WTA Sydney: 2nd Round Predictions

My predictions for Sydney have flopped like a lead balloon.  I think they could be my worst ever predictions in the history of predicting! Thankfully, I am looking good in Hobart where I have correctly predicted 12 of the 14 first round results.  This included my predicted champion, Kirsten Flipkens rebounding from 5-2 down in the third set to beat Francesca Schiavone.  Since Sydney is a disaster, here are my predictions for the confirmed 2nd round matches, which will all take to the court tomorrow.

Caroline Wozniacki

1. Caroline Wozniacki vs. Svetlana Kuznetsova

It was a strange experience witnessing Svetlana Kuznetsova's name in the Sydney qualifying draw.  It has certainly worked in her favour though as she has managed to gain some invaluable match practice through three tough matches and it helped her on the way to an impressive first round victory over Julia Goerges, 3-6 6-3 6-3.  The challenges keep coming for Kuznetsova, who has been sidelined for the last six months with a knee injury, as she now takes on former world number one, Caroline Wozniacki.

The pair have enjoyed a colourful head-to-head with Wozniacki leading 5-2 and ruling the roost in their recent encounters, most notably a smash-and-grab comeback win at the US Open where Kuznetsova really should have won. The Russian player has said it will take her some time to find her best form and I think this match-up will be one step too far...

Prediction - Wozniacki to beat Kuznetsova in 2 tight sets

2. Maria Kirilenko vs. Sara Errani

The only second round match that I predicted in it's entirety was this one between Maria Kirilenko and Sara Errani.  The newly engaged Kirilenko edged a tight first set with Olivia Rogowska before cruising through their first round match with a 7-5 6-2 win, meanwhile Errani was never troubled by Karolina Pliskova in a straight sets win.  This will be one of tightest of the second rounders; normally I would go against Errani, but the Italian has a good record over Kirilenko, leading their head-to-head 3-1.  All too often, I underestimate Errani, but this time I am backing her tireless play to defeat Kirilenko.

Prediction - Errani to beat Kirilenko in 3 sets

3. Jelena Jankovic vs. Roberta Vinci

Jelena Jankovic kicked off her 2013 campaign with a straight sets win over Tamira Paszek, 6-2 7-6.  She now takes on Roberta Vinci, who impressively passed the challenge of Nadia Petrova, 7-5 7-5. Petrova served for both sets at 5-4, but was mentally out-of-sorts as she succumbed to defeat in two sets. Jankovic and Vinci last met in the Dallas final in 2011 where Vinci prevailed in blazing temperatures for a first ever career win over JJ.  It is likely to be another hot one in Sydney and I am backing Vinci to edge past Jankovic in a topsy-turvy match...

 

Prediction - Vinci to beat Jankovic in 3 sets

Best of the rest:

Agnieszka Radwanska to beat Kimiko Date-Krumm in 2 sets

Li Na to beat Ayumi Morita in 2 tight sets

Zheng Jie to beat Madison Keys in 3 sets

Dominika Cibulkova to beat Ekaterina Makarova in 2 sets

Angelique Kerber to beat Galina Voskoboeva in 2 sets

You can view my disasters in Sydney and my successes in Hobart ;-)