The tennis action keeps on coming as both the women and men flock to Cincinnati to do battle this week. Once again, Caroline Wozniacki is the number one seed and will look to improve on a dismal showing in Toronto. The number two seed this week is Vera Zvonareva following the withdrawal of Kim Clijsters. She is joined on the sidelines by Venus Williams, Agnieszka Radwanska and Dominika Cibulkova.
Caroline Wozniacki will open up her campaign in Cincinnati against either Christina Mchale or Tsvetana Pironkova. Wozniacki could face her conqueror in Toronto, Roberta Vinci in the third round. However Vinci will have to overcome the threat of Nadia Petrova who has started to look something like her former self since an impressive 4th round showing in Wimbledon. Ana Ivanovic is also in this section of draw and like Wozniacki, will want to avoid Vinci!
Caroline Wozniacki will open up her campaign in Cincinnati against either Christina Mchale or Tsvetana Pironkova. Wozniacki could face her conqueror in Toronto, Roberta Vinci in the third round. However Vinci will have to overcome the threat of Nadia Petrova who has started to look something like her former self since an impressive 4th round showing in Wimbledon. Ana Ivanovic is also in this section of draw and like Wozniacki, will want to avoid Vinci!
Wozniacki was poor in Toronto and will want to improve her form this week in Cincinnati
Wozniacki could play Petra Kvitova in the Quarter finals. Kvitova was disappointing in Toronto and may have to play Andrea Petkovic again in the 3rd round. She will first have to navigate her way past either Chanelle Scheepers or the talented Canadian, Rebecca Marino. Petkovic will have a tricky opener against Jarmilla Gajdosova, who she came through in 3 sets against in Paris; however Gajdosova's form has really dipped of late so I would expect an easier match for Andrea.
Victoria Azarenka has an extremely difficult draw as she will play either Shahar Peer or Sabine Lisicki in Round 2. Lisicki has been exhibiting some excellent form and will give Azarenka a stern test. Lisicki has had a weeks break after missing Toronto and will fancy her chances of an upset. However I am going for Azarenka's greater consistency to pull her through in 3 sets. Peng Shuai is also in this section and will open up against newly married Gisela Dulko. It is unlikely she will be a major threat this week after suffering from a hip injury in Toronto and she will have to be at her best to dispatch Sara Errani in a potential second round encounter; they previously played in Carlsbad where Peng saved 2 match points to edge out the Italian.
Lisicki will have to serve well to have a chance of getting past both Peer and Azarenka
Victoria Azarenka has an extremely difficult draw as she will play either Shahar Peer or Sabine Lisicki in Round 2. Lisicki has been exhibiting some excellent form and will give Azarenka a stern test. Lisicki has had a weeks break after missing Toronto and will fancy her chances of an upset. However I am going for Azarenka's greater consistency to pull her through in 3 sets. Peng Shuai is also in this section and will open up against newly married Gisela Dulko. It is unlikely she will be a major threat this week after suffering from a hip injury in Toronto and she will have to be at her best to dispatch Sara Errani in a potential second round encounter; they previously played in Carlsbad where Peng saved 2 match points to edge out the Italian.
Lisicki will have to serve well to have a chance of getting past both Peer and Azarenka
Francesca Schiavone is Azarenka's projected Quarter Final opponent. She will open up against either Maria Kirilenko or a Qualifier. Not many people have been talking about Schiavone but we musn't forget that she has produced some solid showings on the hard courts with Quarter final appearances at both the US and Australian Open. Schiavone could face Jelena Jankovic in round 3, who she defeated in the 4th round of Roland Garros this year. Jelena has been quite consistent this year but has failed to pull off any big wins and not won a match since the French Open. She will open up against a Iveta Benesova which could be a potential banana skin; Benesova defeated Jankovic in Montreal last year where Jankovic competed as the number one seed. There could be a chance for Julia Goerges to spring some magic in this section IF the good Julia turns up and not the one that bombed in the first set to Serena in Toronto. However she opens up against the dangerous Zheng Jie, who has been playing very well of late...
Li Na will open her campaign against either Lucie Safarova or Klara Zakopalova; both players have the potential to cause a shock with Zakoplaova offering the biggest threat having destroyed Li earlier this year in Doha. Even if Li does manage to make it past the 2nd round (which i dont think she will!) she could face either Sam Stosur or Serena Williams. Williams and Stosur are scheduled to meet in the 2nd round in a repeat of the Toronto final assuming both win their openers.
Stosur raised her game in Toronto to reach the final but has a difficult draw in Cincinnati as she could meet Serena again in the 2nd round
Li Na will open her campaign against either Lucie Safarova or Klara Zakopalova; both players have the potential to cause a shock with Zakoplaova offering the biggest threat having destroyed Li earlier this year in Doha. Even if Li does manage to make it past the 2nd round (which i dont think she will!) she could face either Sam Stosur or Serena Williams. Williams and Stosur are scheduled to meet in the 2nd round in a repeat of the Toronto final assuming both win their openers.
Stosur raised her game in Toronto to reach the final but has a difficult draw in Cincinnati as she could meet Serena again in the 2nd round
Maria Sharapova will be the projected Quarter-Finalist of Li and will open up against either Polona Hercog or Anastasia Rodionova. She could play Svetlana Kuznetsova in round 3 who now has a much more straightforward draw following the draw reshuffle following Radwanska's injury. She was orginally set to play Yanina Wickmayer but it will now be Jill Cryabas, which should be a winnable match for Kuzzy. The consistent, Anabel Medina Garrigues will be ready to pounce if Kuznetsova cannot sort her form out in round 2.
In the bottom section, Vera Zvonareva willl open up against either Ekaterina Makarova or Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez in what appears to be the easiest section of the draw. Yanina Wickmayer is her projected third round opponent. Zvonareva has been consistent this year but has failed to reach the heights of last year. She has a very good draw here so will feel that at least a semi-final place in her grasp. Wickmayer will have to overcome a difficult opener against Bojana Jovanovski who has come through two rounds of qualifying. Wickmayer beat Jovanovski in three sets in Dubai but I fancy a different result here...
Bojana has a chance to make some inroads in this weeks draw in Cincinnati
In the bottom section, Vera Zvonareva willl open up against either Ekaterina Makarova or Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez in what appears to be the easiest section of the draw. Yanina Wickmayer is her projected third round opponent. Zvonareva has been consistent this year but has failed to reach the heights of last year. She has a very good draw here so will feel that at least a semi-final place in her grasp. Wickmayer will have to overcome a difficult opener against Bojana Jovanovski who has come through two rounds of qualifying. Wickmayer beat Jovanovski in three sets in Dubai but I fancy a different result here...
Bojana has a chance to make some inroads in this weeks draw in Cincinnati
Marion Bartoli will play either Ayumi Morita or Alona Bondarenko in round 2 and will look to put a disappointing early exit in Toronto behind her. Anastasia Pavyluchenkova will have another difficult first rounder against the Italian, Flavia Pennetta. Pavlyuchenkova has been in disappointing form since a superb quarter-final showing in Roland Garros. If she can get past Pennetta and then potentially Hantuchova (who she has a good head-to-head record over) then things might start to roll for her.
Serena is on an incredible winning streak and I although I originally thought she couldn't keep up the run i'm going to go for Serena to win. My other tips all have some danger in their draw; Azarenka has Lisicki and Kvitova has Petkovic so therefore I have wimped out and gone for Serena! The draw does not look as enticing as it did for Toronto but I expect to see a lot of different names in the Quarters as the ones that fell early in Toronto sort their form out Cincinnati.
Quarter Final Predictions:
Wozniacki/Kvitova
Azarenka/Schiavone
Williams/Sharapova
Bartoli/Zvonareva
(Probably the first time I have gone so much with the seedings!!!)
Top Round 1 Tips - Zakopalova to beat Safarova (9/4 with Stan James) and Zheng to beat Goerges (no odds yet)
Predicted Winner - Serena Williams
Serena is on an incredible winning streak and I although I originally thought she couldn't keep up the run i'm going to go for Serena to win. My other tips all have some danger in their draw; Azarenka has Lisicki and Kvitova has Petkovic so therefore I have wimped out and gone for Serena! The draw does not look as enticing as it did for Toronto but I expect to see a lot of different names in the Quarters as the ones that fell early in Toronto sort their form out Cincinnati.
Quarter Final Predictions:
Wozniacki/Kvitova
Azarenka/Schiavone
Williams/Sharapova
Bartoli/Zvonareva
(Probably the first time I have gone so much with the seedings!!!)
Top Round 1 Tips - Zakopalova to beat Safarova (9/4 with Stan James) and Zheng to beat Goerges (no odds yet)
Predicted Winner - Serena Williams
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