WTA Week Ahead: Paris, Pattaya City

Paris

Draw here.

Defending champion Amelie Mauresmo may not be returning (excuse me while I have a moment to myself), but it’s still a pretty great draw. Serena has predictably withdrawn, so the top seed is Elena Dementieva, and it’s hard to see anyone in her quarter causing her too much trouble, unless Rezai puts in a Sydney-like performance in the quarters. Yanina Wickmayer is the top seed in the second quarter, but after reaching the quarterfinals of the Australian Open and putting in a heroic performance in Fed Cup this weekend, it’s hard to see her having the energy for a deep run. Some great first-round matches in this quarter – Szavay-Govortsova, Oudin-Cirstea, and Schnyder-Razzano – and really anyone could come out here. Almost everyone seems due for a deep run.

By comparison the third quarter seems a little light, with Peer, Schiavone, Safarova and Cornet all coming off Fed Cup duty. I can’t see Bacsinszky or Paszek taking much advantage, though. I call a Peer-Schiavone quarterfinal. And in the fourth quarter, the big question is whether Kleybanova can build on a good Fed Cup performance to take out Flavia in the second round and kick on from there. I’m saying no, while Elena Vesnina has yet to do much of note in 2010.

Predicted champion: Elena Dementieva. She nearly won it last year, has had a good long rest after dropping early in the Australian Open and skipping Fed Cup, and this is the kind of tournament where she eats.

Pattaya City

Draw here.

Top four seeds are defending champion Vera Zvonareva, Licky, Vera Dushevina and Yaroslava Shvedova. Looking at Vera’s draw, it’s almost impossible to see her not defending. I just hope Licky can stay in long enough to make things interesting.

Predicted champion: Vera Zvonareva