WTA Rome: 3rd Round Predictions

Li Na

Victoria Azarenka (1) v Dominika Cibulkova (14)
Azarenka has now withdrawn from Rome citing a shoulder injury.

Chanelle Scheepers  v Li Na (8)

Scheepers progressed to the 3rd round with a victory over Marina Erakovic, who had previously taken out Sabine Lisicki in a lengthy three set encounter in round one.  Li beat Iveta Benesova in the second round with a solid 6-1 7-5 victory.  Li has slowly been playing her way into better form, which is ideal with Roland Garros on the horizon and 2000 ranking points to defend.  Li has won her two previous encounters with Scheepers; the most recent of those came in Sydney earlier this year where the Chinese player recovered from the loss of the first set to progress in three.  I cannot see Scheepers having the resources on clay to stop Li in this one...

Prediction - Li to beat Scheepers in 2 sets

Flavia Pennetta v Petra Cetkovska

The home crowd, which has been in full voice this week will be sure to be supporting Pennetta in this unseeded third round match.  Pennetta who is making her first appearance on tour since early April, comfortably beat Sloane Stephens, 6-2 6-3 in the second round.  She will play Cetkovska who provided the upset of the tournament so far as she defeated the new world number 3, Agnieszka Radwanska, 6-4 4-6 6-1.  Remarkably it is her fourth straight win over Radwanska and the first time the Pole has been beaten by anyone other than Azarenka in 2012.  I think this will be a tight match, but I see Cetkovska continuing her impressive recent form...

Prediction - Cetkovska to beat Pennetta in 3 sets

Serena Williams (9) v Anabel Medina Garrigues

Serena was forced to play her second round match with Nadia Petrova just 15 hours after completing a first round win over Galina Voskoboeva.  It was not a routine performance for Serena as she recovered from losing the first set to beat Nadia Petrova, 4-6 6-2 6-3.  Petrova is always a difficult opponent, but her mental lapses have become even more alarming in the last year so for her to pull off a victory here would have been a big shock.  Medina Garrigues made the third round after she benefited from a withdrawal from the former world number one, Caroline Wozniacki when she was leading 6-4 4-0.  Medina Garrigues is extremely crafty on the clay but I think if Serena is in the mood, she can hit through the Spaniard.

Prediction - Serena to beat Medina Garrigues in 2 sets

Julia Goerges v Angelique Kerber (12)

Goerges upset Marion Bartoli in the second round to book an all-German third round clash with Kerber.  Goerges has been handed some tricky draws in recent weeks, which has seen her drop down to number 29 in the world; however she was in fine form to dispatch Bartoli, 6-3 6-1.  Kerber struggled in her opening round, but was far better in beating Vania King, 6-3 6-2 as she was not broken throughout the entire match.  Kerber and Goerges are tied at 1-1 in their head-to-head with Kerber winning their most recent match in Auckland this year, 6-2 6-3.  I think Goerges will make more of an impact in this match, but I still see Kerber edging this one...

Prediction - Kerber to beat Goerges in 3 sets

Petra Kvitova (5) v Sorana Cirstea

Sam Stosur

Kvitova progressed in to the third round with a tight two set win over the slowly improving, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.  She plays the unseeded Cirstea, who has started to make an impact once again in 2012.  She beat Jelena Jankovic in a tense three setter on Monday and backed it up with a very convincing 6-3 6-1 win over Sofia Arvidsson.  Cirstea did win their previous match back in 2010 at Copenhagen and Kvitova's form of late has been less than convincing.  However I think she is mentally stronger than the Romanian and will be able to tough this one out to make the quarter-finals.

Prediction - Kvitova to beat Cirstea in 2 tight sets

Sam Stosur (4) v Venus Williams

Stosur has been handed a tricky draw in Rome but began well with a win over the Italian, Sara Errani.  She was made to work hard for the win as she came back from 4-1 down in the second set to record a 6-3 7-5 victory.  Venus Williams won a hard fought opening set before cruising to an impressive victory over Ekaterina Makarova, 7-6 6-1.  Venus has always held an edge over Stosur in their head-to-heads although the Aussie won their last encounter back in Charleston in a tight three set match.  I really fancy Stosur to do well in Rome having predicted her to win the title at the start of the week so I think she will get past Venus once more...
Prediction - Stosur to beat Venus in 2 tight sets

Ana Ivanovic (13) v Maria Sharapova (2)

One of the stand-out third round matches will see Ivanovic take on Sharapova.  The Serb cruised into the third round with a 6-2 6-1 victory over Silvia Soler Espinosa.  Sharapova did not look at her best on Tuesday, but showed her mental strength to edge Christina McHale in a tight two-setter, 7-5 7-5.  Ivanovic and Sharapova last played in the semi-finals of Indian Wells where Ivanovic had to pull out with an injury in the second set.  The match was shaping up nicely so I think this will be an entertaining encounter.  I fancy Ivanovic to get a set off the Russian, but Sharapova to eventually prevail...

Prediction - Sharapova to beat Ivanovic in 3 sets

You can follow my predictions for both the WTA and ATP draws in Rome.  I am doing particularly well in the men's tournament this week correctly predicting 12 out of the 14 players into the third round so far :-)



Highlights from Pavlyuchenkova/Kvitova, Sharapova/McHale, Venus/Halep, Errani/Bacsinszky and Serena/Voskoboeva

Ivanovic beats Kuznetsova, Schiavone out in Rome

Ana Ivanovic

Ana Ivanovic overcame a potentially sticky opener as she beat Svetlana Kuznetsova, 6-4 6-3 in the stand-out first round match in Rome.  Ivanovic had lost to the Russian in Fed Cup action several weeks ago, but she produced a fine performance to make it into the second round.  Francesca Schiavone was the only seed to fall on day one as she was beaten by Ekaterina Makarova, 6-3 6-4.  Schiavone's form has dipped significantly over 2012 and a return to her beloved red clay has been unable to reverse her fortunes.  I would not be surprised to hear news of a retirement very soon...

In other matches, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova had one of her best wins in 2012 with a 6-2 6-4 victory over Ksenia Pervak.  Pavluychenkova lost to the Kazakh world number 38 in Doha earlier this year, but she has started to piece things together on her favourite surface.  She will now play Petra Kvitova in an interesting second round match.  All four of their previous encounters have gone to three sets and I think Kvitova will have her work cut out to get past Pavlyuchenkova.  

The German duo of Angelique Kerber and Julia Goerges also won through but both were made to work hard for a place in the second round.  Goerges overcame a second set wobble to defeat Aleksandra Wozniak, 6-1 6-7 6-3, meanwhile Kerber displayed a typically gritty performance to get past Anastasia Rodionova, 4-6 7-5 6-2 in a shocking match!

I have finally managed to get my pages working so you can keep track of how my predictions are doing in the WTA and ATP tournaments in Rome.  The coverage on Sky Sports and Eurosport is excellent so i'm hoping to catch some of the evening action throughout the course of this week :-)

WTA Rome: Preview and Predictions

PROJECTED FIRST QUARTER - Victoria Azarenka (1) v Li Na (8)

Victoria Azarenka will play her opening match in Rome against the winner of the first round match between Peng Shuai and Shahar Peer.  Azarenka has not played as well in Stuttgart and Madrid as she did in Australia and Indian Wells, but has remained very consistent and mentally strong to pull out a number of three set wins.  She did however suffer a disappointing defeat to Serena in the Madrid final.  

Azarenka is projected to play Li Na in the quarter-finals, who she beat in the Madrid quarter-finals, impressively fighting back from the loss of the first set.  Li has quite a difficult draw but she showed in Madrid that she is slowly creeping back into good form.  She will play either Yanina Wickmayer or Iveta Benesova in the second round, the former having a 2-0 head-to-head record over Li.  Sabine Lisicki, who is returning from from an ankle injury this week, could face off against Li in the third round.

My QF Prediction - Azarenka v Li

Highlight 1st round matches - Peer v Peng, Wickmayer v Benesova 

Li Na

PROJECTED SECOND QUARTER - Agnieszka Radwanska (3) v Caroline Wozniacki (6)

I have previously stated that Agnieszka Radwanska has had some "lightweight" draws in 2012 but this time round in Rome, the drawmakers have not been so kind.  In the second round, she will play Petra Cetkovska or Olga Govortsova.  Cetkovska has won her last two matches with Radwanska including an astonishing come-from-behind victory at Wimbledon last year; however I think the Pole will gain revenge this week.

Caroline Wozniacki is Radwanska's projected quarter-final opponent, but the Dane will have to get past Serena Williams to make it.  I think Serena will take out Wozniacki butI do not see her winning Rome having gone all the way in Madrid to the final.  I remember last year when she took the title in Toronto, but after winning her first match in Cincinnati the next week she pulled out of the tournament.  I think Serena will want some matches on the red clay, but winning the tournament will not be as important...

My QF Prediction - Radwanska v S. Williams

Highlight 1st round matches - Pennetta v Kirilenko, Medina Garrigues v Zheng, Chakvetadze v Stephens

Serena Williams

PROJECTED THIRD QUARTER - Marion Bartoli (7) v Petra Kvitova (4)

Marion Bartoli has had a week off after being dispatched in the first main draw match on the blue clay last Saturday against Sorana Cirstea.  She faces an uphill task in Rome as she will play Aleksandra Wozniak or Julia Goerges in the second round.  Bartoli beat Goerges at Roland Garros last year, but I think the German player will be hungry for success on the clay this week after some tough draws and a huge loss of ranking points in recent weeks.  Angelique Kerber, who is a potential third round opponent for Bartoli/Goerges, opens up against Anastasia Rodionova and looks a relatively safe bet to go far in the draw...

Petra Kvitova is Bartoli's projected quarter-final opponent and will look to put a disappointing early exit in Madrid behind her.  She plays either Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova or Ksenia Pervak in the second round before a potential clash with Jelena Jankovic in the third round.  It is worth noting Jankovic has a tricky opener against Sorana Cirstea, who defeated her in a classic three-set match from Roland Garros in 2009.

My QF Prediction - Kerber v Kvitova

Highlight 1st round matches - Jankovic/Cirstea, Pavlyuchenkova/Pervak, Arvidsson/Martinez Sanchez 

Julia Goerges

PROJECTED FOURTH QUARTER - Sam Stosur (5) v Maria Sharapova (2)

The final section could see a rematch between Stosur and Sharapova, who produced one of 2012's finest matches in Stuttgart last month.  Sam Stosur could have her hands full with a number of Italians; she is projected to meet the in-form Sara Errani in the second round before another rematch with Francesca Schiavone in the third round.  Schiavone has a massive few weeks ahead off her and needs to pick up her form or she will face a severe drop in the rankings.  She will play Ekaterina Makarova under the lights in the first round and could then meet Venus Williams in the second round.  Williams will play Simona Halep in round one for the second time in a week after surviving a tight three set encounter in Madrid.   

Maria Sharapova suffered a disappointing defeat at the hands of Serena Williams in Madrid, but will be glad to have avoided the American in her section of the draw.  She will play Christina McHale or Monica Niculescu in the second round before most likely playing the winner of the star-studded first rounder between Ana Ivanovic and Svetlana Kuznetsova.

My QF Prediction - Stosur v Sharapova

Highlight 1st round matches - Williams/Halep, Makarova/Schiavone, Ivanovic/Kuznetsova

Francesca Schiavone

Final Prediction: Stosur d. Li

Stosur was very solid last week on a surface she clearly stated that she disliked.  She loves the red clay and particularly in Rome and if she can get past Sharapova in the quarter-finals, I think she will win the title here.  Li has been improving week-on-week and like Stosur, has a potentially pivotal quarter-final match against Azarenka in the quarter-finals.  She showed in their Madrid match that when on her game, she can outhit Azarenka but the consistency is still sometimes lacking from Li... I think that will change in Rome.

You can view my full WTA predictions and ATP predictions for Rome.  Unfortunately I have not had time to do a full preview for the men's tournament, which began this morning with wins for Juan Carlos Ferrero, Viktor Troicki and Mikhail Youzhny.  I will keep up to date with both tournaments over the next week so stay tuned!