Tennis Picks 2015 (June 10th)

The tennis tournaments in Stuttgart, Hertogenbosch and Nottingham continue on Wednesday as half of the Second Round matches are scheduled for action.


Fernando Verdasco - 2.5 games v Robin Haase: This is an interesting Second Round match as Robin Haase will get plenty of home support against Fernando Verdasco and has beaten him on grass before. However, Haase hasn't shown a lot of positive form on the main Tour over the last twelve months and he is a player that has regularly struggled on this surface, which does make his sole win against Verdasco on a grass court quite surprising.

That is also much to do with Verdasco who has been comfortable on the surface in the past and that four set loss at Wimbledon did come in an upset. Both players have come through First Round matches, although Verdasco did have to expend more energy than Haase and also plays on consecutive days.

The Spaniard is also trying to get back on the right path after an extremely disappointing loss at the French Open to Benjamin Becker, but Verdasco has had a strong first six months of the season by his recent standards. While he won't reach the level he was producing in 2009, Verdasco has already recorded 17 wins on the Tour this season and looks like he could surpass the 27 and 26 wins he has reached the last couple of years.

Inconsistency still blights the Verdasco game and he will have to serve better than he did in the First Round, but I do think he is in a better place with his game than Haase and I like him to come through 76, 64.


Ivo Karlovic - 2.5 games v Tatsuma Ito: It was a strong win for Tatsuma Ito against Ricardis Berankis in the First Round after coming through the qualifiers and that should mean he is perfectly content with the conditions at this tournament.

However, the challenge is certainly a big one as Ito now meets Ivo Karlovic in the Second Round although the latter is playing his first grass court match of the season. It is no surprise that the clay court season wasn't exactly productive for Karlovic, while the veteran has a 3-6 record since winning the title in Delray Beach.

Despite a game that should clearly suit grass, Karlovic has generally disappointed when it comes to his performances at Wimbledon. He did reach the Final in Newport in 2014, but another issue for Karlovic is he is just 4-7 in grass tournaments outside of Newport from 2011.

That might actually give Ito some confidence in this match, but I think Ito's serve is one that can be vulnerable and I am not sure how much joy he gets out of the Karlovic service games. The pressure on the scoreboard could also affect Ito and I do think the Seeded player comes through with a 76, 64 win.


Philipp Kohlschreiber - 3.5 games v Jerzy Janowicz: It has only been two years since Jerzy Janowicz surprised everyone with a run to the Wimbledon Semi Finals, but he has failed to reach those heights in the time since. The big Pole had to come through a tough First Round match against Dustin Brown, but he will need to raise his level of performance again if he is to beat home hope Philipp Kohlschreiber in the Second Round.

The German had an impressive First Round win over the enigmatic Alexandr Dolgopolov and Kohlschreiber has always been comfortable on the grass courts. The last couple of years haven't been his best on the grass courts, but Kohlschreiber has the game to really get back on track and is a definite contender to win here.

There is also a feeling that the grass courts in Stuttgart are not playing particularly fast and that would aid Kohlschreiber against what is usually a big serve that Janowicz can produce. In his match with Dustin Brown, Janowicz struggled with his serve early on and that was against a limited returner.

Kohlschreiber will need to serve well to keep Janowicz from getting too invested in this match, but I think he can do that and win this one 64, 64.

MY PICKS: Fernando Verdasco - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Ivo Karlovic - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Philipp Kohlschreiber - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 4-2, + 3.62 Units (12 Units Staked, + 30.17% Yield)