After the shocking news about Victor Troicki yesterday, there are some reports today that suggest Marin Cilic is another player that has failed a random test, this time in Munich earlier this season. This news is still to be confirmed by the ITF so I am not going to say anything more about it until we have the full facts, but it should be enough to say I would be massively disappointed if this turns out to be the case.
Marin Cilic is certainly one of the players I enjoy watching on the Tour and it would be a real kick in the teeth if he is banned for doping. It would also raise a few more questions about the amount that tennis players are tested on the Tour with notable names like Novak Djokovic admitting he goes months without hearing the knock on the door.
With potentially two high profile cases, the random testing procedure will certainly be called into question going forward.
It was yet another very positive day for the picks on Friday, although I am writing this while the Santiago Giraldo-Ryan Harrison match is in the third set and Kevin Anderson-Denis Istomin is yet to begin. However, the earlier picks from the tournaments had mainly been successful to make this a very strong week already as we get to the Semi Final stage.
I will update the weekly totals from the last two picks once those matches have been concluded.
Victor Hanescu + 2.5 games v Mikhail Youzhny: Both of the Semi Finals in Gstaad look like tight matches and I think taking the games in both will end up being the smart play in matches where the underdog has a real chance of winning outright.
The first of the Semi Finals is being contested by two players that will be well aware of what the other can bring to the table. Victor Hanescu and Mikhail Youzhny will be meeting for the ninth time on Tour and they have split the previous eight meetings at four apiece.
However, it is Hanescu who holds a 3-1 lead on the clay courts and that includes a surprise win over the Russian earlier this season. That match was closer than the straight sets win for Hanescu suggested, but he will feel he can back that up here with the conditions as they are in Gstaad.
The ball is moving pretty quickly with the altitude and that will only aid the Hanescu serve and Youzhny has spent a lot more time on the court this week with all three matches having to be decided in the final set. There is more than a little chance that Hanescu will win at least one set and that could give him a strong chance to cover this small spread even if he doesn't quite pull out the win.
Robin Haase + 2.5 games v Feliciano Lopez: Feliciano Lopez crushed Robin Haase at the US Open last year in their last meeting, but I do think Robin Haase is capable of keeping this match close and has a real chance of actually winning the match.
The clay courts are where Haase will certainly feel at his most comfortable and he too has a decent serve and heavy groundstrokes that can take advantage of the faster conditions here in Gstaad.
He will likely have to serve well as Lopez has been serving effectively for much of the week and has been particularly tough on any break points he has faced.
The match has a feeling of being one that could go the entire way to a three set encounter and Haase has every chance to win the match. As long as he doesn't crumble in a manner that the Dutchman can sometimes do, a set should be enough for him to put himself in a position to cover the spread even if Haase doesn't win the match.
Gael Monfils + 2.5 games v Fabio Fognini: The most in-form player on the Tour is a couple wins away from taking away three titles in back to back to back weeks, but this could be the toughest test for Fabio Fognini to overcome.
Fognini has been playing some very good tennis for the last month and he hasn't just been winning matches, but winning fairly comfortably for the most part. He has only dropped a couple of sets during his 12 match winning run and this week he has continued to look impressive.
His return of serve has been very effective and he is putting opponents under a lot of pressure, so much so that his own serve has been well protected for the most part.
However, Gael Monfils is a player that can force a lot of mistakes from his opponents and he can certainly grind some mistakes out of the Italian, while his first serve can be effective enough to set up points. It was that first serve that set up Monfils' win over Fognini in Nice earlier this season on the clay and I believe this could be a tight three setter which may allow the Frenchman to cover the spread even if he loses.
Kevin Anderson - 3.5 games v Ryan Harrison: Kevin Anderson came through a tough Quarter Final last night and I would expect him to serve a little more effectively in this match than he did yesterday.
His first serve percentage was too low and that kept him under a little bit of pressure on serve, but I expect him to have a little more success in this match.
Ryan Harrison hasn't had a great season, but he came through a tough match yesterday to reach the Semi Final here in Atlanta for the second time in three seasons. He does look a little short of confidence and that could be seen in his play when he was over-reliant on the high, looping ball and that will be punished by a big hitter like Anderson.
The American does have a decent serve, but it is one that Anderson could get his teeth into and I like the Number 2 seed in Atlanta to win this one 64, 64.
Jamie Hampton + 3.5 games v Agnieszka Radwanska: I believe that Jamie Hampton can certainly make an impact on the WTA Tour now that her injuries have cleared up and she is going to be moving up the Rankings with a real chance to be seeded at the US Open.
Hampton can be aggressive on return of serve and that will be aided by the faster courts that are preferred in North America. She can certainly get involved in the Agnieszka Radwanska service games, while Hampton possesses a decent serve that could cause her higher Ranked opponent some problems.
My biggest concern is that I have sometimes seen Hampton collapse in a set and that could help her Polish opponent cover the spread even if this goes into a third set. However, I think there is some upside to the Hampton game and I do think she can force a decider and hopefully will do so and cover the spread even if she doesn't quite spring the surprise win.
MY PICKS: Victor Hanescu + 2.5 Games @ 1.92 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Robin Haase + 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Gael Monfils + 2.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Kevin Anderson - 3.5 Games @ 2.05 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Jamie Hampton + 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Weekly Update: 16-11, + 9.86 Units (52 Units Staked, + 18.96% Yield)
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