Tennis Picks 2022 (July 21st)

The weather in London reached ridiculous heights on Tuesday and it certainly meant I did not want to be on a laptop or computer any longer than I needed to be.

After the day for the Tennis Picks, it was easy for me to take a day off to recover.

Bad luck seemed to be flying all over the place over the first couple of days of this week and I needed the mental break of a day off just to cool down (mentally and physically).

What a day- I will make no excuses for the Cristian Garin and Diego Sebastian Schwartzman picks- but I have struggled to accept some of the other selections and the way in which they were undone.

Laslo Djere won his first set 6-1 and was up 4-2 in the second set having held onto serve all the way at that point of the match, but somehow was beaten 6-1, 6-7, 3-6.

Thiago Monteiro played poorly, but did have his chances in the second set which would have seen him cover.

Fabio Fognini was leading 6-3 after set one and looked to have momentum having recovered from a break down in the second set before once again losing focus.

Jaume Munar won the first set with a double break, but lost the second having dropped serve twice more than his opponent and then waited until the cover was impossible before winning four games in a row to secure the match.

And worst of all, Marc-Andrea Huesler who led 7-6, 5-4, 40/0 on serve and having not faced a Break Point in the match... Amazingly he failed to serve it out and ultimately lost the match.

Honestly it is tough to take a day like that when so many seemed to blow strong positions and it was frustrating to say the least.

While it likely means a losing week, I am expecting much better through the remainder of this week and month to back up what had been a solid grass court season.

Carlos Alcaraz - 4.5 games v Filip Krajinovic: These two players met in the Quarter Final in Umag twelve months ago and both were Seeded.

Back then Filip Krajinovic was the Number 3 Seed, but Carlos Alcaraz was the Number 7 Seed and Number 73 in the World Rankings... Now he is playing in Hamburg as the top Seed in the draw and the World Number 6 to underline the kind of progress that Alcaraz has made on the Tour.

Earlier this season he was playing like the World Number 1 and it was telling that so many were tipping Carlos Alcaraz to truly announce himself to a wider public by winning his first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros. Ultimately he was narrowly beaten in the Quarter Final, but Carlos Alcaraz will be someone to watch out for at the US Open next month and especially if he can produce some confidence boosting tennis in the build towards that event.

The Spaniard is a confident hard court player, but the tournament in Hamburg will help build the Ranking, while Carlos Alcaraz has made it clear that his main ambition for the season is making sure he is playing in his first ATP Finals. He is well on course for that and I think Carlos Alcaraz will be all the better for the challenging win in the First Round having produced some of the best clay court numbers of any player on the Tour in 2022.

The Quarter Final win over Filip Krajinovic in Umag was far from easy last season, but Carlos Alcaraz has moved past the Serb who is an inconsistent clay court player. Filip Krajinovic had a solid win over Sebastian Baez in the First Round, but the latter had a deep run in Bastad and I think that ultimately made the difference in the match.

I do think this is going to be a much tougher match for Krajinovic who has not really returned as well as he would have liked on the clay courts with breaks in just 18% of return games played. Filip Krajinovic will likely feel the pressure on his own serve against a player like Carlos Alcaraz who wins plenty of return points and who has broken in 33% of return games played on this surface this season.

Carlos Alcaraz has improved on the Tour mainly because of his serve and I expect a much better performance on this side of his tennis than we saw in the First Round. He has been winning 65% of service points behind his serve on the clay courts and I think that will also build the pressure on Filip Krajinovic and to a higher extent than when they met last season.

It is a big spread to cover, but I do think Carlos Alcaraz will be much better than he was in the First Round and he has the return game to cover the mark that has been set.

MY PICKS: Carlos Alcaraz - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Andrey Rublev - 2.5 Games @ 1.75 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Dominic Thiem - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Nicolas Jarry - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Matteo Berrettini - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Barbora Krejcikova - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Bernarda Pera - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Tennis Picks 2022 (July 19th)

The hot weather sweeping across Europe had an impact in the early matches at the three stops taken in by the ATP and WTA Tours and there is another challenging day ahead for the players getting into First and Second Round action.

Wet weather is expected later in the week and the cooler conditions will benefit all as the events in Hamburg, Gstaad and Palermo continue.

Fabio Fognini - 3.5 games v Aljaz Bedene: After snapping a long losing run to Fabio Fognini when these two players last met in 2019, Aljaz Bedene was back in a familiar position in Belgrade earlier this season.

Once again Fabio Fognini got the better of Bedene to extend his dominance of the head to head between the players and they are meeting on the clay courts again, this time in the First Round in Hamburg. All but one of their previous ten matches have been played on the clay courts and Fabio Fognini leads the Aljaz Bedene 8-1 as these two veterans of the Tour meet with some important Ranking points on the line.

The two players are slipping down the World Rankings and further drops, or the end of the Protected Ranking in Aljaz Bedene's case, will mean having to Qualify for some of the bigger tournaments on the Tour. I don't really envision either wanting to do that long-term and so it is important to pick up some Ranking points in the summer clay court swing before the majority of players head to North America to begin preparation for the US Open.

We have already seen the signs of the pressure that comes with having to Qualify for main draws last week when Fabio Fognini was beaten in the final Round of Qualifying for Bastad. He did eventually make the main draw as a Lucky Loser, but was beaten in the First Round and the Italian is clearly a player that has seen his better days.

His numbers back that up, but Aljaz Bedene has had an even more difficult season on the red dirt and he has a 3-7 record overall in 2022. The early defeat at Wimbledon under a Protected Ranking means the Slovenian has not played for three weeks now and I do think he is vulnerable in this match up even when at his best.

Fabio Fognini has a vulnerable serve on this surface, but his return game has proven to be a big problem for Aljaz Bedene to deal with. It has meant that Bedene has broken in 25% of the return games against Fognini on the clay compared with the 33% mark produced by the Italian and that is a significant edge.

It ended up being a very comfortable win for Fabio Fognini when these two met in Belgrade in April, but this one is likely to be a big tighter considering the lack of confidence that Fognini is seemingly playing with. Even then, the Italian should have the tennis to break down the Aljaz Bedene game and I think he will eventually be able to do enough to cover what is a relatively wide spread for a best of three set match.

Laslo Djere - 2.5 games v Borna Coric: There have been a number of big name players that have missed significant time on the Tour due to injury and who have returned in 2022 looking to rediscover their best competitive form. The biggest is Dominic Thiem who has finally gotten back into something of a winning habit over the last couple of weeks, but don't underestimate the kind of talent that Borna Coric has and the hope is he can finally begin to fulfil that.

He reached a career high of Number 12 in the World Rankings, while Borna Coric looked to have the tennis that could make him very effective on all surfaces. At 25 years old, the Croatian could still have a very bright future, but the long layoff has left him vulnerable in 2022 and he has only won two of the eight matches played on the main Tour since returning.

With no World Ranking points on offer, I am perhaps not that surprised that Borna Coric decided to skip Wimbledon and instead play a couple of Challenger events on the clay courts. The Croatian will hold a Protected Ranking for now, but Borna Coric is currently outside the top 150 in the World Rankings and it is really important for him to pick up some momentum and plenty of wins to avoid having to play those smaller events more regularly.

It was a positive month for Borna Coric with a Quarter Final run in Perugia and then winning the title in Parma, but he returned with a First Round loss in a Challenger event last week and he may have hoped for a much better draw here in Hamburg. He has already been beaten by Laslo Djere once this season and the latter also holds a 2-0 head to head advantage over Borna Coric with both wins being earned on the clay courts.

Laslo Djere has become a very steady, consistent player on the clay courts, although he doesn't seem to have the extra gear to really beat the best players on the Tour. He has been able to challenge them on this surface and he put together a decent tournament in Bastad last week before losing to Andrey Rublev in the Quarter Final.

The numbers remain solid and Laslo Djere will feel he can get a little more from his return game than Borna Coric in this First Round match to make all of the difference in the outcome of it. When they met in Rome in May, the scoreboard suggests it was an easy enough win for Djere, but the Serb will be the first to admit that he played the big points much more efficiently than Borna Coric and that is going to have to be the case when they meet in Hamburg too.

There hasn't been much between these players in the two previous clay court matches, but Laslo Djere has been able to exert enough pressure to see Borna Coric crack. At this stage of their careers, I think that is still the case for Djere as Borna Coric continues his recovery to the level he was producing a couple of years ago, and I think the higher Ranked player will make it a hat-trick of victories over this opponent on the red dirt.

MY PICKS: Fabio Fognini - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Laslo Djere - 2.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Diego Sebastian Schwartzman - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Jaume Munar - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Richard Gasquet @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Cristian Garin - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Thiago Monteiro - 1.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Marc-Andrea Huesler - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 3-3, - 1.14 Units (12 Units Staked, - 9.50% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2022 (July 18th)

A strong grass court season for the Tennis Picks was not quite signed off with the momentum I would have wanted, but it was a positive set of results over the month.

Like many, I have taken a week off since Wimbledon was concluded just to take a short break in what is always a very long season.

The remainder of this month will see some clay court tournaments played as both Tours see some bigger names on the courts who are trying to pick up some vital Ranking points, while the end of the month will be the beginning of the run towards the US Open.

Before that there are some big tournaments to be played and the next three weeks will be about managing the Tennis Picks and avoiding any really poor days.

Pedro Martinez - 2.5 games v Carlos Taberner: A heat wave has hit Europe and temperatures have been soaring across the continent- things won't be any different in Gstaad on Monday when this ATP tournament gets underway with main draw action.

Two Spanish players will be meeting and you do have to expect both Pedro Martinez and Carlos Taberner to be used to playing in hot conditions, although it is a challenge for two players who have not been in the best form to ignore the difficult temperatures being faced by players.

Despite being comfortable clay courters, this has not been a season to write home about for either Pedro Martinez or Carlos Taberner. The former has won one of his last eight clay court matches going back to early April, while Carlos Taberner has won two of his last eight matches and neither has produced very strong clay court numbers in 2022.

I think both Pedro Martinez and Carlos Taberner are going to have to work hard to protect serve in this match, while Taberner has at least had an edge with his return numbers. He looks to be playing the big points much better than Pedro Martinez on the clay in 2022, but this has regularly been a bad match up for Carlos Taberner and his own personal form is not going to be inspiring a lot of confidence.

The numbers against top 100 Ranked players on the clay courts in 2022 are very similar, but Pedro Martinez may be coming into a match with a slight mental edge.

Ending his losing run on the clay in his last tournament will have been a boost for Pedro Martinez, while he has won nine of eleven previous matches against Carlos Taberner, including each of the last three. Those three matches have been played since 2019 and are perhaps the most relevant to this one, although the last time Pedro Martinez and Carlos Taberner played one another is ten months ago.

In those last three matches, Martinez has had a huge edge in the serving numbers and has managed to win 51% of return points against the Carlos Taberner serve, which has led to breaks in 51% of return games played.

I will admit that it is not easy to trust someone who has gotten so used to losing as Pedro Martinez has, but he has enjoyed this match up and that is expected to give him more confidence than he may have had against other opponents. The heat could be a problem for both players, but I think Pedro Martinez will be able to produce enough quality on the return to edge past his compatriot and earn a spot in the Second Round.

MY PICKS: Pedro Martinez - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Tomas Martin Etcheverry @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Joao Sousa - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Lorenzo Musetti - 1.5 Games @ 1.72 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Sara Sorribes Tormo - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Jasmine Paolini - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 14 Pick 2022- Men's Final (July 10th)

It was a pretty good Ladies Final and Elena Rybakina could go from strength to strength on the WTA Tour after winning a maiden Grand Slam.

There is no doubting the quality of her tennis at her best, but Rybakina has the same issues as many on the WTA Tour in lacking the consistency to challenge for major prizes. Maybe the win at Wimbledon will give her a new sense of confidence, although she will unfortunately remain outside the top 10 of the World Rankings after all points were removed from the tournament.

Iga Swiatek will be the player to beat in New York City ahead of the final Grand Slam of the 2022 season, but I am hoping Elena Rybakina can kick her own career forward as the women's game continues to search for players to form real rivalries at the top of their sport.

On Sunday the attention turns to the Men's Final as the 2022 Wimbledon Championships come to a conclusion and there is every hope that this could be another fine way to end the tournament.

Novak Djokovic - 4.5 games v Nick Kyrgios: A few months ago, the tabloids and tennis fans would have been salivating for a match up between two players who have never really seen eye to eye at that stage of their lives. Nick Kyrgios had been particularly vocal with his criticism of the exhibition tournaments that Novak Djokovic and a number of others had arranged during the height of the Covid pandemic when all of the Tennis Tours had been postponed and he saved his most fiery comments for the then World Number 1.

So it came as a real surprise during the drama of the 2022 Australian Open that Novak Djokovic's biggest supporter on the Tour around his Visa issues was the same Nick Kyrgios.

The relationship seems to be much improved these days, but that should not take away any drama from the Wimbledon Final between two competitors that can get hot under the collar.

Novak Djokovic will go into the Final as the favourite despite losing the two previous Tour matches with Nick Kyrgios, although the last of those was played back in 2017. Both were top 20 Ranked players back then, while there will still be a huge amount of respect between the competitors with that mental edge likely going to give Nick Kyrgios confidence in trying to win his first ever Slam Final.

The serve has been a huge weapon for both players in those previous meetings, both on the hard courts, and it is Nick Kyrgios who has yet to be broken by Novak Djokovic. In fact, Novak Djokovic has only won 23% of return points in those matches compared with Nick Kyrgios' mark of 30% and this may be another match dominated by the serve.

Another factor is considering how much the time spent off the court has affected Nick Kyrgios- he did not have to play his Semi Final against Rafael Nadal and that means he has not played since Wednesday when beating Cristian Garin in the Quarter Final. It should mean he is fresh, but has the rhythm been lost a little bit?

Novak Djokovic has needed nine sets in his last two Rounds to earn his place in the Wimbledon Final yet again, but there may be some fatigue catching up with him which has to be a concern.

However, he is a player that knows exactly what it takes to win a Grand Slam and the six time Champion in SW19 is still capable of producing a grass court level that the likes of Nick Kyrgios are not able to reach consistently.

As good as the run has been to reach the Final, Nick Kyrgios has had things break his way with Matteo Berrettini and Rafael Nadal avoided. In the last three Rounds he continues to win the tight margins, but Novak Djokovic is playing at a different level and I think the way that Cristian Garin was able to get into the service games of Kyrgios is a potential problem for the Australian.

I expect Nick Kyrgios to serve well enough to have his chances and I do think he is capable of winning a set and maybe even two, but Novak Djokovic's return will build pressure. He might not have faced this serve for five years, but I expect Djokovic to make the adjustments needed during the course of this match as he did in the Quarter Final and Semi Final and I think the Serb will win a seventh title at Wimbledon and match his inspiration Pete Sampras.

MY PICK: Novak Djokovic - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Wimbledon 2022: 54-46, + 7.72 Units (200 Units Staked, + 3.86% Yield)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 13 Pick 2022- Ladies Singles Final (July 9th)

A slow start from Novak Djokovic did not prevent him from earning his spot in the Wimbledon Final on Sunday and the match up with Nick Kyrgios is one that is going to draw plenty of attention.

However, the Ladies Final deserves the spotlight on Saturday as two maiden Grand Slam Finalists meet for the biggest title of their career to date. The winner may feel there is a potential to spark the career and win a number of Slams and I am looking forward to both matches remaining at the 2022 tournament.

Ons Jabeur-Elena Rybakina over 22.5 games: This is the first time a player representing Arabs and North Africans will be playing in a Grand Slam Final and Ons Jabeur has fulfilled some of the expectations that were on her shoulders at the start of the Wimbledon tournament. She is the favourite to win the title on Saturday, but Ons Jabeur should have plenty of respect for the quality that Elena Rybakina brings to the court as she becomes the first player from Kazakhstan to compete for a Grand Slam title.

Both are going to have to deal with some of the nerves that comes with playing a maiden Grand Slam Final- Ons Jabeur has been the more consistent player on the Tour, but Elena Rybakina has long had the kind of tennis that felt it could bring home a major title if she could just find a hot streak of form at the right time.

It is a very big game and Elena Rybakina was able to thump Simona Halep in the Semi Final to further build her confidence. She had been a pretty big underdog in that match against a player who had won the Wimbledon title in 2019 and not been beaten on the grass courts in SW19 for four years, but Elena Rybakina played a perfect game with big thumping winners to dominate her opponent.

The problem for Elena Rybakina is that she is not likely to have an easy rhythm in this match like Simona Halep provided and dealing with different spins, drop shots and a player comfortable volleying at the net is a big challenge for the underdog. The first serve is a major weapon for Elena Rybakina though and she will feel she can play first strike tennis as long as she is able to land plenty of those, even noting how well Ons Jabeur has been returning throughout this tournament.

A bigger challenge for the Tunisian is that she had not served as well as she would have liked in her Fourth Round and Quarter Final wins. Earlier in the tournament that may not have been a concern, but Ons Jabeur has to be aware that Elena Rybakina has found her groove on the return with 46% of points won on the return in her last two wins.

Those have led to plenty of breaks of serve for Elena Rybakina, but both have been serving well enough to believe they can get their noses in front. The two completed matches between the two players have both needed three sets to separate them and I do think there is enough quality tennis being played by both Jabeur and Rybakina in this tournament to think we may need a decider in this one too.

Before last season, seven straight Ladies Finals at Wimbledon had been won in straight sets, but I do think nerves could make it difficult for either to close out in straights here.

These two have played four matches combined in the Quarter Final and Semi Final Round and three of those have also needed a deciding set and I do think we are going to see this total games line covered. It should be a fun match and I do think we are getting a deserved Champion, albeit the latest new name on the WTA Tour to add a Grand Slam title to their resume.

MY PICKS: Ons Jabeur-Elena Rybakina Over 22.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Wimbledon 2022: 53-46, + 6.12 Units (198 Units Staked, + 3.09% Yield)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 12 Picks 2022 (July 8th)

One upset and one favourite earned their path into the Ladies Singles Final at Wimbledon to be played on Saturday and now the Men get to work out who will be rounding out the tournament for another year on Sunday.

Another solid day for the Tennis Picks has seen a big bounce back from the poor Day 9 showing, and hopefully I have at least three more winners to come. 

At the time of writing the news about Rafael Nadal's withdrawal had not been confirmed so you can ignore the second selection.

Novak Djokovic - 7.5 games v Cameron Norrie: There were a couple of moments in the Quarter Final when it felt like Novak Djokovic was not going to find the intensity he needed to avoid losing his first match at Wimbledon since 2018. Dropping the first two sets is never an ideal position to be in, but Novak Djokovic largely dominated Jannik Sinner from that stage and he was never in a position where he was behind by a break on the scoreboard in the final three sets.

Some potential fatigue could have been a factor in this Semi Final if his opponent had eased through the last Round, but Cameron Norrie had a much more arduous and stressful passage into the last four. The British Number 1 has become one of a handful of male players to reach the last four at Wimbledon and Cameron Norrie has to pick himself up from a rollercoaster back and forth Quarter Final win of his own.

While Novak Djokovic's situation was clear after falling into a 0-2 hole, Cameron Norrie had rallied to win the second set before finding himself 2-1 behind against David Goffin. And unlike the top Seed in the draw, Cameron Norrie had to battle very hard to win the final set which needed almost the full thirteen games and a Super Tie-Breaker to decide the winner.

Cameron Norrie has played some solid tennis in the tournament, but there have been too many tight matches against players that are significantly below the level that Novak Djokovic can bring to the court. The lefty serve should give him an advantage, but Norrie has not been completely convincing behind serve with both Jaume Munar and David Goffin breaking the serve five times.

The return numbers have also declined in each of the last three Rounds and that could be an issue against Novak Djokovic who is likely going to exert plenty of pressure with his own return.

Their sole previous match at the ATP Finals will be a reminder for Cameron Norrie as to how important it is for him to serve well- he was blitzed by Novak Djokovic that day and managed to win just three games.

I am not expecting a complete blow out in this one with the Centre Court crowd firmly behind the home player, but I do think Novak Djokovic is the far superior player on grass at this stage of their careers. Both are coming in off tough Quarter Final wins, but Novak Djokovic has been much more deadly on the return of serve and I do think that will make the difference in this match as he slowly quietens the crowd and moves clear of Cameron Norrie in what I am expecting to be a straight sets win.

Nick Kyrgios - 1.5 sets v Rafael Nadal: One of the most remarkable moments of the tennis season was seen on Wednesday as Rafael Nadal overcame an early injury, had to change up his service action to avoid being in pain and then recovered from 2-1 down against Taylor Fritz to win the match in five sets.

There was no doubt that this family, namely father and sister, were making gestures as early as the second set for Rafael Nadal to withdraw from his Quarter Final, but this is a 22 time Grand Slam Champion and he showed all of that to somehow win that match. Taylor Fritz will have regrets, while Rafael Nadal is reported to have a tear in the abdomen region, although feels he can play through the pain and take part in the Semi Final.

It would have been a tough match up for Rafael Nadal even at full health against the enigmatic Australian Nick Kyrgios who has put together some very strong tennis to reach his first ever Grand Slam Semi Final.

For many, the biggest obstacle in front of Nick Kyrgios is Nick Kyrgios- there is no doubt that some of his on court antics wind up the opponent, but he is just as likely to wind himself up and make some poor decisions which prove to be costly.

However, with a serve like he has, Nick Kyrgios has to feel he can get on the front foot and really test Rafael Nadal's movement on this surface. He also has previous of beating Nadal at Wimbledon with the two sharing a win apiece in SW19 and Nick Kyrgios does tend to raise his game when going up against some of the stronger players on the Tour.

Nick Kyrgios has three wins over Rafael Nadal and matches between these two have tended to be close and competitive thanks to the huge serve possessed by the former. With Rafael Nadal perhaps struggling with injury, Nick Kyrgios may feel he has more scope to put together some strong returns and I do think he is going to make his maiden Grand Slam Semi Final.

I do have to say that Nick Kyrgios has felt like he has been winning matches on the tight margins because he does have a weaker than average return game, while he did not serve as well as he would have liked in the last Round. However, I do think he will be extra motivated in facing a player he has had issues with in the past and Nick Kyrgios has held 93% of his service games against Rafael Nadal in the two grass court matches between them.

With an injury weakening the defending Australian and French Open Champion, Nick Kyrgios can take advantage and win this one in three or four sets.

MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic - 7.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Wimbledon 2022: 53-45, + 8.12 Units (196 Units Staked, + 4.14% Yield)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 11 Picks 2022 (July 7th)

After a pretty miserable Day 9 for the Tennis Picks, I could not have asked for much more than a perfect Day 10 and now the tournament is down to the final four days.

The Women's Semi Finals are first up before the Men's Semi Finals take place on Friday as Wimbledon comes to a crescendo once again.

MY PICKS: Ons Jabeur - 5.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Elena Rybakina + 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Wimbledon 2022: 51-45, + 5.08 Units (192 Units Staked, + 2.65% Yield)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 10 Picks 2022 (July 6th)

That was a tough day to absorb.

There were moments when it felt like I would have at least a couple of winners, but things went badly wrong in the middle of matches and I have to take it on the chin.

Nick Kyrgios - 5.5 games v Cristian Garin: News broke on Tuesday that Nick Kyrgios is going to have to deal with assault charges back in his native Australia next month, but I am not sure he is the kind of player that will allow that to be a distraction with a huge opportunity in front of him.

For all the obvious talent, Nick Kyrgios has often been criticised for not taking his tennis seriously and that may be underlined by the fact he is only going to be playing in his third ever Grand Slam Quarter Final. At 27 years old and with a growing threat from an emerging group of players on the ATP Tour coupled with the old guard still playing as well as ever, Nick Kyrgios may not have many better opportunities to try and reach a Semi Final in a major.

He could not have asked for a better opponent in all honesty, although Cristian Garin deserves his respect for taking advantage of Matteo Berrettini's absence from the draw. The Chilean may not have had the best season, but showed plenty of grit and heart in coming from 2-0 down to beat Alex De Minaur in the Fourth Round.

However, you do have to wonder how much energy that has sapped from the tank, both emotionally and physically, while Cristian Garin is playing in his first ever Quarter Final at this level. At least he is facing Nick Kyrgios who has needed five sets twice already in this tournament and who can go walkabout within matches.

In saying that, the big problem for Cristian Garin may be the vulnerability of the serve and especially against someone who can serve as dominantly as Nick Kyrgios can on his best day. The Australian has only dropped serve five times in the tournament and admitted to 'tanking' away one of those games in the last Round to give opponent Brandon Nakashima a full sense of confidence ahead of the deciding set.

That attitude does make it difficult to trust Nick Kyrgios to cover big spreads like this one, but I am expecting him to have a lot more joy against the Cristian Garin serve than he did in the last Round. It also has to be expected that Kyrgios came off the boil a little after all of the emotions and controversy surrounding his Third Round win over Stefanos Tsitsipas, but he should be much more ready for this match.

Nick Kyrgios is not the most efficient of return players, but he has been playing well enough on that side of his tennis over the last month. He has also found plenty of breaks of serve in this tournament and I expect his grass court tennis to be that much bigger than compatriot Alex De Minuar was able to produce in his loss to Cristian Garin and it should see Nick Kyrgios reach the Semi Final of a Slam for the first time.

Simona Halep - 3.5 games v Amanda Anisimova: Winning the title at Wimbledon in 2019 was a huge achievement for Simona Halep, but first Covid and then injury prevented the former World Number 1 from ever returning as the defending Champion. While she has not been defeated at Wimbledon after winning the title, Simona Halep was not even offered the chance to open Centre Court on Day 2 of the tournament, a spot reserved for the defending Champion and with Ashleigh Barty retired and absent from the event.

I can't imagine that has been a real motivation factor for Simona Halep, but she has blitzed her way through to the Quarter Final at Wimbledon and at this stage I think it is going to take a special performance to knock her off.

We have already seen a couple of those from Amanda Anisimova and the young American is looking to finally begin fulfilling her potential and win a major title. There is so much to like about the Amanda Anisimova game, but she has not really followed up the run to the French Open Semi Final in 2019 as she would have liked.

This is only her second Quarter Final at the Grand Slam level and the American had not even made the second week of a major since that performance in Paris in 2019. Things have changed this season with back to back Fourth Round runs at the Australian Open and French Open, but Amanda Anisimova has gone one better this time around and there will be a confidence about her game.

Amanda Anisimova actually upset the defending French Open Champion, Simona Halep, in that run to the Semi Final in 2019, but the Romanian former World Number 1 has clearly taken offence to that and beaten Anisimova very comfortably in the last two matches between the pair. That includes a humbling 6/2, 6/1 win over Amanda Anisimova in Bad Homberg on the grass courts in the build to Wimbledon last month and Simona Halep has given up just five games in the last four sets between the two.

I won't ignore how well Amanda Anisimova has played to reach the Quarter Final, but Simona Halep is also playing at an exceptional level.

And you also cannot ignore that this has been a horrible match up for Amanda Anisimova the last two times she has faced Simona Halep and that could make a big difference in this Quarter Final match.

I do have a lot of admiration for the quality that Amanda Anisimova can produce on a tennis court on any surface, but Simona Halep is playing like she has something to prove and I think she is able to break down the Anisimova game in the same way she has the last two times they have played one another.

MY PICKS: Nick Kyrgios - 5.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Taylor Fritz-Rafael Nadal Over 38.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Simona Halep - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Elena Rybakina - 2.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Wimbledon 2022: 47-45, - 1.68 Units (184 Units Staked, - 1% Yield)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 9 Picks 2022 (July 5th)

On one hand it feels like the third Grand Slam of the 2022 season has just started, but on the other there has been enough drama and rollercoaster matches to know it is a tournament that is down to the final few days.

Quarter Final action will begin on Tuesday and with no more rain delays to get in the way.

Novak Djokovic - 6.5 games v Jannik Sinner: After winning the battle of the 'Next Gen' stars of the ATP Tour, Jannik Sinner will be playing a maiden Quarter Final at Wimbledon. The win over Carlos Alcaraz was impressive, but this is another massive step up for Jannik Sinner who now has to beat the three time defending Wimbledon Champion.

The talent is clear for all to see and there is an excitement about what the future will hold for Jannik Sinner, but you cannot ignore the fact that he has struggled on the grass before this tournament at Wimbledon. He has been good enough to beat some quality opponents on his way to the Quarter Final, but Novak Djokovic is a level above all he has played and I do think the youngster is going to have a difficult learning experience on Tuesday.

I will not ignore how well Jannik Sinner has played in the tournament, but he is still not returning serve as well as he would like and I think that is where the difference is made between the two players.

It has been anything but plain sailing for Novak Djokovic, but the Wimbledon Champion has produced at a high level since a more difficult First Round than anticipated and his numbers have been very impressive. The serve has long been an underrated weapon for the 20 time Grand Slam Champion, but he has won at least 45% of return points in each of his last three matches at Wimbledon and I do think that return game will make the difference for him in this Quarter Final.

Jannik Sinner has served well and has not been broken in his last two matches combined, but Novak Djokovic will bring another level of intensity into those service games and I do think he is the clear top player on the grass courts on the men's side of the draw.

Their sole previous meeting saw Novak Djokovic beat Jannik Sinner relatively comfortably on the clay courts of Monte Carlo in 2021, but I am expecting the grass courts to give the top Seed a further edge. I cannot say that this is a small spread being set by the layers, but I am expecting a focused and intense Novak Djokovic to have too much for the young Italian and he can win well over the course of the match.

Cameron Norrie - 1.5 sets v David Goffin: A number of British players have reached the Semi Final of the Wimbledon Grand Slam in the last twenty years and Cameron Norrie will feel he has more than enough quality tennis to become the latest to do that.

After a tough, straight sets win over Tommy Paul in the Fourth Round, Cameron Norrie is clearly embracing the growing expectations around him that could see him follow Andy Murray and become a home winner of the tournament. Without a doubt there are some huge challenges ahead for him to do that, but Cameron Norrie should be good enough to win this Quarter Final.

The lefty serve is a big weapon for Cameron Norrie on the surface and he should be far fresher than David Goffin who completed his Fourth Round win in five sets in the longest match that has been played at Wimbledon so far. All credit has to be given to the Belgian for the come from behind win over Frances Tiafoe, but David Goffin is 31 years old now and with a host of injuries on the body, which could leave him vulnerable when it comes to putting together the energy to win this match.

The run to the Quarter Final has been surprising considering the little form shown, while David Goffin was perhaps a touch fortunate to win his Fourth Round match.

The serve can be a little vulnerable at times and David Goffin may find it much more difficult to make up for breaks in this match than he has previously in the tournament. Cameron Norrie's serve is far from the most important aspect of his tennis, but a potentially fatigued David Goffin may be moved around over the course of a couple of hours to be worn down and give up a few more 'easier' holds of serve as the match develops.

David Goffin's return game has also not been as effective in the last couple of Rounds as he would have liked and I think that potentially shows up in this match as Cameron Norrie looks to give the home fans another British Semi Finalist to appreciate.

With the potential fatigue mentioned, I think Cameron Norrie can win this one in three or four sets.

MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic - 6.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Cameron Norrie - 1.5 Sets @ 

Julie Niemeier - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Wimbledon 2022: 47-42, + 4.32 Units (178 Units Staked, + 2.43% Yield)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 8 Picks 2022 (July 4th)

The first Middle Sunday of play is in the history books and we are going to have the Quarter Final line up completed at Wimbledon on Day 8 of the tournament.

Alex De Minaur - 6.5 games v Cristian Garin: The run to the Fourth Round has been much more unexpected for Cristian Garin than it has for Alex De Minaur and I do think the Australian is going to be the one to earn a maiden Quarter Final at Wimbledon.

Alex De Minaur has previously reached that stage at the US Open so may feel more experienced, while there is no doubting that he is the more comfortable on the grass courts of the two players. His wins in the first three Rounds have come behind some strong numbers, although there is still an inefficiency when it comes to playing the big points that is likely going to prevent Alex De Minuar from replicating Lleyton Hewitt and winning the title here.

It has been a problem for him in playing the break points in the warm up events for Wimbledon and he has needed a lot more break point chances than he is giving away before service games are dropped. That has to be a concern whenever you back Alex De Minuar to cover a big number on the handicap, but I do think he has an additional mental edge with the head to head against this opponent.

He has yet to drop a set against Cristian Garin who has surprisingly made his way through the Wimbledon draw. The Chilean did reach the Fourth Round at Wimbledon in 2021, but he had shown little form over the last month on the grass courts and it has also been a difficult season in general for Cristian Garin which made it very difficult to imagine him still being around in the second week of the tournament.

Cristian Garin has been serving well in the tournament and that has to be respected, while the return game has also been very efficient with breaks being produced from the chances being created. While has broken six times in each of his three matches here, Cristian Garin has only created sixteen break points for his twelve breaks of serve in the last two matches and those tight margins could go against him in this Fourth Round match.

In the three previous matches between Alex De Minaur and Cristian Garin, the former has won all three and has yet to drop a set. Alex De Minaur beat Cristian Garin at the US Open in 2019 and will have an additional mental edge in this match having beaten Garin in Eastbourne on the grass courts a couple of weeks ago.

The higher Ranked player has had a significant edge on the serving numbers in the head to head and I think that will show up in this Fourth Round match. While Alex De Minaur has held in 87% of service games played against Cristian Garin, the latter has only managed to do the same in 57% of service games.

Last month in Eastbourne, Alex De Minaur won 49% of return points played in their grass match up and I do think the Australian will prove too good as he moves through to the Quarter Final behind a relatively straight-forward win.

Rafael Nadal - 6.5 games v Botic Van de Zandschlup: For the second Grand Slam tournament in succession, Rafael Nadal and Botic Van de Zandschlup will be facing one another.

After a relatively comfortable win for Rafael Nadal on the clay courts of Roland Garros, Botic Van de Zandschlup has to feel the grass courts level the playing field somewhat. He might have felt much more confident if this match had been played before the last Round when Rafael Nadal looked close to his very best grass court form in beating Lorenzo Sonego, but even with that in mind the Queens Semi Finalist has to be feeling good about his tennis.

Botic Van de Zandschlup managed to do enough to contain Richard Gasquet in the Third Round having won a pivotal third set on the tie-breaker, but there will be a slight concern that he lost his way with his serve in that match. The Dutchman saw his serve broken four times by a veteran of the Tour who has slipped from the standards he once produced, and that is a concern ahead of a match with someone like Rafael Nadal who put together his best win of the tournament in the last Round as he builds to peak in time for the Final on Sunday.

In previous Wimbledon campaigns, we have seen a player being able to hit through the Rafael Nadal defences on the grass courts and someone like Botic Van de Zandschlup certainly has a chance of doing that. The big question is whether he can do that for long enough to upset the former Champion and I am not entirely convinced that can be done.

Rafael Nadal will be the first to admit that he has not played as well as he would have liked in the first two Rounds, but the much improved performance in the Third Round is encouraging. That came against an opponent who would have looked to be very aggressive and put the pressure on Rafael Nadal, but Lorenzo Sonego did not enjoy much success.

The Nadal serve looks to be improving as the tournament progresses and he has been returning well enough to believe he will be able to get into the Botic Van de Zandschlup service games as he did when they met on the clay courts of Paris.

The numbers of the two players look to suggest that Rafael Nadal is improving in each passing Round and things are getting more and more challenging for Botic Van de Zandschlup. I think that will show up in this one with Rafael Nadal likely to create enough break points to position himself to cover this handicap mark as he returns to the Wimbledon Quarter Final and keep alive the dreams of a calendar Grand Slam.

MY PICKS: Alex De Minaur - 6.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Rafael Nadal - 6.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Nick Kyrgios - 4.5 Games @ 1.75 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Taylor Fritz - 5.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Alize Cornet - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Petra Martic + 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Simona Halep - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Amanda Anisimova - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Wimbledon 2022: 43-38, + 4.84 Units (162 Units Staked, + 2.99% Yield)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 7 Picks 2022 (July 3rd)

This is no mistake- there is Fourth Round action at Wimbledon on Middle Sunday for the first time with the tournament removing Manic Monday to play on a day that has historically been left as a day of rest.

The extra funds that could be created has to have had an impact after Wimbledon was forced to be cancelled in 2020 in the height on the Covid pandemic, while I am expecting the tournament to be dragged into the 21st Century, kicking and screaming, in the years ahead.

That will likely mean a change to the dress requirements, which has always been largely plain white clothing, while I fully expect the All-England Tennis Club to be talking to the local council and wondering whether it will be possible to add an 'evening' session to the two main show courts, which would provide further ticket sales and extra revenue to be created.

It was a day of drama on Saturday as the Third Round concluded and it would be a massive surprise if we see a match filled with more controversy than the Nick Kyrgios-Stefanos Tsitisioas Third Round encounter.

Personally I think Tsitsipas has to show better mental strength, but I also though Nick Kyrgios pushed all boundaries as he tends to do.

Carlos Alcaraz - 1.5 sets v Jannik Sinner: This may be a Fourth Round match at this Grand Slam, but in the years ahead it really feels like Carlos Alcaraz versus Jannik Sinner could end up being played for Grand Slam titles.

Both are relatively inexperienced grass court players, but they look capable of being a threat on all surfaces at this level and the performances of both youngsters in their run to the second week at Wimbledon has to be admired.

The two players have both seen off competent grass court opponents in their run to the Fourth Round and there is no doubt that Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are going to be playing with an immense amount of confidence considering the levels being produced.

Serving is going to be massively important in a match where the two players like to be aggressive and get on the front foot- the serve can set those up and the numbers on that side of their games have been very strong throughout the tournament. Carlos Alcaraz looks to be going from strength to strength with his serve, but Jannik Sinner has won over 70% of service points in each match played and has only dropped five times himself compared with Alcaraz dropping his serve three times.

I am finding it hard to separate the two on their raw numbers, while neither had shown a real liking for the grass courts before this tournament began.

Even the return games have been similar and I do think this will be a close and competitive match, although Carlos Alcaraz has the mental advantage having won their two previous matches on the Tour.

The last of those came on an indoor hard court in Paris last November and Carlos Alcaraz was the much stronger server on the day. The enigmatic Spaniard may feel he has the edge, even on the grass courts, when it comes to the return here and I think that will help him work his way past a talented Jannik Sinner in this match.

It should be fun with some impressive tennis on display on both sides of the court, but at key moments I would give the edge to Carlos Alcaraz and it can see him reach his maiden Quarter Final at Wimbledon as he continues his surge to the forefront of men's tennis.

Cameron Norrie - 1.5 sets v Tommy Paul: At the start of the tournament it may have felt like an opportunity for Cameron Norrie to have a deep run at Wimbledon as the British Number 1, but that brings a sense of expectation around a player. However, Norrie deserves plenty of credit for being able to embrace that and he has worked his way through to the Fourth Round with some strong wins behind him.

The Second Round was tougher than expected, but Cameron Norrie rolled past Steve Johnson in the Third Round and he faces another American opponent on one of the main show courts at the tournament.

This time it is Tommy Paul that stands in front of Cameron Norrie and there will be a quiet confidence around the American having played some solid warm up tennis over the last month. Previously he had not shown his best on the grass courts, but Tommy Paul looks to be gaining more and more confidence behind each win and he has yet to drop a set on his way to the Fourth Round.

Even more impressive is that Tommy Paul has only allowed opponents to win at least four games in two of the nine sets he has won so far and the serve has been a big weapon for him. He is backing that up with returning numbers that have previously not been produced on this surface and the big question for Paul is whether he can keep those up against a powerful lefty serve that Cameron Norrie brings to the court.

In their last two matches against one another, Cameron Norrie has had the edge when it comes to the serve and I think that is going to be a key to this match.

Cameron Norrie has not had the best returning numbers on the grass in the last month, but the same can be said for Tommy Paul, and there has been a shift in the performances from the British Number 1 in this tournament. He has won at least 42% of return points played in each match to earn his place in the Fourth Round and while Tommy Paul has also shown a huge improvement in the tournament, I do think the Norrie serve can be the more effective of the two.

In their four previous matches, Cameron Norrie has won a higher percentage of return points and forced a higher percentage of breaks, while he has won two in a row against Tommy Paul to build the confidence.

I think this will be a competitive match with tight sets played, but Cameron Norrie can edge in front at the big moments and I think he will reach the Quarter Final behind a win in three or four sets.

MY PICKS: Carlos Alcaraz - 1.5 Sets @ 1.66 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Cameron Norrie - 1.5 Sets @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

David Goffin @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Marie Bouzkova @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Jelena Ostapenko - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Heather Watson + 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Wimbledon 2022: 40-35, + 5.20 Units (150 Units Staked, + 3.47% Yield)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 6 Picks 2022 (July 2nd)

The last couple of days have been extremely disappointing for the Tennis Picks, but I am hoping to end the first week of the Grand Slam in a strong position.

Nick Kyrgios - 1.5 sets v Stefanos Tsitsipas: The bottom half of the Men's draw at Wimbledon has really been opened up following the withdrawals of Marin Cilic and, in particular, Matteo Berrettini. We have yet to see Rafael Nadal play his best tennis, although the Spaniard is clearly dangerous the longer he gets to hang around at the tournament to try and find the tennis that won him the title here.

That could leave a potential opening for a surprise Finalist and this Third Round match could provide the winner with the momentum to be that surprise Finalist.

Not many would have picked Stefanos Tsitsipas to get out of this half of the draw even after winning the title in Mallorca last week and that is largely down to the inconsistent form shown on the grass courts in his career. The disappointing early loss in Paris has meant Stefanos Tsitsipas has taken in more grass court warm up events than we have been used to from him, but the results have been better than the raw numbers.

Nick Kyrgios is another player that won't have been tipped up for a Wimbledon Final, but that is more down to the Australian's approach to his tennis rather than his actual quality. There is no doubting how good Nick Kyrgios can be on his day and he showed that in the Second Round, but he did not play as well as he would have liked in the First Round when pushed to five sets by unheralded Paul Jubb and it is that inconsistency that has made it hard to tip up Kyrgios in any tournament he plays.

He has had a strong summer on the grass without winning a title, but the defeats to Andy Murray and Hubert Hurkacz are easy ones to absorb and move on. No one should doubt that Nick Kyrgios has a game that is tailor made for the grass courts, and he will also benefit from playing an opponent he has beaten in all three previous pro matches, including on the grass courts of Halle a couple of weeks ago.

Nick Kyrgios had to come from a set down that day, but he was the much stronger player of the two and that mental edge should give him every chance of winning this match too. His serve can be a huge weapon and Stefanos Tsitsipas has only been winning 30% of return points on the grass courts prior to the start of Wimbledon.

I have to respect the performance produced by Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Second Round against a competent Australian grass court player, but this is a huge step up from Jordan Thompson.

In their previous matches, the Nick Kyrgios serve has proved to be slightly stronger and it was the case when they met in Halle. He has won 74% of service points played against Stefanos Tsitsipas and that has led to holds in 93% of service games played, while the Tsitsipas 71% and 89% numbers are not weak by any means.

However, the match in Halle saw Nick Kyrgios get a lot more out of his return and I do think he is capable of winning this match and looking impressive in doing so.

Botic Van de Zandschlup - 1.5 sets v Richard Gasquet: As a player that has long been pretty comfortable on the grass courts, it was a surprise to see Richard Gasquet take in a clay court Challenger event rather than any warm up events on this surface.

It hasn't held him back from making the Third Round at Wimbledon, but the Richard Gasquet run could come to an end against the Queens Semi Finalist Botic Van de Zandschlup who has played some solid tennis in SW19 too.

The Dutchman may not be the most experienced of grass court players out there, but he has shown his serve can be a major weapon for him and I expect that to at least give Richard Gasquet something to think about. Botic Van de Zandschlup has also been able to get something from the return games in the build towards Wimbledon and I do think he is going to be encouraged by the tennis that Joao Sousa and Mackenzie McDonald were able to produce in return games against Gasquet in the first two Rounds here.

It has been a long time since Richard Gasquet would have arrived at Wimbledon with genuine ambitions to try and win the title, but I do have to respect the fact that the veteran has been very comfortable playing on the surface. It should give him confidence, but I do think he could be under significant pressure from Botic Van de Zanschlup if the Dutchman serves as well as he can and that could see the scoreboard play a part in going against Richard Gasquet.

The numbers have not been that strong in the warm up to Wimbledon, but Botic Van de Zandschlup has built confidence with his run at Queens. Those are largely impacted by the blow out loss to Emil Ruusuvuori in Hertogenbosch, but Botic Van de Zandschlup has avenged that defeat by beating the same opponent convincingly in the Second Round at Wimbledon and I do think his serve is going to get him out of one or two more jams than Richard Gasquet will be able to manage.

I expect to see the younger player come through in three or four sets.

MY PICKS: Nick Kyrgios - 1.5 Sets @ 2.50 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Botic Van de Zandschlup - 1.5 Sets @ 1.72 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Alex De Minaur - 6.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Brandon Nakashima - 6.5 Games @ 1.75 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Alex Molcan-Taylor Fritz Over 37.5 Games @ 1.85 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Jason Kubler @ 2.50 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Ajla Tomljanovic @ 2.10 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Elena Rybakina - 2.5 Games @ 1.75 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Petra Kvitova - 2.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Cori Gauff - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Katie Boulter - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Wimbledon 2022: 33-31, - 1.26 Units (128 Units Staked, - 1% Yield)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 5 Picks 2022 (July 1st)

It looked like the start of another really good day for the Tennis Picks, but all changed when Diego Sebastian Schwartzman blew a 3-0 lead in the Fourth Set and the remainder of the day was tough to absorb.

I am still hopeful that there is a way for Maxime Cressy to force his match into the fourth set when play resumes on Friday, which would at least prevent Thursday from being a really bad day, but it has been a solid week and I am hoping the Third Round will turn the fortunes around.

It looks a busier day for the Tennis Picks with the selections you can see below.

John Isner v Jannik Sinner: Any time you win a big Grand Slam match, all eyes are on the player to see how they handle the experience. A first win over Andy Murray is a big achievement for John Isner, and I do think this is a very experienced player on the Tour who should be able to cope with the extra attention around his tennis in the day between matches.

Recent seasons have seen the 37 year old American fall away from the level he once was able to produce, but John Isner remains the owner of one of the very best serves and on the grass courts it is a huge weapon for him. If he can continue to hit his spots and make as many first serves as he did in his Second Round win over Andy Murray, John Isner has to be looking at his best run at any Grand Slam since the 2018 US Open when he reached the Quarter Final having made the Semi Final at Wimbledon that same year.

That Semi Final run is the best ever performance John Isner has produced in a Grand Slam, but his overall record at Wimbledon is perhaps a little disappointing. In fact, John Isner may be the first to admit that he should have made more than the three career Grand Slam Quarter Finals considering the serve he has, but the win over Andy Murray should open this draw up for him.

Confidence won't be an issue, but the challenges continue to come for John Isner with the Third Round opponent being Jannik Sinner.

The Italian has limited grass court experience and had to withdraw during the French Open with an injury, but Jannik Sinner has earned his way into the Third Round at Wimbledon behind back to back four set wins. The victory over Stan Wawrinka will have given Jannik Sinner confidence in his game, but I do have to wonder if the lack of grass court experience and the defeat to Tommy Paul prior to the tournament beginning leaves him as a vulnerable favourite in this Third Round match.

Jannik Sinner does have a serve that can contain John Isner, but the big question is whether he can find enough effective returns to handle the scoreboard pressure that can be built by the American. He was a dominant winner when these two met in the Davis Cup last November on a hard court, but Isner may feel his serve is working very efficiently at the moment and is enough to keep Jannik Sinner feeling the pressure more than it did on that day.

Before the two wins at Wimbledon, Jannik Sinner had lost six straight grass court matches and I do think John Isner can be aggressive enough against the second serve to at least give himself a chance of backing up the big win on Centre Court a couple of days ago.

You cannot ignore the limitations of the John Isner return, but he has long been a player that will push players all the way on a grass court and I think it could be a significant test for Jannik Sinner with some injury issues in recent months.

Nikoloz Basilashvili-Tim Van Rijthoven over 39.5 games: Anyone who follows the Tennis Picks here will long know that I have Nikoloz Basilashvili on my list of players that I cannot get a read on from week to week. The numbers are generally pretty average, but this is a player who can blow hot and cold within sets, let alone matches and I do find him very hard to trust if I back him to win, but an almighty dangerous opponent to oppose and never feel that comfortable doing that either.

There are moments when those worries are dampened by the layers and I do think this is one of those occasions.

First things first, I am surprised that Tim Van Rijthoven is as big a favourite as he is, even though he won the Hertogenbosch title and has looked strong through the first couple of Rounds. However, he was a little fortunate in a couple of matches in that run to the title and I do think the Dutchman has a relatively limited return game that could be put under pressure by Nikoloz Basilashvili.

The Georgian has a pretty effective serve on the grass courts, although his own return is one that cannot be expected to do a lot of damage consistently. He is very experienced though and that can be key in trying to get to the second week in Wimbledon, a tournament missing Ranking points which hurts Van Rijthoven much more than most.

I am expecting both of these players to serve well and largely contain the break points offered out to the opponent.

With that in mind, I do think this is a match that should be able to surpass the total games line as long as it goes four sets- only one of the four matches played by the two players at Wimbledon this year has ended in straight sets and I think tie-breakers will be a part of this match.

An upset here would not be a surprise to me, but I will look for the two to combine for enough games to cover this total games line set.

Cameron Norrie - 4.5 games v Steve Johnson: The five sets needed to beat Jaume Munar is a bit of a concern about the kind of level that Cameron Norrie is producing at Wimbledon so far this year. He had a mixed build up to the tournament with a couple of early losses, while the British Number 1 has beaten a couple of clay court experts on his run to the Third Round.

That makes it harder to know where Cameron Norrie is with his game right now, although he is going to be favoured to reach the second week of a Grand Slam for the first time. It is somewhat surprising that he has been able to crack the top ten of the World Rankings without doing that before, but Cameron Norrie has been an improving player on the Tour and will feel pretty good about his tennis ahead of a tough looking Third Round match.

Steve Johnson has long been someone who has enjoyed the faster surfaces with the extra pop it gives him behind serve, but the veteran American is not the player of old these days. That has been underlined by mixed results over the last twelve months and he is close to dropping out of the top 100 in the World Rankings.

A couple of mixed performances ahead of the Wimbledon tournament beginning underlines the slip, while Steve Johnson needed a Grigor Dimitrov injury to come through the First Round having looked the weaker player before the Bulgarian was forced to withdraw. although the Second Round crushing of Ryan Peniston is a reminder of the kind of player he can be on his best day.

I do think Steve Johnson is potentially dangerous with a serve giving him enough to get on the front foot, and also meaning he can take a few more swings on the return.

However, Cameron Norrie is someone who can be very effective on the grass courts with his lefty serve and I think that will be enough to keep Johnson on the back foot when it comes to the return.

While an underwhelming grass court season prior to Wimbledon, Cameron Norrie showed he can be an efficient return player on the surface in 2021. It feels like a match in which the fresher, younger legs can wear down his opponent and he may eventually crack through the Steve Johnson serve which is not as potent as it once was on this surface.

MY PICKS: John Isner @ 2.37 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Nikoloz Basilashvili-Tim Van Rijthoven Over 39.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Oscar Otte-Carlos Alcaraz Over 36.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

David Goffin - 1.5 Sets @ 2.25 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Jiri Vesely @ 2.75 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Cameron Norrie - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Jelena Ostapenko - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Kaja Juvan - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Alison Riske - 2.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Angelique Kerber - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Ons Jabeur - 6.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Wimbledon 2022: 29-24, + 4.84 Units (106 Units Staked, + 4.57% Yield)