Houston

The Picks on clay: Charleston and Houston: Wednesday, April 5

Leylah Fernandez over Paula Badosa (written before play began)
The 20-year-old Fernandez can look startling, but then, she will stop where she is going. She is very briskly, running, and she can be fitting, but she doesn’t go enough to smash the ball. At the 2021 U.S. Open, she reached the final, and it looked like that she is going close to the top, but now, she is ranked No. 51. That is surprising, and currently, she has to do a lot more work.

The Spaniard Badosa had a decent year in 2022, as she finally realized that if she can kick down the excellent players, when she could grab a lot of matches. She looked very good, in the three months, and then after that, she began to slink. This year, she was respectable in Adelaide, but after that, she did very little. Fernandez has come close to winning some matches in 2023 against the very terrific players, many times, but she lost. However, she will nail some fine lines. This time the Canadian Fernandez will win in three long sets.

Shelby Rogers over Caty McNally
Can Rogers come back and won more matches this year? It is up in the air, because while she can compete, the 30-year-old has no answers when her forehand and her backhand can be to short. Yes, she can be adventurous, but she doesn’t fool enough. However, at some point, she will start to surge again.

At the end of the year, McNally won Midland, an old tournament. Very few of the top players will play in early November, but there are other people who are trying to move up the latter, especially with the young set. The 21-year-old has scored a couple good wins over the past 12 months, but she isn’t there yet to knock down with the fantastic players. Because of that, Rogers will win in two sets.

Frances Tiafoe over Steve Johnson
At this point, Tiafoe is struggling, inside the courts. Of course he can beat just about anyone, except on the clay, when he is still is not comfortable when he is crawling. Of maybe not, as on the hardcourts, he is almost all of it. Off court, he is a very nice person, but when he is competing, he can frustrate himself. However, he can crash his forehand, his backhand and his first serve. It is really hard to see that he can win a major title in Europe on the clay, and on the grass in England, but at least this week in Houston, he is the top seed. So right now, he really has to bring it.

As we wrote yesterday, Johnson does like to play almost every week, and he does have some solid stokes, but Tiafoe is more potent and fierce. Tiafoe will win in two sets.

John Isner over Gijs Brouwer
Where is Isner going? Yes he will play until he realizes that it is time to stop, because the 37-year-old is playing OK, in the singles, but this year he has not beat a player in the top 40. The former No. 8 American did win some tremendous matches, but physically he is slowing down, when he is running. However, he does think that when he continues to play more, he will begin to throw in his massive serves, and his forehand, too.

His first match in Houston will be against the against the Netherlands,
Brouwer, who has yet to crack the top 100, ever. However, he wants to. given that he is 27-year-old. If he does that, the No. 123 will have a candle. Isner will win in two tiebreakers, once again.

Matt’s current week picks

Correct: Jason Kubler over Fernando Verdasco
Correct: Steve Johnson over Facundo Bagnis
Correct: Victoria Azarenka over Sloane Stephens
~~Claire Liu over Bernarda Pera~~

3 out of 4: 75% correct

The Picks on clay in Houston and Charleston: Tuesday, April 4

Jason Kubler over Fernando Verdasco
The Brisbane player Kubler has traveled for a long time, through the world, and perhaps someday, the 29-year-old will reached the top 50 — or maybe not. He can really hustle, but he does not hit it hard enough. However, he always tried, so when he plays against the former No. 10, Verdasco, he will try to mentally exhaust him. Years ago, the Spaniard was a terrify player, but listen, the man is 39-year-old, in the singles, which is almost impossible to get back into the top 100. Without a doubt, Verdasco’s forehand was tremendous, but the older you get, you will start to slowly down, and he has. Kubler will rack him, pretty quickly, winning in two sets.

Steve Johnson over Facundo Bagnis
We can start again with the aging people, the 30-plus men, who keep driving as long as they can. The Argentine Bagnis is 33-year- old , and there are a ton of male players, but he has yet to get into the top 50. Of course he wants to, but to do it, he has to push himself more harder, with a lot of changes.
And guess what? The American is also 33-years-old, and in the same thing, Johnson travels almost every week. There were times when he upset some very good players, but he is now ranked No. 152, and he is losing frequently. Yes, he likes to grind it, and he also can throw it some good shots, but realistically, he is not powerful with his forehand and his backhand. This is a toss up. but in the United States. Johnson will rim Bagnis in three tight sets.

Charleston

Victoria Azarenka over Sloane Stephens
They have both won the Grand Slams, when Azarenka who won it twice at the Australian Open, and Stephens did grab it, at the 2017 U.S Open. However, right now it would be surprising that they can win a Slam again, or even a huge event. Azarenka looks very decent, but at a tournament, even if she looks tremendous in the first couple days, but after that, she gets hurt, physically, and then she folds. Stephens has dropped out of the top 32, even lower, as on the court, she has not improved at all. Maybe she will before she retires, but she has not changed much. Azarenka is more robust, and she can hit it as cruel as she can. This time, Azarenka will win in two savage sets.

Claire Liu over Bernarda Pera
The Californian Liu is only 22-years-old, so eventually, she should be more pushy, and chuck in some different shots. Gradually, she is slowly moving up the change, but it is hard to see that she can crack into the top 10. When Pera is on, she can play so consistently, but in the past seven months, the current No. 38 has not won against the top competitors. Perhaps she is confused on courts, or she has made with too many errors, but either way, she has to step it up and mash the ball. Liu will beat Pera in three very long sets.