2014 Montreal - Recap

Hi! Unfortunately I was unable to get my predictions in for the finals match this morning, but today I'm going to recap the Montreal event and give a few early predictions about the Cincinnati draw.

Venus Williams vs. [3] Agnieszka Radwanska

I think that Radwanska played an amazing match today and like always, has played really consistently throughout the whole tournament. As you might not have known, I was honestly going for a S. Williams vs. Azarenka final, but it's been shown here that physically, Azarenka isn't really playing as well as she can and these matches have been really good to allow her to find her form. Back to the finals, I felt that Venus definitely started the match off well, being able to really control the match from the outset. However, it was quite obvious that Venus really wasn't hitting the ball the way she used to, as I felt she was much more tired and once Radwanska had won the first set, Venus didn't look particularly good as she kept narrowly missing, and double faulting - her serve wasn't as good as it normally is. She also had a semi-permanent grimace which seemed to me like she was either quite exhausted, in pain, or just extremely annoyed at herself. Throughout the match, it really didn't seem like Williams was playing anywhere need her best, whilst Radwanska was extremely successful at chopping and changing Venus' rhythm, and is definitely a deserved champion.

An Early Cincinnati Preview

The draw in Cincinnati this year hasn't been as particularly 'fair' as it was in Montreal but as a result, it has thrown up quite a few interesting match ups early on.

• Koukalova vs. [Q] Townsend - I like this matchup because I really want to see how well Townsend is really playing, after her good runs at Montreal and so far in the qualifying. Koukalova is definitely a quality opponent, and this should show up whether or not Townsend is a top 100 player.
• [10] Azarenka vs. Zahlavova Strycova - Not having a bye at Cincinnati might mean that Azarenka won't be able to fully heal from her knee injury at Montreal, and this could even possibly be cause for an upset here, or even retirement if Azarenka isn't feeling fully fit.
• Petkovic vs. Stephens - Stephens really hasn't played well at all since Wimbledon, and if she is to turn her season around, she absolutely needs to do it soon. Based off current form, Petkovic is definitely the better player and it wouldn't be unexpected for Stephens to offer little resistance.
• Vinci vs. Lisicki - Lisicki has always been a fantastic player, but she is honestly far too inconsistent to be an honest contender for major tournaments. Hopefully, she can play well here and ensure that she gets a seed for the US Open. Surprisingly enough, it will actually be an upset if Lisicki defeats Vinci, because Vinci is ranked 3 places higher.
• Zhang vs. [Q] Watson - A random matchup I really wanted to throw in, mainly because now with Li out for the whole US Open season, Zhang is the highest ranked Chinese player. I really can't see her defeating Watson, considering how well Watson has played this past month, in comparison to Zhang who hasn't won a singles match in a very long time. Also, whilst she is a top 30 player, she really isn't a contender for the US Open because she still hasn't won a main draw match at a grand slam yet! Also, I would like to add that after her case of glandular, Watson has been playing as well as ever and should be able to do well at the US Open.
• Dellacqua vs. [Q] Parmentier - This year has been an amazing year for Dellacqua as she has now moved into the top 30 and most likely gaining a seed for the US Open. This is a fantastic opportunity for Dellacqua to gain some needed ranking points ahead of the US Open, and maybe even overtake Stosur to be the highest ranked Australian.
• Cornet vs. Keys - This should be a fantastically theatrical match, mainly due to Cornet's crazy antics and Keys constantly dissatisfied and annoyed nature. However, both players are extremely driven to win, and with both Cornet's and Keys' 3 set records, this should definitely be an up-and-down match which goes the distance. I would say that Cornet wins this in a tiebreak.
• [16] Safarova vs. V. Williams - After playing quite poorly at Montreal, probably due to exhaust and not having enough time to rest in between tournaments, I don't think the Venus will be able to play as well as she ordinarily does. It isn't a bad thing however, because she already has quite a good seeding for the US Open and have some well earned rest if she loses early here. Also, I think that Safarova is really due for a major breakthrough, and this US Open season could be it, as far as I'm concerned.

As with Montreal, I will be begin posting about Cincinnati from the second round, then the quarterfinals onwards. And as always, please comment and share if you like my blog!