French Open Tennis Day 15 Pick 2023- Men's Final (June 11th)

I have to say, this has been one of the toughest ends to a Grand Slam for my Picks in a long time and it has been as frustrating as it could have been.

Once again a player seemed in control, had all of the chances and I am not sure how Iga Swiatek blew her big lead and almost lost the French Open Final. Credit should rightly be given to Karolina Muchova, but at 2-6, 0-3, 30/30, I don't think the Czech player would have had a lot of belief herself and was very much helped by a nervous performance from Iga Swiatek.

Ultimately the Pole won the French Open title for the third time in four years and that will give her confidence as Swiatek prepares to go into the tough grass court season.

Before that we have the Men's Final to come and you can read my selection below.

I will be taking a short break from the Tennis Picks before Wimbledon just to analyse this tournament and see how I can improve for the third Grand Slam of the season. While some of the last few days is down to bad luck, there are always areas to improve with the selections and the short gap between now and Wimbledon is a good time to just have a look into how those improvements can be made.

Novak Djokovic - 5.5 games v Casper Ruud: The Men's French Open Final on Sunday will conclude the second Grand Slam of the 2023 season and we are going to be a little over three weeks away from the start of Wimbledon.

The defending Champion in SW19 is Novak Djokovic and he has the chance of winning a second Grand Slam in a row and overtaking Rafael Nadal to be in sole control of the most Singles Grand Slam titles won by a male player. Win at Wimbledon and he matches Margaret Court's overall record, but Djokovic will not be looking too far ahead and has to be focused as he tries to win a third French Open title.

This has been the 'least successful' Grand Slam for Novak Djokovic, even if he did set a new record of having reached seventeen Quarter Finals at Roland Garros. However, the Serb has won this title the fewest times, although Novak Djokovic has lost more US Open Finals than here in Paris.

It has been a remarkable career and one that looks far from over, even if Novak Djokovic is not playing at the same kind of level he has been in previous years. This level is still good enough to beat most players on the Tour, especially in the best of five setting, while the Semi Final proved that there is a huge mental challenge for anyone standing across the net from him.

Novak Djokovic was the first to admit that the Semi Final with Carlos Alcaraz was extremely competitive for two sets and that the Spaniard was the better player at the end of the second set, but tension, emotion and the opportunity to beat one of the all time greats clearly impacted the younger player. Seeing someone cramp up in the manner Alcaraz did was hugely surprising, but just backs up the feeling that all of the other players on the Tour are going into Grand Slam matches with Novak Djokovic with a lot of mental obstacles to overcome.

Now it is a test for Casper Ruud who was not expected to have this kind of run at the French Open having underperformed in the lead up events. The Runner Up from 2022 is clearly enjoying playing in the tournament and he has reached a third Grand Slam Final in twelve months, although Ruud has come up short against Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz previously.

The Norwegian would have certainly been hoping for an 'easier' challenge in the French Open Final in 2023, but Casper Ruud will be trying to focus on his own tennis, which has been peaking in the last four Rounds heading into the Final. His win over Alexander Zverev in the Semi Final was very impressive, but beating the likes of Zverev, Holger Rune and Nicolas Jarry may not a level that is enough to beat Novak Djokovic.

Casper Ruud has to serve well- ultimately this let him down in the Final twelve months ago when he allowed Rafael Nadal to pile up sixteen Break Points and lost serve eight times.

There is also a weakness in the backhand, which is likely going to be exploited by Novak Djokovic better than most, and I can see why this has been a poor match up for Casper Ruud so far in his career.

Novak Djokovic has won all four previous matches since September 2020 and two of those have been on the clay courts in Rome. The former World Number 1 has won 41% of return points played against Casper Ruud, but that number jumps a little to 42% in their clay court matches and it has seen Novak Djokovic break serve in 35% of return games played.

Compared to that, Casper Ruud has won 33% of return points and only broken in 10% of return games played on this surface against this opponent and their meeting in Rome in May 2022 was a more routine win for Novak Djokovic than the 6/4, 6/3 scoreline might have indicated.

The elbow issue is a concern for Novak Djokovic fans, but I think he is helped by the way the Semi Final ended and he does have an edge on the serve. He will know exactly how to prepare for this French Open Final, while Casper Ruud had not been returning as well in this tournament as his Break Point conversion rate would suggest prior to the win over Alexander Zverev in the Semi Final and I think it could be another tough afternoon in the spotlight on the final day at the French Open for the 24 year old.

MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic - 5.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (2 Units)

French Open Update: 39-33, - 0.02 Units (144 Units Staked, - 0% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2023- Josh Taylor vs Teofimo Lopez (June 10th)

The end of May had three terrific cards around the United Kingdom and it is perhaps a shame that one of those was not moved into a relatively empty slot last week.

World Titles changed hands over that Bank Holiday weekend and it has just rearranged the top of a couple of Divisions.

Chris Billam-Smith winning the Cruiserweight World Title against Lawrence Okolie was arguably the biggest upset on the night, even more so than Leigh Wood's redemption against Mauricio Lara, and it has really changed the trajectory that both seemed to be on.

For Okolie it really is a case of going back to the drawing board- he was talking about Unifications and soon moving up to Heavyweight, but it was another ugly display of jab and grab and I think the paying public are simply not interested in seeing that. However, if he had kept winning it would have been one thing and now the defeat has really dropped his stock, and increases the importance of the rematch.

Doors will be opened for some mega fights for Billam-Smith if he is able to back up the first victory and beat Lawrence Okolie again. The obvious fight is the rematch with Richard Riakporhe, which could be for multiple World Titles if they are looking for that to happen in the Spring/Summer of 2024, while some of the other Champions will also likely be keen to take on the new King.

Michael Conlan disappointed, but Leigh Wood was good to his word and is another who has some big opportunities in front of him. The question for Wood and his promoters is whether he can get those big fights in before having to take on a mandatory, while Mauricio Lara has to be moving up a weight and out of the Division having dropped the World Title on the scales.

In the time between this weekend and the one at the end of May we have been given the confirmation of a truly massive fight in the Welterweight Division when all of the marbles are on the line in Las Vegas. Both Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr need to be given credit for finally getting the fight over the line and I do think it is going to be a memorable week in late July with Naoya Inoue taking on Stephen Fulton just days before the Spence Jr-Crawford card.

We should soon have news about movement in the Heavyweight Division, which has been on hold after talks broke down between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury for an April Undisputed fight, and I think all of the World Titles will be defended in the next three months. It is a shame that inactivity has taken over the marquee Division, like many others, but I am hoping that seeing Anthony Joshua, Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury all going out by September will at least tick that Division over before the expected Saudi money for the December mega-fights they are hoping to put together.

It has been a difficult May for the Boxing Picks and I can't get away from that.

Some poor decisions have been made, but I have also just talked myself out of a couple of selections, which made a lot more sense in hindsight.

We are only just heading towards the halfway mark of the year so there is plenty of time to get things right and back up the strong 2022, but it would be nice to start getting things moving in the right direction as soon this weekend.

A big couple of cards take place, but the headliner is coming from New York City where Josh Taylor defends the last of the World Titles he had Unified.

Josh Taylor vs Teofimo Lopez

There were rumours of this being a potential fight in the Light-Welterweight Division back in May 2021 after Josh Taylor Unified the Division and became the Undisputed World Champion, while at the same time Teofimo Lopez held onto all of the World Titles in the Lightweight Division having beaten Vasyl Lomachenko a few months earlier.

Back then it would have almost certainly been a fight in the main room at Madison Square Garden or in the Barclays Center, but they will meet in June 2023 in the smaller room.

That should underline where the careers have gone for the two fighters in the last two years.

Josh Taylor is still a Light-Welterweight World Champion, but he is returning to the ring for the first time since February 2022 when he was given a controversial Decision win over Jack Catterall. Many felt the challenger had done enough to win the World Titles so Taylor wanted to run it again, but injuries and mandatories have been in the way and over the last sixteen months the British fighter has been forced to give up three of the four World Titles and is left with the WBO strap.

He defends that this weekend having had two rematches with Jack Catterall cancelled, while there was talk that Josh Taylor had been struggling to make the 140 pound limit and would choose to move into the Welterweight Division.

My feeling is that his stock had dropped off enough for the big names to not actively be seeking him out if Josh Taylor had moved up, but this is a big fight for him and the chance to just remind the Boxing world that he is still the man to beat.

While Josh Taylor remains undefeated even as his career has just hit a wall, Teofimo Lopez has had a much tougher time.

A year after winning the Undisputed Lightweight Titles, Teofimo Lopez was upset by George Kambosos Jr and several months later he decided his time at 135 was over. While Devin Haney has become the big name in the Division that Lopez left behind and who might be heading into the Light-Welterweight Division with a big World Title fight of his own, Teofimo's career has seen him produce two uninspiring wins at 140 pounds.

A 7th Round Stoppage against Pedro Campa and a Split Decision against Sandor Martin, a fight where Lopez was put on the floor and one many felt he might have lost, including himself at one point, has not exactly prepared the American for a fight of this size.

Teofimo Lopez was also put down early by George Kambosos Jr and it is a slight worry that he has been dropped by a couple of opponents that may not possess the kind of firepower he is going to be seeing on Saturday night.

The Knock Down against Martin was more of a flash one than anything too worrying, but the Spaniard is not exactly known for punching power. His southpaw stance caused problems for Teofimo Lopez and now he faces an elite southpaw with a lot to prove to his fans, and himself, after the last showing.

I do think there are questions for Josh Taylor to answer- he has long spoken about the effort it takes to get down to 140 pounds, although he has looked really good this week, while the long lay-off between fights and the change in trainer are far from ideal.

In saying that, I do think Teofimo Lopez is a fighter that has been walking a tightrope in his personal life and asking his team if he 'still got it' immediately after the Martin win is worrying. He has really struggled to back up the win over Vasyl Lomachenko and going up in weight to face a big Light-Welterweight may be too much for him.

The last performance is hard to shift from memory, but Josh Taylor is a lot better than he showed against Jack Catterall in 2022 and I do think this fight will have gotten the juices going.

I have to say that Teofimo Lopez has shown resiliency and toughness late in fights that have not felt like they were going his way, but those were in the Lightweight Division and he has not impressed heading up in weight. This also feels like a big step up in class and I can see Taylor just working his way through the early Rounds and wearing out Lopez.

It will take a bit of time and Josh Taylor may need to be patient, but he can begin to break down and wear down the younger fighter, who may not be ready mentally to compete with the World Champion. We have seen Taylor put down bigger men than Lopez and in elite level fights and I think he may be able to force a Stoppage somewhere around the Ninth or Tenth in this one.

There are other cards of interest on the night, even if most eyes will be on the 140 pound World Title fight in New York City.

Someone who should be operating on a bigger level is Jaime Munguia who remains undefeated at 41-0, but who has not been managed or promoted as well as many would have hoped.

It has been five years since Munguia was not allowed to fight Gennady Golovkin for the Middleweight World Title and he has moved forward since then, but not as far as he perhaps should have.

Avoiding taking mandatory World Title fights and moving between 154 and 168 has become a feature of his career, but at 26 years old he finally looks to be taking a step up.

Sergey Derevyanchenko looks to have his best days behind him at 37 years old and has largely fallen short, even narrowly, when involved in the biggest fights. He has shown toughness to get off the floor in a Split Decision loss to Daniel Jacobs and in an Unanimous Decision defeat to Gennady Golovkin, while the Ukrainian has also been the distance with Jermall Charlo and Carlos Adames, albeit more losing efforts.

I think he can at least stand up to the power that the younger fighter has, but the fresher fighter and the 'A side' will likely get the nod in a tough fight on the cards.

Sunny Edwards should defend his World Title in London, but everyone is expecting that to be on the cards, even if his opponent does have some dangerous looking tools.

I think Olympian Cheavon Clarke may have to go a few Rounds again before breaking down David Jamieson as he continues building his way up the Cruiserweight World Rankings. The only two losses suffered by Jamieson have been against Mikael Lawal, the second by Stoppage, and I think Clarke has shown his power can carry through the early Rounds.

Earlier in the night, Youssef Khoumari is a big favourite to beat Reece Bellotti- the latter has been out of the ring for a while, but should be looking to make this into a fight and that could see the two produce a fun encounter while it lasts.

MY PICKS: Josh Taylor to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 3.50 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Jaime Munguia to Win by Decision/Technical Decision @ 2.20 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Cheavon Clarke to Win Between 6-10 @ 3.00 Coral (2 Units)

Youssef Khoumari-Reece Bellotti Fight To Go Distance- No @ 2.30 William Hill (2 Units)

Boxing 2023: 27-50, - 19.40 Units (144 Units Staked, - 13.47% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 14 Pick 2023- Women's Final (June 10th)

I've been a big Tennis fan for a long time, but even I was pretty shocked by what I saw in the first of the men's Semi Final matches on Friday.

Novak Djokovic winning a Grand Slam Semi Final is never going to be a surprise and the Serb deserves a lot of credit for his performances in Paris even when not quite looking at his best.

However, the 22 time Grand Slam Champion looked to be in a very difficult position as he fell behind in the match for the first time at 1-0 in the third set and Djokovic soon found himself 15-30 down on serve.

Carlos Alcaraz had been getting the fans behind him between the second and third set as Novak Djokovic took his time off the court and the younger player looked to be on course for a second Grand Slam Final in three Slam tournaments.

And then he was afflicted by cramp.

It was the harshest of learning experiences for Alcaraz who was in such pain that he allowed Novak Djokovic to have a break of serve so he could get some immediate treatment just after Djokovic had held serve. He lost nine games in a row before holding serve at the end of the fourth set and Carlos Alcaraz was merely a shell of himself in the eventual 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 loss.

Credit has to be given to Novak Djokovic for keeping him out there, but I think the cramping had a lot more to do with Carlos Alcaraz' desire to win this big match rather than anything physical that the former World Number 1 was putting him through. It reminded me of some of the early losses Djokovic had himself in his career when some believed he would 'fake' injuries to retire from matches when they were not going his way.

There is no doubt the Spaniard will come again, but he may want to look across the net and try and take a leaf out of the Novak Djokovic book- once perhaps considered someone you could wear down, Djokovic is a machine these days and Carlos Alcaraz will want to be considered the same.

I do think a lot of people will respect Alcaraz for finishing the match, but it was a remarkable ending to his clay court season and his team will be working around the clock to try and work out what exactly happened and how to prevent it happening again.

Novak Djokovic will be the favourite on Sunday, but I am still not sure he is feeling at 100% having had a medical time out for the second time in the French Open. However, if he wins the Slam and ultimately moves ahead of rival Rafael Nadal, the Serb will head to Wimbledon as a big favourite to match Margaret Court's all time record.

And after all of the Covid Vaccine issues of the last couple of years, Novak Djokovic could potentially be heading back to the US Open with another shot at winning the calendar Grand Slam, an achievement that would end any argument for the 'Greatest of All Time' if there is still an argument to be had.

The opponent who will be facing Novak Djokovic for the French Open title is Casper Ruud and the Norwegian must be wondering when he will catch a break as he looks to win a maiden Grand Slam title of his own.

This is the third Grand Slam Final in twelve months, but Casper Ruud will be facing Novak Djokovic after losing to Rafael Nadal here in Paris in 2022 and to Carlos Alcaraz in the US Open Final later in the same year.

He was much more competitive in the second Grand Slam Final having struggled to compete with Nadal in Paris (like so many others have done) and Casper Ruud will be hoping his experiences will help him as he tries to stop Novak Djokovic setting a new mark in the men's game for Grand Slam titles won.

That is a Final that will take centre stage on Sunday, but the Women's Champion has to be crowned on Saturday.

One of the favourites has worked her way through to the Final, but Karolina Muchova may be the story in what has been a tremendous Grand Slam tournament for the Czech player. It should mean a better draw at Wimbledon and the US Open, where Muchova is usually more effective than on the clay courts, but this is a big opportunity to win a Grand Slam and I expect her to give her all.

Iga Swiatek - 5.5 games v Karolina Muchova: The French Open Women's Final features Iga Swiatek for a third time in four years and the World Number 1 is a significant favourite to win the title for a third time too.

After a less than impressive second set in her win over Beatriz Haddad Maia in the Semi Final, I did have a feeling that Swiatek was playing with one or two nerves. However, that was a kind of opponent who has the power and temperament to try and be very aggressive through her mistakes and I think that did rattle Iga Swiatek somewhat.

It is not expected to be the same kind of match for her on Saturday against an opponent like Karolina Muchova who will look to use variation in her tennis, rather than overwhelming power. That could suit the World Number 1 and I think Iga Swiatek has a big edge over Karolina Muchova on this surface.

You do have to respect Muchova who has had a couple of upsets under her belt in her six wins in Paris at a tournament you would not really expect the Czech player to have her best tennis. The three hours plus spent on court on Thursday is tough for Karolina Muchova, who looked absolutely fatigued when trailing 5-2 in the final set before somehow pulling the victory from the jaws of defeat.

The Czech player served well in the win over Aryna Sabalenka, but she was able to play all of the big points really effectively and that may be more challenging against the defending Champion. Unlike Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek is unlikely to make a host of Unforced Errors to give Karolina Muchova an easy exit from any game where the pressure builds.

In saying that, Muchova will feel she can get a little more out of her return game in a match like this one and there is nothing to lose for the underdog who was almost off the Tour permanently with injuries.

Generally speaking, Iga Swiatek has looked after her serve and the Semi Final was a match against an aggressive return player. I am not sure Karolina Muchova will able to replicate the Beatriz Haddad Maia game plan on this side of the court and it should make Swiatek feel a little less tense than she was a couple of days ago.

Karolina Muchova has beaten Iga Swiatek in their last two matches, including on a clay court, but the last of those was back in 2020. The World Number 1 is a much improved player from those days and I do think she has had the much superior numbers throughout this tournament, although the French Open has been a little unpredictable at the business end of the event.

Underdogs have actually been thriving both straight up and in the handicap mark and that has to be respected, but I do think Iga Swiatek will have the majority of Break Points. That is the start of a winning effort on any tennis court and I do think the experience of Swiatek in Grand Slam Finals may also be a factor as she picks up a third French Open title in four years.

As I said a couple of days ago, Karolina Muchova is rarely beaten easily, but I do think she has had to invest a lot more physically and mentally in this tournament run than her opponent already.

At some point that has to be an issue, and it almost was in the Semi Final, and I think Iga Swiatek can play solid enough tennis to just pull away for a solid win. The Pole has dropped just nine games in the four previous sets played in the French Open Final and she may have enough to secure a good win over a tough opponent in the 2023 edition.

MY PICK: Iga Swiatek - 5.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

French Open Update: 39-32, + 1.98 Units (142 Units Staked, + 1.39% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 13 Picks 2023 (June 9th)

The Women's Final at the French Open was set on Thursday and it features the World Number 1, despite a slight second set wobble, facing Karolina Muchova who has continued to surprise with a second top 10 win in the tournament.

You have to make Iga Swiatek a big favourite, but she has not been as dominant in the last couple of Rounds as earlier in Paris and there have been one or two nerves at big moments, which has been surprising considering Swiatek is a multiple time Grand Slam Champion.

I do think she will have a bit more in the tank and it would need a massive upset for Iga Swiatek to be beaten on Saturday, but the attention turns to the men's Semi Final matches on Day 13.

The first of the two Semi Final matches has to be one of the most anticipated tennis matches in 2023 when Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic finally meet in a Grand Slam. The winner is going to be a big favourite to win the French Open on Sunday, but more on the selection below.

I have been hugely frustrated by the last couple of days and the performance of the Tennis Picks.

The margins have been tight, but I have been on the wrong side of those and it has been a really poor end to the tournament.

The one positive is that the number is still in the black, but I need a solid end to the week to ensure a second Grand Slam of 2023 ending with a decent return.

Casper Ruud v Alexander Zverev: He has long been one of the better clay courters on the Tour and Alexander Zverev's most consistent Grand Slam results have come in the French Open. Some will point out that his very best result has been at the US Open when he was so close to winning a maiden Grand Slam title, but Alexander Zverev has reached the Quarter Final in Paris five times and this is the third season in a row that he is playing in the Semi Final.

No one will forget what happened to the German in the Semi Final last year when a devastating injury in a very close match against Rafael Nadal cost him several months of his career. Even in the build up to this year's French Open, Alexander Zverev had been struggling for the consistency on the clay courts of previous years with the confidence perhaps not as strong going into Roland Garros as it has been.

Winning five matches here will have rebuilt some of that shattered confidence and Alexander Zverev is looking to push ahead into his first French Open Final. The challenge is a tough one in the Semi Final as he faces Casper Ruud, the Runner Up twelve months ago and a player who also reached the US Open Final last year before coming up short against Spaniards Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz.

This only the fourth Grand Slam in which Casper Ruud has reached the second week, which is a massive surprise all things considered, and he has developed into one of the stronger clay court players on the Tour himself. The manner of his win over Holger Rune in the Quarter Final should have given the Norwegian a huge boost of confidence, while he has the mental advantage of finally beaten Alexander Zverev on the Tour in their last meeting in Miami in March 2022.

Casper Ruud admitted himself that he has not enjoyed the most productive build up to the French Open, while his numbers are stronger for the fact he has largely only been playing lower Ranked players. That is highlighted by the fact that his win over Holger Rune is only the second match against a top 20 Ranked opponent on the clay in 2023 and he has split those matches (the other ending in a loss to Rune in Rome), while Casper Ruud only holds a 15-14 all time record against top 20 Ranked opponents on clay courts.

Last year he did finish with a 5-3 record in those matches and two of those defeats were to Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, but Casper Ruud will have to lift his tennis again if he is going to have a second straight shot at winning his maiden Grand Slam in Paris.

It does feel like it could be a good time to face Alexander Zverev who had lost all three top 20 matches on the clay before beating Frances Tiafoe in the Third Round. The performances in Paris have been solid, but there have been one or two signs that Alexander Zverev has perhaps peaked already in the tournament and that has been displayed with weakening service numbers.

In saying that, Casper Ruud has also not convinced behind his serve in this tournament and he can be grateful for some fortune on the Break Points in the wins over Holger Rune and Nicolas Jarry.

I don't think anyone is surprised that this is a match in which the layers are finding it very difficult to separate the two players, but I did think Casper Ruud should be going into the Semi Final as the favourite.

We know the capabilities of Alexander Zverev to serve very big, but in each of his last three matches I think he has just come off the boil at times and that could be dangerous against someone like Casper Ruud. The Norwegian has won plenty of big matches over the last twelve months compared with Alexander Zverev and that could play a mental advantage for Casper Ruud in key moments of this Semi Final.

This is going to be close and competitive, but Casper Ruud might just be a little too solid on the day and can edge his way past Alexander Zverev as the underdog.

Carlos Alcaraz - 3.5 games v Novak Djokovic: There is little doubt that the match most wanted to see in the men's tournament at the French Open was between the top two players on the Tour.

The draw meant this could not happen in the Final with Novak Djokovic the World Number 3 after Wimbledon was stripped of its Ranking points last year, but he has reached the Semi Final at the French Open again. The World Number 1 and top Seed Carlos Alcaraz has done the same and this is the first time these two players will be meeting in a Grand Slam, which is quite remarkable seeing as they have combined to win the last three Slams played.

The winner is very much going to be the favourite on Sunday, but both Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic will have been mentally preparing for the ultimate test that the other will provide on Friday in the big Semi Final of the day.

My immediate thought is that Novak Djokovic is an absolutely massive price considering what we know about the Serb- I would be surprised if he doesn't know that he is a significant underdog and that will be an inspiration to him.

However, it is a price that I can't really get involved in and that is because of the standards that Carlos Alcaraz has set at the French Open and throughout this clay court season. The upset loss at Rome will not be remembered when you put up the title wins in Barcelona and Madrid and Carlos Alcaraz has brushed aside all opposition in Paris without breaking a sweat.

Carlos Alcaraz had won at least 50% of his return points in each of the first four wins at the French Open and that number 'dipped' to 47% in the Quarter Final destruction of Stefanos Tsitsipas. Only a loss of concentration in the third set of that straight sets win saw his return numbers fall below 50% of points won for the first time in this Grand Slam and I do think the talented youngster will make things very difficult for Novak Djokovic.

It will mean Novak Djokovic needs to be on his game when it comes to the serve and he has shown in this tournament that he is getting plenty out of this side of this tennis. The serve kept him in his Quarter Final against Karen Khachanov after a slow start and Djokovic can ill-afford another to give Carlos Alcaraz any more confidence on the court.

And as strong as a return player that Novak Djokovic has been throughout his career, you do have to wonder if he has enough to deal with the way Carlos Alcaraz has been protecting his serve on the clay courts this season. The Spaniard has held 84% of his service games played against top 20 Ranked opponents prior to the French Open and in Carlos Alcaraz' wins over Lorenzo Musetti and Stefanos Tsitsipas, he has won at least 69% of service points played and only dropped serve three times as he has made comfortable progression at Roland Garros.

These two players have met just once before and that was on the clay courts of Madrid thirteen months ago- on that occasion they played out three tight, competitive sets in a match that was eventually won by Carlos Alcaraz and the Spaniard did have an edge on the return on that day.

My feeling is that we are going to see that happening in this Semi Final and I do think the clay courts will suit Carlos Alcaraz and his game compared with Novak Djokovic.

It is going to sound like a bizarre statement to make considering how good Djokovic has been on the clay, but I think he has not quite had the same impact in the last fifteen months. Anyone who has won the French Open twice before should be respected and Novak Djokovic is still playing about as well as anyone, but perhaps not as well as Carlos Alcaraz who looks to be the player to beat on this surface right now.

A player like Novak Djokovic is not going to be worried about the raw numbers, but I can't overlook how much stronger Carlos Alcaraz has looked on the clay in 2023 and here at the French Open. The 22 time Grand Slam Champion will have his moments, but I do think some will feel this is a 'passing of the torch' kind of moment with Carlos Alcaraz doing enough to win this one in four sets and that should see him cover this handicap mark.

Novak Djokovic is 6-5 in French Open Semi Finals in his career and his losses have been against Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Dominic Thiem. His experience will mean he is unlikely to allow Carlos Alcaraz to have anything easy, while the latter is just 3-3 against top 10 opponents in Grand Slam events and was beaten in four sets by Alexander Zverev here at the French Open in the Quarter Final last season.

That does provide some pause for thought, but Carlos Alcaraz had not won a Grand Slam title before losing to Zverev and his level has gone up from 2022.

I don't doubt that Novak Djokovic will be pumped up to make a statement, but it feels like it is Carlos Alcaraz' time and he can move a step closer to a second Grand Slam title with an important win on Friday.

MY PICKS: Casper Ruud to Win @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Carlos Alcaraz - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)

French Open Update: 38-31, + 1.98 Units (138 Units Staked, + 1.43% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 12 Picks 2023 (June 8th)

The final eight players left standing at the French Open will all have the smell of a Grand Slam title in their nostrils, but this is when the tough work has to be completed.

Handling the occasion is as much a factor as the ability to hit a ball over a net and I do think that is where the two Grand Slam Champions left in the women's tournament have an edge over Semi Final opponents and look on course for a big Final on Sunday. Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka have won the last two Grand Slam tournaments and are the top two Ranked players in the World with the winner of the tournament going into Wimbledon with the top Ranking next to their name.

Overlooking Karolina Muchova and Beatriz Haddad Maia would be a mistake, but the top two Seeds are big favourites and it is hard to make a case to oppose them from what we have seen in the French Open so far.

We also have a very good looking Semi Final line up to look forward to on Friday in the men's tournament and most will be anticipating the huge showdown between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, but I don't think either Casper Ruud or Alexander Zverev will mind too much about that.

It was the worst day of the two weeks by some distance on Wednesday with all four selections failing to get over the line- I should have known it was going to be a tough day as soon as Ons Jabeur failed to take her Break Point chances at the end of the second set, which would have given her the chance to serve for a place in the Semi Final and for the cover, but that was just one of the small margins that ended up hurting on the day.

Alexander Zverev missed out on a 0-40 position to close out the third set of his match, which would have put him in a strong position to cover, while Holger Rune failed to turn up for an hour and wasn't quite able to climb the mountain.

The day hurt for the Picks, but the tournament is still in a profitable position with four days to go and a chance to get the numbers moving back in a positive direction.

Aryna Sabalenka - 4.5 games v Karolina Muchova: This is going to be a very interesting Semi Final with two players trying to impose contrasting styles on the other as they look to earn a place in the Final of the second Grand Slam of the 2023 season.

Most fans will know all about the power that Aryna Sabalenka possesses and the World Number 2 is going to want to overwhelm any opponent that steps on the court with her. It has been a telling factor in her wins so far in Paris and Sabalenka is a very comfortable clay court player, even if the assumption is that the faster surfaces would be her favourite.

Her game plan is going to be pretty easy to figure out, but stopping Aryna Sabalenka from doing what she wants on the court is a completely different proposition. It has proven too much for her opponents so far this week, but Karolina Muchova may be able to head into this Semi Final feeling her slice and dice style could at least disrupt the higher Ranked opponent.

This has been a very strong tournament for Karolina Muchova who was Unseeded when it began, but who will be back inside the top 20 of the World Rankings when those are released next Monday. Her two early wins were tough, but Muchova has built her confidence the longer she has spent in Paris and the serve has been an effective weapon for the Czech player.

There is no doubt that Karolina Muchova is going to have to serve at a very high level to win this match and she is going to be up against an Aryna Sabalenka who has not returned as well as she would have liked in her last two matches. Some of that is down to the defensive strengths of both Sloane Stephens and Elina Svitolina to handle her power, but both of those players also had to save a number of Break Points and I do think Karolina Muchova will be under more threat from the Sabalenka return than she has faced in this tournament.

Getting as many first serves into play as possible will be a big help for Karolina Muchova, but her second serve is likely going to be attacked and that will put some pressure on the Czech's own return game.

So far in this French Open event, Karolina Muchova has been able to exert some control on the return, but it may be much more difficult against the Sabalenka serve and I think that will eventually break down Muchova.

I actually admire Karolina Muchova and for all she gets out of her tennis and this is not a player that is beaten easily very often.

However, it feels like her serve is going to be a bit more vulnerable than Aryna Sabalenka's serve and ultimately it may be asking too much for the Karolina Muchova return to keep her in this match once the World Number 2 gets motoring.

Iga Swiatek - 6.5 games v Beatriz Haddad Maia: Any player that is able to come from a set down to win Grand Slam matches in three consecutive Rounds has to be hugely admired. Beatriz Haddad Maia has been able to do that in her wins over Ekaterina Alexandrova, Sara Sorribes Tormo and Ons Jabeur and the Brazilian has been able to hold her tennis together when the pressurised moments have come up.

In her Quarter Final win on Wednesday, Beatriz Haddad Maia saved two Break Points in her last service game of the second set as she was almost heading out of the French Open, but she turned the match around against Wimbledon and US Open Runner Up Ons Jabeur in very impressive fashion.

Being able to run through the final set as quickly as she did does mean Beatriz Haddad Maia should have been able to keep some energy in the tank, but this is not an ideal situation for her. After all of the tennis she has been forced to play, Beatriz Haddad Maia will not have a day off between matches to recover and now faces the ultimate challenge on a clay court.

Iga Swiatek has not really been pushed too hard in the run to another French Open Semi Final and even her win over Coco Gauff was more comfortable than the 6/4, 6/2 scoreline might have suggested. While the young player deserves credit for at least giving Swiatek something to think about, the World Number 1 was comfortably the superior player on the court and I do think it is going to be very difficult from preventing Iga Swiatek winning a third French Open in four years.

Despite her very strong wins in Paris, Iga Swiatek will know that she still needs to get a bit more out of the serve if she is going to defend the title she won twelve months ago. She did produce a big serving day in the win over Gauff on Wednesday, and Iga Swiatek continues to exert her will over her opponents with her strong return game.

Iga Swiatek has a very strong record against left handed players on the Tour too having compiled a 24-4 mark against them, but it should be noted that one of the defeats was to Beatriz Haddad Maia last year in the Canadian Masters.

That has to give the underdog a boost in confidence, but Haddad Maia is going to have to lift her level considerably to challenge Iga Swiatek on the clay courts and she is not expected to get as much help as the likes of Jabeur and Sorribes Tormo have given her at key moments in those matches.

A big hitting, aggressive player like Beatriz Haddad Maia is dangerous with the kind of start she is getting on the handicap, but I do think it will be tough for her to overcome some of the prolonged stretches of below par tennis we have seen from her in this Grand Slam. Unlike some of her recent opponents, Iga Swiatek is not likely to drop her level and let the Brazilian back into the match and I think the World Number 1 is able to come through with a wide win.

MY PICKS: Aryna Sabalenka - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Coral (2 Units)

Iga Swiatek - 6.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

French Open Update: 38-29, + 5.98 Units (134 Units Staked, + 4.46% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 11 Picks 2023 (June 7th)

There has been a fear for Tennis fans that something would be lost at the end of the 'Big Three' era- Roger Federer's time has come and gone, while Rafael Nadal has effectively announced his retirement tour will be played in 2024.

Novak Djokovic is still near his very best, but the future has begun to look brighter behind Carlos Alcaraz.

The Spaniard looks like he will lead the way for men's tennis in the years ahead, although it will be good to see if someone can step up and create a real rivalry for the 20 year old. There are some contenders, but the Alcaraz performance in the crushing win over Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Quarter Final suggests there is already a gap to bridge between himself and those who are going to take the challenge on once the Novak Djokovic era is over.

That Semi Final could be seen as a 'passing of the torch' moment on Friday, but I am sure Djokovic is going to be confident going into Wimbledon and the US Open no matter what happens. After all, Novak Djokovic is the Australian Open Champion and clay has long been his most difficult surface, but I am sure he will want to put Carlos Alcaraz in his place.

It is a match to think about for another day, but one that most fans will already be salivating over.

Before that we need to set the women's Semi Final line up and also have those matches played on Thursday before the men's Semi Final matches on Friday. The last four Quarter Final matches are all played on Wednesday on Day 11 at Roland Garros with the main event being the rematch between Holger Rune and Casper Ruud in the Night Session.

After a mixed day for the Tennis Picks, I will be looking for better on Day 11.

I feel I could have had a bit more luck with my selections on Day 10, but ultimately I am happy to have avoided any big return on the day.

Alexander Zverev - 5.5 games v Tomas Martin Etcheverry: You can always do with a little bit of luck if you want to make a big impact at a Grand Slam event and Tomas Martin Etcheverry has taken advantage of what has looked a kind draw. The World Number 2 was beaten in the First Round to open up this section, while Etcheverry may have benefited from facing Alex de Minaur, Borna Coric and Yoshihito Nishioka as the Seeded players on his way to a maiden Grand Slam Quarter Final.

Ultimately you can only beat the opponent standing on the other side of the net and Tomas Martin Etcheverry has managed his emotions really well in the tournament. Confidence will only have grown from the fact that the Argentine has yet to drop a set in Paris and he will feel he has nothing to lose in his third full season on the Tour and trying to make his way into the Grand Slam events.

The serve has been a huge weapon for Tomas Martin Etcheverry through the first four Rounds at Roland Garros and it has certainly set up the rest of his tennis. However, he has yet to play on the main court here at the French Open and there might be a bit more pressure on this aspect of his tennis on a surface which has seemingly played a little slower than the others around Roland Garros.

I still think Tomas Martin Etcheverry will be looking to put scoreboard pressure onto his opponent by serving big, but Alexander Zverev looks to be peaking in the tournament and I do think this is the toughest opponent that Etcheverry will have faced in this tournament so far.

Prior to the French Open, Etcheverry only had a 4-7 record against top 50 Ranked opponents, while he had lost all four matches against top 20 Ranked opponents before the wins here. Tomas Martin Etcheverry had really struggled on the return in this matches and now has to face an Alexander Zverev serve which can be very productive at its best and one that should be more effective in the hot conditions expected in Paris during the day.

In the last two wins, Frances Tiafoe and Grigor Dimitrov were able to have some joy against the Zverev serve in the Night Session, but it should be tougher for Etcheverry who had only won 29% of return points against the top 20 opponents faced in the warm up to the French Open.

Alexander Zverev has been picking up his level on the return of serve in the last three wins in Paris as his confidence has grown and he has broken at least five times in each of those victories. Those have included those two top 30 wins and I think Alexander Zverev's experience should also give him an edge against Tomas Martin Etcheverry in this Quarter Final, which will eventually see the German fight through with a good, solid victory.

Holger Rune-Casper Ruud over 38.5 games: There is no love lost between these two Scandinavian players and I am not sure they will ever be on each other's Christmas card list, but that should make for a very interesting Quarter Final between Holger Rune and Casper Ruud.

This is a repeat of a bad-tempered Quarter Final played between the two at the French Open twelve months ago, a match that was eventually won in four sets by Casper Ruud on his way to the Final.

Their sole meeting since that Quarter Final took place last month in Rome and it was Holger Rune who beat Casper Ruud for the first time as he came from a set down and eventually pulled clear for the win in the Semi Final.

It is a victory that will give Holger Rune confidence and he might be grateful for a Second Round walkover after Gael Monfils withdrew from the tournament. The Fourth Round win over Francisco Cerundolo took five sets and a Super Tie-Breaker, although Rune did not have to spend considerably longer on the court than Casper Ruud in his own Fourth Round win.

The match would have still taken an emotional effort and Holger Rune was perhaps a little fortunate to come through on the day considering the huge disparity between him and Cerundolo when it came to the Break Points created. The Dane will feel he has not been at his complete best at the French Open considering his successes on the clay courts in the build up to the second Grand Slam of the season, but Holger Rune is still alive in the draw and he will be dangerous.

Casper Ruud will know all about the talent that Holger Rune possesses, but he has been peaking in this tournament and is coming out of a tough three set win over Nicolas Jarry. He showed his quality at key moments in that match, but Ruud is well aware that he will need to be even better if he is going to work his way past a talented young opponent and get a little closer to a maiden Grand Slam title.

The serve is going to need to be better with Casper Ruud allowing far too many Break Point chances in the Fourth Round win over Nicolas Jarry. On another day he would have been dragged into a five hour match if Jarry had just held himself together at key moments in all three sets completed, but Ruud will take some confidence from the fact he could play some of his best tennis at the most pivotal of moments.

I do think Holger Rune might be a bit more tested with this being his seventh match against a top 20 opponent on the clay courts in 2023 and all of those have actually been against the very best players as all have been top 10 opponents. Holger Rune has a 4-2 record in those matches too, while Casper Ruud's sole top 20 match is the defeat to Rune in Rome last month.

That can be important in these big matches at the Grand Slam events, although Casper Ruud has to be full of belief having largely gotten the better of Holger Rune before that loss. The scoreboard might have suggested it was an easy enough win for the younger player, but it was much closer than that and Casper Ruud was just not able to win the big points as consistently as Rune was on the day.

It was different here in Paris last year when Ruud dominated the Break Point count, but that was another match that saw plenty of ebbs and flows and I do think that will be the case in this Quarter Final in 2023.

I would be very surprised if this match ended in straight sets for either player and that makes the total games already feel on the short side. At least one tie-breaker has to be expected with the way that both can serve at times and I do think this has the potential of being a very close match that may even need a deciding set to separate them.

The matches played between these two rivals since April 2022 have all been very, very competitive and I think that is going to be the case on Day 11 at the French Open.

The four setter twelve months ago ended with 39 total games thanks to Casper Ruud winning the first set 6-1, but I think all the sets will be more competitive this time around. They played 31 games in the three set match in Rome last month and this total is one that can be covered as long as the Quarter Final lasts at least four sets.

Ons Jabeur - 4.5 games v Beatriz Haddad Maia: Having to spend almost four hours on court is not ideal, even with a day off between matches, but that is what Beatriz Haddad Maia has to deal with ahead of her first Grand Slam Quarter Final. A back and forth Fourth Round win over Sara Sorribes Tormo will have taken a lot of out of the Brazilian from an emotional and physical point of view and the competitive just gets tougher.

Three of the four wins earned by Beatriz Haddad Maia have been against opponents Ranked 67 or higher, while two of those wins have been against players outside of the top 100. Despite that, Haddad Maia has had to spend well over eight hours on the court in the last three wins in Paris and there has to be an impact in her level of performance.

Nothing has come easy for Beatriz Haddad Maia and that is going to be the case again in this Quarter Final as she faces Ons Jabeur who is looking to reach her first Semi Final at the French Open having finished Wimbledon and the US Open as Runner Up in 2022. The World Number 7 is looking for a maiden Grand Slam title, but Ons Jabeur looks to be in good shape after missing much of the clay court season with an injury.

An early loss at Rome meant Jabeur might have felt undercooked going into the French Open, but she has looked very good in the tournament with a single set dropped and largely dominant performances.

Ons Jabeur will know she needs to serve better than she did in the Fourth Round if she is going to reach the Final, especially considering who is likely to be waiting in the Semi Final, but this does look a good Quarter Final for her.

She should have success on the return of serve in this match, even more so if Beatriz Haddad Maia is feeling her exertions from the last three Rounds, and I think that will help Ons Jabeur on the serve.

I would not be surprised if there are a lot of breaks of serve during the course of this match, but I have to give the edge to the Tunisian player with the expectation that she will have a lot more in the tank. Ons Jabeur also has the mental advantage of having beaten Beatriz Haddad Maia for the loss of just three games on the indoor clay court in Stuttgart in April and I do think the higher Ranked player will have too much for Haddad Maia.

Iga Swiatek - 6.5 games v Coco Gauff: I know, I know, this is a very big spread for any player to cover when both are sitting inside the top 10 of the World Rankings and especially in a best of three set match.

However, there does feel like a much bigger gap between World Number 1 Iga Swiatek and World Number 6 Coco Gauff than the five places in the Rankings may suggest and that is very much the case on the clay courts.

Winning two of the last three French Open titles is one thing, but Iga Swiatek has crushed opponents on this surface over the last three seasons. In her run to another Quarter Final, Iga Swiatek has an edge of 41-9 in terms of games, while only the other two members of the new 'Big Three' on the WTA Tour have beaten the Pole on the red dirt in 2023.

Coco Gauff will know how tough it is to play Iga Swiatek on this court having been blitzed in the French Open Final in 2022 and her four wins in this tournament have been against players Ranked Number 61 or lower. This is not ideal preparation for facing someone of the talent and quality of the top Seed, while Gauff was well beaten in her last three matches against top 50 Ranked opponents on the clay courts prior to the French Open beginning.

The American has produced numbers that are comparable to Iga Swiatek in her four wins in Paris, but this is a huge step up in class for Gauff who has struggled to compete with this opponent.

Their first meeting in Rome on the clay courts in 2021 was very close, but Iga Swiatek won on that day and she has really been very easy with the match up with Coco Gauff since then. In their last five matches, Iga Swiatek has a 60-20 edge in terms of games won and she has won every set and Coco Gauff has only reached four games in a single set once.

That did come in Dubai earlier this year on a hard court, but Coco Gauff only won six games that day and I do think Iga Swiatek is going to have far too much for this opponent.

We know that Gauff is talented and she is going to make progress to close the gap to the current top three in the years ahead, but right now there is a big gap between her and those trio at the top of the women's game.

A spread like this one does not take much to cover and just needs twenty really strong minutes from Coco Gauff, but I do think it is a poor match up for her. On a clay court, Iga Swiatek should have an even greater edge and I think she has all of the tools to stroll past this opponent and earn another Grand Slam Semi Final spot.

MY PICKS: Alexander Zverev - 5.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Holger Rune-Casper Ruud Over 38.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Ons Jabeur - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Iga Swiatek - 6.5 Games @ 1.91 Coral (2 Units)

French Open Update: 38-25, + 13.98 Units (126 Units Staked, + 11.10% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 10 Picks 2023 (June 6th)

The Quarter Final line up has been set at Roland Garros in 2023 and for the main part the key contenders in both the men's and women's events have made it through to the last eight.

Like many Grand Slam tournaments, some surprising names have joined the elite, but the top names that most would have picked at the start of the French Open look to be in a position to pick up the titles on Saturday and Sunday when the Finals are played.

Day 9 was a mixed one for the Tennis Picks, but a couple of late matches returning winners has meant another small profit to add to the tournament totals.

I was a little lucky with the Coco Gauff pick, but deserved a lot more from the Jarry-Ruud match which somehow ended in straight sets, even though Nicolas Jarry should won at least one set.

There is still work to do with the tournament still having six days to run, but a strong push will mean another good Grand Slam effort after the strong returns from the Australian Open back in January.

Carlos Alcaraz - 6.5 games v Stefanos Tsitsipas: This has been a tournament in which Stefanos Tsitsipas has been very good to me, but I do think he is in for a very tough match up against the Number 1 Seed and arguably the favourite to win the French Open title on Sunday.

He has been flying under the radar somewhat, which is not a major surprise considering Stefanos Tsitsipas has been placed in the same half of thee draw as Novak Djokovic and Quarter Final opponent Carlos Alcaraz. Most will have pencilled in a Semi Final between the two top players in the world, but that won't have bothered Stefanos Tsitsipas who is a former French Open Runner Up and who reached the Final of the Australian Open earlier this season.

It should be said that Stefanos Tsitsipas has not really pushed on from the successes in Melbourne and his clay court season has been a little underwhelming. Wins have been piled up, but the Greek player is only holding a 4-3 record against top 20 Ranked opponents on this surface in 2023 and the numbers have been hugely impacted in those matches with straight sets defeats to Taylor Fritz, Daniil Medvedev and Carlos Alcaraz on his record.

Even the run through the French Open draw has seen Tsitsipas beat those he would have been expected to beat and none of the four players he has beaten has been Ranked higher than Number 57.

This could mean that Stefanos Tsitsipas is not as battle tested as he may have liked to be ahead of the toughest test for him- Tsitsipas has never beaten Carlos Alcaraz in four attempts and the last two matches have been pretty one-sided wins for the Spaniard on the clay courts, including in Barcelona in April.

Carlos Alcaraz has only dropped one set in the tournament and his wins over Denis Shapovalov and, especially, Lorenzo Musetti shows the kind of level he is performing at. Neither of those two players caused Alcaraz too many alarms and the World Number 1 is serving at a very high level, while backing that up with extremely positive return numbers.

Returning well against Stefanos Tsitsipas is not easy, but Carlos Alcaraz has broken in 29% of return games played against this opponent, while improving that mark to 33% when only considering the two previous clay court matches.

The attacking approach that Carlos Alcaraz takes with his tennis has offered up some chances to Stefanos Tsitsipas to break serve, but he has held 84% of his service games against the World Number 6 on the clay courts and I do think the Spaniard holds a big edge.

No one will deny that this is a wide spread for Carlos Alcaraz to cover, but he has shown he can get on top of Stefanos Tsitsipas and may just be able to pull away towards the end of the match to get past this handicap mark.

Novak Djokovic - 7.5 games v Karen Khachanov: After a couple of tough matches, Novak Djokovic needed the relatively calmness that his Fourth Round win over Juan Pablo Varillas provided.

He was never in danger of being taken into a deep match, but Novak Djokovic will want to keep more energy reserved in the tank with the expectation that Carlos Alcaraz will be waiting for him in the Semi Final. While this is a much tougher match on paper than the one he just won, Novak Djokovic has been able to deal with Karen Khachanov's threat without too many concerns and it is no surprise that Djokovic is a big favourite to win this match.

There is a clear edge with the kind of levels that these two players can reach on the clay courts, although Karen Khachanov has to be respected in putting together a strong year on the surface.

A win over Andrey Rublev and a tight defeat to Carlos Alcaraz are no mean standards so the Russian player will be playing with some confidence. However, it should be said that Karen Khachanov has already spent considerable time on the court in his four wins in Paris over the last ten days and he may feel he is playing with nothing to lose having come from 2-0 down in the First Round and overturning losing the first set in beating Lorenzo Sonego in the Fourth Round on Sunday.

There will be encouragement in that he is facing a Novak Djokovic who has not been as convincing behind his serve at the French Open and who has dropped serve eleven times in four wins. This might give Karen Khachanov and his relatively limited return game a chance to really get into the Djokovic service games and give himself a chance, but the real issue for the lower Ranked player may be getting enough out of his own serve to really make an impact on the match.

These issues have been clear in their previous matches- Novak Djokovic has managed to hold 87% of his service games played compared with Karen Khachanov's 63% mark, while those numbers become 88% for Djokovic and 62% for Khachanov in the two previous clay court meetings.

One of those was here in the Fourth Round of the French Open in 2020 and Novak Djokovic ran away with a relatively easy win in the Autumn conditions. The warmer ones will help Karen Khachanov, but I also think Djokovic prefers clay court tennis in June rather than October and I do think the World Number 3 will be able to find the breaks needed to ease past his tough opponent.

Novak Djokovic has broken serve at least five times in all four matches in Paris in this event, and he broken Karen Khachanov six times in that match here in October 2020. The serve has been a slight concern, but I think Djokovic will be comfortable with what he will expect is going to come back from his opponent.

Expecting at least four more breaks of serve from Djokovic compared with Karen Khachanov will give him a big chance to cover this handicap mark and I think the Serb is going to be able to do that in this Quarter Final.

Karolina Muchova - 2.5 games v Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova: If she was not only just on the comeback trail, you could have made a serious case for Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova to win this Quarter Final as the underdog.

There had been little sign of the strong displays at the French Open in the warm up events and Pavlyuchenkova had taken some big defeats in the lead up to the second Grand Slam of the season. However, she has always had some capabilities of performing well on the clay courts as a former French Open Runner Up in 2021 and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova has been able to turn back the clock in her time in Paris.

Fighting back from a set down three times in a row has to be given a lot of credit, but it has meant spending well over eight hours on the court in those wins. After so little tennis over the last twelve months, you have to believe that Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova will be impacted by that and now has to face a tough opponent in Karolina Muchova.

It is Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova who leads the head to head and their sole previous clay court match was also won by the Russian two years ago in Madrid, but Karolina Muchova has played the stronger tennis in the tournament. And it is not simply been down to a 'kind draw', but Muchova has also beaten two players in the top 30 of the World Rankings, while being the only one of the two who has a top ten win under her belt in Paris.

There have been a couple of less than impressive wins on her run through the draw, but Karolina Muchova has shown a bit more consistency behind the serve and that could be key to the outcome of this one. Both Muchova and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova have returned well throughout their run to the Quarter Final, but the Pavlyuchenkova serve has been the more vulnerable of the two that will be out on court and I think that shows up in this one.

I expect Karolina Muchova to be much fresher of the two players and that can be a real factor in the business end of any Grand Slam tournament, even with the day of rest between matches that the majority of players will get.

That will help Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, but the serve is not performing quite to the level she would need and Karolina Muchova can take advantage in this one.

Aryna Sabalenka - 4.5 games v Elina Svitolina: After only just returning to the Tour as a mother, it is perhaps no surprise that Elina Svitolina has needed some time to find her competitive feet back under her.

Her return was made on the clay courts in Charleston, but Svitolina lost four of her first five matches until reaching the Semi Final at a lower level event. Another First Round exit followed in Rome, but once again Elina Svitolina put a strong run together in a tournament that had not attracted the top players and winning the title in Strasbourg might have just given her the confidence to put this surprising run together in Paris.

Only one of her wins in Strasbourg was against an opponent Ranked inside the top 50, but Elina Svitolina beat Daria Kasatkina in the Fourth Round at the French Open and that is her biggest win by some distance in her 'second career'.

This should give Elina Svitolina some confidence, but I do think Aryna Sabalenka is playing at a completely different level to the majority of the Tour and has all of the tools to really put Svitolina under the cosh.

Unlike some of her opponents this week, Aryna Sabalenka is going to serve very big and she has won at least 65% of points played behind serve in each of her four wins in the tournament. A wobble against Sloane Stephens in the last Round might have previously seen Sabalenka lose all control, but she held herself together very well and the Australian Open Champion is playing with a swagger that is going to be difficult to stop.

Elina Svitolina has returned well enough in the French Open to make up for what has been an erratic serve, but that is not expected to be the case in this Quarter Final. While not someone that is known for being a great returner, Aryna Sabalenka has broken serve seventeen times in her four wins this week and I do think she is going to be able to match that number at least in this one considering Svitolina has dropped serve sixteen times in her last three wins.

I do think the former World Number 3 will get a few more balls back into play to try and put the pressure on Aryna Sabalenka, but Sloane Stephens was trying to do the same and ultimately could not stick with one of the top players on the Tour. After all of the emotional and physical efforts already exerted in this tournament, I think Elina Svitolina will come up short against Aryna Sabalena over the course of ninety minutes in this one and the World Number 2 can find enough breaks of serve to cover this mark set for the match.

MY PICKS: Carlos Alcaraz - 6.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Novak Djokovic - 7.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Karolina Muchova - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Aryna Sabalenka - 4.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet365 (2 Units)

French Open Update: 36-23, + 14.32 Units (118 Units Staked, + 12.14% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 9 Picks 2023 (June 5th)

There were not any Picks from Day 8 at the French Open as I was not going to have enough time to really research any selections, but Day 7 proved to be the best of the tournament for me so far.

Eleven Tennis Picks were made and eight of those returned winners to really push the number forward as the first week of the French Open came to a conclusion.

The large majority of the leading contenders are still going strong, but it was a real shame to see Elena Rybakina have to withdraw.

An illness was the reason given, which is the only positive for Rybakina who should be very much ready to defend the Wimbledon title she won last year, and it is likely that she will be a top four Seed in that event.

Her main rivals, Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka are still on course for a meeting in the Final, although Sabalenka has yet to play on Day 8 with her match against Sloane Stephens the first WTA match scheduled for the night session.

That has been a producing a strong debate for a second year in a row with the lack of WTA matches scheduled for the Night Session, but usually it is being pushed by people who are not actually paying for tickets. For the money being spent on the one match Session, I do think most would want to see a best of five set match rather than the top WTA players potentially winning in under an hour.

This seems quite clear to me, but people love discussing 'fairness' without considering what the people spending money would consider a 'fair' match.

I love some of the WTA matches we are getting to see, but I think this is a discussion we will see for a while until we perhaps get a second Night Session on one of the show courts in the years ahead.

Nicolas Jarry-Casper Ruud over 39.5 games: It has been a really strange clay court season for Nicolas Jarry- he lost three straight matches in Barcelona, Madrid and Rome, but Jarry was able to pick up a title in Geneva in the build up to the French Open and is playing the tournament at a career high World Ranking mark.

He is going to break into the top 30 of the World Rankings at the end of the second Grand Slam of the season and Nicolas Jarry may have ambitions for even greater in Paris. This is the first time he has reached the second week of any Grand Slam having previously failed to reach the Third Round in a major, but Jarry looks like he is going to be tough to stop having won seven matches in a row and producing some high-quality tennis in the French Open.

However, wins over Hugo Dellien, Tommy Paul and Marcos Giron are decent, although now Nicolas Jarry will have to beat last year's French Open Finalist and someone who is very comfortable on the red dirt. Casper Ruud has not really been flying through his matches this week and he has dropped a couple of sets in the opening three Rounds, but Ruud will feel he is readying to peak in the second week as he looks to go one step further than twelve months ago.

It has been a pretty consistent run in the tournament for Casper Ruud, although the numbers have weakened in each of the last two Rounds compared to the one before. The serve has remained pretty strong, but Casper Ruud will know he needs to be much more productive on the return of serve if he is going to beat a surging opponent like Nicolas Jarry who has dropped serve just three times in the first three Rounds.

Nicolas Jarry has a pretty limited return game too though and I think that will give Casper Ruud the edge in the match and ultimately help him through to the Quarter Final.

Nothing will come easy though if Nicolas Jarry is serving as he can, while the Chilean will be confident in winning this match considering he beat Casper Ruud in Geneva prior to the French Open beginning. Both players were serving at a very high level in that match with just four breaks of serve in a match that needed all three sets to determine the winner and this contest in Paris could be another one that goes long.

I would have made Casper Ruud a slightly stronger favourite than the layers have done, but am expecting a tough match for the 2022 French Open Runner Up. Four sets might be needed to get through and that should mean enough games to cover the total line set for this Fourth Round match with at least one and possibly two tie-breakers needed.

Alexander Zverev - 3.5 games v Grigor Dimitrov: After slowly making his way through the draw under the radar, Grigor Dimitrov will be back in a primetime spot on Day 9 at the French Open in a Fourth Round match scheduled for the Night Session. The former World Number 3 is edging closer to a return to the top 20 after his three wins in Paris and Grigor Dimitrov has been enjoying a pretty productive clay court season.

The draws in Madrid and Rome were not very kind to the Bulgarian as he suffered early defeats to Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, but reaching the Final in Geneva has clearly given Dimitrov the confidence to play well here.

Now he will take aim at trying to reach the Quarter Final at the French Open for the first time in his career, but this is another tough test for Dimitrov when facing Alexander Zverev.

Over recent years, Alexander Zverev has been the better clay courter of the two by some margin and he did have a good looking win over Frances Tiafoe in the Third Round. Coming from a set down to beat the World Number 12 in four sets will have given Zverev a lot of confidence and he deserved his victory even if he had to win a couple of tie-breakers to do that.

Alexander Zverev has been the better return player on the clay over the last couple of months and he has looked strong in that side of his tennis over the last couple of wins. The Grigor Dimitrov numbers in this tournament have been very good, but it should be pointed out that he has beaten players Ranked Number 147, 46 and 79 in the three wins in Paris and this is a marked step up in level of competition.

In 2023, Grigor Dimitrov is just 3-3 against top 50 Ranked opponents on the clay courts, while Alexander Zverev has won their last three meetings, including their sole previous match on the red dirt in Rome in 2016.

That match should not have any real impact on this one, but I do think the superior play will likely come from Alexander Zverev and the more consistent return game can help the German come through with a good, strong win.

Tomas Martin Etcheverry - 5.5 games v Yoshihito Nishioka: The winner of this Fourth Round match is going to be the underdog in any potential Quarter Final, but all credit has to be given to Yoshihito Nishioka and Tomas Martin Etcheverry for taking advantage of the way the draw has opened up.

This was supposed to be a section of the draw led by World Number 2 Daniil Medvedev, but Yoshihito Nishioka saw off his conqueror in the Third Round and this is the second consecutive Grand Slam in which he has reached the Fourth Round. He did that in Australia earlier this year, which was the first time Nishioka had made it that far in a Slam, and backing that up on the clay courts is a super achievement for him.

It has already been a tough, gruelling tournament for the Japanese player who has needed over ten hours on the court to win his three matches in the draw. The fact is that Yoshihito Nishioka has also had to spend a lot of emotional energy to come from 2-0 down in the First Round and 2-1 down to Thiago Seyboth Wild in the Third Round, while he did look the weaker player in the win over Seyboth Wild before the capitulation of the lower Ranked player in the deciding set.

He will battle and he will make opponents work, but Tomas Martin Etcheverry is unlikely to be flustered by having to spend time on the red dirt.

Tomas Martin Etcheverry has beaten two top 20 Ranked players already in the tournament and the Argentine has yet to drop a set thanks to some high-quality serving numbers. Those should be tested by someone like Nishioka, who has a fine return game, but I also think Etcheverry is going to get plenty of joy from the Nishioka serve and will rack up some Break Points.

This has been a breakthrough tournament for the 23 year old and Tomas Martin Etcheverry is likely to feel some nerves entering the second week of a Grand Slam for the first time. However, he is clearly very comfortable on the clay courts having put together a strong season on this surface, while Yoshihito Nishioka came into the French Open having lost all three previous matches against top 50 Ranked opponents and really struggling in the majority of aspects of his tennis.

He did really well to come from behind to win in the last Round, but Tomas Martin Etcheverry can hold himself a little better than Thiago Seyboth Wild was able to do and just make sure he does not lose control if he gets in front in this match.

Other Selections: There is a really good Fourth Round match between Holger Rune and Francisco Cerundolo and I do think it is going to be a competitive one.

However, I do think Rune has a bit more behind the serve and the return and ultimately that can see him come through in three or four tight sets against an opponent who had not had a lot of success at the French Open prior to this season.

Iga Swiatek is expected to brush aside Lesia Tsurenko, a player she has beaten for the loss of just two games at the French Open in 2022 and in Rome last month.

I also expect favourites Coco Gauff and Ons Jabeur to beat surprising Fourth Round opponents- Coco Gauff is playing at a really good level and is a big step up for Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, while Bernarda Pera has played well here this week, but been winning matches with tight margins that could be tough to replicate against an opponent like Jabeur.

The toughest match to call looks to be the one between Sara Sorribes Tormo and Beatriz Haddad Maia and I can make a case for both players. The layers are finding it pretty difficult to separate the two players too and I think it is one to take a watching brief to see how the winner is operating before the Quarter Final Round on Wednesday.

MY PICKS: Nicolas Jarry-Casper Ruud Over 39.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Alexander Zverev - 3.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Tomas Martin Etcheverry - 5.5 Games @ 1.72 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Holger Rune - 1.5 Sets @ 1.70 Coral (2 Units)

Iga Swiatek - 7.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Coco Gauff - 5.5 Games @ 1.91 Coral (2 Units)

Ons Jabeur - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

French Open Update: 32-21, + 11.72 Units (106 Units Staked, + 11.06% Yield)