French Open Day 8 Picks

I am writing this in my last spare time before the big Final this evening and know I wont be able to get back online (in a sober state anyway) before tomorrow afternoon so thought I would put my picks up for Sunday's day at the French Open.

My Day 7 Picks are mainly still running, but Djokovic completed the 3-1 set win. Mardy Fish, however, looked like a.... errrr.... hmmm... Fish out of water as he was being demolished by Gilles Simon and I expect that match is likely over as I write.

I will be back for Day 9 Picks when I will update the profit/loss column.


Now on to Day 8 Picks:

Roger Federer - 7 games vs Stanislas Wawrinka: Roger Federer looked really good in his win against Janko Tipsarevic, even though the 2nd set was a little tighter. He covered the spread in that Round and now faces his compratiot in Round 4.

Wawrinka showed his heart and desire again when coming from 2 sets down to beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in Round 3, but it will be interesting to see how he copes with Federer here.

Federer leads the head to head 10-1, and also leads 3-1 on clay courts after losing their first meeting on the surface.

Federer also beat Wawrinka by 8 games last year in this tournament and I think he can take advantage of the quicker conditions to record yet another win over the Swiss Number 2.


Marion Bartoli win 2-0 in sets vs Giselko Dulko: It was Dulko who took the headlines in the last Round by beating Sam Stosur, last year's runner up, in 3 sets, but I think it was Bartoli who had the more impressive win by knocking off Julia Goerges, one of the dark horses to win the tournament and arguably the women in the hottest form outside of Victoria Azarenka.

Bartoli has been pushed to 3 sets in every Round so far, but the home hope is still standing strong. She has a 4-0 head to head record against Dulko and is yet to drop a set to the Argentine.

To be fair, this is their first meeting on a clay court, but Bartoli has shown she is in form after reaching the Final in Strasbourg last week and should come through in straight sets.


Svetlana Kuznetsova - 1.5 games vs Daniela Hantuchova: I will admit that Daniela Hantuchova surprised me with her win over Caroline Wozniacki in the last Round, but this could represent a step up in class for her.

I was glad Hantuchova got through as I get another chance to watch her play, but Kuznetsova is a real threat to win this tournament having done so in 2009. The Russian has breezed through the tournament and lost just 11 games enroute to this match.

Kuznetsova also leads the head to head between the players 7-4, and has won both meetings on clay without losing a set.

Hantuchova took advantage of Wozniacki's 'get the ball into play' philosophy, but might find it hard to get past a player that will hit through the court.


MY PICKS: Roger Federer - 7 games @ 2.00 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Marion Bartoli win 2-0 sets @ 2.38 Stan James (2 Units)
Svetlana Kuznetsova - 1.5 games @ 1.95 Pinnacle (2 Units)