WTA Birmingham: Preview & Predictions

WTA Birmingham: Will Ivanovic bag Birmingham again?

The 2015 AEGON Classic gets underway this week on the grass courts in Birmingham, UK. The first Premier level event on the surface has its best ever field, attracting four top 10 players. Birmingham’s location on the calendar seems ideal, considering it sits in the middle of the three week gap between the French Open and Wimbledon. Having had over a weeks rest, the players will be itching to get their grass court preparations for Wimbledon underway.

Here is a preview of the draw and who I think will reach the semis.

(Rank/Seed)

Top Half: (1) Simona Halep vs (12) Victoria Azarenka

(1) Simona Halep will be well rested, considering her exit in the second round of the French Open. Though it’s always a challenge for the players to find their feet in the first couple of matches on grass, her draw doesn’t seem too difficult. (5) Eugenie Bouchard started her grass court prep this week in the Netherlands. Needless to say based on her recent form, she lost her opening match for her ninth defeat in her last ten matches. Considering Eugenie could face Alison Riske, who’s currently in the Nottingham semis or her French Open conqueror, Kristina Mladenovic in the second round, I struggle to see Eugenie ending her losing run here.

(3) Carla Suarez Navarro was also disappointing in Paris, so will have had plenty of time to look ahead and dread her worst surface. Her section of the draw is very tricky, with the likes of (6) Karolina Pliskova, (12) Victoria Azarenka, (13) Svetlana Kuznetsova and Camila Giorgi potentially lying in wait. I don’t think Pliskova or Kuznetsova are particularly fond of grass, but a second round match between Azarenka and Giorgi could provide fireworks. Azarenka is beginning to look the part again, whilst Giorgi has the advantage of having already played on the grass in winning Rosmalen this week. The winner of this match could well go on and reach the semis.

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Bottom Half: (4) Angelique Kerber vs (2) Ana Ivanovic

(4) Angelique Kerber relishes the grass and should have a good week. Though Tsvetana Pironkova, who’s reached the Wimbledon semis in the past and (15) Jelena Jankovic could prove troublesome, I’d back her to pull through. In the quarters, she could face compatriot, (7) Andrea Petkovic. However, Andrea hasn’t made it a secret in the past that her and the grass don’t really get on.

(2) Ana Ivanovic should be feeling as high as a kite considering her run to the French Open semis. She’s also the defending champion here and judging by the draw, should at least make the quarters. If she then has to face (8) Sabine Lisicki, a grass court specialist who’s made the Wimbledon final before, she will probably lose out as she did against her at Wimbledon last year. However, though Lisicki is herself a former champion here (2011), you can’t ever count on her. Rosmalen finalist Belinda Bencic, French Open quarter finalist (9) Garbine Muguruza and another former champion here (2009), Magdalena Rybarikova could well account for Sabine.

Next: WTA Tour: Early Grass Court Predictions

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