Tennis Picks July 13th

It was a miserable start to the week yesterday as all four picks made failed to make the grade. There were some bad luck attached to some of the failures, but that's the way it goes sometimes and you have to take the rough with the smooth.

While those picks failed to get anything going, at least Juan Monaco and Marin Cilic made it through to the Quarter Finals in their respective tournaments.

With many of the tournaments still waiting to ensure all their Quarter Finalists are settled, it does mean the choices for the day's play have not been given to us just yet so I will be making the picks, if any, in the morning.


Irina-Camelia Begu - 4.5 games v Estrella Cabeza-Candela: This is a big match for two girls that will feel they can have a real breakthrough week on the Main Tour with a Semi Final place up for the winner.

Estrella Cabeza-Candela had to qualify for the tournament in Palermo, but she has done very well to get to this stage, although the match up against Irina-Camelia Begu is not the best for her. Begu is beginning to make a real move up the Rankings, although she has struggled for consistency over the last couple of months.

The clay courts remain Begu's biggest opportunity for success as she hopes to replicate the form she showed after Wimbledon last year. At that time, Begu was a Runner Up and a Quarter Finalist at her next two tournaments on the clay, and that is what she will look to replicate here.

Cabeza-Candela has performed well whenever she has reached the Main Tour this season, but the majority of her work remains on the Challenger Tour. However, she has a couple of Quarter Final appearances to her name on the Main Tour over the last 12 months, although always finding someone too strong at that stage.

These two met twice last year with Begu winning both matches on clay courts. In each of those matches, Begu won one set with a bagel and she also won all the sets they have competed against one another. I will look for her to continue that form here and book a Semi Final place with a bit of ease.


Alexandr Dolgopolov - 3.5 games v Carlos Berlocq: Alexandr Dolgopolov was the beneficiary of a bad line call in his win over Fabio Fognini which allowed him to move through to this match with a bit of ease, despite a couple of wobbles down the stretch. The Ukrainian has been struggling for form over the last couple of months, but he does have good memories of this tournament as the defending Champion and clearly is at ease in his surroundings.

Dolgopolov meets Carlos Berlocq in this Quarter Final who has lost 6 of his last 7 matches before winning in the first two Rounds here. The Argentine is far behind the form that took him to Finals and Quarter Final appearances earlier in the season and this is the furthest he has got in a tournament since reaching the same stage in Houston back in April.

While Dolgopolov is a little more erratic in his play, I think he is going to be a little too strong for Berlocq who is not playing at a great level and has taken advantage of a kind draw so far.

They have also met three times since the beginning of last season and it is Dolgopolov who leads 2-1, including a straight sets win on a clay court.

This might be close, but a 6-4, 6-4 win for Dolgopolov could be the outcome in my opinion.


Dominika Cibulkova - 3.5 games v Sorana Cirstea: Dominika Cibulkova is one of the toughest players to read on the Tour, although she does strike me as one who plays behind her confidence- for example, if she has a close record against someone, or she has played tough matches against someone, I think Cibulkova will play them tough every time.

This is the case today as she plays against Sorana Cirstea, a player she has comfortably beaten in both their previous matches, including for the loss of just two games earlier this season in Barcelona.

Cirstea started the season with a great win over Sam Stosur in the Australian Open, but she has failed to reach those heights consistently and I think that will be her problem against a player like Cibulkova that can cover the court effectively.

I think Cibulkova will likely get a break more in each set than Cirstea and that should see her through to the cover here.


MY PICKS: Irina-Camelia Begu - 4.5 games @ 1.95 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Alexandr Dolgopolov - 3.5 games @ 1.92 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Dominika Cibulkova - 3.5 games @ 1.90 Pinnacle (2 Units)


Weekly Update: 0-4, - 4 Units (4 Units Staked)