WTA Stanford: Preview and Predictions

Jamie Hampton

Stanford begins the hard court march to the US Open for the women with Agnieszka Radwanska and Sam Stosur heading up a depleted field.  A few weeks ago, the line-up boasted all of the Wimbledon semi-finalists, but one-by-one, Marion Bartoli, Sabine Lisicki and Kirsten Flipkens along with the highest ranked player to originially commit, Maria Sharapova have all pulled out of the tournament.  The draw doesn't envoke much excitement where the top 4 seeds all have byes into the second round.

Agnieszka Radwanska will begin her summer campaign on the hard courts against the winner of an intriguing first round match between Mallory Burdette and Francesca Schiavone.  Burdette made her first appearance on the WTA tour last year at Stanford and since turning pro after an excellent US Open, the American has gone from strength to strength.  Schiavone, who was rumoured to be retiring after the US Open, will be a tough opener, particularly as the Italian has been playing much better over the last two months. 

Jamie Hampton and Magdalena Rybarikova are projected to meet in the second quarter.  Rybarikova faces the rising American, Madison Keys in the first round.  Rybarikova thumped Keys on the grass courts of Birmingham, a place that Rybarikova always delivers her very best tennis.  I would fancy Keys to avenge that defeat though and make the quarter-finals in Stanford.  Another player who is making big inroads on the tour is Hampton, who has a good draw this week and could get another shot at Radwanska in the semi-finals, who she defeated in Eastbourne.

Sam Stosur

The third section of the draw is most open with a lot of players all quite evenly matched.  The number three seed, Dominika Cibulkova has been extremely quiet through the last couple of months and will be losing her finals points from Carlsbad soon.  Cibulkova will take on Ajla Tomljanovic or Stefanie Voegele in the first round.  The first rounders in this section are all tough to call; Urszula Radwanska up against Christina McHale and Yanina Wickmayer playing Daniela Hantuchova could both go either way.  I like Tomljanovic's chances this week, who had an excellent run on the hard courts of Miami earlier this year.

Sam Stosur is the number two seed and will play Julia Goerges or Olga Govortsova in the second round.  Stosur's 2013 has been nothing to write home about; she struggled with a calf injury through March and April, but looked fully recovered in Rome where she pushed Victoria Azarenka to 3 sets in their quarter-final.  Since then, her form has been solid yet unspectacular.  Sorana Cirstea is a projected quarter-final opponent although watch out for Ayumi Morita in round one, who has already beaten Cirstea this year.

1st Round Predictions: Schiavone to beat Burdette in 3 sets, Gibbs to beat Bertens in 2 tight sets, Keys to beat Rybarikova in 3 sets, McHale to beat U.Radwanska in 3 sets, Hantuchova to beat Wickmayer in 2 sets, Tomljanovic to beat Voegele in 2 sets, Morita to beat Cirstea in 3 sets and Goerges to beat Govortsova in 3 sets

Moo's Final Prediction: Radwanska d. Stosur

There is also a WTA tournament in Baku, Azerbaijan this week headlined by Bojana Jovanovski and Donna Vekic, which I will not have time to follow.  You can view my full predictions for Stanford HERE.