Tennis Picks 2025 (Friday 28th February)

The Indian Wells Masters is set to begin at the back end of next week, but there are titles to be handed out over the coming days and we are into the Semi Final Round at the ATP 500 event in Dubai.

Daniil Medvedev was the latest Seed to fall by the wayside in Dubai and that leaves the four remaining players all likely to believe that they can win a big title before the Masters events are played in the United States over the next month.

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 1.5 games v Tallon Griekspoor: In each of the last two Rounds, Stefanos Tsitsipas has shown plenty of character to come through some tough moments and win matches that he has perhaps been losing more often than not of late.

The Greek player earned a late break of serve to edge past Matteo Berrettini in the Quarter Final, but he had to dig deep after being bullied in the second set.

That was the same in the Second Round win over Karen Khachanov and those victories will have given Stefanos Tsitsipas a boost in confidence as he looks to reverse his slide down the World Rankings.

He got the better of Tallon Griekspoor in Rotterdam earlier this month and there is every reason to believe Stefanos Tsitsipas can do the same here.

Tallon Griekspoor was also the beneficiary of a late break of serve to beat Daniil Medvedev in the Quarter Final, but his run to the last four has been no less fraught with danger as his opponents.

All three matches won have needed a final set decider and it could be argued that Tallon Griekspoor has been fortunate in a couple of the victories earned. The amount of time spent on the court could add up to become a factor against him and the slight edge has to be with Stefanos Tsitsipas as long as he can serve well enough.

The reality is that Griekspoor is not the most convincing of return players and this could prove to be the difference in this Semi Final.

Stefanos Tsitsipas has room to improve on the return, but should have the majority of Break Points in this Semi Final match and can edge past Tallon Griekspoor with a cover of the line set too.

MY PICKS: Stefanos Tsitsipas - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 4-4, - 0.85 Units (8 Units Staked, - 10.63% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2025 (Thursday 27th February)

The tournaments being played this week continue to move through the draw at a pace and there are a few days left before both Tours have a very slight break ahead of the Indian Wells Masters.

With matches running down, the Tennis Picks will also slow down and the only match in Dubai that figures to be worth a play can be seen below.

Nothing has stuck out in Acapulco so far this week, but they are only in the Second Round in Mexico and better opportunities may be found as the tournament reaches a conclusion on Sunday.

Matteo Berrettini - 1.5 games v Stefanos Tsitsipas: The last of the Quarter Final matches to be played at the ATP Dubai event looks the standout match of the day.

Both Matteo Berrettini and Stefanos Tsitsipas will feel pretty good about their chances of winning the title here, even as they sit in the tougher top half of the draw. Performances through the first couple of Rounds will have given the players confidence and both look to be getting closer to the levels that had them entrenched in the top ten of the World Rankings.

It is Stefanos Tsitsipas who is the higher Ranked of the players right now, and winning the title in Dubai would take him back into the top ten. Things have been much tougher for Matteo Berrettini in the last couple of years with Jannik Sinner moving past him as the poster boy of Italian Tennis and with injury meaning Berrettini has dropped out of the top 20.

He is also plenty motivated and winning this ATP 500 event would actually have Matteo Berrettini moving to the brink of returning to the top 20 and this ahead of two big Masters events on the hard courts. Rebuilding the confidence will be important for a player that has been very strong on the grass in recent years and who may become a big threat at Wimbledon later in the year, especially if his current form can be maintained.

Both players have been serving well this week and it is going to be tough for Tsitsipas and Berrettini to have much of an impact on the return.

However, the edge on that side of their tennis has to be with the Italian who has been finding a way to get into return games with a bit more effectiveness compared with the World Number 11. Add in the fact that Stefanos Tsitsipas was having some issues with his control of the serve and the ball toss in the narrow win over Karen Khachanov in the Second Round on Wednesday and you have to believe Matteo Berrettini can make it back to back wins over this opponent.

Last year Matteo Berrettini snapped a four match losing run against Stefanos Tsitsipas and that was on the clay courts that you would have thought would favour the Greek player. On the faster surfaces, Matteo Berrettini has to believe in his serve and he can take advantage of any loss of confidence Stefanos Tsitsipas has in his own service motion.

You have to assume that both players will be able to roll through some of the service games, but Stefanos Tsitsipas may just offer up one or two more Break Point chances compared with Matteo Berrettini. That could just make the difference for the latter and he can edge through to the Semi Final with a cover of this handicap mark set.

MY PICKS: Matteo Berrettini - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 3-4, - 1.65 Units (7 Units Staked, - 23.57% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2025 (Wednesday 26th February)

There were a number of upsets in the First Round matches that were completed on Tuesday and that has really opened up the tournament in Dubai where some valuable Ranking points can be earned.

With players like Andrey Rublev and Alex De Minaur already out, the door has opened and there won't be many left in the draw that won't believe that they can win the title and earn some positive momentum ahead of the back to back Masters events to be played in North America.

All of the Second Round matches have been scheduled for Wednesday and some selections can be read below.

Stefanos Tsitsipas v Karen Khachanov: Both of these players were able to win First Round matches on Monday in Dubai and that means they have a rare opportunity to earn some rest at a tournament that is set to conclude on Saturday.

It is a big opportunity for both Stefanos Tsitsipas and Karen Khachanov to build on solid opening wins, although there is also room for improvement as far as the consistency they have shown early in the 2025 season.

Being able to string the wins together is so important, but that has been an issue for both Tsitsipas and Khachanov and the point is underlined by the fact that they have earned just one Quarter Final spot between them. That was Stefanos Tsitsipas when having a decent enough run in Rotterdam, but even that was ended in a match he should have won and there is much for the two players to prove.

There has been very little wrong with the serving of the two players so far this season, but both can improve the returning numbers. Out of the two, Karen Khachanov has had a bit more success on the return of serve, but Stefanos Tsitsipas is looking after serve slightly better and something is going to have to give.

A real concern for both is that they have not exactly been facing top opponents in tournaments so far this season and have still not dominated as much as they would have wanted. At least Stefanos Tsitsipas is showing a bit more signs of positive form and the win over Lorenzo Sonego will have given him some confidence, which he can take into this match.

In nine previous meetings, Stefanos Tsitsipas has won eight and that will also not be lost on the pair.

In the First Round Karen Khachanov was able to snap a losing run against Daniel Evans, but the latter is not playing anywhere near the level that Stefanos Tsitsipas is still able to produce and that is going to be telling in this match.

The hard court matches are skewed 6-1 in favour of Stefanos Tsitsipas against Karen Khachanov and the World Number 11 has had a considerable advantage on the service numbers in those head to heads. That could be key in this Second Round match and Tsitsipas deserves the edge if he can maintain the standards that he has been producing behind that shot in 2025 and it will give the higher Ranked player a chance to edge to an important win.

Zizou Bergs - 2.5 games v Luca Nardi: There was a touch of fortune around Luca Nardi's win over Marton Fucsovics in the First Round having been dominated in terms of the number of Break Points played.

However, credit has to be given to the young Italian for playing the big points better than his opponent and it will have given Luca Nardi some belief to take into this Second Round match.

Beating a player that had held a win over him in 2025 will also have helped and Luca Nardi will bid to do the same again when facing Zizou Bergs in the Second Round. These two met in Auckland last mont and it ended in a routine win for Zizou Bergs, who has also been able to back that up with decent runs at events entered this season.

It is the key reason that Bergs began this tournament at his career best World Ranking mark and another couple of wins here would really see him begin to push into the top 50 in the World. That is important as it would mean direct entry into the big Masters events that will be played through the course of the year and the 25 year old looks to be developing quite well.

He is not always the most trustworthy of players, but Zizou Bergs has won nine of the ten matches played on the hard courts against opponents that entered the tournament with a lower World Ranking. The serve has remained a solid weapon in those matches, but most important is how effective Zizou Bergs has been on the return and that could be the key to winning this Second Round match.

Luca Nardi has played three matches in Dubai already so will be very comfortable with the conditions, while any player that has taken a set from someone as good as Carlos Alcaraz deserves his respect. The Italian does have a serve that will offer up chances and that is going to mean having to win those pressurised points as he did in the First Round, which can be a tough ask of anyone to maintain through the pressure that develops.

When they met in Auckland, Zizou Bergs had a considerable edge behind the serving numbers and that should be the case again in Dubai this week.

MY PICKS: Stefanos Tsitspas @ 1.83 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Zizou Bergs - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 2-3, - 1.45 Units (5 Units Staked, - 29% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2025 (Tuesday 25th February)

The opening results were mixed for the Tennis Picks- Daniel Evans started far too slowly and was ultimately beaten pretty easily, but Stefanos Tsitsipas was a deserving winner against Lorenzo Sonego.

Tuesday is a much busier day in Dubai as the rest of the First Round is completed and three Tennis Picks have been found from the matches set to be played.

Again, anything from the ATP 500 event in Acapulco will be added to this thread, although the First Round at that tournament hasn't really flagged up too many appealing options and selections will be made as the tournament moves forward.

Arthur Fils - 1.5 games v Nuno Borges: He is not always one of the my favourite players to back having displayed periods in his relatively young career where the focus is not where it perhaps should be for Arthur Fils.

There is a lot of pressure on the shoulders of the 20 year old as French Tennis fans look for the next big star on the men's side of the Tour. Those who had been creating the headlines for the nation have largely moved into retirement, while Gael Monfils is closer to joining the likes of Richard Gasquet and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga than he is to someone that is largely starting out his career like Fils is.

Cracking the top 20 of the World Rankings already is clearly a positive sign, but Arthur Fils is still developing his tennis so he can get closer to the absolute elite of the ATP Tour.

After missing out in Doha, Arthur Fils has travelled to Dubai and has a decent First Round match up in front of him when taking on Nuno Borges.

A Semi Final run in Auckland aside, Nuno Borges has struggled for consistency and he enters this ATP 500 tournament as the World Number 38. Last week he was beaten in the Second Round by eventual Doha Champion, Andrey Rublev, but Nuno Borges was also beaten early in Marseille before that and his numbers on the hard courts have been steady, but unspectacular to open the season.

The same can be said for Arthur Fils, but the difference between the players is that the Frenchman might be having a bit more success on the return of serve. With both players serving as well as they have been, those extra points won on the return could make the difference in what is going to be a tight, competitive match, while Arthur Fils also holds the mental advantage.

He beat Nuno Borges twice on the hard courts in 2024 and Arthur Fils won all four sets that they played against one another.

In those two wins, Arthur Fils has been able to hold 94% of the service games played, while he broke the Nuno Borges serve eight times in the two matches. The last of those in Indian Wells was more competitive compared with the Arthur Fils win in Auckland, but it was still a match that the Frenchman looked the superior player and he can secure a victory in this First Round contest with the capabilities of covering this line set.

Marton Fucsovics - 2.5 games v Luca Nardi: Both of these players had to come through the Qualifiers, but it was Marton Fucsovics that has won two matches to earn his place in the main draw.

One of those wins was against Luca Nardi, but the latter has been offered a reprieve as a Lucky Loser and will be looking for revenge against the Hungarian.

Luca Nardi did reach the Second Round in Doha last week having won two Qualifiers to earn his spot in the main draw and he has reached a Final at Challenger level on this surface already this season. However, around those solid performances there have been some early exits and Nardi will know that he needs to step his level up if he is going to beat the veteran having already been beaten by Marton Fucsovics this week.

Injury has dropped Marton Fucsovics outside of the top 100 in the World Rankings, and he has just been rebuilding at Challenger level with a title won earlier this month.

You have to consider the level of opponents at Challenger level compared with the main ATP Tour, but Marton Fucsovics will have gained some confidence and his numbers have really caught the eye.

He will certainly feel he is facing someone who is not as comfortable on the hard courts as himself and that will help Marton Fucsovics as he looks to back up the victory over Luca Nardi from the weekend.

Marton Fucsovics is certainly trending in a positive direction in terms of the World Ranking and putting a victory on the board in the First Round and potentially having a strong run here in Dubai will be welcomed. He can do that by continuing to serve a bit more efficiently compared with Luca Nardi and that should see Marton Fucsovics win and cover this line.

Matteo Berrettini - 2.5 games v Gael Monfils: A couple of years of injury has unsurprisingly held Matteo Berrettini back, but the Italian looks to be getting back to the form that took him into the World's top ten in the Rankings.

He was also a considerable threat to win a Grand Slam, although some of the limelight has been taken away by Jannik Sinner who has come the poster boy of the sport, never mind Italian Tennis.

The Quarter Final run in Doha will have provided Matteo Berrettini a huge boost in confidence having beaten Novak Djokovic there, although he might be a little disappointed in losing to Jack Draper having led by a set. The serve continues to be a potent weapon for Berrettini, but he will be the first to admit that the return has to be improved if he is going to get back to the level he once had.

First up for Matteo Berrettini in Dubai is Gael Monfils and the veteran is returning to the Tour after a very productive January in which he won a title and reached the Fourth Round at the Australian Open. That run ended with a retirement and Gael Monfils has not played a competitive match since, and a back injury is always a concern considering the stress that serving and moving will put on the body.

The early successes were thanks to the strong serving that Gael Monfils produced- the level in January was far above the kind of standards that the Frenchman has been setting in recent years and maintaining that over the course of 2025 is perhaps asking too much at 38 years old.

It was important to serve well as Gael Monfils struggled with his return and he is not going to be expecting to get anything easy out of the Matteo Berrettini serve.

Matteo Berrettini has won the three previous matches against Gael Monfils, although the last of those was in January 2022.

What was key to those wins for the Italian was the stronger serving and you have to believe that the competitive tennis that has been played by Matteo Berrettini should set him up to win this one too. He may have the rhythm to get his serve firing a little more effectively than Gael Monfils and that could see the World Number 30 just come through a tight first set, before pulling away for a relatively comfortable win.

MY PICKS: Arthur Fils - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Marton Fucsovics - 2.5 Games @ 1.75 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Matteo Berrettini - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 1-1, - 0.28 Units (2 Units Staked, - 14% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2025 (Monday 24th February)

The two successful Tennis Picks on Saturday ensured the last week has finished with a slight profit and keeps the season totals in a positive position.

The two WTA 1000 events in Doha and Dubai have just closed out this side of the Tour as far as February is concerned with the top players focusing on Indian Wells and Miami coming up in March.

However, the ATP do have 500 events in Acapulco and Dubai to be played and those will be the focus for the Tennis Picks this week.

Acapulco is six hours behind the United Kingdom and that means any Picks from that tournament will have to be added to the daily threads. Any selections from Dubai will open things up and there are two on Monday when the First Round gets underway on Monday in what is going to be another tournament that ends with a Saturday Final.

Daniel Evans + 4.5 games v Karen Khachanov: Injury and a loss of form has seen Daneil Evans drop down to World Number 167, although the British player has to be grateful for being given a Wild Card into the main draw at the ATP 500 event in Dubai.

Wins have not been easy to find on the Challenger circuit so this is going to be a tough First Round match for Daniel Evans, despite the strong record against Karen Khachanov.

The World Number 21 cannot really point to any solid form of his own- Karen Khachanov won a couple of matches at the Australian Open, but has suffered opening defeats at the other four events in which he has played, including early last week in Doha.

That was a defeat to Daniil Medvedev, but the other three defeats suffered this season have not been against players that are Ranked inside the top 42.

Karen Khachanov is still serving well, but the return has dipped considerably in the early part of the season and that is going to offer some comfort to Daniel Evans as he steps back up to face this kind of level of opponent.

A lack of confidence has to be a factor that potentially works against Daniel Evans, but that head to head mentioned will help.

In their five previous meetings, it is Daniel Evans that has won all five and that includes beating Karen Khachanov at the US Open just a few months ago. That means even as the form has dipped, Evans has still found a way to beat the Russian and this makes the games being given to him to start this match feel very appealing to get on our side.

Daniel Evans has found a way to impact the Karen Khachanov serve and that will be important to his chances in this match.

Maintaining the winning run will be difficult, but Daniel Evans can certainly do enough to keep this one competitive enough.

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 1.5 games v Lorenzo Sonego: The defeat in Doha last week will have really hurt Stefanos Tsistipas.

His opponent looked to be struggling to move, but Tsitsipas was not able to win a final set tie-breaker and it has just left the World Number 11 struggling to find the consistency he would like. Winning matches and putting the solid results together can rebuild the confidence, and that is the task for Stefanos Tsitsipas over the next month and before the clay court season gets underway.

Playing in the ATP 500 event in Dubai means the tough challenges had to be expected pretty early on, and that is the case for Stefanos Tsitsipas who has been handed Lorenzo Sonego as a First Round opponent.

The Italian had a solid run at the Australian Open when reaching the Quarter Final, but he has not been playing a lot of tennis this month.

Lorenzo Sonego will be confident in his serving, and that has been the key for his successes and something he will use to try and build pressure on his opponent.

However, the main reason Sonego has not really kicked further ahead in the World Rankings is the weak returning numbers. He has yet to crack the top 20 in the World Rankings in his career and will head to Dubai as the World Number 36, which is largely down to the poorer return numbers.

He can pick up some momentum with a solid run in Dubai, but that will also mean beating Stefanos Tsitsipas for the first time.

It has been a couple of years since the two players last met on the Tour, but Stefanos Tsitsipas has won all three pro matches against Lorenzo Sonego. Those wins have been behind stronger serving numbers and the Greek player may just have the edge in this match, especially with his already being in the Middle East and Stefanos Tsitsipas can do enough to move through to the Second Round with a cover of this line set.

MY PICKS: Daniel Evans + 4.5 Games @ 1.66 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 1.5 Games @ 1.72 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

2025 Season: 43-28, + 15.33 Units (109 Units Staked, + 14.06% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2025- Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol II (Saturday 22nd February)

It has been the card that the fans have long been thinking about and it still looks plenty loaded, even after a couple of withdrawals during fight week.

Floyd Schofield missing out on his fight with Shakur Stevenson is a blow, but the bigger story is the illness suffered by Daniel Dubois, which means the bout against Joseph Parker is no longer happening.

However, with the Saudi riches backing this event, it cannot be the biggest surprise that they have been able to find the biggest replacement with Martin Bakole stepping in for Dubois on two days notice. The long trip from Congo to Riyadh only means Bakole deserves even more praise for taking this fight on, although there is also a feeling that he has been well compensated and will also be given other opportunities by the Saudi authorities, win or lose.

A couple of changes to the fight card have not lessened the event in any way and it should still be a really good night of Boxing for the fans. The main event is going to provide a winner that will set up another huge night later in the year, while there is plenty of options available to other winners on the night and the fans are going to be the ultimate winners when all is said and done.

Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol II

A little over four months ago, Artur Beterbiev narrowly got the better of Dmitry Bivol and managed to secure all of the World Titles and the Ring Magazine Belt to become Undisputed Champion in the Light Heavyweight Division.

It's not something that is heard often, but some credit has to be given to the Organisations for allowing the rematch to take place with all of the World Titles once again on the line, even if Interim Champions have been crowned.

While the first fight was very close, I was not convinced that the cards were that wrong with a couple of swing Rounds that could have made things feel wider than they were.

In fact, I had Beterbiev winning 116-112 having dominated down the stretch and with Dmitry Bivol not really active enough to keep the now Undisputed Champion from pushing forward and dictating the tempo. You have to think Bivol's team have thought the same with the Challenger suggesting he is going 'to do more' as he looks to wrestle the Belts back into his own hands.

The fight may not have been the most exciting in terms of action, but it was a proper high quality Boxing fight and there will be some adjustments made by both men.

It will be close again- you have to think some of the complaints from the Dmitry Bivol side of the ring after the Decision in October could potentially be on the mind of the judges when they are scoring close Rounds, which we are sure to see like we did the first time around.

However, there may be less concern in the Artur Beterbiev camp this time around.

Most seem to have forgotten that Beterbiev-Bivol had to be rescheduled from the original date because of an injury suffered by the Canadian-based Russian and he may have had some doubts about the knee. Those will be erased after the performance in the first fight and it is also only good news for Artur Beterbiev that he is back out as soon as he is, even if you never know when Father Time will be knocking at his door.

With that in mind, Artur Beterbiev could start stalking Dmitry Bivol a bit quicker than he did in the first fight and the feeling is that he will get the better of the younger man again.

The reality is that Bivol may not have the power to dissuade Artur Beterbiev from moving forward and the former ran out of energy towards the end of the first fight. If Beterbiev can get going a bit quicker, he may actually start getting at Dmitry Bivol and any risks taken by the latter are going to be punished.

Four months ago, the Pick was Artur Beterbiev by Stoppage and while that did not come very close to happening, he is still the fighter that will bring the power to the ring.

We saw plenty of ability from Dmitry Bivol to just keep Artur Beterbiev at bay and the defence was on point, but if there is a feeling that he needs to do more, it could leave himself much more open and in danger of taking the punishment that may have Artur Beterbiev back doing what he has done best in his career.

Defensive work done by Dmitry Bivol is impressive, but there is that feeling that Artur Beterbiev warms up earlier than he did in October and this time he may just be able to breakthrough and crack the Challenger's resistance.

Like many will have stated, this is an undercard that has been put together that could have had a number of the fights headlining nights of their own.

British fight fans will be very keen on seeing the Callum Smith and Joshua Buatsi opener on this card- this would have done good business in either London or Liverpool as a headliner in its own right.

Inactivity has plagued Callum Smith, a fighter who has been in with the likes of Canelo Alvarez and Artur Beterbiev, but who has perhaps not built on the momentum he had when winning the World Boxing Super Series Final against George Groves in Saudi Arabia back in 2018.

Performances after the win were not always the most convincing and you do have to wonder how much fire is left in the belly.

Joshua Buatsi has been criticised for not taking his chances to actually fight one of the leading Light Heavyweights, but he has been active over the last year and that is important. He wanted to face Anthony Yarde, and it is a shame that has not been put together, but wins over Dan Azeez and Willy Hutchinson have been solid and Buatsi has carried his power.

Another criticism is that Joshua Buatsi has perhaps not shown the ruthlessness to finish off an opponent when he has had the chance- that was the case in both fights he won last year. He will have his chances to do that here if Callum Smith has perhaps lost some of his desire and intensity and Joshua Buatsi could just turn the screw hard enough to earn the Stoppage in the Championship Rounds in this important fight for both men.

In something of a surprise, Agit Kabayel is the favourite against Zhilei Zhang when the Interim WBC World Title is on the line in another big time Heavyweight fight.

The Division has been given a real lift in Riyadh Season and the winner of this one could be the next contender for the Undisputed World Champion, Oleksandr Usyk, to face.

That push from the Saudi authorities have worked for both of these Heavyweights and helped them to raise their stock with some big wins.

Questions are still being asked of Kabayel- his wins over Arslanbek Makhmudov and Frank Sanchez are solid, but the former has been beaten again since that defeat and Sanchez was dealing with an injury.

Zhilei Zhang does 'bang', as he likes to remind anyone that is listening, but the stamina remains a question mark.

That certainly cost him in his defeat to Joseph Parker and the feeling is that Agit Kabayel will look to avoid the early power and trying to slow down Zhang before trying to push forward himself.

He is a deserving favourite, but stopping Zhilei Zhang may be asking too much and Kabayel can follow Parker with a win on the cards against the older fighter.

Perhaps the best fight on the night is going to be between Vergil Ortiz Jr and Israil Madrimov and both have so much to gain.

The performance against Terence Crawford really did raise Israil Madrimov's stock, but the fight is going to be quite different against Vergil Ortiz Jr, who is perhaps fortunate to still retain his unbeaten record.

You know what you are going to get from Ortiz Jr and that may actually help make this a spectacle- Israil Madrimov has shown his toughness, but he is a fighter that relies on a lot of feints to set up his attacks and he may not have the time to do that if Vergil Ortiz Jr is pushing forward and throwing a lot of leather.

Stock has been raised by the 'better than expected' effort against Crawford, but this is a big challenge for Israil Madrimov who has had some difficult moments prior to that bout. Both fights with Michel Soro ended controversially and this could develop into a firefight that is ultimately edged by the power that Vergil Ortiz Jr brings into the ring.

Hamzah Sheeraz decided to move up into the Middleweight Division after a couple of tough moments in the Light Middleweight Ranks, and there is no doubt that this size is one that marks him down as a potential Super Middleweight in the future.

Before that, Sheeraz wants to win World Titles in the 160 pound Division, one that is lacking the star power that is usually associated with the Middleweights.

He has done nothing wrong since stepping up in weight class, but Hamzah Sheeraz will also know he is stepping up in class when taking on Carlos Adames, the WBC World Champion.

Like the Challenger, Carlos Adames moved up from the Light Middleweight Division, although having one fight per year since 2021 is a concern.

The size and length of Hamzah Sheeraz is another issue, as is the fact that Carlos Adames has looked like he has struggled for the stamina that may be needed in this fight.

Early on Carlos Adames is going to be dangerous, but Hamzah Sheeraz showed he can overcome some early issues before going through the gears when beating Ammo Williams in June last year. That may be the outcome of this one too and Sheeraz may just have to wait until the second half of the contest before extending his run to sixteen straight Stoppage victories.

There was some interest in Shakur Stevenson's bout when this card was originally announced, but Floyd Schofield is out.

He had been a big favourite to defend his WBA World Title in the first bout, but the odds are much greater in favour of Shakur Stevenson with Josh Padley stepping in and stepping up.

Josh Padley upset Turki Alalshikh's favourite Mark Chamberlain back in September, which is the reason given for this opportunity being presented to the unbeaten British fighter.

All credit has to be given to Padley for the win over Chamberlain, but this should be a relatively comfortable night for Shakur Stevenson, who can at least keep the naysayers quiet for one evening.

No one is doubting his qualities, but Stevenson has been accused of being a little bit boring- the hand injury is a potential concern and the American may be cautious with that before he really lets go, but everything points to a solid win for the Champion.

There is nothing to lose for Josh Padley, but even Sly Stallone may think a win for the underdog on short notice is too far fetched for Hollywood.

The question really is all about Shakur Stevenson- he will have been hurt by recent criticism and you have to believe the promoters will have told him that he needs to impress to be invited back by Riyadh Season if nothing else. Winning well would also build anticipation for a fight with Tank Davis, and Stevenson should be able to secure a Stoppage somewhere in the middle Rounds.

And finally we get to the chief support when Joseph Parker takes on late replacement Martin Bakole after Daniel Dubois' unfortunate illness has forced his withdrawal.

It is actually still quite surprising to think Bakole has taken this challenge without being in training camp, especially as he was already being avoided in the Heavyweight Division.

He has backed up his claims that he is willing to fight anyone, anywhere, but a defeat might push Martin Bakole into the 'who needs him club'.

However, you have to feel some promises have been made about further opportunities if he was willing to step in for Daniel Dubois and Martin Bakole certainly has shown he can hit hard enough to beat anybody.

With a full camp.

For now you have to wonder if Martin Bakole has more than Eight Rounds in him.

Joseph Parker has rebuilt his reputation during Riyadh Season, but the New Zealander has been down multiple times, including twice against Zhilei Zhang. He boxed well to overcome those moments to win on the cards and has also beaten Deontay Wilder, but I did fancy Daniel Dubois to do a job on him.

This may be the best fight for Parker at this moment- if Bakole was coming in fully trained, he would certainly be capable of hitting hard enough to break through and win this fight.

Ultimately that lack of conditioning is a doubt and you have to expect Joseph Parker is going to box smart early and then just turn things up in the second half of the contest.

Michael Hunter was able to do that and force the Stoppage against Martin Bakole in 2018, but Parker may be happier to just remain out of distance where possible and outwork the 33 year old down the stretch. This worked well enough to edge past Zhilei Zhang and Joseph Parker can win this one on the cards, although ruling out a late Stoppage through sheer exhaustion for Bakole would be foolish.

It would not surprise me if the fight is competitive enough early to have people calling for it again when Martin Bakole is able to prepare properly for the contest, but it feels like it would take something special for Bakole to do this on two days notice.

Some rumours suggest he might already have been preparing just in case one of the Heavyweights pulled out, and that would certainly make Martin Bakole a real threat to Parker whose chin is no longer as strong as it once was.

The long journey is perhaps a bigger issue for Bakole, who would surely have been in Riyadh even in a 'break open in case of emergency' setting if he had been preparing to step in and ultimately it may be tough to hold off Joseph Parker, who can win this one with a Decision for the third straight time under the Riyadh Season banner.

MY PICKS: Artur Beterbiev to Win by KO/TKO @ 3.25 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Joshua Buatsi to Win Between 7-12 @ 6.50 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Agit Kabayel to Win by Decision/Technical Decision @ 3.40 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Vergil Ortiz Jr to Win by KO/TKO @ 4.50 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

Hamzah Sheeraz to Win Between 7-12 @ 4.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Shakur Stevenson to Win Between 5-8 @ 3.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Joseph Parker to Win by Decision/Technical Decision @ 4.50 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Boxing 2025: 5-18, - 16.35 Units (31 Units Staked, - 52.74% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2025 (Saturday 22nd February)

The Tour will conclude moving through the Middle East next week in Dubai when the ATP 500 event is played, but the WTA Tour completes the 1000 event that has been played this past week.

The Final involves two young players that may end up fighting it out for Grand Slam titles in the future and both have had very good weeks with big wins behind them.

Before the ATP 500 event in Dubai, the ATP Doha Final is played after two tough Semi Final matches were completed.

Mirra Andreeva - 2.5 games v Clara Tauson: Some of the leading names on the WTA Tour are Grand Slam Champions, but two young players have worked their way through to the Final in Dubai in a big 1000 event.

There is a huge amount of expectation on the shoulders of 22 year old Clara Tauson and 17 year old Mirra Andreeva and the two players have seen off Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina on their way through to the Final. It is Tauson who beat the current World Number 1, but Andreeva's two wins over Swiatek and Rybakina are plenty impressive and suffice to say the two youngsters deserve their spot in a showcase spot.

It is a situation that both teams will believe their player will be involved in at Grand Slam level in the years ahead, but there is some pressure to put a big title in the trophy cabinet. Both Clara Tauson and Mirra Andreeva will know what kind of spark winning a WTA 1000 event could have for their relatively young careers and both are already assured of ending this tournament with a career best World Ranking.

A win for Mirra Andreeva would actually take her into the top 10 for the first time, while a victory for her opponent would push Clara Tauson into the top 20.

Neither player will be thinking of anything other than winning the match and the slight edge may have to be given to Mirra Andreeva and her capabilities on the return of serve.

Take nothing away from the way the two players have been backing up the first serve with over 70% of points won when that serve lands, and they both have a similar success rate in getting the first serve in play. However, Mirra Andreeva may feel she protects her second serve a little more effectively than Clara Tauson has been this week, and overall on the hard courts in 2025, and that may be a difference.

It certainly suggests Andreeva can get into the rallies and show off her superior returning ability and that may just see the younger player find a way to win this match.

Clara Tauson has battled through adversity this week, and that has to be given credit, but Mirra Andreeva showed her character in fighting back to beat Elena Rybakina in a third set decider. You cannot rule out the Dane if she is behind, but Mirra Andreeva can make a few headlines by winning this big title before moving onto the North American hard court events in Indian Wells and Miami.

Jack Draper-Andrey Rublev over 23.5 games: Both Semi Final matches lasted well into the third hour and it is Jack Draper and Andrey Rublev who have earned the opportunity to win the title in Doha.

Both players have also shown plenty of character having come through in three sets in each of the last two Rounds- Jack Draper dropped the first set against both Matteo Berrettini and Jiri Lehecka before fighting back, while Andrey Rublev dropped the middle set in the Quarter Final and Semi Final and won a final set tie-breaker against both Alex De Minaur and Felix Auger-Aliassime to progress.

With that in mind, you have to think both Draper and Rublev are going to be filled with confidence when they take to the court with a big title on the line.

After an inconsistent start to 2025 either through injury or being out of form, this is a big chance for Jack Draper and Andrey Rublev to just put a spark behind them and push on for even bigger and better things going forward.

The serve has been a big weapon for both Jack Draper and Andrey Rublev this week and this is going to be a key shot again.

Jack Draper has held 93% of the service games played, while Andrey Rublev has done the same in 92% of his service games.

The British player has had a bit more success on the return of serve, but Break Points are going to be hard to come by in this match and there is every chance it is a Final that surpasses this total games line that has been set.

Andrey Rublev may hold the mental advantage having won all three previous matches against Jack Draper, but they have not faced one another since 2023 and the latter has won a set in two of the three matches played. We know Jack Draper is much better than he was back then, but it might be a tough task in breaking down Andrey Rublev's game and this looks like a match that will potentially go long.

MY PICKS: Mirra Andreeva - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Jack Draper-Andrey Rublev Over 23.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 7-7, - 0.92 Units (14 Units Staked, - 6.57% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2025 (Friday 21st February)

It was a mixed bag of results on Thursday as we move into the final three days of the tournaments that have been playing this week.

The WTA Dubai and ATP Doha events are set to be concluded on Saturday, which means it is Semi Final day on Friday, while the ATP Rio tournament has reached the Quarter Final Round.

Any selections from Rio will be added to this thread, but the focus is once again on the tournament in Doha with both WTA Semi Finals quite difficult to call. The odds reflect that with those two matches featuring a couple of pick 'em contests, while there isn't much separating the players in the ATP Doha Semi Finals, but the angles to approach those matches feel more comfortable.

Felix Auger-Aliassime-Andrey Rublev over 23.5 games: The run through to the Semi Final of an ATP 500 event could not have been much more comfortable for Felix Auger-Aliassime and he may still be figuring out the conditions in Doha.

He had to battle through the First Round, but received a walkover in the Second Round before Felix Auger-Aliassime benefited from facing an ill Daniil Medvedev, who had to retire at the end of the first set played.

The Ranking points will be appreciated, but the form is hard to factor even if Felix Auger-Aliassime was serving well before Medvedev called time on the match prematurely in the Quarter Final.

This is going to be another tough challenge for the Canadian when going up against Andrey Rublev, who upset Alex De Minaur in the Quarter Final and who looks to be rounding into some better form. The World Number 10 has been returning with a bit more confidence and authority, although that will be tested by a big Felix Auger-Aliassime serve, and Andrey Rublev has maintained his level behind the serve.

There will be plenty of 'blink and you miss it' kind of rallies in this match with both likely going to get on the front foot behind the first serve with some big groundstrokes to rip past the opponent.

Matches between the pair have largely ended in favour of Andrey Rublev, who has won five of the six previous meetings, but they have been competitive and there is every reason to believe this one will be too.

Andrey Rublev and Felix Auger-Aliassime last met on the hard courts twelve months ago in Rotterdam and it was the former who rallied from a set down to get past the Canadian in the Second Round.

In their previous matches on the hard courts, Felix Auger-Aliassime has held 88% of his service games and Andrey Rublev has managed to do the same in 87% of his own service games. All but one of their previous six matches have gone the distance and you have to feel the two players can put the serving together to help surpass this total games line set in what should be a close, competitive match.

Felix Auger-Aliassime's level in Doha is more difficult to judge this week, but Andrey Rublev has been serving well to see both push through the games and there is every chance that even a straight sets win for either player would still see this total games mark covered.

Jack Draper - 1.5 games v Jiri Lehecka: It was the last match on court and Jack Draper had to battle and dig to recover from a set down and get the better of Matteo Berrettini to move through to the Semi Final.

Spending over two hours on the court is not ideal for the British player, especially considering the issues he has had with injury in his relatively young career. The World Number 16 is only just back on the Tour after being forced to withdraw during his Fourth Round match at the Australian Open against Carlos Alcaraz and there is always a concern when Draper has spent a lot of time on the court.

In saying that, Jack Draper may actually benefit from the time he had to really get through a tough match after coming through the first two Rounds without facing too much pushback.

He has been serving really well this week and Jack Draper has given himself an opportunity to play with a lot of aggression on the return. That was evident in his win over Matteo Berrettini having created 13 Break Points against the big serving Italian and should also bode well for Jack Draper against another solid server.

Jiri Lehecka upset Carlos Alcaraz in the Quarter Final and backing that victory up will be the challenge in front of him.

A strong start has been made to the 2025 season and Jiri Lehecka is going to crack the top 20 in the World Rankings sooner than later- it could happen on Monday if he is able to secure the title here in Doha, but that would mean coming through a couple of tough tests.

Beating someone like Carlos Alcaraz will have given Jiri Lehecka a lot of confidence and he has been able to maintain the very solid returning numbers being produced in 2025. That step up has really helped his tennis and this is another match that is going to be dominated on serve, but with two players who have been returning better than would be expected of them.

It will be close and competitive and it is no surprise that Lehecka and Draper split two hard court meetings in 2024.

At the start of that season, Jiri Lehecka was the higher Ranked player when he beat Jack Draper in the Adelaide Final, but their last meeting was at the Paris Masters in late October and by that time, it was Draper who had moved into the top 20 of the Rankings and he was a routine winner over the Czech player.

Jack Draper actually created more Break Points in both matches and he has held 92% of his service games compared with an 84% mark for Jiri Lehecka.

Both are playing with a lot of confidence right now, but those edges will give Jack Draper the advantage and he can come through with a solid win in this Semi Final and continue his own push towards the top 10 of the World Rankings.

MY PICKS: Felix Auger-Aliassime-Andrey Rublev Over 23.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

Jack Draper - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 6-6, - 0.83 Units (12 Units Staked, - 6.92% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2025 (Thursday 20th February)

There were four Tennis Picks in action on Wednesday (with one holdover from Tuesday) and three were able to return as winners to get the week totals back on track.

More is needed to turn the red into black, and the focus remains on the ATP Doha event where the Quarter Final matches are all to be played on Thursday.

Upsets in Dubai have given the Quarter Final lineup a slightly unfamiliar look and those matches all looked tough to call, while the ATP Rio event is just operating on a slightly different schedule with the Quarter Final matches not set to be played until Friday.

Andrey Rublev + 2.5 games v Alex De Minaur: Two top ten Ranked players meet in the ATP 500 Doha Quarter Finals on Thursday and both Andrey Rublev and Alex De Minaur will be feeling pretty good about the tennis they have produced so far this week.

They are very familiar with one another and this is going to be the eighth time they have faced each other on the Tour- six of the previous seven matches have been on hard courts and that includes a match at the Australian Open.

It has been twelve months since Alex De Minaur beat Andrey Rublev in the Rotterdam Quarter Final and that is the last time the players have faced off.

During that week, Andrey Rublev had been the higher Ranked player, but he is the World Number 10 in Doha and Alex De Minaur is the World Number 8. Improving those marks will be tough this week, but it is important for Rublev and De Minaur to just build some momentum ahead of another big event in Dubai next week and then the two North American Masters events to be played next month before the whole Tour turns attention to the clay courts.

Both players have been serving really well this week, but Alex De Minaur has produced better on the return and that is perhaps the reason he has been set as the favourite in this Quarter Final.

No one should doubt the improvements made by the Australian, but the Andrey Rublev tennis can match up pretty well with De Minaur with the aggression of the Russian capable of seeing him break through the Alex De Minaur defences.

However, it is perhaps correct to have Andrey Rublev down as the narrow underdog because of the slightly inconsistent play in the early part of 2025. His return game has not quite been as effective as it can be, but Rublev should be able to push Alex De Minaur and winning a set might put the lower Ranked player in a position to cover the spread with the games being given to him.

Daniil Medvedev - 2.5 games v Felix Auger-Aliassime: The three year anniversary of Daniil Medvedev becoming World Number 1 is coming up later this month, but he is operating as the World Number 6 these days.

The numbers on the hard courts dipped significantly in 2024 from the standards that Daniil Medvedev has set for him in recent years during a time when he was right up amongst the best players in the world on the surface. He is still a very good hard court player, but opponents may feel they have more of a chance against Daniil Medvedev, even if the early form in 2025 is trending back in a positive direction.

An early exit at the Australian Open will feel like a disappointment, but the Semi Final run in Marseille earlier this month may just have restored some confidence and Daniil Medvedev has played well in his two wins here in Doha.

In reality the numbers being produced are aided by the fact that Daniil Medvedev has yet to play a top 20 Ranked opponent in 2025 and he will not be facing one of those in the Doha Quarter Finals.

Felix Auger-Aliassime is the opponent and he needs to reach the Final in Doha to move back inside the top 20 having struggled for consistency on the Tour for some time now.

Suggesting the Canadian is inconsistent might sound foolish considering he has won two titles already this season, but Felix Auger-Aliassime has also lost early at the Australian Open and in Rotterdam.

Winning the title in Adelaide saw Felix Auger-Aliassime win some matches against top opponents, but it cannot be ignored that he did not beat anyone Ranked higher than 71 when winning the title in Montpellier. His sole win here was against the World Number 79 before receiving a walkover and so the 24 year old still has much to prove about where his tennis currently stands.

Serving well has not been an issue for Felix Auger-Aliassime, but he continues to struggle for consistency on the return and that has proven to be tough to overcome against Daniil Medvedev.

Felix Auger-Aliassime did win their last meeting on the clay at the Paris Olympics last year, but the seven previous matches had all ended in defeat and all on the hard courts.

There has been a huge difference in the returning numbers in those hard court matches, including at the Australian Open in January 2024, and Daniil Medvedev may just come through on those big Break Points played.

The lower Ranked player has won four consecutive matches against top 20 Ranked players on the hard courts, but this has not been the best match up for Felix Auger-Aliassime and that gives Daniil Medvedev the edge in this Quarter Final.

Carlos Alcaraz - 4.5 games v Jiri Lehecka: This is a wide spread to cover and especially in a Quarter Final at an ATP 500 event, but Carlos Alcaraz is playing at a steady level in Doha and will be entering the match with real confidence.

Steady may not be doing the World Number 3 much justice- he has been serving well and Carlos Alcaraz has won 42% of return points played in each of the two wins that have been put on the board.

A title has been secured in Rotterdam after the disappointing defeat to Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open Quarter Final, but Carlos Alcaraz may still feel there is room for improvement in his tennis and especially if he is going to get closer to Jannik Sinner in the World Rankings.

The Spaniard most definitely feels like an improving player on the hard courts and there is plenty to like from what Carlos Alcaraz has displayed through the early part of the 2025 season.

Next up is Jiri Lehecka, who is one win away from setting a new career high World Ranking mark, and who has won plenty of hard court matches already this season. Like his opponent, Jiri Lehecka has picked up a title on the surface and only an injury curtailed his tournament in Rotterdam earlier this month.

Having a slight break from competitive tennis has seemingly helped and Jiri Lehecka has offered little encouragement for the opponent in each of the two wins in Doha.

The serve has been a big weapon for the World Number 25 and it has freed Jiri Lehecka when it comes to attacking the return.

However, it is hard to believe Jiri Lehecka can maintain his return numbers at their current level considering what we have seen from the player in recent years.

He also has plenty to prove against one of the top players on the Tour after Jiri Lehecka was beaten in routine fashion by Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open last month. The 3-4 record against top 10 Ranked opponents on the hard courts over the last twelve months offers some encouragement, but Jiri Lehecka has found himself under extreme pressure to serve very well with his limited return game exposed in those matches.

That was the case when Jiri Lehecka was beaten by Carlos Alcaraz on the grass courts of Queen's a little over eighteen months ago and the former may just struggle to stay with the World Number 3. Jiri Lehecka will look to try and build pressure with his serve, but Carlos Alcaraz can neutralise the shot and get himself into the rallies where he can just out-perform the lower Ranked player and cover a big mark with a solid Quarter Final win.

MY PICKS: Andrey Rublev + 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

Daniil Medvedev - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Carlos Alcaraz - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 5-5, - 0.63 Units (10 Units Staked, - 6.30% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2025 (Wednesday 19th February)

2025 has opened up without too many days like the one that occurred on Tuesday.

Two selections completed matches and both players had the majority of Break Points, but were not able to protect serve at key moments.

Coco Gauff's poor form continued, but Elina Svitolina's defeat stung considering she had over three times as many Break Points in the defeat to Clara Tauson. There isn't much you can do about that and the reality is that the Picks should have ended the day at least at 1-1, but the selection process was correct as players won't lose too many matches in which they have dominated the Break Point count as much as Elina Svitolina did.

Rain in Dubai has meant a number of Second Round matches were pushed back to Wednesday and the winners are likely going to be back out for Third Round action later in the day.

The Second Round is also scheduled to be completed at the ATP 500 event in Dubai and that is the focus for the Tennis Picks with the markets for Rio de Janeiro yet to be fully released.

Any selections from that tournament will be added to this thread.

Alex De Minaur - 5.5 games v Botic Van De Zandschulp: The ATP run through the Middle East is not as valuable in terms of Ranking points compared with the WTA 1000 events held in Doha and Dubai, but that has not taken away from the financial rewards on offer.

Unsurprisingly those rewards have attracted some of the biggest names on the Tour ahead of the back to back Masters in Indian Wells and Miami.

Alex De Minaur may have to beat one or two players with bigger names than himself to win the title in Doha, but the Australian has to be considered a definite threat to win after reaching the Final in Rotterdam. He was a solid winner in his opening match here in Doha and the Number 2 Seed in the tournament is strongly favoured to make it through to the Quarter Final.

He will have a respect for Botic Van De Zandschulp who has come through Qualifying in Doha and also won his First Round match.

However, it will be noted that none of those wins in the run to the Second Round have been against an opponent Ranked higher than World Number 92, while Botic Van De Zandschulp had opened the season with five straight defeats on the hard courts. This has meant his own World Ranking has dropped to 87 and it is important to just pick up some wins to avoid being in a position where the 29 year old has to face Qualifying matches to even take part in Grand Slam events.

Upsetting a top ten opponent would really open things up for Botic Van De Zandschulp, but that may be asking too much having already suffered a relatively straight-forward defeat to Alex De Minaur at the Australian Open last month.

Botic Van De Zandschulp has a serve that can make him dangerous when operating at his best, but he has not been as consistent behind this shot in 2025. He has taken sets in losses to Carlos Alcaraz and Lorenzo Sonego since the Australian Open and that will offer the Dutchman some confidence, but he is facing a very consistent opponent in Alex De Minaur and one that has been focused enough to beat those players he is expected to beat.

The serve has been well protected in the main and Alex De Minaur has found his spots against Botic Van De Zandschulp, which has kept the pressure on this opponent.

Doing the same here in Doha could see the World Number 8 have the majority of the Break Points and he should be able to play those big points well enough to edge past this spread set.

Andrey Rublev - 3.5 games v Nuno Borges: Early defeats in Hong Kong and at the Australian Open would have dented the confidence of Andrey Rublev, especially as it would have followed on from a poor end to 2024.

He is just about hanging onto his top ten World Ranking, but Rublev has given himself a boost by reaching the Semi Final in Montpellier and Quarter Final in Rotterdam, two indoor hard court events. A comfortable First Round win in Doha will only have bolstered his belief and Andrey Rublev can get the better of Nuno Borges on Wednesday.

The serve has not been much of a problem for Andrey Rublev, but there is a significant drop in his returning numbers and that is something the World Number 10 will be looking to improve.

Nuno Borges reached a career high World Ranking as recently as September last year, but he has slipped backwards since then and the 27 year old is going to be challenged to maintain the consistency needed to hang around the top 40 of the World Rankings.

The season started much more strongly for Nuno Borges compared with Andrey Rublev, but he has not played a lot of tennis since the Australian Open. In Marseille he was beaten in his second match and Borges has taken advantage of facing a Lucky Loser in the First Round here in Doha, so there is a considerable step upwards in terms of level of opponent he is facing.

Much like Andrey Rublev, Nuno Borges will feel that he is serving well enough on the hard courts, but not backing up his tennis as well as he would like when it comes to the return.

However, the edge has to be with the higher Ranked player, especially on the serve and Andrey Rublev can use that shot to set himself up for a solid win.

These players met at the back end of 2024 on an indoor hard court, which resulted in a relatively comfortable win for Andrey Rublev. You do have to expect Nuno Borges to offer more resistance on the serve than he did on that day, but Andrey Rublev may still create the majority of Break Points in the match and just find a way to secure a couple of breaks, which should be enough to cover this spread.

Matteo Berrettini-Tallon Griekspoor over 24.5 games: There is still some way to go before Matteo Berrettini can say he is back at the level of tennis that took him to World Number 6.

Injuries have been an issue for the Italian, and three losses in four matches played before this tournament in Doha will not have raised the confidence levels.

With that in mind, Matteo Berrettini will be feeling much better about himself after upsetting Novak Djokovic in the First Round here and an opportunity has opened up for a deep run and picking up some valuable Ranking points. The serve has continued to be a big weapon for Berrettini, but he will be encouraged by his return success in the win over Novak Djokovic and that is the area of his tennis that has plenty of scope for improvement.

Even at his best, Matteo Berrettini was an inconsistent return player and it was the scoreboard pressure that helped when he was rolling through his own service games.

He could have success doing that in this Second Round match in Doha against Tallon Griekspoor, the World Number 51 who has an inconsistent record on the hard courts.

Much of that is down to the fact that Tallon Griekspoor has had serious trouble on his return and this could be on show when he faces a serve as potent as the one that Matteo Berrettini brings to the court.

When these two met earlier this month in Rotterdam, both players were very effective behind serve, although Berrettini will be frustrated that he was beaten.

Matteo Berrettini won 82% of his service points played compared with Tallon Griekspoor's 75% mark, but it will be tough for either of these players to find breaks of serve if they can get close to those levels again. Tie-breakers could be needed again having played two in three sets in Rotterdam and it would not be a huge surprise if the these players are able to dominate behind serve again.

MY PICKS: Alex De Minaur - 5.5 Games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

Andrey Rublev - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Matteo Berrettini-Tallon Griekspoor Over 23.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 2-4, - 2.28 Units (6 Units Staked, - 38% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2025 (Tuesday 18th February)

It was a solid Sunday, but a frustrating Monday for the Tennis Picks and another loaded day in Dubai is set to take place with the entire Second Round scheduled to be completed on the same day.

The top Seeds are in action for the first time in Dubai and the same can be said for the two ATP 500 events being played this week- Novak Djokovic is back after retiring from his Semi Final match at the Australian Open.

Any selections from Rio de Janeiro will be added to this thread, but the Picks that have been made are all from the WTA 1000 event.

Elina Svitolina - 2.5 games v Clara Tauson: Surprisingly, three years have passed since Clara Tauson reached her career high World Ranking.

At 22 years old, there is still so much potential for Clara Tauson to fulfil and this is a talented player who has made a very good start to 2025. A title has been secured and it was an illness that cost Clara Tauson in her match with Elise Mertens last week in Doha, while a loss to Aryna Sabalenka at the Australian Open is not one that will have dented the confidence of a young player.

If she can put a couple more wins on the board in Dubai, Clara Tauson could be set to move into the top 30 of the World Rankings for the first time. Being Seeded at Grand Slam events can certainly help in her development and the Dane is someone deserving of plenty of respect.

Veteran Elina Svitolina is the Second Round opponent in a loaded Dubai draw and there is motivation to get back into the top 20 in the World Rankings, although the focus these days may be on trying to peak at a Grand Slam and finally win a Major.

Two early losses in tournaments since her Quarter Final run at the Australian Open has slowed some of the momentum, but Elina Svitolina was a dominant First Round winner and that will just give her a bit of belief ahead of this difficult match.

This should be a competitive Second Round match with both Clara Tauson and Elina Svitolina serving very well on the hard courts in 2025- both would like to get a few more first serves in play, but they have been very strong behind that shot and that has helped them protect the serve.

What could make the difference on the day is that Elina Svitolina has been returning with slightly stronger results and that may see her take advantage of the Tauson second serve.

It was Clara Tauson that won their only previous meeting, but that was on a clay court and Elina Svitolina can earn a measure of revenge by just winning the big points at key moments to secure a solid victory when all is said and done.

Coco Gauff - 5.5 games v McCartney Kessler: The World Number 3 will have been hugely disappointed with her Quarter Final exit at the Australian Open and Coco Gauff made a poor return to the Tour last week in Doha when losing in the Second Round to Marta Kostyuk.

One of the big issues that Gauff has been facing in 2025 is the second serve with a host of Double Faults just putting herself under pressure.

In recent years, Coco Gauff has had a solid serve- her first serve continues to be a big weapon for her when it lands, but the second serve has shown vulnerability in the last twelve months and it is affecting her overall tennis. Being put on the back foot by Double Faults, or predictable second serve placement, has just seen Coco Gauff falling a little back from the top two players in the world and it is certainly something she will be looking to improve.

The American faces a compatriot in the Second Round in Dubai this week in another WTA 1000 tournament and Coco Gauff will respect McCartney Kessler and the tennis she has been producing early this season.

McCartney Kessler beat four players Ranked higher than herself when winning the title in Hobart and she did win a couple of Qualifying matches to take her place in the main draw in Abu Dhabi. Last week she was beaten early in Doha, but McCartney Kessler beat Amanda Anisimova, the eventual Doha Champion, in the First Round here in Dubai and that is going to give the 25 year old a lot of confidence.

There may not be the really strong numbers behind the first serve that Coco Gauff can call upon, but McCartney Kessler has been pretty consistent behind the second serve and that will at least give her some chances to hold onto serve. The higher Ranked of the two players has been the more aggressive and successful returner of the compatriots and that can help Coco Gauff to just turn the screw on McCartney Kessler.

Some of the confidence levels may have dipped after consecutive losses, but Coco Gauff should still have too much for McCartney Kessler.

You have to credit the latter for some big results produced this season, but she has also been on the wrong end of some heavy defeats and Coco Gauff may just find the breaks of serve needed to clear this handicap mark.

Mirra Andreeva - 1.5 games v Marketa Vondrousova: There has been much hype around Mirra Andreeva and her potential after a couple of solid years on the Tour for the youngster.

She has yet to turn 18 years old and Mirra Andreeva has entered the Dubai tournament at a career high World Number 14 Ranking, but most expect improvement on that mark in the coming weeks.

A strong run in Dubai could take the Russian into the top ten, but the relatively early defeat in Doha in an upset last week is a reminder for Mirra Andreeva that she cannot look past any opponent. And that is particularly true as Andreeva faces off against a former Wimbledon Champion in the Second Round here in Dubai and an opponent who produced her best performance of 2025 in the First Round.

Marketa Vondrousova crushed Caroline Garcia in the First Round and the decision to miss the Australian Open and allow injuries to clear up looks to have been validated during this swing through the Middle East. She has already reached the Quarter Final in Abu Dhabi and Marketa Vondrousova is an effective hard court player who will feel she can have a positive impact in Dubai if she can get close to the level produced against Garcia on a consistent basis.

In the small sample produced in 2025, the second serve has been a little vulnerable for Marketa Vondrousova and that is an area that Mirra Andreeva will look to attack.

Of course, the former World Number 6 will feel she can play plenty of aggressive tennis of her own when it comes to the return and Mirra Andreeva is still growing as a server.

Her numbers have not been too bad- Andreeva does make use of the first serve and has protected the second serve about as well as any player on the Tour, barring perhaps the absolute elite servers on the WTA Tour. This serve will be tested by a player like Marketa Vondrousova who has shown she can be very good on the return on the hard courts over the last couple of years.

It will put some pressure on the teenager, but Mirra Andreeva may have additional confidence in the match up having beaten Vondrousova in Madrid on the clay last year. That is a clay court that plays faster than most in the build up to the French Open and Mirra Andreeva may showcase her talent by beating a former Grand Slam Champion for a second time and with a cover of this spread too.

MY PICKS: Elina Svitolina - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Coco Gauff - 5.5 Games @ 1.85 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Mirra Andreeva - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 2-2, - 0.28 Units (4 Units Staked, - 7% Yield)