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Riske won the second set against Errani not allowing her to get a single break point opportunity. She could have won the first set too even though she was down 4-0 (!). Errani's game is well known - she has bad serve, and played a very bad game in the opening two sets against Riske. She sometimes falls apart in some staages of the match. Carina has everything it takes to make this game complicated. She has the serve, she has the power and the game for clay court and has the tactics that can work well against Errani. Siniakova was a good test ahead of this match but she was quite aggressive, which Errani cannot be. Any kind of bet against Errani has value and my decision today is that Carina will get a set. Details

This is a copy/paste of the pick against Kvitova in the first round. Kvitova showed all of her weaknesses again. Even though she scored a lot of winners, what's more important is the bad things she showed. He let a lot of her serve go, and she said herself that it's hard to score an ace serve, but also the winner. Her movement was questionable, how she approached the balls, and the tactics she picked for the match. I'm aware that Espinosa had bad results this year, bur her game is getting better. We could see it in the last two tournaments, and she showed the same at the very beginning here. Like Erakovic, Espinosa can play firm, consistent match, and that means we can expect Kvitova to make lots of mistakes. She can also play deep, at odd angles, and open the court the right way. Kvitova did nothing to convince me that we can expect a drastic change in her game today. She's still got the same problems, and I'm sure Espinosa can use that and played at least an even match, which makes this margin a pass. Details

Serena covered this margin in all of her first matches this season but one. It was a match at Indian Wells, the tournament she played for the first time after 14 years, which was extremely emotional for her. In the remaining four opening matches, Serena covered this margin. There are quite a few reasons for that to happen again today. Last year Serena lost in round 2 to Muguruza here, which means her motivation will be high. She is looking to win her 20th Grand Slam title. She's the No.1 favorite this season again and I expect her to start fiercely. She is always doing her best from the first to the last point and she never holds back. Hlavackova has nothing that could surprise Serena. She cannot stand up to her in serves or shots. Three years ago, she won 0 games in their h2h at US Open where Serena fired 31 winners compared to Hlavackova's 7 and where she won 60 points, twice as many as Hlavackova. This match will be controlled by Serena only, from start to finish... Details

Kvitova mentioned her Madrid title so many times. OK, she won it, her last four matches at that tournament were flawless, but let's take a step back here. It is known what kind of conditions are in Madrid and that's where we draw a thick line. But, she had a slow entry on this tournament was well, she opened up Rome slowly, she was defeated by Brengle in Stuttgart in the first round, she was struggling in Dubai, Doha... All first matches on a new tournament. That's not a coincidence because it's well known that Kvitova needs time to catch her rhythm. Last year she stuggled against Diyas (7-5, 6-2) on Roland Garros, lost in Rome to Zhang in three sets. A year before that she had three sets against Rezai, three against Lisicki in Rome. Her head-to-head against Erakovic is 4-0, but only in the famed Madrid and on blue clay was it convincing (6-2, 6-3). All other three matches were really tough, last year here on Roland Garros. Erakovic's coach didn't point out the court on Roland Garros for nothing, and that the same doesn't suit Kvitova. That's no secret and it should be a big plus in this bet. When we add to it Kvitova's slow opening of tournaments, Erakovic's game which can be tricky, then I don't see a reason for Kvitova to sail through the first round. Details

I've watched Errani a lot lately and what she displayed in Rome simply forces me to bet against her in every match. Her game simply deserves that. She is very vulnerable on serve, the opponents have many break points and she cannot make up for that through her game, which is full of ups and downs lately. She is too passive and when decides to be more aggressive she makes too many mistakes. If Riske wasn't Errani's opponent, this top would have an unit or two greater value. Riske has not had a good season so far, she doesn't have good results on clay but it's worth taking a risk here. She beat Errani in fast Wuhan on hard court. RG is a whole different thing but Riske's power makes this worth taking the risk. I am aware of Riske sometimes drowning in the sea of her mistakes but Errani has done too many bad things this season and we cannot miss out on this. Details

Let's start with the dry numbers from this year. Mladenovic played 32 matches this year, out of which 14 were on clay. From the total number of matches, 18 went into an over 9.5 games in the first set (eight remained on nine games). On clay it was eight out of 14 matches. Stosur, on the other hand, has 23 matches behind her, nine on clay. In total she went 15 times over 9.5 games in the first set (four times it was on nine games). On clay it was four time in nine matches. Out of total 55 matches this year for both of them, only ten times their first sets didn't go round the number of nine games. Two head-to-heads ended with 10 games in the first set, and this week they've been serving very well in Strasbourg. Out of 61 game serves they lost a total of 10; so every sixth on average, and those are great numbers for women's tennis. Both have strong and uncomfortable serves, the strength and the kick on it, and I expect very few chances in the first set from both sides of the court. Details

Coco is a player for whom I can safely say that at any moment and at any surface she can take a match from any player in the world. Her problem is the fact that she can also play terrible against anyone at any point. But I don't think the second scenario will happen against Stephens here. Last week Stephens lost to Lisicki, a player who is the same profile as Coco. Realistically speaking, Lisicki has the same problems as Coco on clay, but he still beat Stephens in two sets. Stephens had 4-1 in the first set, three times Lisicki lost her serve, with three points won on it. But then she found her first serve, she found the game, and she left Stephens on a single game. Stephens pointed out that she wants to play as many matches as possible before Roland Garros, but I would take that with a grain of salt because she said a lot of positive things this season, but the story on the court was completely different. Coco is a landmine, and the limit can be passed in two sets. Details

Mladenovic is far better in doubles than in singles this season. She is prone to slips as she's been proving this season and throughout her carrier. She won the doubles title in Rome yesterday and now has to adapt to the next tournament only one day later. Parmentier wasn't having a good season but her performances at the last tournament give her hope. She recorded three wins, beat Gavrilova in straight sets, and we know very well what Gavrilova did in Rome last week. Parmentier can cause trouble for Mladenovic with deep shots and she can force her into a lot of mistakes in these conditions. Details

Granted, Begu reached his best ranking here and recorded a great win over Kerber yesterday. But that matchup in these conditions did not suit her opponent and Begu knew how to take advantage of that. I've been following Azarenka since the start of the season and she clearly made progress. What strikes me most is the fact she still has room for improvement. The match against Hradecka is not relevant. Azarenka has been preparing for a different game style, lost a set and later talked about vertigo. But the third set against Hradecka and the match against Wozniacki show which direction Azarenka is going. Her toughness in these conditions, consistency, the ability to build points and aggression are a perfect combination. She also wants to improve her form ahead of Roland Garros and she will play an important role there. Begu has nothing to surprise her with. Azarenka proved against Serena last week how she does when faced with aggressive opponents and her match against Wozniacki proved she does well agaisnt opponents with good technical skills as well. Begu is good on clay, I'm not denying that but Azarenka is at least two levels above right now. Details

As the season was passing it was known Azarenka will lift her game. She has shown that so far, but here in Rome I believe it will all go up one step. In Madrid she went over this margin in all three matches, twice in her wins. But Venus and Tomljanovic have the strength in their hits, something Dellacqua can only dream about. The Australian has an extremely bad year behind her, and on clay she has been beaten by Agnieszka (three caught games), Bertens (five games), Bencic (three games). She showed great weaknesses. She doesn't have the strength in her game, she can't outplay Azarenka and the Belarus has her predispositions to win at the very start of the tournament. Details

Gajdosova would not even be here had Vesnina managed to use only one out of 7 match points. She failed to do that but still made all the problems Gajdosova now has obvious. She has struggled with her game since February and the Fed Cup weekend. She ended the five-match losing steak but that will end here. Sharapova learned a lot from the Kuznetsova defeat, that I'm sure of. Azarenka, Serena, Ivanovic, are all in this part of the draw and I believe she will try and do her best in each match, especially at the start here. Gajdosova has nothing to do to stand up to Sharapova, both regarding serves and shots. On the other hand, Gajdosova is not Kuznetsova and she doesn't have as much spin in her shots, which didn't suit Sharapova in Madrid. Gajdosova is firing shots that bounce just where Sharapova wants them to. Gajdosova took three games against Wozniacki, 4 against Berhtens (both matches on clay court). I don't see a reason for her to get more than five games against one the the prime candidates for the title. Details

Kerber was elected player of the month of April after winning two titles and recorded 11 straight wins. But we need to put things in perspective. She could have been knocked out before finals both in Charleston and Stuttgart. Granted, it took some skill to won both of those tournaments in the end but Kerber always had a lot of ups and downs. If someone is capable of punishing that, it's Cornet. I do not appreciate her style but she's a very tough opponent on this surface. Starting with excellent footwork, great running, her reading of the game, and his spins that opponents often struggle with. That style does not suit Kerber, she prefers flatter shots than Cornet's spins. Cornet is a player whose matches are always dramatic. She can complicate things against pretty much anyone and believe that will happen today. Kerber's previous results are not as good as it might seem. Kerber still has problems and interestingly, she always struggles in first rounds as a rule. She was knocked out in the first round in 11 tournaments, lost a set in three and Kuznetsova covered this handicap, Garcia lost by five games in the first match of the season and only Glatch didn't cover this handicap. Details

In the first round Azarenka in the end beat Venus with five points of difference, considering that she has a lot of room to raise her game. That was her first clay match this year so we should keep that in mind too. Before the big match against Serena who will play again in the third round, I believe Azarenka will try to raise her game level today. Such a surface suits her, she has space to get ready for the shots, she plays aggressively, the ball has depth, precision, and I don't even have to mention her defensiveness. Against Venus she was almost in her top edition. Tomljanovic last the last two matches to Panova on clay (seven difference) and Mitu (eight difference), and both are very defensive. Azarenka is minimum one class above them, and her aggressiveness this year looks very good. Tomljanovic's serve is great on paper, good against Bencic in the first round. But she has one of the best return players against her here is you ask me who won 77% points against Venus on the second serve, a total f 57% next to nine earned break chances. And she took two serves on zero. If Panova and Mitu could cover the limit against Tomljanovic, then I don't see a reason for Azarenka, a player who is above all three, to not do the same Details

Serena said she came here to find her form before Rome, and especially for Roland Garros. But she's not a type of player who can stop, she crushes her opponents from the beginning to the end. True, she's had lots of three matches this year, but not against just anyone. When you look at her starts of the tournaments, her first matches, Serena is furious. Van Uytvanck only got four games at the Australian Open, and none in the first set. Niculescu had four games in Miami. Actually, only Niculescu made the final result more intense, but at the Indian Wells, where Serena came back after 14 years, and was emotional. Last year, Serena crushed Bencic here, Peng, Suarez, and they all stayed within this margin. Serena crushed Diyas and Suarez this year, who both won two games combined. Why do I mention them? Because Brengle is similar to those two. Her game is based on the defensiveness, firmness, consistency. True, Brengle beat Kvitova and Garcia in Stuttgart, but Garcia made tons of mistakes. Brengle's got the best ranking ever, her best season, but that's why this is the margin on Serena. It's a direct consequence of her matches this year, especially on clay, and also a bit of caution before the beginning of the tournament. But, Brengle is a kind of a player who can let Serena play her tennis, find her rhythm, and that makes her a ruler of the Tour. Brengle will have a hell to pay at the center court today. Details

I shouldn't and cannot ignore this margin. The match is set at 50-50 chance for each player, which is essentially right but the margin is at least one game off. Mladenovic went over here in both matches, Vecino went over against Nara, while being limited to 20 games against Puig (it was 2-2 in the second set). Mladenovic is on the one hand aggressive while Vecino has toughness and better consistency. Those kind of game styles do not guarantee a one sided win on a surface like the one in Marrakech. What they guarantee is a tough match. Mladenovic can win easily if she had a good day but she is one of the least stable players on tour. I'm sure she will have her shots against Vecino, who tends to be passive in these kind of matchups. Inconsistency with Mladenovic sometimes goes from one extreme to the other. Her win over Muguruza is great but she mostly won because of all the mistakes the opponent made. She did nothing to convince me she can win this easily. Vecino's matches are always dramatic and I expect the same to happen today. Details

Kerber is ina 9-game winning run. The Charlesto title raised her confidence and with only three matches here she raised her game on an excellent level. This is her favorite tournament, the fans help her deal with difficult situations and I don't see a reason to put such odds on her at this moment. Brengle earned the semi-finals with a good, firm game, but Kvitova and Garcia had a "ton" of errors. Kerber can't repeat that at this moment. She has a different game style than Brengle's two opponents had, and she's also better. Kerber would meet with Wozniacki or Halep in the finals. She has a 5-4 record against Wozniacki, and 0-2 against Halep, but one of those matches was played six years ago. Kerber can deal with the semi-finals match a lot more convincingly than that's expected from the Wozniacki and Halep. Kerber can play "al pari" match both against Wozniacki and Halep, without any trouble. As with the serve, so with the exchanges. We mustn't ignore the home court, the self-confidence and Kerber's momentum. Kerber could enter the big finals more rested, and there, no matter who she plays against, these odds can't be right. In such circumstances and with such a game - no way. Details

I was really skeptical before this tournament began and before Wozniacki's performance. But, she got to the semifinal, and I bit my tongue. Working with Vicario seems to have been an excellent move on her part, she's playing great this week, her serve is working really well, her hits are deep and strong, and she doesn't make many mistakes. This will most likely be a more evened out match than the odds would suggest. Halep had problems with her serve against Errani, but could have played more aggressively, and that's what decided it in the end. Wozniacki's serve is more efficient than Errani0s, she's got her firmness, but also the aggressiveness, and the depth of hits. Halep tends to oscillate, Muguruza took a set from her, and she showed it a few times in the last weeks. I don't see why Wozniacki wouldn't do the same today. She took a set from her in Dubai, and then lost her incentive. Halep made many mistakes in that first set, and she often does that lately. I definitely don't see her having an easy time today, because Wozniacki showed too many good things here not to be trusted today. Details

Muguruza played a really good match yesterday but Strycove failed in every sense of the word. The Spaniard is now set to face a player with a very different style, but the kind of style she can deal with, as her two head-to-head matches with Halep proved. Granted, the tip at Muguruza and Strycova's over wasn't successful yesterday. I didn't expect Muguruza to do like that but she proved how tough she can be in these conditions. Halep said it herself that this will be a very tough challenge. She can beat anyone on clay but the chance of surface is never easy. She also said she needs more matches. Muguruza and Halep are both players whose matches were finishing with a lot of games this season. Muguruza won deservedly in the end yesterday but I think this match will be nothing like that. Halep is a much tougher player, with deeper shots. Muguruza won't be getting points as easily as yesterday. But, Halep is in for a tough task today as well. I think this match will be a treat. Details

Agnieszka head-to-head series 7-2, but they haven't played against each other in two years. In their last three matches, Agnieszka achieved two hard-fought wins, Errani won on clay in Roland Garros, and with all that Agnieszka played her best tennis at that time. This year, she is nowhere near her form from time. Working with Navratilova is not giving the progress they probably expected and I believe she will soon drop out of the Top 10. Errani, on the other hand, continues just the same, fight, fight and only fight. Her tennis is extremely efficient on clay, her spins make the opoonents play far behind the baseline. And with all that, she doesn't make many mistakes, and it is hard to win passing shots against her. Agnieszka doesn't have the latter in her tennis, she doesn't have the needed strength, and Errani can hold in the rallies for a long time. The only thing on Agnieszka's side are their head-to-head matches ratio, which is important, but we stated earlier their ratio in the last two seasons. Errani is mentally at least on Agnieszka's level, if not slightly above it, especially in this kind of matches. Clay is her strong side. Details

I don't agree with these odds as they don't have proper base. Muguruza played a lot of three-set matches this season, she's been having a lot of ups and downs, which is the consequence of her aggressive tennis, from which never ever back down. Granted, that can see her stand up to top players on a good day but it has not been happening much this season. On the other hand, Strycova is playing a good game with a lot of options and can stand up to Muguruza like that. She can break her rhythm, play tough and put extra pressure on the Spaniard. This margin doesn't make too much sense in such a match. I expect this to be much closer than the odds suggest and Muguzura, if she wins, won't win convincingly. That has happened too many times this season. Details