Monday, February 16, 2015

Getting down and dirty in Dubai 2nd round

Recap of day 2

Day 2 drew to a close at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships but not without its fair share of drama. The day saw the completion of the first round and the first of the second round matches began.  Several seeds were in action, with all of them safely passing through unscathed. The biggest storyline of day 2 undoubtedly belonged to 34 years old Venus Williams. Venus has been on a major upswing this year and her momentum looked to continue as she crushed young Belinda Bencic, cruising into round three, and racking up her 16th win on the trot in Dubai. However, first up on court, was the talented youngster; Garbine Muguruza. The spaniard took on the hard hitting Australian; Jarmilla Gajdasova. This match was an exceptionally hard hitting affair with the Spaniard moving through in three sets. Following Muguruza into the second round were: [16] Peng, [Q] Kozlova, [W] Buyukakcay, [Q] Wang, [11] Safarova, [17] Pliskova, Zahlavova Strycova, Giorgi, and Svitolina. Ultimately though, the match of the day belonged to newly crowned Pattaya city Champ: Daniela Hantuchova, who came directly from the airport to her match and beat a slightly jaded Mona Barthel in a thrilling three sets.

Day three

If tennis enthusiasts were ever to be excited about a day of second and third round matches, day 3 in Dubai is certainly that day. The line up is a cracker jack of talent and many of the matches pair players usually accustomed to playing in the latter rounds of tournaments. People lucky enough to be at the venue and watching will surely be treated to what can only be called a spectacle tomorrow.

Here are some of the standout matches from the schedule:

Matches to watch

Agnieszka Radwanska [5] vs. Caroline Garcia- ***UPSET ALERT*** Yesterday I boldly declared that Caroline Garcia would defeat Aga, and today I stand by that prediction. Aga has been struggling with her form for much of the year, losing to players she would usually beat handily. Just when we though she had found some amazing form and was cleverly maneuvering through the draw at the Australian open (handing out 3 bagels en-route to the fourth round), she ran into a red hot Venus Williams and fell in three sets. However, even with all that, I would usually pick Aga against an inexperienced up-and-comer such as Garcia. Garcia though, is on a trip, and that trip looks to be heading directly up the rankings. She has been hitting the ball with venom, moving well, and serving fabulously. Last year she upset Aga in Wuhan in a hard fought three set match. If Garcia can keep up her concentration and continue to hit out without letting Aga's finesse and court smarts bother her, she should be able to hand the Pole an early exit from Dubai.
Prediction: Caroline Garcia in three sets.

Caroline Wozniacki [3] vs Samantha Stosur- This is certainly a match that intrigues me for many reasons. If you ask Kevin, he will be the first to tell you that I am not a huge fan Caroline's game. I find her to be too passive and too reliant on her movement. Stosur on the other hand has extreme weapons in the form of her forehand and serve, but she seems to lack the killer instinct required to be consistently in the winner's circle. Watching these two in their matches is certainly a something to behold. At times both seem to move each other around effortlessly, and yet both seem to manage to flounder at other times. This match will undoubtedly be decided by the will to win, which ever player manages to produce their best tennis at the crucial times. Should Sam manage to serve big and use her forehand a majority of the time, she should be able to over power the weaker Wozniacki game. However, Wozniacki is in great form (having reached her second slam final in New York last year) and she should be able to get the ball to Sam's backhand enough to force the errors.
Prediction: Caroline Wozniacki in two tight sets.

Svetlana Kuznetsova vs Angelique Kerber [7]- This match is a classic incarnation of the proverb: "when an irresistible force meets an immovable object." Svetlana is possibly one of the most talented players to have graced the WTA tour. She has massive weapons off of both wings, has an above average serve, moves exceptionally well, glides up to the net, and has the hands of a magician when up there. She has two slams to her name, multiple weeks in the top 10, and several top scalps. When on, she is simply undeniable. Unfortunately, her "on" days have seemingly been few and far between this year. If Kuznetsova is the epitome of the irresistible force, Angelique is quite simply an immovable object. She has an understanding on the game similar to that of the Swiss Miss, Martina Hingis, moves with determined agility around the court, has an uncanny knack for anticipation, and can redirect the ball, turning defense into attack in the blink of an eye. When she is full of confidence and willing to use the lines to her advantage, she takes time and energy from her opponent, making it very difficult for anyone to gain rhythm, momentum, or confidence. Kerber has had a disappointing start to 2015 and if that form continues Kuznetsova will progress. However, it seems inevitable that Kerber will find her confidence at some point this year, and I think that point will be Dubai.
Prediction: Angelique Kerber in two sets.

Popcorn Match

Sabine Lisicki vs. Ana Ivanovic[4]- Two of the biggest hitters the women's game has ever seen come together in this mammoth 2nd round match. Ana had been in red hot form coming into the 2015 season, reaching the final in Brisbane and pushing Maria Sharapova all the way before falling in a tight third. She possesses one of the biggest forehands around and can hit just about anyone off the court when she is firing on all cylinders. Unfortunately, Ana has two major weaknesses in her game: 1. She has a failing mind- she gets down on herself easily and when she does, there just isn't a way back for her, and 2. her serve deserts her in times of need- it could be described as a classic case of the yips, and it does nothing to help her in her quest for glory. Sabine is in possession of one of the greatest weapons a female tennis player can ever wish for: a huger than huge serve. She backs up this weapon with massive groundies and deft touch. Sabine's main weakness is her mind. She has shown she can play at the top of the game (remember that every time she sets foot on the famed grasses of Wimbledon-her game turns to gold) but the sad fact is she just can't replicate that game in other atmospheres! This should be a highly electrifying match with winners flying from both sides. Look for massive winners, massive errors, and a massive struggle.
Prediction: Ana Ivanovic in three grueling sets.

Other predictions for day 3

Kvitova [2] def Svitolina (2 sets)
Halep [1] def Hantuchova (2 sets)
Muguruza def Jankovic [12] (3 sets)
Petkovic [9] def Diyas (2 sets)
Pennetta [10] def Wang (2 sets)
Giorgi def Suarez Navarro [13] (3 sets)
Safarova [11] def  Dellacqua (3 sets)
Makarova [6] def Kozlova (2 sets)
Cornet [15] def Buyukakcay (2 sets)
Pliskova def Zahlavova Strycova (3 sets)
Peng def Pironkova (2 sets)


Thanks for your interest, make sure you post your comments below.

-Jess

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