2016 Australian Open- Madison Keys vs Ana Ivanovic

One of the most interesting third round clashes at the Australian Open this year sees 15th seed Madison Keys take on 20th seed Ana Ivanovic. This match is set to take place on the Rod Laver Arena at 19:00 Melbourne Time (08:00 UK Time) and the winner will face Vavara Lepchenko or qualifier Zhang Shuai in the fourth round.

It is 20th seed Ivanovic who has had the more comfortable road so far. She started against wildcard Tammi Patterson who she eased past in a 6-2 6-3 scoreline, and she was almost as comfortable as she beat qualifier Anastasija Sevastova 6-3 6-3 in the second round; the Serbian star has played some good tennis so far, though she hasn’t faced a strong opponent yet. Keys has had a bit more of a difficult time of it. The American started against the dangerous Zarina Diyas who she beat 7-6 6-1, though then had to come from a set down to beat Yaroslava Shvedova (another Kazahkstani) 6-7 6-3 6-3; against some tricky opponents, she has played some good tennis.

Both women are powerful but Keys is much more powerful than Ivanovic and if the American is at her best she’ll be extremely hard to beat; however she can be erratic, and Ivanovic is capable of taking advantage if the American is making far too many errors. Keys also has the strongest serve of the two and that could be an advantage though, like the rest of her game, can be extremely erratic. It will be interesting to see how Ivanovic plays in her first real test of the tournament though she has played surprisingly well so far, considering her poor build up to the tournament. Ivanovic will need to limit the number of errors she makes, and must also be serving well to have a good chance.

The two have met once before, though that was almost two years ago and on clay (Ivanovic won 6-4 7-6 in Madrid) so will have little relevance in terms of this match. Both have played good tennis so this match should be tight, though it seems that Keys could edge this due to her power and previous tests in tournament.

Prediction: Keys in 3

2015 China Open- Day 5 Women’s Picks

The 3rd round action begins in Beijing today for the women, with some interesting matches taking place- here are three of my predictions!

Andrea Petkovic vs Sara Errani

13th seed Andrea Petkovic will look to continue her good form against Sara Errani in the 2nd match on the National Tennis Stadium. Petkovic has looked very impressive so far, cruising past Eugenie Bouchard before the Canadian retired and then putting in another comfortable performance against Sam Stosur. Errani was impressive in a straight sets upset win over 2nd seed Petra Kvitova in the 1st round, though had to work harder to overcome Caroline Garcia in 3 sets. The two have only ever played each other on clay before, with the head to head 2-2, and it should be an interesting match with Petkovic’s power vs Errani’s fight. It could be a close match, but Petkovic’s power and form should help her to victory here.

Prediction: Petkovic in 2

Madison Keys vs Agnieszka Radwanska

The 3rd match on the National Tennis Stadium sees a complete battle of style as the powerful 14th seed Madison Keys takes on the delicate play of 4th seed Agnieszka Radwanska. Keys started well with a comfortable win over Kiki Mladenovic, and then just conceded 1 game in the final two sets after coming from a set down against Kateryna Bondarenko in the 2nd round. Radwanska also came from a set down in the 2nd round, eventually battling past Mona Barthel, and had an early finish in her 1st match as Coco Vandeweghe retired after the 1st set. Radwanska leads the head to head 4-1, though Keys cruised past the Pole at the US Open and Radwanska will struggle if Keys is at her best. The American has enough power to cruise past Radwanska, but will she have the patience and few errors on Wednesday? It should be tight, though I think that Radwanska will edge this.

Prediction: Radwanska in 3

Angelique Kerber vs Caroline Wozniacki

An interesting match kicks off the night session as 10th seed Angelique Kerber taking on 8th seed Caroline Wozniacki. Kerber received a bye in the 1st round after reaching the semi-finals in Wuhan, but wasn’t affected by the turnaround at all as she eased past the tricky Dominika Cibulkova in the 2nd round. Wozniacki has been fairly comfortable so far, easing past Bojana Jovanovski and Qiang Wang in straight sets, and will be hard to beat here. Kerber leads the head to head 6-5 but Wozniacki won their last meeting (in Tokyo just 2 weeks ago) and with many of their matches being thrillers in the past, we should get another great match here. It should be a tight match, though I think Kerber is in slightly better form of late (she’s also had the better year) and should edge this one.

Prediction: Kerber in 3

Also in action

The other 3rd round match should be close, with 7th seed Carla Suarez Navarro taking on 12th seed Timea Bacsinszky. There is also the final 2nd round match, with 5th seed and Wuhan finalist Garbine Muguruza taking on Irina Falconi.

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 Connecticut Open- Wednesday Predictions

Action continues in New Haven today, with the four final second round matches taking place at the Connecticut Open. With quarter-final spots at stake, it should be exciting- here are three of my predictions!

Roberta Vinci vs Caroline Wozniacki

4th seed Caroline Wozniacki should have a difficult match against the inform Roberta Vinci third on Stadium Court. Wozniacki lost early in Stanford, Toronto and Cincinnati but sent out a statement of intent with a crushing 6-0 6-2 win over Alison Riske yesterday evening. Vinci also cruised in her first match, beating Genie Bouchard for the loss of just one match, and has been in good form the past few weeks, reaching the quarter-finals in Toronto. The head to head is evenly poised at 2-2 with Wozniacki having won their last meeting in Istanbul last year for the loss of just two games. However Wozniacki hasn’t been it that form this year and Vinci has a very tricky games to play against. It should be tight, but Wozniacki should edge this if she plays like she did yesterday.

Prediction: Wozniacki in 3

Agnieszka Radwanska vs Alize Cornet

Agnieszka Radwanska will be hoping for a more simple match against Alize Cornet today, as she had to come from a break down in the decider when she last played the Frenchwoman in Toronto. Neither Radwanska or Cornet have been in great form recently, with neither having won a title, and the Frenchwoman can clearly make life difficult for the Pole. However Radwanska has only lost once in their six previous meetings and lost just two games to Coco Vandeweghe the other day. The Frenchwoman is erratic, but should be able to give Radwanska a tough match today if she plays at her best. However Radwanska should just edge this.

Prediction: Radwanska in 3

Madison Keys vs Petra Kvitova

Petra Kvitova has an extremely difficult task on Wednesday as she faces the talented Madison Keys, who beat the 2nd seed at the Australian Open earlier this year. Kvitova has been struggling since she revealed she was diagnosed with Mono, and would have preferred to have played someone she could have easily overpowered today. However whilst Keys is erratic, she is extremely powerful and can hit lots of big winners and serves well. Her form has been erratic this year but, having already beaten Kvitova this year, has a good opportunity to get to the quarter-finals.

Prediction: Keys in 3

Also in action

Olga Savchuk faces Karolina Pliskova in the only other singles match today, whilst there are two doubles matches taking place. Also there are several US Open Doubles and Mixed Doubles matches taking place on the outside courts.

2015 Connecticut Open- Monday Predictions

Following a few main draw matches on Sunday, more action continues on Monday as the opening round of the 2015 Connecticut Open continues. It should be an exciting day, with many intriguing matches taking place. Here are three of my predictions!

Madison Keys vs Elina Svitolina

Two rising stars face off in an extremely interesting match second on Stadium court, as Madison Keys faces Elina Svitolina for the chance to play Petra Kvitova. Svitolina has had the better summer hard court season, reaching the semi-finals in Stanford and Cincinnati, and also reached the quarter-finals of the French Open earlier this year as well as winning a title in Marrakech. Whilst Keys hasn’t won a title this year, she did reach the final in Charleston and was a semi-finalist at the Australian Open and a quarter-finalist at Wimbledon. Keys could potentially beat anyone with her serve and her big game when playing well, but is too inconsistent and hasn’t been in great form recently. Svitolina has certainly been more consistent and has had the better year on the whole, and it looks as if she should edge her first meeting against fellow 20 year old Keys.

Prediction: Svitolina in 3

Lucie Safarova vs Daria Gavrilova

4th seed Lucie Safarova has an extremely difficult match in the opening round, who won their meeting in Toronto two weeks ago. Safarova hasn’t been in great form since her run to the French Open final and will be looking to pick up a few match wins before the final major of the year, though she did win the title in Doha and will be able to challenge anyone if she starts playing her best again. Gavrilova has risen well up the rankings this year, with highlights including the semi-finals in Rome and a win over Maria Sharapova in Miami, Gavrilova won her match against Safarova in Toronto 4-6 7-5 7-5, and hopefully the crowd will get a similar battle today. Based on current form it seems that Gavrilova will come through, though Safarova will make her work for it.

Prediction: Gavrilova in 3

Agnieszka Radwanska vs Coco Vandeweghe

Another interesting match opens the night session in New Haven, as 7th seed Agnieszka Radwanska faces talented American Coco Vandeweghe. Radwanska has had a poor year and has fallen down to 15th in the world, with one her issues seemingly being that she hasn’t been able to control her opponents power as much as she used to. This could be a problem today, as Vandeweghe is extremely powerful. The American reached her first grand slam quarter-final at Wimbledon, though is very erratic and Radwanska could force Vandeweghe into making several errors. Radwanska certainly has more experience than Vandeweghe and did win their only previous meeting, in Beijing last year, in straight sets. She should come through this one, though Vandeweghe could make it tight for the 7th seed.

Prediction: Radwanska in 3

Also in action

Eugenie Bouchard kicks off Stadium action against Roberta Vinci, whilst Sara Errani kicks off action on Grandstand against Kiki Mladenovic. 6th seed Timea Bacsinszky faces good friend Caroline Garcia, whilst their could be a feisty affair between Alize Cornet and Yulia Putintseva. Karolina Pliskova takes on Polona Hercog, whilst Magdalena Rybarikova faces Flavia Pennetta and Olga Savchuk takes on Olga Govortsova.

W&S Open- Wednesday Women’s Predictions

The action is really beginning to heat up now, as the remainder of the top 8 seeds play their second round matches. 2nd seed Maria Sharapova has withdrawn, but there are still some big names in action and exciting matches taking place- Here are my predictions!

Kristina Mladenovic vs Simona Halep

Simona Halep will have to beat someone she has lost to twice before if she wants to reach the third round. Halep retired in the Rogers Cup final, but any concerns that she is struggling physically have been put to bed my her optimistic and cheerful appearances at press events this week. Mladenovic rebounded here after early exits in Washington and Toronto, cruising past Daniela Hantuchova in the first round, and has won both her previous meetings against Halep- in straight sets in Paris (Indoors) last year and in three sets in Birmingham this year. It is clear that Halep has an issue with the Frenchwoman’s game, though she is seemingly playing better than she was in Birmingham and should just have the edge here.

Prediction: Halep in 3

Jelena Jankovic vs Madison Keys

An extremely interesting match takes place first on Court 9 as former world No.1 and veteran Jelena Jankovic faces rising star  and great American hope Madison Keys. The American was very impressive in her first round match, easing past 12th seed Timea Bacsinszky in straight sets 6-4 6-3, though consistency can be a problem for her. Jankovic had a considerably harder match, battling past Madison Brengle, another American, 4-6 6-4 6-2. Jankovic leads the head to head 2-1 and won their last meeting at Indian Wells this year in 3 sets, though it seems this match will be on Keys’ racket. Like Bacsinszky, Jankovic is a counter-puncher and could be over-powered by Keys. However when the American is not playing well she makes too many unforced errors, and the experienced Jankovic will not waste too many opportunities.

Prediction: Jankovic in 3

Caroline Wozniacki vs Victoria Azarenka

5th seed Carolina Wozniacki has not won a match in the summer US hard court swing so far, and she will have to battle hard if she wants to pick up a win over her good friend Victoria Azarenka. Both former world No. 1’s, Azarenka has won their three meetings this year all in straight sets and she is certainly capable of over-powering the Dane. After a surprise loss to Sara Errani in straight sets last week, Azarenka responded perfectly with a crushing 6-1 6-2 win over Lauren Davis and seems to be in good form again. She will certainly be favourite for this match and considering the form Wozniacki is in, it seems unlikely that she’ll be able to come through.

Prediction: Azarenka in 2

Also in action

Serena Williams starts her title defence on Center against Tsvetana Pironkova, whilst Petra Kvitova has a potentially difficult match up against Caroline Garcia. Lucie Safarova will be looking to gain revenge on Coco Vandeweghe after the American’s victory over the 7th seed at Wimbledon, whilst Eugenie Bouchard will be aiming to beat 14th seed Elina Svitolina for the first time after two previous losses. Karolina Pliskova, Sloane Stephens and Belinda Bencic are also all in action.

2015 Western and Southern Open- Women’s Picks on Monday

The main draw action begins for the women today in Cincinnati, as the Western and Southern Open gets properly underway on Monday. None of the top eight seeds are in action but there are still several exciting matches taking place- here are my predictions for three of them!

Madison Brengle vs Jelena Jankovic

An American starts the action on Stadium 3 as Madison Brengle faces former world No.1 Jelena Jankovic. Brengle got off to a great start this year, reaching her first career final in Hobart and reaching the 4th round at the Australian Open. but has not played well since reaching the semi-finals in Stuttgart. Jankovic has had a mixed year, with highs such as reaching the Indian Wells final and defeating Petra Kvitova at Wimbledon but lows such as 1st round losses at the Australian and French Opens. Jankovic is certainly in slightly better form, though Brengle did show some signs of returning to her best last week at the Rogers Cup and will have the crowd behind her.

Prediction: Jankovic in 3

Alison Riske vs Elina Svitolina

Alison Riske and 14th seed Elina Svitolina face off on Stadium 3 this evening, and the crowd will be in for a treat if it is as thrilling as their match in Stanford two weeks ago. On that day Svitolina eventually battled past the American 4-6 7-5 6-1, with Riske faltering when she served for the match. Svitolina is currently 20th and reached a career high of 15th last week, and her good form this year has been capped off by a title in Marrakesh and a first Grand Slam quarter-final at the French Open. Riske hasn’t been in great form this year but has been consistent throughout this year and will be looking for the crowd to inspire her to victory.

Prediction: Svitolina in 3

Madison Keys vs Timea Bacsinszky

An extremely intriguing match starts the night session in Cincinnati, with the young talent Madison Keys facing the much improved Timea Bacsinszky. 12th seed Bacsinszky started the year just inside the top 50 but titles in Acapulco and Monterrey, a runner-up spot in Shenzhen, a semi-final at the French Open and quarter-final at Wimbledon has seen her ranking rise to inside the top 15. Keys has also had a good year, reaching the quarter-finals at Wimbledon and the semi-finals at the Australian, but is still very inconsistent and is prone to making lots of errors. Against Bacsinszky, one of the best counter-punchers in the game, she must keep her errors at a minimum or she’ll lose, just like she did when they met at the French Open. This match is probably on Keys’ racket; it looks as if it will depend on how well the American as playing.

Prediction: Bacsinszky in 3

Also in action

Tsvetana Pironkova and Lucie Hradecka face off for the chance to face Serena Williams, whilst Barbora Strycova and Vavara play for the chance to play Maria Sharapova. Venus Williams starts her campaign against Zarina Diyas whilst Sam Stosur faces Timea Babos. There is an all-German battle between Andrea Petkovic and Julia Goerges, whilst there will be a feisty battle between Coco Vandeweghe and Yulia Putintseva.

2015 Bank of the West Classic-Day 3 picks

There are four singles matches scheduled for Wednesday in Stanford, as the second round begins at the Bank of the West Classic. Here are my picks for today!

Mona Barthel vs Andrea Petkovic

It’s two matches, two fellow Germans for sixth seed Andrea Petkovic as she faces Mona Barthel following her 5-7 6-1 6-3 over Carina Witthoeft. Petkovic will need to pick her level up after being out of sorts in the first set against Witthoeft, though Barthel is ranked ten places lower than Witthoeft. However there is no doubt that Barthel is a talented player and with Petkovic not playing her best tennis as of late, there is a chance for an upset should Barthel play well. Petkovic won their only previous meeting- 6-2 6-2 in Washington two years ago.

Prediction: Petkovic in 3

Alison Riske vs Carla Suarez Navarro

Alison Riske has an extremely tough task in the second round in Stanford against third seed Carla Suarez Navarro. The Spaniard Suarez Navarro is currently the world number ten but is 4th on the Road to Singapore, and outside the slams has only failed to make the quarter final once in 12 tournaments- that was in Eastbourne, though she has disappointed at the slams this year. Riske hasn’t had the best season and comes into this match 49 places lower than her opponent; she will be hoping that her home crowd are behind her and that she can play her very best.

Prediction: Suarez Navarro in 2

Ajla Tomljanovic vs Madison Keys

The third singles match in Stanford this evening is a battle of two young talents, as Croatian Ajla Tomljanovic faces American Madison Keys. Tomljanovic had a big win over Agnieszka Radwanska at the French Open last year, though has failed to build on that win and is currently 69th in the world. Keys, the younger of the two, won her first (and currently only) career title at Eastbourne last year and reached the semi-finals at the Australian Open this year, as well as the last eight at Wimbledon a few weeks ago. Keys, however, can be erratic and has suffered several losses this year due to making too many errors. However Tomljanovic can also be error prone, and Keys 6-3 6-0 victory over Aleksandra Krunic shows she could make a deep run in the tournament.

Prediction: Keys in 2

Elina Svitolina vs Nicole Gibbs

Another American player ends action in California on Day 3, as Nicole Gibbs faces Ukranian 8th seed Elina Svitolina. Gibbs won her first main draw match since April on monday, 6-4 7-5, against Caroline Garcia and will have renewed confidence following that result. Svitolina’s path to the second round was different, losing the first set and coming from 3-5 down in the final set to beat fellow Ukranian Kateryna Bondarenko 4-6 6-4 7-5. Svitolina has had a good year- she is the top 20 for the first time, won a title in Marrakesh and reached her first grand slam QF at Roland Garros- but could be upset by Gibbs if the American is playing well and Svitolina isn’t.

Prediction: Svitolina in 3

Also in action

There is a USA vs Germany battle in the doubles as Raquel Kops-Jones and Maria Sanchez face Sabine Lisicki and Mona Barthel. Another doubles match also takes place, with Chin-Wei Chan and Darija Jurak face Vitalia Diatchenko and Anna Tatishvili.