Tennis Picks 14th June

I didn't make any picks yesterday as the rain delay meant the layers did not get any prices up so I didn't make enough research into the picks and decided to give it a miss.

It has been a good week for picking the underdogs as I have gone 3-1 with all four picks being the dog in the contest. Not sure that will keep working going forward, but it is always a good policy when the matches are closer as players make the transition from clay to grass.

A quick look at the results from Queens yesterday will show that Andy Murray and Andy Roddick were big surprise losers to Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin in their first matches with grass underneath the feet, while Marcos Baghdatis and Gilles Simon were another couple of favourites that lost.

Bare that in mind as players are still trying to get used to the surface with Wimbledon beginning under two weeks time.

Picks:


Kevin Anderson v Feliciano Lopez: I was fortunate enough to see Feliciano Lopez in live action on Wednesday and I was not totally convinced with his win over Steve Darcis as he didn't serve as well as Lopez can on the grass courts.

He could be in a for a really tough test against the big serving South African Kevin Anderson who will put additional pressure on the Lopez serve by generally holding his own and that could be the key in seeing the underdog come through this contest.

I am just not convinced that Lopez is at 100% following his retirement at the French Open and he won't want to exert himself too much with Wimbledon fast approaching. I just feel Anderson may be able to take advantage if Lopez' mind is elsewhere and I don't believe he should be the underdog when the Spaniard has some questions to answer about his fitness and mental state.


Roger Federer - 4.5 games v Florian Mayer: I know, I know... I said it can be tough to make the transition from clay to grass yet here I am taking a big favourite in his first grass court match of the season. Roger Federer is one of a few players that have usually made the transition fairly well in the past and I think this match up is to his liking.

I have also stated that Federer may be carrying an injury judging from his performances at the French Open and this will be a good test for him. Florian Mayer will enjoy the home support and has the tools to be a really awkward customer on the grass courts but taking on Federer is a different matter altogether.

The World Number 3 has also got a 3-0 head to head record against Mayer, including a straight sets win here at Halle, and he has found a way to get a double-break in a number of sets they have competed against one another... Another set secured by a double-break should see Federer cover this spread.


Rafael Nadal - 5.5 games v Lukas Lacko: It has only been three days since Rafael Nadal completed his seventh win on the clay courts at Roland Garros, but he opens up his singles tournament on the grass courts in this match. Nadal has already partnered Marcel Granollers to a win in the doubles draw and the Spaniard is another of the few players that seamlessly moves from clay to grass as if nothing has changed.

I expect Nadal to play his usual game of fighting for everything on the court and not allowing his opponent to have a minutes rest. That has been the case in 2 of the 3 previous meetings with Lukas Lacko in the past which Nadal has won comfortably, although he did have a struggle in Doha back in January 2011 against the Slovakian.

Lacko has been pretty disappointing since that time and has not progressed as far as he perhaps should have despite being ranked at number 58 right now. He has been a little hit and miss on the grass courts and this could really depend on which side of bed Lacko has got out of ahead of this match.

However, no matter which Lacko turns up, he is going to have a real fight on his hands and a 6-2, 6-4 result looks on the cards.


MY PICKS: Kevin Anderson @ 2.30 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Roger Federer - 4.5 games @ 1.80 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Rafael Nadal - 5.5 games @ 1.95 Panbet (2 Units)


Weekly Update: 3-1, + 5.26 Units (8 Units Staked)