance as she eased past Irina-Camelia Begu. Kvitova received a bye in the 1st round but had to battle past Daria Gavrilova, and will be looking for a much better performance against the veteran Italian. Whilst Kvitova is much more powerful than Vinci, the Italian has a tricky game to play against and could frustrate Kvitova. The head to head is close, with Kvitova leading 3-2, and the Czech star won their last meeting 7-6 6-4 in Beijing last year. It may be tight, but Kvitova should have enough for this one.

Also in action

Simona Halep takes on qualifier Johanna Konta in the night session, whilst Angelique Kerber concludes action on Centre Court against Camila Giorgia. Venus Williams plays Carla Suarez Navarro, whilst Anna Karolina Schmiedlova takes on Kiki Mladenovic and Coco Vandeweghe faces Barbora Strycova.

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

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.