Tennis Picks 2013 (April 29th)

I have made a couple of outright picks from the ATP tournaments in Portugal and Germany this week which can be found here


Svetlana Kuznetsova - 2.5 games v Varvara Lepchenko: I think it would be very foolish to rule out Varvara Lepchenko on the clay courts considering she has beaten the likes of Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci on this surface this season. However, I do think Svetlana Kuznetsova is still more happy on the slower terrain and I do believe she can come through this tough First Round match.

My one real concern is that Kuznetsova hasn't played any tennis since Miami last month, although she has a real chance of being one of the seeds at the French Open with a couple of big runs in the next two weeks and that should be big enough motivation to see her through this match.

The left-handed Lepchenko could also cause some early problems and the Russian has also been complaining about the wind in Portugal. As long as these issues don't cause too many mental breakdowns, I think Kuznetsova comes through the match.


Daniel Brands - 3.5 games v Tobias Kamke: The battle of two home town players should be a decent one, but I would expect Daniel Brands to be a little too strong for Tobias Kamke.

Brands has the bigger serve and any time you can get a few cheaper points on serve can only be a benefit, while Kamke can be very erratic at times and go through phases in a match where he makes a number of unforced errors.

It is those unforced errors that will give Brands a chance on his opponent's serve and while both players have enjoyed some success on the clay courts off the Main Tour, it is Brands that seems to have been able to transfer that form to the highest level of competition.

I'd expect Brands to find a way to grab a break advantage in both sets here.


MY PICKS: Svetlana Kuznetsova - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Daniel Brands - 3.5 Games @ 2.10 Pinnacle (2 Units)