Dubai R3

R2 Recap:

Yesterday saw a sprinkling of upsets but the majority of the matches were far less surprising. Pironkova upset Peng in a third set tie break [doesn't she realize she is not on grass?] while Diyas defeated a worn down Petkovic in straight sets. If anything, what I found most shocking was what little resistance some players put up. Lisicki managed to take only 3 games off of Ivanovic [apparently she isn't drinking the same thing that Pironkova is], an in form Hantuchova took only 2 games off Halep, the seeded Jankovic took only 4 games off Muguruza, and Giorgi managed only 7 games against a recovering Suarez Navarro.  All that being said, with so many of the seeds prevailing there are some exciting 3R match ups happening tomorrow. Here is a look at my predictions.

Matches to Watch:

Radwanska [5] v. Muguruza
While Radwanska leads their head-to-head 2-1, the win by Muguruza came earlier this year in Sydney. Radwanska spent 1 hour and 55 minutes on court in her last round, meanwhile Muguruza was on court for only 1 hour and 1 minute. While Radwanska can beat the consistent power players like Sharapova, Kvitova, and Serena she has only done it on 4 out of 29 occasions. I think that Muguruza is shaping up to be one of the next great power players and has the ability to consistently hit through Radwanska
Prediction: Muguruza in three sets

Kerber [7] v. Pennetta [10]
Pennetta leads their head-to-head 3-2 and leads their hard court head-to-head 2-1. While Kerber's performance as of late has not been at the same level as she has shown in the past several years, she showed good grit and fight in her win against Kuznetsova and maintains a positive 7-5 year-to-date win/loss record. Meanwhile, Pennetta has managed to put together her first two wins of the year in making it to the third round. This will really be a battle of grit, determination, and court smart from two players who are not playing their best but have an opportunity by facing another unconfident opponent.
Prediction: Kerber in three sets

Kvitova [2] v. Suarez Navarro [13]
The only reason I put this match in the matches to watch is because Suarez Navarro defeated Kvitova here in the first round last year. Kvitova leads their head-to-head 5-2 and wants revenge from the loss here last year. While Suarez Navarro has put together an impressive 8-4 record on the year, Kvitova is working with an even more impressive 10-2 record on the year. I mentioned in my post about Kvitova v. Svitolina that I think Kvitova has been working on bringing a plan B to the court when her A game is not working. She reverted to her Plan B yesterday in her Match against Svitolina to give her the win and I think she will be able to do the same thing, but I think that when Kvitova is ready and really wants it her A game will be on. Like I said, she wants revenge and I think she will be ready.
Prediction: Kvitova in straights


Popcorn Match:

Pliskova [17] v. Ivanovic [4]
Trying to pick the match that I wanted to watch the most today was really difficult; however, after some deliberation I decided that it would have to be the match that pairs off two players who are relatively similar in their approach. Both have big serves, big forehands, and have improved their movement in the past year. Believe it or not, their head-to-head favors Pliskova 1-0. Pliskova won that match in straight sets and only faced four break points in the whole match. Meanwhile, Ivanovic faced 13 break points. All that being said, Ivanovic kept it close by saving all but 5 of those break points [62%] while converting 3 of those 4 break points [75%]. Last year, Pliskova served the second most aces on the WTA, but in their previous match Ivanovic out aced Pliskova 8 to 7, but she had nearly double the number of double faults 7 to 3. Pliskova has a year-to-date tour leading 14 wins to only 4 losses while Ivanovic is 4-2. What I think defines this match is the dynamic between the players. While Ivanovic has a great serve, it can also be a trouble for her and that weakness comes out when she has difficulty returning her opponents serve resulting in pressure on her own serve. On the other hand, Ivanovic may come out with a new game plan and seeking revenge.
Prediction: Pliskova in straight sets.


Other Predictions:
Venus defeats Safarova in straight sets
Halep defeats Pironkova in straight sets
Wozniacki defeats Cornet in straight sets
Makarova defeats Diyas in straight sets