It is Quarter Final day at the various tournaments that are being played across the continents as we get closer to the start of the first Masters event on the clay courts in Monte Carlo next week.
That looks a strong tournament already with the likes of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer all scheduled to take part despite that being the one Masters that you don't have to play in terms of Ranking points.
All three of those men are clearly of the mind that they can win the French Open this season when you look at the events they will take in ahead of the second Grand Slam of the season.
Fernando Verdasco - 3.5 games v Teymuraz Gabashvili: Fernando Verdasco continues his defence of the title he won last season, but this is going to be far from an easy match against Teymuraz Gabashvili who has given the Spaniard all he can handle in their two previous matches.
Gabashvili also had a win over David Ferrer on the clay courts of Barcelona last season so is clearly someone who can't be underestimated on this surface. He has a decent serve and can play some very attractive tennis from the baseline, while Gabashvili had an impressive win over John Isner in the Second Round.
Isner is a previous Champion here like Verdasco, but I still think Gabashvili will need to up his game if he is going to surprise a second player in a row. Verdasco can be so up and down with his own game at times which will give Gabashvili a chance, but I do think the Spaniard has produced enough quality this week to think he can find a way to battle through this match.
It certainly won't be easy, but I think Verdasco wins 75, 64 in two tough sets.
Feliciano Lopez v Sam Querrey: Sam Querrey has really picked up his level of play over the last few months of the 2014 season as he took part in a few more Challenger events, but he is still not quite up to the main Tour level.
The Ranking has improved, but I think it is a big ask for him to beat Feliciano Lopez in this Quarter Final considering how well the Spaniard has matched up against Querrey in the past.
I think a lot of that is down to the fact that Lopez' backhand slice can extract errors from the Querrey game, while Lopez is also very comfortable getting up to net and putting the ball away. This isn't like the European clay courts as the one in Houston tends to play a bit faster, which won't bother either man in this Quarter Final, but I think Lopez can have the edge when it comes to the one or two points that makes all the difference between winning and losing.
Lopez has won 2 of their 3 previous matches in North America and he looked impressive in his Second Round win. In a match that could be settled by tie-breakers and one or two break point chances, I like Lopez to win.
Madison Keys - 4.5 games v Lauren Davis: Madison Keys won't really be expected to have her best success on the clay courts, but the one in Charleston is playing faster than the ones she will see in the next couple of months. That should aid her in her match with Lauren Davis with this match likely to be settled on her racquet.
This is the fifth time Keys and Davis will meet and the previous four matches have been split, although the power and the aggression will come from the former and her side of the court. If Keys can keep her mind focused on the match and not get frustrated by Davis' ability to get plenty of balls back in play, you would think she can eventually power through this Quarter Final.
The Davis serve is a real weakness too and that could be a real difference in the match.
Both players have been in good form this week with some impressive victories under their belt, but I like Keys to have a little too much in a 63, 64 win.
MY PICKS: Fernando Verdasco - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Feliciano Lopez @ 1.87 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Madison Keys - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Weekly Update: 4-4, - 0.64 Units (16 Units Staked, - 4% Yield)
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