DELPO! I was delighted to wake up to the news that Juan Martin del Potro won his first match on his comeback from wrist surgery with a straight sets win over Sergiy Stakhovsky.  I’m hoping to find time to watch some of the match tonight! In an unsurprising turn of events, the Sydney draw is breaking up rather spectacularly with Simona Halep, Caroline Wozniacki and Agnieszka Radwanska all out.  This is the first of two previews for tonight…

1. Tsvetana Pironkova v Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (Sydney, QF)

Barbora Zahlavova Strycova has had a great start to the year and I am fast becoming a fan.  I’ve watched highlights from a couple of her matches this year and she has made a very promising start to the year.  Last week, she reached the semi-finals of Auckland.  She advanced via retirement in the first round of Sydney when Caroline Wozniacki was forced to pull out with a wrist injury and then defeated Sam Stosur, 7-6(1) 6-2.  BZS wobbled serving out the first set, but completely dominated the tiebreak and the second set.  Her all-court game is both fun to watch and effective, and she has become much more solid on court reducing the number of unforced errors she makes and staying more concentrated and in the moment.

BZS’s next match is against Tsvetana Pironkova who continues to be in the hunt to defend her Sydney title from last year.  Now that would be a storyline.  Pironkova came through qualifying, just like last year, and on Tuesday, took advantage of another retirement (plenty of them floating around the week before a Slam), this time from Madison Keys.  Last year, similarities were being made between Sydney and grass courts due to the low bounce.  This would certainly validate Pironkova and BZS doing well this week, although both have benefited from a withdrawal.  The pair at tied at 1-1 in their head-to-head with their last match taking place at Wimbledon in 2013.  Pironkova is obviously dangerous, but having watched some of BZS’s matches, I’d go for the Czech player to reach the semi-finals.

Prediction: Zahlavova Strycova d. Pironkova in 2 tight sets

Sydney Quarter-Final Prediction

Karolina Pliskova d. Carla Suarez Navarro in 3 sets