Tennis Picks 2014 (September 18th)

It has been a good week so far with three picks made and three winners coming home, but I don't want to spend too much time patting myself on the back. Doing that is the quick way to lose focus and end up on the wrong side of the next picks to be made so I do hope the following two picks can keep up the success of the week.

The Second Round at Metz will be completed on Thursday where the likes of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga are trying to make up the points in the bid to reach the World Tour Finals, even if I am of the belief that the Frenchman is too far behind barring withdrawals from those in the top eight.


Jan-Lennard Struff + 2.5 games v Jeremy Chardy: These two players had a really close match at Wimbledon in 2013 and I think their Second Round match is likely to be another tight affair that could easily go either way.

I think Jeremy Chardy is the right favourite as he plays in front of a crowd that will be firmly behind him, but he hasn't been in the best form in the summer and has a surprisingly poor record on the indoor hard courts.

I am surprised simply because Chardy has a decent serve and heavy groundstrokes, but he is error prone too and his second serve would be vulnerable on this kind of surface where the return of serve could be on in before Chardy has a chance to get set.

Jan-Lennard Struff came through a battling First Round match and also has the ability to set up points with his first serve. While the German is still to make a consistent impact on the main Tour, the indoor hard courts have been a favoured domain of his over the last three seasons.

Most of that success came outside of the main Tour events, but he did reach the Semi Final in Marseille earlier this year and can certainly take a set which may give him every chance to stay within this number.


Jerzy Janowicz v Jarkko Nieminen: Two players that won't be too disappointed about seeing the upcoming end of the 2014 season are Jerzy Janowicz and Jarkko Nieminen, although the former is still coming to the peak of his career while the latter is towards the end of his own.

The indoor hard courts should favour Janowicz with his big serve being a real weapon, although the double faults are still an issue.

On the other hand, Nieminen will have a hard time winning this match if he gives the Pole too many second serves to look at and I do think the big serving Janowicz will earn the 'easier' points and the scoreboard pressure will prove too much for Nieminen.

Janowicz reached the Final of the Paris Masters on the indoor hard courts so this presents a chance to pick up vital Ranking points that had been dropped earlier in the season and seen him fall to 40 in the World. This might take three sets, but I think he beats Nieminen in this Second Round match.

MY PICKS: Jan-Lennard Struff + 2.5 Games @ 2.00 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Jerzy Janowicz @ 1.75 Pinnacle (2 Units)


Weekly Update: 3-0, + 5.40 Units (6 Units Staked, + 90% Yield)