tadley

Erjavec isn't a great hard-court player, and in no season has she had a positive win/loss record. She was awful at the Australian Open, winning just two games against Frech. Zidansek has a positive 7-3 win record on hard courts this year, so I give her the edge.

Ostapenko is a deeply frustrating player. She has all the talent in the world but just seems to lose so many matches she should win. She did beat Sramková at the Australian, but that was her only win in her last eight. When odds are on her, it usually pays to swerve her. Selekhmeteva is making significant progress in the rankings and had a 50??"23 win/loss record last year. I think this could be an upset.

Chwalinska is playing well, but she is predominantly a Challenger-level player. Bogdan hasn't played since July due to knee and ankle injuries. If she were anywhere near her best, she could easily win this. I'm hoping that she is ready for this; in that case she should be competitive.

Al Riyadh have climbed out of the relegation zone after three consecutive wins. One of those wins was over leaders Al Hilal. Al Nassr are a strong side, but given Al Riyadh's improved form, I think they look capable of keeping this close.

Mannarino has always been a good player to watch with his unconventional style and has caused many player problems. However, he has completely lost his form since October, losing 11 straight matches. It's hard to back him as favourite with that run. Martinez is mainly a clay player, but he did win a challenger on a hard court this year, so he can obviously play on the surface. With Mannarino struggling, Martinez is the bet.