Errani exits early, lacking confidence

The second round saw the first major upset as both halves of the draw tried to catch up after rain delays.

(Rank/Seed)

1/1 Williams looked a little tense at times but handled big hitter Voskoboeva of Kazakhstan well in the end, 63 60.

2/2 Azarenka let a 5-0 lead become 5-3 before rolling away with a 63 61 win over Canadian Wozniak in breezy conditions.

4/3 Radwanska had to deal with a late come back from Spain's Torro-Flor before winning 60 75. The Spaniard began hitting her flat forehand well in the 2nd set to come back from 3-5 down.

5/4 Errani was handily beaten by compatriot Pennetta 63 61, no doubt a huge disappointment considering her semi final run last year. Pennetta was the aggressor as she played like her former top 10 self, hitting 33 winners (7 aces) to just 19 errors compared to Errani's 12:18 ratio. She dominated the rallies and broke Errani's serve 6 times to claim a 3rd win in six meetings. Errani later admitted to choking under the pressure of being upgraded to 4th seed after Sharapova's withdrawal and isn't enjoying being on the court at the moment after several sleepless nights. This adds to her poor results this year in the slams and I wish her all the best in reviving the confidence of the clay court season soon!

6/5 Li continued in a business like fashion to beat Sweden's Arvidsson 62 62.

8/6 Wozniacki was steady as always against South African Scheepers, winning 61 62. 

9/8 Kerber was at her scrapping best against rising Canadian talent Bouchard, eventually coming through 64 26 63 in a match featuring some phenomenal defence.

10/7 Kvitova had a rare straight sets win over Serbian Jovanovski 62 64.

Notably, Venus Williams went down to Zheng 63 26 76(5) in a thrilling match that had the crowd on their feet. I felt bad for Venus; she recovered from 1-4 15-40 in the 3rd set but was left to rue a rushed and missed backhand volley at 5-5 in the tiebreak. With good health and more matches, she could yet still be a force to be reckoned with in the future at the age of 33.

  

Serena & Azarenka cruise through openers

All 8 competing top 10 players progressed through the 1st round, most of them cruising past their opponents.

(Rank/Seed)

1/1 Williams was emphatic against former French Open champion Schiavone, winning 60 61. The Italian often extended Williams in the rallies but mostly was the first to err, whilst also hitting too many double faults. Not even a hug with a ball boy could salvage her hopes.

2/2 Azarenka crushed Pfizenmaier 60 60 in a deceptive match. The German had a total of 11 game points during the match against a below par Azarenka, but couldn't win any of the crucial mental battles.

4/3 Radwanska had a steady start, beating Spain's Soler Espinosa 61 62.

5/4 Errani was ruthless against Australian qualifier Rogowska, crushing her 60 60!

6/5 Li was in good form against Govortsova, beating the Belarusian 62 62.

8/6 Wozniacki out steadied the unpredictable Duan 62 75. The Chinese qualifier hit the ball early and flat and began to take advantage in the 2nd set, leading 3-0 and 5-3. However, the Dane was typically solid under pressure, saving a set point and taking advantage of her opponents many loose errors.

9/8 Kerber had a surprisingly easy 61 61 win over Czech Hradecka considering her recent poor form.  

10/9 Kvitova was once again extended to 3 sets, this time against Japan's Doi, winning in windy conditions 62 36 61.

I must also add that the shock of the tournament thus far was the defeat of 2011 champion and recent Carlsbad winner (11/11) Stosur at the hands of 17 year old, American qualifier ranked 298, Victoria Duval. The teen recovered from 57 24 down to beat the Aussie 57 64 64 for the biggest win of her young career. It was Stosur's worst US Open result since 2008!

Quarter final predictions

So, the final Grand Slam of the year is upon us. Sadly, world number 3 Maria Sharapova is absent with bursitis in her shoulder and so too of course is Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli, who of course stunned everyone recently with her confounding and abrupt retirement. So, most (including myself) believe the title will be decided between Williams and Azarenka. Here are my predictions, though Wimbledon surprised everyone, so here's hope that the US Open follows the script a little more closely.

1st Quarter: Serena Williams VS Kanepi

Williams has a tough draw but I assume she'll handle it; including a potential 4th round clash with Stephens. I think Kerber will lose before the quarters and Kanepi will take advantage. Venus may beat Flipkens in the 1st round, but doesn't have the necessary stamina any more to pose a big threat, whilst Bouchard doesn't yet have enough experience.

2nd Quarter: Radwanska VS Cirstea

Radwanska's consistency will put her in good stead to reach her 1st US Open quarter final, though Lisicki is a dangerous floater. Cirstea is in good form and seeing as she has recently beaten Jankovic and Li, she should advance through her section.

3rd Quarter: Wozniacki VS Halep

Wozniacki has a good chance to return to the late stages of a Grand Slam here, seeing as Vinci is her biggest threat. Halep comes into the event in great form and I can see her handling anyone like Kirilenko, Kuznetsova or Errani in her section.

4th Quarter: Stosur VS Azarenka

Stosur should take advantage of an earlier Kvitova exit here; perhaps at the hands of Petkovic in the 2nd round, though Petrova's always unpredictable. Azarenka has a tough draw, with either Ivanovic or Cibulkova potentially waiting in the 4th round, but is expected to pull through.