ATP / WTA Moscow and Luxembourg picks - tuesday

So many matches to study and so many matches at the same time as well, that is very difficult to work out something really good.

ATP Moscow
Kravchuk played a good match against Korolev. Good baseline solidity due to his low risk style: he's got that kind of softness of strokes from both sides, seemed to me very close to Seppi, resulting in a bit of spin above all on the forehand that makes him bear long rallies without unforced errors, while the opponents (yesterday Korolev) at one point can't bear it anymore and throws the ball away. He's also got that tricky way to serve with the low toss of the ball (like Almagro and Dolgopolov) that provides him many aces (16 yesterday), though some problems with the second serve.
Ito is good on hard courts though and solid on the baseline, and this time it's likely that Kravchuk is the first one to get rid of the rally. Kravchuk might face some chances to break, and if he manage to convert, a three setter or over looks like a good option.

I honestly don't know what to do with other matches.

WTA Moscow
There are some very interesting matchups among the ladies due to the many head to heads.

4-all between Zakopalova and Safarova. I still think that Safarova's thoughts are elsewhere (Fed Cup's final) though if she doesn't play matches the risk is that she won't be charged for that event.
There's also a nice amount of points to defend since she made the semifinal last year.
Then... Lucie has won last two encounters, in 2011 the balance has been 2-2, and Zakopalova's other wins are much older.
And more... the surface isn't much fast, it's slow indeed and the ball gets stuck when bounces, and bounces are also high, this to me is an advantage for Lucie: she can find the right timing, and she needs it given that her flat strokes don't allow her many solutions about the ball-strings impact.
I'll back Safarova @1.66. Very easily though, since there's no tv-coverage and ... you know.

Surprisingly Arvidsson leads the head to heads against Bartoli. 4-2. Not much surprise that they're all aged.
Arvidsson is great indoor depending much on her serve, Bartoli has got a great return though. Without the serve and with baseline skills that can't be compared I see few chances for the swedish.

Neat 5-1 for Cibulkova over Pironkova. The only win for the bulgarian is the most recent encounter though, at this years Olympics.
Now... Pironkova's years has been tremendous, it's already two years in a row for her, and I don't think beating Lepchenko is enough to consider it finished.
Cibulkova though, she's defending champion, has said that she's found the surface different from last year.
On a faster court, even with lower bounces, she can do something good hitting her counterattack, but to make this she needs power or flatter strokes from her opponent and she needs to run from side to side along the baseline. Pironkova's strokes are everything but this. They're soft and spinned, and she's weird, and likely Cibu to recover will step into the court or hit beyond the double's lines, and I don't know how she'll react to all of this, the head to heads say well, but last Cibu's win is back in 2010.
Cibu's win is the most likely outcome, odds aren't tempting though.

Wozniacki - U. Radwanska. 2-0 h2h.
This will be a long match, with the two of them unable to hit a winner and the ball bouncing from side to side in everlasting rallies.
In such a matchup the physical condition is a relevant factor.
Wozniacki has played many matches last month and she said she lack of preparation...
I'm going to Lay Wozniacki @1.29.

WTA Luxembourg
Back Rybarikova @1.75
For what I saw from her in the first roung against Suarez-Navarro.
She played very close to the baseline an covering it with great easiness.
She plays a bit offensively, and manage to slow down with sliced backhand when the opponent take the lead of the rally.
Dominguez-Lino although the long career has got a 3/4 indoor record.

In here I'm also thinking about backing Rus against Hantuchova, whose movement where very bad last week in Linz; and backing Keothavong, high odds since she's 2-0 in the h2h and both where indoor, she was semifinalist last year.

ATP/WTA picks thursday

It's been a couple of days that I'm not too inspired about pre-match pick, I'll post some thoughts in order to keep them in mind when action will start tomorrow as well.

Tokyo
I can't see much problems for Murray, Tipsarevic, Berdych and Nishikori. I'd like to put Raonic in that list since his opponent is Troicki, though I've found some difficulties for Raonic to play against players who stands well back the baseline.
The ones that worth a try are Baghdatis and Ito.
A Back @2.60 seems very good. Bagh is very good on hardcourts and although Monaco won in Kuala Lumpur his strokes are a bit too rounded and Bagh might easily gain the baseline and even step in the court.
Ito is a tricky player on this surface, he's ranked 7th in Challenger Tour Finals Race this season, building his rank mostly (only) on hardcourts. Tursunov came thruogh the qualies but Petzschner and Tomic can't be considered relevant test recently, still he won a challenger couple of week ago. Back price near @3 for Ito seems a relevant one as odds mainly are made with the ranking (66 Ito, 117 Tursunov), then upsetting a top player usually makes odds lower.

Beijing  ATP
Seems all written in here, odds not worth a try for me though.
Youznhy to beat Anderson... Misha's playing well, also won their only head to head in Toronto. Skip it since is too early in the morning so no live.
Gasquet over the young local, not even a good one from what I saw in his first round.
Lopez might have some troubles.
Querrey should beat Seppi easily since the american is good on hard while Seppi himself said he hate this very kind of hardcourt.

Beijing WTA
Looks easy also for ladies.
Kerber - Woznicki the most interesting match up.
I don't like it too much but for me is a Back Kerber @1.61.
The german's won last two matches, both played after the change of style Kerber did passing from being offensive to defensive.