The Ricoh tennis tournament steams forward into the second round and so do our tennis picks. It was an interesting day for results on Wednesday as we saw four singles matches and three of them ended in straight sets. We say Monica Puig dispose of Michelle LArcher de Brito 6-4, 6-0. We also saw Karolina Pliskova usher out Anna Tatishvili in straight sets. Similarly to the first match, the challenger only won a total of four games. We also saw Alison Riske oust Su-Wei Hsieh 6-2, 6-4. The only match that went the distance was Anett Kontaveit, who pulled a stunner against Carolina Wozniacki. Wozniacki, the former world No. 1, has been so unreliable that this can no longer be called a surprise. Wozniacki won the first set before losing the latter two. She is now just 8-7 in singles matches on the year, which is horrible.
On Thursday, you’ll notice some new faces, or some faces you might not have seen as frequently during the clay season. The shift to grass reshuffles the deck in terms of which players feel they have a chance to compete at and win tournaments. The top players are resting after the French Open, so let’s see who takes advantage this week in Holland.
Evgeniya Rodina vs. Jelena Jankovic
Jelena Jankovic is suffering through a very difficult and inconsistent tennis season. She is winding down her career, trying to enjoy the sport more than anything else. The idea that she can make a deep run in a tournament is becoming less and less convincing each week she plays. Yet, in isolated instances, she can still represent a good pick. Remember that last year at Wimbledon, she knocked Petra Kvitova out of the tournament. Kvitova was the defending champion and a player who had established just how impressive she can be on a grass court. Kvitova might struggle in most tournaments and on most surfaces, but Wimbledon is where she generally comes through, and yet Jankovic was able to outfight her in three sets. That kind of memory makes it really hard to pick against Jankovic in this one, despite her well-established tendency to lose focus against lower-ranked players and ultimately succumb to an upset. Jankovic will find a way to pull out this match and move on. Rodina is just not threatening enough. Take Jankovic with your tennis picks.
Pick: Jankovic in three sets
Belinda Bencic vs. Varvara Lepchenko
This is a matchup of two highly talented players. Bencic hadn’t played since April – this tournament marks her return from an injury. She got through her first match, which will have the effect of not only increasing her confidence, but giving her more match play so that she can get into a rhythm. That ability to play more and find more consistency might not carry Bencic through this match. She could still be rusty from her time off and might need a few tournaments before Wimbledon in order to be really ready. It feels like a 50-50 match, but Lepchenko – while owning some powerful groundstrokes – seems like an overly erratic player. If she’s not fully locked in and precise with her hitting, Bencic can play enough defense to draw all sorts of Lepchenko errors, thereby winning what should be a close match. Bencic is the better choice for your tennis picks here.
Pick: Bencic in three sets
Risa Ozaki vs. Viktorija Golubic
This is a match which features two players who are off the radar screen for a lot of casual tennis fans. Ozaki is ranked at No. 124, while Golubic checks in at 113. This match is important for these players in terms of future chances to directly get into the main draw at a Grand Slam event, or to at least be able to enter the qualifying rounds. You should see a spirited match, and in the end, give a slight nod to Golubic if for no reason other than her WTA ranking, 11 spots greater than Ozaki’s. Stick with Golubic with your tennis picks in this situation.
Pick: Golubic in three sets
