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2015 WTA @MiamiOpenTennis Preview and Predictions

Posted by Admin on March 24, 2015
Posted in: Miami, Niall Clarke, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

2015 WTA @MiamiOpenTennis Preview and Predictions
Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic

Miami Open Site

Miami Open Site

The WTA tour heads across the US for the second American hard court Premier event this month. After the bottom half collapse in Indian Wells, will normal service be resumed in Miami?

One of the most prestigious tournaments on the calendar, the annual combined ATP/WTA two-week event has been held in the beautiful city of Miami since 1987. It was previously held in Delray Beach in 1985, and moved to Boca Raton in 1986 before settling in the Magic City.

Serena Williams is the tournament’s most successful player with seven overall titles, including victories in 2013 and 2014. Victoria Azarenka, Kim Clijsters, Steffi Graf, Martina Hingis, Monica Seles and Venus Williams have also won this prestigious event.

Miami Open
Tier: Premier Mandatory
Location: Miami, USA
Surface: Hard
Prize Money: $ 5,381,235
Date: March 24th- April 5th

Top Eight seeded players (Ranking)
1. Serena Williams (1)
2. Maria Sharapova (2)
3. Simona Halep (3)
4. Caroline Wozniacki (5)
5. Ana Ivanovic (6)
6. Eugenie Bouchard (7)
7. Agnieszka Radwanska (8)
8. Ekaterina Makarova (9)

The notable absentee is Petra Kvitova who is injured. Dominika Cibulkova and Timea Bacsinszky have also withdrawn from the tournament.

First round matches to watch:

Bencic

Bencic

Daniela Hantuchova vs Belinda Bencic
The first match that caught my eye was this battle of experience vs youth. 13 years separates them in age, and 12 places separates these players in the rankings. The world number 34, Belinda Bencic claimed the scalp of Caroline Wozniacki in Indian Wells before eventually losing to the runner up Jelena Jankovic. The Swiss had struggled prior to Indian Wells, so maybe the victory over Wozniacki can boost her confidence. Since winning the Patteya title, Hantuchova has struggled to build on that impressive run, losing three of her five matches since. The Slovak lost in the opening round of Indian Wells, but that means she’ll be well rested for Miami. There is only one previous meeting to talk about and that came last year on the grass courts of Birmingham, which Hantuchova won comfortably in straight sets. On this occasion, the circumstances are different, so don’t expect it to be so easy for the 31-year-old. With the form favouring the 18-year-old, Bencic will be the favourite and I expect The Swiss to level the head to head with a three sets victory.

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs Vera Zvonareva
Zvonareva, Charleston
Vera Zvonareva’s comeback continues in Miami, but the world number 153 has been dealt a tough opening hand in the form of compatriot Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. The 23-year-old ranks 115 places higher than her opponent, and is coming off a decent run to the round of 32 in Indian Wells. It’s a stark contrast to Zvonareva, who found herself on the end of a one-sided beat down at the hands of Polona Hercog. Despite the result two weeks a go, this is still an interesting match for a majority of reasons. The former world number two’s descent down the rankings has been largely attributed to injury, and seeing the comeback of a top player is always interesting to watch. Combine that with the drama and top-level tennis that will be on show, you got yourself a must see round one match-up in Miami.

Yania Wickmayer vs Sloane Stephens
Wickmayer, Charleston
Remember in 2013 when Sloane Stephens was billed as the future of women’s tennis? It seems like a lifetime a go since the young American shocked Serena Williams at the Australian Open, and reached the top 20 two years a go. Nowadays the 22 year old is languishing just inside the top 50, with all that hope and promise seemingly fading further and further away. However, despite a horrible start to the year, Indian Wells could end up being a turning point for Stephens. The world number 45 defeated Angelique Kerber and Svetlana Kuznetsova on her run to the last 16 in California. She also took a set off Serena Williams, before eventually going down in 6-7,6-2,6-2. Wickmayer had some good news to tell of her own from Indian Wells, as she snapped a three match losing streak. Unfortunately that losing streak couldn’t be turned into a winning streak as she lost to Maria Sharapova in the second round. Stephens will be the favourite, but it will be interesting to see how she builds on last week’s good run in her premier meeting with Wickmayer.

Draw Analysis

Serena’s Quarter:
The world number one’s return to Indian Wells ended sooner than she probably hoped, but Serena returns to Florida to defend her Miami Open title. Williams could rematch Monica Niculescu in the second round, just 2 weeks after straight setting the Romanian in Indian Wells. The opening set of matches shouldn’t be a problem for the defending champion. Her route to the quarter finals look awfully similar to the one she was projected to face in Indian Wells, and she pulled through that one without much trouble. After the potential rematch with Niculescu, Serena should easily dispatch Zarina Diyas in round three, and the winner of Svetlana Kuznetsova vs Angelique Kerber shouldn’t be too much of a problem in round four. That is presuming her knee injury isn’t serious of course. If so, then I would expect Serena to withdraw at some point in the tournament. There has been no news of the world number one withdrawing pre-tournament so it’s safe to presume the knee is fine. There are one or two players who can spring an upset, including Heather Watson who knocked Radwanska out of Indian Wells. The Brit is a potential second round opponent for an out of form Kerber, so watch out for that one.

Fifth seed Ana Ivanovic will be glad that Caroline Garcia hasn’t been drawn into her section given their past two meetings have gone the Frenchwoman’s way. However, the Serb is still been drawn into a seriously difficult section with the likes of Garbine Muguruza, and an in form Sabine Lisicki. Ivanovic will likely face Lisicki in the third round if the German carries her Indian Wells form into the tournament. However Lisicki is known more for her exploits on grass more than anything else, so an early exit to compatriot Julia Goerges wouldn’t be surprising. Ivanovic faces a tough round two of her own in Monica Puig, but despite her recent losses, you would expect the Serb to win that without too much hassle. Depending on Lisicki’s form, expect Ivanovic to make round four where she’ll face her first true test of the tournament. Muguruza will be glad that she has been drawn away from Karolina Pliskova considering how much the Czech has frustrated her recently. Despite those heart breaking losses, Muguruza still remains one of the WTA’s hottest prospects, and with a good draw and little to defend, she’ll be looking to continue her climb up the rankings. First will likely be Lauren Davis, who will have the American crowd behind her. This shouldn’t be too much of a problem for Muguruza is the superior player, but the crowd might fire Davis to a great performance. Errani is projected to make the third round, but as always the Italian is prone to losing to a big hitter on fire. I can’t see the 11th seed making it past Muguruza, as on paper it’s a terrible match-up for Errani. That means we could see the first ever meeting between Adidas twins, Garbine Muguruza and Ana Ivanovic. If this match comes to fruition, I recommend watching as this is one of the most intriguing potential fourth round clashes. Muguruza can brag about victories over players such as Serena, Halep, and Wozniacki, so the Spaniard will look to add Ivanovic to that list.

Halep’s Quarter:
The Indian Wells champion has been handed a tough draw, with a potential rematch with Jelena Jankovic in the wings. But first, the world number three must navigate her way through the second and third rounds. Big hitting Italian, Camila Giorgi is projected to be Halep’s first real test in the round of 32. Giorgi is known for her raw power despite not being among the biggest girls on tour, and that makes her extremely dangerous. If the Italian hits her peak form, she could very well blast Halep off the court, but the chances are Halep squeezes through to the last 16. Who she will face there is a bigger mystery than Bigfoot. Jelena Jankovic, Flavia Pennetta, and Victoria Azarenka will battle it out for a round four meeting with Simona Halep, all with a very good chance of making it to the final 16. Jankovic is coming off the back of a final run in Indian Wells, where she came within one game of the title. The Serb channelled some of her 2010 form, but she played few three setters, so she may be slightly fatigued. Jankovic has the unfortunate Azarenka draw, meaning she’ll face the former world number one in the second round. That is providing that Vika makes it past Soler Espinosa of course. Injuries sent Azarenka out of the seeding positions, but she still remains one of the most dangerous unseeded players in the draw. With the head to head in favour of Azarenka, you will probably say she’s a slight favourite despite Jankovic’s efforts last week. Flavia Pennetta shouldn’t have too many problems making round three, with the Italian likely to face Tsvetana Pironkova in round two. It will be interesting to see how makes it to Halep, though I don’t really see either Pennetta or Azarenka knocking the Romanian out. If Azarenka rewinds the clock back to 2013/2013, she could go deep, but we haven’t seen that sort of form from the world number 36 in 2015, so expect Halep to make it through this section.


Genie Bouchard (Photo: S. Fogleman)
Eugenie Bouchard has been handed an interesting draw, with the likes of Roberta Vinci, and Casey Dellacqua being obstacles on her quest to round four. Being one of the more experienced players on tour, Vinci will no doubt cause Bouchard a lot of problems, especially with her slice. The Italian may not be the top 20 player she once was, but she’ll still provide a unique test for the young Canadian. Bouchard was part of the bottom half collapse in Indian Wells, where she fell to Lesia Tsurenko in the round of 16. The 6th seed’s recent form isn’t encouraging, so it may be an opportunity for Belinda Bencic to have another good run. The Swiss struggled at the start of the season, but she found form in Indian Wells, defeating Caroline Wozniacki and making it to the fourth round. The 18 year old will face an out of form Daniela Hantuchova, and Casey Dellacqua in the opening rounds, in matches she’ll fancy her chances in. The seeded Dellacqua didn’t play Indian Wells, and is coming off three straight defeats, so expect her to make an early exit here. That will set up an interesting round three match-up with Bouchard. This will definitely give the fans a glimpse into the future, as both have been tipped to be future stars of the WTA. Right now, Bouchard is the better player so the 6th seed will be favourite, but with good form behind her, a Bencic upset wouldn’t at all be surprising. It is likely that the round four opponent will be either Lucie Safarova or Madison Keys, who are projected to meet in the third round. Don’t be too quick to bet on it though, because there are banana skins possibly awaiting both of them in the second round. An in form Sloane Stephens will likely await Keys, whilst a returning Yaroslava Shvedova should face Safarova in round two. Shvedova of course upset the Czech at the Australian Open, so look out for surprise result here. Stephens kick started her 2015 campaign in Indian Wells after a terrible start to the year, so she could be in good form heading into the match with fellow American Madison Keys. Despite the potential of upsets, I see this section going according to the seeding, with Safarova advancing to the fourth round to face Eugenie Bouchard.

Wozniacki’s Quarter:
Caroline Wozniacki will look to put a disastrous Indian Wells campaign behind her with a good run in Miami, and with her draw she shouldn’t face many problems until the fourth round. The Dane will have to slay some of the home crowd favourites in her section, with Madison Brengle and Vavara Lepchenko likely opponents before a round four clash with Venus Williams. The 34 year old has played well this year, even adding another title to her already large collection. You’d expect Venus will make her way through Coco Vandeweghe in round two, despite having to deal with her big serve. Sam Stosur is likely in round three, but given their respective forms and the head to head record, it should be a Venus Williams victory. So with the fourth round clash between Wozniacki and Venus likely, a lot of you may be expecting an extremely close and interesting match. Well I’m afraid I got some bad news, especially for Wozniacki fans. The world number five has NEVER defeated Venus Williams in six attempts, including in Auckland this year. That meeting was the first time Wozniacki had even taken a set off the American. This screams match-up issue, so Wozniacki’s confidence will be down in this match, and you have to expect a Venus win here.

The world number five wasn’t the only one who suffered a premature exit in Indian Wells, as Agnieszka Radwanska slumped to a straight sets defeat against Heather Watson. Despite the recent poor form, I don’t see the Pole falling that early this time around, with Irina Begu being the biggest challenger in round three. Polona Hercog, and Anna Schmiedlova shouldn’t trouble the world number 8, but of course, nothing is set in stone when regards to the WTA. On current form, you would expect Carla Suarez Navarro to meet Radwanska in round four, even if the Spaniard has a few tricky opponents along the way. Former top 20 player Kirsten Flipkens will likely be followed by Alize Cornet. The Frenchwoman has a 3-2 head to head lead over Navarro, but given their respective forms of late, expect that head to head to be levelled here. Radwanska has never lost to the Spaniard, but their last meeting came way back in 2012. At that point, Radwanska was a better player and Suarez Navarro wasn’t at the level she is at right now, so expect a tougher match for the Pole on this occasion.

Sharapova’s Quarter

World number two, Maria Sharapova, will be looking to put a disappointing Indian Wells behind her by going one further in Miami. The Russian will be fairly pleased with her draw overall, even if there are some interesting challengers in round three and four. The first challenge will be in the form of Caroline Garcia, who recently defeated Ana Ivanovic twice. Sharapova’s only loss to the 21-year-old came via a walkover in Acapulco, and you would expect that not to change. Garcia is dangerous, but it’s hard to go against Sharapova making the last 16. Rising star Karolina Pliskova will be anxiously awaiting the world number two at that stage barring a big upset. The Czech has been in tremendous form this year as she continues her ascension towards the top 10. Her big serve, effortless power, and strong mentality have seen Pliskova make some big runs this year, but this could very well be her toughest test yet. Both Pliskova and Sharapova are known for their mental strength, so this will likely be a test of wills, rather than a test of talent. It will likely go three sets, so be sure to catch this one if it is to happen.

What do Ekaterina Makarova, and Elina Svitolina have in common? Have you got it yet? Maybe I should just tell you. They both lost to Timea Bacsinszky in Indian Wells. The good news for the both of them is that The Swiss has withdrawn from Miami, but the bad news is that they will face each other in round three providing there are no upsets before then. Svitolina has a tough potential second round clash with Mona Barthel who is especially dangerous when in form. Unfortunately those ‘In form’ days are a rarity for The German. Expect Svitolina’s consistency to get her through to round three. The Ukrainian met Makarova in Sydney, and it was the Russian who prevailed in straight sets. I expect this match to be slightly closer, but the end result will be the same. That should set the 8th seed up for an interesting round four meeting with Andrea Petkovic. The world number 10’s biggest test before the round of 16 will be Barbora Zahalova-Strycova in round three, but I predict the German to get through that one, and face Makarova in round four.

Predictions
Round of 16:
Serena def. Kuznetsova in 2
Muguruza def. Ivanovic in 3
Halep def. Azarenka in 3
Safarova def. Bouchard in 3
Venus def. Wozniacki in 2
Suarez Navarro def. Radwanska in 3
Makarova def. Petkovic in 2
Sharapova def. Pliskova in 3

Quarter Finals:
Serena def. Muguruza in 3
Halep def. Safarova in 2
Venus def. Suarez Navarro in 3
Sharapova def. Makarova in 3

Semi Finals:
Serena def. Halep in 2
Sharapova def. Venus in 3

Final:
Serena def. Sharapova in 2

Depending on how the injury holds up, it’s hard to see past Serena claiming her eighth Miami title. The world number one is the tournament’s most successful player for a reason, and despite some tough tests along the way, she’ll likely get the job done yet again.

Niall Clarke (Sofia)

Petkovic Walks Over Suarez Navarro, Hantuchova Completes Pattaya Hat Trick

Posted by Admin on February 15, 2015
Posted in: Antwerp, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Petkovic Walks Over Suarez Navarro, Hantuchova Completes Pattaya Hat Trick
Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic

Embed from Getty Images

Another exciting week of WTA tennis ended in a huge contrast between the two tournaments. The Diamond Games soon turned rough after Carla Suarez Navarro failed to step on to court in the final against Andrea Petkovic, but despite the German walking over her opponent she fell flat in an exhibition match against Kim Clijsters. In Pattaya however, fans were treated to a great end to the tournament as Daniela Hantuchova came from behind to defeat Ajla Tomljanovic and claim her third Thailand open crown.

WTA Antwerp
It was promising to be a close final in Antwerp with little separating Petkovic and Suarez Navarro in the rankings and form, but unfortunately the Spaniard was forced to withdraw with a neck injury.

“I woke up in the morning and just felt this pain in my neck,” the Spanish No.1 said. “I went to the physio to get treatment and tried to play at 11:30, then had physio again and tried to play again at 2:15, and I just couldn’t serve. I couldn’t play like I wanted. So I had to pull out of this final. I’m really sorry. I love this tournament and I had a great week. I really tried today.”

The withdrawal meant that Andrea Petkovic was automatically crowned champion, and as a result she will break back into the top 10 after three injury-plagued years that saw The German almost fall outside the top 200.
Despite not having to take to the court today, Petkovic had to work very hard to get to the final in the first place. In her second round match against Belgian wildcard Alison Van Uytvanck, the German had to save eight match points in the three hour and 19 minute battle – the longest match of the year so far. After straight set wins over Dominika Cibulkova and Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova, Petkovic found herself one match away from winning her sixth career title. In the end it came easier than anyone expected.

The third seed spoke about her opponent’s withdrawal in the post-match press conference: “Right before we went on court I was warming up and they told me the news. At first I was very shocked because I didn’t know anything about her physical pain and the blockage. But secondly I was sad. I really like Carla – she’s a great person and always friendly and positive, and she has a tremendous amount of talent. Also, you can never really enjoy the win when you don’t fight for it.”

“So I’m happy I had a great week and I’m leaving as the champion, but definitely mixed emotions.”
To ensure the fans didn’t leave without any tennis action, former world number one and four time Grand slam champion, Kim Clijsters stepped on to court to play the Antwerp champion in a one set exhibition.
The new Director of Diamond Games reeled back the years and put on a show for the home crowd, as she raced to a 5-3 victory. This performance over a now top 10 player will surely make the rest of the tour feeling glad she has gone… Well at least Petkovic anyway.

“I hope you don’t take any offense Kim, but I’m glad you are done playing on tour!”, the German joked post-match.
The doubles went to top seeds Anabel Medina Garrigues and Arantxa Parra Santonja, who beat An-Sophie Mestach and Alison Van Uytvanck, 6-4, 3-6, 10-5.

WTA Pattaya

Embed from Getty Images

Daniela Hantuchova edged out young gun Ajla Tomljanovic in a comeback victory to win the PTT Thailand open for the third time.

The 21 year old started off the better of the two, breaking at 2-2 in the first before securing the opening set with another break at 5-3. However, Hantuchova is no stranger to comeback, shown by her comeback against Marina Erakovic in the semi-finals. The 31 year old broke in the opening game of the second set, but was immediately broken back by her game opponent. After holding for 2-1, Tomljanovic proceeded to lose the rest of her service games in the second set. Hantuchova soon ran away with the second, and despite a small hiccup at 5-2, she broke the Croatian to level the score. With the experience of six WTA titles behind her, the Slovak looked likely to run away with the final set, taking a 3-0 lead. Her young opponent, however, had other ideas. Tomljanovic got things back to 3-3, and then 4-4, but one last burst from Hantuchova was enough to break her opponent to take the match 3-6,6-3,6-4.

“Today was very tough because Ajla was playing some great tennis,” Hantuchova said post match. “I had to really fight for it – at the end I felt maybe I was a little fresher and sharper, and that decided the match. But Ajla has a great future ahead of her. She’s also a very nice girl. It’s nice to have somebody like her in the game. And like I said on the court, I’m sure she’ll have many more finals to come.”

With this win, Hantuchova has now won seven career titles, three of which have come at this event.

“It means so much to me to win this tournament three times. I’ve never done that in my career and never thought I’d be able to,” Hantuchova said. “It’s always a special feeling playing in Pattaya. I’ve felt great here since the first match, and I’m very proud I kept it up all week.”

Despite the loss, it was a good week for Tomljanovic. The 21 year old made her first WTA final, and will look to use this experience to build herself up as a player.

“There are too many positives from the week. I’m going to try not to dwell on this too much,” she said. “I’ll just try to learn from it. There are things I can learn from this match and the week. Overall I think this was a really big step forward for me in Pattaya.”

It was a sister act in the doubles, as Hao-Ching and Yung-Jan Chan -beat Shuko Aoyama and Tamarine Tanasugarn, 2-6, 6-4, 10-3 to claim their third doubles title together.

Next up, the tour heads to Rio and Dubai for another eventful week of tennis, which you can follow on Tennis Atlantic.

Niall Clarke (Sofia)

2015 WTA Antwerp (@WTAdiamondgames) and Pattaya City Previews and Predictions

Posted by Admin on February 8, 2015
Posted in: Antwerp, Niall Clarke, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

2015 WTA Antwerp (@WTAdiamondgames) and Pattaya City Previews and Predictions
Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic

The WTA tour took a week long break following the conclusion of the Australian Open, so the first round of the Fed Cup could be played. And after an exciting weekend of nationalistic action, the tour is back with visits to Belgium and Thailand, both are hard court events with Antwerp indoors and Pattaya City outdoors.

WTA Antwerp

2015 WTA Antwerp Preview

The tour returns to Antwerp for the first time since 2008 for the BNP Paribas Fortis Diamond games. The tournament director is none other than Belgian tennis legend Kim Clijsters, who won this title 11 years ago. Other previous champions include former grand slam champions: Venus Williams, Justine Henin, and Amelie Mauresmo. So who will join them on the honours list this year?

BNP Paribas Fortis Diamond Games
WTA Premier Series
Antwerp, Belgium
Feb 9-Feb 15, 2015
Prize Money: $731,000

Top 4 seeds (Who receive first round byes) (WTA ranking in parentheses)

1. Eugenie Bouchard (7)
2. Angelique Kerber (9)
3. Andrea Petkovic (12)
4. Lucie Safarova (15)

Four top 15 players get byes into the second round making it a fairly strong field.

First round matches to watch:

(5)Carla Suarez Navarro vs. Camila Giorgi
These two met in Katowice last year, and it was the big hitting Italian who came out on top 7-6,6-4. Despite that, Suarez Navarro will head into this match as the bookies favourite as she’s the higher ranked player and more experienced of the two. The Spaniard is a rare player in that she plays with a single handed backhand. It’s a shot that will be crucial if she is to overcome Giorgi as the Italian is one of the biggest hitters on tour. The 23 year old will look to dictate from the baseline with her powerful ground strokes, whilst on the other side of the net, Suarez Navarro will look to use her variety to move Giorgi around the court and not let her slip into any rhythm. A contrast of form, and style here, so this should be an interesting match the follow.

(7)Alize Cornet vs. Belinda Bencic
Bencic hasn’t had the best of starts to 2015. In fact she has yet to win a single set so far this year, but don’t let that stat fool you; the girl is still very talented. The world number 37 faces world number 19 Alize Cornet in the opening round in Antwerp. Cornet has lost 2 tour matches this year to Agnieszka Radwanska and Dominika Cibulkova, but unlike her opponent she has also won two matches, both of which at the Australian Open. The two met in the Fed Cup last year with Cornet coming out on top, but the landscape has changed since then. Bencic has improved, meaning this match has potential to be a good one, if the Swiss’ form has improved of course.

Top Half:

The number one seed Eugenie Bouchard has the fortune of a bye to the second round. She will meet either Mona Barthel or a qualifier in her first match under new coach Sam Sumyk. It will be too early to see any improvements, but it’s still interesting to see where the Canadian’s form lies after the Australian Open. Barthel can be dangerous, especially from the backhand side, but she’s still finding form after an injury. In the second section of this quarter, Cornet will be the bookies favourite, but there’s a lot of talent who could send the Frenchwoman packing.  Belinda Bencic is in terrible form, so it’s hard to back her against the 7th seed, Cornet. Awaiting her will be the winner of Yania Wickmayer and Barbora Zahalova Strycova. The Belgian is in good form after making the fourth round in Melbourne, and will no doubt have the backing of the crowd. Strycova is the better player overall however, and has made a positive start to the season. With the home crowd behind her, I can see Wickmayer defeating her higher ranked opponent in the first round. But the Belgians will be disappointed to see her lose to Cornet in round two. Bouchard should make the quarter finals without much trouble to face the Frenchwoman for a semi final spot. Power players seem to give Bouchard the most trouble, but Cornet isn’t a big hitter. I feel Bouchard will make the semi final from this quarter.

Third seed Andrea Petkovic headlines the second quarter, and like Bouchard, The German has a bye to the second round. She will face either wildcard Alison Van Uytvanck or Magdalena Rybarikova in round two in a match the 27 year old should expect herself to win, no matter who she faces. Sixth seed Dominika Cibulkova is the other seeded player in this section. The 2014 Australian Open runner up will face a qualifier in round one before likely meeting Tsevtana Pironkova in round two. The Bulgarian met Cibulkova at the Australian Open, but unfortunately it was rather a blowout for the Slovak. 6-2,6-0 was the final result, so I will favour Cibulkova to make the quarter finals here. The German leads the head to head 2-1, with their last two meetings ending in straight sets wins for Petkovic. But Cibulkova is in far better form at the moment, so I feel she should make the semi finals.

Bottom half:

Second seed Angelique Kerber is the only other top 10 player in the draw, and the German receives a bye into round two. Klara Koukalova will likely await the world number nine there, as the Czech faces a qualifier in round one. Koukalova has only won one match in 2014, and with Kerber being overall the stronger player, the German should make the quarter finals without much fuss. Fifth seed Carla Suarez Navarro finds herself in this quarter, and has a tough round one prospect in Camila Giorgi. The Italian is in the better form, and won their last meeting so I can see the Spaniard taking an early exit. Belgium will pin their hopes on former Wimbledon semi finalist, Kirsten Flipkens to take the title in Antwerp, but she faces crafty Romanian Monica Niculescu in round one. Only two places separate them in the rankings, but with the head to head 2-0 in favour of the Belgian I will go with Flipkens to make round two with the home crowd backing her. Giorgi vs Flipkens will be interesting, as the Belgian has the fans and the head to head on her side. In good form, Giorgi is just very powerful and dangerous so I will predict the Italian to make the Quarter Finals. That will set up the first meeting between Camila Giorgi and Angelique Kerber. This match will be the classic big hitter vs counter puncher encounter and therefore it will be interesting to see which style wins. I think this one has three sets written all over it, and I will predict a come from behind win for Kerber. Something we have come to expect from the German recently.

Number four seed Lucie Safarova receives a bye into round two where she’ll face either Kristina Mladenovic or Silvia Soler-Espinosa. Mladenovic shouldn’t have many problems dispatching her Spanish opponent to meet Safarova in round two. Safarova lost to Yaroslava Shvedova in Melbourne so isn’t in great form, but she should have enough about her to power through the Frenchwoman and reach the quarter finals. Rising star Karolina Pliskova will look to make it a great two weeks for the family. Her sister Kristyna won the Glasgow ITF event this week, and Karolina will look to do the same in Antwerp. The 8th seed faces experienced Mirjana Lucic-Baroni in the opening round. If Pliskova can show the form that lead her to the Sydney final then she shouldn’t have much trouble making the quarter finals. It will likely be Annika Beck in the second round, who is a good solid player, but the German doesn’t really have many weapons to trouble the Czech. I believe we will see an all Czech quarterfinal, which will undoubtedly be a big hitting contest. My prediction will be Pliskova because she showed better form in Australia, and Safarova is very inconsistent.

Predictions

Embed from Getty Images

Semis:
Cibulkova d. Bouchard in 3 sets
Kerber d. Pliskova in 3

Cibulkova showed good form at the Australian Open, and I expect her to continue her good play here. Cibulkova hits the ball hard and Bouchard has shown she can be prone to players who can over-power her.

Pliskova defeated Kerber in Sydney, but I can’t see that performance being replicated here. The likely outcome is that the German grinds down the Czech for a three set win.

Final:
Kerber d. Cibulkova in 3

This is a good chance for Kerber to win her first title of the season, and I believe she will take it. The German lost early in Melbourne, so she’ll use this tournament to put herself back on track.

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WTA Pattaya City

2015 WTA Pattaya City Preview



the Thailand open has grown in stature since its debut on tour in 1991. In 2009 the event was upgraded to an International from a tier IV tournament. Previous champions include the likes of Cochita Martinez, Daniela Hantuchova, and Vera Zvonareva. Last years edition was won by Ekaterina Makarova.

PTT Thailand Open
WTA International Series
Pattaya City, Thailand
Feb 9-Feb 15. 2015
Prize Money: $250,000

Top 4 seeds (WTA Ranking in parentheses)

1: Shuai Peng (21)
2: Elina Svitolina (26)
3: Zarina Diyas (33)
4: Kurumi Nara (44)

No top 20 players, but a list of dangerous players who will all benefit from a title winning run here.

First round matches to watch:

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(3)Zarina Diyas vs. Daniela Hantuchova
Third seed Zarina Diyas could have hardly asked for a tougher draw in round one than Daniela Hantuchova. The pair met in Hobart, and Diyas was victorious in straight sets, however Hantuchova’s form has improved since, and she’s a former champion here, so this one should be a closer encounter. Diyas has stagnated since making a climb up the rankings last year, with her main issue being her incapability to beat higher ranked opponents. The young Kazakh is fairly good at handling lower ranked players though, so I think she’ll win yet again, but it will be harder than last time.

(2)Elina Svitolina vs. Kimiko Date-Krumm
Not all matches to watch are on the basis on how competitive they are. The story of Date-Krumm just keeps going on and on, just like her career. The Japanese start turns 45 this year, and yet she is still playing in the main draws at WTA events. Her opponent Elina Svitolina is young enough to be her daughter, and the Ukrainian leads the head to head 1-0. Svitolina should win this comfortably on her title quest, but it’s always great to see Date-Krumm on court.

Top Half:

Headlining the top half of the draw will be world number 21 Shuai Peng. The 29 year old should have no problems reaching the quarter finals, as none of her potential opponents before that stage should offer any problems. The other seeded player in this quarter is young gun Monica Puig. The number seven seed showed some promise in 2014, but like Diyas, hasn’t kicked on since. The Puerto Rican has a tough round one against talented Swiss Stephanie Voegele. The head to head is 2-1 in the favour of Puig, so it’s hard not to back her here. A Voegele win wouldn’t be any sort of surprise however. The likely round two opponent will be Elena Vesnina, who has fallen down the rankings since reaching a career high 21 in 2013. Puig is currently the better player, so I expect her to reach the quarter finals. I don’t see the young star going any further though, as she’ll likely fall to top seed Peng in the quarter finals.

Fourth seed Kurumi Nara will start her tournament against local wildcard Nicha Lertpitaksinchai. I predict Yulia Putintseva to meet the Japanese in round two, where I’d expect Nara to be too good for the Kazakh. Jarmila Gadjosova is the sixth seed and will face a qualifier in round one. Facing a qualifier is always a lottery because there are a lot of dangerous players who are lower ranked on the WTA tour, but I am not sure there are many who could beat the Aussie. Ajla Tomljanovic wil be her probable round two opponent. This will be interesting as it’s an all Aussie clash, and there’s a fair chance of an ‘upset’ here. Either way both like to strike the ball hard, and it should be a tight battle. I believe the winner would beat Nara, who has a steady game but lacks real weapons. If I had to predict a winner from this quarter I will go for Gadjosova, as she is in good form after the Fed Cup.

Bottom Half:

Second seed Elina Svitolina is the favourite for the title in many people’s eyes. She should beat 44 year old Kimiko Date-Krumm in the opening round without too much trouble. In the second round I believe she’ll face Marina Erakovic. The New Zealander won their last meeting in 2013, but Svitolina is much improved since then so I expect the young Ukrainian to make the quarter finals at least. The other seed in this section is Shuai Zhang. She’ll face an out of sorts Donna Vekic in the opening round, and with the Croatians recent form at the Fed cup, I predict Zhang to win comfortably. Former Wimbledon finalist Vera Zvonareva has received a Wildcard into the main draw, and she hasn’t got a bad draw. I’d actually make her the favourite to reach the quarter finals where she will likely loose to the consistent Elina Svitolina.

Zarina Diyas is the third seed here, and the favourite to advance from her quarter, but there is some tough competition for her in this section. Firstly the Kazakh must work her way through Daniela Hantuchova. As I touched on in my matches to watch section, this should be closer than their previous meeting, but I expect Diyas to be too consistent for the Slovak. Sasai Zheng will await in the second round. Zhang played well in Shenzhen, even defeating Diyas in the quarter finals. The Chinese player hasn’t won a match since however. Their last match was close, so I will go with Diyas in three to make the quarter finals. There I predict her to meet fifth seed Yaroslava Shvedova. The talented Kazakh is one of the most dangerous players on tour, and recently had a decent run in Melbourne. In this all Kazakh clash we will see a mix of styles as Shvedova looks to be aggressive whilst Diyas will look to be consistent and counter Slava. With Shvedova’s recent form I believe she will have enough about her to beat Diyas on this occasion.

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Predictions

Semis
Gadjosova d. Peng in 2
Svitolina d. Shvedova in 3

Gadjosova pushed the Germans to their limits in the Fed Cup, so comes into this tournament in good form. Peng is consistent, but Gadjosova possesses the bigger weapons so I will predict the Aussie to win in 2 sets. Shvedova vs Svitolina will likely be a close battle, but with Shvedova’s tendency to struggle to close matches out from winning positions, I expect the Ukrainian to prevail from a set down.

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Final
Svitolina def. Gadjosova in 2

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Niall Clarke (Sofia)

 

 

2015 WTA Auckland and Shenzhen Preview and Predictions

Posted by Admin on January 3, 2015
Posted in: Auckland, Niall Clarke, Shenzen, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

2015 WTA Auckland and Shenzhen Preview and Predictions
Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic

Two other events will take place on the WTA tour this week to open the 2015 season, one in Auckland and the other in Shenzhen, China, as players gear up for the Australian Open by making their preparations all across Asia and Australia-Pacific.

2015 WTA Auckland Preview

WTA Auckland

A regular on the WTA calendar, the ASB classic has been part of the WTA season for the past 30 years, and the season opener for the past 20 years. The formation occurred when a gap in the marketplace was seen by Ari Hallenberg and Global Sports. They pitched the idea of an event in Auckland to Tennis New Zealand, and thus the ASB classic was created.

Previous champions include the likes of: Marion Bartoli, Lindsay Davenport, Elena Dementieva, Jelena Jankovic, Agnieszka Radwanska and the 2014 champion was Ana Ivanovic.

ASB Classic
WTA International Series
Auckland, New Zealand
January 5-January 10, 2015
Prize Money: $250,000

Top 4 seeds (WTA ranking in parentheses)
1: Caroline Wozniacki (8)
2: Sara Errani (14)
3: Venus Williams (18)
4: Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova (25)

A fairly strong field of seeded players with the lowest ranked seed being number 42, Mona Barthel. With two former world number ones, and three young stars we have got an open field that promises excitement.

First round matchups to watch:

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Marina Erakovic vs. Monica Puig

The home crowd favourite will no doubt be Marina Erakovic. The New Zealander finished a measly number 77 in the world in 2014, but picked up her form towards the end of the season. Her opponent is one of the WTA’s rising stars. 21 year old Puerto Rican, Monica Puig reached her highest ranking in 2014, but a poor end to the season saw her finish as world number 61. This will be one the hotly contested matches of round one, with Erakovic looking to please the home crowd. Puig will look to spoil the party and defeat her opponent and the crowd. Marina will want to keep the points short, and hold her serve, while Monica will want long rallies, and counter Erakovic. Expect a tight encounter here.

(7)Coco Vandeweghe vs. Roberta Vinci

The crafty Italian vs the big serving American will be one of the most intriguing matches in the season opener. The 23 year old New York native, Vandeweghe, had a career best season in 2014 which saw her reach her highest ranking of 38 and finish as the world number 39. She also won her first WTA tournament at the Topshelf Open. Across the court stands experienced Italian Roberta Vinci. The 31 year old finished at number 48 in the rankings last year, but has reached a career high of 11 in the world. Vinci’s slice will be a key shot in this match, and if Coco isn’t on form, it will trouble the American a lot. But if Vandeweghe plays at her full potential, Vinci might not be able to handle the big serve.

(2)Sara Errani vs. Daniela Hantuchova 

Vinci’s doubles partner, Sara Errani has a stern test in her opening match in the form of Daniela Hantuchova. Daniela didn’t enjoy the best of seasons in 2014, finishing the year as world number 57. However if the Slovak can show any sign of the form that got her to number five in the world, she could very well upset the number two seed. Sara Errani is one of the steadiest players on tour. The former Roland Garros finalist has great movement and rarely makes an error. However, she lacks the firepower to dictate a match which often leaves the result in her opponent’s hands. If Hantuchova can be aggressive and consistent she can upset Errani, but that is a big if.

Top Half:

Caroline Wozniacki is the number one seed and favourite to win the tournament. The former world number one drew lucky and will face a qualifier in round one. The consistent Dane will likely cruise to a quarter final clash with Svetlana Kuznetsova. Caro will most likely prove to be too good for the former grand slam champion and should advance from this quarter.

The second quarter is an interesting one. Any one of the eight players could realistically make the semi-finals with a good run. The Favourite will be number four seed, Barbora Zahalova-Strycova. The 28 year old should pass her first round test, Chanelle Scheepers and meet either Erakovic or Puig in the second round. Both players could cause big problems for the Czech, but Strycova is coming in off her best season to date. You’d expect the other quarter finalist to be one of: Roberta Vinci, Coco Vandeweghe and Kirsten Flipkens. All three are capable of a good run here, but it’s a question of who can find their form in time. I believe Strycova will advance from this section, but I wouldn’t be shocked at all if it’s somebody else.

Bottom half:

Number three seed Venus Williams is one of the favorites to win the tournament. The former world number one should make it through her first two matches without much hassle but if the veteran is off her game, she could easily be upset by Kiki Bertens or Kurumi Nara. The Interesting part of this section is the potential Quarter Final opponents for Venus. Mona Barthel is the seeded player and favourite, but the German has shown lack of mental strength and consistency in the past, despite her enormous talent. The 24 year old is unpredictable, and could blow the competition away or just as easily slump to a first round defeat. The key match will be the second round where Kristina Mladenovic or Elena Vesnina will await the winner. Both currently sit outside the top 50 and will be looking to kick off their season in a positive way. I feel Barthel makes it, but loses to Venus Williams in a tight encounter.

Number two seed Sara Errani would probably be more favoured on clay, but the Italian is so consistent, she won’t give any of her opponents’ free points. Errani should make it through to the quarter finals with her toughest test likely to come in round one against Daniela Hantuchova. Her opponent at this stage will likely be Sloane Stephens. The highly touted American made her breakthrough in 2013, but failed to make any improvements last year. Once touted a future number one, Sloane will be looking to live up to that potential in 2015.

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Predictions

Semis:
Wozniacki d. Strycova
Stephens d. Williams

Wozniacki should have no trouble getting past BarboraZahalovaStrycova in the semi-finals. Venus and Sloane will have a tight semi-final, which teases us with the end result multiple times. I am going to predict Stephens in three sets to set up a final clash with Caro.

 

Final:
Wozniacki d. Stephens

The two pre-tournament favourites will contest the final in Auckland.In the final we will see plenty of long rallies, but Wozniacki will do what she does best and wear her opponent down in two tight sets.

WTA Shenzen

2015 WTA Shenzen Preview

Shenzhen Open
WTA International Series
Shenzen, China
January 4-January 10, 2015
Prize Money: $500,000

The Shenzhen Open is one of three events kicking off the 2015 season. It is also one of seven WTA events to be hosted in China this year. The inaugural event took place in 2013, with Li Na doing her home country proud by winning the tournament. The Chinese superstar returned in 2014 to defend her crown in an all Chinese final where she defeated Shuai Peng in straight sets. Unfortunately, Li Na won’t return to this event to defend her title once again as she has now officially retired from the game, meaning we will have a new champion at the Shenzen Open. It promises to be an exciting way to kick off the new season.

Top 4 seeds (WTA ranking in parentheses)
1: Simona Halep (3)
2: Petra Kvitova (4)
3: Shuai Peng (21)
4: Zarina Diyas (33)

First round matchups to watch:

(1)Simona Halep vs. Annika Beck

The world number three will kick off her season against young German Annika Beck in Shenzen. A lot of people will look at this and think it will be an easy win for the Romanian. They could be right, but they may also be in for a surprise. Beck offers a very solid game, and if Halep isn’t on her game right away, the number one seed may just get caught off guard. Look for lengthy rallies in this match between two solid baseliners.

(4)Zarina Diyas vs. Donna Vekic 

Zarina Diyas enjoyed her best season to date in 2014, and the talented Kazakh doesn’t want stop right there. The 21 year old will face fellow youngster Donna Vekic in the first round of the Shenzhen open. The 18 year old has reached a career high of 65, so she will look to potentially break the top 50 for first time in 2015. This is a match-up you could very well be seeing more of in the future,so it will be good to familiarise with these two quickly.

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(3)Shuai Peng vs. Vera Zvonareva

The former grand slam finalist will return to face third seed and home country favourite Shuai Peng. This is perhaps the more interesting of the first round matches with the return of Vera Zvonareva being one of the hottest talking points amongst WTA fans watching this tournament. With the retirement of Li Na, Peng is now the Chinese number one and will have the weight of an entire nation on her shoulders in this event. We shall see if she can handle that pressure in Shenzhen.

Top Half:

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Number one seed Simona Halep will be big favourite to emerge from the top half of the draw. If the Romanian is off form however, there are a few players that can upset the world number two. Simona will likely face tests from Annika Beck and Klara Koukalova on her way to the semi finals, but if Halep isn’t completely off form, she should get through this section

Number 4 seed Zarina Diyas will be favourite to advance from her quarter, but it won’t be easy. As well as youngster Donna Vekic, Diyas could face tests from the likes of Monica Niculescu. The crafty Romanian is a difficult test for anyone with her variety of shots, and could easily advance to the semi-finals. The potential quarter final between Diyas and Niculescu could be one of the matches to watch in Shenzhen.

Bottom Half: 

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The whole of China will be pinning their hopes on last year’s runner-up Shuai Peng to keep the title in the Middle Kingdom. She faces a stern test in the first round in Vera Zvonareva who could upset the number three seed. With the home crowd behind her, Peng should advance to the quarter finals at least here. Who will meet her there is anyone’s guess, with the talented Stefanie Voegele and number eight seed Timea Bascinzky potential adversaries. I expect Peng to make the semi finals here with the home crowd behind her.

Number two seed Petra Kvitova will fancy her chances of winning the title here, but first she must navigate her way through the bottom half of the draw.The Wild Card round one shouldn’t be a problem for the big hitting Czech who should really make the semi finals without much trouble. However, with her known ‘off days’ Petra could very well be upset by the likes of Bojana Jovanovski or Irina-Camelia Begu.

Predictions

Semis
Halep d. Niculescu
Kvitova d. Peng

The top two seeds will make the final here. Niculescu’s spin won’t be a problem for Halep, who wins this one in straight sets. Kvitova has her difficulties with Peng, who takes her the distance, but the big match experience of the Czech will be enough to see her through.

Final
Halep d. Kvitova

The final will be the one the most tennis fans will be anticipating. Haelp vs Kvitova has the potential to be one of the best matches of the year and we have only just begun! A clash of styles that could go either way, so I will solidly predict a three setter. Which player will win is a prediction I keep changing, but I am going to say Halep’s consistency wins her the title.

Tennis Atlantic Niall Clarke (Sofia)

The Practice Post #FCC2014

Posted by Admin on March 30, 2014
Posted in: Charleston, Family Circle Cup, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , .

Players practiced today, as they do every day of the year.

Sloane Stephens, Genie Bouchard, Jelena Jankovic and Daniela Hantuchova were among the many players who picked up a racket today and hit a ball in non-competitive play at the Family Circle Cup in Charleston, South Carolina.

Since the only thing most of us amateurs ever really do is practice our tennis, we feel a keen bond with you. Thank you for getting out there on court and hitting balls without being directly paid for your time today.

You’re just like us!

Seriously, practice sessions are a very affordable way to see marquee players up close during qualifying weekend. In my opinion, Family Circle Cup has the best fan-friendly and photo-friendly open practice viewing on the East Coast.

Bravo!

Raindrops and Dropshots: Day 1 Qualifying @FamilyCircleCup Goes Late

Posted by Admin on March 29, 2014
Posted in: Charleston, Family Circle Cup, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , .

Raindrops and Dropshots: Day 1 Qualifying @FamilyCircleCup Goes Late
Stephan Fogleman, Tennis East Coast

DSCN0728

CHARLESTON, S.C. (March 29, 2014)—Rain delayed the start of Family Circle Cup qualifying in Charleston today, pushing the 10:00 a.m. schedule to a 1:00 p.m. start. And wouldn’t you know it, six of the first eight matches after the delayed start went three sets.

Grace Min eased by a punchy Danka Kovinic, 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-2 in 2:23.

Min

Min

Alla Kudryatseva knocked out Arantxa Parra Santonja in 2:04, winning 2-6, 6-4, 7-5.

Sesil Karatantcheva beat American Sanaz Marand 3-6, 6-2, 6-1.

Taylor Townsend took a 5-1 3rd set lead, but almost didn’t close it out. She prevailed over Alize Lim, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, in 2:14.

Michelle Larcher de Brito was her usual expressive self, but faced an equally feisty and noisy Jennifer Elie. In a topsy-turvy match filled with momentous momentum swings, LDB didn’t let herself get in the way in the third as she found her way to a 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 match that lasted two hours.

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Saisai Zheng outhustled Anastasia Rodionova in 2:26 with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 marathon win.

Rampre is tough on herself: This was only the coin toss!

Rampre is tough on herself: This was only the coin toss!

Petra Rampre was beating herself up today, and she’d only lost the coin toss in the above photo. She must have known something, as she fell in straights to Aliaksandra Sasnovich, 7-5, 6-1.

Sasnovich

Sasnovich

In other non-three-setters, Madison Brengle played well in a 6-2, 7-6(3) win over Alicja Rosolska, 6-2, 7-6(3), Lesia Tsurenko dominated Alex Mueller 6-0, 6-2, Belinda Bencic rolled through Yung-Jan Chan, 6-3, 6-3, and Mathilde Johansson got off to an early start against Louisa Chirico and never looked back, 6-1, 6-4.

In the unscheduled ‘nightcaps’, Victoria Duval beat Charleston native Ellie Halbauer 2 & 2, Jarmila Gajdosova took out Tamira Paszek in a battle of veterans, 6-3, 7-6(5) and Kiki Bertens got the victory in the final match of the day at 8:05 p.m. against Olga Savchuk, 6-4, 6-2.

Oh, and Daniela Is All In On Daniel Island.

Daniela Is All In For Charleston

Daniela Is All In For Charleston