WTA Sydney: Final Prediction

Agnieszka Radwanska

Agnieszka Radwanska v Dominika Cibulkova (Sydney Final)

Agnieszka Radwanska won her 9th match of the year against an error-strewn Li Na, 6-3 6-4 to progress to the Sydney final where she will be the favourite to win her second title of the year.  Dominika Cibulkova claimed her third top 10 scalp of this week with a 6-2 4-6 6-3 semi-final victory over Angelique Kerber. Radwanska leads the head-to-head 3-0, but their last match was all the way back in 2008 so I do not think much can be read into that.  Despite Cibulkova raising her game for the first time in memory since her title run in Carlsbad last July, I fully expect Radwanska to prevail...

Prediction - Radwanska to beat Cibulkova in 2 tight sets

Kirsten Flipkens v Mona Barthel (Hobart semi-final)

I have had a great week of predicting in Hobart where I correctly predicted all 4 semi-finalists.  In the first semi-final, the defending champion Mona Barthel will take on Kirsten Flipkens.  Both players have been playing very well so far in 2013; Barthel lost the opening set of her tournament to Ashleigh Barty, but has since sailed through as she beat Tsvetana Pironkova in the quarter-finals.  Flipkens has shown how match tough she is at the moment with excellent three set wins over Francesca Schiavone (in round one) and Monica Niculescu (in the quarter-finals).  Flipkens won her only previous match with Barthel last year and based on the way she has finished her matches off this week, I give her the edge in a tight semi-final.

Prediction - Flipkens to beat Barthel in 3 sets

Sloane Stephens v Elena Vesnina (Hobart semi-final)

Sloane Stephens continued her excellent start to 2013, but with one of her poorer performances to beat fellow American Lauren Davis, 6-3 4-6 7-5.  Stephens now takes on Elena Vesnina, who overcame Jarmila Gajdosova in the quarter-finals and defeated Yaroslava Shvedova for the second time this year in the second round.  Both players have solid games off the ground so it is likely to come down to who serves the better.  I think Sloane is destined for the final...

Prediction - Stephens to beat Vesnina in 2 tight sets

ATP Sydney Predictions:

Kevin Anderson to beat Julien Benneteau in 2 sets

Bernard Tomic to beat Andreas Seppi in 3 sets

ATP Auckland Predictions:

David Ferrer to beat Gael Monfils in 3 sets

Sam Querrey to beat Philipp Kohlschreiber in 3 sets

The Australian Open draw comes out tonight at 11pm UK time.  I shall be staying up for it! The big questions will be... does Serena get Vika or Sharapova in her half and will Murray get Djokovic or Federer in his half? Full previews to be published at the weekend...