Tennis Picks August 15th

It is a brand new week following wins for Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams in Montreal and Toronto respectively, and we have yet another Masters tournament beginning with this week representing the last really important week before the final Grand Slam of the season begins at Flushing Meadows on August 29th.

My outright picks are already up on the blog and a couple of the 1st Round matches were played yesterday with Juan Martin Del Potro and James Blake moving through to the 2nd Round.

The early Rounds can be a bit of a minefield, even in these Masters events, but I will be hoping I can continue the form that produced a profit last week.

On to the Picks:

Klara Zakopalova vs Lucie Safarova: I am beginning the week by taking this big priced underdog to surprise Lucie Safarova.

I think the higher ranked Czech player has been set as the short priced favourite after a decent week in Toronto where she was eventually defeated in 3 sets by Serena Williams. On the other hand, Zakopalova was comfortably beaten by Greta Arn.

However, it seems like Safarova stuggles when she meets her compatriot with Zakopalova holding a 4-1 head to head record.

Safarova beat Zakopalova in 3 sets at the Australian Open in January, but has since lost in Dubai on the hard courts and at Wimbledon in a surprise defeat in 3 sets.

Safarova struggled on the hard courts last season, including a 1st Round exit at this tournament, and she does look ripe for the surprise defeat here.


Feliciano Lopez vs Juan Carlos Ferrero: Neither one of these players has played much hard court tennis this Summer, instead opting to play in clay court events and it was no surprise to see both exiting early in Montreal last week.

Feliciano Lopez should have the edge on these faster courts over Ferrero mainly thanks to a stronger serve and I think that will lead to a win for him here.

Lopez has won the last 2 meetings between the players, although the last was back in 2007, and I think he has been in good enough form of late to come through even if it takes 3 sets.


Fernando Verdasco - 3.5 games vs Thomaz Bellucci: I hate taking Fernando Verdasco these days as he has returned to the inconsistent form that blighted his game pre-Australia in 2009.

However, he is playing an opponent that is clearly struggling to adjust his game to these faster surfaces this season and I believe Verdasco will be able to come through in straight sets, although don't expect it to be easy.

Bellucci won their last meeting on the clay courts of Mexico earlier this year, but I am going to back Verdasco to reverse that form here.


David Nalbandian vs Kei Nishikori: Another player that I hate backing these days is David Nalbandian, and it does look like he won't be on the Tour for too much longer.

I have a soft spot for Nalbandian as I have considered him one of my favourite players over the last decade, but he is clearly not the force of old.

However, I am not convinced he should be considered an outsider against the talented, but inconsistent, Kei Nishikori. The Japanese player is under the tutelage of Brad Gilbert these days, but has not incorporated the 'win ugly' mentality that Gilbert instills in his pupils.

Nishikori has won a couple of qualifying rounds here in Cincinnati so should be familiar with the conditions- I just don't think he deserves to be favourite against a Nalbandian just yet.


MY PICKS: Klara Zakopalova @ 3.5 BlueSquare (1 Unit)
Feliciano Lopez @ 1.75 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Fernando Verdasco - 3.5 games @ 1.91 Bet365 (2 Units)
David Nalbandian @ 2.20 Victor Chandler (1 Unit)