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Kvitova failed in every way yesterday. A break took its toll, and you could see it against Mladenovic. Regardless of the final result. Garcia, on the other hand, had to beat Safarova in straight sets. She dominated her serve and used the super fast court. With a serve like that, and her game, Garcia can match anyone right now. Even Kvitova who needs time to get her rhythm. Her serve and forehand can hold Kvitova on the ropes, and if Mladenovic could do it with her bad tennis, I don't see why not Garcia who left an excellent impression yesterday, and dominated Safarova. Details

I don't know what makes Bertens such a favorite here. I don't think she deserves that role at all. If Vinci didn't forfeit, Bertens wouldn't have any kind of win in two months, and wouldn't have beat Rybarilova in a match where she was losing the second set convincingly. It's hard to find any positive side for Bertens in the last weeks. Gajdosova got Molik's trust again, and I think she deserved it. The national team is sacred to her, and she definitely happily accept the confidence that was given to her. She showed how to play for the national team against Germany. Not a single segment can be on Bertens's side today, not even the home court, because she should feel even more pressure. On the other hand, Gajdosova has to get the win here, she left a better impression than Bertens this season, and she doesn't deserve this status before the match. Details

Garcia has massive problems indoors, as her record goes to prove. She had 1-4 last season, 1-1 this one but both those matches were indoors on clay. In proper indoor conditions, Garcia struggles for more reasons. She lacks explosiveness, she's late for the shots, and her game is affected by all of that. Safarova, on the other hand, has a game made out for these conditions. Aggressive, tough service, great rhythm and dominance from the baseline. Since this is the first match, I expect Safarova to open it fiercely. She will be able to enforce her game and that will cause all of Garcia's problems to resurface. Details

The first set against Mestach has shown how focused and determined Agnieszka is to play at the highest level here. Agnieszka had made some mistakes, several bad reactions and evaluations, but her body language after them was amazing. She was angry with herself, at one point the racquet was thrown to the floor, which says enough. She is focused from the first to the last ball, she is going after every ball and there is no lost point for her. With this approach and attitude, Koukalova doesn't have a lot of chance today. After June last year, Koukalova put together some wins. Truth be told, she didn't play badly, even Agnieszka admitted that, her opponents take credit for that. Angnieszka is a completely different world, for Koukalova, even for Zvonareva, and Martic, especially here in Katowice. Details

I cannot ignore what Kulichkova did in the first two matches here. Her serve, which is powerful and efficient, and shots that make the difference left Urszula and Kanepi without a chance. Kulichkova destroyed them, not backing down from her game for a second throughout those matches. Giorgi has similar game style but still struggled greatly with Allertova in the end. I think Kuliichkova is one level above Allertova and has more experience. Giorgi is in for a tough task. I don't think there is a single segment in which Girogi could outplay the opponent today. Kulichkova is still a mystery to must players but not for long. Details

This could be a treat of the day if Wickmayer has a good day. True, Radwanska's got 4-0 in the last four matches against Wickmayer without losing a set, but she's also prone to complaining after the first match of the tournament. Now, Wickmayer's game is good indoors, but a lot will depend on herself today. Her season so far hasn't been great, but neither was Radwanska's. Urszula was saying something about that, that the time for Radwanska to play weaker has come, which was expected because Navratilova is changing some things in her game. But, as long as that's the case, Radwanska will be vulnerable. Changes don't happen overnight, and Wickmayer can be a real threat here if she has a good day, she might even beat Agnieszka. Details

Halep played the kind of a match I expected against Pennetta. She won the first set, used her chances against Pennetta's serves but had a bad period, which the opponent took advantage of. But, Pennetta failed to punish Halep for the mistakes completely since she made too many mistakes while Halep went on to do better and got the next five games on account of toughness. But Halep has too many ups and downs, she wants to be more aggressive but makes too many mistakes while trying. That is what causes bad periods. Halep is on a winning run but we need to takes into consideration the fact she has 10 overs at this margin (20 games). Karolina was limited to 20 games, Pironkova to 19 and that is something I cannot ignore. I said that Stephens will be a 'land mine' for everyone at Indian Wells and she didn't let me down. She finally fought and looked for her opportunities. She didn't lost a single set here even though some situations were tricky. She finally realized matches are won on the court, not outside of it and Stephens said she forgot all about the last season, which resulted in great results. She managed to win a set against Serena and I don't see a reason why she wouldn't do the same against Halep. Her game and Halep's mistakes make me confident. This can go even in two sets and even if it does finish in two, I think it will be a lot like Halep vs Pennetta match. Details

Halep has 12 straight wins, 13 if counting that match against Serena at Indian Wells that didn't get played. But Halep is struggling massively. I watched her Dubai and Indian Wells matches and the ones in Miami as well and her performances are far from top level. She is making too many mistakes, compared to previous seasons. There were games in which she would tie 3 or 4 wins, which didn't happen for Halep before. She lacks consistency and I think that is because she's trying to get more aggressive to be able to stand up to top players, which results in double faults. Pennetta is a land mine, always was and always will be. To win the war with Azarenka like that in straight sets yesterday after failing to win her service games in both sets earlier speaks volumes of her game. Granted, Azarenka was making a lot of mistakes but Pennetta played a balances match, which the number of winners and mistakes confirm (32-20). Pennetta will try and take advantage of Halep's fatigue, which might be very important. I think this match will be much closer than the odds suggest. Halep won 8 out of the last 10 matches in three sets, which says enough about her ups and downs. Pennetta can take advantage of that, she has what it takes for it. Details

I couldn't have imagined the margins or the handicaps set up like this for this match. Yeah, Bellis did connect two wins here, justified being invited, and she's got a bright future ahead. But, she's still growing, and still needs to maker her name in the tennis scene. Serena played a good match against Niculescu here, even though Niculescu didn't make many mistakes. Bellis can be expected to make lots. Serena's still got room to improve her game, it was obvious to anyone who's watched her play. This is Serena's yard, seven titles from this tournament, and names much bigger than Bellis's didn't fare well against Serena. Bellis could play her game in the first two matches, especially against Diyas. But she'll be closer to line referees than the baseline today. Bellis's serve isn't strong, and Serena will shot those with ease. Not to mention the difference in quality, and the hits. Bellis will also probably be under the impression here, both of the center court and Serena. I think Serena will dominate from the beginning, she doesn't give it easy to anyone, even her sister, she said so herself. Details

Pironkova is the copy of last season. Great Sydney edition (6-4 record this year), and the rest is average, if not below that. Indian Wells and Miami never suited her and that's no coincidence. She never passed the second round in Indian Wells, and she played there 10 times. Nothing better goes on in Miami. Nine tries, and only once she reached the third round. It was last year, she beat Voskoboeva who was injured, and Cirste. She lost to Kerber with two games won, and she beat that same Kerber in Sydney the very same year (!). Good, consistent players make it in Indian Wells and Miami. Pironkova is not one, and that was proven by her last defeat on Indian Wells when from the 4-0 lead to the end of the match she won only two games. Kozlova routinely beat both opponents in qualifications, which is usually not the case with young players. Her serve is good, she has a lot of variations in it, a firm game, but also aggressive when it has to be. But her biggest advantage is consistency, which is not the case with Pironkova. Not this year, not last year. Kozlova deserves to be the bigger favorite today. She can stand up to Pironkova in each game segment with no trouble. But, she can also outrun her in those same segments. When we add to it Kozlova's good match rhythm, Pironkova's desperate results on this tournament, then it's logical in which direction this is going. Details

Koukalova is still in great crisis, both in terms of results and game. She didn't tie wins since June of 2014 and has been knocked out of first round at 12 tournaments since. It's hard to say which segment of her game is worse. Her serving is inefficient, she is making a lot of mistakes in the game, she lost to Mladenovic easily in straight sets last season. Granted, Mladenovic was on a good streak back then. She has my trust today as well. Her serve will give her the upper hand, while she had what it takes to create break point opportunities against Koukalova's serve. Koukalova is playing a quite a passive game this season, which aggressive players like Mladonovic take advantage of. Koukalova's defeats to Keys, Witthoes, Georges, and Pironkova only go to prove it. Details

We had a tip on Kozlova's win as these two met a few weeks ago. She won in straight sets in the end after making a comeback in the second one, getting back from a 0-3 deficit and exposing all of Zheng's shortcomings in such moments. Zheng is too passive, she has no plan B and everything in her game boils down to waiting. She lost to Brengle convincingly in straight sets at the last tournament. The win over De Brito means nothing here because De Brito's serves and shots has not power whatsoever. Kozlova's do, she has the game for Zheng, as their only head-to-head so far proved. Kozlova beat Jaksic easily in straight sets yesterday. She could have been even more convincing as she beat Jaksic not that long ago as well and I expect her to do the same against Zheng. Details

Haep played in the first two matches against two different tennis styles and she took both matches into three sets. True, four of her sets she won more than convincingly, but the fact that she lost in both matches still tells us something. She had a tough match against Karolina in Dubai in two sets. The serve was at the time important with Karolina, and it will be important today. She's doing it really well, and offers very little at the serve. Halep has problems with her serve, she lets a lot of things pass, but she reacts well in important moments. Karolina has the devastating strength in her game, Halep the firmness and feist. Such matches are usually very tense until the very end, with a lot of ups and downs. The decision fell on games over, but also the counter handicap on Karolina - that's a bet worth taking. Details

Kuznetsova didn't beat Siniakova here, but in the preview we said her game style doesn't suit her. Siniakova is a passive player, but Kuznetsova has rhythm, and won after two sets. Today she's up for a different level of tennis and a different game style. In the first round I put Stephens among sure bets, two days ago she was in the predictions. She had her bad moments against Scheepers, but she was a lot better against Kerber. Because of that I expect her to raise her game here as the tournament is moving on. I noted in the last prediction that she could be a hidden mine for many players, and I still stand behind that. Stephens was focused against Kerber, even when she lost with a break. And that was in both sets. But her reaction after that was more than good, which wasn't such a common case lately. She was aggressive, but controled it at the same time, and that showed in 37 winners. Kuznetsova will today again have problems with Stephen's aggressiveness, something she's been struggling with since the start of the year. Stephens is raising her game level, and that's visible on this tournament. Today I expect that to continue. She can stand up to Kuznetsova in any way, from the serve to exchanges. Stephens is also in front of her home fans. If you ask me, she's a lot closer to winning than Kuznetsova. Details

Watson connected two wins here, and those were very valuable after the difficulties she had in the last weeks. But in my opinion, those two wins aren't worth that much. Goerges ended the match with 54 errors, Giorgi the same. So, Watson defeated two players who go from one extreme to another, who can lose to anyone on their good day, and the speed of the court didn't work in their favor here, either. But, Watson will face a different world today. She's got 0-4 against Radwanska, and managed to win four games in one set only once. It's interesting that that happened on Indian Wells last year. But that was the second round, Watson already played four matches, and Radwanska was playing her first. Radwanska often points out that the first matches of a tournament are the most difficult for her. It happened after facing Riska here, but Radwanska left her opponent with four games won. The matches that these two played against each other showed the difference in quality, and in the last four matches they played against each other, in the last three years, it was always the same. Watson doesn't have what it takes to defeat Radwanska, she'll definitely try to be more aggressive, and that means we can expect lots of errors. She doesn't have the advantage on the serve, either, there's no strength necessary, and also no mentality that Radwanska does. Radwanska covered this handicap three times convincingly, and I expect at least one convincing set on her side today. Details

I don't understand why Stephens is so underrated right now. Kerber did nothing to advance this year, and changed her coach, which just shows she is unable to do anything and is looking for fresh blood in her team. However, nothing can happen overnight. Kerber has been struggling against all opponents this year, regardless of their level, and has problems starting with her serve, lack of toughness, security, and confidence. When she tries to change something and play more aggressively, she makes a lot of mistakes. Stephens could be a land mine for anyone in this tournament in my opinion, as she's out of the Top 40 right now and was in the Top 10 not so long ago. Indian Wells is her do or die moment, and I expect her to react here. She can easily parry Kerber in all segments, and will be sufficiently motivated on home ground. She also might vaguely remember her match against the same player right here three years ago, when Stephens showed she had what it takes to beat Kerber, just needed to close the match. Kerber was firmly in the top 10 back then, Stephens was the youngest among Top 100. Stephens has a lot of talent and potential, and is a diamond in the rough. I've been following Kerber constantly since the season started, and she cannot be favored against Stephens. I tried to find the reason, but just could not. Name and reputation don't carry weight on court, and Kerber lost even that this season. Details

Pavlyuchenkova did beat Larsson two weeks ago, and I still trust Larsson more here. It may seem odd, but there are reasons supporting that. At Monterrey, which is where she beat Larsson, Pavlyuchenkova won the title three years in a row. She won by four games, with a really good performance, I'd even say her best so far this year. Even under those circumstances, where the surface and tournament suited her and she performed great, Pavlyuchenkova still did not demolish Larsson as she perhaps would be expected to. Now their duel takes place at Indian Wells, a tournament in which Pavlyuchenkova's struggled for years, for obvious reasons. The wind has an influence, the surface is slow, and the balls bounce high, meaning it's hard to score a point in two or three exchanges. Larsson can parry Pavlyuchenkova, I have no doubt about it, especially under these conditions. Larsson had consecutive victories at both Rio and Acapulco, and lost to Pavlyuchenkova in the second round at Monterrey. She has a good rhythm going on, he surface here is more in her favor and I'm convinced she can make matters more complicated here today. An overall victory by her would not surprise me, and I'm certain she can score a set, in which case this handicap is a great safety. Details

Going over this match-up in my head I could not imagine Vekić being this much of an underdog. Personally, I expected the odds to be the other way around. Vekić may be on a bad series, but every series ends somewhere. She has not won for a while in the main draw, that's true, but I believe she will here. Chirico got through the qualifications in Acapulco, beat Urszula during her good run and got into her first WTA match ever. This means she cannot be favored against Vekić, regardless of how poorly Vekić played. A week later Chirico proved she cannot put together several good performances, the crushing defeat against Kania was no accident. I saw the briefs of her matches, the two she played at Midland earlier this year. Her serve is nothing much and can certainly be played against, and she had a noticeably low first serve percentage. She makes an awful lot of mistakes in rallies, being too eager wears her down too early. Vekić was present at the draw, and certainly can't complain about it. A month's break will have had a very positive effect on her, as will working with Evert and advice from Ivaničević who was in Florida. Vekić is worth far more than her past results. Details

Even though a tournament final should be intense, this one won't. Zhu got five games against Wozniacki, all other opponents one game less, so I wonder how Dulgheru could get seven (!) games after playing for three hours against Gajdosova. That could only happen if there's the thirteenth game in one of the sets. Dulgheru can send a big thank you card to Jarmila Gajdosova for being in the final. Not using a single of 14 break chances in the third set, and seven of which in a single game, that's unbelievable. Dulgheru pointed out she felt fatigue, she ran a lot against Gujdosova, and playing for three hours in conditions such as these in Kuala Lumpur is far from easy. Wozniacki is much more rested here, which is one of the bases for this pick. The second one is the games her opponents got here. The third one is that Wozniacki, as strange as it sounds, didn't play a single match that was good all the way through, and she still won them all, and is improving her form. The fourth is definitely Dulgheru's bad serve, which means she can't count on a big number of free points, and can hardly match Wozniacki in the rallies. Wozniacki came here as the first seed, she owes it from two years back, she defeated all of her opponents convincingly here, so I don't see why Dulgheru wouldn't join that list. She wasn't supposed to be in this final anyway. Details

I watched Zhu in the first tournaments of the season in Shenzen when she played Krunic, who has style similar to Wozniacki, only a few levels below the Dane's. Zhu displayed shortcomings in the first service, just like in the first round here. Zhu proved that her tennis lacks power in that match with Krunic and that verything in her game boils down to attempts to outplay the opponent and waiting for her mistakes. The rallies were, I daresay, worse than at a training session. I don't see a way for Zhu to win more than 5 games today. Her serves and shots lack power and outplaying with Wozniacki won't do because the Dane is so much better at that. Wozniacki stayed under this margin in the first round, even though she opened with 0-2. As she pointed out, first matches are tough and she feels like she has to do well because of her result two years ago. I don't see any reason for her not to record another under. The difference in quality is once again on her side. Details