Week of Mar 02, 2009

Looking forward: WTA Monterrey and ITF $25,000 Fort Walton Beach

Monterrey:

(1)Agnieszka Radawnska (POL) vs. Na Li (CHN)
Jarmila Groth (SVK) vs. Petra Cetkovska (CZE)
(wc)Melissa Torres Sandoval (MEX) vs. Lucie Safarova (CZE)
(8)Maria Kirilenko (RUS) vs. Marina Erakovic (NZL)

(3)Flavia Pennetta (ITA) vs. Jill Craybas (USA)
Anna-Lena Groenefeld (GER) vs. Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE)
Roberta Vinci (ITA) vs. Q/LL
(6)Iveta Benesova (CZE) vs. Shahar Peer (ISR)

(7)Gisela Dulko (ARG) vs. Nathalie Dechy (FRA)
Mariya Koryttseva UKR) vs. Q/LL
Melinda Czink (HUN) vs. Alla Kudryavtseva (RUS)
(4)Jie Zheng (CHN) vs. (wc)Urszula Radwanska (POL)

(5)Agnes Szavay (HUN) vs. Pauline Parmentier (FRA)
Klara Zakopalova (CZE) vs. Q/LL
(wc)Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) vs. Edina Gallovits (ROU)
(2)Marion Bartoli (FRA) vs. Q/LL

Seems to be a fairly balanced draw. A couple of potentially interesting R1 matchups, namely Radwanska-Li and Radwanska-Zheng. The elder Radwanska has been ill the past couple of weeks and played far from her best but she should be healthy by now. Still, Li is one of the most dangerous players in the world and always seems to do well against higher-ranked opponents. Urszula Radwanska is one of the rising stars of the WTA Tour, with a ranking just outside the Top100. She actually beat her sister in Dubai a couple of weeks ago but is a very inconsistent player. Zheng has a very solid baseline game, so I expect her to come through that one comfortably.

One player to watch out for in this draw is Lucie Safarova. She has been handed a very kind draw and has played very well on hardcourts this year. She has had trouble maintaining her focus in matches against Azarenka (Brisbane) and Bartoli (Australian Open) that would have significantly changed her year thus far.

Prediction: (2)Marion Bartoli (FRA) d. Lucie Safarova (CZE)



$25K Fort Walton Beach:

(1)Patricia Mayr (AUT) vs. Q/LL
Q/LL vs. Q/LL
Tatiana Poutchek (BLR) vs. Q/LL
(6)Aiko Nakamura (JPN) vs. Q/LL

(4)Varvara Lepchenko (USA) vs. Q/LL
Tomoko Yonemura (JPN) vs. Q/LL
Georgie Stoop (GBR) vs. (wc)Lauren Embree (USA)
(7)Jessica Moore (AUS) vs. Q/LL

(5)Evgeniya Rodina (RUS) vs. Jorgelina Cravero (ARG)
Anastasia Pivovarova (RUS) vs. Chin-Wei Chan (TPE)
Ekaterina Ivanova (RUS) vs. (wc)Alina Jerjomina (LAT)
(3)Stefanie Voegele (SUI) vs. Ekaterina Dzehalevich (BLR)

(8)Ekaterina Bychkova (RUS) vs. (wc)Madison Keys (USA)
(wc)Beatrice Capra (USA) vs. Q/LL
Elena Bovina (RUS) vs. Q/LL
(2)Anastasia Rodionova (RUS) vs. Alexandra Panova (RUS)

Lots of players I like in this event. Stefanie Voegele would be my ideal winner, I really believe she will be a Top50 player one day. However $25K queen Patricia Mayr, dangerous Russians Zhenya Rodina and Nastya Pivovarova will make it very tough for her to do so. $25K's are usually filled with young players, but not many can be so young as wild card Madison Keys who is just 14 years of age. She trains at the Evert academy and has won some big international junior titles in her young career. I can't see her getting past Bychkova but we will definitely be seeing a lot more of her in the future.

Prediction: (1)Patricia Mayr (AUT) d. (5)Evgeniya Rodina (RUS)