The clay season is reaching its climax and the excitement has reached its maximum- that can only mean one thing…. It’s time for the French Open!
French Open
Tier: Grand Slam
Location: Paris, France
Surface: Clay
Prize money: $ 2,244,782
Date: May 22- June 5
Top eight seeds (ranking)
Serena Williams (1)
Agnieszka Radwanska (2)
Angelique Kerber (3)
Garbine Muguruza (4)
Victoria Azarenka (5)
Simona Halep (6)
Roberta Vinci (7)
Timea Bacsinszky (9)
Belinda Bencic, Caroline Wozniacki, and Maria Sharapova are notable absentees.
First round matches to watch
Angelique Kerber vs Kiki Bertens Embed from Getty Images
The Australian Open Champion has been handed a tough opening round draw against the in form Kiki Bertens who had a good run in Nurnberg.
Although she has had success on the dirt, clay has never been considered Kerber’s best surface. The French Open has statistically been her worst grand slam as it is the only one that she has never made the semi finals in.
Bertens has form on her side and she gave Kerber a lot of problems in Miami earlier this year before retiring due to injury in their only previous meeting. An upset potentially here, and certainly one to look out for.
(28) Andrea Petkovic vs Laura Robson
Robson’s comeback from injury continues at the French Open where she will face 28th seeded Petkovic in the opening round.
The German has not been in good form this year and has lost three matches on the bounce heading into the tournament. Robson may see this as a possible chance to claim a seeded scalp if she can find her game, though clay is not her preferred surface.
This will be an interesting indication as to where the Brit’s game is at on her comeback. Petkovic on the other hand will be looking at this match to build some form for the rest of the tournament.
(26) Kristina Mladenovic vs Francesca Schiavone
Kiki Mladenovic (Photo: Christopher Levy for TennisAtlantic.com)
It is always interesting to see how the home players will do at the French open, and Mladenovic is the highest ranked of the group, so maybe there’s some extra pressure on her shoulders.
Mladenovic is talented but has struggled for form this year, only claiming back to back victories in Strasbourg. She lost to Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 6-1 6-1 in the semi finals and that could knock any confidence out of her.
Schiavone is a former champion here so not a player you want to be drawing early. Her experience and clay court prowess will cause problems, and factor in the home crowd pressure, it could be an early exit for Mladenovic.
Draw Analysis
Serena’s quarter:
The world number one has broken her 2016 title duck and heads into Roland Garros as a strong favourite to defend her title. Serena has been drawn with a tough quarter so it might be a rough ride to the semi finals should she make it. Magdalena Rybarikova is a potentially tricky opener for the defending champion, but from there it looks pretty good until the fourth round. Mladenovic Is the projected third round opponent but her form is poor. Former champion, Ana Ivanovic, could await in the round of 16. Oceane Dodin will be a good test in the opening round, but from there an out of form Elina Svitolina looks like the toughest proposition. Ivanovic does hold victories over Serena so watch out for this round four should it happen.
Normally drawing Azarenka in your quarter spells huge trouble, but Vika has been nursing injuries and clay is not her best surface. Her draw to the fourth round looks promising with and out of sorts Petkovic being the seed in that section. Dominika Cibulkova and Carla Suarez Navarro could meet in the other round three clash in this section, and that one should be good. Suarez Navarro is a proven clay courter and Cibulkova comes in with some good results behind her. The winner may fancy their chances at making the quarter finals if Azarenka is not 100%.
Kerber’s quarter
The French Open is the only grand slam in which Kerber has never made the semi finals, can complete the set this year? The German has a tough first round against an in form Bertens, then will face the winner of Camila Giorgi vs Alize Lim. Daria Kasatkina is the projected third round opponent and her form this year has been very good. Speaking of good form, Madison Keys has also landed in this section. The big hitting American made the final in Rome two weeks back so will be full of confidence here. Daria Gavrilova and Mariana Duque-Marino are also going well so could be a tough test in the second round for Keys. Johanna Konta is likely to await the winner in the third round. A potential Kerber-Keys meeting in the fourth will be a must watch match-up.
Bacsinszky’s bid to defend her semi final points got a boost with the withdrawal of Belinda Bencic. The Swiss is now the eighth seed and has a good chance of repeating last years success. Bacsinszky could face either Eugenie Bouchard or the in form Laura Siegemund in the second round which is a tough one. Monica Niculescu is the projected third round adversary, but recent injuries might prevent her from performing at her best level. Venus Williams has never won the French Open and it might be unlikely to change soon. The former world number one has an interesting round two with Louisa Chirico on the cards if they both win their respective matches. It is not a bad draw for French hopeful Alize Cornet. Kirsten Flipkens could be a testing opener, but an out of sorts Jelena Jankovic is the other seed in the section. It is possible an unseeded player makes the fourth round against Bacsinszky here.
Muguruza’s quarter:
The French Open has been a kind grand slam for Muguruza. Her previous two quarter finals here show that she has the potential to go all the way, but first she must raise her level and navigate some tough obstacles. Ekaterina Makarova is the first seeded player in her draw, and she could be a difficult test even though Muguruza dispatched the Russian easily in Rome. There is another Russian lurking in Kuznetsova who is a potential dark horse in this event. A former champion here, Kuznetsova knows what it takes to be a French Open champion. A Kuznetsova-Muguruza fourth round would be fireworks.
Roberta Vinci is in no kind of form and might be another early exit candidate. It will likely be against Irina Begu in the third round where the Italian is eliminated, meaning a good run for Begu here. Petra Kvitova is also not in the best of form, but she can catch fire at any point and maybe Roland Garros will be that time. She has a good draw with compatriot Karolina Pliskova being the seed in her section, and with a possible exit for Vinci, the draw could open up for the Czech to make the last eight.
Radwanska’s quarter:
Another player who could possibly make an early exit is the second seed, Radwanska. The Pole is not her strongest on clay and comes into Roland Garros in bad form. If Caroline Garcia can get over her French Open jitters, the 22 year old could be the one to send Radwanska packing in the second round. Barbora Strycova could also be a tricky third round opponent for the winner of that possible second round match. Sara Errani is the projected fourth round opponent, but her iffy form could mean that Sloane Stephens makes the last 16 instead. The American has a good round one match against Margarita Gasparyan on the cards, which is another match-up to watch.
Simona Halep has picked up form just in time for the French Open where she is a former finalist. The Romanian however has some good players in her section such as the in form Mirjana Lucic-Baroni. Jelena Ostapenko is the projected third round opponent, but Lucic’s form could mean an early exit for the Latvian. Lucie Safarova has landed in this quarter and will have a difficult time in defending her final points. However, Stosur’s recent injury has helped boost them hopes and th Czech could meet Halep in the fourth round.
2016 WTA Sydney Preview and Predictions Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic
Australian Open preparations conclude with two tournaments a week before the first grand slam of the season in Sydney and Hobart. With the Premier status of the Sydney International, many of the top players elect to play here as they attempt to get some momentum behind them for the Australian Open.
The Sydney International is one of the oldest tournaments on the calendar dating back to 1885. In 2000 it moved to its current home, the Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre.
Former champions include: Jennifer Capriati, Kim Clijsters, Lindsay Davenport, Chris Evert, Justine Henin, Martina Hingis, Amélie Mauresmo, Gabriela Sabatini, Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario, Monica Seles and Petra Kvitova. Evonne Goolagong and Martina Navratilova share the Open Era tournament record with four titles each.
The Apia Sydney International
Tier: Premier
Location: Sydney, Australia
Surface: Hard
Prize Money: $687,900
Date: January 10th-16th 2016
Kerber will be looking to put the results of the Brisbane final behind her this week as she attempts to win the Sydney crown.
The German was been drawn a tough round one against rising youngster Svitolina. The Ukrainian played well in her country’s run to the Hopman Cup final and is certainly a player to watch out for this season.
Expect long rallies between two counter punchers and do not be surprised to see an upset for the fourth seed. It will be interesting to see how Svitolina’s best shot, the backhand, holds up against the leftie forehand of Kerber.
(5) Karolina Pliskova vs Ana Ivanovic
Karolina Pliskova will be playing her first WTA event of the season as she attempts to push on from an excellent 2015. The Czech excelled in these events last season and was a runner up last time out.
Ivanovic took a top 20 wildcard into the event after a shock loss to Naomi Broady last week. The Serbian is in need of wins but will find that tough against Pliskova.
The fifth seed has won their previous two meetings both on a hard court. Her serve and effortless power have proven difficult for Ivanovic to handle in the past, will she have the answer in their rubber match?
Outside of the seeds there is an interesting all French clash on the cards in the opening round. Garcia and Mladenovic have elected to play doubles together this year with the Olympics in mind, but they will first be pitted against each other in Sydney.
Both are young and talented but have question marks about their mental approach to the game. There will be some good points and bad points as neither girl is consistent, and Halep will be a keen observer as she will meet the winner in round two.
Draw Analysis
First Quarter: Top seed Halep withdrew from Brisbane last week so there will be questions as to whether she will be up to play in Sydney. The Romanian is entered however, and will have extra time to prepare due to her opening round bye. The second round will be interesting as she will meet a talented Frenchwoman in round two. Will it be Garcia or Mladenovic that opposes the world number two?
Pliskova will love to start 2016 similar to the way she started 2015, with a good run here in Sydney. She has been drawn a tough round one against Ivanovic but will take confidence from the 2-0 head to head lead she holds against the Serbian. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova or a qualifier will await the winner.
Second Quarter: Kvitova is another player who withdrew in the opening week so there are question marks over the defending champions fitness. Lisicki is not a player you want to face early on as she does not give you much rhythm. A heavy hitting contest there. Svetlana Kuznetsova or wildcard Tammi Patterson will meet the winner.
Suarez Navarro’s 2015 season was a tale of two halves. She has a lot to defend in the opening few months, can she maintain her ranking? Sara Errani will contest her in round one which will likely be a lengthy battle. Coco Vandweghe or Jelena Jankovic will meet the winner in the second round.
Third quarter: Kerber vs Svitolina might be the match of the opening round and it falls in this section. The winner will fancy themselves for the quarter finals given Ekaterina Makarova is out of form and she meets a qualifier in round two.
Bencic will be kicking herself after a shock loss to Samantha Crawford last week prevented a deep Brisbane run. The 18 year old will be looking to bounce back in Sydney where she opens against a qualifier. Lesia Tsurenko or Tsvetana Pironkova will await in round two.
Fourth Quarter: Agnieszka Radwanska will be looking to continue her winning streak after claiming the Shenzhen open last week. The Pole’s seeding means she has time to rest up as she gets a bye into the second round. She will have a tough round two against Roberta Vinci or Sam Stosur.
Bacsinszky will be looking to put her opening week disappointment behind her when she takes to the courts of Sydney. Anna Schmiedlova is a tough opening round with the potential of facing Daria Gavrilova in round two. It is a tough section for the Swiss.
It is a hard tournament to predict with many players likely to try and conserve themselves for the Australian Open. Pliskova made the final here last season so she knows what it takes and that’s why i have gone for the Czech.
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-10th 2016
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.
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 15th 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.
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.
The Shenzhen open is another of the three tournaments that kick off 2016 along with Brisbane and Auckland.
The event was founded in 2013 as part of the WTA’s expansion to Asia. Last year it was one of seven tournaments to take place in China
The former champions list is very short, in fact it only has two names. Li Na won the first two tournaments and Simona Halep took the title here last season.
The Shezhen Open
Tier: International
Location: Shenzhen, China
Surface: Hard
Prize Money: $426,750
Date: January 3rd-10th 2016
The eight seeded players (Ranking)
Agnieszka Radwanska (5)
Petra Kvitova (6)
Irina-Camelia Begu (31)
Monica Niculescu (39)
Johanna Konta (48)
Eugenie Bouchard (49)
Zarina Diyas (52)
Annika Beck (58)
Two top ten players then no more top thirty players in the draw- interesting.
After a terrible 2015, Bouchard comes into the new year with a point to prove. 2014 was excellent, but was it just a fluke?
We will get some early signs of where she is at against Vekic in her opening match at Shenzhen. The Croatian is still wildly inconsistent and has yet to find her game, but the 19 year old has time on her side.
If the Canadian plays to her 2014 level then she should get it done in two, but does that Bouchard exist anymore?
(2) Petra Kvitova vs Saisai Zheng
You may look at this and think ‘this should be easy for Petra, what are you talking about’ and on paper you are right. But may I remind you that this is Kvitova we are talking about. When she is on she is unstoppable, but when it goes bad it goes beyond disastrous.
With the potential rustiness and the home crowd with Zheng, this could get interesting. The Chinese player poses little threat offensively but she is a consistent player, and if bad Petra shows up who knows what may happen.
This should be easy pickings for the Czech, but stranger things happen on the WTA tour and a home crowd can inspire a player to play way beyond their normal level.
Draw Analysis
First Quarter: Top seed Agnieszka Radwanska will look to start this year the way she end the last- lifting a trophy. The Pole came back from near certain elimination to win the WTA finals in October, leading many to believe that this might be the year she claims her first grand slam title. Radwanska will face Aleksandra Krunic in the first round, with the winner meeting home favourite Shaui Zhang or Irina Khromachea.
Fifth seed Joanna Konta had a marvellous second half to 2015 that saw her rise to British number one. Can she continue to improve in 2016? Konta will face China’s Qiang Wang in round one with Vania King or Magda Linette awaiting in round two.
Second Quarter: Irina Begu’s consistent 2015 saw her finish just outside the top 30. She will be looking to seal an Australian Open seed in the coming weeks before furthering her progress. The Romanian faces Lara Arruabarrena in round one. Bojana Jovanovski and Ana-Lena Friedsam will have an interest battle to meet the winner.
Zarina Diyas had a disappointing 2015, falling outside the worlds top 50. The Kazakh will look to get back in track his year which starts with a qualifier opener. 19 year old prospect Katerina Siniakova or Andreea Mitu will await the winner in the following round.
Third quarter: Fourth seed Monica Niculsecu will undoubtedly bring her bags of tricks to the court for another year in which she will frustrate many opponents. The first of which is Anastasija Sevastova. The winner gets Evgeniya Rodina or Timea Babos, which is a good opening round match.
Bouchard vs Vekic will be one to watch with both players keenly looking to make an impact in 2016. The winner gets a qualifier in the second round, so you would expect one of them to make the quarter finals.
Fourth Quarter: Kvitova in theory should make it past Zheng and then her round two opponent which is either a qualifier or Anett Kontaveit, but this is Petra after all. The second seed has still not found her consistency but the big titles will be her main focus this year.
Annika Beck has a tough opener against Alison Riske which could go either way. The German is another player who has failed to make a breakthrough in 2015 after a promising 2015. Su-Wei Hsieh is another un-orthodox player in the draw and faces Ying-Ying Duan of China first up.
2015 WTA @MiamiOpenTennis Preview and Predictions Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic
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
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
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
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.
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.
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)
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.
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.
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
(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.
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.
Niall Clarke’s 2015 Australian Open Women’s Week 1 Preview/Predictions Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic
2015 Australian Open Women’s Preview
We are here at last. The first Grand Slam of the season is finally here with 128 of the best WTA players competing for the right to be known as the 2015 Australian Open Champion.
The Australian Open was launched in 1905, and has been staged in seven cities down under. The event moved to its current location, Melbourne Park, in 1988. That was also the year when the surface changed from grass to hard. The facility features two courts with retractable roofs, making it arguably the best organised Grand Slam out of the four. In 2008, the surface switched from Rebound Ace to Plexicusion and the courts switched from green to blue in order to Increase visibility. The Australian Open is also the most financially lucrative tournament on the calendar, offering the most prize money to the winner.
Serena Williams is the most successful women’s player at the Australian Open in the open era. The current world number one has won five single titles down under. Just behind her with four titles are the likes of Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong, Steffi Graf and Monica Seles.
2014 saw Li Na win her second grand slam title in Melbourne. The Chinese star overcame Dominika Cibulkova in straight sets 7-6, 6-0 in the final. Li had previously been a finalist in 2013, where she narrowly lost to Victoria Azarenka. Unfortunately the Chinese Star won’t be here to defend her title, as she announced her retirement last year.
Australian Open
Grand Slam
Melbourne, Australia
January 18- February 1, 2015
Prize Money: $15,561,973
Top 8 seeded players (WTA ranking in parentheses)
1. Serena Williams (1)
2. Maria Sharapova (2)
3. Simona Halep (3)
4. Petra Kvitova (4)
5. Ana Ivanovic (5)
6. Agnieszka Radwanska (6)
7. Eugenie Bouchard (7)
8. Caroline Wozniacki (8)
Only Petra Cetkovska is missing from the players who would be in the main draw. So all the top WTA players will be in action come Monday.
First round matchups to watch:
(12)Flavia Pennetta vs. Camila Giorgi
The clash of the Italians is one of the matches that could see a potential upset in round one. The big hitting Giorgi is always dangerous with her power, but the 23 year old hasn’t started the season in good. Camila was some-what of an error machine in her loss to Kurumi Nara in Hobart, but a match against a seeded player should be enough to motivate Giorgi to play her best here. Flavia Pennetta is coming off a great 2014, which saw her climb to number 12 in the world. However she lost her opening match at Sydney to Tsvetana Pironkova, so there are also question marks over the 32 year olds form. The winner is very unpredictable and the match could go either way, but with the potential upset it will certainly be one to look out for.
Sloane Stephens vs. Victoria Azarenka
You remember the last time these two met in Melbourne, right? If not, I will try my best to refresh your memory. Let’s travel back two years to the Australian Open 2013 semi finals. Stephens was coming off the biggest win of her career when she defeated Serena Williams, whilst Victoria Azarenka was the defending champion and favourite for the title. The Belarusian looked like she was heading to a routine victory over the American, but blew five match points whilst serving for the match. What followed turned out to be one of the most controversial moments in recent tennis history. Azarenka took a medical time out after blowing the match points, and when she returned to court, the Belarusian broke Stephens to win the match. The controversy surrounded the timing of the medical time out, the reasons why Azarenka decided to take it and whether it had an effect on the match. Both players have declined since then and come into the tournament unseeded, but with the 2013 controversy, it is no less interesting.
Timea Bacsinszky vs. (15)Jelena Jankovic
Another match with upset potential. Bacsinszky recently made the final in Shenzhen, beating the world number four, Petra Kvitova in the semi finals. Jankovic started her season in the worst possible way as she lost in straight sets to Ajla Tomljanovic 7-6, 6-0 in Brisbane. Both with completely opposite starts to the season, so you can see why the 15th seed might be in danger of bowing out early here. This is their first meeting so there is no head to head to reference, but this will no doubt be an interesting match to watch.
(8)Caroline Wozniacki vs Taylor Townsend
You would usually look at this match and think that Wozniacki will win, and most of the time you would be right. However, this match is different because Wozniacki isn’t 100 percent fit heading into the tournament. Townsend is 18 years old, and a player to look out for in the future, so this would be a big scalp for her at this point in her career. Wozniacki beat The American in straight sets in Auckland, so it could yet be another comfortable win for the eighth seed. Considering the injury however, Wozniacki could be the biggest casualty in round one.
(16)Lucie Safarova vs Yaroslava Shvedova
16th seed Lucie Safarova has been handed one of the biggest enigmas in the tennis for her opener in Melbourne. Slava Shvedova has produced brilliance, like her golden set at Wimbledon in 2012, and moments of complete madness like when she wasted match points at the US Open that year. Who knows what Shvedova will turn up at the Australian Open, and that is why this is a match to watch. Safarova enjoyed one of her best seasons in 2014, and will look to carry that momentum into this year. Shvedova failed to capitalise on a great run in the summer of 2012, and currently ranks at 63 in the world. They have met once, and it was in that breakthrough year for Shvedova. The Kazakh came through in straight sets on that occasion, but since then Safarova has improved, and Shvedova has declined. A match between two powerful and dangerous players, we should see some heavy hitting from both sides of the court. The big question is which side of Slava will we see?
(20)Sam Stosur vs Monica Niculescu
The home crowd favourite for this tournament will no doubt be Sam Stosur. The Aussie crowd will no doubt be gunning for a deep run from one of their compatriots, but will they get it from the former US Open champion? Stosur has failed to go beyond round four in her home slam. Not a good record considering her achievements in other grand slams. Niculescu however is statistically better in Melbourne than in any other grand slam. She has never made it past the third round, but holds a 7-7 record at the Australian Open, which is better than her negative win loss ratios in the other three major events. With the head to head 4-0 in favour of the Aussie, it looks like Stosur should advance here, but you never know how she will react to the home crowd pressure.
The upcoming Kazakh vs the less known Radwanska is one of the tightest matches in the first round. Diyas has been very steady for the past year, defeating the players she should and making the third round in three of the four grand slams including the Australian Open. Urszula Radwanska is better known for being the little sister of Agnieszka Radwanska, but she was a top 30 player once. Granted that was 2 years a go, but that shows the Pole certainly has something about her. A shoulder injury saw her slide down the rankings, as she struggled to recover, but a solid start to 2015 see’s the 24 year old in good form heading into the first grand slam of the year. These two previously met in Rome last year, and Radwanska was the winner despite her struggles. Will she sable to repeat that in Melbourne?
Serena’s quarter:
Serena Williams comes into every grand slam the bookies favourite, and despite poor Hopman cup form, The Australian Open is no different. The world number one has dominated the tour for some time, but she hasn’t won the Australian Open since 2010. Having said that, she is the most successful player at this tournament since the open era began; winning 5 titles in Melbourne. In round one she faces Belgian, Alison Van Uytvanck. Anything but a dominating Serena Williams victory will be shock. The 5 time champion shouldn’t drop more than 3 or 4 games in her opener, and that’s if she isn’t in good form. Interestingly, Serena could end up facing Vera Zvonareva in the second round, which would be a rematch of their 2010 Wimbledon final. On that day, Williams was the victor in straight sets, and the 18 time grand slam champion leads the head to head 7-3. Zvonareva is way past her peak though and using her Protected Ranking to get into the main draw. No matter who Serena Williams faces in the second round, you would expect her to make the third round at least. She will likely meet Elina Svitolina at the round of 32. You would expect the 20 year old to beat Jana Cepelova, and the winner of Nicole Gibbs/Olivia Rogowska as she is in good form and reached the third round here last year. Serena can be prone to an upset if she is off her game, but I don’t expect that to happen at this stage. They have met once before 3 years ago in the Fed Cup play-offs and Serena defeat the 20 year old in straight sets. I expect Williams will have too much firepower and experience for the world number 26 at this stage. I would be surprised if Williams doesn’t make the second week in Melbourne as there aren’t many challengers in her way in the first three rounds.
The number 15 seed, Jelena Jankovic has a tough opener against Timea Bacsinszky. Like I mentioned in my matches to watch, this has upset potential as the Swiss is in better form than the Serbian at this point. I predict Jankovic to be dumped out in the first round by the Shenzhen finalist in a somewhat messy affair. From there she will face the winner of Kimiko Date-Krumm/Ana Tatishvili in the second round. The Japanese star is now 44 years old, making her the oldest player in the tournament. Tatishvili came through qualifying to main draw and will fancy her chances of making the second round. Either way, I expect Bacsinszky to beat her second round opponent and make the third round. At this stage, her projected opponent is Garbine Muguruza. The 24th seed should dispatch Marina Erakovic in the first round without much trouble, but her second round match could potentially be tricky. The Spaniard will face the winner of Daniela Hantuchova and Saisai Zheng, and if the Slovak gets through her first round match, there could be an upset in round two. I personally don’t see Muguruza having any problems until round three against Bacsinszky, but this is the WTA and you never know what will happen. The third round match between Muguruza and Bacsinszky could end up being a tight encounter, but the Spaniard is overall the better player at the moment so I see her prevailing here and setting up a meeting with Serena Williams in the fourth round.
In the lower section of Serena’s quarter is the number eight seed and good friend of the world number one, Caroline Wozniacki. The US Open finalist is heading into Melbourne with a lot of doubt surrounding her fitness after a niggling wrist injury forced out to retire against Barbora Zahalova-Strycova in Sydney. However, the Dane says she is raring to go in Melbourne, and she must be as she faces Taylor Townsend in round one. Townsend may provide problems, but Wozniacki won their last meeting and has too much experience and tools for her young opponent. She’ll then have a blockbuster round 2 awaiting her, as Wozniacki will face the winner of the highly anticipated Sloane Stephens/Victoria Azarenka match. I expect Vika to come through that match as she always seems to do against Stephens, setting up a great round two with Wozniacki. The winner of this clash comes down to the Danes fitness. If the injury is no longer concerning her, I expect Wozniacki to grind this one out. Azarenka isn’t the player she was currently, and Wozniacki is recaptured some of her best form last year. If the wrist is still a problem, then I expect Vika to advance to the round of 32. With Wozniacki recently saying that it’s fine, then I will say the 8th seed advances to the third round, where I expect her to meet Strycova for the second week in a row. The Czech shouldn’t have too much trouble getting through the first two rounds, but I expect with Wozniacki now fit, her run ends in the third round.
Last years runner-up, Dominika Cibulkova will have a testing round one against Belgian, Kirsten Flipkens. The 11th seed played great tennis at the start of last year but faded in the second half of the season. Flipkens now ranks outside the top 40 after reaching a career high of 13 in 2013; the year in which she also made the Wimbledon semi final. Cibulkova is not in great form, but neither is Flipkens, so I expect The Slovak to make it through. The 2nd round will be tricky for the 11th seed as she’ll either face an in form Heather Watson or Tsvetana Pironkova. Watson might be a little tired after her Hobart heroics, but riding the great wave of form, the Brit will advance to the 2nd round. Cibulkova might be there for the taking, but fatigue might just catch up with Watson, so I predict Cibulkova to advance to the third round, though I wouldn’t be surprised to see Watson there instead. I believe, Alize Cornet will await her at this stage. The French woman is seeded 19th for the tournament, and will be expected to get through her first two matches. Cibulkova leads Cornet 3-0 in the head to head, and was a finalist last year, but I don’t trust the Slovak’s form enough to back her here. I will predict Cornet to get her first ever win over Cibulkova and make the 4th round against Wozniacki.
Kvitova’s Quarter:
Wimbledon champion, Petra Kvitova will head into Melbourne off the back of a title winning effort in Sydney, thus giving her a good run of form heading into the first grand slam of the year. The Czech will face qualifier Richel Hogenkamp in the first round in what you would expect to be a dominant victory for Kvitova. Youngsters Donna Vekic and Mona Barthel will play for the right to face Petra in the second round. Barthel is talented, but out of form after coming back from injury, whilst Vekic recently lost in straight sets to Pironkova. I will say Barthel advances because despite injury she is overall the better player at the moment, but I don’t see the German troubling Kvitova much in her current form. There I expect either Madison Keys or Casey Dellacqua to await the number four seed in the third round. I can see these two making it through their first round matches, but the winner of this one is harder to predict. They met in Melbourne 2 years a go, and Keys was the winner that time, so I will predict the American to win yet again in a tighter 3 set match. Keys has a lot of power in her game, but Kvitova is arguably the most powerful player on tour. In this third round clash we will see a lot of amazing winners and a lot of easy errors. I think Petra is just the more powerful of the too and has the big match experience that Keys lacks at this stage of their careers. Kvitova advances to the 2nd week in 3 sets.
13th seed Andrea Petkovic has an interesting first round clash against Hobart finalist Madison Brengle. The German has reached the Quarterfinals here before back in 2011, but was dumped out in round one last year. Brengle comes into the tournament In good form following her Hobart run, but I believe Petkovic will be a little too much for her. The likely 2nd round opponent is Kaia Kanepi. The Estonian should ease past Irina Falconi in round one to set up this intriguing match-up against Petkovic. Kanepi has a 3-0 head to head advantage over the 13th seed and even beat her at the start of the season. I Believe Kanepi will make it to the third round against Coco Vandeweghe. The big serving American should beat a past it Francesca Schiavone, and with Sam Stosur’s home record, I back Coco to make it past the Aussie in round two. Kanepi is overall the more solid, and the more experienced of the two so I expect her to make the second week.
The other projected quarterfinalist from this section is Agnieszka Radwanska. Poland will lay their hopes on the 6th seed to bring a grand slam title to their country. Her first test will be from Japan’s Kurumi Nara. The Japanese can no doubt test Radwanska but I don’t see her beating the world number six. The Pole should sail through the third round where her likely opponent will be Vavara Lepchenko. The 30th seed is one of eight Americans in this quarter, but like most of her compatriots in this section she’ll likely bow out in the first week. Radwanska will be too crafty and too good for the left hander, and should make the second week.
While Radwanska may be the projected Quarterfinalist, many will be expecting Venus Williams to make the last eight in this tournament. The 18th seed arrives in fantastic form after winning Auckland and has more Grand slam winning experience than anyone in her quarter. The 34 year old should walk into the third round without much hassle where I see her facing 12th seed Flavia Pennetta. The Italian has a tough road to this stage with Camila Giorgi in round one and Mirjana Lucic-Baroni her likely second round opponent. Despite the difficult draw, I believe Pennetta is overall the better player, so I expect her to meet Venus in round three. It will be the American’s biggest test so far in the tournament, but the 2003 finalist should prevail if she continues her form from Auckland. That will set up a blockbuster round four match with Agnieszka Radwanska. The Pole will be the favourite as she is overall the better player at this point in time, as indicated by the world rankings. But in the form table, I would give a slight edge to Venus. It will no doubt be one of the matches of the tournament.
Halep’s Quarter:
Halep comes into the first grand slam of the year on back of an illness that kept her out of Sydney. But with that behind her, the number three seed will be looking to show the world she has what it takes to become a grand slam champion. Simona will open the proceedings on Rod Laver against Karin Knapp on day one. It should be a comfortable win for the Romanian, as the Italian doesn’t have the weapons to really test her. Halep should also breeze past her round two opponent to set a round three date with Sabine Lisicki. The inconsistent German will be happy with her draw, and has a great shot at making round three. Kristina Mlandenovic awaits in the first round. It could prove to be difficult for Lisicki, who has shown she is very prone to random losses off of grass, but I expect the 28th seed to find a way to pass her first test in a messy three setter. Bethanie Mattek-Sands should await Sabine in the second round. The American has only just returned from injury and is in the main draw courtesy of the protected ranking system. With Mattek-sands likely rusty and not 100, I expect Lisicki to use her big serve and powerful ground strokes to not let the American find her rhythm, and therefore cement a third round place. Unfortunately for Lisicki her journey should end here at the hands of Simona Halep. The Romanian took Lisicki apart at Wimbledon last year, and we all know how good Sabine is at SW19. This surface should suit the Romanian even more, so unless Lisicki is in red hot form, Halep ill advance to the second week without many problems.
The other half of this section is very much wide open, and we could see a player make their first second week of a grand slam. 14th seed Sara Errani is best suited to clay, and with her game style of keeping the ball in play without much power, the Italian often leaves it in the hands of her opponent. I won’t predict a round one loss to Grace Min, but I do believe the Italian will fall in round two to young German Annika Beck. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova will be the favourite to meet Beck in the third round, but her known inconsistency will leave a lot of question marks around her. Despite that, I will predict the Russian to battle her way past Yania Wickmayer in round one and Lara Arruabarrena/Renata Voracova in round two. With the tendency to make errors on key points, and the known steadiness of Annika Beck, I expect Pavlyuchenkova’s run to end in round three. Therefore we get a Shenzhen rematch between Beck and Halep in the fourth round.
The section to decide Halep’s potential quarter finalist should really come down to three players. Number five seed Ana Ivanovic will undoubtedly be the bookies favourite, but there are some very dangerous players in this section. The Serb should see herself easily into round three where I believe she’ll face the winner of Klara Koukalova and Belinda Bencic. I think they will get through Storm Sanders and Julia Goerges in the first round respectively to set up an enticing round two clash. Bencic is a young talent promising to do big things in the future, but right now she is too raw for a deep slam run, so I think that Koukalova’s experience will see her through to the third round. I don’t see the Czech beating Ivanovic in a grand slam, but she is certainly capable of pushing the Serb all the way so don’t be surprised to see a three setter.
The race to face Ivanovic in the fourth round will likely come down to Ekaterina Makarova and Karolina Pliskova. These two big hitters shouldn’t have many problems reaching round three where they will likely face off in a great contest. Makarova always brings her A game to the grand slams, and she showed that in New York last year where she made the semi finals. Pliskova has a huge game and showed how good she can be in her runner-up effort in Sydney last week. With Makarova’s tendency to be at her best in the big events, I will say she squeezes through in three sets. It could go either way though and will undoubtedly be a match to watch.
Given the difference in fortunes in the first week, many people have Maria Sharapova down as the favourite to win the title over Serena Williams. The world number two battled hard in typical fashion to beat Ana Ivanovic in Brisbane and will look to continue that momentum in Melbourne. The first round against qualifier Petra Martic shouldn’t be a problem at all for the Russian, and you would expect the former champion to make a statement in her opening match. The second round will be trickier, but Sorana Cirstea shouldn’t pose too many problems for Sharapova. It’s hard to predict the third round opponent for Maria. It features the interesting Zarina Diyas/Urszula Radwanska clash, and youngster Anna Schmiedlova who upset Venus Williams at Roland Garros last year. I expect the winner of Diyas/Radwanska to have too much for the young Slovak in round two. Regardless of which one it is though, Sharapova should have little trouble dispatching them and will make round four without dropping a set.
Lucie Safarova is the 16th seed and favourite to make round four, but there are lots of interesting obstacles in her way. Firstly, Yaroslava Shvedova in round one, then the winner of Monica Puig/Anastasia Rodionova in round two, then most likely Shuai Peng in round three. If Shvedova brings her A game, Safarova will be in huge trouble. But that is a huge if. I will stay safe and predict a Safarova-Puig round two with Safarova coming through her second round clash fairly comfortably. The Czech may face a big test in round three, but with head to head in favour of the Czech I will back her to beat Peng and make round four to face Maria Sharapova.
The section to decide the other quarter finalist is perhaps the most interesting in the draw. 7th seed Eugenie Bouchard enjoyed some great grand slam results last year, which saw the Canadian finish inside the worlds top 8. With the huge pressure now on her shoulders we will see how Bouchard copes in Melbourne. The seventh seed shouldn’t be troubled until the third round though, where she’ll likely meet experienced Svetlana Kuznetsova. The Russian has a tricky path to the round of 32, with Caroline Garcia her round one opponent and Stephanie Voegele her likely round two opponent. It will be tough for the former US Open champion, but I think she’ll make the third round before eventually losing to Bouchard.
The Canadian’s fourth round opponent will likely be the winner of Angelique Kerber/Carla Suarez Navarro. The German shouldn’t face many problems before round three with Elena Vesnina likely being her biggest test. Navarro shouldn’t have any troubles at all in the opening two rounds thus setting up one of the best looking potential round three matches. The head to head is dead even, so this should be a tight encounter. However their past three meetings have all been routine victories, so that could suggest that the winner will be victorious in fairly straight forward fashion. I don’t buy that this will be done in straight sets, and I am feeling a potential upset here with Suarez Navarro beating Kerber in 3 sets.
Week 1 Predictions (round of 16 matchups)
Muguruza d. S.Williams
Wozniacki d. Cornet
Kvitova d. Kanepi
V.Williams d. A.Radwanska
Ivanovic d. Makarova
Halep d. Beck
Bouchard d. Suarez Navarro
Sharapova d. Safarova
It may have been a glorified exhibition, but Serena Williams didn’t look good at all at the Hopman Cup. Add that to the fact that Muguruza beat her in their last meeting, and her ability to bring her best to the big matches, I have gone for the upset. Muguruza defeats Serena for the second straight time. Wozniacki will meet the Spaniard in the quarter finals after grinding down Alize Cornet. The Dane is the better player and will not have many problems defeating her French opponent.
Kvitova may need three sets to beat Kanepi, but I expect the world number four to overpower the Estonian in three sets. Meeting the Czech in the Quarter finals will be Venus Williams. I expect Venus to carry her form into this tournament and use it to defeat Agnieszka Radwanska in a tight two or three sets.
Makarova will provide tough opposition for Ana Ivanovic, but the Serb will out fight the Russian in a long three set battle. Simona Halep should have little trouble dispatching Annika Beck despite their close encounter in Shenzhen.
Bouchard always brings her best to the grand slams and I expect no different in Melbourne. Her match against Carla Suarez will be tight like their previous match, and I expect Bouchard to prevail again in three sets. Safarova will provide a huge test for Maria Sharapova, and I expect the Czech to take a set. However, Sharapova is arguably the best fighter on tour and it will show yet again as she prevails in 3 sets.
Picking the rest of the way
Quarters: Wozniacki d. Muguruza
Kvitova d. V.Williams
Halep d. Ivanovic
Sharapova d. Bouchard
Last year, Muguruza got the better of Wozniacki at this event. But I don’t see history repeating it’s self here. Wozniacki will eventually grind the Spaniard down in my opinion, after a strong start by Muguruza. Garbine can often blow hot and cold in the same match and this will be one of those.
Venus Williams and Petra Kvitova have often provided with some classic encounters, but the head to head doesn’t lie. 5 times out of 6 the Czech has prevailed and I don’t see a reverse in fortunes here.
Despite the 3-1 head to head advantage Ivanovic holds, I expect Halep to beat her here. Halep will be riding a huge wave of momentum after an easy run to the quarter finals, whilst Ivanovic will likely be tired after a gruelling match against Makarova.
Sharapova vs Bouchard will be a rematch of their Roland Garros semi final last year. Sharapova won in three sets on that occasion, and she will do the same here. Sharapova has made a career of winning these type of matches, so you must favour the Russian.
Semis: Kvitova d. Wozniacki
Halep d. Sharapova
Kvitova vs Wozniacki is hard to predict as we don’t know how fit these two will be at this stage. Kvitova is in the better form heading in to the tournament and has the bigger weapons of the two, so I will predict Kvitova in 3.
Simona Halep will extract her revenge on Maria Sharapova after their Roland Garros final last year which saw the Russian win yet another three setter. Halep is currently Sharapova’s pigeon, but with me predicting Halep to win the tournament in pre season, I will stick to my guns and say Halep in three.
Final: Halep d. Kvitova
Halep’s time will finally arrive in Melbourne after an impressive display against Kvitova in the final. I expect Simona to use her previous experience to not make the same mistakes as she did in the Roland Garros final and defeat Kvitova in a great three set final.
2015 WTA Sydney Preview andPredictions Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic
2015 WTA Sydney Preview
WTA Sydney
The WTA continues its tour down under with a trip to the beautiful city of Sydney for the APIA International tournament. The event is one of the oldest in the world, dating back to 1885. In 2000, the event moved to the Sydney Olympic park tennis centre, which also hosted the Olympic tennis event that year. The Sydney International is a joint event with the ATP hosted a week before the Australian Open. Previous champions include the likes of Victoria Azarenka, Aga Radwanska and Grand Slam champions Chris Evert, Kim Clijsters, Martina Hingis, Justine Henin, and Martina Navratilova.
In 2014 Tsvetana Pironkova defeated Angelique Kerber in straight sets to claim the Sydney crown. The Qualifier also defeated seeds, Sara Errani and Petra Kvitova on her way to the title.
Apia Sydney International WTA Premier Series Sydney, Australia January 11-January 16, 2015
Prize Money: $731,000
Top 2 Seeds (Who receive first round byes) (WTA ranking in parentheses)
1: Simona Halep (3)
2: Petra Kvitova (4)
Two top 4 players headline Sydney, and receive byes to the next round. All the 8 seeds are within the top 20, so a strong field in the build up to the Australian Open.
First round matchups to watch:
(3)Agnieszka Radwanska vs. Alize Cornet These two met in Perth during the Hopman cup, and it was Alize Cornet who managed get the win on that occasion in 3 sets. The Frenchwomen will be looking to do the same in the first round at Sydney. Agnieszka Radwanska however will be looking for revenge, and with that in mind this is one of the tastiest first round matches this week. Both players are known more for their technique rather than power, so we may see plenty of long rallies and tense points. Will we see another upset, or will Aga reign supreme this time?
Lucie Safarova vs. Sam Stosur
Big hitting Czech Lucie Safarova will be looking to silence the home crowd by vanquishing Australia’s Sam Stosur. Safarova played well in the Hopman Cup, winning two out of three singles matches. Stosur didn’t kick off the year in good style as she lost in 3 sets to Varvara Lepchenko in Brisbane round 1. It’s even worse when you consider, Stosur led 5-1 in the final set and still managed to lose. A lot of fans may be looking at this, and thinking ‘How could this be a match to look out for with their head to head record?’ Of course, 9-2 in favour of the Czech is lopsided, but you never know in the WTA. Lucie is hot right now and the obvious favourite, but you never know what a home crowd can do for a player. Stosur could rally and get her first win over the Czech in nearly 3 years.
Elina Svitolina vs. Ekaterina Makarova 20 year old, Elina Svitolina will be looking to carry her Brisbane form into Sydney, where she faces new top 10 player Ekaterina Makarova in the first round. The Ukrainian made the quarter finals last week, but was dumped out by eventual winner Maria Sharapova. Makarova decided to have an extra week’s preparation, and will kick off her 2015 campaign in Sydney. Svitolina is a good mover across the court, which will benefit her against the powerful left handers of the Russian. Makarova will look to overpower the youngster and kick off 2015 the same way she finished 2014. The big question is how rusty will Makarova be? If she isn’t match ready, she could very well get caught off guard by the young Ukrainian.
Number one seed Simona Halep headlines a stacked top half of the draw that features eight top 20 players and a former Grand Slam finalist. The Romanian will receive a bye into the second round because of her seeding. She will face either big serving Czech Karolina Pliskova or a qualifier in round two. Pliskova will be the likely opponent even with the dangerous qualifiers in the draw. This is where it will get interesting for Halep, who has a bit of a dilemma. The Romanian won in Shenzen last week, and with the Australian Open coming, will she want to risk not being 100% for the first grand slam of the year and go all out in Sydney? Look for a potential upset in that one. The other seed in Halep’s quarter is Ekaterina Makarova. The Russian will play her first match of the season against 20 year old Elina Svitolina. With Makarova being potentially rusty, she could get caught out by the inform Ukranian, but the number six seed will be favourite to advance. Awaiting the winner will be Carla Suarez Navarro, and 2013 Wimbledon finalist Sabine Lisicki. Lisicki has shown in the past she can beat anyone with her powerful serve and ground strokes. The German holds the world record for the fastest womens serve in history. She hit a 131 mph serve in Stanford last year. This isn’t grass however, and the Spaniard should expect herself to advance.
The third seed is 2015 Hopman cup champion, Agnieszka Radwanska. The Pole will be in her first WTA competition In Sydney, and faces a tough round one match against Alize Cornet. The Pole will expect herself to extract revenge on the player who defeated her in Perth, but an upset wouldn’t be surprising at all. Their potential round two opponents are Garbine Muguruza and Sara Errani. Muguruza is dangerous, but withdrew from Brisbane with an ankle injury, so there are big questions on her fitness. Errani will be looking to take advantage of the Spaniards problem and take out the 21 year old. If Muguruza is fit however, you would expect her to overpower the Italian. Angelique Kerber is the number five seed and will face a qualifier in round one; a match you would expect her to win. From there you would expect her to face highly touted youngster Belinda Bencic. The 17 year old is destined to be one of the world’s best players, but she faces a tough test against Angelique Kerber. This potential second round clash is no doubt one of the most anticipated matches of week. How will the youngster handle the tests that Kerber will bring to the court?
Bottom half:
The number two seed is Czech powerhouse Petra Kvitova. Like Halep, Kvitova will receive a bye into the second round. She will face Shuai Peng, or Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. You would expect the Wimbledon champion to make the quarter finals with that draw if she decides to be play hundred percent. The other seed in her quarter is Dominika Cibulkova. The Australian open drew lucky and will face a qualifier in the first round, so you would expect her to make the second round at least. She will likely face Andrea Petkovic in the second round, which will no doubt be tricky for the number seven seed. The winner of that match will really fancy themselves to make the semi-finals, with Kvitova’s commitment in question, with the Australian Open just round the corner.
In the other quarter, we have a stacked group of players with a lot of possible semi-finalists. The number four seed is former world number one, Caroline Wozniacki. The Dane will open her tournament against Barbora Zahalova-Strycova. A potential banana skin for Wozniacki, as Strycova showed good form last season. You would expect Wozniacki to squeeze past the Czech, but an upset wouldn’t be shocking at all. The winner will face Lucie Safarova or Sam Stosur, and given their head to head and current form it will likely be the Czech. Safarova is a potential title winner in Sydney, with a lot of the top seed’s commitment in doubt. Lucie is in good form, and will no doubt see this as a good chance to win another WTA title. The number eight seed, Flavia Pennetta will be another player gunning for the crown. The Italian will face a qualifier (it’s a pattern isn’t it?) in round one, and you would expect Pennetta to make it through. Flava will face either Svetlana Kuznetsova or Madison Keys. This is one of those interesting round one matches that didn’t make my three to see. It’s another one of those ‘youth vs experience’ battles that will be a theme of the WTA throughout 2015. If I would be forced to choose, I say Keys makes it through to face Pennetta, and the Italian makes the Quarter finals
Predictions
Semis: Kerber d. Suarez Navarro
Safarova d. Petkovic
With a lot of the top seeds potentially playing safe with the Australian Open in mind, these 4 players will stand out from the rest of the pack and make the semifinals. In the first semifinal, Kerber will narrowly defeat Carla Suarez Navarro in 3 sets. This match will be tight, as they are 2-2 in the head to head, but Kerber I believe will find a way to win. In the second semi final, I expect Lucie Safarova to continue her good form and defeat Andrea Petkovic to make the final. The Czech will be 100% focused here, with the title being a big possibility., and I think she’ll better the German this time around despite the head to head being 4-2 in favour of Petkovic.
Final: Kerber d. Safarova
Angelique Kerber will be the 2015 Sydney champion after weathering the Safarova storm. In this final, I expect the Czech to make the better start and race to an easy one set lead. The German will keep retrieving and errors will finally start leaking from Safarova’s side of the court, allowing Kerber to turn the match on it’s head and win the title in Sydney.
2015 WTA Hobart Preview andPredictions Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic
2015 WTA Hobart Preview
WTA Hobart
Many stars of the WTA venture to Hobart, Australia, to continue their preparations for the first Grand Slam of the year in Melbourne.
The tournament was launched in 1994. Interestingly it has produced a different winner every year. Hobart is usually won by rising stars or relatively unknown players who look to kick start their season. Past champions include the likes of Petra Kvitova, and Kim Clijsters. The 2014 edition saw young star Garbine Muguruza win her maiden title. The Spaniard came through qualifying and dominated the field en route to winning the Hobart crown.
Hobart International WTA International Series Hobart, Australia January 11-January 17, 2015
Prize Money: $250,000
*Lepchenko withdrew and will be replaced by a lucky loser
Unfortunately, the original number 4 seed, Vavara Lepchenko was forced to withdraw from the tournament. She has been replaced by a lucky loser, and Stephens is now the number 4 seed. Roberta Vinci is the next highest ranked player and therefore gets seeding.
The number one seed will return from Hopman Cup duty for the home Aussies in Perth to square off against American Lauren Davis in Hobart. What makes this match interesting is the respective form of the two players leading into the event. Dellacqua struggled in the Hopman cup, not winning any of her singles matches. Meanwhile, Davis started the year well by reaching the semi finals in Auckland before losing convincingly to compatriot Venus Williams. There is big potential of an upset here, so this certainly a match to keep an eye on. Dellacqua will no doubt be the home crowd favourite, but look for the 21 year old American to silence them.
Monica Puig vs. Kaia Kanepi
Not all interesting matches have to feature a seeded player, do they? Hobart has produced some interesting round one matches this year, but this particular match may fall under the radar. It is another one of those ‘Youth vs experience’ matches with Puig (21) facing Kanepi (29). Kanepi started the season with a Quarterfinal run in Brisbane, losing to Ana Ivanovic. Puig on the other hand lost her opener in Auckland to Marina Erakovic. Expect the Estonian to try and use her power to overwhelm Puig, who in return will look to use that power to counter Kanepi. I expect another tight 3 setter here that could go either way.
The top half of the Hobart draw is stacked with talent and potential winners. Number one seed, Casey Dellacqua will no doubt be one of those players looking to take the Hobart crown. However, the Aussie doesn’t come into the tournament in good form and might get dumped out earlier than you’d expect from a top seed. The winner of the Dellacqua-Davis will likely make the Quarter Final where I expect either Mona Barthel or Kirsten Flipkens will be waiting. Barthel is talented, yet inconsistent, and has also recently suffered from an injury. The 7th seed could be another player who is dumped out earlier than expected. I can see unseeded players, Davis and Flipkens making the Quarter finals here.
The second quarter is headlined by number three seed Camila Giorgi. The big hitting Italian is another young star who can do a lot of damage. The 23 year old will face Australian wildcard Storm Sanders in the first round. It should be a relatively comfortable match for Giorgi who should over power her opponent. Puig or Kanepi will await her in the second round in another potential slobberknocker (Copyright WWE’s Jim Ross). No matter which one of them advances, it will no doubt be one of the matches of the week should. Interestingly, I expect Kanepi to beat Giorgi, and Giorgi to dispatch Puig despite the 2-0 head to head in favour of the Puerto Rican. If I was to hazard a guess, I would say Kanepi makes the Quarter Finals. Giorgi’s form is unknown and Puig lost her opener last week. There, the Estonian will likely meet Czech Republic’s Klara Koukalova. The number six seed was a finalist last year so knows these courts well. She will face Kurumi Nara in an interesting round one battle. I expect the 32 year old to advance in a tight match despite a round one loss last week. Koukalova’s experience will likely guide her through to the quarterfinals, where I believe she will face Kaia Kanepi. Out of all the likely opponents I expect the Czech to bow out at this stage as the other section of this quarter is just too strong.
Zarina Diyas is the number two seed and therefore the automatic favourite to advance from this half. But tennis isn’t that simple, especially in the WTA. Diyas faces a qualifier or lucky loser in the first round, which isn’t as simple as it may seem. Qualifiers can often be streaky players, so It will be tough, but I believe Diyas will pull through. Daniela Hantuchova should await in the second round, but the lottery of the qualifier/lucky loser also awaits the Slovak in round one. I will stay safe and predict Diyas defeats Hantuchova in the second round. Any of the four potential quarterfinal opponents for the Kazakh could realistically make it to the last eight. The seeded player is Alison Riske. The 24 year old got off to a bad start in Brisbane where she was dumped out in the first round, so the American will look to kick start her 2015 with a win over fellow countrywoman Christina McHale. The world number 45 also lost in the first round of Brisbane, and will be looking for her first win of the season in Hobart. McHale lost to potential second round opponent Mirjana Lucic-Baroni in Brisbane. Baroni was the 2014 comeback player of the year and is the most experienced player out of the four. Her first round opponent is Bojana Jovanovski. The world number 57 lost to Kvitova in the Shenzhen 2nd round, so her form is also unknown. I will go with experience here, and say Lucic Baroni faces Diyas in the Quarter finals after battling through Jovanovski and Riske.
The 4th seed is Sloane Stephens from the USA. The American was once a highly touted youngster, but she was unable to build on her 2013 form. Sloane will look to start her climb back up the rankings with a successful run in Hobart. The 21 year old lost to fellow American Lauren Davis in the 2nd round of the ASB Classic, so doesn’t come into the event in any sort of form. She faces crafty Romanian Monica Niculescu in round one in Hobart. The 27 year old lost to Polona Hercog in the opening round in Shenzhen; a disappointing result for the Romanian. Sloane will be fairly confident of getting by Niculescu and her round two opponent, who I expect to be Heather Watson. The Brit will be returning from Hopman Cup duty, where she lost two of three matches, but I expect the 22 year old to squeeze past Magdalena Rybarikova. The replacement 5th seed, or 9th seed is experienced Italian Roberta Vinci. The 31 has one of the best slices in the game and will be a handful for her first round opponent, Olivia Rogowska. Vinci should be good enough to make the second round at least here, where she will face either Annika Beck or Jana Cepelova. Cepelova will be low on confidence after her thrashing at the hands of Venus Williams, so Beck will be the favourite to face Vinci In round two. Beck is one of the steadiest players on tour, but Vinci has more variety which will see her through to the Quarter finals.
Predictions
Semis: Kanepi d. Davis Diyas d. Stephens
Kanepi had a good week in Brisbane, and could have gone further that the Quarter Finals if it wasn’t for Ana Ivanovic. Davis went one further in Auckland, but lost comfortably to Venus Williams. I feel Kanepi will be a little too much for Davis here, and defeats the American in 3 sets. Diyas vs Stephens could be match of the tournament. Both are talented youngsters looking to really kick start their seasons by winning the Hobart title. Diyas is currently the higher ranked and better player of the two, so I will predict her to squeeze past Stephens in a very tight 3 setter.
Final: Kanepi d. Diyas
The Estonian will build on a good Brisbane run to take the crown in the Hobart. Kanepi won their only previous meeting at Roland Garros in 2010. However, the Kazakh was raw at that time, so you can’t take much from that match. Diyas will be hoping to win her first WTA title here in her second final. That time she lost to Sam Stosur in Osaka, and I expect something similar here. Kanepi’s experience will see her beat Diyas in 2 or 3 tight sets and win the Hobart title.
2015 WTA Brisbane Preview andPredictions Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic
2015 WTA Brisbane Preview
It’s here, it’s finally here! The start of the new tennis season has arrived, and there aren’t many better places to start than Brisbane. The Queensland capital has hosted its own tournament since 2009 as a joint event between the ATP and WTA. It went from an International event to a Premier event in 2012, with the prize money increasing to $1 million in that time. It’s the ideal place to kick off a new season with the world’s best competing for the title. Grand Slam champions such as Serena Williams, Petra Kvitova and Kim Clijsters have previously won the season opener. However, none of those three mentioned have entered the tournament this year, so we have only one ex-champion in the draw; Kaia Kanepi. Therefore the chances of a new champion being crowned at Brisbane are high. The 2015 season promises to be a special one, and we hope you follow all the action on Tennis Atlantic.
WTA Brisbane
Brisbane International presented by Suncorp WTA Premier Series* Brisbane, Australia January 4-January 10, 2015
Prize Money: $1,000,000
*denotes joint ATP/WTA event
Top 4 seeds (Top two seeds receive first round byes) (WTA ranking in parentheses) 1: Maria Sharapova (2)
2: Ana Ivanovic (5)
3: Angelique Kerber (9)
4: Dominika Cibulkova (10)
A strong seeding line up, with eight top 20 players and 3 former world number ones.
A classic serve vs return match-up here. Karolina Pliskova brings one of the best serves on tour, and Azarenka brings one of the best returns on tour. Which one will dominate the match? That’s the question that will decide the winner of this match. There are also question marks about the level Azarenka will show here after an injury hit 2014. Will the Azarenka of old show up here? Or will the Czech defeat last years finalist?
Sam Stosur vs. Varvara Lepchenko
Any match involving the ‘Home’ player is interesting. Add a grand slam title, and a dangerous opponent and you get one of the most intriguing round one matches. Sam Stosur brings one of the most dynamic games on the tour, as she hits with a heavy amount of top spin. Vavara Lepchenko hits a very flat and her main weapon is her forehand, so you have a forehand orientated match here. Will the spin of Stosur be too much for the flat hitting of Lepchenko? This match has potential to go the distance, and the potential to silence the home crowd.
(4)Dominika Cibulkova vs. Madison Keys
One of the tour’s hottest prospects vs the 2014 Australian Open finalist. Sounds mouth-watering doesn’t it? Cibulkova couldn’t have asked for a more difficult first round tie, as Madison Keys brings huge power and a big serve to the court. However, the Slovak brings her own weapons to the fray and if she hits 2014 Australian Open form, Keys could be in for a long night. A close match here that could go either way, so don’t be surprised if the number 4 seed is dumped out in the first round.
(5)Andrea Petkovic vs. Kaia Kanepi
In this first round clash, you have a former top 10 player in Petkovic vs a former winner in Brisbane, Kaia Kanepi. Both will look to take control in the rallies and dominate from the back of the court. This match will come down to who can do that better, and who can take the initiative. Petkovic will be the favourite, but you would be a fool to count out Kanepi.
Top Half:
Number one seed Maria Sharapova will go into the tournament as the favourite to win the title. The 5 time grand slam champions has received a bye into the second round due to her seeding. She will face either a qualifier or Sabine Lisicki in the second round, both could potentially be dangerous. Lisicki has shown great grass form over her career, but has struggled to translate that form onto other surfaces. However The German is still very dangerous and could cause problems. Sharapova will likely battle her way to the quarter finals where she is set to face Carla Suarez Navarro. The Spaniard could cause the number one seed some problems, but Sharapova will fancy herself to make the semi finals here.
The number 3 seed, Angelique Kerber has a potential banana skin tie in the first round when she faces Caroline Garcia. The French woman has caused problems for top 10 players in the past, but Kerber should get through a tricky first round clash. From there she will likely face Jelena Jankovic in the quarter finals in one of the more interesting potential matches in Brisbane. It will likely be a three setter, but I believe Kerber is currently the better player and will squeak past the Serb.
Bottom half:
4th seed Dominika Cibulkova has a difficult match against highly touted youngster, Madison Keys in the first round. I can see an upset there, so Keys advances to face Stosur in the second round. Stosur will use the home crowd advantage to make the quarter finals where she will face another highly touted youngster Garbine Muguruza. The Spaniard has a potentially difficult path to the Quarter Finals, where she could face Victoria Azarenka. However, I think Garbine will have enough skill about her to reach the semi finals here.
Number 2 seed Ana Ivanovic receives a bye into the second round, where she will face Jarmila Gadjosova or Shuai Zhang. Ivanovic should get through that match fairly comfortably to set up a match against Petkovic or Kanepi (Most likely). Both of these potential opponents can be tricky and will give the Serb a good match, but Ivanovic will most likely make the semi finals here.
The top two seeds will squeeze past their semi final opponents in 3 sets to set up a top 5 clash for the title.
Final:
Sharapova def. Ivanovic
The final will be highly fought contest that will raise both players blood pressure a few notches (You got the joke, right?). Sharapova will, in typical Sharapova fashion, battle back to win the final in 3 sets.
Be sure to read the recap here on Tennis Atlantic after the tournament has finished
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