Kimiko Date Krumm v Dinara Safina

Dinara Safina says her back is getting better now. Presumably she would not be making her return this early if she wasn’t ready. The bookmakers don’t think so with the price she is at. Defeat to Kimiko Date Krumm at the French Open may have shortened the odds of the 39 year old here. If Dinara Safina wants to have a serious shot at the US Open, I expect her to be in top condition and top form. With the lack of match practice she’s had this year, I expect her to come racing out of the blocks on Tuesday morning and tie the score with her Japanese opponent with a victory in Stanford.

Pick: Dinara Safina

Shahar Peer v Daniela Hantuchova

One of the ties of the opening round places Shahar Peer and Daniela Hantuchova together. Peer has found her form in 2010 and had been as consistent as any prior to the short grass court season. Back on the hard court she will be in her comfort zone as she prepares for a shot at the US Open. A good build up tournament for her, it won’t be an easy start against another player who favours the hard court. Daniela Hantuchova has had success in the past on this surface, but too struggled on the grass court this summer. That came as a surprise, with Hantuchova being a top grass court player. Her form on the hard courts at the start of the year was anything but convincing and the same performance here would ultimately see her eliminated in the first round. That is what I expect to see with Peer powering through the Slovakian.

Pick: Shahar Peer