Tennis Picks 2025 (Friday 20th June)

It has been a difficult couple of days for the Tennis Picks, but there is still every chance of ending this week on a positive.

All of the Quarter Final matches are scheduled to be played on Friday and this is the busiest day of the week for the Tennis Picks and one that may just determine whether it is a bounce back seven days for the selections or not.

Leylah Fernandez - 1.5 games v Dayana Yastremska: When this Quarter Final was set and the markets were released, Leylah Fernandez had been set as the underdog, but that is far from the case now.

It felt like the wrong way round considering the previous form these two players have displayed on the grass courts and Leylah Fernandez should have enough to reach the Semi Final in Nottingham.

She is a strange player- once in a while there is a big run, but Fernandez has struggled for consistency over the last twelve months and the 32-26 record highlights that. However, she is still the World Number 30 and the lefty has a decent game for the grass courts, although her best run at Wimbledon is reaching the Third Round last year.

During that summer on this surface, Leylah Fernandez also reached the Quarter Final in Birmingham and Final in Eastbourne, while her loss last week to Tatjana Maria at Queen's Club doesn't look nearly as bad considering the veteran went on to lift the title.

Both wins in Nottingham have been deserved, and Leylah Fernandez looks to be in good shape as she prepares to try and beat Dayana Yastremska for a third time on the pro Tour.

Any player that puts a couple of wins on the board at a tournament will be feeling confident, but Dayana Yastremska has bailed herself out of some tough spots. Continuing to face the Break Points and coming out on top is tough for any professional player and Yastremska is likely going to have to deal with a few more on serve in this Quarter Final.

In recent years Dayana Yastremska has been solid, if unspectacular, on the grass courts and this is a considerable step in terms of level of opponent compared with the Second Round win. Even in the previous two matches, the serve has been a little vulnerable and that should give the Canadian the edge in this Quarter Final and especially with the mental advantage of knowing she has beaten Yastremska twice previously.

Aryna Sabalenka-Elena Rybakina over 22.5 games: Would it surprise anyone if in three weeks time Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina are the last two standing in the Ladies tournament at Wimbledon?

Both players have had plenty of success on the grass and they have all of the weapons needed for another deep run at SW19.

It is Elena Rybakina who has gotten over the line by winning the title at Wimbledon, but the motivation will be very high in the Aryna Sabalenka camp to see their player join her in the winner's enclosure. Both Grand Slam runs have ended in the Final in Melbourne and Paris and the World Number 1 will be desperate to have at least one major title under her belt before heading back to New York City in August.

The one grass court match played underlined Aryna Sabalenka's capabilities on the serve, but it is the return that will be tested.

We can the exact same for Elena Rybakina who has a huge serve for this surface, but who has not been returning as well as she would have liked in her matches on the grass in 2025. The returning numbers can be picked up a little bit, but the Rybakina serve has been important for her and helped the World Number 11 win three of the four matches played on grass this season.

Matches between these players are usually very competitive and this Quarter Final could very much trend in that direction.

All six of the wins produced by Aryna Sabalenka have been in three set matches, while the straight set wins have been earned by Elena Rybakina in three of her four wins in this rivalry. However, only two of the ten matches played between these players has ended with less than 23 games shared out and both have the capabilities of serving well enough to secure at least a set each or, at the very least, push this into two tight, competitive sets that perhaps need at least one tie-breaker.

Jack Draper - 3.5 games v Brandon Nakashima: He made harder work of his win over Alexei Popyrin than anticipated, but Jack Draper did win and there will be a lot of hope and belief that the British Number 1 can enjoy a big two weeks at Wimbledon.

The draw will be key, but Jack Draper is a confident player on the grass and his numbers have been impressive over the last twelve months.

My one concern with backing Draper is that I can't remember being on the right side of too many of his matches, including that Second Round contest a couple of days ago.

He is a capable server and so Jack Draper will believe he can contain the threat of Brandon Nakashima and try and build some scoreboard pressure on the 23 year old American. Much like Draper, Brandon Nakashima has shown he can produce some real quality on the grass courts, although he has perhaps not had the big wins to really boost the confidence on the surface.

The serve can be a potent weapon for Brandon Nakashima too, but Alexander Zverev was able to string enough points together to break him twice in Stuttgart last week. Twelve months ago it was Jack Draper finding the breaks of serve at the same tournament to comfortably progress past Nakashima and the British player has won the last two matches between them on the Tour.

One poor service game let Jack Draper down as far as the handicap was concerned in the Second Round, but he may have a bit more success in this Quarter Final on the return and that could see him cover.

Holger Rune - 3.5 games v Roberto Bautista Agut: The World Number 9 has only just turned 22 years old and that should mean we have yet to see the very best tennis from Holger Rune.

Last year he reached the Fourth Round at Wimbledon and Holger Rune has shown he has the tennis that is needed to be a successful grass court contender. That run was ended by Novak Djokovic, but Rune may be hoping for better in 2025 with a potentially clearer draw into the Quarter Final and from there his confidence will be in a good place.

Two solid wins have been put together at Queen's to reach the Quarter Final and Holger Rune deserves to be the favourite against veteran Roberto Bautista Agut.

A former top ten Ranked player in his own right, Roberto Bautista Agut has slipped outside the top 50 in the World Rankings and there has been a decline in his performances over the last twelve months. However, the Spaniard is coming into the grass court season still believing he can be competitive on this surface thanks to his experience and previous successes.

He was beaten early in Hertogenbosch, but Roberto Bautista Agut has come through two matches at Queen's in three sets and that does display some confidence.

Of course he is going to have to be better to beat someone like Holger Rune who has won all three of their previous matches on the Tour.

One of those wins came at the French Open last month and Holger Rune looks to be the superior return player of the two, which may be decisive on this surface. Both have been serving well, but the younger player will have more in the tank and that should see the Dane come through with a solid victory to take his place in the Semi Final in West London on Saturday.

Daniil Medvedev - 2.5 games v Alex Michelsen: The United States have always been able to produce very effective grass court tennis players, even if the majority are built up on the hard courts. Movement is the one aspect that is perhaps hardest to understand, but the grass allows the big-serving American players to put plenty of pressure on the opponent.

It feels like 20 year old Alex Michelsen is going to be a solid grass courter in the years ahead having reached the Final in Newport twice in a row and picking up plenty of wins in the warm up tournaments being held in Europe ahead of the third Grand Slam of the season.

He has won two more here in Halle, including upsetting Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Second Round and Alex Michelsen will feel he can frustrate Daniil Medvedev if he is serving as well as he can.

In his relatively short grass court career, Alex Michelsen has won 67% of the points played and that is always going to give him a chance to use the scoreboard to make the opponent feel under pressure. He will feel there is room for improvement when it comes to the return and that will be tested by someone like Daniil Medvedev, especially after producing two solid wins in the main draw.

There was a time when Medvedev did not like playing on this surface, but the last couple of years have been much stronger and his serve can be just as effective as the one that Michelsen will bring onto the court.

Daniil Medvedev is another player who will feel there is more to come from the return, but he has looked better in that aspect this past few days in Halle. He has the capabilities of coming through a tight first set to break the back of the match and Daniil Medvedev can reach the Semi Final with a solid win under his belt.

MY PICKS: Leylah Fernandez - 1.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (1 Unit)

Aryna Sabalenka- Elena Rybakina Over 22.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Jack Draper - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Holger Rune - 3.5 Games @ 1.95 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Daniil Medvedev - 2.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 6-5, - 0.16 Units (11 Units Staked, - 1.45% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2025 (Thursday 19th June)

The majority of the selections made this week have followed the numbers- Joao Fonseca was a touch unfortunate, but Emma Navarro struggled for much of the defeat to Paula Badosa and that was reflected in the final score.

Jack Draper's failure to cover is the exception.

He had four Break Point chances in the first set, but failed to convert and was punished by dropping serve to lose that set 6-3... Even after winning the second set 6-2, Draper could not find a way to cover the handicap mark and it was a match where, once again, the dominant Break Point opportunities did not result in a successful outcome.

At least Alexander Zverev came through his First Round match, even if it was a disappointing day overall.

On Thursday the Quarter Final lineup will be completed at the four tournaments being played this week and so there are plenty of matches to get through with the remainder of the Second Round all to be played.

However, it looks like the research can only identify three selections- one from Nottingham, Halle and Queen's- that can be read below.

Carlos Alcaraz - 5.5 games v Jaume Munar: Back to back Wimbledon titles have been secured and there are no real concerns about the ability of Carlos Alcaraz when it comes to performing on this surface.

He is also a former Champion at Queen's Club in West London and so there were real reasons to consider withdrawing from the tournament and just using a couple of exhibition events to warm up for Wimbledon.

The main reason was recovering from the emotional and physical success in Paris earlier this month- Carlos Alcaraz defended the French Open title by coming from 2-0 down in sets to defeat Jannik Sinner and there was no doubt how much energy that was needed to do that in the manner it happened.

Eventually the decision was made to play at Queen's again, and Carlos Alcaraz made a comfortable start to the tournament with a routine straight sets win over Adam Walton. The scoreboard suggested a close match, but the World Number 2 was in complete control of the contest and he can build on that.

Carlos Alcaraz faces a compatriot in the Second Round and Jaume Munar is one of those Spanish players that has struggled to have an impact on the grass.

Jaume Munar came through the First Round when Jordan Thompson had to withdraw from the match after a single set was completed, but prior to the event, the World Number 59 had a career record of 3-13 when playing on this surface. Suffice to say it is a time of the season when Jaume Munar is not at his best and it will be tough for him to challenge someone of the confidence and quality of Carlos Alcaraz.

It would be a big challenge even on Munar's favoured clay courts, but on this surface it should be a bigger edge with Carlos Alcaraz, who should feel relatively comfortable in the match up.

He should be able to get into the rallies on the return and that should see Carlos Alcaraz exert his qualities over Jaume Munar- as long as Alcaraz serves as well as he can, he should have enough about him to earn the breaks of serve needed to cover what is a pretty big line for a best of three set match on the grass.

Andrey Rublev - 3.5 games v Tomas Martin Etcheverry: Last year was a disappointment for Andrey Rublev as far as the grass courts were concerned, but he was a very confident winner in the First Round. This is a player who has performed pretty well on the grass courts in the past and that crushing win over Sebastian Ofner will only have given Rublev some belief in what has been an inconsistent season.

He is next up against Tomas Martin Etcheverry in Halle and the World Number 63 is not someone who has a lot of grass court experience or success to call upon. His First Round win over Pedro Martinez, another Spaniard who prefers not to play on this surface, saw Tomas Martin Etcheverry improve his career record to 4-9 on the grass, but Andrey Rublev had double that number of wins in just the 2023 season alone.

An early loss in Hertogenbosch backs up the issues that Tomas Martin Etcheverry has had on the grass, but there has to be some respect for a player who gets plenty out of his serve.

On a surface like this one, serving well can keep a player in any match being played and Martin Etcheverry will certainly look to see how Andrey Rublev handles his own frustrations if the lower Ranked player is able to keep the service games ticking over.

A loss of focus when things are not going his way have held Andrey Rublev back, but he has shown enough patience on a surface like this one to produce some solid returning numbers. The way he dealt with the Sebastian Ofner serve bodes well for Rublev, especially if he can continue to serve at the level he was showing in the First Round.

When these two met on the hard courts in Canada last summer in the build up to the US Open, Andrey Rublev did display that patience to come through a tough first set before moving clear in the second. He may need something similar in this match in Halle, but Andrey Rublev can eventually make his superior grass court qualities display that on the final scoreboard.

Sonay Kartal + 3.5 games v Katie Boulter: All credit has to be given to Sonay Kartal for the year she has put together, which means coming into this tournament as the World Number 50, her career best World Ranking mark. It also means direct entry into the main draw at Wimbledon, where she reached the Third Round last year and the 23 year old will feel there is more to come.

She will certainly want to get up to the kind of level that Katie Boulter has reached as the two British players prepare to face off in the Second Round in Nottingham.

Losing to Amanda Anisimova at Queen's last week will have been a blow for Sonay Kartal, although the form of the American cannot be dismissed. In the same tournament Katie Boulter was not able to build on taking the opening set against Diana Shnaider, but the World Number 39 looked pretty comfortable in her opening win here in Nottingham.

Both are pretty comfortable on the grass courts, which is no surprise, but it has been mentioned before that Katie Boulter has struggled for big wins on the surface.

That is not the case for Sonay Kartal, who beat the World Number 16 last week and who upset a couple of top 50 Ranked players in her run at Wimbledon last year.

Their sole previous match up on the Tour ended in a three set win for Katie Boulter on the grass courts of Surbiton a couple of years ago, but Sonay Kartal was much lower in the World Rankings on that occasion. There is not so much between them now and Sonay Kartal has the grass court qualities to at least keep this one competitive with the games being given to her.

MY PICKS: Carlos Alcaraz - 5.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Andrey Rublev - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 William Hill (1 Unit)

Sonay Kartal + 3.5 Games @ 1.80 William Hill (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 5-3, + 1.04 Units (8 Units Staked, + 13% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2025 (Wednesday 18th June)

A couple of rolls of the ball or a mishit here or there may have led to a perfect 5-0 start to the week for the Tennis Picks, but it was not to be for Joao Fonseca, who had late Break Point opportunities to win and cover.

Instead he was beaten in a third set tie-breaker, but Andrey Rublev had already done all that was expected from him earlier in the day in Halle and that has prevented this week having the same slide as last week following a strong start for the selections.

Moving onto Wednesday means more big names are in action and the majority of the tournaments being played will be into Second Round action over the next couple of days. There some First Round matches to clear up in Halle as the organisers gave a couple of Finalists from the end of last week a bit more time to prepare for their event, but in the main it is onto Second Round action in what are the last really big events before the start of Wimbledon a week on Monday.

Emma Navarro v Paula Badosa: Both of these players produced very solid First Round wins in Berlin and previous form on the grass courts should mean Emma Navarro and Paula Badosa are set for decent impacts when Wimbledon gets underway.

The more matches that can be played now could pay off in SW19 and so this is an important Second Round match.

Last week Emma Navarro was beaten at the same stage at Queens Club in London, while Paula Badosa is playing her first grass court event of 2025, and the performances that have been produced in the opening wins should have given each plenty of confidence.

At the same time, both Navarro and Badosa have struggled for some consistency in the last few months and so they will be looking to rebuild some of the lost confidence by having a strong run in Berlin.

Emma Navarro was a Wimbledon Quarter Finalist last year, and that had followed a Semi Final run in Bad Homburg. She has yet to really find the same level on the surface in the opening three matches played, but all three have been against decent players on the Tour and going 2-1 will certainly help the American believe that her tennis is in a good spot.

In the same two events in 2024, Paula Badosa reached the Fourth Round in SW19 and Quarter Final in Bad Homburg, and she looked in strong shape in crushing home hope Eva Lys in the First Round. This is a significant step upwards in terms of a challenge having split two matches with Emma Navarro last year with the Badosa win being on a clay court and the Navarro win coming at the US Open on the hard courts.

Paula Badosa has all of the attributes to be a really strong grass court player- the serve can be a huge weapon and she showed that she can get her teeth into the return last year and in the strong First Round win.

However, that will be tested by Emma Navarro if the World Number 9 is anywhere near her best and the match up with the Spaniard has been one that she has enjoyed.

This has the makings of a close Second Round match between two players separated by one place in the World Rankings and Emma Navarro can secure the upset. It was something of a surprise that she has been set as the pretty strong underdog, and the American can make use of the games being given to her on the handicap.

Jack Draper - 3.5 games v Alexei Popyrin: Over the last twelve months, Alexei Popyrin has perhaps picked up a better understanding of playing on the grass courts, although it is still a work in progress. He is going to be Seeded at Wimbledon later this month and Alexei Popyrin has won six of his last ten matches on the surface having gotten the better of compatriot Aleksandar Vukic in the First Round.

That followed an early loss in Hertogenbosch and there is little doubt that Alexei Popyrin is a very dangerous player on this surface as long as he serves as well as he can. Doing that makes it very difficult to get on top of him and Popyrin won a set in a Third Round loss to Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon last year, which will have given him a lot of confidence to perform on this surface.

Playing in London means it is tennis season and Alexei Popyrin has had previous experience of facing a British player at Queens Club when losing to Andy Murray in what turned out to be the last Singles win of the latter's very strong career.

This time he has to face the British Number 1, who is also the World Number 6, and Jack Draper has all of the tools needed to be a very successful player on the surface.

He won a title on the grass in Stuttgart last year, but Draper was disappointingly beaten early at Wimbledon and so there has been a tweak of the schedule. This time Jack Draper decided to have some time off before Queens got underway and he was a very strong First Round winner.

Jack Draper's improvement on the Tour has been behind the strong lefty serve, and that is a weapon that is considerably more dangerous on a surface like this one. He should be able to largely contain the Alexei Popyrin threat when he is serving and that should allow Draper the freedom to try and attack the Australian, who has given up seventeen Break Points in two matches played on the grass this month.

When he is serving at his best, Alexei Popyrin can be very difficult to break- he held 89% of his service games on the grass courts in 2024. This is not an easy surface to break serve, but Jack Draper has had some decent numbers on the grass and he can use his own serve to put some scoreboard pressure on the lower Ranked player.

The home player can take some encouragement from the fact he was able to break the Alexei Popyrin twice on the hard courts of Doha earlier this season too and Draper may have enough to cover the spread in this one barring a significant serving improvement from the World Number 21.

Alexander Zverev - 3.5 games v Marcos Giron: It was something of a surprise to not see Marcos Giron's name on the draw sheet at either of the two grass court events played last week.

In recent years, the 31 year old has been a comfortable grass court player and he has had some big wins and solid runs on the surface.

He arrives in Halle to face the home favourite, Alexander Zverev, who is also fresh off of reaching the Stuttgart Final before being downed by Taylor Fritz again. This is also a player who has regularly reached the business end at this tournament in the build up to Wimbledon, although Zverev will have plenty of respect for the kind of tennis that Marcos Giron can produce on the grass.

The serve was key for Marcus Giron last year and it helped him win the ATP title in Newport, as well as reaching the Quarter Final here in Halle. During that summer on the grass, Giron was able to take a set from Jack Draper and beat Andrey Rublev, which are impressive performances and his runs were ended by top ten Ranked players here and at Wimbledon.

The second of those defeats was to Alexander Zverev, who dismissed Marcus Giron at SW19 far more easily than anyone could have really imagined.

It is the kind of win that will give Zverev confidence as he heads out onto the court on Wednesday following the loss in Stuttgart on Sunday and the only real concern is whether he is that motivated for another long week with Wimbledon fast approaching. Having those wins in Stuttgart could be a distraction for Alexander Zverev, even if he is going to be well backed by the fans in the stands, although the match up is hard to ignore.

He has won all three previous matches against Marcus Giron and the two wins in 2024 both came in straight sets.

Overall it has been a real challenge for the World Number 41 to get into the Alexander Zverev service games and that has put too much pressure on his own serve.

It should be noted that Alexander Zverev is not the most convincing of return players on the faster surfaces, but he should have enough chances in this First Round match to win and go through with a cover of this handicap mark.

MY PICKS: Emma Navarro + 2.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (1 Unit)

Jack Draper - 3.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (1 Unit)

Alexander Zverev - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 4-1, + 2.32 Units (5 Units Staked, + 46.40% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2025 (Tuesday 17th June)

If last week is anything to go by, a good start doesn't mean much more than a positive start.

That is the case in this new week of tennis tournaments with the Monday selections returning a positive number, but building on that is important and there is a long way to go between today and the Final of the big events in Berlin, Halle and Queens.

We also have a WTA tournament being played in Nottingham, but the majority of the top names in action on that Tour have ended up in Berlin, which is highlighted by the fact that Elena Rybakina vs Qinwen Zheng is a First Round match.

That will be played on Tuesday, but the remaining First Round matches in Berlin look to have been priced up pretty well and instead the focus for the selections will be on the ATP 500 events being played.

All three selections were routine winners on Monday and the hope is that another stress-free, comfortable day for the Tennis Picks is had as we move to within two weeks of the start of Wimbledon.

Andrey Rublev - 2.5 games v Sebastian Ofner: It has been a difficult season for Andrey Rublev, but he will be hoping that the move back onto the grass courts can spark some kind of return to form.

The French Open was not a terrible tournament for Andrey Rublev, but he will be well aware that the grass is a much tougher surface for the majority of players on the Tour to deal with.

He has had previous successes on the surface, including reaching the Quarter Final at Wimbledon and the Final in Halle as recently as two years ago, and Andrey Rublev has a big game which does suit the grass.

There is no doubt that Andrey Rublev is going to have to produce some of his strongest tennis as he goes up against Sebastian Ofner, a player who has won two matches in the Qualifying Round to get his grass court season underway. Last year, the Austrian reached the Final in Mallorca in the build up to Wimbledon and Sebastian Ofner will feel his serve gives him a chance to stay in this match.

Andrey Rublev has had plenty of serving success on the grass courts, but the key factor in this First Round match in Halle is that the World Number 14 has found a way to get into return games with a little more consistency compared with Sebastian Ofner.

The latter has had plenty of grass court wins under his belt in recent years, which again has to be respected, but his numbers suffer a significant dip when only considering matches against top 100 Ranked players.

Sebastian Ofner's serve can keep him in the match, but the feeling is that Andrey Rublev will find a way to earn a couple of breaks, and that may be enough for a win and a cover.

Joao Fonseca - 2.5 games v Flavio Cobolli: Very little grass court experience has been had by Joao Fonseca who played six matches on the surface in 2024 and was beaten in four of those.

It is no surprise that the surface is unfamiliar to an 18 year old who has really begun to make a big impact on the Tour, but who has spent his youth in South America where the clay courts are the go-to surface.

Despite the win-loss record, Joao Fonseca played pretty well on the grass in 2024 and the development over the last twelve months could make him much more effective this time around.

Nothing was wrong with the return game in those handful of matches, but Joao Fonseca was not able to get enough out of his serve and that is something that may change when he gets underway in Halle. There is no doubt that the serve is improving for him all of the time and Joao Fonseca can at least put Flavio Cobolli under pressure in this First Round match.

Much like Fonseca, Flavio Cobolli is much more comfortable playing on the clay courts, but the Italian has moved into the top 30 of the World Rankings and is set to be Seeded at Wimbledon.

He may be one of the more vulnerable Seeds in the early Rounds in SW19, but Flavio Cobolli did reach the Eastbourne Quarter Final last year. His 3-4 record on the grass in 2024 is nothing to write home about, but Flavio Cobolli made use of his serve and that is going to be an important factor in this match.

The return needed some work with the ball skidding through the court much more than Flavio Cobolli would be used to, but he served well in his seven matches in 2024.

It will be given another examination by Joao Fonseca and the lower Ranked player may just have enough to get through this match and progress into the Second Round.

MY PICKS: Andrey Rublev - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Joao Fonseca - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 3-0, + 2.41 Units (3 Units Staked, + 80.33% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2025 (Monday 16th June)

After a positive start to last week, it took a historic failure from Ekaterina Alexandrova to help end the week with a negative number.

It was a hugely frustrating Friday and Saturday considering the chances that the players selected had created.

Sometimes you have to accept you've made a poor selection, but when those players picked have more than double the number of Break Points compared with their opponents, but can't convert, it really is a case of bad luck and that can be very frustrating and disappointing.

Over the last month, it has felt like some of the luck needed for any Pick has been missing, although I have to be happier that the read on the matches has been about right.

Again, if a player is creating two or three times as many Break Points as the opponent, it means they are playing well enough to win matches in the manner expected, rather than missing the majority of those and handing over breaks of serve to scupper the selections. You have to believe that will change back around as long as players are not finding ways to blow matches when having ELEVEN Match Points come and go.

It is a really big week on the grass with some of the very best names on the Tour playing in events to get themselves ready for Wimbledon.

The WTA draw in Berlin looks incredibly loaded with the top talents, while the two Men's Finalists at Roland Garros are also back in action ahead of the start of the third Grand Slam of the season.

There should be plenty of good tennis to watch for the fans, but I hope that is backed up by a decent week for the Tennis Picks, which have suffered over the last three weeks.

Emma Navarro v Marta Kostyuk: She may be the World Number 10, but it has not been a strong calendar year for Emma Navarro and she is looking for some consistency to take into Wimbledon.

There are plenty of World Ranking points to protect in SW19 after a surprising run to the Quarter Final in 2024 and Emma Navarro as shown a liking to playing on the grass.

However, her inconsistent season was all on display at Queens last week where Emma Navarro was able to get past Beatriz Haddad Maia in a tough match before losing to Amanda Anisimova, the eventual Runner Up. The first serve was not working as well as Navarro would have been hoping last week and that has put pressure on ther return.

She is at least going up against an opponent in the First Round in Berlin who has not played a grass court match this season and Marta Kostyuk has not always been at her most comfortable on the surface.

Her numbers over the last couple of years on the grass have been a little disappointing and the early exit at the French Open will have knocked the confidence of the World Number 26. Over the last twelve months, Marta Kostyuk has dropped ten places in the World Rankings and the match up with Emma Navarro has been a tough one for her.

Both previous matches have been played on the hard courts and Emma Navarro is leading the head to head 2-0 as she has been able to get her teeth into the return games with a little more consistency. On the grass, you would have to give Navarro a bit more of an edge and she can win this match in the opening Round in Berlin.

Katerina Siniakova - 4.5 games v Viktoriya Tomova: Qualifying for the main draw should stand Katerina Siniakova in good stead in this First Round match and the World Number 73 should be able to display all of her grass court capabilities in this contest.

Being a strong Doubles player certainly helps on this surface where getting up to the net and putting the finishing touch to rallies can be important.

Katerina Siniakova was beaten early in Hertogenbosch, which will have been a disappointment, but the two wins here in Berlin should have given her a lot of confidence. She has not only served effectively in those wins, but Siniakova has had her eye in when it comes to the return and she has been creating a lot of Break Point chances in those wins.

Viktoriya Tomova will know all about the qualities of her opponent having been beaten twice by her on the Tour, including earlier this season on a hard court.

Despite being Ranked lower than Siniakova, Viktoriya Tomova was not forced to go through Qualifying and that means her sole match on the grass was a defeat in Hertogenbosch to eventual Champion Elise Mertens. That defeat does not look so bad after Mertens went on to lift the title, but Tomova has been a little inconsistent on the grass courts over the last few seasons.

The handicap mark is a significant one and that will need to be respected, but the feeling is that Katerina Siniakova can use the momentum of Qualifying to get the better of this opponent.

She has been the significantly better server in the head to head matches too and Katerina Siniakova can come away with a solid First Round win.

Alexander Bublik - 2.5 games v Alexandre Muller: The surprising run at Roland Garros may have ended in a relatively one-sided defeat, but Alexander Bublik will have taken so much from that performance.

In recent years his numbers on the grass courts have been impressive, even if the win-loss record could, and perhaps should, have been improved and that confidence from the second Grand Slam could set Alexander Bublik up for a very good third Grand Slam of the season.

There may be an outside chance of earning a Seed for Wimbledon with a big run in Halle, but the reality is that Alexander Bublik is still going to be dangerous with his capabilities of playing on a surface that so many find alien.

He returns for the first time since the French Open and Alexander Bublik can get the better of Alexandre Muller in the First Round.

The latter enters the tournament as the World Number 40, which is above Alexander Bublik, but Alexandre Muller has not really not enjoyed the grass court season.

The Frenchman has a career 3-5 record on the surface, but Muller can serve pretty well at times and that should show up on the grass courts. In those eight previous matches, Alexandre Muller has only won 58% of his service points played, but two of those matches have been against top 5 Ranked players and he has had stronger returning numbers when facing opponents that are not Ranked that high.

Alexander Bublik can be tough to trust- he is certainly someone who has to have got out of bed the right side on the morning of his match- but he does have solid serving numbers on the grass. If he can stick to that kind of level, Bublik can keep this opponent under some pressure and that may see him find a break or two that is needed to win and cover this handicap mark set.

MY PICKS: Emma Navarro @ 1.95 William Hill (1 Unit)

Katerina Siniakova - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Alexander Bublik - 2.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet365 (1 Unit)

2025 Season: 93-79, + 6.75 Units (210 Units Staked, + 3.21% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2025 (Saturday 14th June)

I guess I should have been wary of Friday the 13th with both selections falling down the wayside, but the Semi Final Round has been reached at the four big tournaments being played and that offers an opportunity to bounce back.

Elena Rybakina never really got close to covering, but Madison Keys had her chances and was effectively punished for a slow start, even if she couldn't care less having found a way to bounce back and progress past Diana Shnaider.

These early grass court matches could be invaluable for those players who are competing before Wimbledon and all that are still involved this week will be looking to secure a title and important World Ranking points to take forward.

Ekaterina Alexandrova - 1.5 games v Elise Mertens: Two of the top three Seeds have worked their way through to the Hertogenbosch Semi Final and the winner of this match is going to be a favourite to win the title on Sunday.

You can't argue with the form that Elise Mertens has put together in her three wins in the tournament with a bagel handed out in each of the three matches played. The World Number 25 has yet to drop a set and Mertens has to be really happy with the quality of serving she has produced in the tournament.

It was not the most productive of clay court seasons for the Belgian, but she is a comfortable grass court performer.

Winning matches will always give a player confidence and winning in the manner that Elise Mertens has been doing in Hertogenbosch can only add to that belief. However, it should be noted that all of the players she has faced in the tournament have been Ranked between 76 and 85 and so facing the Number 2 Seed is going to be a significant increase in level of opponent.

It also becomes a much tougher test for Elise Mertens when noting how well Ekaterina Alexandrova has been able to play on the grass in recent years.

An illness forced her to miss Wimbledon in 2024, but the World Number 15 reached the Fourth Round in SW19 in 2023 and she is set for another strong run.

Ekaterina Alexandrova has been given more of a test to reach the Hertogenbosch Semi Final, but she will have benefited from that and has a win over a player Ranked inside the top 40. The second serve needs to be given a bit more protection if Alexandrova is going to win the title here, but she will be confident when facing an opponent she has gotten the better of more often than not in previous matches.

The higher Ranked player has won three of the four previous matches against Elise Mertens, although they are meeting on grass for the first time.

Those wins can still play an important mental role and Ekaterina Alexandrova has really enjoyed playing at this tournament, which will also help. She won back to back titles here in Hertogenbosch in 2022 and 2023 before losing in the Semi Final last year and Ekaterina Alexandrova can get the better of Elise Mertens and move through to the Final with a solid win behind her.

Elena Gabriela Ruse - 1.5 games v Elisabetta Cocciaretto: The higher Ranked player coming into this Semi Final is Elena Gabriela Ruse, but she was forced to win a couple of Qualifying matches to take her place in the main draw.

In some situations that may not feel ideal, but Elena Gabriela Ruse has used the momentum to shine through to the Semi Final in Hertogenbosch having won all of her matches in straight sets.

It should be noted that the World Number 80 has not really faced a deep competition to reach this Round, although the win over Bianca Andreescu in the Quarter Final deserves respect. The latter is returning from another injury layoff though and Elena Gabriela Ruse has won matches perhaps as she should do considering the Ranking of the opponents.

She is facing another player Ranked outside the top 100 in this Semi Final, but Elisabetta Cocciaretto has won a couple of matches against players Ranked higher than herself to take her own place in the final four.

Like her opponent, there has not been a deep appreciation of the grass as far as Elisabetta Cocciaretto is concerned, but she will have gained confidence from the level she has been producing here this week.

Both have served well, which has to happen on this surface, but it is Elena Gabriela Ruse who has been offering up a bit more on the return.

In a close match, that could be key and Ruse has shown a bit more on the grass in the last couple of years, and she could keep the momentum going in what has been a really strong week.

MY PICKS: Ekaterina Alexandrova - 1.5 Games @ 1.72 William Hill (1 Unit)

Elena Gabriela Ruse - 1.5 Games @ 1.72 William Hill (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 3-2, + 0.65 Units (5 Units Staked, + 13% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2025 (Friday 13th June)

The French Open frustration was largely built on the fact that too many matches had seen players dominate the Break Points, but find a way to miss out on winning those important points.

It felt like something of a hangover from that when the opening Pick of the week struggled to get over the line, despite having the better of the chances.

However, Diana Shnaider was able to rally together in time to produce the win needed and Elena Rybakina was then able to save some late Break Points to earn another winner.

Emma Raducanu rounded out the day, even after blowing a 5-0 lead in the first set, and that has produced a solid opener to the grass court season.

There is still some work to do to secure a positive return for the week, but that start at least puts a solid foundation to build upon.

Madison Keys - 2.5 games v Diana Shnaider: The opening Quarter Final at Queens looks a very good looking match on Friday and both Madison Keys and Diana Shnaider have had solid victories under their belt over the last few days.

Playing on the grass after a long grass court season can be challenging, but having those matches, and wins, to fall back upon should mean Keys and Shnaider are pretty happy with where they are.

Madison Keys was Seeded through to the Second Round and won her match on Wednesday, which means having had a day of rest ahead of the Quarter Final. That should be a help, while the fact that Diana Shnaider was pushed into a third set in her own Second Round win over Katie Boulter could leave the youngster a little vulnerable.

She has won a title on the grass in 2024 and so Diana Shnaider will enter the court with some confidence.

Serving well is going to be the key for the World Number 12 and the first two matches have shown enough from Diana Shnaider to believe she can give Madison Keys something to think about. Playing the Break Points with a bit more confidence will be important and Diana Shnaider has to be careful that she is not offering up too many looks at her second serve.

There is no doubt that Madison Keys is going to be serving well- this is a big part of her tennis and over the years the serve has been a key weapon for Keys on the grass. She has enjoyed some quality runs at Wimbledon and there is a new confidence around Madison Keys since winning the Australian Open earlier this year.

One of the criticisms of the American has been on the return of serve as Madison Keys has struggled with the balance needed to be really effective on this surface.

However, Keys got her eye in during the Second Round win and she did have too much for Diana Shnaider when they met in Miami in March 2024.

The younger player is much improved fifteen months later, but Madison Keys may just have the grass court know-how to get the better of Diana Shnaider again.

Elena Rybakina - 5.5 games v Tatjana Maria: At 37 years old, you can forgive Tatjana Maria if she is considering ending her time on the Tour at the end of the season, especially having lost more matches than she has won over the last twelve months.

Slipping down the World Rankings and having to Qualify for some of the important events on the Tour may not be something that Tatjana Maria is prepared to do, although her run at Queens will certainly help.

Her run is set to take her back inside the top 80 of the World Rankings, but Maria will be thinking about more than that.

It would mean upsetting a former Wimbledon Champion- Elena Rybakina won the title in 2022, but it was also a memorable tournament for Tatjana Maria who reached the Semi Final and was a set away from beating Ons Jabeur. Four wins here in Queens, including two against top 30 Ranked players, will have given Tatjana Maria confidence and her previous grass exploits deserve respect.

At the same time this is another significant test for the underdog, especially if Elena Rybakina has just found her range back on the grass court.

Only late nerves added some drama to the Second Round win over Heather Watson, but Elena Rybakina was very good on the day and she will have gained plenty from having that grass court match. Her game is tailored to be very effective on this surface and the Quarter Final could follow a similar pattern to the Second Round win.

Elena Rybakina will know there are some improvements to be made- she will need to do better on the second serve and the returning numbers can be improved, but the power in her tennis is hard to ignore.

A tough opening set is to be expected, but Elena Rybakina can find a way to move in front and then perhaps power through the second set, much like she did against Heather Watson.

The only previous match between Elena Rybakina and Tatjana Maria ended with the former coming through 7-5, 6-0 on a hard court at the back end of 2023. This one is unlikely to be as wide as that, but Elena Rybakina could still cover the handicap mark that has been set.

MY PICKS: Madison Keys - 2.5 Games @ 1.66 William Hill (1 Unit)

Elena Rybakina - 5.5 Games @ 2.00 William Hill (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 3-0, + 2.65 Units (3 Units Staked, + 88.33% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2025 (Thursday 12th June)

A decision was made partway through the French Open to really take a watching brief after some brutal luck early in the tournament.

Ultimately the feeling was that I had ignored the way the tournament was developing at the Australian Open in 2024 and that set the entirety of the season behind schedule.

With a solid opening to 2025 under the belt, the feeling was that there was some confusion in the selections being made at the French Open and so I did not want to remain on a pathway that was not going to be leading to a positive return. Instead it was better to just take a step back and that proved to be the case with some many of the matches in the second week of the event also seemingly moving against the numbers.

It has been a tough tournament, but in a long season, you have to expect some of the lows although I am always keen to avoid them at Grand Slam events.

The numbers on the tournament were a disappointment, but that was far from the word that would have been used for the Men's Final last Sunday.

Jannik Sinner has to be feeling incredibly sick at blowing the chance to win a third Grand Slam in a row- he was up two sets and a break and then had three consecutive Championship Points in the fourth set, only to be eventually undone in a Champions tie-breaker at the end of the absorbing fifth set.

For fans of the sport who have lived through the Big Four era, it was an incredible Final put together by the two best players on the ATP Tour and you would be hard pressed to find too many people who are not anticipating Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz facing off on Sunday 13th July in the Wimbledon Final.

That Grand Slam Final will sit alongside some of the very best we have seen, but the Women's Final was not as strong in terms of quality, but had plenty of drama attached to it too.

Aryna Sabalenka is a fabulous player, but a late Grand Slam capitulation has become far too familiar for her, her team and her fans and she will head to Wimbledon with all of the attributes to win the title, except perhaps the most important which is the mental strength.

Some will consider that a harsh assessment of a player that has won multiple Grand Slam titles, but these late collapses have prevented the World Number 1 having double the number that is in the trophy cabinet.

The victor, Coco Gauff, has plenty of grass court pedigree of her own so the top two players are expected to be there or thereabouts, even if the Women's Wimbledon tournament has been wide open over recent years. There will be players who feel they can put the tennis together to have a big event when that begins in July and it will be interesting to see how the draw shapes up.

Before the third Grand Slam of the season gets underway, there are three weeks of grass court tournaments in the lead up to Wimbledon.

The short season is still one that some believe should be expanded, but there are a lot of players who cannot stand this time of the year and those are the vulnerable ones you have to look out for.

Form can be determined by results over the remainder of the month, including at the new WTA event being played at Queens this week.

Early matches have really provided a watching brief, although one or two selections came very close to being placed on a thread here.

I have noted that the layers are taking no chances with the total games marks being set for matches in Stuttgart and Hertogenbosch, where the ATP are playing (there is also a WTA event in the latter), and so the main focus for the remainder of this week could be on the WTA events being played, notably that one in West London not far from Wimbledon.

Selections will be made when they are fitting the criteria and the ambition over the last two and a half weeks of June is to build some momentum to take into the third Grand Slam of the season.

Emma Raducanu - 4.5 games v Rebecca Sramkova: Weeks before beginning her memorable run at the US Open, Emma Raducanu really announced herself to the British public by reaching the Fourth Round at Wimbledon.

Two top 50 Ranked players were beaten in that run, including Marketa Vondrousova who would go on to win Wimbledon in 2023, but suffice to say it has been a tough few years for Emma Raducanu who will be playing as the World Number 37 this week.

2022 was just a difficult season overall and 2023 injuries meant missing the grass court season entirely, but the British player is very comfortable on this surface. Last year she displayed that comfort with another Fourth Round run at Wimbledon, while Emma Raducanu also reached a Semi Final and a Quarter Final in warm up events.

A crushing First Round win at the reborn Queens tournament will have served as a reminder and Emma Raducanu deserves her strong favouritism in this match.

Some may disagree when noting that Rebecca Sramkova is only four places below Emma Raducanu in the World Rankings and playing in this Second Round after upsetting Wimbledon Champion Barbora Krejcikova in the First Round, but it should be noted that the latter is not looking like a player that will have another deep run in SW19 as injuries have held her back.

Back in 2016, Rebecca Sramkova did reach the Final of an event played on the grass courts, but at a level far below the WTA Tour... Since then it has been a real struggle for the 28 year old who has a 5-6 record on the grass and shown enough disdain for the surface to only have been involved in matches under the Wimbledon banner before taking part in the tournament here in Queens.

Prior to the win over Krejcikova, Rebecca Sramkova had never beaten a top 100 Ranked player on the grass and this should be a match where Emma Raducanu feels pretty comfortable, especially with the surface having a bit more wear on it.

The Sramkova first serve can be an effective weapon and that deserves some respect, but she is going to have to take risks with it and that means the percentage being made is likely to hover around the 52-55% mark. That should open the door for Emma Raducanu to turn the screw on the return of serve and the British player has been able to produce a 6-2 record on the grass when facing players outside of the top 20 in the World Rankings over the last twelve months.

Her return has not always been the most efficient, but Raducanu had her eye in during the First Round win and can back that up with another strong performance.

Diana Shnaider - 2.5 games v Katie Boulter: A French Open that ended prematurely will have disappointed Diana Shnaider, but the youngster showed some solid grass court qualities last year and may feel she can put together some strong results on this surface again.

The crushing First Round win can only offer the World Number 12 some real confidence to take into this match, which is going to be far from easy against a home player who will have the crowd firmly behind her.

Katie Boulter will still be hoping she can earn a Seed for Wimbledon and she is the current World Number 34, while in recent years she has shown her passion for grass court tennis. Throughout her career, Boulter has proven to be a very comfortable player on a surface that so many struggle to deal with, and she has a 29-12 record in main WTA tournaments played on the grass since the Covid cancelled 2020 grass court season.

Despite that, Katie Boulter will perhaps be a little disappointed that the win-loss record drops to 17-11 when only considering matches played against top 100 Ranked players in that time. She is also just 12-10 when facing opponents that are Ranked higher than her when the match is played, and eleven of those wins were in either 2021 or 2022 when Katie Boulter was Ranked outside of the top 100.

She still had to win the matches, but it is a real worry that the current British Number 1 has a 1-4 record against opponents Ranked higher than herself since cracking the top 100 in her own right.

Even her First Round win over Ajla Tomljanovic was a real battle- the Australian is a very good grass court player too, but she is only returning from an injury and is the World Number 64, while Tomljanovic will be frustrated at creating 14 Break Points compared with just 6 for Katie Boulter.

This is a significant step upwards for Boulter, who will need the crowd to get behind her and push her through, but the Birmingham Quarter Finalist and Bad Homburg Champion from 2024 should have the power to come through.

Elena Rybakina - 5.5 games v Heather Watson: The first match on a grass court can always be an awkward experience, even for a former Wimbledon Champion like Elena Rybakina.

Her performance at Roland Garros has to offer some encouragement to a player who continues to deal with off court issues that are clearly impacting her play on the court.

Elena Rybakina has every tool you would want if you were going to build a proper grass court player- she is perhaps a slightly weaker mover than ideal, but the big serve and the powerful aggressive groundstrokes makes the World Number 11 a real contender when Wimbledon rolls around.

She will be given a test by Heather Watson, even if the 33 year old British player has slipped down the World Rankings. These days it is the likes of Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter who will make the headlines for British Women's tennis in the summer and Heather Watson has not only fallen to World Number 164, but she was beaten early in a lower level event in Birmingham.

Heather Watson has to feel she has benefited from needing to win a couple of Qualifiers to take her place in the main draw in Queens and she was able to best World Number 27 Yulia Putintseva in the First Round without dropping a set.

However, this feels like a considerable step upwards against a former Wimbledon Champion and especially when you factor in Heather Watson's 3-8 record in her previous eleven grass court matches before entering the Qualifying draw here.

All three of her defeats last year were in competitive matches, but none of the opponents were nearly as highly Ranked as Elena Rybakina is and the question really is about how quickly the higher Seed can get into the groove on the grass.

The expectation is that the first set could be more competitive, but Rybakina may begin to move through the gears into the second set and that can see her progress to the Quarter Final with a solid win on the board.

MY PICKS: Emma Raducanu - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Diana Shnaider - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

Elena Rybakina - 5.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

2025 Season: 90-75, + 8.10 Units (203 Units Staked, + 3.99% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 15 Pick 2025- Men's Final (Sunday 8th June)

The way the last week of the French Open has played out, it is making my decision earlier in the tournament to shut things down look a very good one.

Matches that have swung wildly are great for the fans, but not so much for the selections and it felt like a weird tournament just a few days into the event.

The last of the French Open matches will be played on Sunday before all attention turns to the relatively short grass court season and the build towards Wimbledon. It should be a really good Men's Final between two players who may be competing in many more Grand Slam Finals against one another over the coming years and I don't think anyone would be surprised if we see Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner going at it again either at Wimbledon or the US Open later this season.

Jannik Sinner-Carlos Alcaraz over 39.5 games: This is the Men's Final at Roland Garros that most would have wanted to see as the World Number 1 takes on the defending Champion.

In something of a surprise, we have not really had the Jannik Sinner vs Carlos Alcaraz all that often at Grand Slam events, despite most of the fans believing this is the rivalry that will move forward at the end of the Big Four era.

This will be the fourth time the pair will meet at a Grand Slam and only the second time since the 2022 US Open, which again is a big, big surprise. The last time Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz met at a Grand Slam was right here in Paris twelve months ago as the latter got the better of the Italian in a five set Semi Final on his way to winning the title here.

Jannik Sinner may be the World Number 1, but he has lost eight of the twelve previous matches against Carlos Alcaraz- they had split the first four matches, but Alcaraz has begun to take control of the rivalry with four wins in a row, which includes beating Sinner at the Rome Masters last month.

That may give Carlos Alcaraz the mental advantage, although he is going to have to play with a little more consistency than he did in the Semi Final win over Lorenzo Musetti. He will need to serve well to try and move into control in the rallies, and Carlos Alcaraz can take some encouragement from the way Novak Djokovic was able to use his serve against Jannik Sinner in the Semi Final two days ago.

The Spaniard has been able to produce some decent serving numbers against Sinner in their previous matches, no matter the surface on which they have played, but it has not been a dominant shot. There are likely to be moments when the top Seed is able to get his teeth into the return games, which will not surprise anyone, but Sinner only created 2 Break Points in the match in Rome.

In that match, Jannik Sinner only faced 3 Break Points of his own, but was broken twice and he is going to need to get a bit more out of his serve. His numbers in this tournament have been decent, but Sinner has not been able to use his serve as he would have liked in matches against Carlos Alcaraz.

After saying all that, the overriding feeling is that this is going to be a competitive Men's Final and one that could go pretty long.

The last two Grand Slam matches between the players have both needed the fifth set to determine the winner and Carlos Alcaraz had to go five sets to win the French Open in 2024.

Backing a winner is tough, although the edge may be with the defending Champion.

The layers are finding it difficult to separate them, which is unsurprising, and the only disappointment for the fans is if the players are not able to both push this into a very competitive, long Final.

MY PICK: Jannik Sinner-Carlos Alcaraz Over 39.5 Games

French Open Tennis Day 14 Pick 2025- Women's Final (Saturday 7th June)

The French Open comes to a conclusion this weekend and we should have two quality Finals to watch, beginning with the Women's Final on Saturday.

Aryna Sabalenka - 2.5 games v Coco Gauff: Moving into the World Number 1 spot should have been an indicator as to who is the best WTA player in the world, but there have still be some vulnerabilities around Aryna Sabalenka. She has won Grand Slam titles, but has perhaps not been the kind of dominant Champion that most would associate with the clear top player in the world.

Things may be changing after her run at Roland Garros, although Aryna Sabalenka has to get over the line to prove the point.

She reached the Australian Open Final earlier this season, but was upset by an American in that Final and Aryna Sabalenka will be much more wary of the abilities of Coco Gauff compared with Madison Keys.

They are different players- Keys is a big hitter capable of taking the ball away from any opponent she faces, while Gauff has a much more all around tennis style. However, it is a style that has seen Coco Gauff beat Aryna Sabalenka in a Grand Slam Final before and she is playing with plenty of confidence having beaten the last home hope in the Semi Final.

Coco Gauff will know that this is a much tougher challenge compared with the Semi Final, but she will be confident in the way she is playing. She will need to serve more effectively to just contain the threat that is going to be coming from the other side of the net, but the Coco Gauff movement and ability to get the ball back into the court when seemingly beyond most players can be hugely effective tools on the clay courts.

Throughout the French Open, Coco Gauff has been able to get into return games and put immense pressure on her opponents, and that is something she will feel she can do even against a top server like Aryna Sabalenka. She will have taken some encouragement from the way Iga Swiatek was able to create pressure on the Sabalenka serve, although the win over the three time defending Champion will certainly give the World Number 1 all of the confidence she needs.

As good as Aryna Sabalenka is, there are still some vulnerabilities about her, especially from a mental point of view.

If Coco Gauff can keep the sets competitive, Aryna Sabalenka could be put under some pressure and she has had a number of disappointing results late in Grand Slam events.

However, Aryna Sabalenka has won four of the last six matches against Coco Gauff and that can be a factor.

The serve has ended up being a key weapon in those matches and Aryna Sabalenka may have that edge again in this Women's Final to round out the second Grand Slam of the season. It is unlikely to be a match that doesn't have some swings and roundabouts, especially at the French Open in 2025, but the repeat of the Madrid Final may end up with the same winner and with a similar margin, which would be good enough to cover this handicap mark set.

MY PICK: Aryna Sabalenka - 2.5 Games

French Open Tennis Day 13 Picks 2025 (Friday 6th June)

Day 13 at the French Open is reserved for the men's Semi Final matches and we do have two solid match ups as we draw to the end of the second Grand Slam tournament of the season.

The second will certainly garner more of the sporting headlines as Novak Djokovic takes on current World Number 1 Jannik Sinner so soon after the latter returned from a three month ban for failing a drugs test last year. There are going to be a lot of interested spectators in that match, while Carlos Alcaraz and Lorenzo Musetti could be in line to meet in multiple more Grand Slam matches in the future, especially here at Roland Garros.

Jannik Sinner - 5.5 games v Novak Djokovic: While the rest of his long-term rivals have moved into retirement, 38 year old Novak Djokovic continues to push back against Father Time and he has reached another Semi Final at the French Open.

He dropped the first set of his Quarter Final against Alexander Zverev and looked to be under some pressure, but Novak Djokovic's aura still exists when it comes to facing those who have been on the Tour for a long time. You could see the belief ebbing out of Alexander Zverev at an alarming rate mid-way through the third set and he never really recovered until it was far too late.

A passive approach has been criticised with many believing that underlined the lack of belief that Alexander Zverev really had in his ability to earn the upset.

This is almost certainly not going to be the approach that the World Number 1 takes as Jannik Sinner looks to add another Grand Slam to his collection.

His three month suspension was followed by an immediate run to the Rome Masters Final, which showed Jannik Sinner has not missed much of a beat. Since arriving in Paris, Jannik Sinner has made it his business to not only win matches, but to win in such dominant style to really lay down a marker to his main rivals and you have to say he has achieved that and more.

The numbers have been stunning- Jannik Sinner has been serving at a high elite level, but he has been backing that up with aggressive returning and his recent opponents have not been able to live with him.

In saying all of that, Jannik Sinner will know that Novak Djokovic represents a significant upgrade in level of opponent and the former World Number 1 is on a decent winning run having won the title in Geneva just prior to the French Open beginning. There have been a couple of moments when Djokovic has been pushed, but the Olympic Gold Medal winner has looked very comfortable back here at Roland Garros and he will have taken plenty of positives out of the Quarter Final win.

At the same time, Novak Djokovic will have to be at close to full strength to match the intensity and power that Jannik Sinner is going to be bringing onto the court. Unlike Alexander Zverev, Jannik Sinner is not going to lose faith in the heavy groundstrokes that have taken him to the top of the men's game and further confidence can be taken from the fact he has beaten Novak Djokovic in each of the last three matches between them.

That includes crushing Djokovic on his favoured court at the Australian Open in 2024, while the improved Jannik Sinner serve has not even faced a Break Point in the last two matches against the best return player of all time.

Novak Djokovic will have plenty of motivation from the odds favouring his opponent, but Jannik Sinner is not Alexander Zverev.

He is not someone who is likely going to capitulate mentally if a couple of games have not gone his way and Jannik Sinner has shown he can overwhelm opponents with the tennis he can produce. As long as he serves near to where he has been throughout this tournament, the Italian will likely keep Novak Djokovic under the pump and that may eventually lead to a more comfortable victory than most would expect.

MY PICKS: Carlos Alcaraz - 6.5 Games

Jannik Sinner - 5.5 Games

NBA Playoff Picks 2025- NBA Finals (Thursday 5th June-Sunday 22nd June)

Plans were being made to at least be in New York City IF the Knicks were to finally make it back into the NBA Finals, but the Indiana Pacers had other ideas and there are already some big changes being made in Gotham to get their team over the line.

Credit has to be given to the Pacers who reached the Eastern Conference Finals last year and who have moved through the Playoffs with some big wins over a former, recent Champion, the Number 1 Seed in the Eastern Conference and then getting the better of the New York Knicks for a second year in a row.

They look a potentially dangerous team and one that could have more to come, but they are facing the top Seed in the Western Conference and an Oklahoma City Thunder team that have looked the one to beat all season.

The Denver Nuggets almost secured the upset over the Thunder in the Second Round, but Oklahoma City have used that to fuel them and the crushing win over the Minnesota Timberwolves means they enter the Finals as a significant favourite.

It may not be the NBA Finals that some of the television executives would have hoped for, but there is a potential for it to be a fun Series with the way both the Pacers and Thunder approach their Basketball.

After a couple of strong Playoff runs for the NBA Picks, 2025 has proven to be more challenging. The Conference Finals selections were in a terrible position to open, but there is some momentum from turning things around and hopefully the NBA Finals Picks can at least turn a profit to round out the season.

All selections from the NBA Finals will be placed in this one thread.

NBA Finals 2025- Indiana Pacers vs Oklahoma City Thunder (June 5th-22nd)

Thursday 5th June

Indiana Pacers @ Oklahoma City Thunder Game 1 Pick: The NBA Finals features two teams where both would have expected to be taking part in this Series, but only one that the public would have believed in.

For much of the last eighteen months, the Oklahoma City Thunder have looked like a developing team that were ready to move from potential into Champions.

However, they were upset in the Second Round of the Playoffs last season and the same almost happened in 2025- this time the Thunder found a way to progress in Game 7 and the comfortable Series win over the Minnesota Timberwolves means they will go in as favourites to win the NBA Finals.

Fans, and the layers, have believed in Oklahoma City all season and they were amongst the market leaders even before the first tip-off.

On the other side, the Indiana Pacers may have felt overlooked by outsiders and they were considered an underdog even when the Playoffs began with the likes of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics seen as much more likely NBA Finalists. The Pacers had experience though having reached the Eastern Conference Finals in 2024 and this is a team and a Coaching staff that have full belief in what they are trying to do.

The Pacers have dropped just four games in beating Milwaukee, Cleveland and the New York Knicks in the Playoff run and the Offensive power has been really impressive. There is a depth to the rotation that makes them dangerous and this will give Indiana fans real hope that they can upset the odds and win the NBA Championship.

Key players will have to perform at a top level and the Pacers are also going to be tested by an Oklahoma City rotation that can match their depth from the bench. There is no doubt that the Thunder can go score for score if needed, but the real difference between the teams may be on the Defensive side of the court where Oklahoma City have played at an elite level.

Unlike the teams that have been beaten by the Pacers, the Oklahoma City Thunder will feel they have the players that can rotate around and really put the clamp on this strong Offensive unit.

They did meet twice in the regular season and the Indiana Pacers will take encouragement from the fact they scored 111 and 114 points in those games, although they lost both, which underlines how tough it may be to find the balance needed to beat the top Seed coming out of the Western Conference.

The game hosted by the Thunder was played as recently as the end of March and resulted in a 19 point win for the home team.

Oklahoma City are being asked to cover a big number in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, but they are in a position where recent hosts in the NBA Finals have produced dominant wins. In the last eleven, those hosts have a 9-2 record against the spread and have won by an average of over 13 points per game, while home favourites being asked to lay at least 4.5 points have a 21-10-2 record against the spread since 2013.

It is a big number for Game 1 considering what we have seen from the Indiana Pacers on the Offensive side of the court, but it does feel like the Thunder are significantly better and that could play out to lay an early marker down for the entire NBA Finals.

Sunday 8th June

Indiana Pacers @ Oklahoma City Thunder Game 2 Pick: For long periods of Game 1, it felt like the Oklahoma City Thunder were in complete control and almost certainly going to be picking up the win.

However, they were not quite able to kick clear of the Indiana Pacers and teams have found out throughout the post-season that allowing the Eastern Conference Champions to stick around has been very dangerous. They have already had a number of historical comebacks during the Playoff run and the Indiana Pacers became the first team to be trailing by at least 9 points with three minutes left in a Conference Finals game and still manage to secure the win.

All credit has to be given to a team that have quality, but also a depth and balance that has proven to be too much for so many to handle. There is a real belief in one another, which means looking to find the open man no matter who it is, and the three point shooting continues to be a solid pathway to keeping Indiana within range of striking.

Tyrese Haliburton made the headlines for his game-winning shot, but he will feel there is so much room for improvement after a game in which he had 14 Points, 10 Rebounds and 6 Assists.

The Offensive balance mentioned is underlined by the fact that none of the Indiana players managed to score 20 points, but six players all had at least 10 points. Winning a game on the road without someone dominating and with the heavy turnovers will have given Indiana so much belief and the pressure will have shifted onto the Oklahoma City Thunder having lost home advantage and desperate to avoid being in a 0-2 hole when travelling to Indiana next week.

The Thunder will be tasked with making adjustments and that may begin with a more consistent three point shooting game and just resetting the Defensive schemes. They began really well, but Indiana were not stopped in the second half and that ultimately proved to be an issue when the Thunder's own Offensive firepower lessened.

Indiana have to be respected having led 2-0 in each of the three Playoff Series that have been won and they will be focused as they look to take a firm grip of the NBA Finals.

However, hosts have tended to play well in Game 2 of the Conference Finals and those that have lost Game 1 of any Playoff Series have largely bounced back with big wins. The Pacers avoided that fate when beating the Cleveland Cavaliers for a second time in a row in the Second Round, but the Oklahoma City Thunder crushed the Denver Nuggets having been upset in Game 1 in the same Round.

Over the last four years, those teams are 21-7 straight up and the Thunder have shown all season that they can rally even after a disappointing result.

There has to be a respect for a Pacers team that have played hard over the last month and during a 2025 NBA Playoffs where so many big leads have evaporated. However, you cannot dismiss the Thunder after a single game and they may just rally for a strong win in Game 2 in front of the home fans.

Wednesday 11th June

Oklahoma City Thunder @ Indiana Pacers Game 3 Pick: There won't have been much surprise about the fact that the Oklahoma City Thunder put up a big response to dropping Game 1 of the NBA Finals and the 16 point win in Game 2 was even more comfortable than the final score might have suggested.

The momentum may have swung back to the Western Conference Champions, and favourites to win the NBA Championship, but the Indiana Pacers have responded to setbacks right through the NBA Playoff run.

Ultimately the Pacers will be returning home feeling like they have achieved their most immediate goal and that is taking away home advantage from the Oklahoma City Thunder. This is the first time in the post-season that the Indiana Pacers are not leading 2-0 after the first two games, which is going to be challenging, but there is a real feeling amongst the Pacers players and staff that there are many adjustments they can still make.

With that in mind, the 1-1 score after two games is pretty good for Indiana who should have lost both games, but continue to show they can rally at key moments.

However, the adjustments that they need to make are clear and the Pacers are still in 'prove it' mode as they look to get the team on track in Game 3. Slow starts have been a feature of the opening two games, but the Pacers have not allowed the Oklahoma City Thunder to pull too far away and they will be expecting role players to produce much better being back at home.

Tyrese Haliburton took the headlines for his game winning shot in Game 1, but he has only scored 31 points in the two games played and the Pacers have yet to have a single player reach 20 points. This has to change, as Haliburton has acknowledged, while the slow starts also cannot continue with Indiana being forced to fight out of holes.

They scored 45 first half points in Game 1 and just 41 points in Game 2, but the Pacers have found a stronger rhythm in the second half of both of those games. Unfortunately for Indiana, they were down in a deep hole in Game 2 and could not really force their way back into that one as a contest and so that is something Rick Carlisle and the team have to address if they are going to find a way back to Oklahoma City either 3-1 ahead or, at worse, at 2-2.

Indiana's depth has impressed, but those bench players have not been as effective as they need and there is some pressure on the starters to come out and fire. The Pacers have been in decent shape when the starting five have been on the court, but they just need to make some adjustments to try and put some pressure on a Thunder Defensive unit that have impressed all season.

It is tough to oppose Oklahoma City, but this is a team that have had more challenges when playing on the road and the Indiana Pacers should still have plenty of belief in what they are trying to do. With the home crowd behind them, Indiana should be able to make a faster start and some of the bench players should be more comfortable being back in their own Arena.

At the same time, perhaps the Thunder bench is not as effective now they are operating in a hostile environment and so the points on offer with the home team look appealing.

Teams that have been blown out in the NBA Finals have struggled in their next game, but that was not the case in the 2024 Series and the Indiana Pacer can bounce back. They can take comfort from the fact that teams that have won Game 2 have followed up with a 4-8 record against the spread in Game 3, while it cannot be ignored that the Oklahoma City Thunder are 0-7 against the spread as the road favourite in the NBA Playoffs this season, despite being 4-3 straight up in those games.

The Pacers are 6-2 straight up at home in the Playoff run in 2025 and they are 1-1 against the spread when set as the home underdog.

There are likely going to be moments when the Thunder look like they can pull away for another big win, but the Indiana Pacers have shown they can make the adjustments before and during games when things have gone against them. Those have seen the Pacers surprise at times and they may be able to keep this one competitive and potentially pull the upset outright.

Friday 13th June

Oklahoma City Thunder @ Indiana Pacers Game 4 Pick: There may have been some fans disappointed with the match up in the NBA Finals, but the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder will not be worrying about that.

In reality the disappointment is really with the Eastern Conference Champions and the fact that the Indiana Pacers were largely outplayed in the opening two games backed up those criticisms, even if they were returning home at 1-1. The layers also believed that the Oklahoma City Thunder were going to roll past the Indiana Pacers having recovered from the heartbreaking Game 1 loss, but this is an Indiana team who have consistently produced and who have continued to defy the odds.

They were much better in Game 3 compared with the two road games and the Indiana Pacers won as the underdog and are 2-1 ahead in the NBA Finals. Game 4 is also being played in their home building and the Indiana Pacers will not be too concerned about being set as a big underdog again as they look to make use of the day of rest between games.

A Series that has little rest time would benefit the Indiana Pacers who looked to have worn down the Oklahoma City Thunder at the end of Game 3.

However, this young Thunder team deserve a lot of respect as being one that has consistently bounced back from setbacks all season and you have to believe that some adjustments will be made. The starting players may need to play a few more points after the bench and role players predictably struggled in a hostile environment and the Oklahoma City Thunder will look to clean up their own game with too many turnovers proving to be their undoing.

The concern for the Western Conference Champions is that the Indiana role players really showed up to the party in Game 3 and the likes of Tyrese Haliburton produced their best performance of the Finals. Being back at home will help them too and a real worry for the Thunder is they lost a game in which the Pacers hit just 9 three pointers.

Most would have predicted that a heavy scoring day from beyond the arc would be needed if the Indiana Pacers were going to win games and so managing to do that in Game 3 without makes the Pacers very dangerous.

They will continue to push the tempo and look to gas out the Thunder, as the Pacers have done to so many of the opponents faced already in this post-season and it is difficult to oppose Indiana with this amount of points being given to them.

As mentioned ahead of Game 3, the Oklahoma City Thunder's record as a road favourite in the Playoffs has to be a worry with the team dropping to 4-4 straight up and 0-8 against the spread. At the same time the Pacers improved to 7-2 straight up and they are 2-1 against the spread as the home underdog.

In recent years, teams who won Game 3 have a poor record at covering the spread in Game 4 (1-4 against the spread) and home teams are just 3-8 against the spread. We have seen the Thunder bounce back impressively from setbacks and those trends are going against the selection, but this Indiana Pacers team are unlikely to be bothered about a day of rest between games and they have the tempo and intensity to avoid the blowout and, potentially, earn the outright upset for a third time in the NBA Finals in 2025.

Monday 16th June

Indiana Pacers @ Oklahoma City Thunder Game 5 Pick: Two full days of rest has been given to the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals and some of that time will have been spent thinking about what may have been, especially for Indiana.

Before the NBA Finals started, Indiana would likely have accepted being at 2-2 and with every chance of winning a first NBA Championship.

However, the way we have got this scoreline will sting considering Indiana had been leading by 4 points with time ticking down in the Fourth Quarter of Game 4 and with a 3-1 lead coming over the horizon. They scored just one point from that moment and some clutch basketball from the Oklahoma City Thunder, notably Shai-Gilgeous Alexander, helped them overcome the deficit and almost miraculously end up covering the spread.

They were helped by Bennedict Mathurin, who missed three Free Throws with the game in the balance at the end of the Fourth Quarter and then, inexplicably, made two fouls before the ball was inbounded to offer the Thunder a Free Throw AND possession.

Ultimately that was the clincher for the Thunder who did not play well in Game 4, but who will have taken a lot of belief out of the fact that they found a way to win.

It was perhaps surprising to see Indiana wilt in the final three minutes- they have been able to wear down so many opponents in those last few minutes, but this time it was the Pacers who struggled.

Both teams will benefit from having the days off to just recharge flagging batteries and that should see Game 5 improve in terms of the Offensive performances.

There is no doubt that the Thunder and Pacers are playing at a very high level Defensively, but there are some top playmakers on both sides of the court and those players will want to make a big impact in what feels like a pivotal game. With the Series at 2-2, this is a big opportunity for someone to step up and begin to write their name in NBA history and that pressure can either make, or break, a player.

All of that pressure feels like it is on the shoulders of SGA for the Thunder and Tyrese Haliburton for the Pacers and both should log significant minutes as the Head Coaches perhaps begin to lose faith in some of the role players and bench to keep their team alive.

Out of the two teams, the Thunder looked much more tired in Game 3 and 4, but late buckets turned the tide in their favour.

Even then, it feels like they are being asked to lay a lot of points in this Game 5.

The number is not as high as the first two games hosted by the Oklahoma City Thunder, but it is still significant and the Pacers have refused to go away easily in any game played.

Hosts favoured by 4.5 points have a strong record in the NBA Finals, but the Thunder are 1-1 against the spread in the spot this season.

They will feel the role players are going to be more comfortable at home and adjustments may be made to give Alex Caruso more playing time having been so important to the turnaround in Game 4. That makes Oklahoma City dangerous and the Pacers are going to have to mentally recover from what they will feel was a big chance blown last time out.

However, resiliency is what the Pacers have displayed all season and they can keep this one competitive with that rest helping the players recover. This is a team that has refused to go away all post-season and this may be too many points being given to them barring any more late game mental check outs as they produced in Game 4.

Thursday 19th June

Oklahoma City Thunder @ Indiana Pacers Game 6 Pick: This Pick comes out a little later than others during the NBA post-season and that is largely to get over the frustration of coming up 3 points short of back to back winners.

Instead, late turnovers or missed Free Throws have seen the selections go 0-2 and you do have to wonder how the Indiana Pacers can keep fighting through the adversity of giving games away. Instead of being ahead in the NBA Finals, like they perhaps should be, the Pacers return home for Game 6 looking to stave off elimination and the end of the season.

Bennedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard have to be highlighted for late game blunders in Game 4 and Game 5 that have effectively cost the Pacers big opportunities. They were just 4 points behind in Game 4 and with every chance of rallying when Mathurin missed two Free Throws and then committed two fouls to allow the Thunder to pull away with possession of the ball.

In Game 5 the Pacers had rallied to within 2 points of the rocking Thunder with eight minutes left to play, but Nembhard was a big contributor to a run of four straight turnovers and that ultimately ended their hopes.

Those role players may take on added importance in Game 6 with Tyrese Haliburton struggling with a right calf issue- the top Indiana player has stated he will do all he can to suit up, but he was struggling in practice and it may be up to others to step up and try and take over this game and make sure the Pacers have one more shot at winning their maiden NBA Championship.

For Oklahoma City it will be a case of wanting more of the same from Game 5 having looked the stronger team for much of the night, but still struggling to put away the Pacers. This time they did not allow the fightback at the beginning of the Fourth Quarter to distract them and the Thunder were grateful for a huge night from Jalen Williams.

The key is to continue to create the turnovers and that may be something the Thunder can do if Tyrese Haliburton is unable to go for stretches of this game.

They have not been easy to trust as the road favourite, but the Thunder are 1-1 against the spread in the two games hosted by Indiana in the NBA Finals. Momentum is with them and the last seven teams that have had a chance to close out the Finals in Game 6 have produced a 6-1 record against the spread.

After what we have seen from the Pacers throughout the post-season, and even in the last couple of games, this feels like a lot of points to be laying with the road team. However, the uncertainty about Haliburton may just have shifted things in Oklahoma City's favour even if the Indiana role players are likely to be better at home.

Sunday 22nd June

Indiana Pacers @ Oklahoma City Thunder Game 7 Pick: Nine years have passed since the last Game 7 in the NBA Finals, but a poor display from the Oklahoma City Thunder has opened the door for another 'winner takes all' contest this Sunday.

They will be extremely disappointed with the entire performance- the role players struggled, turnovers absolutely crushed them and then a substandard display of shooting the three ball allowed the Indiana Pacers to surge clear and ultimately blow out the Western Conference Champions.

It has been a fun NBA Finals to watch, but it has been a huge frustration for the NBA Picks.

After blowing back to back covers by just three combined points, the Indiana Pacers had the perfect Game 6 performance.

Role players who had made critical mistakes in the Fourth Quarter in Game 4 and Game 5 played brilliantly in Game 6 and the momentum is now back with the Pacers.

However, it is a very tough Game 7 to call with the 'x factor' regarding turnovers almost impossible to call- the team that plays the cleanest game is likely going to win, but you can toss a coin and decide which of these two are most likely to do that in a hugely pressurised situation.

The Defensive schemes have been pretty good on both sides of the court and the adjustments made by the Indiana Pacers may just give them the edge, although the layers are well aware of the pressures on Game 7 with the total points line dropped by a huge amount between Game 6 and this one.

Picking a winner is not easy and you can make the case for both teams- the Oklahoma City Thunder have been a lot better at home than on the road, and they have controlled large parts of the three games they have hosted. Despite that, the Thunder have not really been able to put the Indiana Pacers away, although the spread is not nearly as high as the previous three games hosted by Oklahoma City.

It has been a very difficult post-season, the worst one since the Bubble of 2020, and so another disappointing late capitulation cannot be ruled out for the selection. The lean has to be with the Indiana Pacers, who have room for improvement from Game 6 even after the blowout win, and they have shown they can hang around.

Role players have to be careful with the ball and not kill the Indiana run with their turnovers as they did in Game 5 and it would not surprise anyone if the Thunder score a late bucket to win by 8 points, especially with the way things have bounced for the selections made.

However, the Indiana Pacers are a team that have fought hard throughout the Playoffs and one more big push should see them in a very competitive game and potentially pulling the outright upset.

The last three NBA Finals that have gone into a Game 7 have been won by the team that was victorious in Game 6, while teams that have won the previous game by double digits have produced a 8-4-1 record against the spread between Game 5 and Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

This all suggests Indiana can potentially win this one outright, but the recommendation is take the points and hope the late turnovers go in the right direction.

MY PICKS: 05/06 Oklahoma City Thunder - 9.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

08/06 Oklahoma City Thunder - 10.5 Points @ 1.85 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)

11/06 Indiana Pacers + 5.5 Points @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

13/06 Indiana Pacers + 6 Points @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

16/06 Indiana Pacers + 9.5 Points @ 1.91 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)

19/06 Oklahoma City Thunder - 6.5 Points @ 1.95 Bet365 (1 Unit)

22/06 Indiana Pacers + 7.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

NBA Finals: 2-4, - 2.24 Units (6 Unit Stakeds, - 37.33% Yield)

Conference Finals: 5-5, - 0.45 Units (10 Units Staked, - 4.50% Yield)

Second Round: 8-14-1, - 6.64 Units (23 Units Staked, - 28.87% Yield)

First Round: 20-19, - 0.72 Units (39 Units Staked, - 1.85% Yield)

Play In Tournament: 3-3, - 0.28 Units (6 Units Staked, - 4.67% Yield)