We have a new week of tournaments beginning on Monday as the ATP Tour makes a stop in Hamburg and Bogota while the WTA Tour heads to Bad Gastein and Bastad.
I have made a couple of outright picks from the ATP tournaments and they can be found here
There are a few matches being played on Monday as the First Rounds get going and these are my picks from the opening day of a new week
Albert Montanes - 2.5 games v Paul-Henri Mathieu: Paul-Henri Mathieu has struggled to get back to the upper regions of the Men's game and he looks up against it in this match against Albert Montanes.
At the moment, Mathieu doesn't seem to have the confidence in his own game and the consistency to beat Montanes, a player that is comfortable on the clay courts and has a title to his name on the surface earlier this season.
Last week was the fifth time that Mathieu has been knocked out in the First Round of a clay court tournament this season and I just feel his lack of consistency in his game is exposed on the surface. I do fear that Albert Montanes doesn't have the power to hit through Mathieu and he can also be outplayed easily at times, but the Spaniard should be consistent enough to force errors from the Mathieu game.
It will still need Montanes to serve well, but I do think he can come through in a tight 75, 64 win.
Johanna Larsson - 3.5 games v Sofia Arvidsson: Both of these girls will be playing in front of their home support in this match, but Sofia Arvidsson has been a poor run of form and I expect her slightly higher Ranked compatriot to come through this First Round match.
Out of the two players, Johanna Larsson has shown some form on the clay courts with a Quarter Final appearance earlier this season and she was a Semi Finalist last season here. Prior to that, Larsson was a Runner Up here in 2011 and so she will be comfortable in her surroundings.
On the other hand, Arvidsson has lost eight of her last nine matches on the Tour, including five straight defeats on the clay courts. Most of those losses have come against players that would be considered stronger than Larsson, but confidence can't be high and it won't be helped that she lost her last two matches against her compatriot, including here in Bastad two years ago.
Being back at home may help Arvidsson as she has reached the Semi Final and the Quarter Final herein the last two seasons, but I think the lack of match wins could hinder her here and I think Larsson comes through 75, 63.
Flavia Pennetta - 3.5 games v Mariana Duque-Marino: Another player that hasn't been in the best form to open 2013 was Flavia Pennetta as she made a comeback from a long injury lay off. Understandably, the lack of matches told earlier on this season, but her run to the Fourth Round at Wimbledon as well as a Semi Final appearance in Strasbourg could show that the Italian is back on her way up the Rankings.
It is always tough to return from a long period off the Tour and Rafael Nadal is one of the few exceptions that has come back at the same level as when they left. Pennetta had some problems early on this season, but signs over the last couple of months says she is perhaps on her way.
The Italian is happiest on the clay courts and will expect to beat Mariana Duque-Marino, although the Colombian is also most comfortable on this surface. However, much of those successes have come at the level below the main Tour and I think it will be tough for Duque-Marino in this one to match the power that Pennetta can bring to the table.
There will likely be plenty of breaks of serve, but I expect the Italian to move through to the Second Round after a 75, 63 win.
Illya Marchenko - 3.5 games v Matteo Viola: The tournament in Bogota does have the feel of a Challenger rather than an ATP 250 event and the two players contesting this First Round match would be much more likely to feature in the former than the latter.
Illya Marchenko is erratic, but the altitude in Colombia could make him a little more dangerous as he does try to play an expansive game. Most of his successes in tennis have come on the hard courts, both indoor and outdoor, and he does have a Semi Final from a Challenger in Dallas earlier this year.
He will likely be the more comfortable on this surface and while not having a lot of confidence after recent performances, he is bound to have more than Matteo Viola.
The Italian has lost eleven of his last twelve matches, almost all under the main Tour level. However, he has had some success on the hard courts over the last twelve months, but confidence has got to be in a bad place with a run of defeats that he is on.
It could be a court where one break of serve could mean the end of the set, but I think Marchenko will find a way to come through with a 64, 64 win.
MY PICKS: Albert Montanes - 2.5 Games @ 1.92 Unibet (2 Units)
Johanna Larsson - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Flavia Pennetta - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Illya Marchenko - 3.5 Games @ 1.90 Pinnacle (2 Units)
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