Week 42

A very busy week with the WTA circuit slowly coming back in Europe, while ATP is engaged in Shanghai with a Master 1000. Still hardcourt season.

WTA Osaka
Draw
#1 seeded is Sam Stosur, I've learned to distrust these too-much-favorite for the title, and in effect looks good for some outsider.
Great difference between top and bottom half: "heavyweights" hard-hitters in the top, claycourter or discontinuous player in bottom half.
I lean for #8 Robson, she's growing up very fast, touched the title in Guangzhou few weeks ago losing the final to Hsieh, the road doesn't look much tough: #3 McHale in the QF, but the american is a very bad shape, Stosur or #5 Shvedova in SF.
Hard to say who'll go through the bottom part, and even an unseeded can make it though the one should be among these three: Hercog, Watson, Giorgi. The first two will face in the first round, the winner will face Giorgi or #6 Medina Garrigues.
Hercog and Giorgi seldom bother too much but when they do are very dangerous for many opponents, while Watson is more consistent and nearly upsetted Sharapova in Tokyo, but lost to Giorgi last week, looks like an interesting threesome.

WTA Linz
Draw
Funny description of the court "Deco Turf on Wood" meaning that should be faster than normal hardcourts, it's indoor as well.
Then I wonder what's Azarenka doing here, fresh Beijing champion over Sharapova, that is more important that the title itself, solid WTA Ranking and WTA Finals Race lead.
So the battle for the title looks wide open to the field, made of sinking, rising and alternating players.
Safarova, Wickmayer and Lisicki hardly go through the first round in recent times, Ivanovic should be included though she plays some great matches where she looks like the Ivanovic n.1 WTA years ago, and matches where nothing work, serve and forehand in particular.
Cibulkova usually is good on fast surfaces and Goerges played her best tennis since lot of time last week.

ATP Shanghai Master 1000
Draw
I see a Murray - Djokovic issue here.
#2 Djokovic just beated easily Tsonga to win the title in Beijing, and the frenchman might be again Nole's opponent but in the semifinal. Tsonga or Berdych... doesn't make much difference as far the opponent hit the ball hard and Djokovic uses this in his own favor to overturn the rally.
#3 Murray played Tokyo too lazily, still giving the impression that he could outhit his opponent if he was in the fancy of doing it. He saved the more point possible and had an extra day of rest before Shanghai.
#1 Federer is in the same half of Murray.
I'm not a fan of big-odds Lay but I really feel like Lay Federer around 4.5 worth it.
The pression to still in the lead of the ranking, Murray as semifinalist, and the death threats inducing nerves stressed, less practicing.