Week 42 - Preview

Oh, my count was wrong, this is the week n. 42, meaning that I've got it wrong... nevermind.
Again a busy week, but at least time zone will be more fair.
Three ATP an two WTA tournaments, Moskow is a combined event, all indoor.

ATP Stockholm
Draw
Tsonga makes #1, and Berdych #2 to replay Shanghai's quarterfinal. #3 Almagro has got a bye then a qualifier, and yet in QF he could have troubles given his negative record on indoor courts, whether his opponent was Hewitt, Anderson or Nieminen.
Some early tough tests for #6 Youzhny against Brian Baker and for #7 Baghdatis against Goffin.
Courts should be pretty fast so Tsonga is my favourite for this one. Good feeling for Nieminen with this tournament, runner-up against Monfils last year, and who appeared in good conditions in last indoor event in Bangkok .

ATP Vienna
Draw
#1 Del Potro makes his come back after a wrist injury that prevented him from playing his second single match of the Davis Cup semifinal.
I don't like him as indoor player, his powerful play makes him a good one though, and he has a spot in the final to defend in here.
Tipsarevic makes #2 still chasing poits to the Finals, and Haas #3 and who looked in great shape in Shanghai; they're in the same half of the draw.
Melzer is #4 seeded and home player, while #7 and #8 Paire and Malisse respectively are funny player to see.
Shocking first round matchup between #5 Fognini and Young. Although his terrible year (5 win, 25 loss) I've always thought Young to be a tricky indoor player, mostly with his forehand (he's leftie); Young made the final just one year ago in Bangkok.
Another (brain)shocking player in here is Gulbis, Dev Varman should be an easy first round but yet at the second there's Tipsarevic waiting for him. Depending on his lunacy this could be one of the few tournament he plays at his best and where he get enough poits to keep his rank up. Going through Tipsarevic will open the door to the semifinal given this is the Fognini/Young's quarter.

ATP Moscow
Draw
Pretty a bad draw, low quality I mean, in here. And given this is Moscow... you know what I mean.
#1 Dolgopolov is very funny, though he seems to need slower courts, his quarter is a tricky one as well.
The young rising talent Donskoy (6th on the Challenger Race) in the second round and #5 Davidenko projected for the quarter.
Seppi makes #2. His indoor skills are much better than the ones on outdoor hardcourt. He reached Metz finals couple of weeks ago.
On the same half there's #3 Troicki who's got points to defend: 2011 runner-up, 2010 winner as well.

WTA Moscow
Draw
Far better quality in this WTA draw compared to the ATP one.
#1 to Sam Stosur, who shocked the media-press (not me, I was expecting it as I wrote here in my last week preview) not winning the WTA of Osaka, even though there where no top-50 in last 8 and no top-60 in last 4. Anyway, I much doubt about her also in here, but for different reasons than tanking: the historical-statistical ones, in fact she plays very little indoor and also has a negative balance, 24/25; and the technical ones, although she's a great server (greatest kick-serve in WTA?), her backhand is far too week for this kind of courts, I can clearly see lots of backhand landing in the drives either because she hit the ball late or she rush to much attemping not to be late. Safarova's leftie forehand could be lethal for Sam.
#2 Bartoli is in the most competitive quarter of the draw. This the other first round down here:  #7 Kirilenko, back from recent injuries, against Vesnina, Shvedova vs Pavlyuchenkova and Jovanovski vs Arvidsson, solid indoor, the winner of the latter will face Bartoli in second round.  
Wozniacki #3 of the seeding, in Bartoli's half, and in #5 Cibulkova quarter. The slovak is the defending champions, she's very solid indoor due to her return skills using her opponents power for her own advantage. the first round against Makarova, leftie solid server and double player, is an hard test to prove her ability.

WTA Luxemburg
Draw
Vinci leads the seeding, while Linz's runner-up Goerges get #2. Being DecoTurf courts should be pretty slow.
A winner is much unpredictable being the field more or less on the same level including some unseeded.