WTA Stanford Quarter-Final Predictions: It's a Radwanska Special

Today was a pretty shocking day of predictions as what had been a really solid week in Gstaad, went down the pan with Stanislas Wawrinka retiring to Feliciano Lopez and my semi-final tip, Marcel Granollers falling in a tight three setter to Robin Haase.  The big news yesterday was Victor Troicki, who strangely I had predicted to make the Umag final, being banned for 18 months after failing to give a blood sample in Monte-Carlo because he was feeling unwell.  You can read his response on his website here.  Troicki is set to appeal and I think there is a lot more to come out from this story.  Anyway, here goes with my predictions for the Stanford quarter-finals.

1. Agnieszka Radwanska v Varvara Lepchenko

Aga Radwanska

Six of the eight seeds have made the quarter-finals in Stanford, but I cannot help feeling underwhelmed by the line-up.  The match of the day graces the night schedule as Agnieszka Radwanska takes on Varvara Lepchenko.  Radwanska overcame Francesca Schiavone in her first match on Wednesday night, 6-4 6-3.  Lepchenko won both her matches this week in straight sets against Michelle Larcher de Brito and Tamira Paszek, but required numerous match points in both.  Lepchenko is a very good player, but there have been so many occasions where she cannot close out leads and / or loses concentration in epic proportions.  Radwanska leads the head-to-head with 3 wins to 0 and this should be a fourth...

Prediction - Radwanska to beat Lepchenko in 2 tight sets

2. Dominika Cibulkova v Urszula Radwanska

Ula Radwanska

There have been several occasions over the past couple of years where Dominika Cibulkova has really threatened to break through and become a legitimate threat on the WTA tour.  2013 though has been a really quiet year for the Slovak and since the final of Sydney where she was blown away by the sister of her opponent today in a double bagel rout, she has made just one quarter-final all year.  Yesterday, Cibulkova enjoyed a rare solid win over Stefanie Voegele, 7-5 7-6(5).  Urszula Radwanska is likely to offer up another tough match.  She beat Daniela Hantuchova in a very tight two setter on Thursday.  The head-to-head is even at 2-2 and Urszula won their most recent match in Oeiras, a predictably tight three setter.  So what to expect from this one? Lots of breaks, lots of changes in momentum and surely three sets.

Prediction - Cibulkova to beat U.Radwanska in 3 sets

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*To be posted later*

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Previews for Carlsbad and Washington DC coming your way on Sunday...