Elizabeth Smylie makes her WTA Fantasy picks for this week’s Mudabala Silicon Valley Classic in San Jose.
Elina Svitolina
“My first pick is Elina, who is always a dangerous player when she is in form. Her recent semifinal showing at Wimbledon – where she became the first Ukrainian woman to reach that stage at a major – shows me she is confident. Elina has an impressive 13-2 record in tournament finals, including the WTA Finals to finish off 2018 in style. She’ll be motivated for a strong finish this year too.”
Elise Mertens
“Well established in the Top 20, Elise has posted some of her best results on tour on a hardcourt. She was a semifinalist at this event last year, followed by consecutive quarterfinals showings in Montreal and Cincinnati leading into the US Open. She also had a great run in the dry condition of Doha this year, with wins over Bertens, Kerber and Halep on her way to her biggest title to date. She can beat the best.”
Aryna Sabalenka
“Even though her form coming into San Jose has not been sensational, Aryna has had excellent results on hardcourts in the past, including wins over the likes of Kvitova and Wozniacki last summer. This week she has the opportunity to get her 2019 season back on track – and I think she will be dangerous if she gets through a couple of rounds.”
Outsider Pick: Amanda Anisimova
“The youngest player in the Top 100 at 17 years of age, Amanda impressed with her run to the semis at the French this year, including a win over Simona Halep. I think hardcourts suit her even better; she posted a great fourth round effort at the Australian Open earlier this year, defeating Sabalenka en route. Already ranked inside the Top 25, she is certainly a rising star on the WTA Tour.”
