Ramblings from the Ultimate Sports Sentimentalist

This is the first time I’ve ever posted comprehensive tennis predictions, but this is also the first Wimbledon I have been able to cover on this blog, as ”Ramblings of the Ultimate Sports Sentimentalist” wasn’t created until early August of last year.  And because I value Wimbledon far more than any other tennis grand slam (or golf major for that matter)  then I thought I should post a round-by-round set of predictions for you to look at and/or use when betting on these matches.  Will this be the year that the Brit finally wins Wimbledon, and my life goal # 4 is crossed off the list?  Well, based on the way Murray has played the past few months its doubtful.  Still, the British Curse and all the storylines that arise every year at this event truly make this one of the top 5 greatest sporting events on Earth.  So let’s start things off with some early round picks. 

The parentheses in front of some players names are there seed numbers.  The asterisk in front of some players names denotes that they are either a qualifier or a wildcard entry.  The parentheses after every player’s name indicates their country of origin.  Also, the matches are listed in the order they appear on the bracket.  Furthermore, the term “upsets” is used to describe any pick where I’m predicting the current sportsbook underdog to beat the favorite, and the term “shocks” is used to describe a major upset.

(1) Serena Williams (USA) beats Michelle Larcher De Brito (POR) in 2 sets. (Note: Serena may not lose a game in this one.)

Anna Chakvetadze (RUS) upsets Andrea Petkovic (GER) in 3 sets.

Tamarine Tanasugarn (THA) beats Ayumi Morita (JPN) in 2 sets.

Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) upsets (25) Lucie Safarova (CZE) in 3 sets.

(24) Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) beats Vania King (USA) in 3 sets.

Elena Vesnina (RUS) beats Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE) in 3 sets.

Alize Cornet (FRA) beats Ioana Raluca Olaru (ROU) in 3 sets.

(16) Maria Sharapova (RUS) beats Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) in 3 sets. (Note: Sharapova’s typical early nerves will cost her the first set against a tough first round opponent.)

(9) Na Li (CHN) beats *Chanelle Scheepers (RSA) in 2 sets.

Mariana Duque Marino (COL) upsets *Kurumi Nara (JPN) in 3 sets.

Anne Keothovang (GBR) upsets Anastasia Rodionova (AUS) in 3 sets. (Note: hometown crowd helps Anne pull off the upset.)

(19) Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) beats Akgul Amanmuradova (UZB) in 2 sets.

(32) Sara Errani (ITA) beats Julie Coin (FRA) in 3 sets. 

Olga Govortsova (BLR) beats Arantxa Parra Santonja (ESP) in 2 sets.

Jill Craybas (USA) upsets Alberta Brianti (ITA) in 3 sets.

(7) Agnieskzka Radwanska (POL) beats Melinda Czink (HUN) in 2 sets.

(3) Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) beats Tathiana Garbin (ITA) in 2 sets.

Arantxa Rus (NED) upsets Kai-Chen Chang (TPE) in 3 sets.

Sybille Bammer (AUT) upsets Roberta Vinci (ITA) in 3 sets.

Iventa Benesova (CZE) shocks (29) Anastasia Pavlyuchenkvoa (RUS) in 2 sets.

(23) Jie Zheng (CHN) beats Pauline Parmentier (FRA) in 2 sets.

Petra Kvitova (CZE) upsets Sorana Cirstea (ROU) in 3 sets.

Casey Dellacqua (AUS) beats Bojana Jovanovski (SRB) in 3 sets.

(14) Victoria Azarenka (BLR) beats *Mirjana Lucic (CRO) in 2 sets.

(10) Flavia Pennetta (ITA) beats Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) in 3 sets.

Gisela Dulko (ARG) beats *Monica Niculescu (ROU) in 2 sets.

Klara Zakopalova (CZE) beats Yvonne Meusburger (AUT) in 3 sets.

(18) Arvane Rezai (FRA) beats Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) in 2 sets.

(31) Alexandra Dulgheru (ROU) beats Kimiko Date Krumm (JPN) in 2 sets.

*Heather Watson (GBR) beats *Romina Sarina Oprandi (ITA) in 3 sets. (Note: Note: A dream matchup for both players, as they each face the only opponent in the entire field they have a chance of beating.  Oprandi is the better player, but I’m predicting Watson to use the home court advantage to propel her to victory.) 

Edina Gallovitis (ROU) upsets Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) in 3 sets.

(6) Samantha Stosur (AUS) beats *Kaia Kanepi (ESP) in 2 sets.

(8) Kim Clijsters (BEL) beats Maria Elena Camerin (ITA) in 2 sets.

Karolina Sprem (CRO) beats *Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) in 2 sets.

*Shenay Perry (USA) beats *Anastasiya Yakimova (BLR) in 3 sets.

(27) Maria Kirilenko (RUS) beats Stefanie Voegele (SUI) in 2 sets.

(17) Justine Henin (BEL) beats Anastasija Sevastova (LAT) in 2 sets. 

Kristina Barrois (GER) beats Mariya Koryttseva (UKR) in 2 sets.

Patty Schnyder (SUI) beats Yung-Jae Chan (TPE) in 2 sets.

(12) Nadia Petrova (RUS) beats Tatjana Malek (GER) in 2 sets.

(15) Yania Wickmayer (BEL) beats *Alison Riske (USA) in 2 sets.

 Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) beats *Stephanie Dubois (CAN) in 3 sets.

*Noppawan Lertcheewan (THA) upsets *Andrea Hlavackova (CZE) in 3 sets. (Note: This is the only match where I have no idea how to pronounce either player’s name.)

(21) Vera Zvonareva (RUS) beats *Nuria Llagostera Vives (ESP) in 2 sets.

(28) Alona Bondarenko (UKR) beats Katie O’Brien (GBR) in 2 sets.

Lucie Hradecka (CZE) beats Varvara Lepchenko (USA) in 3 sets.

Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN) beats *Eleni Danilidou (GRE) in 3 sets.

(4) Jelena Jankovic (SRB) beats *Laura Robson (GBR) in 2 sets.

Vera Dushevina (RUS) shocks (5) Francesca Schiavone (ITA) in 3 sets. (Note: Even though this would look like a huge upset on paper, Dusevina is actually not that much of a betting underdog, as she currently is listed at +180 on the moneyline.  The reason being is that Schiavone, the French Open Champion, doesn’t played particularly well on grass.  She lost to Dushevina on clay, Schiavone’s favorite surface, last year in their only career meeting.  You throw in the fact that the match is being played on Court 2, the graveyard of champions, then this has all the makings of a huge first round upset.)

Tsvetana Pironkova (BLR) beats Anna Lapushchenkvoa (RUS) in 2 sets.

*Melanie South (GBR) upsets Regina Kulikova (RUS) in 3 sets.

(30) Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) beats Polona Hercog in 3 sets.

(22) Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (ESP) beats *Greta Arn (HUN) in 2 sets.

Alicia Molik (AUS) beats Zuzana Kucova (SVK) in 2 sets.

Elena Baltacha (GBR) beats Petra Martic (CRO) in 3 sets.

(11) Marion Bartoli (FRA) beats Julia Goerges (GER) in 3 sets.

Ana Ivanovic (SRB) upsets (13) Shaheer Peer (ISR) in 3 sets.

Sania Mirza (IND) upsets Angelique Kerber (GER) in 3 sets.

Jamila Groth (AUS) beats Renata Voracova (CZE) in 2 sets.

(33) Melanie Oudin (USA) beats Anna-Lena Groenefeld (GER) in 3 sets.

(26) Alisa Kleybanova (RUS) beats Sandra Zahlavova (CZE) in 2 sets.

Sofia Arvidsson (SWE) upsets Alla Kudryavtseva (RUS) in 3 sets.

Agnes Szavay (HUN) upsets Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) in 2 sets.

(2) Venus Williams (USA) beats Rossana De Los Rios (PAR) in 2 sets.