US Open Tennis Day 2 Picks 2021 (August 31st)

The US Open has gotten underway, but I won't have the results from the Day 1 Tennis Picks until the early hours of Tuesday morning (for those of us in Europe).

I will update the opening results, but for now you can read my thoughts on Day 2 and the selections I am making as the First Round is completed.

Novak Djokovic - 9.5 games v Holger Rune: The World Number 1 is back after taking a few weeks off following his exploits at the Tokyo Olympics. There are some doubts surrounding Novak Djokovic who is looking to cement his name in the history of the sport by completing a calendar Grand Slam following successes in Melbourne, Paris and London before this event is played in New York City.

Winning a fourth consecutive Grand Slam would also take Novak Djokovic ahead of both Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer as it would mean a twenty-first Major to add to his collection, but that brings a pressure of its own. The Serb has won this tournament three times previously, although that also means there will be plenty of hopes for the rest of the draw and especially with Novak Djokovic looking like he was struggling physically by the end of the Olympic tournament.

Missing out on Toronto and Cincinnati means there are some uncertainties around Novak Djokovic, but he does play a Qualifier in the First Round here. That should give him every chance of easing himself into the tournament, although Djokovic will be the first to admit that it would be foolish to overlook Holger Rune with the three wins behind him.

Those three wins did come against players Ranked Number 175 and lower and it is a marked step up towards Novak Djokovic and the World Number 1 position. Holger Rune will have to try and play his tennis and get on the front foot on the court, but the 18 year old Dane is going to be in a situation that he has yet to truly experience on the Tour.

The younger player has won thirteen matches in a row, but the large majority of those have been played on the clay courts. Holger Rune has plenty of experience in taking on top 100 Ranked opponents on that surface, but he has only won 60% of the points behind serve and I do think taking on someone like Novak Djokovic may see Rune fall away over the course of the best of five set format.

This will be the first time Holger Rune has played in this format and I do think Novak Djokovic can cover a very big number even if he has to make a slightly slower start into the tournament. The Dane should offer some early resistance, but my feeling is that Novak Djokovic will begin to turn the screw by the middle of the second set and that should see the World Number 1 announce his intentions to win the US Open with a good looking First Round performance.

Alexander Zverev - 6.5 games v Sam Querrey: There has been a worrying legal issue behind the scenes which have been harder and harder to ignore as Alexander Zverev has continued to win the big titles. The World Number 4 has his own representation dealing with things and so far those legal issues have not prevented him from producing his best tennis over the last several weeks.

Last year Alexander Zverev was beaten in the US Open Final despite leading Dominic Thiem 2-0 in sets, but he has managed to use that experience to try and strengthen and improve his performances. This year I do think Alexander Zverev will have plenty of fans backing him to win the title and I do think he can be considered the player in the best form along with Daniil Medvedev.

Alexander Zverev won the Gold Medal at the Tokyo Olympics and he has backed that up by winning the Cincinnati Masters and an eleven match winning run means all of the momentum is behind him. The German has also been producing much stronger numbers on the hard courts in 2021 compared with 2020 when reaching the US Open Final and I do think it is going to take a big effort to stop him over the next fortnight.

The US Open can produce plenty of upsets though and so it is very important for Alexander Zverev to be fully focused from the off. His opening opponent has experienced success in the US Open previously and being a home player, Sam Querrey is expected to have plenty of support coming from the stands.

However, Sam Querrey has only produced a really disappointing 2-7 record on the hard courts in 2021 and he has lost six matches in a row. The American has suffered opening Round defeats in Los Cabos, Atlanta and Washington and Sam Querrey has only broken in 7% of return games played on the surface in 2021 which puts him under immense pressure to keep holding serve.

At 33 years old, Sam Querrey is a veteran of the Tour and his service numbers have dipped slightly in terms of percentage of points won. As I have mentioned above, the failure to get into return games has put pressure on Querrey who has held 84% of the service games played on the hard courts and I do think it is going to be very difficult to imagine him earning the upset here.

Alexander Zverev has won both previous matches against Sam Querrey and both on the hard courts, although the two players have not met since 2019. In that match, Zverev saved the single break point he faced and he was able to find a couple of breaks of serve in a straight sets win.

I think he is much improved now and I think Alexander Zverev's 28% break percentage in return games played on the hard courts in 2021 will likely see him find the breaks in this match to cover this handicap mark. I can see one of the sets being quite competitive, but I then believe Alexander Zverev will get his eye in on the return and can find around three breaks of serve which should be enough for comfortable passage through to the Second Round.

Gael Monfils - 6.5 games v Federico Coria: After a rocky start to 2021, Gael Monfils looks to have rounded into some form ahead of the US Open, although not many will be expecting the veteran to truly be around at the business end of the tournament. That isn't to say he can't have an impact in the event, and Gael Monfils has looked pretty happy and content with his approach to the US Open.

A 4-2 record in the two North American hard court events that were played this month won't exactly set the pulses racing, but Gael Monfils will be pleased with his level shown. The returning part of his tennis has not let Gael Monfils down, but over the last month there has been a significant uptick in the points being won behind serve which is leading to more holds and ultimately meaning he can move into a position to win matches.

That is very important for a player who will be slipping down the World Rankings unless he can have a strong end to the 2021 season. Putting some wins on the board at a Grand Slam will help in that respect and Gael Monfils is rightly a considerable favourite to beat an opponent who is much happier on the slower surfaces.

Federico Coria has hit a wall a little bit since playing the top Tour players on a regular basis over the last twelve months and his hard court numbers are not great. The Argentinian has a 2-5 record on the hard courts and he has held just 66% of the service games he has played on the surface, while breaking in 18% of return games faced.

In Australia, Federico Coria was beaten in a comfortable three sets by Milos Raonic and I do think his serve is going to be put under pressure by a returner like Gael Monfils. He may have a little more success on his own return compared with the overall hard court numbers, but Federico Coria will need to find an exceptional performance to win this match and I am not sure he is going to be able to compete over the best of five set format.

Gael Monfils has played well on the hard courts in his career and I think the performances over the last month have been very encouraging. Now he should be able to move forward through the First Round with a relatively comfortable victory on the scoreboard as Federico Coria perhaps struggles to look after his own serve well enough to get within this handicap number.

Sebastian Korda - 4.5 games v Nikoloz Basilashvili: There have been some concerns with the way the ATP have handled some of the allegations made against some of their players on the Tour and one of those is Nikoloz Basilashvili. His story may not get the same attention as Alexander Zverev's, but Basilashvili is another player who perhaps should have been given some kind of reprimand by the Tour.

Ultimately it will be something that may need to be addressed if Alexander Zverev or Nikoloz Basilashvili have a big tournament, but that would mean the latter has upset his First Round opponent.

You don't always knos what you are going to get from Nikoloz Basilashvili on the hard courts- the Georgian has won a big title in Doha on the surface, but he has also suffered opening losses in a number of other tournaments played on the hard courts. That includes a First Round loss at the Cincinnati Masters and his 11-10 hard court record also sees Nikoloz Basilashvili produce inconsistent numbers.

Nikoloz Basilashvili has only held 72% of the service games played on the hard courts, but he has been able to break in 29% of return games which has offered him a chance to win more matches than he has lost. However, it is going to be a big challenge against Sebastian Korda who is a young American who has shown considerable improvement on the Tour over the last twelve months.

With a home crowd likely to be firmly behind Sebastian Korda, I expect a better run from him than we have seen in Washington and Cincinnati. Defeats to Jannik Sinner and Stefanos Tsitsipas is nothing to be overly concerned about, while Sebastian Korda has held 81% of the service games played on the hard courts against top 100 Ranked opponents.

Like his opponent, Sebastian Korda has also been productive on the return of serve and I do think his edge behind his own serve is going to give him every chance of moving past Nikoloz Basilashvili.

I have to respect the fact that Nikoloz Basilashvili has played well at the US Open in the past, but he has lost his last three Grand Slam matches played on hard courts. That includes a straight sets loss at Flushing Meadows in 2020 and the same occurring in Melbourne earlier this year and I do think Sebastian Korda's serve can prove to be the difference between the players and see the young American cover the handicap mark.

Aslan Karatsev - 5.5 games v Jaume Munar: A stunning first half of the 2021 season has helped Aslan Karatsev move up to World Number 25 in the Rankings and he is one of the Seeded players at the US Open. Things have become a little bogged down for Aslan Karatsev over the last several weeks, but this is a player who is very comfortable on the hard courts and he should have every opportunity of progressing behind a good win in the First Round in New York City.

The numbers remain strong, but those are largely based on the run to the Semi Final at the Australian Open and winning the title in Dubai. Aslan Karatsev is just 1-3 over the last few weeks as he took part in the Tokyo Olympics, Canadian Masters and Cincinnati Masters, but the defeats have come against decent hard court opponents.

In those four matches, Aslan Karatsev has still shown he can be a productive return player on the surface, but his serve has really let him down. In the early hard court tournaments of 2021, the Russian had held 83% of service games played and had won 67% of the points played behind serve, but those have dropped to 61% and 55% respectively over the last four matches played.

It is a concern going into the US Open and it would be a surprise if Karatsev is able to match the performance in Melbourne, but I would expect him to have too much for Jaume Munar who has not had a hard court season he would have wanted. The Spaniard did not make the trip to the Australian Open and so his only hard court matches have come in Cincinnati and Winston Salem over the last two weeks.

Jaume Munar has a 1-2 record in those two tournaments and his loss in Winston Salem was particularly worrying. He has not played badly on the hard courts in his career, but it is clear that Munar favours the slower clay courts and the fact is that the Spaniard has only ever won two main draw matches in Grand Slam events on this surface.

Both of those wins came against opponents Ranked outside the top 100 and Jaume Munar is 0-5 in hard court Grand Slam matches against those inside the top 100. Jaume Munar has held 64% of the service games played and he has broken in 15% of return games played in those matches and I do think Aslan Karatsev should be able to produce a good victory in this First Round contest.

He will have to ride out some difficult moments with the serve not performing to the level he would have wanted, but Aslan Karatsev should have enough from the return of serve to work his way to enough breaks to cover this mark.

MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic - 9.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Alexander Zverev - 6.5 Games @ 1.90 Bet365 (2 Units)

Gael Monfils - 6.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet365 (2 Units)

Sebastian Korda - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Aslan Karatsev - 5.5 Games @ 1.72 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Shelby Rogers - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Belinda Bencic - 5.5 Games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)

US Open Update: 3-3, - 0.10 Units (12 Units Staked, - 0% Yield)

US Open Tennis Day 1 Picks 2021 (August 30th)

The final Grand Slam of the Tennis season is set to begin in New York City and I do think both Men's and Women's events look very open with a number of contenders lined up to take the title home.

Recent winners of both of these tournaments have varied from the expected to the upset and I do think this one is wide open for contenders throughout the draws.

I should have fuller threads with more thoughts as the tournament progresses, but the opening two days are being researched around other events in my personal life so these two threads will be around the Picks from the First Round matches to be played.

John Isner - 1.5 sets v Brandon Nakashima: Two American players meet in the First Round of the US Open and that is expected to generate a big atmosphere on Day 1 of the final Grand Slam of the season. Fans were unable to attend last season, but New York City is open for business again and seeing two home hopes should only build on the emotions of returning to the stands for all of those in attendance.

It has been a really productive summer for both John Isner and Brandon Nakashima and that should mean we have two confident players meeting in the First Round. John Isner reached the Semi Final of the tournament in Los Cabos, but he has really begun motoring on his return to the North American hard courts with another title earned in Atlanta, and a Semi Final run in Toronto before another couple of matches were won in Cincinnati.

That is hugely encouraging for the veteran who has had a mixed 2021 on the hard courts, which are John Isner's favourite surface. His serve remains a potent weapon for the big man and his run in New York City is going to be based around the serve and how much he can get out of that on a consistent basis.

Brandon Nakashima is up to a career best Number 83 in the World Rankings and he reached the Final in Los Cabos and Atlanta, although ultimately came up short in both tournaments. He put another couple of solid wins on the board in Washington, but Nakashima has lost his last two matches and that has to be a slight negative going against him.

These two have met twice already over the last six weeks and both John Isner and Brandon Nakashima hold a straight sets win over the other. It was Nakashima who won the first meeting in Los Cabos, but Isner earned revenge in the Atlanta Final and both were big-serving encounters with very little between them.

You can see how much John Isner learned from the first meeting as he produced the majority of break points in the rematch, and I do think the veteran can use the big serve to edge past Brandon Nakashima. The latter should be able to take a set, but John Isner found a bit more out of the return in the second of the two matches and I think the experience means he should know exactly how to approach this First Round match.

That should be enough for John Isner to win the big points like he did in the Atlanta Final against Brandon Nakashima and I think he comes through in a likely four set battle.

Roberto Bautista Agut - 1.5 sets v Nick Kyrgios: It is never easy to back against Nick Kyrgios producing a big effort in a Grand Slam, especially as the Australian has made it clear that he prefers performing for the big crowds. There should be a big crowd in for this match and Nick Kyrgios has the kind of tennis that can take the racquet out of the hand of any opponent he faces, although his performances over the last month have been less than special.

Nick Kyrgios decided he would not travel while the global pandemic continued and especially not with the Australian authorities making it very difficult to return home. After several months away from the Tour, Kyrgios has decided to take part in the final two Grand Slam events of 2021, but relatively early losses in Atlanta, Washington and Toronto have not raised hopes.

He also pulled out of the tournament in Winston Salem last week and I do have to question if Nick Kyrgios has enough in the tank to progress through the best of five set matches. It does give him time to turn matches around if he starts off poorly, but Nick Kyrgios won't want to give too much momentum to his opponent in the First Round.

Roberto Bautista Agut is a solid hard court player, but he has not been playing that well since Wimbledon which reduces some of the enthusiasm in expecting a good run in New York City. The Spaniard has simply not played the big points as well as he would have liked on the hard courts in 2021 and Roberto Bautista Agut has seen his numbers slip behind serve and return.

That has to be encouraging for Nick Kyrgios, but his own return has not been functioning to the level he would like and you just know that Roberto Bautista Agut is going to try and drag his opponent in long, gruelling rallies wherever he can.

The most recent meeting between these players came in January 2020 and took place in Australia- Roberto Bautista Agut crushed Nick Kyrgios that day and I do think he is playing well enough to beat someone who can be unfocused at times.

Nick Kyrgios is going to be reliant on the big serve and if that is working at its best he can be very, very dangerous. However, the Australian has only broken in 4% of return games played on the hard courts over the last six weeks and that has put Kyrgios under an immense amount of pressure to hold onto serve and his 86% mark has not quite cut the mustard.

This should be a fun match to watch, but I think Roberto Bautista Agut is going to have enough to play the superior tennis at key moments. It should mean a place in the Second Round can be secured behind a three or four set win.

Cameron Norrie - 1.5 sets v Carlos Alcarez: This is a really interesting First Round match between Cameron Norrie and Carlos Alcarez- the latter is one of the potential stars of the Tour for years to come, while Cameron Norrie is one of the more improved players of the last twelve months.

Cameron Norrie won the title in Los Cabos, but his performances since that win in late July have not been up to the kind of standard he is beginning to set for himself. Four defeats in the six matches played since winning that title is not ideal ahead of the final Grand Slam of the season, but the only positive I can give to the British player is that the last two losses have come against top 30 Ranked opponents.

Both Karen Khachanov and John Isner are comfortable hard court players and Cameron Norrie will feel he should have won the latter match anyway. His 80% hold mark and 30% break mark on the hard courts in 2021 are very encouraging numbers for Norrie though and he is also going to feel he can get the better of a young opponent who doesn't have the deepest hard court experience.

Not having enough respect for Carlos Alcarez would be a major issue for Cameron Norrie, but I would not expect that to be the case after the Spaniard reached the Winston Salem Semi Final last week. Carlos Alcarez is finding his feet on this surface though and his 76% hold mark against top 100 Ranked opponents on this surface is a potential problem for the young player as he takes on Cameron Norrie.

That number drops to 64% when you only take into consideration matches against top 50 Ranked opponents on the hard courts in 2021 and I do think Norrie is someone who has played well enough to take advantage. Carlos Alcarez is a strong returner and broken in 30% of the return games played against top 50 Ranked opponents so I would expect him to play his part in this match and there will be some ebbs and flows in terms of the momentum.

Cameron Norrie should have the edge with the stronger service numbers and having shown a capability to break serve on the hard court. The recent form does reduce some of the enthusiasm in backing the British player, but I think he will be the stronger of the two of the day and can win in three or, more likely, four sets as he moves through to the Second Round.

MY PICKS: John Isner - 1.5 Sets @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Roberto Bautista Agut - 1.5 Sets @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Cameron Norrie - 1.5 Sets @ 2.25 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Elena Rybakina - 5.5 Games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Barbora Krejcikova - 5.5 Games @ 1.75 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Ons Jabeur - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Weekend Football and Fantasy Football GameWeek 3 Picks 2021 (August 28-29)

I am going to be having a really busy week in the lead up to the final Premier League weekend to be played in August 2021, but I have managed to put a thread together which can go live on Friday.

Ultimately I am someone that usually loves to wait to make his transfers so I can have the full information of the week behind me, but that has not been the case this week.

After the international break things should settle down considerably.

Manchester City v Arsenal Pick: There were some surprisingly strong teams selected by Premier League clubs playing in the League Cup Second Round, but some of those were understandable as managers looked for a bounce to take into the final Premier League fixtures of August.

After a very difficult start and with the pressure mounting, Mikel Arteta picked a very strong Arsenal team for the Cup tie at West Brom. The home team had a complete overhaul of their usual eleven and Arsenal took advantage as they hammered West Brom 0-6 to give the squad a boost.

Goalless and pointless after two Premier League games, Mikel Arteta needed a big result if only to ease the pressure ahead of this fixture. It is probably the one game that Arsenal would not have wanted to play after their poor start in the League and there are still some key players missing which only increases the difficulty in trying to earn a result at the Etihad Stadium.

Manchester City snapped a rare 3 game losing run in their win over Norwich City and it was a surprise to see the Champions fail to score in any of those defeats. Missing out on Harry Kane is a blow, but Pep Guardiola will feel his team is capable of finding a person to lead the line from within the squad and Manchester City showed they can cope in that situation for much of last season.

I do think it makes Manchester City potentially vulnerable in their defence of the title, but this is a team that can create plenty of chances in their current mould. I expect that to be the case against Arsenal who allowed Chelsea to dominate proceedings in their final third, although at least they won't be facing a striker like Romelu Lukaku to bully the defence this weekend.

Even then, Manchester City should be comfortable going up against the system that Mikel Arteta is trying to implement at Arsenal. This is a squad of players that know their roles and Manchester City have been very strong at home under Pep Guardiola.

Both Premier League games between the teams were tight last season, but Manchester City had won the previous 3 home games against Arsenal pretty comfortably. I think that could be the case this weekend too and I expect Manchester City to win by a couple of goals in the early kick off on Saturday.

Aston Villa v Brentford Pick: Thomas Frank is likely to be much happier than Dean Smith with the opening points on the board, but the latter will have seen his Aston Villa team rally from the opening defeat to Watford.

That will be pleasing for Dean Smith and the squad can now begin to move on past Jack Grealish and his move to Manchester City. A comfortable win over Barrow in the League Cup Second Round was almost expected, but it is Aston Villa's win over Newcastle United at Villa Park in the Premier League which will have shown the players they can cope with their top player from last season and even build on their successes of the last campaign.

Aston Villa are back in front of their own fans this weekend, but they will want to show a little more creativity in their play. Penalties have been scored in each of the first two Premier League games, but Dean Smith will want to see more chances being created overall.

It is going to be a real test to do that against a Brentford team who have kept clean sheets against Arsenal and Crystal Palace in their first season in the Premier League. Thomas Frank has organised his team very well and they have limited the amount of chances being allowed, but Brentford are still finding their feet as a consistent attacking threat and it will perhaps leave them a little vulnerable away from home.

The Bees will look to press their opponent and they have played well enough in the Premier League in the first couple of games to think they can perform at this level. They also have a little more consistency in the squad which means players are much more comfortable with the roles they are being asked to do and that could make things difficult for their hosts.

However, I do think Danny Ings is a huge signing for Aston Villa and he is a difference maker in the final third. His finishing is proven at this level compared with Ivan Toney for Brentford and I think Danny Ings can make the difference on the day with a slight lean for Aston Villa to earn another home League victory.

It will be far from easy and Brentford are not going to lie down for any opponent they face, but Aston Villa have plenty going for them and I think being at home will prove to be the key towards the three points.

Brighton v Everton Pick: There is plenty to be excited about for both Brighton and Everton fans after the early performances in the 2021/22 season and both teams will be confident they can earn a positive result to take into the upcoming two week break.

Last season Brighton seemingly lacked confidence in the final third which prevented them from operating much higher up the League standings. Graham Potter is confident in his philosophy and the Brighton players have responded with two good wins to open this season, although they were perhaps a little fortunate to beat Burnley on the opening weekend.

This is a team that plays some very good football and Brighton do create chances, but they will know Rafael Benitez is likely going to have Everton pretty well organised.

We have yet to really see that from the Spanish manager when you note that Everton have failed to produce a clean sheet, but The Toffees have restricted Southampton and Leeds United to few really good chances. That has to be encouraging for the manager, especially as Everton have looked pretty dangerous going forward.

Creating chances at the Amex Stadium won't be easy for Everton though and this has all of the makings of a really competitive fixture with little between the teams. The injuries in the Brighton defensive areas has to be something Everton look to exploit though and Rafael Benitez' team have scored at least twice in all 3 games played this season.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin looks like he will really enjoy playing for Everton and the system has been one that is getting a bit more out of some of the players at the disposal of the club. Rafael Benitez might not have been the choice of many of the fans of the club, but I think his Everton team have been a little better than Brighton in the first couple of fixtures and they can at least match the point earned from the trip down south last season.

If Brighton are missing Neal Maupay and Danny Welbeck you do have to wonder if they have enough of an attacking threat to break down Everton here. Set pieces are always dangerous for Brighton, but Everton are not a small team and I think the visitors can be backed with a start on the Asian Handicap to earn any kind of positive result here.

Newcastle United v Southampton Pick: Both Steve Bruce and Ralph Hasenhuttl may feel there is a difficult season in front of their Newcastle United and Southampton teams and so games like this one are going to be vitally important for them if they are going to avoid the drop.

Nothing we have seen from the first month of the new season suggests that the pre-season expectations for both clubs are too wide of the mark.

Southampton at least earned a big League Cup win during the week to build some confidence, but they have lost key players this summer and there is a pressure on the team. Their away form has been tremendously poor in the Premier League in 2021 and Southampton are a team that have given up some huge chances in their first couple of Premier League games.

Despite the defeats, Newcastle United have been creating chances and it is only their own defensive vulnerabilities that have held them back. Better finishing would have seen them beat Burnley in the League Cup, while Newcastle United didn't play that terribly in the defeat to Aston Villa last weekend.

I do think that offers some encouragement, while Newcastle United have also got the better of Southampton at home in recent seasons.

Both teams will create chances considering the defensive performances we have seen from Newcastle United and Southampton. The Southampton away record going back to last season doesn't offer a lot of encouragement and they were beaten at Everton a couple of weeks ago.

The first goal is going to be absolutely massive in this fixture, but I do think Newcastle United have performed better than their early results will suggest. On the other hand Southampton are a little fortunate to even have a point on the board and I think Newcastle United will find a way to win this one.

However, it would be smarter to keep this to the Asian Handicap which will mean returning any stake in the event of a draw.

Norwich City v Leicester City Pick: These two teams conceded nine times in the Premier League last weekend and both Norwich City and Leicester City will be looking to bounce back when they face one another on Saturday afternoon at Carrow Road.

It has been a tough return to the Premier League for Norwich City who played well in their 0-3 home defeat to Liverpool, but looked shell-shocked in the 5-0 defeat to Manchester City last weekend. That does mean they have gotten two difficult fixtures off the list, but Daniel Farke is going to have to work hard to make the players believe that they are able to perform at this level having struggled to 21 points in the Premier League two seasons ago.

A thumping win over Bournemouth in the League Cup Second Round will be a confidence booster for Norwich City, but the manager will need his side to be a little more ruthless when the chances come up. They missed some big ones against Liverpool on the opening weekend, but one of the bigger concerns for Norwich City has to be the amount of big chances they have given up.

The question is whether Leicester City can expose the backline in the same manner as the two previous Champions have been able to do and their early form is not so encouraging. Brendan Rodgers has seen his team pick up 3 points, but they were fortunate to beat Wolves at home and on Monday Leicester City looked well off the pace as they were overwhelmed and eventually worn down by West Ham United.

Losing a player in the first half did not help, but Leicester City were already looking like they were struggling with the intensity of the home team. Now they have to face a Norwich City team who are going to be intense, especially early, and a home crowd that will be pumped after the big Cup win during the week.

Even then you do have to think Leicester City have enough quality in the final third to cause problems for The Canaries and I can see both teams having enough about them to get on the scoreboard. A draw would not be the worst result for Norwich City, but Daniel Farke only has his team play one way and that should mean this is an attacking game.

Two seasons ago there were two low scoring Premier League games between these clubs, but I think this will buck that trend considering the early performances of both Norwich City and Leicester City. Neither team has looked very sure defensively and that may be music to the ears of the attacking players and I think the teams could share out three goals on the day.

West Ham United v Crystal Palace Pick: He was ridiculed for his time managing Manchester United and I do believe David Moyes will privately admit he got plenty wrong in his short time overseeing things at Old Trafford. However, 'The Chosen One' has rebuilt his reputation in the seven years since being sacked as manager of Manchester United and his time with West Ham United has been particularly special.

David Moyes was once reigniting Everton as a big Premier League club and he is more than doing the same for West Ham United have taken them to their highest League finish in twenty-one years last season. Building on that was always going to be a challenge, but West Ham United look plenty confident and scoring eight goals in 2 Premier League wins against Newcastle United and Leicester City only strengthens the belief within the playing squad.

Reinforcements may still be needed when West Ham United have to cope with the Thursday-Sunday Europa League-Premier League schedule, but for now this is a team flying and playing with swagger.

Said Benrahma looks to have learnt plenty from his first season in the Premier League, while the added physicality being allowed by the referees only makes Michail Antonio a bigger threat than he already was. Both players have been in stunning form to open this season and they are taking on a Crystal Palace team who have to be a little concerned with the start made under Patrick Vieira.

A point has been earned by Crystal Palace, but that came in a winnable home game against Brentford and Vieira still has to win over some of his critics. The defeat to Watford in the League Cup may not have hurt so much if the manager had made vast changes, but it was a strong Crystal Palace team that struggled to create chances and they have had issues in the final third.

Defensively Crystal Palace are still relatively organised, but they are going to have to perform at a high level to contain this rampant West Ham United team. The Hammers have been creating plenty of chances and have players from all around the front six that will feel they can finish when those come their way.

Last season Crystal Palace did earn a draw here, but this looks a tough ground to visit right now and West Ham United are motoring. The goals being scored by David Moyes' team are hard to ignore, but they haven't been fortunate to do that and have been creating plenty to suggest it can continue.

I expect Crystal Palace to try and work their hosts over on the counter attack, but this is a team that has struggled with the new identity that Patrick Vieira wants to instil in them. It is a work in progress and I think West Ham United will take advantage by securing a comfortable win on the day to make it three wins from three going into the first international break.

Liverpool v Chelsea Pick: There is no doubt which is the biggest game in the Premier League this weekend as two of the sides with a 100% record meet at Anfield.

The fact it is also a match between the 2020 Premier League Champions and the 2021 European Champions and both Liverpool and Chelsea will feel they have the capabilities of being crowned Champions next May. These are two clubs that will be chasing the big prizes and an early chance for Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel to lay down a marker for the kind of standards they expect from their teams over the next ten months.

Liverpool and Chelsea have really only done what was expected of them by beating Norwich City/Burnley and Crystal Palace/Arsenal respectively, but ultimately they have to be given credit for the six points they have produced. Other leading clubs have already dropped points so Liverpool and Chelsea will be feeling good about where they are going into the third round of fixtures in the Premier League, but both will also feel they have something to prove.

This is by far the biggest test either team will have played this season and I do think it is going to be an incredibly competitive fixture.

Liverpool look stronger with their defensive injuries cleared up and they should have their first choice back four together for the first time. Andrew Robertson has missed the first two games, but he was on the bench last week and another week of training should mean the Scottish international bolsters the Liverpool defence who have kept back to back clean sheets.

Now they will be looking to shut out Romelu Lukaku who scored on his second debut for Chelsea and Thomas Tuchel's men have really played very well through their first two games. This is just further proof of the improvement of the entire squad since Tuchel replaced Frank Lampard last January and Chelsea have won 7 of their 10 away Premier League games under the former Paris Saint-Germain manager.

Chelsea have won at Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal in the 10 Premier League away wins played with Thomas Tuchel at the helm, while they have also won at West Ham United in that time.

The Blues will feel they have the balance between attack and defence to pose considerable problems for Liverpool, although they will also acknowledge that the home team have fresh strikers that all look to be on top form in the first month of the 2021/22 season.

It makes this a tough fixture to call, but I do think the tactical acumen of Thomas Tuchel has been seen in the majority of Chelsea's big matches since January. The defeat in the FA Cup Final aside, Chelsea have had some huge wins over the top teams in the Premier League and they have a squad that has the winning mentality to make things very difficult for the narrow favourites Liverpool.

Not many teams can stand the pressure of Liverpool with a full Anfield behind them, especially this Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp. However, I do think Chelsea have the personnel and experience to at least weather the early storm and in the opening two fixtures it is the Chelsea defence which has looked stronger than the Liverpool one.

A single goal may be enough to win this fixture, but I think Chelsea are good enough to avoid defeat. Even if they fall behind, this is a deep squad that can make changes to shift the momentum of the match and I think Chelsea have been a little more impressive than Liverpool even though both teams will feel they have tougher tests to come than the first two League opponents faced.

The superior defence may make the difference on the day and I do think Chelsea have that with the approach of the manager. In a tough fixture, I think the visitors can do enough to contain Liverpool and give themselves every chance of picking up a positive result before the first international break of the season.

Burnley v Leeds United Pick: The first live Premier League game on Sunday comes from Turf Moor and both Burnley and Leeds United will be very keen to secure their first three points of the season.

The early performances have been somewhat encouraging despite the results and I think that could lead to a decent fixture. Defensively there are some questions to answer for both Burnley and Leeds United and that should mean the attacking players are able to have plenty of success in the fixture.

Burnley have perhaps been the team that has created the superior chances early in this season, but Leeds United have managed to score the goals. The quality in the away team cannot be dismissed and they are going to be capable of working chances against the Burnley defence which has struggled with their balance at times.

However, I also believe Burnley are going to cause problems with a physical approach that can cause issues for defenders who have become used to a sport that has taken some of the contact away in recent seasons. Having two up two is a system that teams rarely face these days too and that will give Burnley encouragement having fashioned good scoring opportunities against both Brighton and Liverpool.

The game at Elland Road didn't feature a lot of goals last season, but in May Leeds United crushed Burnley here. The fans should motivate the home team to better, and I do think both teams are able to score here.

It should be a fixture with plenty of chances created and I think there will be at least three goals shared out between them.

Tottenham Hotspur v Watford Pick: Two wins from two in the Premier League has given Nuno Espirito Santo a foundation to build upon in his time as the new manager of Tottenham Hotspur, but the biggest boost for the former Wolves manager is Harry Kane's commitment to the club.

Having Harry Kane leading the line will only strengthen Tottenham Hotspur's cause and they should have enough to see off Watford. I do think they have been a little fortunate to beat both Manchester City and Wolves, but confidence has to be improving in each passing match and they are expected to have too much for this Watford team.

You have to credit Watford for an immediate return to the top flight, but this is a squad that is vastly less dangerous playing away from home than they are at Vicarage Road. We have already seen signs of that this season after Watford beat Aston Villa at home and limply dropped a 2-0 defeat at Brighton.

Watford created very little at the Amex Stadium, while defensively they looked suspect at times.

It will be highly encouraging for Tottenham Hotspur as they look to take the game to Watford and I do think having Kane leading the line will only have the fans further behind the team. That should spark another strong result from Tottenham Hotspur as they make it three wins from three.

With the goals they look to have in the squad, I think Tottenham Hotspur are going to win this match by a comfortable margin too.

Wolves v Manchester United Pick: It may only be taking place in August, but this is a huge Premier League match for both Wolves and Manchester United who are coming off disappointing League results last Sunday.

Both managers will feel their team did enough to secure wins against Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton respectively, but Wolves were disappointingly beaten and Manchester United could only earn a point. The underlying numbers have been positive for both teams, but it is what they do on the pitch that will matter to two managers that could face plenty of criticism if the right results don't keep them off the hot seat.

Bruno Lage has to be pleased with the attacking football his Wolves team are playing, although the final touch has been missing. Big chances have come and gone, but Lage has to believe that things will turn in Wolves' favour if they can keep that form going and the 0-4 win at Nottingham Forest in the League Cup Second Round will be a jolt of confidence surging through the squad.

There is pace in the forward positions and Wolves also have talisman Raul Jimenez leading the line after a serious injury forced him to miss much of last season. Even then it will take some time for Jimenez to find his feet again and the key for Wolves is seeing other players step up and take the chances when they come.

Creating against Manchester United won't be easy even if the lack of clean sheets for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men suggests otherwise. Both Leeds United and Southampton have needed something special to find the back of the net and Manchester United will believe they did more than enough in the final third to deserve more than they got.

Better finishing will be key for Manchester United as much as Wolves, but I think they can produce that at Molineux on Sunday. The home team will be dangerous with their new style and they may be facing a United team without Raphael Varane again which can only encourage Wolves to try and get forward.

3 of the last 5 between these clubs at Molineux have ended with at least three goals shared out since Wolves returned to the top flight in the 2018/19 season. An early goal would certainly spark the entire fixture in this one too as it did on the final day of last season and the new manager's approach for Wolves should make them more enjoyable to watch than they were at times under Nuno Espirito Santo.

Both teams will feel they can trouble the opposition goalkeeper, but both Wolves and Manchester United have been creating enough chances to believe they can come together and produce at least three goals on the day.

MY PICKS: Manchester City - 1.5 Asian Handicap

Aston Villa - 0.25 Asian Handicap

Everton + 0.25 Asian Handicap

Newcastle United 0 Asian Handicap

Norwich City-Leicester City Over 2.5 Goals

West Ham United & Over 1.5 Goals

Chelsea + 0.25 Asian Handicap

Burnley-Leeds United Over 2.5 Goals

Tottenham Hotspur - 1 Asian Handicap

Wolves-Manchester United Over 2.5 Goals

Fantasy Football GameWeek 3

I did not have a thread up last week (it's wedding season which limits time massively), but it was one in which I posted my team which had no changes from the opening weekend.

I was hoping to hold onto a transfer to carry across the international break, but after two weeks I do feel changes had to be made largely because I did not want to be on the wrong end of any significant price drops.

The likes of Ryan Bertrand, Harvey Barnes and Emiliano Buendia were all expected to drop this week, while I also feel there has to be some change in the mentality compared with last season in which I refused to get on board obvious bandwagons.

Both Bertrand and Barnes were the obvious players to move on and Said Benrahma the obvious replacement for the latter. I did think about bringing in a West Ham United defender too, but I don't think they have defended well enough and instead the focus was on a Tottenham Hotspur player considering the next two games they have on deck.

It also meant being able to put some money in the bank with a long-term goal of bringing in Romelu Lukaku once the Chelsea fixtures ease up. I do think I am going to have to either use my first Wild Card of the season after the October international break or I will have to give up one of the premium midfield options and right now both of those routes are very much available for me.

I don't want to look too far ahead as that can see a wide gap develop to the top players in the FPL, but it is something to keep in mind. For now the focus is making sure I can keep the positive start to the season going through another GameWeek and with another week of numbers to crunch before the next GW begins.

Cincinnati Masters Tennis Picks 2021 (August 20th)

It was a pretty miserable Thursday which has dented the weekly totals, but the Cincinnati Masters will continue on Friday with plenty of Quarter Final action to come across both the ATP and WTA events.

This is a big chance for players to lay down a marker for the US Open and all sixteen players heading out onto the courts on Friday will feel that is the case. There are some good looking matches to come and I am looking for a much more effective day for the Tennis Picks to try and secure a fourth winning tournament in succession.

Felix Auger-Aliassime + 3.5 games v Stefanos Tsitsipas: Two of the brightest stars on the ATP Tour will meet in a big Quarter Final at the Cincinnati Masters on a day when Rafael Nadal withdrew from the upcoming US Open. Novak Djokovic is yet to return to the court after his two losses at the Olympic Games which left him without a Medal, and that could mean there is a vacuum to be filled at the top of the next Grand Slam.

It is a vacuum that the likes of Felix Auger-Aliassime and Stefanos Tsitsipas will be hoping to fill and this is a tournament from which they can gain a huge amount of confidence. Winning a Masters on a fast hard court just days before the US Open gets set to begin would be huge for either player and the performances so far this week have been very impressive.

Both players have dropped a set on their way through the draw, although Stefanos Tsitsipas has had to play one fewer match thanks to his superior World Ranking.

The numbers from both players have been really impressive with Felix Auger-Aliassime holding 88% of his service games played and the young Canadian has faced just two break points on his way to beating Karen Khachanov and Matteo Berrettini. Those are two very good looking wins for Auger-Aliassime who has also got his eyes firmly where he would want them to be when it comes to the return of serve with 30% of those games ending in a break.

It is unlikely that Felix Auger-Aliassime will have things as good as that when he faces the Stefanos Tsitsipas serve. The hold percentage is at 96% for Stefanos Tsitsipas in the faster conditions of Cincinnati, although those same conditions have made it difficult when it comes to the return of serve as Tsitsipas has only managed a break in 15% of those return games faced.

The feeling is that this could become a serve-dominated match, while Stefanos Tsitsipas will feel he has the mental edge having won the last three hard court matches competed against Felix Auger-Aliassime. Only one of those wins has been straight-forward though and Felix Auger-Aliassime has held 84% of his service games compared with Stefanos Tsitsipas' 85% mark in the head to head on the hard courts.

There may not be much between them on the day in this Quarter Final and so it feels like a lot of games for the Canadian to be given as the underdog. I think Felix Auger-Aliassime is playing well enough to maybe steal a set and even the upset cannot be completely ruled out, but taking the games on offer just means a little more leeway for the younger player against a quality opponent like Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Felix Auger-Aliassime has been the stronger returner of the two players so far this week and it may be enough to keep this close.

Alexander Zverev - 3.5 games v Casper Ruud: This looks like a really good match on paper as the Olympic Champion takes on a player that won three consecutive titles on the Tour since Wimbledon came to an end. Casper Ruud won those titles on the clay courts, his favoured surface, but he had played well in Toronto and backed that up with another strong week in Cincinnati.

Alexander Zverev did not play in Toronto after winning the Gold Medal in Tokyo behind some exceptional tennis, but he has not missed a beat. The competition early in Cincinnati may not be up to the level that Zverev will see in the remainder of this tournament, but you cannot take anything away from the German who has been dominant in his wins over Lloyd Harris and Guido Pella.

He reached the US Open Final last year and blew a 2-0 lead, but Alexander Zverev will be looking to head to New York City with a lot more momentum behind him. The faster conditions in Cincinnati has seen him yet to face a break point on his serve, while Alexander Zverev has been able to use the scoreboard pressure to aid him in breaking in 31% of return games played over the first two matches in the tournament.

That will mean there is some pressure on Casper Ruud who is on the brink of breaking into the top 10 of the World Rankings and who has had a strong season on the hard courts already. His serve has also been a potent weapon for Ruud on the hard courts, but he has not returned nearly as well as Alexander Zverev with 20% of return games ending in a break of serve.

The Norwegian player has won 33% of return points played compared with Zverev's 39% mark and I do think that is going to be the difference between the players on the day. Both will feel the serve can be a huge weapon for them, but Alexander Zverev looks capable of getting into the return games with a lot more consistency than Casper Ruud.

Casper Ruud was well beaten by Stefanos Tsitsipas in Toronto and, before his win over Diego Sebastian Schwartzman in the Third Round, he had lost five consecutive matches against top 20 Ranked players on the hard courts heading into this tournament. As much as I like Casper Ruud, it is hard to ignore the fact he has yet to beat a top 10 Ranked player on the hard courts and, even worse, he has yet to take a set from them.

I expect Alexander Zverev to have a little too much all around for Ruud in this Quarter Final too and I will back the German to cover the handicap mark as he keeps his winning run going.

Barbora Krejcikova + 4.5 games v Ashleigh Barty: The winners of the last two Grand Slam tournaments are meeting in the Quarter Final in Cincinnati and there will be plenty of people who would be happy to back either Barbora Krejcikova or Ashleigh Barty to add another Major to their trophy cabinet at the US Open.

The rise of Barbora Krejcikova continues to impress and she has become one of the harder players to beat on the WTA Tour. Winning the French Open underlined her progress, but it would have been easy for the Czech player to move in the same direction as so many first time Grand Slam Winners and struggle with the weight of expectation on her shoulders.

That has been far from the case for Barbora Krejcikova who has reached the Fourth Round at Wimbledon and been beaten by the eventual Winner of that tournament as well as the Olympic Gold Medal around another title success in Prague. Her performances this week have been very, very impressive and the serve has been a particularly strong weapon for her.

I do think that will be tested by the World Number 1 and Wimbledon Champion Ashleigh Barty who has comfortably seen off her first two opponents in Cincinnati. The win over Krejcikova on her run to the Wimbledon title will only increase the confidence of the Australian and Ashleigh Barty has also been serving well well in the faster conditions of Cincinnati.

The second serve can be one that is vulnerable and I think that will help Barbora Krejcikova, although Ashleigh Barty has been the superior return player in this tournament. Those return numbers have been consistently stronger than Barbora Krejcikova's on the hard courts and I do think Barty is a deserving favourite, although this could be a tough number of games to cover for the favourite.

When they met at Wimbledon, Ashleigh Barty did beat Barbora Krejcikova by a five game margin, but it was a much more competitive match than that. It was the Czech player who earned the majority of the break points on the day and I think she is playing well enough to at least make this match closer on the scoreboard even if Ashleigh Barty is ultimately able to come through with a win.

Petra Kvitova - 2.5 games v Angelique Kerber: Two veterans of the WTA Tour and multiple time Grand Slam Champions will be looking to keep a strong week going which could set them up to be one of the dark horses for success at the US Open. There isn't much that Petra Kvitova and Angelique Kerber won't know about one another as they get set for a sixteenth professional match against one another and there hasn't been much to separate them with Kvitova leading 8-7.

They have split one match each in 2021, but those have been played on the clay courts (Petra Kvitova won in straight sets) and on the grass (Angelique Kerber won in three sets).

Both players are very competent on the hard courts which makes this another potentially close match to call, but I do think Petra Kvitova has been playing the superior tennis so far this week. All three matches have been won in dominant straight sets and Petra Kvitova's tennis has been in very good shape in both the serve and return departments.

Angelique Kerber has dropped a set in each of her last two wins and she has had to dig much deeper than Kvitova in her own run to the Quarter Final. No one will be surprised to read that Kerber has been returning effectively in the tournament, but the serve has been vulnerable and the German has faced an astonishing 29 break points in her last two matches.

She was a little fortunate to get past Elina Svitolina in the Second Round and Jelena Ostapenko created the same amount of break points as Angelique Kerber in the Third Round with only the superior tennis at big moments helping Kerber through to the Quarter Final. There is no doubt that Angelique Kerber is going to have to serve a lot better when facing someone like Petra Kvitova who can be very aggressive on the return and will feel the faster conditions allows her to hit through Kerber here in Cincinnati.

It was Angelique Kerber who won their sole meeting in Cincinnati, but that was back in 2012 and it is Petra Kvitova who has won the last two hard court matches these two have competed in. The last of those came in 2019 which makes them largely irrelevant, but you can't ignore the fact that Petra Kvitova has been the stronger hard court player of the two in 2021 in general, while also producing the superior tennis over the last week.

That could be important for the Czech player and I think she gets the better of this southpaw battle in the Quarter Final and can cover the handicap on the way through to the next Round.

MY PICKS: Felix Auger-Aliassime + 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Alexander Zverev - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Barbora Krejcikova + 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Petra Kvitova - 2.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Belinda Bencic - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Cincinnati Update: 9-10, - 4.88 Units (38 Units Staked, - 12.84% Yield)

Cincinnati Masters Tennis Picks 2021 (August 19th)

A strong Wednesday in the Second Round has turned this week around into a positive position, but the teeth of this tournament has yet to be negotiated.

The Tennis Picks from Cincinnati can be read below as the Third Round matches are completed on Thursday in the final big event before the US Open.

Daniil Medvedev - 4.5 games v Grigor Dimitrov: Winning a big tournament in Toronto might have been enough for some players as they begin to turn their attention to the final Grand Slam of the season, but Daniil Medvedev has not reached World Number 2 with that kind of attitude. Instead he came out in Cincinnati and crushed Mackenzie McDonald in the Second Round in under an hour and now Daniil Medvedev is looking for another Quarter Final at a big tournament being played on the hard courts.

The Third Round brings a tough match against Grigor Dimitrov, although the veteran has been struggling for consistency in 2021. His two wins in Cincinnati will have given Dimitrov a boost of confidence to take into the remainder of the tournament, especially as the Bulgarian has seen off Roberto Bautista Agut and Alexander Bublik who can both be effective on the hard courts.

However, Grigor Dimitrov is likely going to be the first to admit that he will have to be a lot better if he is going to compete with someone who has become a permanent feature of the top 10 of the World Rankings. Early losses in Washington and Toronto made it hard to believe that Grigor Dimitrov could enjoy the kind of run he has been on in this tournament, but the conditions may be more to his liking.

In saying that, Grigor Dimitrov is going to be facing a monster serve from the other side of the net and it will be going into a return game that can be erratic at best. Earning break points from Daniil Medvedev on this surface is a huge challenge and that will put pressure on Dimitrov's own serve as he looks to build scoreboard pressure on the higher Ranked opponent.

I do have to expect Daniil Medvedev to use his superior return to do that the other way and once he gets himself into the rallies you do have to believe the big hitting Russian can get on top of Grigor Dimitrov. The backhand is likely going to be targeted and Daniil Medvedev has won the last two matches against this opponent with both of those being played on the hard courts.

Daniil Medvedev beat Grigor Dimitrov at the US Open, but that was two years ago and I do think the former is much improved these days. While this is a big mark, I think Medvedev is capable of finding the breaks of serve to get on top of it as long as he serves to the kind of level he is able to produce.

The quick finish of Mackenzie McDonald can only help Daniil Medvedev in his recovery after the title win in Toronto and he can move through to the Quarter Final with a couple of breaks more than Dimitrov in this Third Round match.

Andrey Rublev - 3.5 games v Gael Monfils: You could see some positive signs coming out of Gael Monfils' tennis in the last month or so after what has been a very difficult 2021. It is important for the veteran to try and keep that going to avoid a massive World Ranking drop in the near future and it is a good time for Monfils to turn his form around with very little to defend in term of points in the next three months before the end of the season.

His win over Alex de Minaur in the Second Round might be as good a victory as Gael Monfils has earned throughout 2021, although it should be noted that the Australian has not really looked himself after a bout of Covid-19. That has hindered Alex de Minaur, but Monfils can only beat what is in front of him and he will be feeling pretty confident off the back of consecutive wins in Cincinnati.

The challenge increases massively from the first two matches as Gael Monfils is set to take on Andrey Rublev in the Third Round. The younger player has moved into the top 10 and long looked more than that on the hard courts, while Andrey Rublev will be feeling pretty good about the manner in which he turned around his Second Round match to overcome another veteran in Marin Cilic on Wednesday.

It has been a disappointing month for Andrey Rublev to this point having lost early in Tokyo and in Toronto, but he has produced some incredibly strong hard court numbers in 2020 and 2021 and it is only a matter of time before he produces another deep run on this surface. This may be the week for Andrey Rublev to do that and I do feel his serve is going to be important in what is usually fast conditions in Cincinnati.

Gael Monfils is capable of being a very effective return player, but his issue is going to be in maintaining concentration when he is serving himself. He has struggled for consistency behind that shot and now Gael Monfils has to take on Andrey Rublev, a player capable of being very aggressive on the return to break down the tennis of his opponent.

Their sole previous meeting was also on a hard court and it was won by Gael Monfils in comfortable fashion, but that was back in 2018 and Andrey Rublev has moved beyond the veteran Frenchman now.

As long as Andrey Rublev serves well, I do think his aggressive return will put Gael Monfils under pressure and the Russian can move through to the Quarter Final with a cover for a second match in succession.

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 4.5 games v Lorenzo Sonego: There is no doubting the improvement we have seen from Stefanos Tsitsipas over the last twelve months and the World Number 3 has to be a legitimate contender to win the US Open which will begin later this month. He has yet to win a title on the hard courts in 2021 which may lessen the enthusiasm of those getting behind him to win the final Grand Slam of the season, but Stefanos Tsitsipas can put a strong run on the board in Cincinnati to build some confidence.

He secured a good looking win over Sebastian Korda in the Second Round and Stefanos Tsitsipas is a strong favourite to get past Lorenzo Sonego in the Third Round. The Greek player was a Semi Finalist in Toronto last week before being upset by Reilly Opelka and Stefanos Tsitsipas has had poor runs at Wimbledon and the Olympic Games by the standards he has set for himself to reach a career high World Ranking.

The serve remains a very big weapon for Stefanos Tsitsipas and it is likely to be a huge part of the reason he is able to win this match and reach another Masters Quarter Final. The main reason that Stefanos Tsitipas has found more consistency in his performances is the clear improvement when it comes to the return of serve and that is going to be important when taking on his Italian opponent in the Third Round.

Lorenzo Sonego is also at a career high World Ranking of Number 25 and he has become a pretty consistent threat on all surfaces which has helped that improvement. The Italian upset Carlos Alcarez Garfia in the Second Round, while Lorenzo Sonego has a very strong serve which will always give him a 'get out of jail free' card if facing break points.

That has led to Lorenzo Sonego holding 84% of service games played on the hard courts in 2021, but his main issue has been the struggles to break serve. I fully expect him to have those difficulties in this match against Stefanos Tsitsipas who beat Lorenzo Sonego in straight sets in Miami earlier this year and did not have to face a single break point on the day.

There is no doubt that the margins are going to be tight between these players and Stefanos Tsitsipas is going to have to focus when he does get into the return games. However, the higher Ranked player has shown he is capable of doing that and I think it will see Stefanos Tsitsipas get the bette of Lorenzo Sonego and find the breaks he needs to cover what is a very wide handicap mark on paper.

Matteo Berrettini - 1.5 games v Felix Auger-Aliassime: This is a rematch of a Wimbledon Quarter Final which was won by eventual Runner Up Matteo Berrettini and you do have to wonder if the little tennis between then and now will impact the Italian. He admitted himself that he started slowly in his Second Round win over Albert Ramos-Vinolas, but Matteo Berrettini was rolling by the end and that makes him a deserving favourite in this Third Round match.

He takes on Felix Auger-Aliassime who continues to show a little too much inconsistency on the Tour and that has prevented him from surpassing his career best Number 15 World Ranking. That is a strong World Ranking, but Felix Auger-Aliassime has shown enough to think he should be a regular top ten player in the years ahead, although he has yet to really stamp his authority on the Tour.

Felix Auger-Aliassime reached the Wimbledon Quarter Final, but he has suffered disappointing early losses in Tokyo, Washington and Toronto as he heads towards the US Open. The win over Marton Fucsovics will offer the Canadian some encouragement that he is still on the right track to have a big impact at the final Grand Slam of the season, but Felix Auger-Aliassime has not really reached the heights he had early in the season and the numbers have taken a significant slump since the Australian Open.

While Felix Auger-Aliassime has a 12-8 record overall on the hard courts, he is 5-6 since the Australian Open and the Canadian has seen a significant drop in his service hold percentage and break serve percentage since playing in Melbourne. In recent seasons there has been an inconsistency in the Auger-Aliassime performance on the hard courts and I do think that will offer encouragement for Matteo Berrettini who has won the two previous meetings between the players.

Both of those have come on the grass courts, but the serve has been a big weapon for Matteo Berrettini. That serve has seen the Italian hold over 91% of the service games played on this surface in 2021, and Matteo Berrettini has also found a way to get into return games perhaps aided by the strong serving to build some scoreboard pressure.

I think that will be the direction this Third Round match takes and Matteo Berrettini has had a real serving edge in the head to head with Felix Auger-Aliassime. It may be the case again on Thursday and I will look for Matteo Berrettini to work his way past this opponent and cover the handicap in the victory.

MY PICKS: Daniil Medvedev - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Andrey Rublev - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Matteo Berrettini - 1.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Diego Sebastian Schwartzman @ 2.10 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Garbine Muguruza @ 1.90 Bet365 (2 Units)

Jessica Pegula @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Petra Kvitova @ 2.00 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Elena Rybakina - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Karolina Muchova @ 1.90 Bet365 (2 Units)

Cincinnati Update: 7-3, + 5.12 Units (20 Units Staked, + 25.60% Yield)

Cincinnati Masters Tennis Picks 2021 (August 18th)

The Tennis continues at Cincinnati on Wednesday and the Second Round matches are all set to be completed over several hours.

Andrey Rublev - 3.5 games v Marin Cilic: Early defeats in Tokyo and Toronto have been far from ideal for Andrey Rublev, but he will be looking to put down a marker in Cincinnati before the US Open begins in less than two weeks time. The Russian has won a title on the hard courts already this season and he has reached three other Semi Finals, while Andrey Rublev has previously had success at the US Open too and that should offer him plenty of encouragement.

However, with all that being said, Andrey Rublev will be under pressure to put a strong run in the books in Cincinnati to build the confidence for the final Grand Slam of the season. Roger Federer is confirmed to be missing, while Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic both could be limited and that will mean there is an opportunity for someone like Rublev in what has been the Slam with the most surprising winners during the Big Three era.

It was a close loss in Toronto last week, but Andrey Rublev is going to have to deal with another big-serving opponent in Cincinnati and that will make his life difficult. However, in previous meetings against Marin Cilic, Andrey Rublev has shown enough of an impact in the return games to be encouraged.

His own serve is a big weapon on the hard courts and that should give Andrey Rublev an edge, especially as he has managed to hold 89% of his service games played on the hard courts compared with Marin Cilic's 80% mark.

Andrey Rublev also has the stronger return game, but Marin Cilic is coming in off an upset win over Aslan Karatsev and the former US Open Champion has also been very competitive over the last month with a couple of three set defeats behind him. That competitiveness is going to be important for Marin Cilic if he is going to earn another upset on Wednesday, but the previous matches against this Russian opponent have to be a worry.

It is Andrey Rublev who has won the last three matches between these players and those have all been on the hard courts including in Miami earlier this year. Andrey Rublev has faced five break points in those three matches, but he has created thirty-five opportunities and the Russian holds a clear advantage on the numbers behind both serve and return.

That is important in his first match in Cincinnati in 2021 and I do think Marin Cilic will struggle to deal with the returning pressure. He showed admirable resilience in the win over Aslan Karatsev, but Andrey Rublev may be a level above his compatriot and he can find the breaks of serve to cover this handicap on the way through to the Third Round.

Daniil Medvedev - 4.5 games v Mackenzie McDonald: Both of these players have already enjoyed some strong successes during the US Open Series and that should mean two confident players are taking to the court on Wednesday.

While Mackenzie McDonald reached the Final in Washington at ATP 500 level, Daniil Medvedev underlined his potential as a Grand Slam winner next month by winning the ATP 1000 event held in Toronto. For a long time Daniil Medvedev has considered the hard courts to be his strongest surface and his win in Toronto after reaching the Australian Open Final earlier this season has to offer the Russian World Number 2 an immense amount of confidence.

He won the Toronto Final on Sunday and there is not a lot of time for recovery as Medvedev arrives in Cincinnati, but this has been a good match up for him and one that can help ease him into the tournament.

Mackenzie McDonald has a First Round win under his belt in Cincinnati, but he was beaten relatively easily by Benoit Paire in Toronto. His run in Washington has to be given a lot of respect considering some of the names that were in the draw, but the American was fortunate to avoid the majority of those and did not face anyone Ranked inside the top 48 in the World before the Final where McDonald was beaten in three sets by Jannik Sinner.

The numbers produced by Mackenzie McDonald on the hard courts have to be respected, but they take a serious dip when he has been presented with a top 50 Ranked opponent. He is 3-5 in those matches on this surface and McDonald's hold percentage drops from 83% to 80%, while the break percentage falls considerably from 25% to 16%.

Now he has to take on Daniil Medvedev who has a serve that is a huge weapon on the hard courts, but also a player that is very capable of getting into the return games to build pressure on opponents. The long run in Toronto is a slight concern with the little time to recover and move onto a new tournament, but Medvedev is used to going deep in Grand Slam events and he has had two full days off before being asked to return to the court.

As mentioned before, the head to head is heavily skewed in favour of Daniil Medvedev who has won all four previous matches against Mackenzie McDonald. Their first meeting was competitive, but Medvedev has won the last three with something to spare including in a straight sets win over McDonald at the Australian Open.

Daniil Medvedev has held 86% of his service games played against Mackenzie McDonald on the hard courts, but the more impressive number is the 46% of return games in which he has broken the serve. Take out the first competitive match, and Daniil Medvedev has broken in 53% of return games against this opponent and I do feel only fatigue can prevent him from winning this one with something to spare too.

Diego Sebastian Schwartzman v Frances Tiafoe: Both of these players looked good coming through First Round matches in Cincinnati, although Diego Sebastian Schwartzman was a favourite to progress and Frances Tiafoe has upset the odds again.

He continues to be one of the more frustrating players to read on the Tour with average numbers producing average results, but Frances Tiafoe is a player that is capable of producing something special on any given day. That helped him deservedly beat Ugo Humbert in the First Round and last week in Toronto he upset Denis Shapovalov, but Tiafoe can sometimes struggle when he feels there is an expectation around him.

Frances Tiafoe has held 80% of service games played on the hard courts in 2021 and he has broken in 21% of the return games he has faced. Those numbers are nothing to write home about, but the service numbers remain steady even when the American faces competition from inside the top 20 of the World Rankings.

The problem for Frances Tiafoe is that his return is erratic at best, although he will feel he can get his teeth into the Diego Sebastian Schwartzman service games.

The Argentinian has had plenty of success on the surface in the past though and Diego Sebastian Schwartzman is also putting together a decent 2021 campaign on the surface. He may be happier on the clay courts, but Schwartzman's numbers certainly look like he could have the edge in this Second Round match in Cincinnati even on what is usually a very quick hard court.

Unsurprisingly it is the Schwartzman return of serve which makes him most dangerous and he will feel he can into the Frances Tiafoe serve in this match too. Diego Sebastian Schwartzman has broken in 36% of return games played on the hard courts and the number actually jumps to 38% when facing a top 50 Ranked opponent on the surface.

It could be the key to the outcome of this match with some swings in momentum expected.

However, I do think Diego Sebastian Schwartzman can scramble through enough service games to be able to apply the pressure on Frances Tiafoe and I will look for him to do enough to move through to the Third Round at the expense of the home player.

MY PICKS: Andrey Rublev - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Daniil Medvedev - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Diego Sebastian Schwartzman @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Karolina Muchova @ 1.83 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Elina Svitolina - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Garbine Muguruza - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Cincinnati Update: 2-2, - 0.68 Units (8 Units Staked, - 8.50% Yield)