French Open Tennis Day 10 Picks 2022 (May 31st)

First things first, there were a couple of bad picks on Day 9 at the French Open.

Daniil Medvedev was completely outplayed, while Stefanos Tsitsipas couldn't handle the pressure of being in the weaker half of the draw.

However, I can't ignore the fact that poor fortune continues to hit me very, very hard in this tournament and has been ever since the Madrid Masters.

Jessica Pegula won her match easily, but only managed five more points than her opponent. For her to win the match with that margin is one thing, but to basically secure every big point to make sure of a wide win on the scoreboard is beyond frustrating.

It just added to a day when Madison Keys somehow blew all of her momentum with early poor service games in the second and third set, while Hubert Hurkacz played a really poor game in the fourth set when it looked like he was on the way to getting the total games line surpassed. As soon as he missed the smash at 40/30 to make it 3-1 and keep the momentum going, everything fell apart for the 'serve-bot' and it was yet another Pick that looked close to getting into the winner's enclosure before falling short.

There is no doubt the last four days have been tough to take.

Novak Djokovic - 1.5 sets v Rafael Nadal: Previously the only Grand Slam that used surface ratings to change their Seedings around to make fairer draw was at Wimbledon, but they have fallen back in line with the rest of the Tour and now go by the World Rankings. However, that discussion about surface success being part of the formula has been raised again at the French Open when the Men's draw put Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz in the same half of the tournament.

It means we have some huge matches as early as the Quarter Final at the second Grand Slam of the 2022 season and this is the big ticket seller of the week.

Eleven of the last twelve French Open titles has been won by either Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal and so it does feel a little wrong that we are seeing these two face each other at this stage of the tournament. Last year it was Novak Djokovic who ended Rafael Nadal's four year winning run at the French Open and the defending Champion and current World Number 1 may feel he is catching his great rival at the right time.

Not many will have forgotten Rafael Nadal's crushing of Novak Djokovic in the French Open Final of 2020, but it should also be noted that Djokovic has won their last two matches in Paris when the tournament has been played in the spring, it's normal spot in the calendar. In 2015 Novak Djokovic was a very comfortable straight sets winner over Rafael Nadal in the Quarter Final and last year he beat Nadal in four sets in the Semi Final on the way to winning his second title in the French capital.

There were plenty of swings in momentum in that Semi Final match last year with both of these all-time great players having a huge amount of break points. At the end of the match Novak Djokovic looked the much stronger player, but it is a huge emotional and physical challenge to beat Nadal in Paris.

Another factor giving Novak Djokovic the edge has to be the foot injury that Rafael Nadal is still managing- it hasn't really shown up in the tournament after the Spaniard limped off the court in his loss at the Rome Masters, but Nadal is coming in off a match that lasted well over four hours in the Fourth Round and the day of rest between matches is going to be very important for recovery.

It is Novak Djokovic who came into the French Open with the momentum having won the title in Rome, while I think he will be the fresher player having expended much less energy in seeing off his Fourth Round opponent compared with Rafael Nadal. The win over Nadal here twelve months ago is surely going to offer much more encouragement too and I do think Novak Djokovic has been playing the stronger overall tennis in the French Open of the two.

While not quite at his very best level, Novak Djokovic looks to have a slight edge on the serve and I think that will be key to the outcome of the match.

In their seventeen previous Grand Slam matches, only three have gone the distance, and only one of their nine French Open clashes have needed five sets. This should be a really good match while it lasts, but the feeling is that Novak Djokovic has the physical edge and that can prove to be the difference maker as he moves a step closer to defending the title he won here in 2021.

Carlos Alcaraz - 5.5 games v Alexander Zverev: After the humbling in the Final of the Madrid Masters, Alexander Zverev will be playing with revenge and redemption in his mind when he takes on the next big superstar of men's tennis. There are a couple of factors that went against Alexander Zverev in the Spanish capital and he was not very happy with the scheduling that meant playing the Final after a late finish in the Semi Final, but the German will also know he needs to step up his level considerably if he is going to reach the last four at the French Open.

This has been far from a convincing tournament from Alexander Zverev even though he has only dropped sets in the one match. Yes, he was two sets down to Sebastian Baez, but Alexander Zverev fought back and has won back to back matches in straight sets since that Second Round match.

However, he has not looked completely at ease on the court and beating players Ranked Number 75 and Number 131 means Alexander Zverev has benefited from the draw rather than perhaps picking up his level of play. That is backed up by the tight numbers despite the straight sets wins over Brandon Nakashima and Bernabe Zapata Miralles and in the last Round we saw Alexander Zverev really struggle when it came to the serve.

There is no doubt that Alexander Zverev is going to have to serve better than he has for the majority of this Grand Slam if he is going to compete in this Quarter Final. He has given up far too many break points and now has to take on Carlos Alcaraz who has looked in very calm mood in the last two Rounds as he has played some exceptional tennis to move through to the Quarter Final.

Strong wins over Sebastian Korda and Karen Khachanov will have given Carlos Alcaraz more confidence, if he needs it, and he has been very strong behind serve to put a host of pressure on his opponents. We know how good a return player Carlos Alcaraz can be and he has shown that in the tournament with at least twelve break points created in each match so far.

I expect the youngster to be able to exert himself on that side of the court in this one too and I do think he is playing with a lot more belief than Alexander Zverev.

Before the tournament you can see that Carlos Alcaraz had the edge in serving and returning numbers compared with Alexander Zverev and there will be a mental edge having beaten this opponent in the Madrid Masters for the loss of just four games.

I find it very hard to believe this one will end in a rout like that Final, but I do think Carlos Alcaraz is playing at a considerably better level than Alexander Zverev right now. The latter is the higher Ranked player and has a lot more experience than Alcaraz, but Alexander Zverev has admitted that has has been a little down on his tennis and I do think things could end up running away from him in this Quarter Final.

Pride should mean we see Alexander Zverev coming out to make an early statement and he may even take a set, but I feel it may be tough to rally mentally if he does fall behind and Carlos Alcaraz is playing so well that he is not likely to take his foot off the gas if he does get into a winning position.

Even in a four set match, this feels like a handicap mark that Carlos Alcaraz can get the better of and I will look for him to put together a really good win before taking on the winner of the Novak Djokovic-Rafael Nadal match in the Semi Final.

MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic - 1.5 Sets @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Carlos Alcaraz - 5.5 Games @ 1.75 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Martina Trevisan @ 2.75 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Sloane Stephens + 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

French Open Update: 46-50, - 15.80 Units (191 Units Staked, - 8.27% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 9 Picks 2022 (May 30th)

The Fourth Round Picks on Day 8 saw a slight turnaround after a miserable couple of days, but things did not come easy.

Martina Trevisan struggled to put away Aliaksandra Sasnovich despite looking the stronger player, while another player with a poor return on the break points was Rafael Nadal. At least the former won and late victories for Carlos Alcaraz and Sloane Stephens have at least helped a positive return on the day.

There is so much work to do to make sure of a winning event after the Third Round misery, but hopefully I can get the numbers to continue to move in a positive direction when Day 9 is completed.

Jannik Sinner v Andrey Rublev: Two of the current top 12 in the World Rankings are going to meet in the Fourth Round at the French Open and these are two of the players looking to step up and begin challenging some of the top names on the Tour. Both Jannik Sinner and Andrey Rublev have plenty of potential to do that, although it is the former that is perhaps better placed to build and go on and win a Grand Slam.

In something of a surprise, Andrey Rublev will be going into the match as the favourite. There have been fitness concerns for Jannik Sinner in the build to the French Open, but we have not seen any real sign of that in the tournament and I think the odds may reflect a touch of uncertainty about him.

The Italian has looked pretty strong throughout the French Open though and his numbers have been pretty good, although you can't ignore the fact that Jannik Sinner has benefited from a kind draw with this being the first opponent Ranked inside the top 50. A look at how he has performed on the clay courts in the tournaments played over the last two months suggests there has been very little margin for error for Sinner with 62% of service points won and only 40% of return points, but I do think he has been returning with a little more confidence in this tournament.

He has certainly looked more confident on the return than Andrey Rublev who has won fewer than 40% of return points played in the wins over Federico Delbonis and Cristian Garin. All three of his matches in Paris have been won in four sets, but Andrey Rublev has laid the foundation for his success on the serve with just four breaks going against him in the tournament so far.

However, Andrey Rublev has seen his service numbers dip when he has faced top 20 Ranked opponents on the clay this season and I do think that will show up in this Fourth Round match.

One of those matches was against Jannik Sinner in Monte Carlo and it was a match the Italian dominated after dropping the opening set. In fact Sinner is now 2-0 against Andrey Rublev on the clay courts and he has held 79% of service games in those matches compared with the 58% mark for the Russian.

I also have to note that the performance level has just come down in each of the last three Rounds in Paris for Andrey Rublev and he is going to need to serve very well to win this match. There are times I have watched Jannik Sinner and felt he is a little predictable and one-paced with his tennis, but that may be good enough against an aggressive player like Andrey Rublev and holding the mental edge makes the Italian an appealing selection as the underdog.

Daniil Medvedev - 4.5 games v Marin Cilic: Only one match was played in the build to the French Open, but Daniil Medvedev has looked much stronger in the tournament having lost that match to Richard Gasquet after recovering from a small procedure on the hernia. The World Number 2 is in the easier half of the draw, but he has shown he is ready to compete at the French Open again after reaching the Quarter Final last season.

Some may feel the early Rounds should be negotiable for a player of Daniil Medvedev's quality, but he has been impressive in beating quality operators in Laslo Djere and Miomir Kecmanovic in the last couple of Rounds. The fact that Medvedev has not dropped a set in those wins has to impress and he has been returning really well on the clay courts, much as he did at the French Open in his Quarter Final run in 2021.

This is another very tough match for Daniil Medvedev against an opponent who had a strong build on the clay courts and who has pushed the likes of Alexander Zverev and Cristian Garin in close losses, while Marin Cilic holds a win over Cameron Norrie.

The Croatian may not be the player he was, but Cilic had held 80% of service games played and backed that up with breaks in 26% of return games played on the red dirt before arriving in Paris. He has been very impressive in the tournament too, although Marin Cilic has yet to play anyone Ranked higher than 57 and that win over Marton Fucsovics was easily the toughest he has had at the French Open.

Marin Cilic has won the other two matches against opponents who were massively overmatched, but he will be the first to admit how much stronger he is going to have to be to challenge someone like Daniil Medvedev.

Daniil Medvedev will also hold the advantage mentally with all three previous matches between the two ending in wins for the Russian player. In those matches, Medvedev has held 89% of his service games compared with Marin Cilic holding 75% and I do think the World Number 2 is the superior return player at this stage of their careers.

On the clay I expect there to be more chances to break for both, but Daniil Medvedev looks to be close to his best already and I think he will be able to move through in three or four sets, which should give him every chance to earn the breaks to cover this mark.

Casper Ruud-Hubert Hurkacz over 38.5 games: You have to credit Casper Ruud for battling back from a difficult position in the Third Round, but he has made harder work of the first week at the French Open than he would have wanted. Now it is all about recovery after a long match and hoping he is ready to compete in the Fourth Round, where Casper Ruud will be the favourite despite some difficulties in moving through the draw.

I can understand why Casper Ruud is still the favourite having shown the much more consistent form on the clay courts in recent years than Hubert Hurkacz, but the latter has to be respected.

Hubert Hurkacz had only won a single match at the French Open and had suffered three First Round defeats in succession, but he has yet to drop a set in moving through to the Fourth Round in 2022. The win over David Goffin was very impressive in the last Round, although it did feel like the Belgian was not at 100%, while Hurkacz has made short work of the other two opponents faced.

Much will depend on how well he can serve and he has won at least 75% of service points in each of the three Rounds played in Paris. Unsurprisingly those are numbers that have seen Hubert Hurkacz moved through the draw without dropping a set and only David Goffin has even managed to earn some Break Points.

I do think this is going to be a much tougher test for Hubert Hurkacz, but he will be encouraged by the fact that Casper Ruud has not really been able to return as well as he would have liked on the red dirt this season. The Norwegian has only broken in 22% of return games played on the clay courts in 2022, which is down from the 32% mark produced in 2021, while Casper Ruud struggled to deal with the Lorenzo Sonego serve in the Third Round with 36% of return points won on that day.

Casper Ruud has managed to break at least four times in each of his wins in Paris over the last week, but this is the biggest server he will have faced. Some of the games that have been allowed to slip by has put pressure on the Casper Ruud serve too and it has led to the World Number 8 perhaps losing a bit of focus at costly times, as it was in the Third Round.

He will also be playing an opponent who is not exactly a stellar return player, even on the clay courts and I think that will give Casper Ruud an edge, although it could be a match that is dominated by the serve.

You cannot ignore the fact that Hubert Hurkacz has only won one of the seven previous matches against top 20 Ranked players on the clay courts and his serve has not been as effective in those matches either. However, the serve has been good enough to pressure his way into winning a number of sets in that time and I do think this match is going to last at least four sets, which gives the players every chance of combining to move past this total games line.

A couple of tie-breakers would not be a surprise either and I am looking for this to be a competitive Fourth Round match.

MY PICKS: Jannik Sinner @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Daniil Medvedev - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Casper Ruud-Hubert Hurkacz Over 38.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Stefanos Tsitsipas Win 3-1 @ 3.75 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Madison Keys @ 1.91 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Daria Kasatkina - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Irina Camelia-Begu + 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Iga Swiatek - 6.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet365 (2 Units)

French Open Update: 44-45, - 9.94 Units (178 Units Staked, - 5.58% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 8 Picks 2022 (May 29th)

The Third Round is over and I can't say I am too disappointed when you see how the last two days have gone for the Tennis Picks.

It has been a time of frustration- I have been fed up with the poor luck that has accompanied some of the selections, especially as that has compounded the bad picks made.

Yesterday was more of the same with Andrey Rublev blowing a really strong chance to cover, but it has also put the week in a really poor position. The Fourth Round is where things need to begin to be turned around and you can see my Picks from the Sunday matches scheduled here.

Novak Djokovic - 8.5 games v Diego Sebastian Schwartzman: You have to accept that this is a very big spread against a player as competent as Diego Sebastian Schwartzman, but Novak Djokovic is capable of finding the breaks of serve that will be needed to move past the line.

It is the Fourth Round of a Grand Slam so the expectation is that the challenges and tests get much tougher for all players and I think there will be a real respect for Diego Sebastian Schwartzman coming from the other side of the net. Over the years we have seen Schwartzman give some of the top names on the clay courts a bit of a run for their money, although he has only held 61% of his service games against top five Ranked opponents in this Grand Slam.

His sole win in the six previous matches against those top players came in an epic five setter against Dominic Thiem in 2020, but Diego Sebastian Schwartzman has been pretty well beaten by Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal (three times) in Paris. Diego Sebastian Schwartzman is known for having a solid return game, but the numbers dip to 22% of return games ending with a break of serve and I do think he was not having the best tournament before crushing Grigor Dimitrov in an upset in the Third Round.

The earlier performances were not that encouraging and it has not been the best time on the clay over the last couple of months for the Argentine. He is also facing a Novak Djokovic who looked like he was getting back to his best when winning the Rome Masters and who has looked untroubled in Paris with three straight sets wins behind him.

The World Number 1 is a perfectionist though and he will feel he has not returned as well as he would have liked in the last couple of Rounds with 43% of points won against the Alex Molcan serve and 45% against the Aljaz Bedene serve. However, Novak Djokovic may feel both have a bigger serve than the one he will see in the Fourth Round and the Serb has still managed to break all of the opponents faced in the French Open at least four times each.

Novak Djokovic has been serving well in the last two wins too and he will be confident in the match up even if he knows it will be a test.

He has won all six previous matches against Diego Sebastian Schwartzman and he has broken in 37% of return games played in the three clay court matches between the two. Their sole meeting in the French Open did go five sets in 2017, but Diego Sebastian Schwartzman has felt like he has lost a slight spring in the step these days and I think Novak Djokovic will find the breaks he needs in an entertaining Fourth Round match.

It may even go four sets, but barring a complete loss of focus, Novak Djokovic can still do enough to cover this big spread.

Rafael Nadal - 6.5 games v Felix Auger-Aliassime: A Fourth Round match at a Grand Slam has plenty of headlines to make on its own, but there is an added crease to this one. Rafael Nadal will be going into the match as the favourite, which is no surprise, but his opponent is actually advised by Nadal's Uncle Toni these days.

Any drama added to the mix looks to have been removed by Toni Nadal who has told reporters that he had made it clear when partnering with Felix Auger-Aliassime that he would not be disclosing any secret tips on how to beat Rafael Nadal.

Even if Felix Auger-Aliassime had been given the directions, it is all about the execution in the Fourth Round and I think it is going to take a huge serving day to have any real hope of the upset. So far in the tournament, the Canadian has been able to hold opponents off with the serve and he has only been broken twice in the last two Rounds.

However, all three matches in this tournament have been played against opponents that Felix Auger-Aliassime has been expected to beat and he has perhaps made harder work of those victories than he should have. He has twice failed to win more than 40% of return points in the three Rounds played and that is not a number that will be a worry to Rafael Nadal who has looked pretty sharp behind serve for the most part.

There have been a couple of wobbles, but those have come from positions of complete command and Rafael Nadal has only dropped serve five times this week, even if that is more than we have become used to at the French Open.

The return continues to be very dangerous though and Rafael Nadal has found at least seven breaks of serve in each of his three wins in Paris. The foot injury is a concern against someone who can hit the ball as big as Felix Auger-Aliassime, but I do think Nadal has played well enough to think he is dealing with any lingering issue and the return is something that can put a lot of pressure on any opponent he faces.

Before the French Open, Felix Auger-Aliassime lost three of four matches played against top 20 Ranked opponents on the clay and his serve was proved to be not as effective against those. The two top 10 opponents he faced saw the Canadian hold just 69% of his service games played and I do think the conditions in Paris will be ones that Rafael Nadal is able to enjoy.

Much depends on how big Felix Auger-Aliassime can serve and for how long, but this match may come too soon for him in his career.

In their sole clay court meeting, Rafael Nadal was able to dominate the return and, while improved, I think it is going to be the return that helps him get on top of this one too.

Carlos Alcaraz - 7.5 games v Karen Khachanov: The Second Round battling win over Albert Ramos-Vinolas was a huge testing moment for Carlos Alcaraz.

Winning on the day was important, but how he handled himself and prepared for the Third Round match with Sebastian Korda was an interesting moment for all of those who have predicted Carlos Alcaraz could win this Grand Slam title. He more than showed he is ready to take home one of the biggest prizes in tennis and that too against a player who had beaten him on the clay in the lead up to the French Open.

Having a day off between matches clearly would have helped, but Carlos Alcaraz was very impressive in the Third Round and he deserves to be a big favourite in the Fourth Round too.

Karen Khachanov has done well to reach the second week at the French Open considering the inconsistent levels he had shown in the tournaments on the way to Paris. The big hitting player has taken a set off of Novak Djokovic and Stefanos Tsitsipas on the clay before falling apart, but that does show that Karen Khachanov has to be respected.

However, it is difficult to imagine he can maintain a level to beat someone who has played as well as Carlos Alcaraz all season and even the tournament numbers have been much stronger than the Karen Khachanov numbers. The latter gave up 21 break points in his win over Cameron Norrie, but it is unlikely that Carlos Alcaraz will be as generous having had his own issues once already in this tournament in securing breaks.

Even in the last Round, it was a comfortable win but Carlos Alcaraz created a lot of break points before securing the breaks, but he is playing an opponent in this one that has held 77% of service games played on the clay courts. That number has dipped to 65% for Karen Khachanov when facing top 20 Ranked opponents on this surface in 2022 and I do think the big hitter will struggle to keep Carlos Alcaraz at bay.

They haven't met before, but I do think the Spaniard will like the kind of pace of ball he will be facing in this one, while a flatter shot from Karen Khachanov compared with Albert Ramos-Vinolas can also play into the hands of Carlos Alcaraz.

Karen Khachanov is a player that deserves respect having had solid runs in previous Grand Slam tournaments and I do think he will feel all the pressure is on his younger opponent. He can take the racquet out of the hand of any opponent he faces, but Carlos Alcaraz is something special and can underline why he is Ranked as highly as he is by getting to grips with Khachanov early, and then moving through the gears like others have done on this surface.

Carlos Alcaraz can be a little vulnerable on serve with the aggression he tends to play with and the first serve still a work in progress, but he does enough to protect it. The return game is where he excels though and has a clear advantage over Karen Khachanov and I expect that to be the case in this Fourth Round match.

MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic - 8.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Rafael Nadal - 6.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Carlos Alcaraz - 7.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Martina Trevisan @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Amanda Anisimova - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Sloane Stephens + 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

French Open Update; 40-43, - 13.58 Units (166 Units Staked, - 8.18% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2022- Gervonta Davis vs Rolando Romero (May 28th)

I understand the decision made by Eddie Hearn to take Matchroom Boxing to another platform that was offering a lot more money than Sky, but last weekend underlined the downside of the move.

Moving onto an app means there is far fewer eyes on the product than there should be and you can tell that is frustrating Hearn.

He was critical of his former partners at Sky for not promoting the Katie Taylor-Amanda Serrano fight last month, but this really should not be a surprise to him. During his time with Sky, there was little to no mention of the Deontay Wilder trilogy with Tyson Fury that was going to be shown on a rival channel so Eddie Hearn must have known what to expect.

And last weekend it showed in the ticket sales for a main event that really was one of the better fights that Matchroom have promoted in the United Kingdom for a long time.

Joshua Buatsi and Craig Richards produced a really good fight that showed both are at World level, but it is such a shame they did not have the crowd, nor the television backing that the fight deserved.

Will things change? Maybe not any time soon, but you can understand why it sounds like Anthony Joshua wants to remain with Sky for his own fights and that rumours suggest Dillian Whyte is now a free agent ready to do business with whoever he likes.

Matchroom will push on with DAZN, but for the majority of fighters on the platform it will feel like they are perhaps not moving ahead to be PPV stars as they may have been if performing on the Sky/BT platforms instead.

The bigger question for Eddie Hearn may just be how he can keep those fighters well paid and happy and not lose them to rivals who have strong backing from the partners he left behind.

In reality it shouldn't matter to fight fans as long as we get to see what we want and at a reasonable cost- the Buatsi-Richards fight was a really good one and the win for Joshua may just have put him in line for a huge fight in the Autumn.

He is highly Ranked and due a World Title shot and Joshua Buatsi may have benefited from the news that Canelo Alvarez will move back down to Super Middleweight and take on rival Gennady Golovkin.

That should mean Dmitry Bivol is looking for a big fight and there is plenty of talk of him coming to London again to take on another British World Title hopeful. It would be a huge fight for the British fans at the O2 Arena and one that would deserve big numbers to attend.

Last weekend also saw David Benavidez and Zhanibek Alimkhanuly both win impressively and both will be looking for some big fights in the months ahead.

And definitely keep an eye on Andrew Cain who impressed again as he continues to step up his level of competition.

Gervonta Davis vs Rolando Romero

There is no love lost between two fighters that are currently both under the Mayweather promotional banner, although the suggestion is that Gervonta Davis may choose a different path at the end of this fight.

Both Davis and Rolando Romero are very familiar with one another and seem to have had an issue way before they signed up to fight last December.

It was a bout that has to be postponed when serious allegations were made against Rolando Romero, but those have been withdrawn and that means we get a chance to see this one on Saturday night.

Gervonta Davis had to dig very deep to beat Isaac Cruz, a replacement for Rolly Romero, but he remains unbeaten and it was only the second time he was taken the distance.

Rolando Romero is also unbeaten and has twelve stoppages in his fourteen wins and he has been talking up his chances. Some find him a little obnoxious, perhaps even a little immature, but Romero is convinced he will not only win, but beat Gervonta Davis in the First Round.

This is a big step up though for Rolando Romero and his resume is not one that will worry Gervonta Davis. It has also been hard to shake off the fact that Romero is fortunate to still be unbeaten having looked like he lost against Jackson Marinez and I do think his style is tailor-made for Davis to produce a highlight reel KO.

There is no doubting that Rolando Romero is the naturally bigger man, while Gervonta Davis has carried power up the weights, but does not hit as hard at 135 or 140 as he does at 130.

Even then, he hits hard enough to hurt someone that should not be hard to find and I think the come-forward basic approach of Rolando Romero is going to see the speed and countering of Gervonta Davis drag him onto something big very early.

We are going to learn a lot about Rolando Romero on Saturday night, but I think Gervonta Davis will prove to be a step above his current level and can win this fight in the first half of the Twelve Rounds scheduled.

Before the main event, Erislandy Lara will continue his run in the Middleweight Division as he has his second fight at 160.

The close draw with Brian Castano at Light Middleweight looks all the better considering the latter's performances, but Erislandy Lara is focusing on himself and trying to win a World Title in the Middleweight Division.

There are some potentially big fights ahead, but this is another tick-along moment for him as he takes on veteran Gary O'Sullivan who has regularly come up short when fighting at World level.

Three of the four losses suffered by O'Sullivan have been in stoppages, although there hasn't been a consistency to those either. He was blown away by David Lemieux in the First Round, but managed to last Seven Rounds with Chris Eubank Jr and Eleven Rounds with Jaime Mungaia.

Erislandy Lara did win his first Middleweight fight very early, but I don't think Spike O'Sullivan is going to be as easy to get rid of in this one.

The former is the better boxer and may look to build a lead and break down O'Sullivan over the course of the fight, and Erislandy Lara has looked to be more aggressive as he ages.

I have no doubt that Lara will want to make a statement by stopping Gary O'Sullivan earlier than Jaime Mungaia did, but he will likely have to be patient. I think the first step for Erislandy Lara will be to just wear down the O'Sullivan tank with movement and pot shots and I think that will see the Irish fighter slow down enough for Lara to really plant his feet and let some big shots go.

A small interest on Lara to get the job done in the Championship Rounds is the play as he looks for bigger fights at Middleweight.

MY PICKS: Gervonta Davis to Win Between 1-6 @ 2.10 Bet365 (2 Units)
Erislandy Lara to Win Between 9-12 @ 7.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Boxing 2022: 17-29, + 15.06 Units (84 Units Staked, + 17.93% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 7 Picks 2022 (May 28th)

A really frustrating day for the Tennis Picks reminded me why I do get frustrated when you have a week in which a number of players miss a cover by a small margin, especially those who have got to Match Point or get to serve for the match.

There was another couple of bad luck losses on Friday with Victoria Azarenka somehow failing to serve out the match at the end of the second and third set in a very tight loss.

Those moments would have made all the difference for the totals for the week, but a miserable Day 6 has sent the numbers spinning in the wrong direction.

Casper Ruud - 6.5 games v Lorenzo Sonego: A much more comfortable win in the Second Round compared to the First should be good news for Casper Ruud who remains active in the weaker half of the men's draw. He is a solid clay courter, even though the numbers are down from last season, and the early issues that Stefanos Tsitsipas has faced should give Ruud further confidence as he bids to reach his first Grand Slam Final.

Things should get tougher in the Third Round, but I do make Casper Ruud a pretty strong favourite to beat Lorenzo Sonego, despite the Italian being happy on a surface he will be very used to playing on.

It has been pretty straight-forward progression for Casper Ruud, but Lorenzo Sonego has made even shorter work of the first two opponents he has faced in Paris. He has yet to drop a set, while only one of those has seen Lorenzo Sonego lose more than four games, although this is another step up in level for Sonego to deal with.

Prior to the tournament, Lorenzo Sonego had not been in the best form with four losses in five matches played on the European clay courts. Overall he has held 80% of the service games played on the clay this season and broken in 22%, but the break numbers have dipped during the European clay court swing and that has to be a concern in this Third Round match.

The way Casper Ruud is able to serve on the clay, I would make it very difficult for Lorenzo Sonego to really get into a lot of those games and that will put pressure on his own serve. It is a clay court so there will be chances of course, but Ruud has been playing well on this side of his tennis for the most part and the question is whether the Norwegian can do enough on the return.

Casper Ruud certainly returned more effectively in the Second Round than the First, while the head to head with Lorenzo Sonego should offer encouragement and confidence.

The higher Ranked player has won all three previous matches between these two, including beating Lorenzo Sonego in the Rome Masters on the clay. The overall numbers in those head to head matches show Casper Ruud is breaking in 30% of return games played, but that jumped to 44% in that sole clay court meeting in Rome.

At the same time, Casper Ruud has held 88% of his service games and even the 80% mark in the clay court match is a serious edge and one that should see Ruud come through with a good looking win in this Third Round meeting.

David Goffin v Hubert Hurkacz: This has already been the best run that Hubert Hurkacz has enjoyed at the French Open having been beaten in the First Round on his three previous visits to Paris, but the draw has been a kind one and there is a much bigger challenge ahead in the Third Round.

Wins over two players Ranked outside the top 100 had to be expected for the Polish player, while he is bidding to reach the second week of a Grand Slam for just the second time. That is a pressure of its own for a player Ranked inside the top 20 and who may be losing big Ranking points next month when Wimbledon is over (where Hubert Hurkacz reached the Semi Final last season).

As solid as the clay court season has been for Hubert Hurkacz, he has only beaten one top 50 Ranked opponent since the Monte Carlo Masters and now has to face a confident David Goffin who has moved through the last couple of Rounds in four sets each time. After winning a title on the clay earlier on the clay courts and with a battling loss against Rafael Nadal under his belt, I do think David Goffin is playing some solid red dirt tennis.

His numbers on the clay courts back that up prior to the French Open, although David Goffin has to have a respect for Hubert Hurkacz who has a big serve that can build scoreboard pressure.

However, David Goffin handled that very well in the Rome Masters where he beat Hubert Hurkacz in straight sets, albeit in two tie-breakers. The Belgian had the stronger serving numbers on the day with 68% of service points won compared with 65% for Hubert Hurkacz, while David Goffin also created one more break point on the day too.

I am expecting this one to be very close with the match decided by a couple of points here and there, but I do think David Goffin can be backed as the underdog. He is the better clay court player in general and the mental edge of having won that match in Rome should do him the world of good.

The French crowd have been firmly behind David Goffin and I do think that can play a part in the outcome of this match and the underdog can edge through to the second week.

Holger Rune - 5.5 games v Hugo Gaston: There was a moment in the Second Round win over Henri Laaksonen when Holger Rune took a bad tumble at the back of the court at a time he was leading by two sets and a break up. He looks to have escaped a serious injury and the youngster will be pleased with the way he backed up the upset win over Denis Shapovalov in the First Round.

The clay courts have long been a surface that Holger Rune will have favoured, but he has already shown enough to believe he can be very effective on the hard courts too.

So many believe Holger Rune is destined for the top of the men's game with the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic coming towards the end of their careers and being in the bottom half of the draw gives Rune a good chance to have a really good run here in Paris. The Dane has won a title on the clay courts in the lead up to the French Open and he also enjoyed a strong run in Lyon last week.

The numbers produced on the clay courts certainly make it correct to have Holger Rune favoured in this Third Round match, but the inexperience could be a slight worry.

For starters he is playing in Paris where the home crowd are going to be firmly behind Hugo Gaston, who has surprisingly made it through to the Third Round at his home Slam after a poor set of results leading into the tournament. Being at home has inspired Hugo Gaston who has a unique style that can bamboozle opponents not used to seeing the tennis he produces and I think this is going to come down to how quickly Holger Rune gets to grips with the drop shots and volleys that Gaston will produce.

Dealing with the crowd is never easy in Paris, but I do think Holger Rune has the tennis to really put Hugo Gaston under pressure. The serve is still a work in progress so Gaston will have some chances, but I do think Holger Rune's 32% of return games ending in breaks on the clay courts before this tournament will mean the Frenchman has to fend off plenty of break points of his own.

Even if this match goes four sets, Holger Rune should have the opportunities to cover this big handicap mark and I think he will end the strong Hugo Gaston run in the Third Round.

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 8.5 games v Mikael Ymer: There are some questions for Stefanos Tsitsipas to answer as he bids to reach the second week at Roland Garros once again and that is largely down to the previous two performances in the tournament being underwhelming to say the least.

He had to come from 2-0 down against Lorenzo Musetti and then surprisingly dropped a set to a Qualifier in the Second Round after being pushed much more than expected throughout the match. There has been some illness around the French Open so you do have to wonder if he is fully healthy, or another suggestion is that Stefanos Tsitsipas is not handling the pressure of being the favourite to come out of the bottom half of the draw.

Either way it has not been the opening two Rounds that the Greek player would have wanted or expected and Stefanos Tsitsipas will want to make much more serene progress in this Third Round.

The match up looks a good one against Mikael Ymer who had shown no form ahead of the French Open before winning two matches in Paris. The draws have not been bad, but the Swede also benefited from playing an ill Daniel Evans in the Second Round and even then had to come back from a break down in the pivotal third set before winning in four.

Without a doubt, Mikael Ymer is going to have to be at his very, very best in this one and also perhaps hope the Stefanos Tsitsipas of earlier in the tournament is on the court in the Third Round match too.

There is little to suggest Mikael Ymer can really compete having held just 58% of service games played on the clay courts before the French Open began. A limited Daniel Evans managed to get into those service games regularly until he wore down at the end, while Tsitsipas has really enjoyed facing this opponent on the Tour.

Stefanos Tsitsipas has won all three previous matches between himself and Mikael Ymer and that includes two wins at Grand Slam level. All of those have been on the hard courts and Stefanos Tsitsipas is a stronger player on the clay courts, while he has really been able to hurt the Ymer serve.

In those matches, Stefanos Tsitsipas has broken in 55% of return games played, which is a remarkable number, and I would anticipate him having plenty of break points on this surface. You also cannot ignore how hard Mikael Ymer has found it trying to get into the Stefanos Tsitsipas service game with breaks in just shy of 9% of return games and I think this could be the most straight-forward win that Tsitsipas has had in the tournament so far.

His return numbers are much better on the clay courts than the hard courts so the successes Stefanos Tsitsipas has had in returning the Mikael Ymer should really show up here.

Andrey Rublev - 5.5 games v Cristian Garin: The hard courts are clearly the favoured domain of Andrey Rublev, but this is a serious competitor and is a much improved player on the clay courts these days. Winning the French Open is still a huge ask, but Andrey Rublev has managed to reach the Quarter Final in Paris in one of his three visits with the other two both ending in the First Round.

Now he has a couple of wins under his belt, Andrey Rublev will be keen to return to the second week of this Grand Slam and the first time he has done that since Wimbledon having lost disappointingly in the Third Round at both the US Open and Australian Open. He has played well in the tournament, but Rublev has lost his focus a couple of times and that has meant needing four sets in the previous two Rounds.

This is another step up in level for Andrey Rublev too, but Cristian Garin has not been at 100% or so it feels in the lead to the French Open.

A clay court specialist, Cristian Garin showed signs of getting closer to his best at the Rome Masters and he has won his two matches in Paris in solid fashion against decent opponents in Tommy Paul and Ilya Ivashka. Those wins have to give the Chilean confidence to take into this Third Round match, but he was well beaten by Felix Auger-Aliassime and Alexander Zverev in clay events prior to the French Open.

Cristian Garin does have a vulnerable serve which can be exploited by someone as aggressive as Andrey Rublev, but the Garin return will be the key to the outcome of this match. If he can find a way to get into the Rublev service games and build pressure, this could be a competitive Third Round match, but it won't be easy against someone like the World Number 7 who has held 81% of his service games on the clay courts in 2022.

It has been a particularly dangerous weapon for Andrey Rublev when facing opponents that are not Ranked inside the top 20 and I think that will be the key to the outcome of the match.

The return has been effective too, but Andrey Rublev will have noted that two top 10 Ranked opponents that Cristian Garin has faced on the clay this season have held him to just 11% of return games with a break of serve. As long as he serves well here, Rublev will have his chances to break serve and I think this is a match he can win in three or four sets, which will give him every chance to cover the handicap set.

MY PICKS: Casper Ruud - 6.5 Games @ 1.83 Paddy Power (2 Units)

David Goffin @ 2.20 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Holger Rune - 5.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 8.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Andrey Rublev - 5.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Jannik Sinner - 8.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Marin Cilic - 6.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Iga Swiatek - 7.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet365 (2 Units)

Paula Badosa - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Elena Rybakina - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Daria Kasatkina - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Aryna Sabalenka - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

French Open Update: 36-36, - 5.94 Units (144 Units Staked, - 4.13% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 6 Picks 2022 (May 27th)

After a slow start, it looked like the momentum was behind the Tennis Picks on Day 5.

However, late illness issues saw Dan Evans and Simona Halep blow winning positions and both were knocked out of the French Open, while Andrey Rublev missed Match Points that would have secured a cover and he followed a number of other players to beat his opponent one game too late for my selection.

At least I avoided a big losing day and that means the tournament remains in a strong position for the Tennis Picks, but I do also expect more. The Third Round begins on Friday and I have a number of selections that can be read below.

Novak Djokovic - 9.5 games v Aljaz Bedene: It looked like the Second Round was following the First Round in being a routine day in the office for Novak Djokovic, but windy conditions and a big hitting lefty forced him into a bit of a battle in the third set. Ultimately it did not matter too much for the World Number 1 and he has progressed to the Third Round without dropping a set and with better, more appealing conditions to come.

He is going into this Third Round match as another big favourite, which is not a surprise, and I do think Novak Djokovic is most likely going to progress to the second week with another straight sets victory behind him.

The big question here is whether Novak Djokovic can do enough to cover a big spread against a decent clay courter in Aljaz Bedene. However, the Slovenian has not had a lot of tennis in the build to the French Open as he makes a return from an injury and his results prior to the tournament had not been anything to write home about.

In saying that, two wins in the main draw as the underdog will have done Aljaz Bedene the world of good, even if he is well aware that his is a huge step up in level compared with wins over Christoper O'Connell and Pablo Cuevas. They were still solid wins, especially the Second Round win over Cuevas when Aljaz Bedene had to dig deep, but that may not be enough to compete with someone like Novak Djokovic.

At his very best, Aljaz Bedene does have a serve that can be effective on the clay courts, and that is going to be key for his chances in this one. The best he can do is hope to serve well and see if that can build any kind of pressure on Novak Djokovic, no matter how tall a task it is.

In the lead to the French Open, Aljaz Bedene was only holding 65% of the service games played and that has to be a concern against someone who can return as well as Novak Djokovic.

The previous three meetings have all been won well by Djokovic, although they have not met since the Rome Masters in 2017, while the World Number 1 holds a comfortable win over Aljaze Bedene right here in Paris. Again, that was some time ago, but Novak Djokovic is still playing at a high level and Bedene may not be quite the player he once was and it could lead to a relatively serene progress through to the Fourth Round for Djokovic.

Novak Djokovic has broken the Aljaz Bedene serve in 43% of return games played against him in their two previous clay court matches and I think the latter may have slipped a little bit since then. It is a big mark for a Third Round match, but I do think he can win this one with a similar score to the one produced when these two met in Paris in 2016.

Grigor Dimitrov - 1.5 sets v Diego Sebastian Schwartzman: One of the stronger clay court campaigns has been put together by Grigor Dimitrov and he is clearly playing with a lot of confidence at the moment. That has been backed up by the impressive wins over Marcos Giron and Borna Coric in the first couple of Rounds here at the French Open.

While he was a favourite to win both matches, Grigor Dimitrov has made both opponents look very ordinary in those victories and that has impressed the most. He played really well in the lead into the tournament and clearly is operating at a high level that may be difficult for Diego Sebastian Schwartzman to deal with.

Of course the diminutive Argentine is very comfortable on the clay courts, but there may be one or two signs that Diego Sebastian Schwartzman is slowing down. The clay court numbers produced in 2022 have been down on the previous year, while the European clay court swing has really seen some inconsistent results from Schwartzman.

The serve has always been something of a vulnerability, but Diego Sebastian Schwartzman has seen his hold percentage drop from 73% last season to 68% this season and at this level that is a big difference. It has dropped further to 66% during the last two months on the European clay courts and Schwartzman has had some disappointing losses to take in that time.

To underline the struggles, Diego Sebastian Schwartzman surprisingly dropped a set in the First Round and then had to fight back from 0-2 down to beat Jaume Munar in the Second Round. Beating the Spaniard from behind is actually a pretty good recovery, but it may have taken something out of the legs and that is an issue.

Making matters worse, Diego Sebastian Schwartzman is facing an opponent who has beaten him three times in a row since their first meeting in Istanbul. That was memorable for the mental collapse for Grigor Dimitrov who felt everything was going against him, but the Bulgarian has been the better player when they have met since then.

It includes a very comfortable win at the Madrid Masters earlier this month when Grigor Dimitrov gave up just three games in the win.

He has enjoyed facing the Diego Sebastian Schwartzman serve and has broken in 43% of return games played in their four previous meetings. That jumps to 52% when considering their two previous clay court matches and Grigor Dimitrov will feel his own serve is working well enough to keep Schwartzman contained in this match.

I do think Grigor Dimitrov is playing at a level that may be tough for Diego Sebastian Schwartzman to deal with, even on a clay court, and my feeling is that the former will get through in three or four sets.

Felix Auger-Aliassime - 5.5 games v Filip Krajinovic: Working with Uncle Toni should stand Felix Auger-Aliassime in good stead in general, but especially on the clay courts where Toni Nadal had worked really well with his nephew Rafael Nadal. No one is going to confuse the young Canadian with Nadal, but Felix Auger-Aliassime has had improved results on the red dirt in 2022 and I do think he can make the second week at the French Open.

He reached the Quarter Final at both the Madrid and Rome Masters and it took some of the very best clay courters to end Auger-Aliassime's run at both events. However, the confidence from putting the wins together will have really helped Felix Auger-Aliassime and especially in the First Round here where he had to recover from two sets down.

Things were much more comfortable in the Second Round and I do think Auger-Aliassime can build on the run against someone who is decent, but nothing special on the clay courts.

Filip Krajinovic has impressed at the French Open and has only dropped a single set, while clay court wins over David Goffin and Andrey Rublev have to be respected. His numbers are pretty average in all honesty though and before this tournament he had held 76% of service games played, but only broken in 17% of return games, which makes this match a real challenge for him.

The edge looks to be with Felix Auger-Aliassime on the return of serve and I think that will be key to the outcome of the match.

The Canadian also has the mental edge having won both matches against Filip Krajinovic last year, including one on the clay courts. That win in Rome will have done a lot for Felix Auger-Aliassime as he had been beaten really comfortably at the same event by Filip Krajinovic in 2020, albeit at a Rome tournament played in the Autumn rather than the Spring.

In the two matches in 2021, Felix Auger-Aliassime dominated behind serve and return and I think the improved clay courter can back that up with another win over Filip Krajinovic. This is a pretty wide spread for a Third Round match, but it is one that I think Felix Auger-Aliassime can cover in the form he has displayed over the last two months as he looks to reach the second week at his fourth Slam in a row and for the first time in Paris.

Alexander Zverev - 7.5 games v Brandon Nakashima: A poor start to the Second Round match put Alexander Zverev in a very tough position and he had to hold off Sebastian Baez in the final set on his road to recovery. Saving a Match Point in the Second Round is not an ideal situation to be in, but Alexander Zverev managed to hold on and all that matters right now is that he is scheduled to play in the Third Round.

There will be some questions as to the performance of the first two sets, but it may also prove to be a turning point in his career. While he is in the very tough top half of the draw, Alexander Zverev will have shown he has the heart to win a Grand Slam title and the match up in the Third Round looks to be one that should be more comfortable.

That is not being disrespectful to Brandon Nakashima, who has a lot of potential as part of the next generation of male players representing the United States, but there is also no doubt that his better performances will currently be on the faster surfaces. You have to credit Brandon Nakashima for taking advantage of what looked to be a kind draw in the first two Rounds, although he did need the full five sets in the First Round.

However, the American had only held 65% of his service games played on the clay courts before this tournament began and I do think he will be put under pressure by Alexander Zverev if the latter brings in the form that he produced in the final three sets a couple of days ago. Those struggles were in clear evidence in the two top 20 Ranked opponents Brandon Nakashima has played in the build to the French Open.

Brandon Nakashima was well beaten by both Casper Ruud and Grigor Dimitrov and he was able to hold just 50% of his service games played in those two matches. The return was also much more difficult against Ruud and Dimitrov with 17% of return games ending in a break, and Nakashima saw his own serve broken at least four times in each match.

Over the best of five set format, that gap between Brandon Nakashima and the top clay court players should become clearer and I do think Alexander Zverev is going to be much more focused out of the scare in the Second Round.

He also has experienced the Brandon Nakashima game with Alexander Zverev beating him in four sets at the US Open a couple of years ago. I have no doubt that Brandon Nakashima is a better player for the experience in that time, but that was also on a court he would favour and the clay court edge for Zverev is very difficult to ignore.

On that day, Alexander Zverev managed to break the Brandon Nakashima serve five times and I think the German can win this one in much more routine fashion than he produced a couple of days ago against a pretty decent clay courter.

Cameron Norrie - 1.5 sets v Karen Khachanov: There haven't been too many British players who have enjoyed playing on the clay courts, but Cameron Norrie has become an all-court performer. Winning a title in the week before a Grand Slam is not always ideal preparation, especially in the men's tournament, but Cameron Norrie is clearly confident and has made relatively comfortable work of his first couple of matches at the French Open.

The clay court performances in 2021 were something of a surprise, but you cannot say the same in 2022 with Cameron Norrie producing strong results again.

The numbers have remained remarkably similar between 2021 and the 2022 clay court seasons and that is pretty impressive when you think Cameron Norrie holds 79% of service games played and backs that up with 26% of return games ending in a break of serve. A loss to Alex De Minaur is one that Cameron Norrie would love to have back, but it has taken a big effort from Carlos Alcaraz to beat him in Madrid and defeats to Marin Cilic and Albert Ramos-Vinolas don't look so bad when you think of the French Open performances of the pair of those veterans.

Cameron Norrie will go into this Third Round match as the favourite against Karen Khachanov who has long been a solid, if unspectacular clay court player. The latter is someone who has a very big game, but perhaps not the patience to perform on the red dirt as well as he can on the hard courts and I do think he has a tough match up in front of him.

Winning matches will have given Karen Khachanov some confidence, but he is taking a big step up from his previous two opponents in the French Open who are both Ranked 90 or lower. Before the tournament Khachanov had posted a losing record on the clay courts too and his numbers have been a little disappointing.

We all know that Karen Khachanov has a solid serve that can set up plenty of easy points and he has held 77% of his service games on the clay, but the return has been an issue with 17% of games ending in a break. Like Cameron Norrie, has has suffered a couple of losses to quality players, but defeats to Lucas Pouille and Alex Molcan are less impressive and his numbers on the return are someway behind Cameron Norrie's, which can prove to be a difference maker on the day.

There is also a mental edge for the British player with Cameron Norrie holding a 3-2 head to head lead over Karen Khachanov. One of those wins came earlier this year on the indoor hard courts of Rotterdam, while the other two wins have both been on clay courts.

Both took place in 2021 and Cameron Norrie has held 90% of his service games in those two clay matches against Karen Khachanov compared with the 61% mark that the latter has produced. With the superior clay court numbers in general as well as the head to head, I think Cameron Norrie can be backed to win this match in three or four sets.

MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic - 9.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Grigor Dimitrov - 1.5 Sets @ 2.25 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Felix Auger-Aliassime - 5.5 Games @ 1.95 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Alexander Zverev - 7.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Cameron Norrie - 1.5 Sets @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Martina Trevisan - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Angelique Kerber @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

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

Amanda Anisimova - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Victoria Azarenka @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

French Open Update: 34-29, + 4.58 (126 Units Staked, + 3.63% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 5 Picks 2022 (May 26th)

After some ups and downs through the First Round of the French Open as far as the Tennis Picks have gone, I have to be much happier with the efforts on Day 4 with 66% of the selections returning as winners.

Even then, I do feel this tournament has already given me far too many 'what might have been' moments with Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal both being in a position to cover, but failing to do so on Wednesday. They won their matches, but late breaks of serve were given away and both missed a cover by a game, a day after Stefanos Tsitsipas missed Match Points to cover in his own win.

None of those players are going to care, but it is frustrating with those three results making the difference between a solid start and a great start to the French Open.

It was a fascinating day at Roland Garros for the fans though and the Second Round epics that Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz had to win will be long remembered by those who watched on.

Both managed to win in five tough sets, but you do have to wonder what kind of impact that will have later in the tournament. It is vital for both to try and get through the Third Round matches as easily as possible, although the expectation is that the challenges should be getting more difficult the deeper you go in any tournament.

'Upsets' continued in the Women's draw and some big names and high Seeds dropped out on Wednesday, but the tournament looks to be warming up nicely.

On Day 5, the remainder of the Second Round is completed as the Men's bottom half and the Women's top half of the draws take to the court. There are some more good looking matches to be played and I would not be surprised if we witness more drama before all is said and done.

It will also be the first Night Session on Chatrier that features a Women's match, but that honour being given to a home favourite should help appease anyone who feels they may be getting short-changed after the Men's best of five set matches had previously been selected for that showing.

After a solid Day 4, I am looking to keep the momentum going with the following selections.

Pedro Cachin v Hugo Gaston: Being a Lucky Loser and entering the main draw of a Grand Slam has to make any player feel like they are playing with 'house money' and Pedro Cachin is about to reach a new career high World Ranking at the end of the tournament in Paris. He was a four set winner in the First Round against a fellow Qualifier, but the Argentinian will know that there are much bigger tests to come.

The match up in the Second Round may not be one of massive concern for Pedro Cachin, but he has to be in control of his emotions as he plays on a major court. The fact that he is playing a French player means Pedro Cachin is going to have to deal with the crowd as much as the opponent, but I still think he can be backed to oust Hugo Gaston.

The First Round was a topsy-turvy, emotional rollercoaster for Hugo Gaston who had not been in good form going into the French Open. He looked down and out in the Fifth Set having dropped the Fourth Set to Alex De Minaur without winning a game and being a break down in the decider, but Hugo Gaston used the emotion of the crowd to rally and come through a Super Tie-Breaker to earn the victory.

Spending a minute shy of four hours on court and having to come through an emotional last Set is going to be a big challenge for Hugo Gaston to overcome, even with a day off between matches. The win over Alex De Minaur has come against someone who is perhaps not his most comfortable on the clay courts, but that is not the case when facing Pedro Cachin and I expect Hugo Gaston to have to deal with a lot more issues in this one.

Fatigue could be a factor, while you cannot ignore how well Pedro Cachin had been playing on the Challenger Tour in the lead up to the French Open. He will be disappointed in needing a Lucky Loser spot in the main draw, but I do feel Cachin can make use of that as long as he continues serving to the level he has displayed in 2022.

Hugo Gaston had lost four matches in a row on the clay courts before the win in the First Round, but all the effort and emotion needed may see him come up short in the Second Round.

Daniil Medvedev - 1.5 sets v Laslo Djere: It is hard to really gauge where Daniil Medvedev is with his tennis after his First Round win over a player who has admitted he was struggling with a calf injury. The World Number 2 did what he needed to and won very, very easily, but this Second Round match is a much tougher challenge for him to deal with.

In previous years Daniil Medvedev has made it clear that he is not the biggest fan of the clay courts, but he reached the Quarter Final at the French Open twelve months ago and has been in much more positive mood about the surface having produced such a strong run.

The loss last week in Geneva is a blow, but Daniil Medvedev has felt like his hernia procedure has been a success and I do think he has the kind of tennis that can be very dangerous on this surface. Daniil Medvedev is a very strong return player on all surfaces, but he also has a huge serve that can set up the short ball on the clay court and I think he is more than capable of winning this match.

However, Medvedev will have to give Laslo Djere a lot of respect with the Serb very comfortable on the clay courts and produced plenty of wins on the surface in the lead up to the French Open. He was barely pushed in the First Round, while Laslo Djere has taken on and been very competitive in clay court matches against Stefanos Tsitsipas and Novak Djokovic this season.

Laslo Djere has used his serve to good effect in those two matches against top five Ranked players, but he has struggled with the return and I think that is where Daniil Medvedev can edge past a tough opponent. He held 89% of his service games against Tsitsipas and Djokovic, which is considerably higher than his overall numbers on the clay in 2022, but Laslo Djere has only broken in 14% of return games played.

That mark is way down on the breaks in 26% of return games played on the red dirt in 2022 and it has been a problem for Laslo Djere whenever he has played against top 10 Ranked opponents on the Tour.

As long as Daniil Medvedev is feeling good on serve, I think he will have enough to beat what may be considered another clay court specialist. Laslo Djere is much healthier than Facundo Bagnis was in the First Round so I expect this to be much more competitive, but I think Medvedev can get the job done in three or, more likely, four sets.

Andrey Rublev - 7.5 games v Federico Delbonis: There are times on the Tour when a player just needs a win to turn things around, but it is a big ask to expect Federico Delbonis to back up the First Round success over Adrian Mannarino. The clay court season would usually expect to be a very positive time of the season for the left hander, but Federico Delbonis has been struggling for confidence since the Tour moved to the European clay courts.

Like many players from South America, Federico Delbonis enjoyed the Golden Swing on the clay courts in his part of the world following the Australian Open, but it has been a different story of late. Before the French Open began, the Argentine had produced a 2-6 record on the red dirt and his numbers have been hard to take.

Federico Delbonis has been holding just 63% of the service games played in those eight matches, while he has broken in 20% of return games and it has led to some one-sided defeats. All of those losses have come against top 100 Ranked players and the only wins have been against opponents outside of those spots, while the numbers dip to 52% of service games held and 14% of return games with a break of serve when only considering Federico Delbonis' matches against top 50 Ranked opponents.

In saying all that, he did win well in the First Round and came through a couple of wobbles and Andrey Rublev may not yet be the most comfortable on the clay courts.

Even then, I think the Russian player is going to have enough to see off an opponent he beat in four sets at Wimbledon last year and Andrey Rublev was a pretty impressive First Round winner. He has also won a title on the clay courts in Belgrade where he thumped Novak Djokovic in the Final and Rublev has a big game that can see him hit through the court, even on the clay.

Andrey Rublev did suffer a really disappointing loss in Rome, and he has yet to have a really good run at the French Open when it is played in May. The Quarter Final appearance at Roland Garros came in 2020 when the tournament was moved to the Autumn, but Andrey Rublev should have the confidence to break down the Federico Delbonis game, especially if the lower Ranked player is still suffering with his belief on the tennis court.

With an aggressive return of serve, I think Rublev will do enough to cover the handicap mark.

David Goffin - 1.5 sets v Frances Tiafoe: After reaching the Final in Estoril, Frances Tiafoe has to feel his game is good enough to have an impact on the clay courts, although the numbers have remained pretty average on the surface. I do think there is a quality player in Frances Tiafoe and on his day he can be very tough to beat, but he will have to raise his level from the First Round if he is going to back up his first win at Roland Garros with another.

He played well in the First Round, but Frances Tiafoe is a player that has been able to hold 76% of service games played and broken in 22% of return games on the clay courts in the run to the French Open. Those are numbers that are not going to raise too many eyebrows and he is now going to be facing someone who has enjoyed playing on the clay courts throughout his career and who has won a title on the surface this season.

David Goffin played well in the First Round too, but he had the tougher match on paper compared with Frances Tiafoe and I think the Belgian was a touch more certain with his tennis. A loss to Jenson Brooksby in Rome is a worrying one, but David Goffin has put together a solid 12-4 record on the clay courts this season and is a comfortable player on the surface.

The numbers have been more solid than Frances Tiafoe's with David Goffin holding in 80% of service games played and backing that up with an impressive break rate of 29%.

I do have to say that the serve can be vulnerable at times and Frances Tiafoe is going to make Goffin work for all he gets. An athletic player who has very strong movement around the court is going to make David Goffin work for his points, but I do think the general comfortableness of the Belgian gives him an edge on this surface.

They have not played one another since 2019 so there will be a touch of unfamiliarity for both, but David Goffin did win the first three matches between these two before Frances Tiafoe got the better of him in Miami. All of those matches were on hard courts too and I think the clay courts favour David Goffin a little more as I look for the narrow favourite to come through in three or four sets in this Second Round match.

Casper Ruud - 6.5 games v Emil Ruusuvuori: Both of these players had to battle past French opponents in the First Round and neither Casper Ruud nor Emil Ruusuvuori had things all their own way.

Casper Ruud needed four sets to eventually see off Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, the leading name in French tennis who was going to retire at the end of this tournament regardless of when it ended. Playing the opponent and the crowd was tough for Casper Ruud, but he did it make it through in four sets and that could stand him in good stead for the remainder of the French Open in the weaker half of the Men's draw.

His opponent needed one more set to beat Ugo Humbert in the First Round, but Emil Ruusuvuori will have picked up some confidence having come from 1-2 down in that match. By the end of the match it felt like Emil Ruusuvuori had completely broken the resistance, but it will be tough for a young, inexperienced player to be able to pick himself and prepare in the manner needed to take on an opponent who will be considered a strong favourite to beat him.

That isn't a surprise when you think of the clay court successes Casper Ruud has had compared with Emil Ruusuvuori, and the numbers on the surface have largely backed that up. The Casper Ruud serve in particularly looks like it could be the key difference maker in the match and it proved to be just about good enough to keep Jo-Wilfred Tsonga at bay in the First Round.

The higher Ranked player has a considerable edge when it comes to protecting the serve on the clay courts, while Emil Ruusuvuori's return numbers do fall more in line with Casper Ruud's when only considering his clay court matches against top 50 Ranked opponents. With the superior serve, I do think Casper Ruud can beat this opponent again.

He beat him at the US Open in 2021, although that match ended prematurely with Casper Ruud leading 2-0 in sets, while the Norwegian was a much more comfortable winner over Emil Ruusuvuori when these two met in Barcelona on the clay courts. That match was played last month and I do think it is telling that Casper Ruud has held 95% of the service games played against Ruusuvuori compared with 60% for the latter.

While he has not been returning as well as he would have liked on the clay courts in 2022, Casper Ruud still has a significant edge in this Second Round match. He should be less fatigued off the two, despite the emotions that were involved in the win over Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, and I think the match up has been a good one for Casper Ruud who can win well on the scoreboard when all is said and done.

MY PICKS: Pedro Cachin @ 1.95 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Daniil Medvedev - 1.5 Sets @ 1.72 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Andrey Rublev - 7.5 Games @ 1.95 Bet Victor (2 Units)

David Goffin - 1.5 Sets @ 2.37 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Casper Ruud - 6.5 Games @ 1.72 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Marin Cilic - 1.5 Sets @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Miomir Kecmanovic - 6.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Cristian Garin - 1.5 Sets @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Dan Evans - 1.5 Sets @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Joao Sousa + 4.5 Games @ 1.90 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Aleksandra Krunic + 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Anhelina Kalinina + 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Elena Rybakina - 5.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet365 (2 Units)

Danielle Collins - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Simona Halep - 5.5 Games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Aryna Sabalenka - 5.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

French Open Update: 26-21, + 5.12 Units (94 Units Staked, + 5.47% Yield)