Tomas Berdych (1.17) v Olexsandr Dolgopolov (5.8)

Berdych has showed excellent form in his opening two wins and he is having a superb year having reached the semis at Roland Garros and the final of Wimbledon. The Czech star has also won 14 of 16 matches since March against players now ranked 26-100 with nine wins by at least five games and a further three by exactly four. Furthermore, he’s won all of his last 16 matches when shorter than 1.2 to win with 13 by five or more games and the other three by four.

Dolgopolov produced superb comebacks in his opening two matches having dropped the first set 6/1 on both occasions. However, his win over Youzhny was his first over a top-25 player having lost four previous matches, including the first two sets on each occasion by at least four games.

Recommendation: Berdych to win -4.0 games at 1.83, Sporting Bet

Yanina Wickmayer (2.5) v Na Li (1.62)

Li completed a routine straight sets win in her opening match having received a first round bye. The Chinese number one had lost both her previous matches in North America this year – at Indian Wells and Miami – and played the Danish Open last week as opposed to a US hard court event. As such she snapped a four-match losing streak on outdoor hard courts from earlier in the year and while her recent results have been decent she’s lost 11 of 21 matches on hard courts against current top 25 ranked players since 2009.

Wickmayer is yet to drop a set in two matches here and is well acclimatised having played in California in the past two weeks. The Belgian is also a good underdog having won 12 of 17 matches when 2.2-2.8 to win since 2008, including seven of nine matches on hard courts, with those two defeats being against Stosur and Zvonareva. Wickmayer has also won four of nine matches on hard courts since last year’s US Open with three of her defeats going to a final set.

Since 1997 5-8 seeds at the Canadian Open (generally the first post-Wimbledon Premier event) have won only half their 20 third round matches against 9-16 seeds.

Recommendation: Wickmayer to win at 2.62, Betfair

David Nalbandian (1.9) v Robin Soderling (2.1)

Nalbandian holds a 5-1 head-to-head advantage over the Swede, although they’ve not met since 2008 with Soderling showing a big improvement in the meantime.

However, it is the Argentine who is currently the hottest player on tour having won 10 straight matches for the loss of just two sets, and he was in ruthless form yesterday as he swept Robredo aside. Nalbandian has won seven of 12 matches on hard courts against current top 10 players in the past two years, with three of his defeats coming against either Nadal or Federer. Also, he’s won all three of his matches this year when 1.7-2.0 to win.

Soderling suffered a surprise defeat in the final of Bastad on clay after Wimbledon; having gone to three sets in all his matches in that event, and was stretched to the distance again in his opener here which was his first match for a month and his first on hard courts since the start of April. Moreover, since 2008 Soderling has lost five of eight matches on hard courts when 2.0-2.4 to win and has never been beyond the third round here.

Recommendation: Nalbandian to win at 1.9, Victor Chandler

Ana Ivanovic (1.7) v Elena Vesnina (2.38)

Ivanovic won easily in their only previous meeting, earlier this year on the clay in Rome. However, that was her best surface and Vesnina’s worst and this has been the first time that Ivanovic has won back-to-back matches since Rome. She’s also lost six of 11 matches since 2009 when 1.6-1.9 to win and three of her last 10 matches against players now ranked 26-50.

Since 2009 Vesnina has won 14 of 21 matches on hard courts against players now ranked 26-100 as well as five of nine matches not on clay since 2008 when 2.1-2.5 to win. Furthermore, she’s won six of her last seven matches having reached the final in Istanbul and beat the French Open champion in her last match.

Since 2000 at the Canadian Open 19/27 matches between two non-seeds where one player beat a seed in their previous match and the other didn’t have been won by the player who beat the seed, including seven of nine when the seed was top-eight.

Recommendation: Vesnina to win at 2.38, Sporting Bet

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (1.83) v Shahar Peer (2.1)

Pavlyuchenkova is at a career high ranking and having won her last seven matches, including wins over Hantuchova and Dementieva here, is starting to show why she has been tipped as a future World Number One. The Russian has also won nine of her 13 matches since 2009 when 1.6-2.0 to win and all six of her matches on outdoor hard courts against players now ranked 11-50 since February.

Peer has had two easy matches so far but after disappointing defeats to Radwanska (won just two games), Kirilenko, Kerber and Zheng in her last four tournaments her form seems to have dropped after an excellent first half to the year. Moreover, she’s lost her last five completed matches not on clay when a 2.0-2.4 underdog, with the last four all lost in straight sets.

Since 1997 at the Canadian Open, non-seeds who beat a top-eight seed in their previous match have won eight of 11 completed matches against 9-16 seeds with five 2-0 wins and five by at least five clear games.

Recommendation: Pavlyuchenkova to win at 1.73, Sky Bet

Flavia Pennetta (1.8) v Vera Zvonareva (2.1)

In their three meetings last year – all on hard courts – Pennetta won twice and after reaching the semis or better in her last three tournaments the Italian looks full of confidence. She also found her best form at this stage of the season a year ago, when she won Palermo and LA before reaching the semis here. Pennetta has won 13 of her last 19 matches when 1.6-2.0 to win on hard courts and seven of 11 matches in the past year on hard against current top 10 players.

As mentioned in our tournament preview, Wimbledon finalists have a poor record at the first post-SW19 Premier event and Zvonareva’s form has been poor since London as she lost to a qualifier ranked outside the top 200 in the second round in San Diego and was stretched to a final set tie-break by Kirilenko yesterday. Moreover, she’s lost nine of her last 11 completed matches when a 2.0-2.5 underdog and just one of her last nine on hard courts against players currently ranked 11-25.

Recommendation: Pennetta to win at 1.8, Coral

Maria Sharapova (1.53) v Agnieszka Radwanska (3)

Sharapova has won five of her six meetings with Radwanska, including each of the last four, and after a slow start in Stanford she conceded just four games in the last two sets.

Sharapova has won 14 of her last 16 matches on hard courts against current top 10 players with eight 2-0 wins in the 15 completed matches. Furthermore, her recent form is good having reached the final in Birmingham, then pushing Serena Williams close at Wimbledon before reaching another final in Stanford. She’s also won all five hard court matches she’s been 1.4-1.7 to win since 2009, with four 2-0 wins.

Radwanska has also been in excellent form, but has lost seven of eight completed outdoor hard court matches since 2008 when 2.5-3.5 to win with five straight-set losses. Furthermore, she’s lost eight of her last 10 matches against current top 25 ranked players with five in straight sets.

Recommendation: Sharapova to win 2-0 at 2.5, Betfair