2016 BMW Malaysian Open- Sabine Lisicki vs Naomi Broady

Two of the biggest servers on the WTA Tour face off in an interesting clash as 3rd seed Sabine Lisicki takes on Naomi Broady in an interesting quarter-final clash at the BMW Malaysian Open. This match is set to take place at around 20:30 Kuala Lumpur Time (12:30 UK Time) and the winner will face Cagla Buyukakcay or 6th seed Eugenie Bouchard in the semi-finals.

Many (including myself) predicted an early loss for Lisicki in Kuala Lumpur following a poor start to the year, but the German has played pretty well so far. She started with a straight sets win over Magda Linette and won in straight sets against qualifier Barbora Krejcikova; it hasn’t been amazing tennis by Lisicki, but it has been solid and she’ll be hard to beat. Broady has has a slightly more tricky road to the quarter-finals. She was pushed to three sets in the first round but eventually battled past Klara Koukalova, and was much more comfortable in the second round as she beat qualifier Zhoaxuan Yang in straight sets; she will be difficult to beat here.

One thing certain in this match is that there will be a lot of big serving and aces in this clash;  Lisicki and Broady are two of the best servers on tour when they are firing. However both can have problems with there serving, which could be key in the outcome of the match. Lisicki is the slightly stronger player overall and, if she is at her best, will be extremely difficult to beat, though Broady will have seen that Lisicki has had a poor start to the year. Broady must be careful to not make too many errors as Lisicki is good enough to take advantage of them, but the Brit must play freely and not be too afraid about the dangers on the other side of the net.

The two have never met before; another factor that makes this clash interesting. There will be a lot of big serving and the two could be evenly matched there, though Lisicki has the slightly stronger game and, if she is playing at a decent standard, should be able to edge this.

Prediction: Lisicki in 3

2015 US Open- Day 8 Picks

There is another great day of action in New York, with 16 players aiming to reach the quarter-finals. With several big names in action and many interesting matches taking place, it should be an exciting day- here are three of my predictions!

John Isner vs Roger Federer

The crowd on Arthur Ashe Stadium will get really involved in this match as American No.1 and 13th seed John Isner faces 2nd seed and 5 time champion Roger Federer. Neither man has lost a set so far, and with both men serving well it could be a tight battle- expect tiebreaks! Federer has been in vintage form of late and is he plays like he did in Cincinnati, he will be attacking Isner’s big serve early to try and rush the points. Federer leads the head to head 4-1, winning their last meeting at the Olympics in 2012, though Isner’s sole win over Federer came earlier that year in the Davis Cup. Isner certainly can win this match if he serves well, though Federer also serves well and is more comfortable at the net than the big American. Isner could nick a set, though Federer should go through to the quarter-finals.

Prediction: Federer in 4

Sabine Lisicki vs Simona Halep

Simona Halep is looking to make the US Open quarter-finals for the first time as she takes on 24th seed Sabine Lisicki today on Louis Armstrong Stadium. Halep has eased to the 4th round so far, and has won her past three meetings against Lisicki- including a crushing victory over the German last year at Wimbledon. Lisicki is a very good player when she’s at her best and that was evident until the 3rd round, where she had to come from 1-5 down in the decider to beat Barbora Strycova. Lisicki does have the firepower to beat someone with a diminutive frame like Halep, but is consistently inconsistent and can be prone to too many errors. Halep could be tested today, but should get through to the last 8 comfortably.

Prediction: Halep in 2

Tomas Berdych vs Richard Gasquet

There could be an interesting match here as 6th seed Tomas Berdych faces 12th seed Richard Gasquet on Louis Armstrong Stadium. The head to head is evenly poised at 6-6, and considering that both men have been in decent form so far this year it could be a close match. Berdych has won the last three meetings between the two, and has been slightly more comfortable so far-dropping just one set. Gasquet has had a more difficult road, dropping 3 sets, but saved his most impressive performance for a 6-4 6-3 6-1 win over Bernard Tomic on saturday. Both men are consistent, though Gasquet has the bigger weapon in his backhand and Berdych didn’t have the greatest build up to the tournament. It should be tight, and I think Gasquet will edge this.

Prediction: Gasquet in 5

Sam Stosur vs Flavia Pennetta

2011 Champion and 22nd Sam Stosur will have to overturn a 0-6 head to head against 26th seed Flavia Pennetta if she wants to reach the quarter-finals. Stosur has only dropped one set, against 16th seed Sara Errani, so far in this tournament and was comfortable before then, suggesting she could be a threat for the remainder of the tournament. Pennetta often plays well at the US Open, and considering how she’s never lost to Stosur she’ll be confident today. Pennetta has been tested more than Stosur but based on how well she plays here and how well she’s managed against Stosur in the past, she should come through this one.

Prediction: Pennetta in 3

Also in action

On the men’s side 5th seed Stan Wawrinka looks to end the run of Donald Young, whilst 3rd seed Andy Murray faces 15th seed Kevin Anderson. On the women’s side 20th seed and two-time finalist Victoria Azarenka faces Vavara Lepchenko, whilst 5th seed Petra Kvitova aims to end the run of qualifier Johanna Konta.

2015 US Open- Day 4 Women’s Picks

The final 2nd round matches take place today, with the women looking to reach the 3rd round and continue the campaign for the US Open title. It should be an exciting day- here are three of my predictions!

Camila Giorgi vs Sabine Lisicki

There will be a lot of hard hitting in this one as the 24th seed Sabine Lisicki faces the very dangerous Camila Giorgi on Grandstand. Lisicki can be erratic and suffer surprise losses on hard courts, but was comfortable against qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich in her opening round whilst Giorgi, who is even more erratic, eased past Johanna Larsson in her opening match. Giorgi isn’t that big physically, but can hit the ball hard and it is difficult for most people to play against her. However the Italian is prone to making several errors and can hit far too many double faults. It would seem that Giorgi’s style would be less successful against someone who was also extremely powerful, and Lisicki should be able to win this due to her better consistency and her own power; however, it could be extremely tight.

Prediction; Lisicki in 3

Johanna Konta vs Garbine Muguruza

9th seed Garbine Muguruza could have a difficult 2nd round match as she faces qualifier Johanna Konta, who will be confident after a strong run recently. It’s been a very good few weeks for Konta, and she’s on a 14 match winning streak after winning two challengers in Canada, qualifying for this tournament and then cruising past Louise Chirico for the loss of just 3 games yesterday. Muguruza hadn’t won a match since Wimbledon coming into this tournament, but seems to play better at the slams and eased past Carina Witthoeft on tuesday. Their head to head is tied at 1-1, but it was Konta who was last victorious as she upset Muguruza in 3 sets at Eastbourne in June. However it is clear that Muguruza plays better at the slams and she should be able to win this one, though it may not be easy.

Prediction: Muguruza in 3

Karin Knapp vs Angelique Kerber

11th seed Angelique Kerber may have a difficult 2nd round match as she faces Karin Knapp on Court 5. Kerber has not played well at the previous majors this year, but has had strong few months and cruised past Alexandra Dulgheru for the loss of just 4 games on tuesday. Knapp has had arguably the best year of her career, reaching a career high of 33rd and just missed out on being a seed, and the Italian came from a set down to beat Aija Tomljanovic in the 1st round. Kerber leads the head to head 2-2 and is a stronger player than Knapp, though the German is vulnerable on her second serve and can be overpowered. She should have enough to win today, but Knapp can certainly give the German a competitive match if she plays well.

Prediction: Kerber in 3

Also in action

2nd seed Simona Halep takes on qualifier Kateryna Bondarenko, whilst 20th seed and two-time finalist Victoria Azarenka plays former semi-finalist Yanina Wickmayer. 2011 Champion Sam Stosur plays Evgeniya Rodina whilst two-time finalist Caroline Wozniacki faces Petra Cetkovska. Other players in action include Petra Kvitova, Sara Errani and Andrea Petkovic.

Rogers Cup- Day 4 Women’s Picks

The third round action takes place in Toronto with many big names still in action, though there are a few surprise players left in the draw! It promises to be exciting- Here are my predictions!

Angelique Kerber vs Simona Halep

An extremely anticipated match up takes place second on Centre Court in Toronto, with 2nd seed Simona Halep taking on 14th seed Angelique Kerber. Halep has won their two previous meetings, but Kerber comes into this tournament in better form following a title in Stanford. The German 14th seed has been comfortable so far, conceding just 6 games combined to Misaki Doi and Monica Puig. Halep, following a difficult few months, was also impressive in a straight sets victory over Jelena Jankovic in the second round. A lot will depend on how confident Halep is, as it is difficult to defeat her when she is confident but it will also depend on how willing Kerber is to attack and whether her defence is at her best.

Prediction; Kerber in 3

Sabine Lisicki vs Belinda Bencic

An interesting match on Grandstand, as Sabine Lisicki takes on Belinda Bencic for a place in the quarter-finals. Both women have been impressive so far, with Lisicki beating Venus Williams and Barbora Strycova in straight sets and Bencic beating Eugenie Bouchard in 3 sets and Caroline Wozniacki in straight sets. The two have met once before, with Lisicki winning 6-1 7-6 in Birmingham, but Bencic has won eight more matches than the German this year and is currently higher in the rankings. Bencic is certainly more consistent than Lisicki, but the German can beat anyone if she is at her best and Bencic will struggle if Lisicki is playing well.

Prediction: Bencic in 3

Polona Hercog vs Ana Ivanovic

Ana Ivanovic may not have an easy match against qualifier Polona Hercog on Centre Court this evening. Hercog has caused two upsets so far, beating Alison Van Uytvanck in three sets before upsetting 11th seed Ekaterina Makarova 7-5 in the third, though she did serve for the match twice in the second set. Ivanovic saw off Olga Govortsova 6-4 7-6 in her only match so far, though she wasn’t too convincing in that match. She has disappointed in 2015, failing to pick up a title and only reaching one final, but has reunited with former coach Nigel Sears and has announced she will try to play more aggressively. Hercog won their only previous meeting in Beijing two years ago, and will be confident she can pull off the upset.

Prediction: Ivanovic in 3

Also in action

Serena Williams continues her campaign against 16th seed Andrea Petkovic whilst Victoria Azarenka faces 15th seed Sara Errani. Daria Gavrilova and Roberta Vinci start action on Centre Court, whilst on Grandstand defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska has a potentially difficult match against Alize Cornet. Also qualifiers Carina Witthoeft and Lesia Tsurenko face off for a quarter-final place.

Rogers Cup- Day 1 Women’s predictions

The main draw action begins for the women in Toronto today, with several exciting matches to look forward to. None of the top eight seeds are in action, as they receive a bye into the second round, though there are still several big names in action- here are my predictions!

Sara Errani vs Kiki Mladenovic

15th seed Sara Errani should have a tricky match against the rising Kiki Mladenovic on centre court later today. The pair have met once before, when Mladenovic defeated Errani 6-4 6-3 in the Fed Cup earlier this year. It hasn’t been an amazing year for Errani but she has been pretty consistent, picking up a title in Rio de Janeiro and reaching the last eight in Roland Garros for the 4th consecutive year. Mladenovic has had the best year of her career, reaching her first final in Strasbourg and getting into the top 40. However the Frenchwoman was disappointing in a first round loss to Sam Stosur in Washington and, though she can probably overpower the Italian, will need to be at her best against such a great fighter.

Prediction: Mladenovic in 3

Alize Cornet vs Carla Suarez Navarro

An extremely interesting match takes place on Grandstand court in Toronto, as 9th seed Carla Suarez Navarro has a difficult first round encounter against Alize Cornet, currently ranked 24th in the world. Cornet hasn’t been in great form this year but faces Suarez Navarro at a time when the Spaniard isn’t in good form- she has a 4-5 win-loss record since she reached the Rome final. However Suarez Navarro has had a strong year overall, and is currently 4th on the Road to Singapore. They have met six times before with the head to head split at 3-3, with Navarro winning their last meeting 6-0 6-4 in Indian Wells earlier this year.

Prediction: Suarez Navarro in 3

Sabine Lisicki vs Venus Williams

The two fastest servers in women’s tennis history face off in Toronto, as Sabine Lisicki faces Venus Williams. This match is particularly hard to predict, as both women are extremely inconsistent and it’s hard to tell what level they’ll bring to this. Both women lost in the opening rounds of their previous tournaments- Williams in Istanbul, Lisicki in Stanford- and will be looking forward to bounce back in a part of the draw that is arguably the most open section. Lisicki leads the head to head 2-1, and won their last meeting 6-1 6-2 in resounding form. However Williams has won tournament this year in Auckland, and has been in better form overall.

Prediction: Williams in 3

Also in action

Heather Watson begins her campaign against Irina Falconi, whilst Flavia Pennetta and Gabriela Dabrowski face off for the chance to face Serena Williams. Alison Riske faces Timea Bacsinszky whilst Coco Vandeweghe faces Carina Witthoeft.

2015 Bank of the West Classic- Day 2 Picks

More seeds are in action in Stanford today as the first tournament for the women in the US Open Series continues in California. Here are three of my picks for today!

Angelique Kerber vs Daria Gavrilova

Last years finalist and 5th seed Angelique Kerber has a difficult opening match against the talented Daria Gavrilova. After a poor start to the season, where she had a win loss record of 8-9, Kerber’s form has improved and she has picked up titles in Charleston, Stuttgart and Birmingham. However she has disappointed at the slams, and will be looking for wins going into the US Open later this month. 21 year old Gavrilova has had the best year of her career with highlights including a victory over Maria Sharapova in Miami and a semi-final appearance in Rome. She certainly has the talent to push, and potentially beat, the world number 14 later today.

Prediction: Kerber in 3

Mirjana Lucic-Baroni vs Vavara Lepchenko

There is a lot at stake in the first match on Stadium Court, as the winner of this match will face top seed Caroline Wozniacki in the 2nd round. Lucic-Baroni is 11 places high in the rankings, but Lepchenko leads the head to head 3-2. As we’ve seen, Lucic-Baroni can beat anyone when she is at her best (Having beaten Simona Halep twice in slams in the past 12 months) but she can be erratic and Lepchenko was a semi-finalist last year- It promises to be a close battle!

Prediction: Lepchenko in 3

Sabine Lisicki vs Kimiko Date Krumm

It is incredible that, at the age of 44, Kimiko Date Krumm is still playing and actually qualified for this tournament, beating Naomi Osaka and Gabriela Dabrowski- both of whom are more than twenty years younger than her. However it would seem her impressive run will come to the end against Sabine Lisicki. The former Wimbledon finalist disappointed at SW19, losing in the third round to Timea Bacsinszky, but had a good run on the US hard courts earlier this year, reaching the semi-finals at Indian Wells and quarter-finals in Miami. It will be interesting to see how she does on the hard courts this summer.

Prediction: Lisicki in 2

Also in action

There is an all Ukranian battle on Stadium Court as Elina Svitolina faces Kateryna Bondarenko, whilst Vitalia Diatchenko faces Ajla Tomljanovic and Ana Konjuh faces Saisai Zheng.