Auckland

2017 ATP Auckland Preview and Predictions
Steen Kirby, Tennis Atlantic

It’s time to preview and predict New Zealand’s only ATP tournament, the ASB Classic. The Women’s version of this ran all last week.

ASB Classic
ATP World Tour 250
Auckland, New Zealand
January 9-14, 2017
Surface: Hard
Prize Money: $450,110

Top 4 seeds (Who all receive first round byes) (ATP rankings in parentheses)
1: Roberto Bautista Agut (14)
2: John Isner (19)
3: David Ferrer (21)
4: Jack Sock (23)

For a pre-slam 250, Auckland has one of the better fields it’s had in recent years.

First round matches to watch:

(8)Marcos Baghdatis vs. Adrian Mannarino

Mannarino just took a challenger title to start the year while Baghdatis was injured in his first match in Doha. Both players prefer to attack rather than defend with their tennis, Mannarino continues to alternate between challengers and the tour level with success. He’ll be the favorite in this match presuming he’s still fresh enough.

Guillermo Garcia-Lopez vs. (Q)Ryan Harrison

Harrison qualified and is 2-1 to start his season. He’s never lost to Garcia-Lopez (3-0 in the h2h), and the Spaniard is on a seven match ATP losing streak dating back to last season. Harrison spent most of his time at the challenger level last year, going 11-11 in ATP matches. He’s just inside the top 100, and could use a good run in a 250 like this to get back to tour level.

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Top Half:

Chennai champion Roberto Bautista Agut has won Auckland before, and although Jiri Vesely isn’t the easiest round 2 opponent, presuming the Czech ousts Horacio Zeballos, RBA should still be fresh enough with the first round bye to prevail and reach the quarters. Mannarino should be opposite him, after Baghdatis, Dustin Brown or qualifier Michael Mmoh. Mannarino has lost twice at the tour level against RBA, so the Spaniard should be the favorite to reach the semifinals. Brown could also serve and volley his way to surprise success.

David Ferrer struggled in Brisbane as his decline has continued thus far in 2017. Ferrer will face qualifier Finn Tearney, a local favorite, or Robin Haase. He should win that to reach the quarterfinals opposite Albert Ramos/Joao Sousa. Facundo Bagnis and qualifier Brydan Klein are also in this section. Sousa had a down season last year (25-33 record) and is making his 2017 debut, the h2h favors Ramos beating Sousa and Klein, then falling to Ferrer in the quarters. Ramos also made the quarters in Chennai.

Bottom Half:

John Isner will kick off his 2017 season against Malek Jaziri or Diego Schwartzman. Isner posted a down 35-21 record in 2016, and will be looking to get off to a better start, most likely against Schwartzman. Fellow Yank Steve Johnson looms in the quarters, Johnson will face Stephane Robert, then most likely another veteran, Yen-Hsun Lu in round 2. Lu first has to face Karen Khachanov, another player who won a match to open his season. Johnson is good enough to beat Robert and Lu/Khachanov, but I don’t think he’ll get past Isner’s serve this time, and I have Isner reaching the semis and moving his 4-2 h2h edge against Johnson to 5-2.

Hopman Cup finalist Jack Sock went 3-1 in singles matches at the exhibition, and presuming he’s fresh and focused, he should do well in Auckland. Sock showed off his great hard court game, and his powerful forehand in Perth. He should ease past Harrison/GGL, and then win against Feliciano Lopez, who he beat in the Hopman Cup. Lopez faces Kiwi Michael Venus in round 1, with Jeremy Chardy or Artem Sitak to follow. The veteran Spaniard went 30-24 last year, while Sock went 37-22 over the same span. It should be a good week for Americans in New Zealand.

Dark Horse: Adrian Mannarino

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It wouldn’t shock me at all if the unseeded Mannarino got past Bautista Agut in the quarters and went as far as winning the tournament. Strange results tend to happen in tournaments held before slams, and Mannarino could use the ranking points.

Predictions

Semis
Ferrer d. Bautista Agut
Sock d. Isner

Ferrer has beaten RBA twice, and I think he wants and needs to make this final more than his countryman. Ferrer has had success in Auckland, and I see him fighting harder than most players in this field to get back on top. Sock has beaten Isner twice in three attempts since 2015. Isner had a clear edge in the years prior, but Jack is improving, while John has declined just a bit.

Final
Sock d. Ferrer

If Sock plays like he did in the Hopman Cup he’ll be a worthy recipient of his second career ATP title. This pairing have a split h2h, but Sock won in the Auckland semis last season to reach the final.

2017 WTA Auckland, Brisbane, Shenzhen Previews and Predictions
Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic

radwanska-singapore

The 2017 season kicks off with a trio of events spanning three different countries as the preparation for the Australian Open begins. Here is what in store in the opening week of the new season.

Auckland

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The Williams sisters are making a rare venture to New Zealand for the ASB Classic in Auckland where they will be the top seeds. Serena and Venus will therefore be unable to face each other before the final, but the older sibling has Caroline Wozniacki in her half.

Top Quarter:

Serena opens her 2017 account against Pauline Parmentier in the opening round. The American is in search of the number one ranking yet again after losing that spot to Angelique Kerber last year. The winner faces either Madison Brengle or a qualifier in round two. Jelena Ostapenko is the other seed in the section and is scheduled to face Serena in the quarter finals if she can get by home favourite Marina Erakovic and Mirjana Lucic-Baroni. It is hard to go against Williams making it out of this section with ease. None of the players in the section have enough to beat the top seed

Prediction: Serena def. Ostapenko

Second Quarter:

Barbora Strycova returns to action after helping the Czech Fed Cup team to the title in 2016. If the fourth seed can get through her first round opponent, she will likely face compatriot Lucie Safarova in the second round. Safarova spent most of 2016 recovering from injuries, so she will aim to return to the top next year. Kiki Bertens is the other seed in the section, but I can not picture her upsetting Strycova or beating Safarova if the latter is in good form.

Prediction: Strycova def. Bertens

Third Quarter:

Wozniacki undoubtedly headlines the third section of the draw as she looks to once again become a top 10 player. The Dane opens against Nicole Gibbs in what could be quite a long battle. Varvara Lepchenko likely awaits the winner. Anastasia Pavlychenkova is always a dangerous player, but she has a tough opener herself against Julia Goerges. Danka Kovinic and Naomi Broady are also capable of making it to the quarter finals, but it will likely be the Russian that progresses only to lose to Wozniacki.

Prediction: Wozniacki def. Pavlyuchenkova

Fourth Quarter:

Whilst younger players are retiring, Venus just keeps playing on. 2017 could very well be her last season and she will love to kick it off with a tournament win here. It will be difficult though with plenty of young blood looking to upset the veteran. Naomi Osaka is a potential second round opponent, then Ana Konjuh is likely for the quarter finals. It is a good section full of dangerous players and I feel that Venus could exit early. As for who will it make it through, I think 2017 could be a big year for Osaka and Konjuh and either one of them could go through.

Prediction: Konjuh def.Osaka

Semi Finals:

Serena def. Strycova

Wozniacki def. Konjuh

If Serena is in good form, she will make the final undoubtedly. If not then Strycova has the awkward game that can frustrate the world number two and an upset could be sprung. I feel Serena will be out to prove she is the best in 2017 and use this tournament to send an early message to her rivals. Konjuh is a promising young player but Wozniacki is very consistent and very tough to beat. I can see a close match edged by Wozniacki.

Final:

Serena def. Wozniacki

The head to head speaks for itself. The Dane does not have the weapons to trouble Serena, and it will likely be a comfortable win for the top seed.

Brisbane

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Brisbane has been a regular stop on the first week of the season since 2009, and the fact it is a Premier level event means it draws the best players, including the world number one.

Top Quarter:

Angelique Kerber kicks off the 2017 season as the world number one (who would have thought that a year a go), so is under pressure to perform to the standard of 2016. The German starts her season against a qualifier or Ashleigh Barty in round two. Elina Svitolina is the other seed in this quarter and she has a tough opener against Monica Puig. The Ukrainian will be a player to watch this season and she aims to move into the top 10. There are plenty of good players in this quarter, but Kerber should advance. Svitolina is the biggest test the world number one will face, but one she will likely pass.

Prediction: Kerber def. Svitolina

Second Quarter:

Karolina Pliskova is heading into 2017 off the back of her best ever season in 2016. Not only did she make her first grand slam final, the Czech was also part of the Fed cup winning team that year. Pliskova will be aiming to build on that and perhaps go one further in a big event, but first she must focus on Brisbane. Yullia Putintseva is first followed by the winner of Donna Vekic vs qualifier. Roberta Vinci is the other seed in the section, but she is likely past her best and could be defeated by Ekaterina Makarova. Pliskova is easily the strongest player in this section and she should make it through without much trouble.

Prediction: Pliskova def. Makarova

Third Quarter:

Despite winning her maiden Grand Slam title, 2016 was a troubling year for Garbine Muguruza. She failed to find consistency and it seemed the core of what made her so dangerous diminished. The Spaniard will be hoping for a better 2017, but she has been drawn against Sam Stosur in the pick of the opening round matches. The Aussie does struggle in front of her home crowd though. Muguruza might get past Stosur but it is difficult to predict what happens next because we are unsure which version shows up. Svetlana Kuznetsova might be the favourite to make it out of this section,and she has got a good draw to do so.

Prediction: Kuznetsova def. Muguruza

Fourth Quarter:

Like Pliskova, Cibulkova is riding into 2017 full of confidence after her best ever season. The Slovak won the Tour Finals last year so knows she can defeat the top players. The question is can she remain consistent and defeat the lower ranked players? Laura Siegemund or Shuai Zhang will face the second seed in round two. Elena Vesnina is a dangerous player to be drawn into your section though, and she will be favoured to make the quarter finals over Alize Cornet, Christina McHale and Sara Errani. It is unlikely Cibulkova loses before the semi finals, but it could be a good match against Vesnina if the Russian is in good form.

Prediction: Cibulkova def. Vesnina

Semi Finals:

Kerber def. Pliskova

Cibulkova def. Kuznetsova

Two very close matches and two in which I favour the higher ranked player. Pliskova has beaten Kerber in the past but the German has had the advantage more often than not. That is also the case between Cibulkova and Kuznetsova, though this one is very close on paper.

Final:

Kerber def. Cibulkova

It is difficult to look past Kerber. I can see her being too solid, too consistent for Cibulkova who we know is very capable of producing big performances.

Shenzhen

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Agnieszka Radwanska returns to Shenzhen to defend her title in a tournament that also features Simona Halep and Johanna Konta.

Top Quarter:

The top seed lands in a top section that on paper she should go through comfortably. Radwanska has drawn a Chinese wildcard in round one followed by a match with either Sorana Cirstea or Kristina Kucova. Alison Riskeis the other seed in the quarter and she also faces a Chinese wildcard in the opening round. Tsvetana Pironkova could provide the eighth seed problems, but it should be Radwanska who advances from this quarter.

Prediction: Radwanska def. Pironkova

Second Quarter:

Timea Bacsinszky did not hit the heights of 2015, but she had a solid year to once again to finish inside the top 16. As the fourth seed here the Swiss will be expected to make the last four, but she faces a dangerous big hitter in Camila Giorgi in the opening round. Saisai Zheng will likely meet the winner, then you would expect Monica Niculescu to meet the winner of that in the quarter finals. The tricky Romanian’s most dangerous before the quarter finals is Evgeniya Rodina, but it is a match she should win. Bacsinszky vs Niculescu is an interesting match as Niculescu’s unusual style is a nightmare for many players, but Bacsinszky is a mature enough player to deal with the slices and come through.

Prediction: Bacsinszky def. Niculescu

Third Quarter:

Johanna Konta was arguably the most improved player of 2016, rising into the top 10. The Brit is one of the favourites in the tournament but could face a US Open rematch with Anastasija Sevastova in the quarter finals. First the Latvian must face the big serving Krystina Pliskova then Viktorija Golubic in the second round. Konta meets Cagla Buyukakcy then the winner of Vania King and Maria Sakkari. It will be a shock if we do not see the rematch and surely this time Konta will be able to get the win.

Prediction: Konta def. Sevastova

Bottom Quarter:

Simona Halep will be disappointed that she failed to win her maiden Grand Slam in 2016, but a new year could mean new beginnings for the Romanian. She faces former world number one Jelena Jankovic In the most high profile round one match, but it is one Halep should win. Big server Timea Babos lands in this quarter as the fifth seeded player. The Hungarian has a great draw to the quarter finals with her first two opponents being qualifiers. The Babos vs Halep match should happen and in this contest you will have to favour the second seed.

Prediction: Halep def. Babos

Semi Finals:

Radwanska def. Bacsinszky

Halep def. Konta

Radwanska being a little too much for her Swiss opponent is a lot easier to call than the other semi final which you feel could go either way. Halep is the more accomplished player though so should be favoured in this match-up.

Final:

Radwanska def. Halep

Radwanska will be too tricky for Halep. The Pole won here last year, so she knows these courts and how to play them. Expect 2017 to start positively for Radwanska with a title win in the opening week.

Troicki and Bautista Agut Score Meaningful ATP 250 Titles in Sydney and Auckland
Steen Kirby, Tennis Atlantic

ATP Sydney

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Viktor Troicki returned to the site of his last ATP title and experienced a healthy version of deja vu as he repeated as Champion in Sydney. Troicki got off to an awful start as the underdog against Grigor Dimitrov, but Dimitrov imploded in the match, Troicki winning by a score of 2-6 6-1 7-6(7). Dimitrov was firing on all cylinders in the rallies early on, but practically broke himself early in the second set, losing control in that set, and then failing to finish off the third set tiebreak as Troicki continued to fight hard, saving a match point in the third.

The result for Dimitrov is yet another disappointment from the former top 10 player, he does start the season with a quarterfinal, and a final however. Prior to the final he had wins over Pablo Cuevas, an in-form Alexandr Dolgopolov in three sets, and Gilles Muller in straights.

Troicki not only avenged his defeat the week prior to Dimitrov, he also beat Tommy Robredo, Nicolas Mahut, and Teymuraz Gabashvili, the latter two players taking three sets to dispatch. Gabashvili was playing in his first ever ATP semifinal, after home favorite Bernard Tomic tanked his quarterfinal match and retired due to lack of interest after losing the first set.

Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares defeated Rohan Bopanna and Florin Mergea in the doubles final, a matchup that pitted two of the top teams in the sport.

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ATP Auckland

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Roberto Bautista Agut won his third career ATP title, and he was aided by his opponent Jack Sock suffering from the flu. RBA got off to an easy start, and it wasn’t difficult after that, as he won 6-1 1-0 ret. with Sock unable to continue with how poorly he was feeling. The Spaniard starts the season 6-1 with a quarterfinal, and a title, prior to the Australian Open, as his hard court game looks to be in great form.

Sock had a fantastic week regardless, he upset long-time Auckland stalwart David Ferrer in the semifinals, and also recovered from an opening set breadstick to defeat Kevin Anderson in a three set quarterfinal. Prior to that he defeated Victor Estrella and Vasek Pospisil without dropping a set, as it’s clear the American is trying to make his move for the top 15 this season. He could struggle in Melbourne however if he’s still feeling unwell.

Bautista Agut beat Jiri Vesely and Donald Young without incident, and then, like Sock, defeated players ranked above him, as he worked past John Isner in three sets, and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the same fashion. RBA looks to be making his move to return ot the top 20 soon.

Mate Pavic and Kiwi Michael Venus beat Eric Butorac and Scott Lipsky in straight sets to capture the doubles final, giving home fans the excitement of a home player capturing a title.

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Steen Kirby (Marseille)

WTA Brisbane, Shenzen, and Auckland Round-Up: Azarenka, Stephens and Radwanska Claim Titles
Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic

The new season is officially underway and i the opening week the WTA crowned three champions in Brisbane, Shenzhen and Auckland respectively, Amongst the tennis there was some big injury withdrawals. Simona Halep, Maria Sharapova and Petra Kvitova are just a few names that either failed to take to the court or complete their first match-up of the season.

That did not stop the players from putting on some great tennis action to get us going for 2016. Here is a recap of what happened in the WTA this week.

Azarenka romps to Brisbane title

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Perhaps the most stand-out performer of the week was former world number one Azarenka. The Belarusian stormed through her draw to get 2016 off to the perfect start with a Premier title.

Azarenka looked more like her old self, dictating play from the baseline and being as feisty as ever. Despite dominating her opponents all week, the two time Australian Open champion saved her best tennis until the final.
The former world number one hit 23 winners and only nine unforced errors as she cruised past Angelique Kerber in Saturday’s final 6-3, 6-1.

The win marked Azarenka’s 18th career title, but it was her first for two and a half years after injury struggles in recent seasons.

“Congratulations to Angelique and thank you for pushing me – you always push my limits. I hope we get to play more matches soon and good luck the rest of the year.” Azarenka said in her post match interview.
“Every time I play in front of this crowd I couldn’t be happier.
“My dreams come true whenever I step on the court, and I want to thank you all for showing up, motivating us so much and inspiring us so much.”
With her performance this week, the Belarusian has established herself as a huge threat for the Australian Open.

Stephens claims Auckland crown

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Across in New Zealand America’s Sloane Stephens picked up her second career WTA title after pulling double duty on Saturday. Due to the rain on Friday, the fifth seed was forced to continue her semi final match-up with Caroline Wozniacki on Saturday with a 5-2 first set lead. Despite the delay to her momentum, Stephens picked up where she left off the previous day, rounding off the victory 6-2, 7-6(3).

Still on a high from her semi final victory, the world number 30 went on to defeat Germany’s Julia Goerges 7-5, 6-2 despite the German being fresher of the two players. The key was her dominance on serve, holding in all 10 of her service games and only facing two break points.

“You can never prepare for playing a set and then rain, then finishing the match the next morning and coming back again in the afternoon. You just have to keep going and do your best,” Stephens said.

“Julia had been playing some really great tennis all week, but I knew if I just kept playing solid I could do it. I was pleased the way I was able to pull myself together and come back and play well.
“Just kind of going with the flow – that was pretty much it. Pretty basic.”
Despite having enormous talent, Stephens has failed to kick on since her breakthrough run to the Australian Open semi finals in 2013. After claiming her first title in Washington last year and adding to her collection here, will 2016 be the year Sloane finally enters the elite?

“We have a really long season – I have to play all the way until October – so to win a tournament in the first week of the year is amazing,” Stephens added. “But I’m going to have many more opportunities throughout the year, and I’m looking forward to all of them. It’s easier to look at it that way.”

Radwanska storms to Shenzhen title

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Agnieszka Radwanska capped off her ranking climb to number four in the world by capturing the Shenzhen title.
After finishing 2015 in perfect fashion with victory at the WTA finals, the Pole started the new just the same. Radwanska played almost flawless tennis as she dispatched every opponent including the eventual runner-up Alison Riske.

It took the new world number four only one hour and 16 minutes to claim a 6-3, 6-2 victory over the American on Saturday.

I think Alison was really playing solid tennis today,” Radwanska said in her post match interview. “She has a very powerful game from the baseline – I was really struggling from the baseline. I was really in a lot of trouble there.
“But my serve really helped me today. Also in the deciding points I was a little bit better, and I think that’s why the score was the way it was – it made it look easier than the actual match was.”

It was Radwanska’s 18th career title, but more importantly she has passed Maria Sharapova in the rankings to earn a top four seeding at the Australian Open, meaning she avoids Serena Williams, Simona Halep and Garbine Muguruza before the semi finals.

Niall Clarke (Sofia)

Qualifiers Haase, De Bakker Paint ATP Auckland Orange
Adam Addicott, Tennis Atlantic

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The qualifying competition for the men’s ASB Classic encountered a problem before proceedings got underway. Last week the organizers admitted that they was short of participants for the 16-player draw. Fortunately the crisis was resolved with the additional of five alternate players.

Headlining the field was world No.66 Robin Haase. 2016 is the fifth year that Haase has competed at the tournament but he has only been able to win one main draw match at the event (2011 against John Isner). In the first round of qualifying he faced American doubles specialist Eric Butorac. Despite playing in his first singles match since May, Butorac started the match well with a 3-1 lead before Haase battled back to win 6-4, 7-5 in less than an hour.

In the final round Haase faced fifth seed Duck-hee Lee. The South Korean enjoyed a easy first round encounter against Colombian doubles specialist Robert Farah Maksoud, winning 6-1, 6-2. Last year Hee claimed five Futures titles. Haase proved too strong for Lee as he won 6-1, 6-3, after only 45 minutes on the court.

Another Dutch triumph in Auckland occurred for Thiemo de Bakker. De Bakker opened up his campaign with a 6-2, 6-2, win over Australia’s Greg Jones. After grabbing his opening win, Bakker faced Croatian seventh seed Mate Pavic. Pavic defeated 2011 French Open doubles finalist Juan Sebastián Cabal (6-2, 6-4) in his opening match. It was a tough start to his final match after Bakker dropped the first set in exactly 30 minutes. Despite the slow start, the Dutchman battled back to win 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. Bakker, who is a regular feature on the Challenger tour, will now be bidding to win his first main draw match on the ATP World Tour since the Rio Open in February last year.

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World No.299 Matthew Barton will play in his first ATP World Tour main draw after his duo of triumphs. In the opening round Barton played Australian compatriot Artem Sitak. Sitak is a doubles specialist ranked 43rd in the world. Sitak proved troublesome for Barton during the first set before he dominated the second set to win 7-6(8), 6-0. It was expected that Barton would experience a tricky second match against second seed Denis Kudla. Kudla defeated Trey Huey in straight sets during his first match. Incredibly Barton trailed 2-0 at the start of the match before winning 12 consecutive games top stun the second seed 6-2, 6-0.

Finally Germany’s Benjamin Becker dropped only seven games during his qualifying campaign. In the first round, he dismissed alternative entrant Scott Lipsky 6-3, 6-1. Lipsky is best known for winning the 2011 French Open mixed doubles title with Casey Dellacqua. Then in the second round he played South African-born Brit Cameron Norrie. Norrie achieved a career ranking high of 637th in 2014. The inexperienced Brit was no match for Becker as the German took the match 6-1, 6-2, in under an hour.

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First round matches for the qualifiers

Barton opens against American Steve Johnson, Haase has a winnable match against dirtballer Pablo Andujar, De Bakker faces another Spaniard, Albert Ramos, and Becker will face his countryman and Davis Cup teammate Philipp Kohlschreiber.

Adam Addicott TA Watermark

2016 ATP Auckland Preview and Predictions
Steen Kirby, Tennis Atlantic

The remaining pair of ATP 250 warm-up tournaments prior to the Australian Open take place this week in Auckland, NZ, and Sydney, Australia. Both are on outdoor hard courts and feature fields that could lead to some surprising results.

ATP Auckland

ASB Classic
ATP World Tour 250
Auckland, New Zealand
January 11-January 17, 2016
Surface: Hard
Prize Money: $463,520

Top 4 seeds (who all receive first round byes) (ATP ranking in parentheses)
1: David Ferrer (7)
2: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (10)
3: John Isner (11)
4: Kevin Anderson (12)

Auckland has an improved field compared to last season with eight top 25 players, hopefully a strong field will continue to grow interest in tennis in NZ.

First round matchups to watch:

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(7)Ivo Karlovic vs. Vasek Pospisil

A battle of big servers likely to feature at least one tiebreak. Karlovic is making his 2016 debut after a strong 2015 season where he reached multiple quarterfinals or better on hard courts. The 36 year old continues to be a tricky opponent with his sidewinding serve. Pospisil lost last week in the opening round of Chennai and looks to do better here. The younger Canadian is likely to start 0-2 heading into the AO however, as Karlovic is a tough out.

(8)Roberto Bautista Agut vs. Jiri Vesely

The defending champion Vesely faces 2014 semifinalist Bautista Agut in this cracking hard court match. Vesely is unseeded but the 22 year old is nearly into the top 40 and 4x reached an ATP quarterfinal or better in 2015. The Czech slumped late last season, and looks to get back on track now after a 1-2 result in Hopman Cup singles. RBA reached the quarterfinals in Chennai and appears to be primed for another good week.

(6)Fabio Fognini vs. Joao Sousa

A gut check match for Fognini, who beat Sousa in China late last year. Fabio had a strong finish to last season on hard courts, displaying shotmaking prowess, but his talent has never been in doubt and his focus has continually been a disappointment. Fognini should be the favorite here, Sousa is a good attacking baseliner however, and reached a remarkable four ATP finals last year, capturing one title.

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Top Half:

Four-time Auckland champion David Ferrer should be able to cruise to the quarterfinals past Steve Johnson/Matthew Barton, as Johnson dropped his opening match in Brisbane last week, and Barton is making his ATP debut after years on the challenger tour. Ferrer was shocked in Doha by Illya Marchenko, and could run into trouble in the quarterfinals if Benoit Paire can find form.

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The Chennai semifinalist continues to rise. Paire should ride his backhand to a win over wild card Michael Venus, and then beat the Guillermo Garcia-Lopez/Lukas Rosol winner. Paire just beat Rosol in Chennai, where GGL was a quarterfinalist. Paire is 2-1 against GGL, but 0-3 against Ferrer. Having never faced him on a fast surface, I’m going with Paire’s form to upset Ferrer and reach the semifinals.

Kevin Anderson sustained a knee injury that forced him to withdrawal from Chennai and now he’ll have to defend semifinal points in Auckland. The South African is in for a tricky quarterfinalist test against the Karlovic/Pospisil winner, as long as he can brush off injury concerns to beat either Pablo Andujar or qualifier Robin Haase in round 2.

Anderson is 1-1 against Karlovic on hard courts, but given the knee concerns for Anderson, I have Karlovic reaching the semifinals. Karlovic/Pospisil faces Jack Sock/Victor Estrella in round 2. Sock struggled in Hopman Cup play for Team USA, he remains talented and rising, but his form is in question. Karlovic is 3-0 on fast surfaces against Sock.

Bottom Half:

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga went 19-8 in the summer and fall hard court seasons in 2015, after a slow start returning to tour from an injury. The Frenchman is back in the top 10, now as an experienced campaigner, and with his health back, the fan favorite should be able to continue his attacking brand of tennis into 2016. Tsonga is set to face a German in round 2, Benjamin Becker has qualified for both Doha and Auckland already this year, while Philipp Kohlschreiber remains a talented veteran, reaching an ATP quarterfinal or better more than a half dozen times, though he had erratic results as well. The 2008 Auckland champion should defeat Becker but fall to Tsonga, given the Frenchman’s dominant 8-0 h2h record.

Tsonga’s difficult section should continue in the quarterfinals. The Fognini/Sousa winner will be favored over either qualifier Thiemo De Bakker or Albert Ramos. Either could trouble Tsonga, but given his 3-0 h2h over Fognini, he should be the favorite to reach the semifinals.

Rounding out the semis should be two-time champion John Isner. The American #1 is bidding for the top 10 after a strong season on hard courts last year (a title, a final, and a masters semi). Isner will need to serve past either his good friend Sam Querrey, or Chennai semifinalist Aljaz Bedene in round 2. Querrey is capable of decent hard court results, while Bedene continues to show improvement but may be suffering from fatigue.

The RBA/Vesely winner is the likely quarterfinal opponent for Isner, with just Donald Young or local wild card Finn Tearney standing in their path round 2. Tearney is making his ATP debut, the former Pepperdine NCAA player has risen up the challenger ranks, while Young remains an unpredictable competitor.

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Isner is 2-0 in the h2h against RBA, though both their matches went three sets. Isner should be the superior player and setup a semifinal meeting with Tsonga.

Dark Horse: Jack Sock

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Like Vesely, Sock went just 1-2 in Hopman Cup singles, however he could find his way into the semifinals or better if he can get past Karlovic/Pospisil in round 2, and likely a hobbled Anderson in the quarters. Facing big servers is always a tough ask on hard courts, but Sock has the ground strokes to compete, and this looks to be a good year for him. I wouldn’t put it past the American to find form and impress this week.

Predictions

Semis
Karlovic d. Paire
Isner d. Tsonga

Karlovic has a hard court h2h win over Paire, while Isner is 3-1 against Tsonga, and has winning history in Auckland. Ferrer or Paire could just as well reach the final, but I’m backing big servers.

Final
Isner d. Karlovic

Karlovic leads Isner 2-1 on hard courts, but it’s a close matchup of players with similar styles. Expect tiebreaks, with Isner’s sweeping forehand against Karlovic’s net game. This sets up to be a good week for Isner, who opted to start the season in Auckland.

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Steen Kirby (Marseille)

With the new season finally upon us, the WTA is hosting three tournaments to kick off 2016 in style. With tournaments in Brisbane and Shenzhen also taking place this week, the WTA goes to the island of New Zealand for the ASB Classic in Auckland.

The season opener started back in 1985 for the start of the 1986 season and has been a staple on the calendar ever since.

Previous champions include Marion Bartoli, Lindsay Davenport, Elena Dementieva, Jelena Jankovic, Agnieszka Radwanska, Ana Ivanovic and last year’s winner Venus Williams.

The ASB Classic

Tier: International
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Surface: Hard
Prize Money: $226,750
Date: January 4th-10^th 2016

The eight seeded players (Ranking)

Venus Williams (7)
2. Ana Ivanovic (16)
3. Caroline Wozniacki (17)
4. Svetlana Kuznetsova (25)
5. Sloane Stephens (30)
6. Coco Vandeweghe (37)
7. Barbora Strycova (42)
8. Alison Van Uytvanck (44)

All the seeds ranks inside the top 50 with three former grand slam champions and a former world number one set to compete.

First round matches to watch

(4) Svetlana Kuznetsova vs Mona Barthel

Kuznetsova had the misfortune of drawing the next highest ranked player outside of the seeds in the opening round, Mona Barthel.

The German is known as an underachiever, being blessed with plenty of talent but has seemingly been unable to translate it into the desired results. Kuznetsova on the other hand is a former grand slam champion but t 30 years of age, can she reproduce that form?

An interesting round one here with two inconsistent players which means it could go either way. Don’t be surprised to see the fourth seed flounder at the first hurdle.

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(3) Caroline Wozniacki vs Danka Kovinic

There is an argument that the top players are potentially most vulnerable at the start of the season having not played for a few months. Can Kovinic take advantage and claim the scalp of the former world number one?

Wozniacki did not enjoy the best of 2015’s, finishing outside the top 10. But the former world number one must not be under-estimated. She is still one of the best defenders on tour and difficult to break down.

That is the task ahead of her 21 year old opponent who enjoyed her bests season to date in 2015. The Montenegrin almost broke the top 50 last year, and a win over Wozniacki will give her a huge confidence boost to start the season.

Draw Analysis

First Quarter: Top seed Venus Williams is back to defend her title after a small resurgence in 2015. The former world number one will kick her season off against Daria Kasatkina in the opening round. If the American predictably makes round two, she will face the winner of Mariana Duque Marino vs Nao Hibino. It would be a huge shock if Venus does not make the quarter finals.

Barbora Strycova’s 2015 did not go as planned as she surrendered her top 30 place to finish just inside the top 50. The Czech however enjoyed the Fed Cup success and will be hoping to translate that form into 2016. The seventh seed opens against a qualifier, but Lucie Hradecka or Julia Goerges could throw a spanner in the works in round two.

Second Quarter: Kuznetsova on the other hand will want to re-kindle old glory in 2016 after a respectable 2015 that saw her finish inside the top 30. The Russian has a difficult round one against Barthel with round two proving much easier for the winner against a semi retired Francesca Schiavone or a qualifier.

Coco Vandeweghe is one of the many Americans in the draw, but she is still searching for her major breakthrough. She made a good run at Wimbledon last year on a surface that suits her game but the courts here are slower, will that impact her effectiveness? It is an all American round one against Irina Falconi with Bethanie Mattek Sands likely for round two- Plenty for the American fans to enjoy.

Third quarter: Wozniacki lost her top 10 status in 2015 but her quest to regain her position amongst the elite starts in Auckland against Kovinic. If there aren’t enough Americans in the draw, Christina McHale is possible for round two against the winner providing she can defeat Misaki Doi.

Talented Belgian Alison Van Uytvanck is name that may be familiar due to her quarter final run at Roland Garros last year. However she has not built on that run, will 2016 be her time to break through? Van Uytvanck faces Alexandra Dulgheru in the opening round. Home favourite Marina Erakovic or Yulia Putintseva await the winner.

Fourth Quarter: Like Wozniacki, Ana Ivanovic lost her top 10 status last year, finishing 15^th in the world. The Serbian will kick off her 2016 season against a qualifier before meeting Jelena Ostapenko or Joanna Larsson- a good draw for the second seed Sloane Stephens completes the American line up for Auckland as the fifth seed. She only has one title to her name, can she add a second here? Stephens opens against Hercog before meeting the winner of Witthoeft vs Maria. A decent little section here.

Predictions

Quarter Finals:

Williams def. Goerges

Barthel def. Mattek Sands

Wozniacki def. Erakovic

Ivanovic def. Stephens

Semi Finals:

Williams def. Barthel

Ivanovic def. Wozniacki

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Final:

Williams def. Ivanovic

I have gone for the defending champion again. Williams showed superb form at the end of the season and won the title last year for a reason. A good run for Barthel to the semi finals too with Ivanovic being the defeated finalist.

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Niall Clarke (Sofia)