Damien Kayat previews selected round of 16 matches from WTA’s Bronx Open.
WTA Tour 2019 | WTA International | Bronx Open
Cory Leeds Centre, New York (Hardcourt)
Selected Round of 16 Matches | 20 August 2019
Andrea Petkovic (31/20)
vs Camelia Giorgi (9/20)
This will be the first edition of this event, which has replaced the Tournoi de Quebec on this year’s schedule. As such the event hasn’t exactly gathered the most esteemed line-up. German journeywoman Andrea Petkovic will be looking to capitalize this week. Petkovic was once a force in the women’s game, reaching three quarterfinals back in 2011. The winner of six WTA titles, including the 2014 Tournament of Champions, the German has really endured something of a miserable year. A third-round showing at Roland Garros was far and away from her best showing this year. But she overcame fourth seed Zhang in the opening round in a comprehensive straight-sets victory. The 31-year-old may have struggled to match the exploits of compatriot Angelique Kerber- or Julia Gorges for that matter – but she has enough experience to compete in condensed events such as these.
Italian Camelia Giorgi has had an extremely interesting 12 months or so. She reached her first Grand Slam quarter-final at Wimbledon last year, defying all expectations for her. She then followed that up with a semi-final at the Pan Pacific Open and a title on the hard-courts of Linz. But her 2019 season has largely been one of disappointment. The sheer volume of 1st round defeats has been astonishing. But then, in amongst that sea of mediocrity, the Italian managed to reach the final of the Washington Open. It only amplified her decent pedigree on hard-courts. Of her six WTA Finals, five of them have come on hard surfaces. Giorgi managed to get through Gasparyan in the opening round and she will be fancying her chances against an opponent she knows pretty well.
This will actually be the 6th time these two have met, with the Italian holding a slender 3-2 advantage in the head-to-head stakes. Petkovic, however, has won their last two encounters. But it’s hard to judge what that all means considering they last met in 2016. Giorgi is a far more accomplished player and could be great value to win in straight sets at 11/10.
Katerina Siniakova (9/20)
vs Anastasia Potapova (15/10)
The success of Danil Medvedev on the men’s tour has prompted some soul searching as to who will succeed Maria Sharapova as the next big thing in Russian women’s tennis. Daria Kasatkina has disappointed this season, leading many to tout 18-year-old Potapova as the natural successor. The former Wimbledon girl’s champion exploded last season, reaching the final of the Tashkent Open in the process. She won her first-ever Grand Slam encounter in Australia earlier this season. It has been a tough learning curve for the talented Russian this year, though semi-finals in both the Baltic Open and Hungarian Open underline her potential. She accounted for Anita Van Uytvanck in the opening round and will go into this match fearing nothing.
Katerina Siniakova is an experienced campaigner who has achieved amazing doubles success in recent seasons. She won both the French Open and Wimbledon title in doubles last year. As such, her singles performances have suffered by comparison. Much like compatriots Pliskova and Kvitova, Siniakova is a hard-hitting baseliner who does enjoy the harder surfaces. She won the 2017 Shenzhen Open and lost the 2016 Japan Final. Her 2019 singles campaign has been slightly uneventful. But a semi-final in Nuremberg was followed by a surprising fourth-round run at Roland Garros. One wonders how much better her results could be if she devoted herself wholly to singles action. But the realities of the tour mean that doubles tennis provides astute players with a highly viable career outside of the intensely pressured environment of singles action.
The more experienced Siniakova is favoured quite heavily despite lukewarm form and no head-to-head record against the young Potapova. I think that the young Russian is certainly worth a gander at 15/10. Anita Van Uytvanck is a commendable opponent and Potapova’s victory over her just solidifies my choice.
