Miami Masters Tennis Picks 2022 (March 31st)

The Miami Masters has been a mixed bag of results, but I have been hoping for a touch more fortune than received earlier in the tournament.

Another slight. winning day is one thing, but I am looking for the big day which may still produce a winning tournament for the Tennis Picks before the clay court season gets underway.

Daniil Medvedev-Hubert Hurkacz over 21.5 games: I have to admit that I was pretty surprised to see Daniil Medvedev as such a big favourite to beat the defending Miami Masters Champion in this Quarter Final. Another win would see Daniil Medvedev restore his spot as the World Number 1 having lost that at the end of the tournament at Indian Wells, while he has played well in Miami, but I have yet to be fully convinced that the Russian is at his very best.

He benefited from what looked to be a tired Jenson Brooksby in the Fourth Round, and while the numbers have been impressive, this is a step up in terms of quality of opponent compare with the players that Daniil Medvedev has beaten so far.

Daniil Medvedev is serving well and has held in 93% of the service games played, and I have to say that the return of serve has been at a level that we have come to expect from him. Over the course of the 2022 season, Daniil Medvedev has not returned as well as he would have liked, but he has broken in 37% of return games played in his three matches in Miami.

However, this is a Quarter Final against Hubert Hurkacz who won the tournament here last year and who has held in 94% of service games played in the Miami Masters in 2022. The three wins have not been in as impressive fashion as Daniil Medvedev has produced, but Hubert Hurkacz is clearly confident in the conditions and has backed up the serve by breaking in 37% of return games played too.

It certainly suggests he can push a player that Hubert Hurkacz has pushed in their three previous matches. Hubert Hurkacz beat this opponent at Wimbledon last year, but their two hard court matches after that were both won by Daniil Medvedev, although those both needed three sets to separate the players.

The Polish player has held serve in 93% of his service games played against Daniil Medvedev in their two hard court matches, while Daniil Medvedev has done the same. This has me leaning towards this Quarter Final surpassing the total games line with both players serving really well in Miami and I am not anticipating a lot of breaks of serve.

Another three setter cannot be ruled out either and I do think both of these players have been able to contain the threat from the other in their three previous matches. An early break could put the cover under threat, but I do think this could be a serve-orientated match with very little between Daniil Medvedev and Hubert Hurkacz again.

Carlos Alcaraz - 4.5 games v Miomir Kecmanovic: The improvements in the tennis are being seen in leaps and bounds for those following Carlos Alcaraz and I do think the young Spaniard could be ready to have a huge impact in the upcoming Grand Slam at the French Open.

It is the Slams where the casual fan will begin to take notice of Carlos Alcaraz, but for most this is a player that has shown he is ready to win big titles. His performances over the last couple of weeks in big Masters events on the hard courts shows Alcaraz is becoming an all court player, if he wasn't already, and he is a big favourite to reach the Semi Final in Miami.

He didn't panic when trailing Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Fourth Round and Carlos Alcaraz looks like a player who believes he should be competing and beating the very best on the Tour. It won't be long before he is the latest Spaniard to reach the top ten of the World Rankings and the performances in Miami have been impressive.

The overall numbers on the hard courts in 2022 have been strong and Carlos Alcaraz has held 96% of his service games played here in Miami. The stand out reason for his successes has been the impressive, aggressive return which has put a lot of pressure on opponents and Alcaraz is backing up his serving by breaking in 31% of games in this tournament, a number which is remarkably down on his overall break percentage on the surface this season.

Miomir Kecmanovic is another player having considerable success on the hard courts this season, although his performances have been more surprising than the young Spaniard's performances. The win over Indian Wells Champion Taylor Fritz will have given Miomir Kecmanovic more confidence, while he has held 93% of his service games in this tournament and broken in 23% of return games.

It is the advantage on the return which makes me favour Carlos Alcaraz to win and cover this big spread.

As the tournament has progressed, Miomir Kecmanovic has been riding the margins more than Carlos Alcaraz who has been much more consistent in Miami. The serve has remained strong when Kecmanovic has faced top 20 Ranked opponents on the hard courts over the last twelve months, but he has not nearly been as effective on the return and I think there will be plenty pressure put on him by Carlos Alcaraz.

I have mentioned that Carlos Alcaraz needs to find a bit of improvement on his serve on this surface to make his life easier, but it has not been an issue when the Spaniard has faced those Ranked outside the top 20 on this surface. I expect this to be close for a while, but Carlos Alcaraz can build the pressure and that may see him eventually break down the Miomir Kecmanovic game and cover this spread on his way to the Semi Final.

Naomi Osaka - 3.5 games v Belinda Bencic: This looks like it has the possibility of being a really high quality Semi Final as Naomi Osaka and Belinda Bencic meet in Miami.

Both of these players have been in very good form in the tournament and both Naomi Osaka and Belinda Bencic are very confident hard court players. Their numbers over the course of 2022 have been impressive, but there does seem to be a confidence about Osaka which led to her winning multiple Slam titles on this surface at both the Australian Open and US Open.

The conditions have been pretty good for both players, but Naomi Osaka may be getting a little bit more out of the serve. That could be key to the outcome of the match considering how well both players are returning, but it does feel like it is a level that Naomi Osaka can maintain more than Belinda Bencic.

You can't ignore the fact that Belinda Bencic has a very strong record against Naomi Osaka, including winning all three of their previous matches on the hard courts. However, the last of those matches was played back in 2019 at the US Open and I do think Naomi Osaka is much improved these days as long as she can hold herself together mentally.

It feels like a tournament in which Naomi Osaka has felt much calmer, although the issue with backing a player like this is that you don't always know what you are going to get. Belinda Bencic is a steadier player and is playing really well this week, but I think Naomi Osaka can use her serve to keep the scoreboard pressure on the Swiss player and ultimately lead to a win and a cover of this spread mark.

Iga Swiatek - 5.5 games v Jessica Pegula: The soon to be new World Number 1 on the WTA Tour has clearly been inspired with the top spot in the Rankings up for grabs. Even before Ashleigh Barty decided to hang up her racquet, Iga Swiatek had been motoring towards the very peak of the WTA Tour and winning the title in Indian Wells will have given her plenty of confidence.

It is a confidence which has carried over to Miami where Iga Swiatek has won all of her matches in impressive fashion.

The latest to fall at the feet of her consistency was Petra Kvitova in the Quarter Final and the Polish player has yet to drop more than three games in any set played.

Jessica Pegula has won their previous match on the Tour, although she was a little fortunate that day in 2019 and I do think Iga Swiatek is a much stronger player on the hard courts than she was. The other benefit for Jessica Pegula is that she has only played eleven games in her last two matches to progress through to the Semi Final so should be in a strong shape to compete with the best player on the Tour.

Injuries have helped Jessica Pegula move past Anhelina Kalinina and Paula Badosa, while her wins over Sloane Stephens and Elena Rybakina have to be respected. However, those were close wins and Iga Swiatek is playing at a level above those players right now, which is likely going to put Jessica Pegula under pressure.

Her numbers in 2022 have not really been that impressive, although Jessica Pegula has served pretty well and that is going to be a key for her. If she can keep some sort of pressure on Iga Swiatek, this could be a competitive Semi Final, but I find it hard to ignore how well Swiatek has been returning serve on this surface and I think that will see her win another match by a good margin.

Jessica Pegula has not really returned as well as she would have liked so far this season and I think Iga Swiatek can overcome the fact she played late Wednesday night to win this match and cover another wide mark.

MY PICKS: Daniil Medvedev-Hubert Hurkacz Over 21.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Carlos Alcaraz - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Naomi Osaka - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Jessica Pegula - 5.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet365 (2 Units)

Miami Update: 24-25, - 8.78 Units (98 Units Staked, - 8.96% Yield)

Miami Masters Tennis Picks 2022 (March 30th)

Monday proved to be the late show for the Tennis Picks, but Tuesday was not so kind as the Miami schedule was completed.

The late losses were a little disappointing considering the position both Stefanos Tsitsipas and Taylor Fritz found themselves in, but it is what it is.

It is Quarter Final day on Wednesday as the Miami Masters rattles to a close this weekend. The WTA Semi Final line up will be completed, but half of the ATP Quarter Final matches are set for Thursday with half played today.

Alexander Zverev - 3.5 games v Casper Ruud: After some difficult moments over the last month, the former Miami Masters Runner Up Alexander Zverev is hoping to go one better in 2022. The tournament looks an open one as we have gotten down to the Quarter Final stage and Alexander Zverev is playing really well.

He is going to need all of his best tennis when taking on Casper Ruud who has yet to drop a set in the tournament and had a rare success over a top 20 Ranked opponent on the hard courts when beating Cameron Norrie in the Fourth Round. It is a win and a performance that has to give Casper Ruud confidence, while the slow conditions on the main court in Miami will suit a player who is very effective on the clay courts.

This time he is playing an opponent who is in very fine form of his own and Alexander Zverev will not be worried about the conditions himself. The slower court gives him plenty of time to set up the big groundstrokes and the final match scheduled to be played on Wednesday night in Miami looks to be a very strong one.

Both Casper Ruud and Alexander Zverev will be very happy with the way they have been serving in the tournament- both are holding 96% of service games played, but it is Ruud who has the edge when it comes to the return of serve having broken in 41% of return games played compared with Zverev's mark of 25%.

One difference is that it feels like Alexander Zverev is peaking in this tournament and he has shown improvement in each of his three wins in Miami. Casper Ruud was very impressive in his first two wins, but the victory over Cameron Norrie was more competitive than the straight sets scoreline suggests and I do think he is going to have to be a lot better if he is going to compete with someone as strong as Alexander Zverev.

Over the course of 2022 there is nothing between these players in terms of numbers, but over a twelve month period it is Alexander Zverev who has put together the stronger hard court numbers. There has also been the massive difference in level of performance when Casper Ruud and Alexander Zverev have played top 20 Ranked opponents on the hard courts over the last twelve months and I do think the higher Ranked player deserves to be set as the favourite.

Even the margin of favouritism doesn't concern me.

Alexander Zverev has won both previous hard court matches between these players and both of those wins came in 2021. The German has yet to drop a set to Casper Ruud and he has held 94% of service games played in those matches compared with Ruud's mark of 63% and there has been a huge advantage in favour of Alexander Zverev when it comes to the point percentage won behind serve.

It should be a decent Quarter Final, but I do think Alexander Zverev is going to have enough in his tennis to win the match and also cover the spread on his way to another Miami Semi Final.

Paula Badosa - 2.5 games v Jessica Pegula: The season has been a little inconsistent from Jessica Pegula and she has not reached the heights produced in 2021, but I think the standards set have contributed to the feeling that she is underachieving. A run to the Quarter Final at the Australian Open should have really been a spark for Jessica Pegula, but some earlier than expected losses have prevented her from really making an impact on the Tour.

Things may feel different in Miami where Jessica Pegula has reached another Quarter Final and she has yet to drop a set in her three wins here. She also benefited from only needing to play a single set in her Fourth Round win, but I am not sure it is going to be too much of a concern for Paula Badosa considering there has been a day of rest between those Fourth Round matches and this Quarter Final.

Jessica Pegula's biggest problem so far this season on the hard courts has been the struggle to really get into her return games. However, the American has been happy in home settings this week in Miami and she has managed to win 51% of return points played in her three wins here compared with her overall 41% mark in 2022.

I expect the return to be challenged by Paula Badosa who has proven to be a pretty effective server on the hard courts, although the second serve can be vulnerable at times. I do think Jessica Pegula will be able to have success attacking the second serve, but Paula Badosa's first serve has been effective and she continues to show plenty of consistency when it comes to her return of serve.

Paula Badosa can also stay on top of Jessica Pegula by continuing to get a high percentage of first serves in play- she is just shy of 70% of first serves made this week in Miami and that is a number that will certainly put Pegula in a tough spot when it comes to trying to build some pressure on her Spanish opponent.

I do think Paula Badosa will see plenty more second serves on current form and I think that will help the higher Ranked player work her way through to the Semi Final. Conditions here won't be too much of a bother for Badosa and I think she can do enough to secure a victory in a manner to cover this mark.

Iga Swiatek - 5.5 games v Petra Kvitova: The abrupt decision to retire made by Ashleigh Barty means the WTA Tour is missing their World Number 1, but Iga Swiatek is producing the kind of form that means she is going to take over that spot sooner than later. At this moment in time, Iga Swiatek is the best player on the Tour and I certainly think the Polish player is going to very confident going into the clay court season.

The former French Open Champion may be the player to beat when Roland Garros comes around at the end of May, but Iga Swiatek has made steady improvements on the hard courts over the last couple of years. She won the title in Indian Wells last week and Iga Swiatek has refused to be satisfied by the success as she has arrived in Miami with more titles on her mind.

Iga Swiatek's numbers on the hard courts in 2022 have been very impressive and she has won a couple of titles on the surface, which has to be respected. The serve has been decent enough, but it is the fact that Iga Swiatek has won 51% of return points played on the surface which has sparked the kind of successes she has enjoyed so far this season.

Her overall numbers have been really impressive in the Miami Masters- Iga Swiatek has served very well and she has won 57% of return points played in her three matches here. She has broken at least four times in each of her matches played, while Iga Swiatek has dropped serve just twice in the tournament and is performing with a lot of confidence.

Someone like Petra Kvitova could be very dangerous and at her best the left-hander is a very confident hard court player in her own right. She was a little fortunate to win in the Fourth Round, while Petra Kvitova has suffered some heavy losses on the hard courts including when winning just three games in her defeat to Maria Sakkari in Indian Wells.

Inconsistent results have contributed to average hard court numbers and Petra Kvitova has not been as effective on the return of serve as her opponent. The serve can be a potent weapon at its best, but Petra Kvitova's second serve could be put under pressure by someone who is playing at the level that Iga Swiatek is playing at.

The slower conditions in Miami have given Petra Kvitova a chance to have a full swing when it comes to the return and she has won 50% of return points played in the tournament, although she has not come anywhere near the numbers that Iga Swiatek has produced on serve. It is the Petra Kvitova second serve which has really been vulnerable in the tournament and I think that will be the difference between these players in this Quarter Final.

This is a very big spread when you think of how good Petra Kvitova can be, but her hard court numbers over the last twelve months suggest she is going to need to turn back the clock and produce a special performance to be as competitive as she would like. At the moment, Iga Swiatek doesn't look like a player that is going to leave too many openings for her opponent to exploit and I will look for the soon to be World Number 1 to win and cover on her way to another Semi Final.

MY PICKS: Alexander Zverev - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Paula Badosa - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Iga Swiatek - 5.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet365 (2 Units)

Miami Update: 23-24, - 8.98 Units (94 Units Staked, - 9.55% Yield)

Miami Masters Tennis Picks 2022 (March 29th)

It looked like it was going to be a miserable day in the office for the Tennis Picks on Monday, but a couple of late winners at least limited the damage.

The Fourth Round of the ATP Miami tournament is set to be played through the day and we have a couple of the WTA Quarter Finals heading out to the court on Tuesday. My selections from the matches can be seen below.

Nick Kyrgios - 2.5 games v Jannik Sinner: These two players were supposed to meet in Indian Wells, but Jannik Sinner was suffering with an illness which meant withdrawing before the match was played. It allowed Nick Kyrgios to move through to the Quarter Final at the last Masters event, but this is a player who is performing at a very high level at the moment and looks to be much happier with his tennis than we have become used to seeing.

There are still some moments of frustration as he showed when getting into an argument with some of the crowd in the defeat against Rafael Nadal, but in the main Nick Kyrgios has been focused and he has produced some stunning numbers in 2022. His run in Miami has also been very impressive and the big serve is now being backed up with a little more focus on the return of serve, which is proving to be the key for a player looking to move back into the top 100 of the World Rankings.

Nick Kyrgios will know how tough life becomes when failing to earn automatic entry into some of the biggest events on the Tour, while he is a player that should be much closer to the top ten in the World Rankings as he once was. If he continues to serve as big as he has been, Nick Kyrgios will be a tough out for anyone left in the Miami Masters, but he has also broken in 34% of return games played and that is very impressive from any player on the Tour.

This will be another test for Nick Kyrgios, but Jannik Sinner has not really impressed in his two wins in the Miami Masters and has been pushed to the limit in both. He has been fortunate to win both matches too, but it is a shame that the layers are on top of the current form after I was given the chance to back the Australian as the underdog when they were meant to meet at Indian Wells.

Jannik Sinner has only held 81% of his service games played in Miami and he has broken in 20% of return games played and that is not really going to be good enough to beat Nick Kyrgios on his current form.

Plenty of time has already been spent on the court by the young Italian and, while I have to respect the fight being shown, I do think that could add up to have an adverse affect on him. Jannik Sinner is going to have to serve well to keep Nick Kyrgios at bay, but this is the player that I always felt was inside of Kyrgios and he looks capable of moving through to another Quarter Final on the hard courts with a good, strong win in this Fourth Round match.

Casper Ruud - 1.5 games v Cameron Norrie: This may be a Fourth Round match, but both Casper Ruud and Cameron Norrie may feel they will be able to have a very big impact at the Miami Masters if they are able to get past the other. Two players who are both Ranked inside the top 15 of the World Rankings have been very content in playing hard court tennis, but both Ruud and and Norrie are also happy on the clay courts and so the conditions in Miami look to suit their respective games.

Out of the two, it is Cameron Norrie who has won the biggest title on a hard court, but the left hander has not shown the same kind of consistency as Casper Ruud.

The numbers back that up, although it is hard to ignore the fact that Casper Ruud has yet to really find the tennis he has needed to beat top 20 Ranked opponents on the hard courts in a consistent manner. Both players have losing numbers against those opponents over the last twelve months, but there is no doubting that Cameron Norrie has been the more consistent and competitive of the two players when facing some of the top names on the Tour.

A real problem for Casper Ruud compared with Cameron Norrie has been the inability to fashion more breaks of serve when facing top 20 Ranked opponents on the hard courts.

It is something that is a factor in the match, but I do like the fact that Casper Ruud has beaten Cameron Norrie twice on the hard courts during the last twelve months. That has to give him confidence and especially as the Casper Ruud serve has been a big weapon for him in those wins, while the Norwegian has held 90% of his service games played in those two wins over Cameron Norrie.

He has also created 11 break points compared to just 2 for Cameron Norrie in those hard court matches and I do think Casper Ruud has the edge in this match. The top 20 results on the hard courts are a concern, but I do think Casper Ruud has faced the elite of the ATP Tour in the last twelve months and he will feel more comfortable in this match up.

Cameron Norrie has played really well on the Tour over the last twelve months and he is a much improved player, but Casper Ruud may be able to serve well enough to edge to the victory in a competitive match.

MY PICKS: Nick Kyrgios - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Casper Ruud - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

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

Stefanos Tsitsipas + 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Taylor Fritz - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet365 (2 Units)

Belinda Bencic - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Naomi Osaka - 2.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Miami Update: 19-21, - 9.84 Units (80 Units Staked, - 12.30% Yield)

Miami Masters Tennis Picks 2022 (March 28th)

It was a mixed day for the Tennis Picks on Sunday, but I am looking for a strong week to turn this tournament around and just get the results moving as I would like.

This is not always easy, but I have been a touch unfortunate this week- I am always the first to be self-critical where I feel my selections have been poor, but a couple of results turning would have put this week in a much stronger place all around.

Hopefully Monday will be the start of that turnaround with the entire WTA Fourth Round scheduled to be played, while the remainder of the ATP Third Round is completed too. This is the busiest day left in the tournament in Miami and there are some big games set to head to the courts.

The conditions have been very tough for the players, but those still in the draw have done what they can and there is a big prize to be won this weekend before we move onto clay court tennis.

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 3.5 games v Alex De Minaur: It was a tough Second Round work out for Stefanos Tsitsipas and he needed a bit more time on the court than he may have hoped when seeing off JJ Wolf. The first two sets saw Stefanos Tsitsipas struggle to really impose himself on the match before running away with the decider and that will at least give him some confidence in what is likely to be tough conditions in Miami in this Third Round meeting.

It also doesn't help that Stefanos Tsitsipas is going to be facing a confident opponent in Alex De Minaur who has been enjoying his 2022 season. After a relatively poor year on the hard courts in 2021, Alex De Minuar has bounced back in 2022 and he was a much more comfortable Second Round winner than the opponent he is going to meet in the Third Round.

Alex De Minaur has not been as effective protecting the serve as Stefanos Tsitsipas, but he has been the stronger return player with his athleticism around the court and the ability to force opponents to hit one more ball being key to his success. He looks to be heading back in the right direction as far as the World Rankings are concerned, although a much tougher stretch is coming up with the clay court season soon upon us.

The real challenge for the Australian is to try and be more competitive when he has faced a top 20 Ranked opponent on the hard courts and, despite the improvement in 2022, Alex De Minaur is just 1-4 in that situation this season. A look at the numbers in those matches over a twelve month period shows the fall in the percentage of return games in which Alex De Minaur has broken serve, while his own serve has been even more vulnerable.

It is a reason I really do believe Stefanos Tsitsipas is going to get the better of Alex De Minaur, while you cannot ignore how well he has matched up in their head to head.

Stefanos Tsitsipas has won nine of their ten professional matches and that includes the last eight in a row. The Greek player has held serve in 85% of service games played between them, while Alex Di Minaur is down at 70% and the numbers harden when you only consider the seven matches played between the players on the hard courts, all won by Stefanos Tsitsipas.

At the moment confidence is an issue for Stefanos Tsitsipas and that may give Alex De Minaur an opportunity to turn the tide on the head to head, but I do think he has plenty to prove when facing the top names on the Tour. The feeling is that Stefanos Tsitsipas is still serving well enough to put some scoreboard pressure on the Australian and that could see the cracks exposed in his tennis.

In better form I woul expect Stefanos Tsitsipas to be asked to cover at least one more game than this, but the spread is still in a good spot for the World Number 5 to cover in a winning effort.

Hubert Hurkacz - 3.5 games v Aslan Karatsev: After opening the season with a title win in Sydney, the last couple of months have been much more difficult for Aslan Karatsev and inconsistent results have been the feature of his time on the Tour. He has dropped back outside the top 30 in the World Rankings and another slippage will mean losing his Seeding when it comes to the Grand Slam events and that can spiral into more poor results.

The last couple of years have been very effective for Aslan Karatsev, but his numbers have taken a serious dent in 2022 on the hard courts. The one that stands out the most is the issues he has been having when it comes to the return of serve with his break percentage dropping 9% from his 2021 numbers and the ones being produced in 2022.

That is a major drop off for a player that has never had a dominating serve and it has put Aslan Karatsev under pressure. The real surprise has been the fact that the player has lost so many matches to opponents Ranked outside the top 50 in the World Rankings and Aslan Karatsev has to be respected considering he has won all three matches against top 50 Ranked opponents on the hard courts this season.

He faces another one in the Third Round when Aslan Karatsev takes on the defending Miami Champion- Hubert Hurkacz has held 90% of service games played on the hard courts and broken in 22% of return games this season and he is still Ranked inside the top 10, although Hurkacz will need a strong tournament to hold onto that position.

Hubert Hurkacz has had some solid results on the hard courts, but he has yet to really have a stand out tournament and was beaten in the Fourth Round in Indian Wells last time out. The hard courts have been an effective surface for him and winning the title here last season may mean he is back in inspired settings, while he has been playing much stronger tennis on the surface compared with Aslan Karatsev.

These two players split two hard court matches in 2021, but it was the Hubert Hurkacz serve which had the edge in terms of the numbers.

On current form it is hard to imagine Aslan Karatsev turning the form on the heavy loss suffered at Indian Wells in the Autumn of 2021 and I do think a big serving day from Hubert Hurkacz could give him a considerable edge. It builds scoreboard pressure and Hurkacz has shown he can put enough balls back in play on the return to force mistakes from opponents and that may be the case here as I look for him to move through and with a cover too.

MY PICKS: Stefanos Tsitsipas - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Hubert Hurkacz - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Lloyd Harris - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Tommy Paul + 2.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Ons Jabeur @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Daria Saville - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Naomi Osaka - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Belinda Bencic - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Petra Kvitova @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Miami Update: 15-16, - 7.04 Units (62 Units Staked, - 11.35% Yield)

Miami Masters Tennis Picks 2022 (March 27th)

Any time you finish with a winning day from the Tennis Picks has to be appreciated, but it should have been a perfect day.

Irina-Camelia Begu was the only losing selection on the day, but she won more points than her opponent and somehow still managed to cover as the underdog. That one stung, but like I said after the difficult Friday, the selection was the right one in almost all the statistical categories bar the one that actually matters.

Those kind of losses hurt, because they have no right to lose, but I can at least point to the research and say it was a good call and just needed a bit more fortune to come away on the right side.

Hopefully Sunday can build on the positive Saturday and get this Miami Masters back on track.

Alexander Zverev - 4.5 games v Mackenzie McDonald: It has been a productive twelve months for Mackenzie McDonald and that has helped him improve the World Ranking to earn direct entry into the Masters events being played. He was beaten in the Second Round at Indian Wells, but an upset of a Seeded player has taken the American through to the Third Round in Miami this week.

Mackenzie McDonald is going to have to dig deep if he is going to beat the Number 2 Seed in the draw, although Alexander Zverev has had another difficult month on the Tour. The petulant display at the end of a defeat in a Doubles match in Acapulco saw Alexander Zverev thrown out of the Singles tournament there, but the controversy probably didn't help in the early loss in Indian Wells last week.

Losing to Tommy Paul will have hurt and Alexander Zverev will not want to be upset by another American player early in this tournament. Regardless, the German has been a consistent player on the Tour and he has become someone who can be very competitive on all surfaces, but a confidence boosting performance in Miami will carry Zverev forward when the clay court events come around next month.

The serve continues to be a big weapon for Alexander Zverev, but he did struggle through a tougher than expected Second Round match against Borna Coric. Over the last twelve months on the hard courts, Alexander Zverev has broken in 25% of return games played, but in recent matches there has been some real room for improvement on this side of the court.

Alexander Zverev should be able to get into the Mackenzie McDonald service games despite the strong performance in beating Grigor Dimitrov in the Second Round. The latter has held 74% of service games played on the hard courts in 2022, but the serve is vulnerable whenever Mackenzie McDonald has stepped to play a top 20 Ranked opponent on this surface.

Over the last twelve months, Mackenzie McDonald has been in that situation in seven matches and he has held just 57% of service games played.

One of those matches came against Alexander Zverev on an indoor hard court earlier this season, although the slower conditions in Miami are not expected to impact the World Number 4. The return game was working well for Zverev that day and in their two previous matches, he has been able to force Mackenzie McDonald to be under severe pressure when it comes to the serve.

The German has also been able to hold onto his own serve without too many issues and I do think Alexander Zverev is able to pull clear for a good looking win in this Third Round match.

Casper Ruud - 3.5 games v Alexander Bublik: There is most definitely a feeling that Casper Ruud is improving at the rate of knots on the hard courts, but the next part of the season may actually be where he is most confidence. He has long been a very strong clay court player, but Casper Ruud may legitimately feel that he can challenge to win the French Open and even more so when you think of the issues that Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic could be dealing with in Paris.

The hard courts are still a work in progress for Casper Ruud, but he has produced some solid numbers on the surface and has tended to be a player that has dominated those players he is expected to beat. A key for Casper Ruud is finding a way to be a lot more competitive when he has faced top 20 Ranked opponents on the hard courts, but it is important to note that he has lost just three matches to those outside of those positions over the last twelve months.

Casper Ruud has held in 89% of service games played against opponents Ranked outside the top 20 in that twelve month period, but backed it up with breaks in 30% of return games. This court and conditions should be one that Ruud enjoys as he looks to earn a measure of revenge over Alexander Bublik, who beat Casper Ruud in a Davis Cup tie earlier this month.

That was also a match played on the hard courts, but Casper Ruud had previously won all three matches between the players and two of those had been played on this surface.

Alexander Bublik has a winning record over the last twelve months, but his numbers have been anything but consistent and it does feel like he is overachieving. The serve can be decent on his best day, but Alexander Bublik has a relatively average return game and that is where his vulnerabilities can be exploited by some of the better players on the Tour.

I will take nothing away from the serve when Alexander Bublik is feeling his best, but you do wonder if the conditions in Indian Wells and Miami suit his game as he would like. He gave up nine break points to a pretty average opponent in the Second Round and I think Casper Ruud can earn some revenge with a good win in this match.

There has been a significant edge in favour of Casper Ruud in their service numbers from previous matches and even the loss in the Davis Cup tie came in a match in which he had created more break points. I think the superior tennis is still being played by the Norwegian and I think he can cover this spread on his way through to the Fourth Round.

MY PICKS: Alexander Zverev - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Casper Ruud - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Frances Tiafoe - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Thanasi Kokkinakis - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Gael Monfils - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Jannik Sinner - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Elena Rybakina - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Petra Kvitova - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Miami Update: 11-12, - 5.96 Units (46 Units Staked, - 12.96% Yield)

Miami Masters Tennis Picks 2022 (March 26th)

It would be an understatement to say Friday night was frustrating.

To put it bluntly, it was a downright piss take- if someone had told me every Pick had been cursed, I honestly would have believed it.

I don't care if I get things wrong- I adjust and try and bounce back, but I am annoyed that things seemed to be so against the selections from the 'x factor' point of view.

Some were horrible Picks, those you end up regretting pretty quickly and not always down to the outcome. One of the adjustments I have made is to try not to pick 'bad' players that are artificially high in the Rankings or simply over-performing and thus being asked to cover big spreads, but I made that mistake with Sorana Cirstea who duly responded by winning two games.

Whatever, that one is on me.

But what can you do when a player is up 4-0, 40/0 and somehow only wins that set 6-4? Elena Rybakina beat her opponent in almost every metric bar the scoreboard and missed the cover by one game. She had more break points in more return games, but didn't manage to get out of one service game when facing a break point and ultimately made safe passage through to the Third Round, but without covering.

Later in the day more statistical anomalies seemed to be haunting my plays... Grigor Dimitrov was down 7-3 in games, despite losing just 4 more points, while Madison Keys had won 7 more points and was at 9-9 in games.

Oh, and Keys had been leading 6-3, 1-0, 40/0 and also found a way to allow herself to be broken before missing another break point and of course allowing her opponent to break twice from two chances earned.

It's a day that has irritated me off beyond belief, but mainly because the results largely went against the numbers and that hurts more than when it's just a bad day in the office. Bad picks can be criticised, but bad luck is a killer when it adds up as it did on Friday.

But then you have to move forward and not allow that negative spiral to overtake the thought process. I have always said I don't mind if a few stats go against me if I feel the Pick is the one I would have made any other time.

Avoiding those I instantly regret is the key and I think I have gotten better at that, but winning Picks is the only thing that really matters.

Daniil Medvedev - 4.5 games v Andy Murray: Being down at World Number 85 means relying on Wild Card entries into some of the bigger events on the Tour, although Andy Murray would earn direct entry into Grand Slam tournaments. He can invest his all into this Masters event in Miami with the expectation that Andy Murray will not be playing competitive tennis until after the clay court season when the Tour moves onto the grass, a surface on which Murray could still be a real danger to almost any player he faces.

It has not really been the case on the hard courts in 2022 and Andy Murray has continued to struggle for the consistency he would have liked to display. A win over Federico Delbonis in the First Round was solid enough, but there is no doubting how much higher the level is expected to be when he takes on the Number 1 Seed in the Miami tournament.

Daniil Medvedev lost his grip on World Number 1 last week in Indian Wells, but the chances are that he will return to that position before the clay court season when Novak Djokovic is expected to return as countries lower their criteria for allowing athletes to compete. It is important for Medvedev to produce a stronger tournament than the last Masters considering his usual disdain for the clay, although there is a feeling that he is playing under some pressure as a Russian citizen.

The hard court numbers have remained strong in 2022, although not quite to the level that Daniil Medvedev produced in 2021. Daniil Medvedev is still serving very well, but he will be the first to admit that he will want to offer more resistance in the return games having had a slight drop off on this side of his tennis.

Andy Murray has a mixed record when playing top 50 Ranked opponents on the hard courts in 2022, but it has been miserable when going up against a top 20 Ranked opponent. He has lost all four matches against this opponents, while Murray has struggled to get into return games and managed to break in just shy of 6% of return games played.

It is a number that is not going to cut it against Daniil Medvedev and even a look at how Andy Murray has played against top 20 Ranked opponents on the hard courts over the last twelve months offers little encouragement. The British player has broken in 14% of return games played in that time and Daniil Medvedev did crush Andy Murray when they met on the hard courts in Brisbane in January 2018.

The Russian has gone from strength to strength since then and I think Daniil Medvedev can bounce back from a relative early exit at Indian Wells by winning this Second Round match impressively.

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 4.5 games v JJ Wolf: For most players on the Tour, a run to two Semi Finals and the Final of another tournament would be seen as a good start to the season. Stefanos Tsitsipas has bigger ambitions than most though and he may see it as a failure that he has yet to add another title to his collection, while the early loss in Indian Wells would have stung.

The hard court numbers are some way below the levels he has reached over the last couple of seasons, but Miami offers one last chance to better those before moving on the clay courts. In recent years Stefanos Tsitsipas has been a real threat on the red dirt, but he would love to take a confidence boosting tournament into the start of the run towards the French Open and just restore any lost belief in his own tennis.

It might be harsh to suggest that will be the case, but Stefanos Tsitsipas has raised expectations around his tenns over the last couple of years and will not want to feel like he is stuck in this current spot. And while the numbers are not as impressive as we know he can produce, Stefanos Tsitsipas is still a very effective player on the hard courts and his Second Round opponent will be well aware of that.

Stefanos Tsitsipas and JJ Wolf met last month in Acapulco and it was the former who won their match for the loss of just a single game.

No doubt that will have been a painful lesson for the young American, but I do think JJ Wolf will be more competitive in Miami. JJ Wolf has already won three matches here without dropping a set, so will feel he has the conditions under control, and he has produced plenty more wins in recent hard court events in Acapulco, Indian Wells and Phoenix.

Many of those wins have come against players lower down the World Rankings, but wins are important for the mentality of any tennis player.

However, I can't ignore the fact that JJ Wolf has struggled to be competitive when facing top 50 Ranked opponents on the hard courts- his serve has been a little vulnerable in those matches, while the 10% of return games in which he has broken is not really going to cut it.

Home support will help, and I think JJ Wolf will be more competitive than he was in Acapulco, but Stefanos Tsitsipas should have enough in his overall tennis to win this match and cover the spread put in front of him.

MY PICKS: Daniil Medvedev - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Carlos Alcaraz - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Irina-Camelia Begu + 2.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Naomi Osaka - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Miami Update: 8-11, - 9 Units (38 Units Staked, - 23.68% Yield)

Miami Masters Tennis Picks 2022 (March 25th)

The Thursday action returned a solid day for the Tennis Picks and gives me something to build on here in Miami.

We are only into the Second Round though so there is plenty of tennis to get through before seeing how the tournament will work out, but it is an encouraging day after a difficult first couple of days.

Nick Kyrgios + 2.5 games v Andrey Rublev: 2021 was a very difficult season for all on the Tour, but the pandemic had a particular impact on those players from Australia and New Zealand who knew leaving the country would mean a tough time returning home. Many decided that it would be better for their own mental health and well-being to avoid travelling to tournaments as they usually would and one of those was Nick Kyrgios.

I think that has contributed to the decision made by Ashleigh Barty to retire at 25 years old and Nick Kyrgios has also spoken about not always having the love for tennis to put in the work that he needs to in order to win the biggest events. He looks much happier overall at the moment and 2022 has given Kyrgios a chance to travel alongside his girlfriend, which seems to have grounded the charismatic Australian and also helped him produce some very solid tennis.

The serve has always made Nick Kyrgios a tough person to play on the hard courts, but the opening three months of the season have been impressive thanks to his returning performances. He has broken in 21% of return games played, although a seven match sample is not the biggest, while Kyrgios reached the Quarter Final in Indian Wells last week.

The two losses suffered by Nick Kyrgios have come against Daniil Medvedev and Rafael Nadal this season, but Andrey Rublev is the Second Round opponent for him in Miami and this is a player who will feel he is right up alongside the top players on the Tour. Take away the surprising Third Round loss at the Australian Open and Andrey Rublev has been the epitome of consistency with two titles alongside two other runs to Semi Finals, including at Indian Wells.

Consistency has been the key for Andrey Rublev since the start of the 2020 season and it feels very dangerous to oppose him, but Nick Kyrgios will feel he is serving well enough to stay with the Russian.

Andrey Rublev has struggled to deal with the Nick Kyrgios serve in their two previous matches, although the last of those was in 2019. Those were days when Rublev was Ranked below Nick Kyrgios and that has changed now, but I do think the latter is playing well enough and with enough focus to keep this one close.

Tie-breakers will likely be needed, and the way Nick Kyrgios challenged both Medvedev and Nadal in defeats this season suggests he can do the same against Andrey Rublev. Much will depend how well Nick Kyrgios is able to serve in this one, but if he can, I think he is able to make the games given to him count.

Jannik Sinner - 3.5 games v Emil Ruusuvuori: An illness meant Jannik Sinner was unable to take to the court for his Fourth Round match at Indian Wells and the biggest question to answer is whether there has been enough time for him to make a full recovery. The Italian has been in fine form in 2022 and will feel the illness has come at a bad time, but big tournaments are still to come and Jannik Sinner can certainly make amends for not being able to finish as he would have liked in Indian Wells.

He received a Bye through to the Second Round and that means there has been more than a week between when Sinner last took to the court and this match in Miami. Travelling doesn't help, but Jannik Sinner has entered both the Singles and Doubles event here and that suggests he will feel he can compete at a good level.

Emil Ruusuvuori is the first player that Sinner will be facing in Miami after the young player Maxime Cressy impressively in the First Round. The Finnish player is once again approaching a career high World Ranking mark and has reached the Semi Final and a Final in hard court events this season, although Emil Ruusuvuori has benefited from the weak draws in the events in Melbourne and Pune.

Relatively early losses in Indian Wells and in a Phoenix Challenger will have dented some of the confidence, while Emil Ruusuvuori has found it tough to compete with top 50 Ranked players on the hard courts over the last twelve months. This season he is 1-4 in those matches on this surface, while the numbers show the serve is vulnerable when facing some of the better players on the Tour.

That is going to be a problem for Emil Ruusuvuori when he takes on Jannik Sinner who has broken in 26% of return games played on the hard courts in 2022 and that is a number that stays steady when you take a look at the bigger sample of his performances over the last twelve months. The fact that Sinner is used to playing at a higher level than Ruusuvuori should only give him a further edge and the only doubt is the illness that he was dealing with in Indian Wells.

Jannik Sinner played Emil Ruusuvuori twice last season and one of those matches came here in Miami with the other at a hard court event in Washington. The Italian crushed Ruusuvuori in both matches and was able to hold serve in 94% of games played, while Jannik Sinner broke in 42% of return games played too.

It is a match up that Jannik Sinner has enjoyed and I do think he is the much stronger player this stage of their respective careers. As long as Sinner feels ready to take to the court, I do think he will be able to win and win well in the Second Round encounter.

MY PICKS: Nick Kyrgios + 2.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Jannik Sinner - 3.5 Games @ 1.90 Bet365 (2 Units)

Grigor Dimitrov - 1.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Frances Tiafoe @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Sorana Cirstea - 3.5 Games @ 1.75 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Elena Rybakina - 4.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Maria Sakkari - 5.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet365 (2 Units)

Madison Keys - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Victoria Azarenka - 4.5 Games @ 1.90 Bet365 (2 Units)

Miami Update: 6-4, + 1.56 Units (20 Units Staked, + 7.80% Yield)

Miami Masters Tennis Picks 2022 (March 24th)

The scheduling of the early Rounds of the ATP and WTA Masters event in Miami is very different to most tournaments of this nature- it means some players are being asked to play on back to back days early in the event and against opponents who have received a Bye through to the Second Round.

It is not ideal, especially in the tough conditions in Miami with the humidity and heat making it hard to compete.

That may be the reason that three of the five Picks I've made across the first two days of the tournament have ended in a retirement- it is a surprising number, but may just be a bit of a strange coincidence considering there has not been a host of retirements in the tournament.

Andy Murray - 4.5 games v Federico Delbonis: The move back to the clay courts cannot come quick enough for Federico Delbonis and it has been a long time since he produced strong results on the hard courts. Over the last twelve months, Federico Delbonis has won just two hard court matches and those have come against opponents Ranked at Number 570 and Number 399 in the world.

He has suffered some very one-sided losses in 2022 and Federico Delbonis has some very disappointing numbers on the surface as he has struggled to be a competitive threat to others.

A quick look at the numbers from the last twelve months does not make very good reading for the Argentinian who is Ranked at Number 36 and still very close to his career best mark. That is largely down to a very good year on the clay courts and so the upcoming season is going to be very important for Federico Delbonis as he looks to perhaps set a new mark for a career best World Ranking.

Federico Delbonis has only held 61% of service games played on the hard courts over the last twelve months and he has won just 54% of points played behind serve. That is a remarkably low number, but Federico Delbonis may find some confidence from the fact he has beaten Andy Murray before and that win came on the hard courts of Indian Wells in 2016.

Much has changed for both players since then and Andy Murray is not the player he once was- he has struggled for consistency in 2022 and the return game has not been as effective as it was during his peak run on the Tour.

Andy Murray is struggling to get back up the World Rankings and that has meant facing some of the very best players in the early Rounds of the tournaments he has entered. He has played better when facing those Ranked outside the top 20 in the World Rankings and the Andy Murray numbers are pretty good in those matches in 2022.

Expanding the look to the results over the last twelve months shows Andy Murray has been able to hold 83% of service games played on the hard courts against opponents Ranked outside the top 20. In those same matches, Murray has been able to break in 26% of return games played and I do think he can earn a measure of revenge over Federico Delbonis by beating him in the First Round in Miami.

There is no doubt that this is a big handicap mark for Andy Murray to cover in his current point of his career, but this may be the right opponent to face. Federico Delbonis has just struggled to compete with top 100 Ranked opponents on this surface and I think he may already be focused on the big clay court events coming up, which could see him come up short against the former World Number 1.

Lloyd Harris - 3.5 games v Facundo Bagnis: Last season was a very productive one for Lloyd Harris who reached a career high World Ranking in September, but it has been a tough start to 2022 for the South African. Indian Wells proved to be the first tournament in which Lloyd Harris has managed to put a win on the board, but he was beaten in the Third Round and in this Masters event he has to enter a Round earlier than he did last week.

The only positive for Lloyd Harris is that he is facing the one player he has beaten in 2022 for a second time in back to back tournaments. He needed three sets to see off Facundo Bagnis in Indian Wells, but Harris created double the amount of break points and should have perhaps gotten things done in a much more routine fashion.

Confidence can be lost pretty quickly on the Tour, but this is a big event for Lloyd Harris- he is slipping back in the World Rankings and there is no doubt that the clay courts are his weakest surface, so failing to produce a big tournament could soon hit his World Ranking significantly.

Facundo Bagnis will be feeling the opposite- the hard courts have proven to be a difficult surface for him, but he is much happier on the red dirt and the upcoming two months could be a very productive time for the Argentine.

His serve is a challenge coming out of the lefty stance, but even then, Facundo Bagnis has held 74% of service games played on the hard courts over the last twelve months. That has put a lot of pressure on his return and he has broken in just 17% of return games and I do think Lloyd Harris will have the majority of break points in this match too.

2022 has been a difficult time for Lloyd Harris with just 10% of return games ending in a break, but he managed to do that three times against Facundo Bagnis in Indian Wells. Over the last twelve months the break percentage is at 20% on the hard courts and I think Lloyd Harris will be at least good enough to frank the form of last week and win this match against the same opponent.

He could have won in straight sets in Indian Wells and I think Harris can do enough to cover this spread on his way into the Second Round.

Arthur Rinderknech - 2.5 games v Laslo Djere: Some consistency has been lacking over the last month for Arthur Rinderknech, but he has been a solid enough performer on the hard courts. This is a player that has also been pretty happy playing clay court tennis over the last year and I think that will see Arthur Rinderknech moving up the World Rankings.

His numbers are more impressive than Laslo Djere has produced over the last twelve months on this surface and the Serbian has produced his best on the red dirt. The move back to the clay courts will be welcomed by Laslo Djere, but he did win his First Round match in Indian Wells when set as the underdog and that has to be respected.

Laslo Djere has held 75% of service games played on the hard courts over the last twelve months and that will be encouraging, even if the numbers is below what is usually required at this level. The problem for Laslo Djere is that he has been unable to get his teeth into return games to make up for the slightly below average service numbers on the surface and I do think that will cause him problems against Arthur Rinderknech.

The Frenchman is not exactly known for his own returning ability on the hard courts, but he has held 85% of service games played on the surface over the last twelve months. That can build scoreboard pressure and it is something that could prove to be the difference between Arthur Rinderknech and Laslo Djere in this First Round match.

These two did play a very tight match on the clay courts last year with Laslo Djere coming out on top having protected his serve and broken twice on the day. It was a very tight match and it was actually Arthur Rinderknech who won a higher percentage of points played behind serve, but Laslo Djere played the big points more efficiently to secure the win.

Laslo Djere is a stronger clay court player than on the hard courts though and I think that will show up in this match.

Covering the spread will not be easy, but Arthur Rinderknech's edge on the serving numbers could pay dividends in this First Round match. There won't be much between them, but the scoreboard pressure may be enough to give the lower Ranked player the path through to the next Round.

Lorenzo Musetti - 1.5 games v Alexei Popyrin: Two relatively young players on the Tour have just hit the wall in terms of their results and they will meet in the First Round looking to produce a confidence boosting win. Lorenzo Musetti feels like he has more upside than Alexei Popyrin in the long-term, but the Italian has really been struggling for form and that is a worry when backing him.

This season Lorenzo Musetti has a losing run on the hard courts, while the numbers on the surface over a twelve month period are nothing to write home about. The Italian has really had a hard time moving into a position to be an effective return player and he has broken in just 16% of return games played over that time, but Lorenzo Musetti is facing someone who is having as hard a time putting up wins.

Alexei Popyrin has had much stronger hard court numbers of the two players over a twelve month period, especially on the serve, but he has struggled in 2022 with a 3-10 record on the hard courts. While he has held 80% of service games played on the hard courts, Alexei Popyrin has only broken in 12% of return games this season and that has dented the confidence of a player that is slipping towards an exit from the top 100 of the World Rankings.

In 2022, Lorenzo Musetti has a similar number when it comes to holding serve on the hard courts compare with Alexei Popyrin, but he has broken in 16% of return games played.

That is not a significant edge, but it is an edge.

Also, Lorenzo Musetti has enjoyed the match up with this opponent and the Italian has won his last three matches played against Alexei Popyrin. One of those was only last week in the Phoenix Challenger as Musetti dropped just four games against Popyrin, while the higher Ranked player has broken in 33% of return games played against Alexei Popyrin in their two previous hard court matches.

At the same time, Lorenzo Musetti has held 94% of the service games played and I think this is a match up that will give the Italian confidence enough to move through to the Second Round. With a slightly superior return game overall in 2022 and the solid match up against Alexei Popyrin, I will look for Lorenzo Musetti to do enough to get the better of this handicap mark.

MY PICKS: Andy Murray - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Lloyd Harris - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Arthur Rinderknech - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Lorenzo Musetti - 1.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Alison Riske - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Naomi Osaka - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Simona Halep - 5.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Anett Kontaveit - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Miami Update: 1-2, - 2.40 Units (6 Units Staked, - 40% Yield)

Miami Masters Tennis Picks 2022 (March 23rd)

Tuesday was not a very productive day for the Tennis Picks with a couple of retirements on top of a couple of losing selections, but it isn't something to get too downhearted about with the tournament played over the next fortnight.

News outside of the Miami Open took the tennis headlines more than anything out of the First Round- Rafael Nadal looks to have been ruled out for the next month and will be hoping to be able to find some form ahead of the French Open, but, more importantly, the surprising news out of Australia that Ashleigh Barty is retiring has rocked the top of the WTA Tour.

After winning the Australian Open, I thought Ashleigh Barty was ready to dominate the WTA Tour- she also won Wimbledon last year- but the current World Number 1 has always been her own person and the decision is a real surprise, but also something you could have imagined Barty doing.

It is a disappointment- I really do think she had the all-court game to become the clear World Number 1 on the WTA Tour.

However, the Tour will move on and it opens the door for others to fill a void that has been left since Serena Williams dominated a few years ago. There are players like Iga Swiatek who look capable of doing that, but consistency is going to be the key for so many on the WTA Tour, one that has been lacking until it looked like Ashleigh Barty was ready to take over.

Clara Tauson - 4.5 games v Shuai Zhang: When Caroline Wozniacki retired from the WTA Tour, Danish Tennis fans must have been wondering how long they would have to wait to have another potential top ten and Grand Slam challenger to follow. It hasn't taken as long as some may have expected with 19 year old Clara Tauson looking like she has all of the potential to be a major player on the Tour for years to come.

Over the last twelve months Clara Tauson has really showcased her talents and her numbers are very impressive. She has really performed well when facing players Ranked outside the top 20 on the hard courts, but even taking into account those matches, Clara Tauson has looked really good and capable of winning some big titles as she gains experience.

Clara Tauson has a really big serve and it puts her on the front foot on the hard courts, while the Dane is a strong return player. I certainly think she is capable of getting the better of someone like Shaui Zhang who is an inconsistent player and who has the kind of numbers to underline the point.

Shuai Zhang did win the title in Lyon, but she had not won a main draw match since the Australian Open before that and was beaten in the First Round at Indian Wells last week. Even looking at a larger sample over the last twelve months, Shuai Zhang has been someone who can struggle when it comes to the return game and that puts a lot of pressure on her serve.

The First Serve can be a potent weapon at her best, but I think Clara Tauson can put considerable pressure on the Zhang Second Serve. That is where this match may be decided with Tauson having the stronger return numbers of the two players and I do think her own serve should contain the pressure that Shuai Zhang is able to try and exert.

It also should be noted that Shuai Zhang has really struggled to be as competitive as she would like when she has faced opponents Ranked inside the top 50 on the hard courts. The Second Serve and the return has been vulnerable in those matches and I think Clara Tauson is able to come through with a good, solid win to take her place in the Second Round.

Irina-Camelia Begu - 3.5 games v Hailey Baptiste: You can't help but feel these are two players that will soon be moving in opposite directions in the World Rankings with the veteran Irina-Camelia Begu falling and young American Hailey Baptiste at a career best World Ranking.

However, that is something to come and right now you have to favour Irina-Camelia Begu to have a little too much know-how for her opponent.

Neither player has shown enough consistency in the 2022 season and both players were beaten in the First Round at the Indian Wells Masters in the lead up to this event. Hailey Baptiste did upset Caroline Garcia at the Australian Open after Qualifying for the main draw, but she has yet to really handle facing top 100 Ranked opponents on the hard courts and has suffered some big losses already in 2022.

A 5-7 record against top 100 Ranked opponents on the hard courts over the last twelve months does not really paint the full picture for the young American- Hailey Baptiste has produced some poor numbers in that time with her second serve vulnerable and having won just 39% of return points played across those twelve months in those matches.

I can't ignore the fact that Irina-Camelia Begu has had an average record against players Ranked outside the top 50 in the World Rankings, but she has had the stronger numbers than her opponent in this First Round match. The feeling is that Begu can keep Hailey Baptiste under the gun if she can produce plenty of first serves in this one, while she has been pretty good in the return part of her tennis which will give her the edge in this match.

A poor record against players Ranked outside the top 100 in hard court matches over the last twelve months is a real surprise, even if Irina-Camelia Begu's best days are behind her. However, I do think the Romanian has been a little unfortunate in those matches that have produced a 1-3 record and the feeling is that she will have enough in her game to get the better of Hailey Baptiste despite the latter being an improving player on the Tour.

Irina-Camelia Begu has lost four matches in a row and she has not won a match in Miami since 2016, but she has operated at a higher level than Hailey Baptiste and I expect her experience to help her edge to the win and the cover of this mark.

MY PICKS: Irina-Camelia Begu - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Clara Tauson - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Miami Update: 0-2, - 4 Units (4 Units Staked, - 100% Yield)

Miami Masters Tennis Picks 2022 (March 22nd)

The Grand Slams are clearly the biggest events on the calendar during the Tennis season, but the Masters events are scattered throughout the year and those can inspire big performances when the Slams come around.

Indian Wells is the first Masters in the books in the 2022 season as it returns to its rightful place in the calendar.

But there is no rest for the top names with the Miami Masters set to begin on Tuesday and played through the remainder of the month before the entire Tour shifts attention to the French Open. The clay court season begins in April and there are two more big Masters events to be played in Madrid and Rome before the second Grand Slam of the season begins, but for those who are not at their happiest on the red dirt, the Miami Masters is the last big chance to put up some significant points for a couple of months.

Taylor Fritz and Iga Swiatek took home the Indian Wells titles and it is not easy to complete a back to back- the former might not even play in Miami if his injury has not calmed down.

Without Novak Djokovic, it has felt like the top of the ATP Tour has become a lot more open, even if Rafael Nadal has been the one member of the Big Three competing and clearing up some of the trophies that have been handed out. The Spaniard was not at his best last week, but reached another Final before his unbeaten run to begin 2022 was over and Rafael Nadal may soon return to the top of the World Rankings now we are about to enter the clay court season.

He was suffering with an illness at the end of Indian Wells so there is every chance both Men’s Finalists miss out in Miami.

Iga Swiatek’s win in Indian Wells will be well received by fans of the WTA Tour as it begins to feel like the Pole is producing the consistency that has sometimes been lacking from the top names. There was no Ashleigh Barty in the draw, but Iga Swiatek has made a fast start to the season regardless and is a former French Open Champion so will have to be respected going forward.

She has moved into the World Number 2 spot in the World Rankings and beaten Finalist Maria Sakkari is up to World Number 3, although it does feel like the Greek player is in an artificially high spot having failed to win a Slam or a Masters title.

Maria Sakkari is improving though and may be reaching her peak years so I think there is more to come, although the longer you have to wait to break through the ceiling, the more likely it is that you won’t be able to achieve that.

The WTA Miami event looks like it will be another open one, although it was good to see some of the top names reaching the business end of the Indian Wells event. As much as we love competition, I do feel the Tennis Tours need those big time rivalries at the top to bring in the casual viewers so the big names facing each other more and more often for the biggest prizes is important.

This week there will be a number of disappointed ATP players heading to Miami looking for a much better event than the last Masters played. Uncertainty about the status of some of the top names is not helping, but I am hoping to see another good couple of weeks in North America before the move onto the clay courts.

Novak Djokovic is almost certainly going to be back when the Tour moves back to Europe and there will be many looking forward to seeing the World Number 1 back on the court.

The Indian Wells Masters was a decent tournament for fans, but I did expect better from the Tennis Picks.

It has been tough sledging since the Australian Open, when producing a winning return, but the Miami Masters offers the chance for redemption before the return to the clay courts, which is usually my favoured time of the season.

That’s a big statement to make, but I am looking for some momentum to take into those tournaments as we build towards the French Open.

Amanda Anisimova - 3.5 games v Shelby Rogers: I have absolutely no doubt the kind of player that Amanda Anisimova will become on the WTA Tour, but the last couple of years have been very difficult for her. Personal issues and the pandemic have slowed some of the progression that was being made by the young American, but there have been signs that Amanda Anisimova is ready to move back up the World Rankings having won a title and reached the Fourth Round at the Australian Open already.

The career best World Ranking was achieved at the back end of the 2019 season, but Amanda Anisimova looks to be moving back in a positive direction. An illness forced her out of the Indian Wells Masters in the Second Round, but there should have been enough time to overcome any lingering issues and Anisimova can have a much bigger impact all around in the Miami Masters.

The numbers over the last twelve months have been impressive and Amanda Anisimova is certainly capable of beating her compatriot Shelby Rogers in the First Round here. There is still some room for improvement when it comes to the return of serve, but Amanda Anisimova is a solid server and she will certainly feel she is the superior return player on the court in this First Round match.

Shelby Rogers reached a career best World Ranking earlier this season, but she had been struggling before winning a couple of matches at Indian Wells. Both wins came in competitive matches, but Rogers was well beaten in the Third Round and she has won just 39% of return points played on the surface in 2022.

She will have to be wary of allowing Amanda Anisimova to see too many Second Serves, especially as Shelby Rogers is not likely to have much success attacking the Anisimova serve if the latter is close to her top level.

Shelby Rogers did win a really close, competitive match between these players on the clay courts last year, but I think Amanda Anisimova is showing strong form. Barring any lingering illness concerns, Amanda Anisimova should have the quality of tennis to get the better of her compatriot in this First Round match and I think she can do that well enough to cover this spread.

Ann Li - 4.5 games v Mayar Sherif: There is no doubt the kind of impact that Mayar Sherif will be having on young girls in her homeland and surrounding nations to show what is possible and she has reached a career high World Ranking at the back end of 2021. 2022 has been a much tougher year for her so far though and Mayar Sherif will be a significant underdog when she takes on Ann Li, who should receive plenty of backing from the stands.

Since reaching the Semi Final of a tournament in Melbourne prior to the Australian Open, Ann Li has had a much tougher time on the Tour and she has slipped twenty places from the career best World Ranking of Number 44. That has to be a concern, but Ann Li is a young player who has plenty of potential and I do think the slump in form is something she will be able to arrest.

Ann Li is just 2-5 beginning at the Australian Open, while the American has not quite reached the numbers that she was producing in 2021. Over the last twelve months Ann Li has been a solid hard court player, but she has room for improvement and that makes this a potentially awkward First Round match if there has been a dent in the confidence.

However, Mayar Sherif is also going to be struggling with her confidence having lost seven of her eight matches played on the hard courts this season. The serve has been vulnerable and the Egyptian has only won 36% of return points played, while those numbers have not been that impressive even when taking into consideration opponents Mayar Sherif has played that are Ranked outside the top 50.

Ann Li has handled the players she would be expecting to beat in better fashion than Mayar Sherif, while the American also has won both previous matches between these players.

The first of those came at the Australian Open in January 2020, while Ann Li dominated Mayar Sherif in Melbourne a couple of months ago. Ann Li has dominated the two previous matches and has won 49% of return points played, while her first serve has been very tough for Mayar Sherif to deal with so there is every chance the American can produce a big win here.

A lack of confidence is a potential hindrance, but I think Li will know she likes the match up and I think she can clear a big spread.

Caroline Garcia - 2.5 games v Anna Bondar: The improvement in her World Ranking and entry into the top 100 is largely down to the performances Anna Bondar has produced on the clay courts. Her hard court numbers over the last twelve months are less impressive, but she did reach the Quarter Final in Lyon before her early loss at the Indian Wells Masters.

The clay court season is coming up in a couple of weeks and Anna Bondar might already be focusing on trying to have a some successes that can see her improve her World Ranking further. However, she has entered the Miami Masters and the Hungarian has won enough matches on this surface this season and over the last twelve months to believe she can take on someone who has been as erratic as Carolina Garcia.

It has been a difficult season for Caroline Garcia who is down at World Number 66 in the Rankings and who has struggled to string wins together. A Semi Final run in Lyon may have given her a boost, but the Frenchwoman was beaten in the Second Round at Indian Wells and her numbers on the hard courts over the last twelve months have been fairly average.

Caroline Garcia has generally been able to handle those players Ranked outside the top 50 and that will offer her encouragement. One of the areas that will need to be improved is the returning part of her tennis, but Caroline Garcia will feel she can at least showcase better against an opponent like Anna Bondar who has a 1-6 record when facing top 100 Ranked opponents on the hard courts.

Like her opponent, Anna Bondar has struggled with her return against some of the better players she is likely to face and that is expected to be the situation for her in the First Round.

The outcome of the spread is likely to depend on how high the percentage of First Serves found are for Anna Bondar, but she has yet to really get to grips with hard court tennis at this level. While Caroline Garcia has struggled for consistency, she has found a bit more from the return against lower Ranked players on this surface and I think the Frenchwoman can cover the wide handicap mark to move through to the Second Round.

Kaia Kanepi - 2.5 games v Maryna Zanevska: The run to the Australian Open Quarter Final was unexpected for veteran Kaia Kanepi and she won a couple of matches on her return to the Tour last week in Indian Wells. There will be some disappointment that the tournament ended at the hands of Harriet Dart, but Kaia Kanepi is producing enough solid tennis in 2022 to believe she can have another decent impact when the Miami Masters begins.

The Estonian is a pretty strong favourite to beat Maryna Zanevska, but this is a player that needs to be respected.

Maryna Zanevska lost a tight First Round match in Indian Wells, while she has a return game that makes her dangerous on the hard courts. Over the last twelve months, Maryna Zanevska has won 45% of return points played and that means there will be some pressure on Kaia Kanepi to find the level of serving that has allowed her to make such a positive start to the season.

There is no doubt that both players have decent First Serves that have to be respected, but the match could be decided by which of the two is able to get more of those in play. Kaia Kanepi has also won 45% of return points played on the hard courts in 2022, while I think there has been a significant edge in her performance on the Second Serve that should give her the edge in this First Round meeting.

Both have had a slippage in numbers when facing top 100 Ranked players, but again Kaia Kanepi's edge on the Second Serve may end up being the difference between the players.

Mentally, Kaia Kanepi has the edge having won the last two matches against Maryna Zanevska, although they are playing one another for the first time since November 2020. The last match was on the clay courts, but Kaia Kanepi has also won their previous hard court match in good fashion and I think the veteran can get the better of this match.

I would not be surprised if there are a few breaks of serve over the course of the match, but Kaia Kanepi may have enough all around game to cover here.

MY PICKS: Amanda Anisimova - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Ann Li - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Caroline Garcia - 2.5 Games @ 1.72 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Kaia Kanepi - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)