Don't worry ATP, I haven't forgotten about you. I was just watching some amazing WTA matches!
[12] Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs [3] Roger Federer
Tsonga already took out Mini-Fed in the second round. Can he take out the real thing? I don't think so. Federer is nearly unbeatable on grass. He's serving well and playing aggressively. I'll give it to him in 4 sets.
[4] Andy Murray vs Feliciano Lopez
Murray is playing excellent tennis here at Wimbledon, and he's only lost two lets on his way to the quarterfinals. He's known for his movement, and he can often chase down seemingly impossible to reach shots and hit winners off them.
Lopez has had one of the tournaments of his reaching his third quarterfinal at a major and at Wimbledon. He showed great fight when coming back from match point and two sets to love down to win his Round of 16 match against Kubot.
I think that Lopez has the ability to pull off the upset. His first serve is great, and his aggressive game suits the grass. He has a strong forehand and good netplay. However, I think that Murray will pull it out in four or five because of his consistency.
[10] Mardy Fish vs [1] Rafael Nadal
Mardy Fish played well against Berdych to make his first quarterfinal at a major since 2008. However, Nadal is a very different opponent than Berdych. For one, Nadal won't choke. Also, Nadal can track down many more balls than Berdych can. Fish had a great tournament here at Wimbledon, but it will be over in three sets.
Bernard Tomic vs [2] Novak Djokovic
Although I've heard a lot of hype about Tomic, I haven't actually seen him play yet. I know he beat Soderling, but I don't know how he did it. However, I do know that Djokovic was a semifinalist here last year where he lost to an inspired Berdych. With his improved serve and forehand, Djokovic has only lost a single match this year, and I have trouble seeing him go out to anyone but Federer or Nadal. Djokovic in three.
Showing posts with label Predictions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Predictions. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
Wimbledon Quarterfinal Predictions- Part I
[24] Dominika Cibulkova vs [5] Maria Sharapova
Cibulkova came back from a terrible first set against Wozniacki today to win in three- 1-6 7-6 (5) 7-5. She hits the ball quite hard. But so does Maria Sharapova who demolished Peng Shuai in straight sets 6-4 6-2 to advance to her first Wimbledon quarterfinal in five years. Although Cibulkova has gotten the better in their two most recent matches, the two have never played on grass where Sharapova is the superior player. Sharapova will advance in three well contested sets.
Sabine Lisicki vs [9] Marion Bartoli
This match is a tossup. I don't know who will win. Both hit the ball hard and have effective serves. I'll give it to Lisicki in three on the grounds that she can serve her way out of trouble more effectively than Bartoli can. However, if Pierce Brosnan shows up, Lisicki will lose in two sets.
Tamira Paszek vs [4] Victoria Azarenka
I should be honest. Until she defeated Francesca Schiavone in the third round, I had forgotten who Tamira Paszek was. I still haven't seen her play very much. But from what I have seen, I've noticed that she has improved her fitness and has solid strokes. Victoria Azarenka has blossomed this year winning two titles and rising to a career high rank of four. Known for her shrieking and her tendency to retire during matches, Azarenka will want to continue her success in 2011 by reaching her first major semifinal. She knows that this is as good an opportunity as any seeing as she faces an unseeded player who had never reached a quarterfinal of a major before.
[8] Petra Kvitova vs [32] Tsvetana Pironkova
Today, Tsvetana Pironkova proved two things to the world. She can play on grass, and she can beat Venus Williams. Her forehand has improved from last year, and her slice forehand stayed low and drew errors from Venus. Her backhand is quite solid, and her first serve was fast and well placed.
However, Kvitova played an amazing match as well demolishing the 19th seed Yanina Wickmayer 6-0 6-2. One stat about this match that really stood out was the percent of points that Kvitova won on her first serve- 94%. It's no wonder she didn't face a single break point during the match.
Kvitova can definitely overpower Pironkova. Kvitova serves better and hits harder off both wings. She is also no slouch at net. Because of her hard groundstrokes, she can often come into net to finish off points. However, if Pironkova can take Kvitova out of her groove by mixing things up with slices and moonballs, she might be able to pull off the upset. However the match lies on Kvitova's racket.
Now that Serena and Venus are out, Petra Kvitova must be regarded as one of the favorites to win the title. She will definitely be favored to win this match and get to the semifinals of Wimbledon for the second time in a row. I'll give Pironkova eight games max.
The Men's quarterfinal predictions will be coming soon.
Cibulkova came back from a terrible first set against Wozniacki today to win in three- 1-6 7-6 (5) 7-5. She hits the ball quite hard. But so does Maria Sharapova who demolished Peng Shuai in straight sets 6-4 6-2 to advance to her first Wimbledon quarterfinal in five years. Although Cibulkova has gotten the better in their two most recent matches, the two have never played on grass where Sharapova is the superior player. Sharapova will advance in three well contested sets.
Sabine Lisicki vs [9] Marion Bartoli
This match is a tossup. I don't know who will win. Both hit the ball hard and have effective serves. I'll give it to Lisicki in three on the grounds that she can serve her way out of trouble more effectively than Bartoli can. However, if Pierce Brosnan shows up, Lisicki will lose in two sets.
Tamira Paszek vs [4] Victoria Azarenka
I should be honest. Until she defeated Francesca Schiavone in the third round, I had forgotten who Tamira Paszek was. I still haven't seen her play very much. But from what I have seen, I've noticed that she has improved her fitness and has solid strokes. Victoria Azarenka has blossomed this year winning two titles and rising to a career high rank of four. Known for her shrieking and her tendency to retire during matches, Azarenka will want to continue her success in 2011 by reaching her first major semifinal. She knows that this is as good an opportunity as any seeing as she faces an unseeded player who had never reached a quarterfinal of a major before.
[8] Petra Kvitova vs [32] Tsvetana Pironkova
Today, Tsvetana Pironkova proved two things to the world. She can play on grass, and she can beat Venus Williams. Her forehand has improved from last year, and her slice forehand stayed low and drew errors from Venus. Her backhand is quite solid, and her first serve was fast and well placed.
However, Kvitova played an amazing match as well demolishing the 19th seed Yanina Wickmayer 6-0 6-2. One stat about this match that really stood out was the percent of points that Kvitova won on her first serve- 94%. It's no wonder she didn't face a single break point during the match.
Kvitova can definitely overpower Pironkova. Kvitova serves better and hits harder off both wings. She is also no slouch at net. Because of her hard groundstrokes, she can often come into net to finish off points. However, if Pironkova can take Kvitova out of her groove by mixing things up with slices and moonballs, she might be able to pull off the upset. However the match lies on Kvitova's racket.
Now that Serena and Venus are out, Petra Kvitova must be regarded as one of the favorites to win the title. She will definitely be favored to win this match and get to the semifinals of Wimbledon for the second time in a row. I'll give Pironkova eight games max.
The Men's quarterfinal predictions will be coming soon.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Wimbledon Day 7 Previews Part II- WTA
Shuai Peng [20] vs Maria Sharapova [5]
Maria Sharapova is the odds makers' favorite to win Wimbledon. She won her first title here in 2004. She leads Peng in their head to head 2:1. They have never played on grass.
Sharapova's tactics almost always involve two things. Creaming the ball and walloping the ball. She hits the ball as hard as she can on almost every shot. She has been serving relatively well so far with her first serve percentage hovering in the 60's. She has served a total of fourteen double faults so far which averages slightly more than four double faults every match. However, she still hasn't lost a set, so it doesn't seem like those double faults are hurting her much.
Peng has seen a significant increase in her rank from last year. She's reached her third fourth round in the past four grand slams (She was forced to retire against Francesca Schiavone in the third round of Roland Garros because she had the flu) and has reached a career high rank of 20. She hits flat off both sides and uses two hands on both wings. However, when she is stretched, she can hit a one-handed forehand. She isn't very good at net.
Although the last match they played was close, (2011 Indian Wells, 6-2 5-7 6-3) I can't see Peng beating Sharapova on grass. Sharapova has too many weapons and can move Peng around. Peng's effectiveness is reduced significantly when she is forced to use her one-handed forehand. The fast and low bouncing grass courts will hamper Peng's game, and Sharapova will advance to her first Wimbledon Quarterfinal since 2006.
Maria Sharapova is the odds makers' favorite to win Wimbledon. She won her first title here in 2004. She leads Peng in their head to head 2:1. They have never played on grass.
Sharapova's tactics almost always involve two things. Creaming the ball and walloping the ball. She hits the ball as hard as she can on almost every shot. She has been serving relatively well so far with her first serve percentage hovering in the 60's. She has served a total of fourteen double faults so far which averages slightly more than four double faults every match. However, she still hasn't lost a set, so it doesn't seem like those double faults are hurting her much.
Peng has seen a significant increase in her rank from last year. She's reached her third fourth round in the past four grand slams (She was forced to retire against Francesca Schiavone in the third round of Roland Garros because she had the flu) and has reached a career high rank of 20. She hits flat off both sides and uses two hands on both wings. However, when she is stretched, she can hit a one-handed forehand. She isn't very good at net.
Although the last match they played was close, (2011 Indian Wells, 6-2 5-7 6-3) I can't see Peng beating Sharapova on grass. Sharapova has too many weapons and can move Peng around. Peng's effectiveness is reduced significantly when she is forced to use her one-handed forehand. The fast and low bouncing grass courts will hamper Peng's game, and Sharapova will advance to her first Wimbledon Quarterfinal since 2006.
Wimbledon Day 7 Previews Part I- WTA
I wasn't able to watch Wimbledon today as I had a busy day, but since there are no match analyses, I'll do extra predictions.
Venus Williams [23] vs Tsvetana Pironkova [32]
Last year, in a shocking upset, the unseeded Pironkova beat the second seeded Venus in the Quarterfinals 6-2 6-3. She has a good serve and a good backhand. This year, her forehand seems a little stronger, but it still isn't a weapon by any means. She isn't terrible at net either.
The reason why she beat Venus last year was because Venus was a wreck. Venus had 7 more unforced errors than winners. She didn't capitalize on her amazing first serve; she won less than 60 percent of points where she got her first serve in. She also won only 53 percent of the points where she went up to net. However, this is a new year. Even though she hasn't played much, she showed great mental strength in her defeat of Date-Krumm and showed that she hasn't lost her game when she routed Martinez-Sanchez. I still think that she will get her revenge in two hard fought sets. However, I wouldn't be upset if I were wrong.
Marion Bartoli [9] vs Serena Williams [9]
Personally, I think that this match should also be on Center Court. It has much more potential than the Nadal Del-Potro match. Obviously Serena Williams is the favorite going into this match. However, she is struggling with her fitness. Although it wasn't as apparent in her match today with Kirilenko, she has been huffing and puffing her way through the first week. One person who gave Serena a lot of trouble was Rezai, an inconsistent but hard hitting player. Rezai, when she was on, was able to move Serena around the court. However, Rezai wasn't able to keep up the pressure and take advantage of Serena's lack of fitness.
However, Bartoli can definitely push Serena to the limit. She takes the ball early and hits it hard and flat off both sides. Because she hits with two hands off both sides, she can get great angles on her shots. Her game works well on grass; her 2007 run to the Wimbledon Final is evidence of that. I think that she can definitely take a set off of Serena. But I think that eventually, in spite of her fitness issues, Serena will come out on top.
Venus Williams [23] vs Tsvetana Pironkova [32]
Last year, in a shocking upset, the unseeded Pironkova beat the second seeded Venus in the Quarterfinals 6-2 6-3. She has a good serve and a good backhand. This year, her forehand seems a little stronger, but it still isn't a weapon by any means. She isn't terrible at net either.
The reason why she beat Venus last year was because Venus was a wreck. Venus had 7 more unforced errors than winners. She didn't capitalize on her amazing first serve; she won less than 60 percent of points where she got her first serve in. She also won only 53 percent of the points where she went up to net. However, this is a new year. Even though she hasn't played much, she showed great mental strength in her defeat of Date-Krumm and showed that she hasn't lost her game when she routed Martinez-Sanchez. I still think that she will get her revenge in two hard fought sets. However, I wouldn't be upset if I were wrong.
Marion Bartoli [9] vs Serena Williams [9]
Personally, I think that this match should also be on Center Court. It has much more potential than the Nadal Del-Potro match. Obviously Serena Williams is the favorite going into this match. However, she is struggling with her fitness. Although it wasn't as apparent in her match today with Kirilenko, she has been huffing and puffing her way through the first week. One person who gave Serena a lot of trouble was Rezai, an inconsistent but hard hitting player. Rezai, when she was on, was able to move Serena around the court. However, Rezai wasn't able to keep up the pressure and take advantage of Serena's lack of fitness.
However, Bartoli can definitely push Serena to the limit. She takes the ball early and hits it hard and flat off both sides. Because she hits with two hands off both sides, she can get great angles on her shots. Her game works well on grass; her 2007 run to the Wimbledon Final is evidence of that. I think that she can definitely take a set off of Serena. But I think that eventually, in spite of her fitness issues, Serena will come out on top.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Wimbledon Day 6 Previews
Caroline Wozniacki [1] vs Jarmila Gajdosova [27]
I'm not sure why they put this match on CC over the Serena-Kirilenko match, but I guess they think it has some potential. Caroline Wozniacki is the WTA number one, and she had a very convincing defeat over Virginie Razzano where she only committed one unforced error. However, during her first match against against Parra-Santonja, Wozniacki showed us why she doesn't play aggressive and come to net more. She can't. Her netplay is pretty awkward, and she can't volley for shit. However, her consistent high-percentage game will be more than enough to overcome Gajdosova, a player known for her power and her inconsistency.
I'm not sure why they put this match on CC over the Serena-Kirilenko match, but I guess they think it has some potential. Caroline Wozniacki is the WTA number one, and she had a very convincing defeat over Virginie Razzano where she only committed one unforced error. However, during her first match against against Parra-Santonja, Wozniacki showed us why she doesn't play aggressive and come to net more. She can't. Her netplay is pretty awkward, and she can't volley for shit. However, her consistent high-percentage game will be more than enough to overcome Gajdosova, a player known for her power and her inconsistency.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Wimbledon Day 5 Previews
Feliciano Lopez vs Andy Roddick [8]
Roddick will really need his serve to be on. He has been relying on it to get through matches. (But then again, why should we be surprised?) His backhand is still kind of crappy since he doesn't always make the best decisions with it. (Namely slicing when he's on the offensive)
Lopez is a lefty which means that his serve will be going to the Roddick backhand. He is also good at net. Like Roddick, he prefers his forehand to his backhand. He often slices his backhand, and even when he doesn't, it isn't that great.
Although I'd say that both have a chance at winning, Roddick will come out the victor in three or four sets.
Victoria Azarenka [4] vs Daniela Hantuchova [25]
The much awaited match between Azarenka and Hantuchova-both retired last week at Eastbourne, but I think that they both retired for preventative reasons and to get more rest.
It's definitely a winnable match for both women. They are both pretty good ballstrikers. I'm not really sure who will win though. It all depends on who shows up. If Hantuchova comes to Center Court tomorrow, then Azarenka will go on to the fourth round. However, if Danielle Anotoxfa comes to play, then I'd say Vika is doomed.
Tsevetana Pironkova [32] vs Vera Zvonareva [2]
This is a rematch of last year's semifinal where Zvonareva took the match 3-6 6-3 6-2. Both have good serves in terms of placement, and both have good backhands. However, Pironkova's forehand is quite weak. She hasn't been doing well this year, but she does tend to bring it all at Wimbledon. I'm going to go with Zvonareva on this one though.
Roddick will really need his serve to be on. He has been relying on it to get through matches. (But then again, why should we be surprised?) His backhand is still kind of crappy since he doesn't always make the best decisions with it. (Namely slicing when he's on the offensive)
Lopez is a lefty which means that his serve will be going to the Roddick backhand. He is also good at net. Like Roddick, he prefers his forehand to his backhand. He often slices his backhand, and even when he doesn't, it isn't that great.
Although I'd say that both have a chance at winning, Roddick will come out the victor in three or four sets.
Victoria Azarenka [4] vs Daniela Hantuchova [25]
The much awaited match between Azarenka and Hantuchova-both retired last week at Eastbourne, but I think that they both retired for preventative reasons and to get more rest.
It's definitely a winnable match for both women. They are both pretty good ballstrikers. I'm not really sure who will win though. It all depends on who shows up. If Hantuchova comes to Center Court tomorrow, then Azarenka will go on to the fourth round. However, if Danielle Anotoxfa comes to play, then I'd say Vika is doomed.
Tsevetana Pironkova [32] vs Vera Zvonareva [2]
This is a rematch of last year's semifinal where Zvonareva took the match 3-6 6-3 6-2. Both have good serves in terms of placement, and both have good backhands. However, Pironkova's forehand is quite weak. She hasn't been doing well this year, but she does tend to bring it all at Wimbledon. I'm going to go with Zvonareva on this one though.
Wimbledon Mens Predictions for the tournament
Because of the stability of the men's tour compared to the women's tour, it's not really as much fun making predictions since there aren't really as many upsets. However, so as not to appear sexist, I'll give you my predictions.
One of the top three men will win Wimbledon. Murray won't even make the final. Possible outside threats include Berdych and Soderling, but they have the luck of getting Nadal and Djokovic in the quarterfinals, so they're screwed.
One of the top three men will win Wimbledon. Murray won't even make the final. Possible outside threats include Berdych and Soderling, but they have the luck of getting Nadal and Djokovic in the quarterfinals, so they're screwed.
Wimbledon Womens Predictions for the tournament
Although Wimbledon is already well underway, I'm going to post my predictions for the WTA.
Quarterfinalists:
Wozniacki-Although she isn't the greatest player on grass (or at all, but that's for another post all together) she has a good draw with her two biggest threats coming in the fourth round with Cibulkova and Goerges, two women who hit the ball quite hard and have both beaten her this year.
Sharapova-Since the only threat that she has in her draw is Peng, she should get to the quarterfinals with ease.
Li-Although she has a tough second round match with Lisicki, she is still an amazing ball striker. However, Roland Garros champions tend not to fare well at Wimbledon a few weeks later.
Serena-Even though she's been out for eleven months, she is still Serena. She has a tough customer in Bartoli in the fourth round, but if she can shake the rust in her game, she should be fine.
Petkovic-I gotta be honest. I had Makarova getting to the quarters in this relatively weak eighth of the draw on the grounds that she won Eastbourne in 2010 and has a good game for grass. But she lost to McHale in the first round, so I'm going with Andrea Petkovic who has been in the quarterfinals of both majors this year.
Azarenka-Azarenka has a good shot at reaching the quarterfinals in a major if she can stay healthy. The one person who can stop her is Daniella Hantuchova, otherwise known as Danielle Anotoxfa. She got to the finals of Birmingham defeating Ana Ivanovic and Venus Williams before losing to Sabine Lisicki. If she doesn't choke, she can definitely beat Azarenka in the third round.
Kvitova-Kvitova is a great player who hits the ball very hard and very deep. She got to the semifinals of Wimbledon last year before falling to Serena. There isn't really anyone who can beat her in this eighth than herself.
Zvonareva-This final eighth of the draw is probably one of the strongest with Venus Williams, Vera Zvonareva and Tsvetana Pironkova. Interesting matches will be a rematch of last year's Wimbledon semifinal coming in the third round and a match between the winner of that one and Venus Williams. I'd say that Zvonareva has the edge to get to the quarters on the grounds of Venus's lack of match play.
Semifinalists:
Sharapova-If she can minimize her double faults and her unforced errors, she'll be a force to be reckoned with. She has defeated Wozniacki in the past, and on grass, she'll have an even bigger advantage.
Serena-This was a really tough one to predict, but I think that Serena will have shaken off her rust by the quarterfinals and will prove to be too tough a challenge for Li. However, I think that the winner of this match has a great shot at winning the whole thing.
Azarenka-If she can get past her third round match against Hantuchova, she has a great shot at reaching her maiden semifinal.
Kvitova-She is such a great ballstriker that whoever she faces will have quite a lot of trouble dealing with her.
Finalists:
Serena-It's Serena... on grass... She has such mental toughness and can even overpower Sharapova. She beat her last year at Wimbledon as well.
Kvitova-She can beat anyone in the third quarter of the draw with ease.
Winner:
Serena-Although Kvitova can definitely challenge Serena in almost every aspect of her game, Serena is a 13 time grand slam champion and knows how deal with that pressure. However, as seen in last year's semifinal, Kvitova can put pressure on Serena, and if she can deal with the pressure, she might be the next winner of the Venus Rosewater Dish.
Quarterfinalists:
Wozniacki-Although she isn't the greatest player on grass (or at all, but that's for another post all together) she has a good draw with her two biggest threats coming in the fourth round with Cibulkova and Goerges, two women who hit the ball quite hard and have both beaten her this year.
Sharapova-Since the only threat that she has in her draw is Peng, she should get to the quarterfinals with ease.
Li-Although she has a tough second round match with Lisicki, she is still an amazing ball striker. However, Roland Garros champions tend not to fare well at Wimbledon a few weeks later.
Serena-Even though she's been out for eleven months, she is still Serena. She has a tough customer in Bartoli in the fourth round, but if she can shake the rust in her game, she should be fine.
Petkovic-I gotta be honest. I had Makarova getting to the quarters in this relatively weak eighth of the draw on the grounds that she won Eastbourne in 2010 and has a good game for grass. But she lost to McHale in the first round, so I'm going with Andrea Petkovic who has been in the quarterfinals of both majors this year.
Azarenka-Azarenka has a good shot at reaching the quarterfinals in a major if she can stay healthy. The one person who can stop her is Daniella Hantuchova, otherwise known as Danielle Anotoxfa. She got to the finals of Birmingham defeating Ana Ivanovic and Venus Williams before losing to Sabine Lisicki. If she doesn't choke, she can definitely beat Azarenka in the third round.
Kvitova-Kvitova is a great player who hits the ball very hard and very deep. She got to the semifinals of Wimbledon last year before falling to Serena. There isn't really anyone who can beat her in this eighth than herself.
Zvonareva-This final eighth of the draw is probably one of the strongest with Venus Williams, Vera Zvonareva and Tsvetana Pironkova. Interesting matches will be a rematch of last year's Wimbledon semifinal coming in the third round and a match between the winner of that one and Venus Williams. I'd say that Zvonareva has the edge to get to the quarters on the grounds of Venus's lack of match play.
Semifinalists:
Sharapova-If she can minimize her double faults and her unforced errors, she'll be a force to be reckoned with. She has defeated Wozniacki in the past, and on grass, she'll have an even bigger advantage.
Serena-This was a really tough one to predict, but I think that Serena will have shaken off her rust by the quarterfinals and will prove to be too tough a challenge for Li. However, I think that the winner of this match has a great shot at winning the whole thing.
Azarenka-If she can get past her third round match against Hantuchova, she has a great shot at reaching her maiden semifinal.
Kvitova-She is such a great ballstriker that whoever she faces will have quite a lot of trouble dealing with her.
Finalists:
Serena-It's Serena... on grass... She has such mental toughness and can even overpower Sharapova. She beat her last year at Wimbledon as well.
Kvitova-She can beat anyone in the third quarter of the draw with ease.
Winner:
Serena-Although Kvitova can definitely challenge Serena in almost every aspect of her game, Serena is a 13 time grand slam champion and knows how deal with that pressure. However, as seen in last year's semifinal, Kvitova can put pressure on Serena, and if she can deal with the pressure, she might be the next winner of the Venus Rosewater Dish.
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