Hey guys and welcome to The Missed Smash,
Recap:
Can You believe that we are already 6 weeks into the new season? It's a strange notion that so soon after Serena's historic Australian open victory, the WTA is already back in full swing and heading toward the clay court season. Last week saw Andrea Petkovic, the resurgent and strong German, and Daniela Hantuchova, the slender yet talented Slovak, wrap up impressive tournament victories in Antwerp and Pattaya City respectively. Petkovic had a fantastic week and thoroughly deserved the final outcome, [even though she lost an exhibition to WTA legend and Antwerp tournament director: Kim Clijsters (due to finalist Carla Suarez-Navarro pulling out because of a neck injury before the final)]. She returns to the top 10 this week and her prospects for the rest of the season look great (if she can maintain her health.
Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships:
Heading into the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships both ladies could pose considerable threats to an extremely packed field. Dubai has been a consistent stop for a plethora of top ranked women over the years, but this year is extremely competitive with 7 of the worlds top 10 competing. A major inducing factor for these women is the 900 ranking points on offer this week as the WTA upgraded Dubai to a premier level 5 tournament, a prestigious honor that makes this one of the most important stops on the 2015 calendar. Headlining the field are Simona Halep, Petra Kvitova, Agnieszka Radwanska, and defending champion Venus Williams but several more women are out to stake their claim. The withdrawal of Serena Williams has undoubtedly left the top half of the draw wide open and should provide for some enthralling contests as talent clashes with talent, all hoping to get their chance at the coveted trophy.
The first day of the championships seemingly followed script, with the seeded players: Cornet [15], Pennetta [10], and Jankovic [15] all advancing to the second round with three sets wins. Other winners include: Pironkova, Diyas, Stosur, Kuznetsova, Bencic, Dellacqua, Lisicki, and Garcia. The most dangerous of the bunch may well be Caroline Garcia. The young French woman has had a strong start to the year and should be a stern test for 5th seed Aggie Radwanska in the second round. Look for an upset on day three in a popcorn match with Garcia progressing in a tight three set thriller. However, I am getting ahead of myself again. Lets have a look at the match ups for day two:
Matches to watch:
Elena Vesnina vs. Shuai Peng[16]- Vesnina possesses some of the characteristics that have taken many of her country women to Grand Slam glory. She has power, precision, and an annoying grunt to boot, yet she has not managed to break through on the WTA tour in a big way. Vesnina has not had the strongest start to the year but can never be counted out on a contest. Peng on the other hand is a girl with far fewer weapons than Vesnina. She is a crafty and very versatile player, who makes the most of what she has. Breaking through by reaching her first Slam Semi in New York last Summer, Peng has shown that she is not someone to take lightly on tour.
Prediction: Look for Peng to out think Vesnina and take this one in straight sets.
Karolina Pliskova[17] vs. Anastasia Payluchenkova- This match is a complete toss up in terms of quality, it could be a complete cracker or a complete dud--personally I'm hoping for the former. Pliskova has been going from strength to strength this year and has shown that she is a real threat to anyone on tour. With one of the most ferocious serves in the women's game, and some of the steadiest groundies, she could well be heading for the top 10 in the near future. Her opponent, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, possesses a game that is about as complicated as her last name. When she is on, she has some of the hardest and most accurate shots in the game; but when she is off, unforced errors will be dotted about like candy wrappers on halloween night. Pavlyuchenkova likes the indoor courts and should be able to force this to a third, but thats where her challenge should end.
Prediction: Pliskova in three sets.
Popcorn match of the day:
Vera Zvonareva vs. Camilla Giorgi- This match could, and should, have everything--huge attacking play, deft touch, and gallant defense from both players. Giorgi, while small in stature, possess some of the biggest strikes in the games and she has been on blistering form this year taking Venus Williams to a tough three sets at the Australian open, and playing Antwerp finalist Carla Suarez-Navarro tight before falling in three as well. Zvonareva is a veteran on tour and is undoubtedly one of the most talented players out on the courts. Her resume includes two Slam finals and numerous years lodged solidly in the top 10. Having suffered from injuries the past few years she has been grafting her way back into the higher ranks of the game and 2015 has shown strong signs of resurgence from the Russian. I fully expect Giorgi to start like a house on fire and rush out of the gates, using her huge shots to take the first set with relative ease. However, Zvonareva is renowned for her counterr-punching play and should be able to weather Giorgi's power and squeak the second set. Look for a high drama and nerve filled third with Zvonareva wearing Giorgi down.
Predition: Zvonareva in three.
Other predictions:
Heather Watson def Kateryna Kozlova (2 sets)
Daniela Hantuchova[WC] def Mona Barthel (3 sets)
Venus Williams[8] def Belinda Bencic (2 sets)
Garbine Muguruza def Jarmilla Gajdosova[Q] (3 sets)
Elina Svitolina def CoCo Vandeweghe (2 sets)
Lucie Safarova[11] def Monica Puig (2 sets)
Kurumi Nara def Qiang Wang[Q] (2 sets)
Gabriela Dabrowski[Q] def Cagla Buyukakcay[WC] (3 sets)
Barbora Zahlavova Strycova def Yulia Beygilzimer[Q] (3 sets)
Hopefully my predictions turn out better than Kevin's :)
I look forward to your comments and thoughts.
Jess
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