The picks were very successful yesterday and have pushed the profits up above 20 units from the daily picks alone during this tournament.
All of the outright picks are also in tact, barring the small pick on Agnieszka Radwansksa, so all in all the US Open has been a good tournament for me so far.
However, this is now the stage where the tournament gets tougher to predict as we are almost at the Quarter Final stage in the Women's event and the 4th Round of the Men's event beginning today.
I am going to do my best to ensure I do not give back the hard earned profits from the last 7 days.
Day 8 Picks:
Francesca Schiavone vs Anastasia Pavyluchenkova: I am picking the underdog, Francesca Schiavone, to open the days proceedings with a win over the young talented Russian.
I feel the odds have been set the way they have due to the time on court Schiavone has spent in the last Round, coupled with Pavyluchenkova's impressive straight sets win over the in-form Jelena Jankovic.
However, Schiavone has had a days rest since her win over Chanelle Scheepers, and I think Pavyluchenkova was in a good place mentally to take on Jankovic as she had won their 2 previous meetings.
This match will pose a different sort of pressure on the Russian as she is down 1-3 in the head to head with Schiavone and was beaten at the French Open in May and also here in Flushing Meadows in 2010 by this opponent.
I expect the dogged Italian to force Pavyluchenkova to hit one more ball on one too many occasions and grind her way to a win, possibly in 3 sets.
Janko Tipsarevic win 3-1 in sets vs Juan Carlos Ferrero: The Serb is definitely getting better and more accustomed to reaching the latter stages of tournaments and I think he will be good enough to see off the veteran Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero and pick up his first career win over him.
However, Tipsarevic is plenty short in the market and he still has the tendency to check out of sets so the option of picking him to win while losing a set appeals to me.
Ferrero has fought through two 5 set matches to reach this stage of the tournament, but he was given an extended rest after his opponent in the last Round retired.
I just don't think he has consistency these days to keep up with Tipsarevic as the match enters the latter stages and I think the Serb will have enough to come through with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win.
Serena Williams-Ana Ivanovic Under 18.5 games: The handicap has moved another game in favour of Serena Williams and I think it looks a little long now, but the American should be far too good for Ana Ivanovic and I expect a routine straight sets win.
Williams is hitting the ball so well at the moment and it is like she has never been away. She outplayed Victoria Azarenka in the last Round for most of the match, with the World Number 4 barely surviving into a tie break in the 2nd set through heart and guts alone.
Ivanovic does not strike me as someone who has the belief in her game to come back if Williams gets off to a similar start to Saturday in this match, especially considering the Serb's recent form and also the fact she has lost her 2 previous meetings against Serena.
They met here at the US Open in 2006, when Ivanovic was swiftly moving up the Rankings, and I see a similar 6-4, 6-2 result this time for the favourite to win the title.
Mardy Fish vs Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: This should be a brilliant tennis match regardless of the winner, but I am going to back the American to come through and I know I will be joined by Roger Federer in that hope as he is most likely going to be the next opponent for the winner.
Mardy Fish has been in excellent form this season as he has begun to feel more and more comfortable in his position as America's Number 1 Male player. The pressure for a long time would have been on Andy Roddick in that position coming into Flushing Meadows, but Fish has escaped such expectation as he really is a late bloomer at this level.
I have read some opposition to Fish tonight because of the amount of tennis he has played in recent weeks, but he is in the best shape of his career and did take a week off before the tournament started.
Both players have a similar game, liking to be on the offensive and putting down a foundation with a strong first serve. Both are also very comfortable up the court at the net and the match could come down to who gets the first strike off first.
I just feel Fish is a little more consistent off the ground, even if Tsonga possesses the flashier shots, and that could be enough to take out the Frenchman. It could go a long time though so I would clear a bit of time on your schedule if you want to watch the match.
Roger Federer - 9.5 games vs Juan Monaco: The first thing to say is Juan Monaco has given Roger Federer a tough time in their 2 previous meetings, and only lost a tight 2 setter in Miami when they played earlier this season.
However, I fancy the former World Number 1 to win this one with a bit to spare as the conditions should suit him much more and Monaco does not really have the game to threaten Federer consistently.
Federer will, I imagine, also be aware of the adverse weather conditions due to hit New York in the next couple of days and I expect him to play fully focused to win this match as soon as possible.
His serve has been working effectively and he has been rallying well, and I would expect a 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 win for Federer.
MY PICKS: Francesca Schiavone @ 2.20 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Janko Tipsarevic win 3-1 @ 4.00 Sporting Bet (1 Unit)
Serena Williams-Ana Ivanovic Under 18.5 Games @ 1.83 William Hill (2 Units)
Mardy Fish @ 2.10 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Roger Federer - 9.5 games @ 2.20 William Hill (2 Units)
US OPEN UPDATE: 20-11, + 21.43 Units
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Showing posts with label Janko Tipsarevic. Show all posts
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Monday, 5 September 2011
Saturday, 3 September 2011
US Open Day 6 Picks
What could go wrong yesterday, did go wrong as my picks fell to a disappointing 0-4.
Lucie Safarova's start to the day (winning 1 game) set the tone, but things got worse from there. Andy Murray had a chance to secure the cover but blew a 4-0 lead in his final set against what looked like a deflated Haase.
James Blake had a break advantage against David Ferrer in sets 2 and 3 but couldn't get over the line and Sam Stosur had plenty of chances in her match against Nadia Petrova but couldn't do the same.
Still, I won't complain about a lack of luck as I have had my fair share too this week and I will hopefully bounce back with a bit of style today.
Day 6 Picks:
Janko Tipsarevic vs Tomas Berdych: This will be a small play on the Serb as I think he is being vastly underestimated against a 'bigger name' in Tomas Berdych.
Tipsarevic can certainly play good tennis and normally thrives against the better players, pushing Roger Federer to 5 sets in Australia in 2008 and beating Andy Roddick when early losses for the American were still a surprise.
To further his credentials, Tipsarevic has beaten Berdych, in the Czech Republic no less, in a Davis Cup tie- and not a meaningless Rubber either, but Rubber 1 in a Semi Final.
Neither player has been pushed too hard in the tournament so far, but Tipsarevic leads the head to head 3-2, including a straight sets win in Montreal last month, and he is worth chancing.
Juan Carlos Ferrero vs Marcel Granollers: This has been set as a pick 'em because of the two 5 setters Juan Carlos Ferrero has played so far in the tournament, but the veteran Spaniard is the better hard court player of the two and I can see him coming through.
Ferrero's win over Gael Monfils, from 2-1 down in sets, shows he is in good form and the former Finalist here will fancy his chances against Granollers who he has beaten in all 3 meetings they have played, including Stuttgart in July.
Granollers has won both his matches in straight sets, but this could be a step too far against a player he would have grown up watching and I think Ferrero will come through in 4.
Roger Federer - 6.5 games vs Marin Cilic: Big hitters have given Roger Federer plenty of problems in the last 6 weeks with both Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Tomas Berdych beating him on the hard courts, but I struggle to believe Marin Cilic has the consistency to do the same.
It is true that Federer is not the player of old and he may have even lost half a step, yet he still has too much consistency for the erratic Croatian.
There are some real positive signs coming from Cilic in the last 2 months since really struggling in 2011, but his 2nd serve remains a little problem, while the inconsistent forehand will struggle against Federer's biggest weapon.
Federer has won both previous meetings in straight sets against Cilic, and I think this could be his statement match of the tournament so far.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga win 3-1 in sets vs Fernando Verdasco: This has to be the 'popcorn' match of the day as two players who can play some electric tennis meet in the late evening- the match has all the credentials to be a classic and I expect the atmosphere will be special.
Tsonga gets the clear edge considering his recent form, but he is yet to beat Verdasco having lost the 2 previous meetings while winning 1 set and losing 5.
However, the Spaniard's game is not of the level of early 2010 and I think Tsonga has bypassed him comfortably now.
Verdasco is still capable of the sublime though, and I can see him taking a set, but not stopping Tsonga's march to a very interesting match with Mardy Fish (his most likely opponent).
Novak Djokovic - 9.5 games vs Nikolay Davydenko: Go back a couple of seasons and I would have jumped all over the Davydenko + 9.5 games, but the form of the Russian is so far removed from then, while Novak Djokovic is playing some lights out tennis.
They met recently in Montreal and I picked Djokovic to cover 5.5 games in that match, which he went on and won 7-5, 6-1.
That showed me Davydenko is capable of playing some of his old tennis, but not with anything like the consistency of old. I think we will see something similar today where he pushes Djokovic for a set, but will be well beaten by the end of the match as it is the Serb's consistency and power that overwhelm him.
Serena Williams - 5.5 games vs Victoria Azarenka: Serena Williams is playing some exceptional tennis and will surely feel she can go all the way if she can negotiate this tough 3rd Round match.
Maria Sharapova's exit yesterday has made Williams the clear favourite to win the tournament, but Azarenka is no pushover.
Williams beat Azarenka 6-3, 6-3 in Toronto and I think her power will overwhelm her opponent again tonight. She has won her last 2 tournaments she has contested, and has only lost 3 games in 2 matches at Flushing Meadows and looks to be playing close to her best.
Azarenka did well to beat Gisela Dulko in straight sets in the last Round, but did give up a few opportunities on her own serve and that could lead to her downfall in this match.
MY PICKS: Janko Tipsarevic @ 3.00 Pinnacle (1 Unit)
Juan Carlos Ferrero @ 1.90 Stan James (2 Units)
Roger Federer - 6.5 games @ 2.00 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga win 3-1 in sets @ 3.75 Paddy Power (1 Unit)
Novak Djokovic - 9.5 games @ 1.90 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Serena Williams - 5.5 games @ 2.00 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
US OPEN UPDATE: 12-7, + 10.29 Units
Lucie Safarova's start to the day (winning 1 game) set the tone, but things got worse from there. Andy Murray had a chance to secure the cover but blew a 4-0 lead in his final set against what looked like a deflated Haase.
James Blake had a break advantage against David Ferrer in sets 2 and 3 but couldn't get over the line and Sam Stosur had plenty of chances in her match against Nadia Petrova but couldn't do the same.
Still, I won't complain about a lack of luck as I have had my fair share too this week and I will hopefully bounce back with a bit of style today.
Day 6 Picks:
Janko Tipsarevic vs Tomas Berdych: This will be a small play on the Serb as I think he is being vastly underestimated against a 'bigger name' in Tomas Berdych.
Tipsarevic can certainly play good tennis and normally thrives against the better players, pushing Roger Federer to 5 sets in Australia in 2008 and beating Andy Roddick when early losses for the American were still a surprise.
To further his credentials, Tipsarevic has beaten Berdych, in the Czech Republic no less, in a Davis Cup tie- and not a meaningless Rubber either, but Rubber 1 in a Semi Final.
Neither player has been pushed too hard in the tournament so far, but Tipsarevic leads the head to head 3-2, including a straight sets win in Montreal last month, and he is worth chancing.
Juan Carlos Ferrero vs Marcel Granollers: This has been set as a pick 'em because of the two 5 setters Juan Carlos Ferrero has played so far in the tournament, but the veteran Spaniard is the better hard court player of the two and I can see him coming through.
Ferrero's win over Gael Monfils, from 2-1 down in sets, shows he is in good form and the former Finalist here will fancy his chances against Granollers who he has beaten in all 3 meetings they have played, including Stuttgart in July.
Granollers has won both his matches in straight sets, but this could be a step too far against a player he would have grown up watching and I think Ferrero will come through in 4.
Roger Federer - 6.5 games vs Marin Cilic: Big hitters have given Roger Federer plenty of problems in the last 6 weeks with both Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Tomas Berdych beating him on the hard courts, but I struggle to believe Marin Cilic has the consistency to do the same.
It is true that Federer is not the player of old and he may have even lost half a step, yet he still has too much consistency for the erratic Croatian.
There are some real positive signs coming from Cilic in the last 2 months since really struggling in 2011, but his 2nd serve remains a little problem, while the inconsistent forehand will struggle against Federer's biggest weapon.
Federer has won both previous meetings in straight sets against Cilic, and I think this could be his statement match of the tournament so far.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga win 3-1 in sets vs Fernando Verdasco: This has to be the 'popcorn' match of the day as two players who can play some electric tennis meet in the late evening- the match has all the credentials to be a classic and I expect the atmosphere will be special.
Tsonga gets the clear edge considering his recent form, but he is yet to beat Verdasco having lost the 2 previous meetings while winning 1 set and losing 5.
However, the Spaniard's game is not of the level of early 2010 and I think Tsonga has bypassed him comfortably now.
Verdasco is still capable of the sublime though, and I can see him taking a set, but not stopping Tsonga's march to a very interesting match with Mardy Fish (his most likely opponent).
Novak Djokovic - 9.5 games vs Nikolay Davydenko: Go back a couple of seasons and I would have jumped all over the Davydenko + 9.5 games, but the form of the Russian is so far removed from then, while Novak Djokovic is playing some lights out tennis.
They met recently in Montreal and I picked Djokovic to cover 5.5 games in that match, which he went on and won 7-5, 6-1.
That showed me Davydenko is capable of playing some of his old tennis, but not with anything like the consistency of old. I think we will see something similar today where he pushes Djokovic for a set, but will be well beaten by the end of the match as it is the Serb's consistency and power that overwhelm him.
Serena Williams - 5.5 games vs Victoria Azarenka: Serena Williams is playing some exceptional tennis and will surely feel she can go all the way if she can negotiate this tough 3rd Round match.
Maria Sharapova's exit yesterday has made Williams the clear favourite to win the tournament, but Azarenka is no pushover.
Williams beat Azarenka 6-3, 6-3 in Toronto and I think her power will overwhelm her opponent again tonight. She has won her last 2 tournaments she has contested, and has only lost 3 games in 2 matches at Flushing Meadows and looks to be playing close to her best.
Azarenka did well to beat Gisela Dulko in straight sets in the last Round, but did give up a few opportunities on her own serve and that could lead to her downfall in this match.
MY PICKS: Janko Tipsarevic @ 3.00 Pinnacle (1 Unit)
Juan Carlos Ferrero @ 1.90 Stan James (2 Units)
Roger Federer - 6.5 games @ 2.00 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga win 3-1 in sets @ 3.75 Paddy Power (1 Unit)
Novak Djokovic - 9.5 games @ 1.90 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Serena Williams - 5.5 games @ 2.00 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
US OPEN UPDATE: 12-7, + 10.29 Units
Tuesday, 16 August 2011
Tennis Picks August 16th Cincinnati
A good start to the week as 3 of the 4 picks came up trumps yesterday and the form from the back end of last week has continued. I am hoping to ride this hot hand a little further, as we have a lot of options to choose from today.
On to the Picks:
Florian Mayer vs Ivo Karlovic: This is more a back against Ivo Karlovic than it is a back of Florian Mayer as I don't think the big Croatian should be favoured too often these days.
He has improved his overall game, but the serve is not as potent as it once was and Karlovic's new found belief in his ground game means he is giving more chances for the opponent to win tie breaks against him.
Mayer's awkward style will also aid the German player and he will draw confidence having beaten Karlovic on the hard courts of Miami earlier this season.
Marin Cilic vs Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: Marin Cilic looks to be returning to some sort of form and looked impressive in his straight sets win over Juan Martin Del Potro last week in Montreal.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has really raised his game over the last 3 months and his win over Roger Federer last week will have got people taking notes for the US Open.
However, Tsonga has been suffering with a bicep problem and I can't see him wanting to aggravate that just 2 weeks before Flushing Meadows- he may not be playing at full power and that may just shift the advantage to Cilic.
Janko Tipsarevic - 4.5 games vs Edouard Roger-Vasselin: Janko Tipsarevic had a big week in Montreal last week and while it has been written that those going deep in Canada struggle at this tournament, I can only see one winner here.
Edouard Roger-Vasselin has come through 2 qualifying rounds to get here, but he is far too inconsistent and I can't see him doing enough to trouble Tipsarevic.
Tipsarevic himself is inconsistent else he would be higher in the rankings so there is a concern backing him as a short priced favourite to cover handicaps, but he has beaten Roger-Vasselin twice before with enough comfort to suggest he will do it again.
Tomas Berdych - 4.5 games vs Juan Monaco: Tomas Berdych has already beaten Juan Monaco twice this season, both on the Argentinian's favoured clay courts, and both in straight sets without too many concerns.
Berdych is not at the level of last season when he reached the Semi Final at Roland Garros and the Final at Wimbledon, but it is the better players that remain his issue and I expect him to swat aside this challenge.
The Czech Number 1 has won all 5 previous meetings with Monaco and he does everything Monaco does but only better and I expect a 6th win.
Roger Federer - 3 games vs Juan Martin Del Potro: I know Roger Federer had a hard time in Montreal last week, but he loves this tournament and I think he can restore his confidence with a big win over Juan Martin Del Potro.
The Argentinian is getting better and better since his wrist injury, but he still is a little short of the top 4 and I think we will see that here.
I think the odds have been skewed by Federer's disappointing loss last week, but I expect him to make a mockery of them.
Nadia Petrova - 2 games vs Roberta Vinci: I think the odds here are all wrong because of Vinci's good run in Toronto but Nadia Petrova should be a bigger favourite in my humble opinion.
Petrova was beaten by Vera Zvonareva last week, but there is no shame in that, and she has been in good form by winning in Washington before that.
Vinci lost recently to Jie Zheng and was beaten convincingly by Petrova on the hard courts of Doha earlier this season.
Petra Kvitova - 5.5 games vs Chanelle Scheepers: Petra Kvitova exited the tournament in Toronto in disappointing fashion last week but I expect she can bounce back against her South African opponent, even though Scheepers has done well to win 3 matches here already this week.
However, Scheepers has been comfortably beaten when playing the better players on the tour and was recently routed by Heather Watson of Great Britain, form that will not see her last too long against someone as good as Kvitova.
The Wimbledon Champion has also won easily enough in their 2 previous meetings, winning all 4 sets and not losing more than 6 games in either.
MY PICKS: Florian Mayer @ 2.05 Pinnacle (1 Unit)
Marin Cilic @ 2.50 Sporting Bet (1 Unit)
Janko Tipsarevic - 4.5 games @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)
Tomas Berdych - 4.5 games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Roger Federer - 3 games @ 2.00 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Nadia Petrova - 2 games @ 1.90 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Petra Kvitova - 5.5 games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)
WEEKLY UPDATE: + 3.52 Units
On to the Picks:
Florian Mayer vs Ivo Karlovic: This is more a back against Ivo Karlovic than it is a back of Florian Mayer as I don't think the big Croatian should be favoured too often these days.
He has improved his overall game, but the serve is not as potent as it once was and Karlovic's new found belief in his ground game means he is giving more chances for the opponent to win tie breaks against him.
Mayer's awkward style will also aid the German player and he will draw confidence having beaten Karlovic on the hard courts of Miami earlier this season.
Marin Cilic vs Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: Marin Cilic looks to be returning to some sort of form and looked impressive in his straight sets win over Juan Martin Del Potro last week in Montreal.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has really raised his game over the last 3 months and his win over Roger Federer last week will have got people taking notes for the US Open.
However, Tsonga has been suffering with a bicep problem and I can't see him wanting to aggravate that just 2 weeks before Flushing Meadows- he may not be playing at full power and that may just shift the advantage to Cilic.
Janko Tipsarevic - 4.5 games vs Edouard Roger-Vasselin: Janko Tipsarevic had a big week in Montreal last week and while it has been written that those going deep in Canada struggle at this tournament, I can only see one winner here.
Edouard Roger-Vasselin has come through 2 qualifying rounds to get here, but he is far too inconsistent and I can't see him doing enough to trouble Tipsarevic.
Tipsarevic himself is inconsistent else he would be higher in the rankings so there is a concern backing him as a short priced favourite to cover handicaps, but he has beaten Roger-Vasselin twice before with enough comfort to suggest he will do it again.
Tomas Berdych - 4.5 games vs Juan Monaco: Tomas Berdych has already beaten Juan Monaco twice this season, both on the Argentinian's favoured clay courts, and both in straight sets without too many concerns.
Berdych is not at the level of last season when he reached the Semi Final at Roland Garros and the Final at Wimbledon, but it is the better players that remain his issue and I expect him to swat aside this challenge.
The Czech Number 1 has won all 5 previous meetings with Monaco and he does everything Monaco does but only better and I expect a 6th win.
Roger Federer - 3 games vs Juan Martin Del Potro: I know Roger Federer had a hard time in Montreal last week, but he loves this tournament and I think he can restore his confidence with a big win over Juan Martin Del Potro.
The Argentinian is getting better and better since his wrist injury, but he still is a little short of the top 4 and I think we will see that here.
I think the odds have been skewed by Federer's disappointing loss last week, but I expect him to make a mockery of them.
Nadia Petrova - 2 games vs Roberta Vinci: I think the odds here are all wrong because of Vinci's good run in Toronto but Nadia Petrova should be a bigger favourite in my humble opinion.
Petrova was beaten by Vera Zvonareva last week, but there is no shame in that, and she has been in good form by winning in Washington before that.
Vinci lost recently to Jie Zheng and was beaten convincingly by Petrova on the hard courts of Doha earlier this season.
Petra Kvitova - 5.5 games vs Chanelle Scheepers: Petra Kvitova exited the tournament in Toronto in disappointing fashion last week but I expect she can bounce back against her South African opponent, even though Scheepers has done well to win 3 matches here already this week.
However, Scheepers has been comfortably beaten when playing the better players on the tour and was recently routed by Heather Watson of Great Britain, form that will not see her last too long against someone as good as Kvitova.
The Wimbledon Champion has also won easily enough in their 2 previous meetings, winning all 4 sets and not losing more than 6 games in either.
MY PICKS: Florian Mayer @ 2.05 Pinnacle (1 Unit)
Marin Cilic @ 2.50 Sporting Bet (1 Unit)
Janko Tipsarevic - 4.5 games @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)
Tomas Berdych - 4.5 games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Roger Federer - 3 games @ 2.00 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Nadia Petrova - 2 games @ 1.90 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Petra Kvitova - 5.5 games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)
WEEKLY UPDATE: + 3.52 Units
Thursday, 11 August 2011
Tennis Picks August 11th
It has been an extremely difficult week so far both for us making the picks and for the players as Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal have both 'one and done' in Canada.
The manner of Nadal's loss brought back memories of Roger Federer's defeat on the same court to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 2 years ago as the Spaniard blew winning positions time after time.
Nadal won the first set with minimal fuss and then moved into a 3-1 lead in the second set as a routine victory looked on the cards. However, Ivan Dodig clearly had other plans and fought back to take the set on the tie break.
Order looked to be restored with Nadal taking a 3-0 lead in the decider but that was quickly wiped out. Again it looked all over as Nadal broke to lead 5-3 and served for the match but Dodig was inspired and managed to once again fight back and took the match with a stunning backhand on his first match point.
It's another busy day in Canada today but the forecast does not look pretty so it will be some feat to get all the matches through.
Still, here are my picks for the day:
Sam Stosur vs Na Li: Thanks to Shuai Peng's withdrawal, this is the first match Na Li will play since Wimbledon and it cannot get much tougher against the big serving Sam Stosur, a player that also holds a 3-0 head to head record against Li.
Stosur has not been in great form in recent weeks, but she is used to the conditions in Toronto thanks to her 2 wins to reach this stage. Her game is suited to the hard courts and she will feel confident having won all 6 sets contested with Li.
Li is just 2-2 since winning the French Open and she seems to have a problem adapting to her new found fame. I am not sure if she will be mentally ready for this tough test and she has lost her last 5 matches on hard courts. She was also beaten at this stage in Canada last year and that was with a number of matches behind her since Wimbledon.
Petra Kvitova - 3.5 games vs Andrea Petkovic: I was interested to see how Kvitova was going to play following her successful Wimbledon, but the young Czech star was very solid in coming through her opening match here in Canada.
A concern is she did struggle in North America earlier this season with quick exits at Indian Wells and Miami and she also lost early during this part of the season last year. However, I think she is mentally so much stronger now and has complete belief in her own game.
Petkovic has really made the best out of her talent, but she remains a step below the elite in the Women's game and she has regularly come up short when playing the best this season. I fear this will be yet another one of those occasions as her serve and groundstrokes just cannot compete with the other more consistent players.
The German is 2-3 in her head to head meetings with Kvitova, and was beaten heavily in their one and only meeting this season after winning the previous 2 contests.
Ana Ivanovic - 4.5 games vs Roberta Vinci: Ana Ivanovic is striving to regain her position at the top of the Women's game and she has been playing a little better in recent months, although still having the lack of confidence to throw in some terrible losses.
She reached the Semi Final in San Diego last week before finding Vera Zvonareva too good, but there have been signs in the last 2 weeks that she is moving into some good form.
Roberta Vinci is a surprise opponent for Ivanovic after beating Yanina Wickmayer and Caroline Wozniacki as the underdog in the last 2 Rounds, but I cannot remove the Jie Zheng defeat in San Diego from my mind.
This is the Italian's best run on a North American hard court, and she also holds a win over Ivanovic from earlier this season. That snapped a 4 match losing run to her opponent, but I think Ivanovic is playing too good for her at the moment and I see a 6-4, 6-2 win for the former World Number 1.
Double; Tomas Berdych vs Ivo Karlovic and Janko Tipsarevic vs Ivan Dodig: I think Tomas Berdych will be too strong for Ivo Karlovic who is coming to the end of a career that was far more productive than I think even Karlovic would have expected.
The win over Alexandr Dolgopolov for Berdych in the last Round would have boosted his confidence and I think he will be too strong for the big Croatian here.
I am also backing Janko Tipsarevic in a big Serb-Croat clash today. Ivan Dodig played the best match of his career yesterday against Rafael Nadal and I feel this may be a case of 'after the Lord Mayor's show' for the Croatian. Tipsarevic is a tough opponent and has already beaten Dodig in straight sets earlier this year.
Stanislas Wawrinka - 2.5 games vs Kevin Anderson: This is another match where I am taking on a player that had a big win in the last Round- Kevin Anderson beat Andy Murray but had been not been in that great shape in his win over Pablo Andujar and I think he may be caught out by Stanislas Wawrinka here.
Wawrinka looked good in his win over David Nalbandian in the 1st Round and made short work of Michael Russell- the Swiss Number 2 will also see this as a chance to make a real impact in a Masters tournament with the exits of Murray and Rafael Nadal from the bottom half of the section.
Anderson served big in his win over Murray, but the serve was not so effective against Andujar and Wawrinka has faced him before, winning in straight sets in Miami last year.
I am a little concerned with the lack of form Wawrinka has shown in recent weeks, but I think he will be too good today.
Roger Federer - 3.5 games vs Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: This is a rematch from 2 years ago when these two players were involved in a memorable match that Tsonga won after being 5-1 down in the final set.
More importantly, it is a rematch of this years Wimbledon Quarter Final that saw Tsonga fight back from a 2-0 deficit to knock out Federer and you can be sure the Swiss former World Number 1 is out for revenge.
Tsonga played absolutely brilliantly when he beat Federer at Wimbledon, a performance to match his destruction of Rafael Nadal in the 2008 Australian Open Semi Final. The problem remains the Frenchman's lack of consistency to put together those performances more regularly and I cannot see him beating Federer again.
It wasn't the best performance from Federer yesterday when beating a Canadian Wild Card, but he did enough and was serving well. That will be the key tonight and he will also need to return better than he did.
The last time Tsonga beat Federer, he was crushed fairly easily in their 3 subsequent meetings, and I am not comfortable backing a player that needs to catch lightning in a bottle to win... I think Federer wins 6-3, 6-4
MY PICKS: Sam Stosur @ 1.80 BetFred (2 Units)
Petra Kvitova - 3.5 games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Ana Ivanovic - 4.5 games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Double; Tomas Berdych and Janko Tipsarevic @ 2.36 BetFred (2 Units)
Stanislas Wawrinka - 2.5 games @ 2.05 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Roger Federer - 3.5 games @ 2.00 Coral (2 Units)
WEEKLY UPDATE: - 2.73 Units
The manner of Nadal's loss brought back memories of Roger Federer's defeat on the same court to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 2 years ago as the Spaniard blew winning positions time after time.
Nadal won the first set with minimal fuss and then moved into a 3-1 lead in the second set as a routine victory looked on the cards. However, Ivan Dodig clearly had other plans and fought back to take the set on the tie break.
Order looked to be restored with Nadal taking a 3-0 lead in the decider but that was quickly wiped out. Again it looked all over as Nadal broke to lead 5-3 and served for the match but Dodig was inspired and managed to once again fight back and took the match with a stunning backhand on his first match point.
It's another busy day in Canada today but the forecast does not look pretty so it will be some feat to get all the matches through.
Still, here are my picks for the day:
Sam Stosur vs Na Li: Thanks to Shuai Peng's withdrawal, this is the first match Na Li will play since Wimbledon and it cannot get much tougher against the big serving Sam Stosur, a player that also holds a 3-0 head to head record against Li.
Stosur has not been in great form in recent weeks, but she is used to the conditions in Toronto thanks to her 2 wins to reach this stage. Her game is suited to the hard courts and she will feel confident having won all 6 sets contested with Li.
Li is just 2-2 since winning the French Open and she seems to have a problem adapting to her new found fame. I am not sure if she will be mentally ready for this tough test and she has lost her last 5 matches on hard courts. She was also beaten at this stage in Canada last year and that was with a number of matches behind her since Wimbledon.
Petra Kvitova - 3.5 games vs Andrea Petkovic: I was interested to see how Kvitova was going to play following her successful Wimbledon, but the young Czech star was very solid in coming through her opening match here in Canada.
A concern is she did struggle in North America earlier this season with quick exits at Indian Wells and Miami and she also lost early during this part of the season last year. However, I think she is mentally so much stronger now and has complete belief in her own game.
Petkovic has really made the best out of her talent, but she remains a step below the elite in the Women's game and she has regularly come up short when playing the best this season. I fear this will be yet another one of those occasions as her serve and groundstrokes just cannot compete with the other more consistent players.
The German is 2-3 in her head to head meetings with Kvitova, and was beaten heavily in their one and only meeting this season after winning the previous 2 contests.
Ana Ivanovic - 4.5 games vs Roberta Vinci: Ana Ivanovic is striving to regain her position at the top of the Women's game and she has been playing a little better in recent months, although still having the lack of confidence to throw in some terrible losses.
She reached the Semi Final in San Diego last week before finding Vera Zvonareva too good, but there have been signs in the last 2 weeks that she is moving into some good form.
Roberta Vinci is a surprise opponent for Ivanovic after beating Yanina Wickmayer and Caroline Wozniacki as the underdog in the last 2 Rounds, but I cannot remove the Jie Zheng defeat in San Diego from my mind.
This is the Italian's best run on a North American hard court, and she also holds a win over Ivanovic from earlier this season. That snapped a 4 match losing run to her opponent, but I think Ivanovic is playing too good for her at the moment and I see a 6-4, 6-2 win for the former World Number 1.
Double; Tomas Berdych vs Ivo Karlovic and Janko Tipsarevic vs Ivan Dodig: I think Tomas Berdych will be too strong for Ivo Karlovic who is coming to the end of a career that was far more productive than I think even Karlovic would have expected.
The win over Alexandr Dolgopolov for Berdych in the last Round would have boosted his confidence and I think he will be too strong for the big Croatian here.
I am also backing Janko Tipsarevic in a big Serb-Croat clash today. Ivan Dodig played the best match of his career yesterday against Rafael Nadal and I feel this may be a case of 'after the Lord Mayor's show' for the Croatian. Tipsarevic is a tough opponent and has already beaten Dodig in straight sets earlier this year.
Stanislas Wawrinka - 2.5 games vs Kevin Anderson: This is another match where I am taking on a player that had a big win in the last Round- Kevin Anderson beat Andy Murray but had been not been in that great shape in his win over Pablo Andujar and I think he may be caught out by Stanislas Wawrinka here.
Wawrinka looked good in his win over David Nalbandian in the 1st Round and made short work of Michael Russell- the Swiss Number 2 will also see this as a chance to make a real impact in a Masters tournament with the exits of Murray and Rafael Nadal from the bottom half of the section.
Anderson served big in his win over Murray, but the serve was not so effective against Andujar and Wawrinka has faced him before, winning in straight sets in Miami last year.
I am a little concerned with the lack of form Wawrinka has shown in recent weeks, but I think he will be too good today.
Roger Federer - 3.5 games vs Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: This is a rematch from 2 years ago when these two players were involved in a memorable match that Tsonga won after being 5-1 down in the final set.
More importantly, it is a rematch of this years Wimbledon Quarter Final that saw Tsonga fight back from a 2-0 deficit to knock out Federer and you can be sure the Swiss former World Number 1 is out for revenge.
Tsonga played absolutely brilliantly when he beat Federer at Wimbledon, a performance to match his destruction of Rafael Nadal in the 2008 Australian Open Semi Final. The problem remains the Frenchman's lack of consistency to put together those performances more regularly and I cannot see him beating Federer again.
It wasn't the best performance from Federer yesterday when beating a Canadian Wild Card, but he did enough and was serving well. That will be the key tonight and he will also need to return better than he did.
The last time Tsonga beat Federer, he was crushed fairly easily in their 3 subsequent meetings, and I am not comfortable backing a player that needs to catch lightning in a bottle to win... I think Federer wins 6-3, 6-4
MY PICKS: Sam Stosur @ 1.80 BetFred (2 Units)
Petra Kvitova - 3.5 games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Ana Ivanovic - 4.5 games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Double; Tomas Berdych and Janko Tipsarevic @ 2.36 BetFred (2 Units)
Stanislas Wawrinka - 2.5 games @ 2.05 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Roger Federer - 3.5 games @ 2.00 Coral (2 Units)
WEEKLY UPDATE: - 2.73 Units
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