It has been a very difficult few days for the Tennis Picks, but it was pleasing to put a sweep together on Wednesday as the Quarter Finals were completed.
On Thursday we are down to the Women's Semi Finals before the Men take centre stage on Friday.
Hopefully the momentum of Wednesday can carry forward through to the Semi Final Picks, which can be read below.
Martina Trevisan + 4.5 games v Cori Gauff: It isn't often that a player will have the opportunity to reach a Grand Slam Final and I think both of these players involved in the final four at Roland Garros will be looking at the other as a really good draw.
When I say that, I mean no disrespect to Cori Gauff or Martina Trevisan who have both had strong clay court seasons in the build to the French Open and who have looked sharp in the tournament. Both will feel they have performed at a strong level to deserve their spot in the last four in the second Grand Slam of the season and I can't really argue with that at all.
Between the two players, they have only dropped a single set.
That came in Martina Trevisan's Quarter Final against Leylah Fernandez having served for the match before going down in the tie-breaker, but the Italian showed character and composure to eventually break through in the final set decider.
Cori Gauff has had it easier with a single set won on a tie-breaker, while a couple of other sets have been won 7-5, while the numbers have been slightly stronger than Martina Trevisan in the French Open and I do think the young American is the more likely to make the breakthrough and reach a maiden Grand Slam Final.
The younger player has been a little stronger when it comes to the return of serve in the last two weeks and she has a big hitting game that will put Martina Trevisan under pressure.
It sounds like the weather is heating up considerably over the next two days in Paris and that may suit the aggressive game of Cori Gauff with a little more chance to hit through the court. The serve can also be an important weapon for her and I do think Cori Gauff is going to have more faith in that shot picking up cheaper points than Martina Trevisan, whose serve is all about placement.
Under pressure that could potentially go awry, as it did when serving for the match in the Quarter Final, and Martina Trevisan is going to have to find a way to drag Cori Gauff into longer rallies and see if her clay court nous can pay off.
In this French Open, both have been explosive return players and I do think this is going to make this a tight and competitive Semi Final.
They have met once before here at the French Open in 2020 and it was Martina Trevisan who edged past Cori Gauff in three sets having created more break points in the match. It was played in the Autumn and the conditions are going to be vastly different on Thursday, while both players are going to have to deal with different nerves in a Semi Final compared with the Second Round meeting a little over eighteen months ago.
Nerves make it a little harder to predict, but I do think Martina Trevisan is being underestimated with the amount of games she is being given. The time spent on the court in the last two Rounds may also go against the Italian, but she is given every chance to recover with this being the second Semi Final on Thursday and I think there are enough games here to see Martina Trevisan keep this one competitive, even in a losing effort.
Iga Swiatek - 6.5 games v Daria Kasatkina: This has to be one of the biggest spreads we have seen in a Women's Grand Slam Semi Final for a long time, but you can't really argue against it.
After a stellar clay court season leading into the French Open, Iga Swiatek has looked the best player in the draw even though there has been a few more mistakes coming out of the racquet than we have become used to seeing. The problem with setting such strong standards is that any slight drop looks surprising, but Iga Swiatek is still playing at a really strong level.
While the serve has been working well for the most part on the clay, the World Number 1 has continued to dominate the return numbers and I expect she is going to be able to put a lot of pressure on Daria Kasatkina's vulnerable serve.
The lower Ranked player had a decent clay court season herself, while Daria Kasatkina has been competitive even in the three losses she has suffered on the surface. It was important for her to get through her Quarter Final in straight sets to make sure she is ready to compete with this being a rare moment in the Grand Slam when two players have to go out on court without any rest days.
Daria Kasatkina's serve did show vulnerability against Veronika Kudermetova, but like Iga Swiatek, the Russian has been returning very effectively and that will give her confidence in her maiden Grand Slam Semi Final. She has been Ranked in the top ten on the WTA Tour in her career and that is going to be important for Daria Kasatkina to have the confidence to try and compete, but this has been a terrible match up for her in 2022.
Last season Daria Kasatkina came from behind to crush Iga Swiatek on the grass courts in Eastbourne and she had lost just a single game in the final two sets on that day, but it has been much different in 2022.
These two have met three times this season and Iga Swiatek seems to have taken offence to the way she was beaten in Eastbourne having won all three matches and lost a total of eleven games in those wins. The win at the Australian Open was the toughest of the three wins with five games given up that day, but Swiatek has clearly gotten well on top of this opponent.
The clay courts could give Daria Kasatkina more of a chance, but she has seen her serve crushed by the World Number 1 and I think we are going to see more of the same on Thursday.
I do think Daria Kasatkina can have more success on the return of serve than she has had in their three matches in 2022 with all of those being on the hard courts, but even then it will be hard to stay with someone playing at the level that Iga Swiatek has produced.
A big number like this can be difficult to overcome with one or two mistakes or missed game points/break points likely to prove costly, but I do think Iga Swiatek will be tough to contain for an opponent like Daria Kasatkina. As well as the latter has played in this tournament, it feels like she will struggle to look after her serve and I think Swiatek wins widely as long as she can stay in the moment and not think too far ahead of herself.
MY PICKS: Martina Trevisan + 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Iga Swiatek - 6.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)
French Open Update: 51-53, - 12.77 Units (206 Units Staked, - 6.20% Yield)
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