It was a good day all around yesterday as all three picks came in to the winning circle, while Maria Sharapova has moved into the Fourth Round here as one of my three outright choices of the week.
Hopefully we can move forward with some more positive results as the tournament begins to hot up in the second week.
Today looks like another tough day for predictions, but I have found three picks that I think are worth chancing.
Gilles Simon win 2-1 in sets v Jurgen Melzer: These two players have met four times in the past and have split those meetings 2-2, but I think it is telling that all of the matches have been close affairs with 3 of those finishing without a straight sets win.
I think Simon's grinding style will work well here in Miami, although the match is scheduled to take place on the faster Grandstand court today. Jurgen Melzer has been struggling a little since winning in Memphis and was feeling under the weather last time out at Indian Wells.
I just feel the Frenchman will be a little more solid when it comes down to the crunch, but Melzer is capable of taking a set off of him on the way through.
John Isner - 3.5 games v Florian Mayer: Florian Mayer is one of the most awkward players to meet on the Tour, especially when you have never seen his style of play up close and I expect it may take John Isner a little bit of time to get used to the variations of spin and slice.
However, Mayer does throw in a couple of poor service games every set he plays, and I think that will be the difference between the two players here as Isner should be able to hold serve with relative comfort and pressure his opponent on the scoreboard.
Isner has been in very good form at Indian Wells and won a tough first match here against Nikolay Davydenko, while Mayer has not been in the best of form himself. I am guessing Isner does enough to get a break in each of the first two sets, and that should be good enough to cover the spread.
Daniela Hantuchova + 4.5 games v Ana Ivanovic: I said I won't back Daniela Hantuchova as a favourite any time soon as she just seems to be lacking the belief to win those matches as comfortably as she should, but I do like her here with the games.
Ana Ivanovic has been struggling with a hip injury, one that forced her withdrawal at Indian Wells in her match with Maria Sharapova, and it won't be easy against an opponent that has given her trouble in the past.
Ivanovic holds a 4-2 head to head record against Hantuchova, but it was the Slovakian that won their last meeting on the grass courts in Birmingham last season, while 4 of their 6 meetings have been close affairs.
Hantuchova's form has been a little up and down to say the least in recent weeks, but she does have the shot making ability to at least steal a set here and that could be enough for her to cover the spread, even in a losing effort.
MY PICKS: Gilles Simon win 2-1 in sets @ 4.00 Bet Victor (1 Unit)
John Isner - 3.5 games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Daniela Hantuchova + 4.5 games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Weekly Update: 6-2, + 6.81 Units (11 Units Staked)
No comments:
Post a Comment