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Cibulkova is 7-1 against Pironkova, with Pironkova recording the one win on grass surface. She never made it to AO third round, having been knocked out in round two seven times so far. I believe the same will happen today. Pironkova played a good tournament in Sydney, made it into semifinals and then beat Watson in the opener here. But don't let that convincing first round win fool you. Watson was dealing with a lot of problems, while Sydney clearly turned into one of Pironkovas's favorite tournaments. The great record Cibulkova has with her is no coincidence. Pironkova managed to record a lone set in all those defeats. Cibulkova has the kind of controlled assertion that does not suit Pironkova, just like Cibulkova's low center of gravity and speed. Pironkova had her tie bandaged up against Wilson, but we don't know whether it was an injury that caused it. What is important to me is the way Cibulkova responded after losing the first set. She got more relaxed and reminded us why is it that she reached AO final last season. Her results, the imperative of winning, and her style can beat Cibulkova once again. Details

Tatishvilli recorded her first WTA main draw win after a year and a half and that probably would not have happened if the oponnet wasn't Kimiko. Neither her or Tatishvilli deserved making it into second round, but we can say that the least worst player won. Tatishvilli is not completely fit, she's struggling with her shoulder, ankle, and doesn't seem to be prepared well enough since she always took a long break between points. Her game following service is not good, but Kimiko luckily didn't know how to take advantage of that. Bacsinszky has been playing at a very high level for months now. She got past Jankovic here easily, and not matter how much Jankovic points out that her back are causing her problems, Bacsinszky has enforced high-intensity tennis from start till finish. Tatishvilli simply has nothing to surprise her with. A sure win at Bacsinszky is great for a combo ticket, but I think she will win convincingly, after everything we saw in the last few months. Details

I've talked about the importance of mental state in singles matches so many times. Petkovic clearly has problems early in the season, Australia has never been her favorite continent, especially when it comes to injuries. She was unable to explain the two defeats at season start, which is very worrying. Brengle is playing the best tennis of her carrier, having proved this might be her year. All the tough situations she managed to get out of proved she's very strong in the head. We have a troubled player on the one fans and someone who's displayed a lot of good things on the other. Brengle, in my opinion, is not as great an underdog as the odds suggest. She has the game that can stand up to Petkovic, who is doing badly when not completely focused. Details

The odds at Chang are constantly dropping. They may not the kind of value from the beginning, but I think it's still good. Chang is much better than his ranking suggests and she will prove it if she manages to stay healthy. She good, aggressive, knows when to stop, and when to go on the net. This is pick for her and against Zheng, who is in who knows what kind of a shape. She might be retiring this season, is not playing as many tournaments as before and that says it all. Chang has a great shot at recording a Grand Slam win against the player who is very close to ending her carrier. The prerequisites are there and I'm convinced she can at least get a set. Details

Kvitova lost to Pironkova here in straight sets last season. Pironkova was having a brilliant week back then and the same is happening this year. Everything here starting with the people and ending with the surface suits her. She's opened the season with a bad performance against Suarez, but every aspect of her game here is much better than that. Kvitova was not happy with her match yesterday. I saw her matches last week - the first two were great but problems surfaced in the second two. Pironkova knows she has nothing to lose and a lot to gain here.
Kvitova is the favorite here, there's no doubt about it, but I don't think she's better to such extent. Pironkova loves this tournament, 14 straight wins are no coincidence and I think she stands a chance today. Kvitova is the kind of a player whose game can change drastically from one match to another. Kvitova is not a player who can beat Pironkova in straight sets here. If this was any other tournament, I would not go with this bet, but with Pirokova's tennis at this tournament, I think it's a good choice. Pirokova to win a set is a good option as well, just like the counter-handicap, but I'm opting or the over since they can go over this margin even in two sets. Details

Pironkova is on a 12-match winning run in Sydney and that deserves respect. As she admitted, the conditions, especially the surface, suit her. On the other hand, Keys is happy with this surface as well (semifinals and quarterfinals the last two years). She has dealt with Kunetsova swiftly here, her service worked well, expect in the opening stage of the match, and her assertiveness in attacking is very prominent. Pironkova beat a string of aggressive players here last season, but I think Keys will be a great challenge for her. Keys has no rhythm, which will not agree with Pironokova, but we need to bear in mind that she has 12 straight wins here. Keys is regarded as the favorite here, with which I would not agree, especially not to such extent. The tournament in Sydney is very much to Pironkova's liking, but we need to be aware that her opponent today is going to be at tough nut to crack. These two players guarantee for a close match, a lot of easy points on account of service, and short rallies. Details

Everything about this match is pretty straight-forward and I'm basically just repeating the bet from yesterday's Suarez-Lisicki match. It ended it three sets, with each player having a good dominant period. Over is the option that immediately comes to mind and things are no different today. Makarova has the service and the power to enforce her style on the opponent, but she is just as likely capable of getting into trouble. She was headed towards the 1-0 lead in the match with Svitolina but couldn't bring it to a successful end. This is a match that seems to be headed for an over, with both opponents' styles guaranteeing it, especially Makarova's She played three sets in 3 out of the 4 matches this year. She is not capable of crushing Suarez like Sharapova and we seem to be in for another nerve-wrecking match. Details

The whole match is set to 50-50, so drama is expected. This is actually a default bet, both on Lisicki and Suarez. Lisicki played three sets at the beginning of the season, Suarez faced Pironkova and Lučić. The latter match is a sign of what we can expect today. On one hand an aggressive game, a strong serve (Lisicki), and on the other firm Suarez who can serve at awkward angles and confuse the German. The only match these two played against each other went to three sets, I don't think either one is able to easily win this one. I'm actually more convinced that this match will be full of ups and downs, where each of the players will have good phases on the court. Details

As the tournament advances, the margin at Kvitova's matches is going up. This margin is the highest one of the week and I personally don't see any reason for it. In the first two rounds here, Kvitova proved that she wasn't only talking about working on physically fitness, she was actually working on improving it. She's ready, I daresay, like she's never been before. She has not lost her service in two matches, her moving is good and attacking timely. Smitkova still has a lot to prove on hard court. I do appreciate everything she's done last season, but she's not Kvitova's level. She lost a set in both of her matches here, meaning she's not consistent yet. Govortsova and Siniakova failed to take advantage of it, but Kvitova won't. Smitkova won two games against Safarova and only four against Lisicki. Kvitova is better then both of them in almost every segment of the game. She crushed both of her opponents here and I really believe she'll win convincingly once again. Smitkova isn't good enough to be able to stop her. Details

Babos is on the verge of making it into the Top 100, but her quality is for much greater achievements. She's had some ups and downs last season but her game will, I'm convinced, be much better this year. She never lost her service game in the opening match here, which is a big deal given the fact she's played three sets. The surface suits her, she was relaxed and aggressive. She is now meeting Siyas, a player who is determined, hard-working and fierce. Last season, Diyas would win close matches with aggressive players such as herself in straight sets, and some of them in three. When you have consistency on the one hand and assertion and powerful serve on the other, you are most of the time to expect lots of games. Diyas played an opponent that didn't have the power to corner her in the opening match here. Diyas, on the other hand, can force Babos in a lot of mistakes. Her consistency guaranteed close matches like these last season and I don't see any reason for the same not to happen today. Details

Duan isn't a WTA material. She was trying for the last two seasons, but that's all it was, attempts. I'm sure we'll soon be seeing her on the ITF level in her country where she'll get a certain number of wins/points, or the weaker WTA tournaments. Duan lost to Pliskova sisters last season, got six, and four games. She got four games against Karolina, a player many see as Kvitova's successor. Duan was easily defeated by all the serious players she faced last year, and lost the semifinals and the finals of the ITF level in the second part of the season, with four games won against players who are far below Kvitova's level. Kvitova has big announcements for this season, she worked hard, and especially pointed out her work on the fitness segments. The Shenzhen court should definitely suit her, it's fast and suits her serve and her hits. Duan lost to players less aggressive than Kvitova last season, so what can she expect today? I think we'll see a convincing win by Kvitova, she wants to show right away what she's been practicing before the season started. Duan doesn't have anything to match her, Kvitova will force her to play far away from the base line, and will dictate the rhythm. Kvitova grinds and never stops, and she definitely needs a convincing performance at the very start of the season. Details

Open odds on Smitkova's win were higher than the one today, but I still see certain value in it. Schiavone had 3-9 ratio up until this tournament, including this season, in the last four years indoors. She got three wins here, but let's take a look at those. Dulgheru is a clay player through and through, she managed to give Schiavone a hard time. The same goes for Schmiedlova, she managed to take a set. Hogenkamp played the most matches in her career on clay, and she gave Schiavone a hard time, too. What does Smitkova have that those earlier opponents don't? First of all, her serve. Also, a good game on this tournament, she's got the game for the indoors and plays better than all the previous Schiavone's opponents. The Italian could play her game in all the matches so far here, she managed to get her opponents to play rallies, and that suits her best because she could change the ball direction whenever she wanted. That won't pass with Smitkova. She moves very well and leaves a good impression in long rallies. This can't be 50-50 match as some bookmakers would suggest according to everything we've seen here and in the past. Schiavone used what was offered here, but her tennis was far from great. This is indoors, with fast conditions, and the serves and the hit strength show here. Smitkova is better than Schiavone in that regard, and she has my trust here. Especially because of the games on this tournament, but also because of her games indoors this year. Details

Mladenovic has a small role as a favorite here, but the odds are set to 50-50. I agree with that, and it's really hard to give someone advantage here. It's hard to expect a one way match here. Mladenović played at least one long set (two tie breaks) in all three matches here. Dodin, on the other hand, played two, but Piter had 4-1 in the first set. In many cases, this situation leads to a tough, dramatic match, with lots of ups and downs. I personally see one like that today. Both Mladenović and Dodin have strong first serves, they play really aggressively and their game knows no plan B on the court. This is the semifinal, the stakes are high, both are French players, and I'm convinced neither will give up easily. Especially because of their styles, matches played here, and the home court, I see this match having high numbers. The margin can be passed in two sets, especially because in five out of six matches played here, each had at least one long set, and the whole match makes me think there'll be three sets here. Details

The odds offered at this match will drop significantly till its start for a very good reason. Tsurenko played a extremely tough match with Razzarno yesterday, lost her service games nine times and did every aspect of her game badly. She wasn't doing great the first round either. Both her matches here ended in the same fashion - with the opponent losing power in the decider. Well, Tsurenko might be the one to lose power today. Smitkova won both of her matches convincingly, beating Urszula with aggression and toughness and managing to get past Van Uytvanck in three sets. She proved how storing she is mentally in second and third set, playing better and leaving the opponent with no chance. Smitkova's game is better than Tsurenko's at the moment, she is looking to reach her fourth ITF semifinals indoors, her serving is much better and she had a day off yesterday. Tsurenko had a tough match with Razzano, her game is ripe with problems and she is more of the underdog that the odds suggest. I think the odds will be way down by the match. Details

A couple of days ago they played three sets, also indoors. Here they both played in the first round three sets, and I believe we're up for a unlikely duel. Razzano is playing at home, she didn't buy me in the first round, but that's just another reason to see her in a better edition. Tsurenko knows the indoor game, but lately she oscillated quite a lot. It's the end of the season, none of them were brilliant in it and I'm sure that in the end they are both looking for a good score. Since none of them showed they are capable of a sure win in two sets, my bet goes in the favor of an over. Details

This match means nothing to Pironkova, she lost both previous matches in two sets and has no chance to get to the semifinal here. For Suarez, on the other hand, the only thing playing is a two set victory, in a situation somewhat similar to the one from Halep - Ivanović in Singapore. The latter also needed a two set victory, Halep put up a fair resistance, won a set, but Ivanović did win in the end. After the first round I said Pironkova is out of her depth here after she lost to Cibulkova, Petković beat her in two sets and I believe Suarez will too. Petković is more of a straight player compared to Cibulkova and Suarez, and Pironkova did play a bit better, but I believe we're in for another one of her torture sessions on court, and there are plenty of reasons why. First of all, she's hardly motivated here after two defeats, regardless of the home crowd. She also allows a lot on her serve here (an average of 14 break points in her first two matches), she moves poorly and has trouble focusing (her nerves), and particularly struggles with unforced errors from both sides. Suarez can get her off balance with her spins and corner shots. She fumbled against Petković, and I believe she learned her lesson about being passive as well. The Spaniard is a favorite here and the odds are dropping, as expected, but still have value in my opinion. Details

Bouchard did beat Ivanovic twice but both of those were Grand Slam matches, the first one being at Wimbledon last year, when Ivanovic still knew nothing about the opponent. We know what Bouchard did at grand Slams this year, among other players beating this opponent. I think Ivanovic has the upper hand today for a number of reasons, especially because she left a better impression in the first match here. Ivanovic stood up to Serena while Bouchard had no chance against Halep. There's also the trouble Bouchard's been having with injuries which resulted in a lack of matches and practice sessions. Plus, this whole experience is new for Bouchard and she still needs time to prove her game indoors. Ivanovic has become more consistent his season, which is another reason for this bet because of Bouchard's game style. This is crucial match for Ivanovic, but for all the aforementioned reasons, I give her my trust. Details

I think Serena's season was over when she lifted the US Open trophy. The entire second half of her season was about the US Open and something she said after that Grand Slam is very important. She said that she wants to focus on breaking the Grand Slam records.
We can expect her to try her best, particularly at Grand Slams. She is no longer very young and her knee isn't as it used to be. I'm sure she is well-aware of that, and that she won't do her absolute best here and in the matches to come. Ivanovic knows how what to do against Serena, she beat her once this season and won a set in two defeats. This is only a conformation of an excellent season, and she has nothing to lose today. This will be her chance to prove herself and a great start to the next season. I'm sure she will fight back, and since it's the first match and I don't believe Serena will go full throttle. I think Ivanovic definitely stands a chance. Details

Siniakova really played a lot of matches at this level lately, some through the qualifiers, some in the main draw. She also played two doubles matches here (both in 3 sets). She is not the kind of player that is used to this kind of rhythm at this level and this simply has to show on court today. She also got lucky with the draw here, although at Vesnina and Mladenovic don't seem like good draws at first sight. However, Vesnina has not won a match since the US Open and her shoulder is still an issu, while Mladenović won in the first round only due to her opponent's fatigue, while the match against Siniakova showed her true, awful form. Giorgi has proven she can and will play well indoors, both in Katowice (had a match point in the final) and in Linz (another match point in the final), and in the two matches she played here. She dissolved Tsurenko, and showed character against Pennetta both in the first and in the second set. Her confidence is sky high, and I believe she is even more of a favorite here than the bookmakers are making her. Details

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