Every Friday, after the weekend's matches have been determined, we'll predict the winner of each tournament.
Doha, WTA (Semifinals):
Victoria Azarenka vs. Agnieszka Radwanska; Samantha Stosur vs. Marion Bartoli
Playing her first tournament as world No. 1, an enthusiastic Azarenka says she feels “like a kid again.” Azarenka’s semifinal won’t be child’s play, as Radwanska applied her skills in shifting speeds and playing angles to push the Belarussian to three sets in both Sydney and Melbourne last month. Their last four meetings have gone the distance and this could be another tight one, but the undefeated Azarenka (15-0) hits bigger and bolder, and her backhand has become one of the most dangerous shots in the game.
Stosur’s kick serve will be tested by Bartoli’s return blasts. Despite concerns about Bartoli’s stamina (she faded in the third set of the Paris Indoors final last Sunday), I like the Frenchwoman to get to Stosur's backhand and reach the final, and Azarenka to remain undefeated.
The Pick: Azarenka
Rotterdam, ATP (Semifinals):
Roger Federer vs. Nikolay Davydenko; Tomas Berdych vs. Juan Martin del Potro
Del Potro overcame a bloody nose to batter Viktor Troicki and set up a bruising battle of big hitters with Berdych. Fresh off winning his seventh title in Montpellier, the second-seeded Czech is riding a seven-match winning streak. But I like Del Potro's ability to dictate off the serve and return, and believe he’s a bit more dangerous on the run than Berdych.
Federer looked a bit flat at times in a disappointing Davis Cup weekend, but is playing with more energy and urgency this week. I’m a big believer in del Potro’s game and tempted to pick the 2009 U.S. Open champ to run the table. But Federer is 34-1 in ATP indoor events over the past two years and I believe he will use the short slice effectively against either big man. Federer has served well and figures to be highly-motivated to reclaim the Rotterdam title he last won in 2005.
The Pick: Federer
Bogota, WTA (Semifinals):
Alexandra Panova vs. Timea Babos; Edina Gallovitz-Hall vs. Lara Arruabarrena-Vecino
Seeded players have bitten the dust in Bogota this week—this is the first WTA event since Hobart in 2009 in which no seeded players reached the quarters. High altitude and funky bounces make this a tougher call than a dance-off between Gael Monfils and Andrea Petkovic.
Gallovitz-Hall has been around so long I covered her in the Orange Bowl final when she lost to a teenage Vera Zvonareva, and it's tempting to pick her for old time's sake—and the fact she took out top-seeded Marina Erakovic. An old tennis adage dictates when in doubt, always favor the Spaniard on clay, and Spain’s Arruabarrena-Vecino had the quickest quarterfinal win today. But since nothing has transpired according to rank or reason in Bogota this week, I’ll go all in with No. 118 Panova, primarily because she posted solid results on clay in ITF events last year.
The Pick: Panova
San Jose, ATP (Semifinals):
Ryan Harrison vs. Milos Raonic; Julien Benneteau vs. Denis Istomin
Harrison flew through nine time zones to reach San Jose after playing for the United States in last weekend's Davis Cup against host Switzerland in Fribourg. One of only two teenagers in the ATP Top 100, he's one win from his first ATP final and beat Raonic in their lone prior meeting in Indian Wells last March. Given Raonic's sore knee and the fact Harrison is empowered saving two match points in a 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (0) win over Robby Ginepri on Thursday, this semi shapes up as a toss-up. Defending champion Raonic is averaging 17 aces per match this week and has only dropped serve once. The Raonic serve is such an immense weapon indoors, I give him the edge here though if Harrison wins, I would favor him to take the title.
The fifth-seeded Benneteau has not surrendered a set to the hard-hitting Istomin in two prior meetings. Benneteau was runner-up to Jarkko Nieminen in Sydney last month as his record fell to 0-6 in ATP finals. Benneteau's variety should help him prevail against Istomin and the 30-year-old Frenchman is a threat to break through for his first title, but Raonic swept him in straight sets in last weekend's Davis Cup tie in Vancouver and if they meet again in San Jose I envision a similar result.
The Pick: Raonic
Richard Pagliaro is a senior editor for TENNIS.com.