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Three head-to-head matches in less than a year. The last one was a month ago, and each time, the first set was settled in a tie-break. Toronto is fast, a lot of players say so, some even say that he's faster than he used to be (Federer). Either way, I expect bombs on each side, because Tomic has excellent service as well, and not great reactions on opponents service. His record on break points against Karlovic in the last five head-to-head matches is 0/5, with Karlovic winning the only break in Bogota. Details

Knapp and Garcia's styles suggest we are in for a tough and dramatic match. Hard court is not the favorite surface for either of them, but they have dangerous services. Focus is a problem for both, Garcia is currently in decline, while Knapp is in search of form the whole season. Three very tough three sets were played in their last match. A similar outcome today wouldn't be surprising, especially because of the aforementioned lack of focus. Details

Oprandi was insecure when serving in the last match, and after being one break down in the second set, she forfeited. The hard court is no better, even at ITF level, and she really is very insecure when serving. Makarova displayed good game in Washington, and she will most certainly try and record as convincing win as possible in the first round. She is confident after the first service, her shots are much better and stronger, and she should lose only a few games in this match. The margin might be too much for ladies, but I'm sure Makarova can do it if Oprandi managed to make it till the end of the match. Details

Shuai Zhang might be the 30th player in the WTA table, but I'm sure she will experience another bad defeat today. She is in crisis, and the end of it doesn't seem near since there are simply too many problems in Zhang's game. Starting with the insecure second serve, to a range of bad shots, and the number of unforced mistakes. The situation with Coco's game is very different. She has finally stepped up at WTA level, she's about to get into the Top 50, and that success gives her extra confidence on the court.
Her shots are confident, and she always tries to take initiative in every match. She recorded two convincing wins in the last matches, in which she had amazing serving stats. On top of that, last year when she wasn't nearly as good, she managed to beat Zhang in three sets. She should be able win once again. I've opted for a handicap due to the problems Zhang since Coco's service is impressive, and she will win quite a few points against opponent's service. Details

The book makers keep on underestimating Bautista, and I will keep on taking advantage of it. I have been writing only good things about him since the last season, but have good reasons for it. Besides, he is number 16 in the ATP table, and he started winning the titles. He was preparing for the rest of the season home. His club built a hard court, like the ones used in the North American tournaments. just for him, Lopez lost to Estrella last week, a veteran who managed to win two games in the following match. The left handed Spaniard is having problems with his wrist again. He claims it's no big deal, but that has been a problem for him for a while now. He is not doing very well and I can understand that. He's had a great grass season, then played on the clay, and fatigue is a normal result of that. If it's true that he got engaged, that means he's not even training like he normally does. On the other hand, Bautista is a machine. He hired the former coach of David Ferrer. Bautista deserves respect, he's been doing great throughout the season, and fighting for the Top 15 here. I think no one should doubt him anymore. Details