It has been a quiet week for the Tennis Picks, but Friday was one of the busier days with the WTA Madrid tournament firmly underway.
I really could not have asked for a better day with the Tennis Picks going 7-2, although I did benefit from the inches going my way on the day. A couple of those selections could have easily ended up on the wrong side of the fine margins, although Alejandro Davidovich Fokina's late collapse prevented the day from being even better.
Still, a strong winning day has to be appreciated and it gives me something to build upon as I look for this week to end positively. The Madrid Masters will be played through to next weekend with the ATP event beginning on Monday and there will be some big matches coming up that could have an impact on the way the French Open is played out.
Simona Halep v Paula Badosa: The WTA Madrid tournament is one of the big events left before the French Open gets underway in May and the field that has come together means there are very few easy matches for players.
Even the top names have been given some early challenges and the Second Round match between Simona Halep and Paula Badosa would headline most events.
Injury and a decision to move ahead without a Coach has meant we have not seen much of Simona Halep in recent weeks, but she was a very comfortable winner in the First Round. For a long time Simona Halep has been one of the top players on the clay courts on the WTA Tour, but there look to be other players out there that are more likely to win the French Open.
That feeling will change depending on how Simona Halep is able to perform here in Madrid and in Rome before the second Grand Slam of the season gets underway. It was actually injury that cost Simona Halep a strong clay court season in 2021, but the numbers have remained pretty strong on the surface and I do think Halep is very happy on this surface, even if the conditions in Madrid can be difficult.
A player like Paula Badosa may feel happier with the faster conditions that tend to be the case in Madrid, and she did reach the Semi Final here last season. With Iga Swiatek out of the event, it feels like a very open tournament and a player like Paula Badosa will believe in her ability to take the title on home soil.
Paula Badosa already has one Quarter Final run and one Semi Final run on the clay courts under her belt and she was a dominant First Round winner too. She reached the French Open Quarter Final last year and the World Number 2 is a much improved player on all surfaces.
I expect this to be a close match considering the kind of numbers that both of these players can produce on the clay courts. The Spaniard has the edge on the service numbers, but Simona Halep is a player that can be very strong when it comes to the return and her own serve is one that can be productive enough to earn a win in this big match.
The lack of recent tennis is a concern when backing Simona Halep, but I still think she is amongst the top three clay courters on the WTA Tour. Paula Badosa may soon crack that level herself, but I still think Halep may be the slightly better player on this surface and can make odds against quotes count.
MY PICKS: Simona Halep @ 2.10 Bet365 (2 Units)
Belinda Bencic - 4.5 Games @ 2.20 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Yulia Putintseva + 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Miomir Kecmanovic - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Sebastian Baez - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Weekly Update: 7-3, + 6.18 Units (20 Units Staked, + 30.90% Yield)
Madrid Update: 4-1, + 4.92 Units (10 Units Staked, + 49.20% Yield)
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