US Open Tennis Day 5 Picks 2025 (Thursday 28th August)

The withdrawal of Jack Draper has removed a genuine contender to win the US Open, but in the main the draw has avoided the big upsets that have come to be associated with the final Grand Slam of the season.

Most are building up nicely towards the second week, although there continue to be some concerns around Novak Djokovic who dropped a set in the Second Round before rallying. Even at 100%, you would make Djokovic third favourite behind the top two in the World Rankings, but if he is limited, it makes it almost impossible to believe that arguably the greatest player of all time will have enough to beat a number of the best players to earn a twenty-fifth Grand Slam title.

We move onto Day 5 at the tournament and that is the conclusion of the Second Round.

After the disappointment of Day 3, the Tennis Picks bounced back with five winners from seven selections made on Day 4 and that has pushed the totals up again.

The next set of selections are focusing on the men's tournament and those can be read below.

Tommy Paul - 5.5 games v Nuno Borges: It is easy to fly under the radar a little bit as an American player when you know the headlines are being made by the likes of Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton and Coco Gauff, but Tommy Paul is the World Number 14 and has shown plenty of his own ability on the Tour.

He has made the Quarter Final in Melbourne, Paris and London in his career and went a step further at the Australian Open in 2023.

However, Tommy Paul will be well aware that to get real notice in his home country that he has to have a big impact at the US Open and he has yet to progress past the Fourth Round here. In each of the last two seasons, Tommy Paul's run in New York City has ended in that Round, but having others take the early headlines does allow him to perform without the same sort of pressure that the 'bigger' names will have to deal with.

He only played in Cincinnati in preparation for the US Open and Tommy Paul won one match and lost another, but he was a strong winner in the First Round under the lights.

Next up is a match against Nuno Borges who has proven to be a stubborn player to beat, but one that has struggled for consistency in recent times.

Despite that, Nuno Borges does come into the US Open as the World Number 41 and so this is a tough Second Round match considering a few more wins might have seen the Portuguese player Seeded at the tournament. However, Nuno Borges failed to put significant runs together during this latest hard court swing and had lost three matches ina. row in Toronto, Cincinnati and Winston Salem before comfortably dismissing Brandon Holt in the First Round.

Nuno Borges has a 2-5 record on the hard courts when facing a player Ranked higher than himself in 2025, but he did take a set from Carlos Alcaraz at the Australian Open. He has tended to serve well enough to build some scoreboard pressure, but this is a match up that should very much favour Tommy Paul as long as he can retaun focus on his own serve.

Over the course of the year, Tommy Paul has been getting a bit more out of his serve compared with this opponent, but the real difference is how they have performed on the return of serve. This is a crucial factor in favour of the home player and Tommy Paul may have enough in his overall tennis to earn a win and a cover of this handicap line.

Lorenzo Musetti - 6.5 games v David Goffin: He will turn 35 years old later in the year and there has to bea huge amount of respect for the career that David Goffin has forged for himself, even if it feels like he is very much coming to the end of that.

A former top ten Ranked player, David Goffin enters the US Open as the World Number 80.

He reached four Grand Slam Quarter Finals during his career, but it cannot be ignored that the last of those was in July 2022 and the best Slam performance since then is reaching the Third Round. At his best, David Goffin's movement was a real challenge for opponents, but that also meant his best was on the other surfaces rather than the hard courts and the Belgian has yet to make it to a Quarter Final in New York City.

Very little form was shown ahead of the US Open- David Goffin played four tournaments and was beaten in the opening match each time, while losses to the likes of Sebastian Baez and Pedro Martinez on this surface will have really hurt. The numbers have been pretty poor this season as far as the hard courts go and David Goffin may find it tough to stick with Lorenzo Musetti.

The Italian is the World Number 10, although the match up with David Goffin is not one that will overwhelm the veteran.

Long rallies are to be expected, but Lorenzo Musetti's freshness is crucial and he has previously beaten David Goffin in New York City. That was back in 2022 and there is no doubt that Musetti has improved, while Goffin has declined, since they last played one another here.

Last year, David Goffin did beat Lorenzo Musetti at the Shanghai Masters so he cannot be dismissed, although it is the higher Ranked player who is getting a bit more out of his serve and is the superior return player at this stage of their careers.

Lorenzo Musetti came through an awkward First Round match in impressive fashion, although he has yet to really show his best in the Grand Slams played in Australian and the United States. This may change over the course of this tournament and the expectation out of this match is that Musetti can rack up the breaks of serve which eventually will pull him past what is a big line on paper.

David Goffin has played some of his best tennis on the hard courts in 2025 when facing the best- he pushed Carlos Alcaraz very hard at the Indian Wells Masters in March- but the form this summer has been very disappointing and that may show up on the scoreboard of this Second Round match.

Alexander Zverev - 6.5 games v Jacob Fearnley: 2025 will have felt like the first real tear on the Tour as far as Jacob Fearnley is concerned, despite the huge leap in the World Rankings made in 2024.

However, that was a time when the British player was really fighting it through a lower level than the main Tour and this is the first year that Jacob Fearnley has been Ranked high enough to earn direct entry into the Grand Slam events. He has taken advatnage by reaching the Third Round at the Australian Open and Jacob Fearnley also won matches at the French Open.

Like many American players, Jacob Fearnley has taken the College route into the pro Tour and was playing with the TCU Horned Frogs to build up his experience. That should mean he is pretty accustomed to the North American hard courts and getting the better of a veteran in the First Round will certainly provide confidence.

The New York City crowd can get a little rowdy, especially late into the evening, and so Jacob Fearnley has done really well to get the better of Roberto Bautista Agut.

He had not shown a lot of form in the lead up to the US Open though and Fearnley will be wella ware of the kind of challenges he will face in this Second Round match.

It was Alexander Zverev who beat Jacob Fearnley at the Australian Open in January and the World Number 3 was also a convincing winner over this opponent at the Miami Masters.

Semi Final runs at both Masters events in Canada and Cincinnati in preparation for the US Open shows that Alexander Zverev's game is in good shape and he is a former Finalist at the US Open. In fact this remains the Major he came closest to winning in his career and the German is very comfortable in the conditions at Flushing Meadows, which makes him a strong favourite in this match.

The overall hard court numbers have been impressive as far as Alexander Zverev is concerned and he can only take further confidence from the way he has dealt with Jacob Fearnley in the two hard court meetings in 2025. There has been a big difference in the quality of serving taken onto the court and Alexander Zverev should be able to maintain the momentum behind the returning numbers in the head to head.

Jacob Fearnley will want to show how much he has learned from the two losses to this opponent, but he will need to find a significant improvement in level. That seems unlikely and the World Number 3 can earn the breaks of serve to move into a position to put a dominant win on the scoreboard.

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 1.5 sets v Daniel Altmaier: The fourth set was harder than it needed to be when Stefanos Tsitsipas missed six opportunities to move a double-break clear, and then dropped serve immediately. It meant having to come through a tie-breaker, but that may actually benefit a player who has been short of confidence and just act as a reminder of the talent he does possess.

The World Ranking has been trending south, but Stefanos Tsitsipas has a chance to turn things around having been beaten in the First Round at the US Open last year.

There are still some doubts about Stefanos Tsitsipas and where his confidence is right now, but he should have all of the qualities needed to beat Daniel Altmaier in this Second Round match.

The World Number 56 had been showing little form in the lead up to the US Open and had won two and lost five of the matches played across five different tournaments. With that in mind, not many would have picked Daniel Altmaier to even make it through to the Second Round and so credit has to be given to him for winning in five sets having dug deep for almost five hours on the court.

One day of rest should be enough for Daniel Altmaier to recover, but there is no doubt that he is going to have left something out on the court in the First Round.

He serves well enough to at least give a limited returner like Stefanos Tsitsipas something to think about, but, just like the First Round opponent faced by the Greek player, you do have to wonder if Daniel Altmaier's return game is good enough. In 2025 on this surface, Altmaier is winning just 35% of return points played, and he may struggled to get much joy out of the serve he is facing on Day 5 at the US Open.

That was the case in their sole previous meeting at the French Open in 2024 and the faster surfaces at the US Open are not expected to make things any easier for the lower Ranked player.

Like in the First Round, the expectation is that Stefanos Tsitsipas' serve is the difference maker between the players and a potentially fatigued opponent may struggle to win more than a set.

Karen Khachanov - 5.5 games v Kamil Majchrzak: This is a selection where the hope was that a market would be released to back Karen Khachanov to win by either three or four sets.

Instead the layers seem to be on top of the dominance that Karen Khachanov has enjoyed against this opponent and he should have enough tools to win this one convincingly too.

Karen Khachanov has beaten Kamil Majchrzak at both the French Open and Wimbledon in the past with the latter win coming in the tournament last month.

The service numbers in the four meetings on the Tour are heavily skewed in favour of the World Number 9, while the performances in the lead up to the US Open have also impressed. There is no doubt that Karen Khachanov is playing with a lot of confidence right now and that will make it very tough on Kamil Majchrzak to turn things around in the head to head.

Kamil Majchrzak has had some successes on the hard courts this year, but those have largely been at Challenger level and this is only the third match against a top 100 Ranked opponent on the surface in 2025. He is 1-1 in those previous matches with both being played in Winston Salem last week, but this is a big step up and Majchrzak has not enjoyed the match up.

He should be able to serve well enough to be competitive in a set, but Karen Khachanov will be confident he can deal with what's coming and the top ten Ranked player can find a way to grind down this opponent and move clear of the handicap line.

MY PICKS: Tommy Paul - 5.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Lorenzo Musetti - 6.5 Games @ 1.70 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Alexander Zverev - 6.5 Games @ 1.72 William Hill (2 Units)

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 1.5 Sets @ 1.66 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Karen Khachanov - 5.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (2 Units)

US Open Update: 12-4, + 11.84 Units (31 Units Staked, + 38.19% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 5 Picks 2025 (Thursday 29th May)

The only positive from Day 4 is that at least some of the selections were able to return with winners, but this has not been a fun tournament for the selections so far.

Some of the Picks may not have looked like they have stood a chance from the outset, but the frustration has been getting on the wrong end of some of the fine margins.

For instance, Miomir Kecmanovic is going to be wondering just as much as we are as to how he was beaten by Quentin Halys having dominated the Break Point count- he had ten across three games in the third set and was still not able to win it, and it really is a match that was effectively read correctly, but without the luck that is needed.

Jelena Ostapenko missed the cover by one game having taken too long to really take control of her match, while Diana Shnaider then allowed a 4-0 lead to slip in the opening set.

And just in case it feels like only the bounce of the ball that is seemingly going against the selections in the French capital, Casper Ruud is injured and loses twelve of thirteen games played in the final two sets. He had no reason to continue to play when the injury had completely limited his movement, and there is no way you back someone who is injured, but that is the way the cookie crumbles and sums up the poor luck that has been attached to the Picks.

It does make Thursday important and anything less than a winning return may mean a choice has to be made to shut down the Picks for the rest of the event- I would still offer up some thoughts on the matches to be played, but without any units to be attached to them, but it is something to assess after the Thursday schedule is completed.

Novak Djokovic - 7.5 games v Corentin Moutet: It has not been a year to remember so far for Novak Djokovic and the former World Number 1 had been struggling on the clay courts in the lead up to the French Open. He skipped Rome after consecutive defeats, but Novak Djokovic made a rare decision to play in Geneva in the week before the start of the French Open to try and rebuild some confidence.

The plan worked with Djokovic winning the title before heading to Paris and he did not need to be at his best to win in the First Round at Roland Garros.

Novak Djokovic may go down as the best player of all time, but he has not always been given love from the tennis watching crowd and certainly not like Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal. That could be the case again in the Second Round with a match against a home player, although Djokovic admitted feeling good being back in Paris having last stepped out here with the Gold Medal win at the Olympic Games.

He is going to be tested by Corentin Moutet who has a style that can take opponents out of their rhythm when performing at his best.

The World Number 73 had not shown a lot of form before reaching the Fourth Round in Rome, but that will have given Corentin Moutet a lift and he was also a relaxed First Round winner here. Last year, the Frenchman had his best run in his home Grand Slam when reaching the Fourth Round and he even took the first set from Jannik Sinner, and so deserves respect, but Novak Djokovic has seen it all in his time on the Tour and that should mean he is well versed in what to expect from Corentin Moutet.

Corentin Moutet will know that his serve is vulnerable, but he is a decent return player and that will give him some hope.

However, it is tough to expect him to stay with Novak Djokovic for long enough to really build towards a potential upset.

They have met twice before on the pro Tour and it is Novak Djokovic who has won both matches, including on an indoor hard court at the Paris Masters. Their most recent meeting came twelve months ago on clay at the Rome Masters and Novak Djokovic's return was devastatingly effective on the day and there is every reason to believe he can come through a competitive first set before really exerting his qualities over this Second Round match.

Alexander Zverev - 8.5 games v Jesper de Jong: If you consider the kind of successes that Alexander Zverev has had at Roland Garros and the fact he was 2-1 up in the Final of the French Open in 2024, you have to say he gets to fly relatively under the radar.

He is also the World Number 3, but it is Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz who lead the expert picks when it comes to selecting a potential Champion and this should be something that suits Alexander Zverev.

Some criticism of his performances over the last month have irked him, but he did win a clay court title in Munich and reached the Quarter Final in Rome. It was something of a surprise to see Alexander Zverev enter the Hamburg tournament last week, but the appearance fee may have persuaded him and the relatively early exit is not something that will bother him too much.

Alexander Zverev moved through the First Round without dropping a set, and he could be capable of covering what is an exceptionally wide line in the Second Round.

He is going up against Jesper de Jong, the World Number 88 who is set to end the French Open at a new career high World Ranking if he can put another win on the board. That is the challenge for the Dutch player who came through the First Round having dropped the first two sets and especially as he now has to face an opponent much stronger than the opener.

During this clay court season, the top players have gotten the better of Jesper de Jong, which is going to be a potential factor. Both Andrey Rublev and Jannik Sinner were very comfortable winners over him in Barcelona and Rome respectively, and in those defeats, de Jong simply struggled to protect his serve.

Alexander Zverev should know he can put the pressure on having crushed Jesper de Jong in Hamburg last year for the loss of just four games and you have to believe the World Number 3 is aware that he does not want to use too much energy in this first week. That should drive some focus, but it has been a tough tournament for some of the big names and it is up to Zverev to keep his intensity high and break down a player who is still quite vulnerable at the very top level.

Andrey Rublev - 8.5 games v Adam Walton: There has not been a lot wrong with the numbers produced over the last twelve months, but Andrey Rublev has been trying to find the mentality to overcome those moments when things have gone against him. Instead of fighting through and turning things back in his favour, Andrey Rublev has suffered too many defeats in that time and it is a clear reason he has dropped out of the top 10 in the World Rankings.

He only reached the Third Round at the French Open in 2024 and so there is an opportunity in front of the World Number 15 to reverse the declining trend.

No one will doubt the abilities of Andrey Rublev, who reached the Hamburg Final last weekend, but the results have been a little disappointing through this clay court season.

Dropping a set in the First Round is not a major problem for Andrey Rublev, especially as he was able to roll through the next two sets for a comfortable 3-1 success and the Russian is a very strong favourite to win this match against an opponent who has very little clay court experience.

Adam Walton is playing just his seventh clay court match in his career and he was 1-4 going into the French Open.

The draw was a kind one, but Adam Walton could not take anything for granted and still needed all five sets to move through to this Second Round match and a huge challenge that is coming up. His serve has been a vulnerable part of his tennis on the clay courts and Walton will find it tough to deal with the Andrey Rublev serve if the latter is anywhere near the kind of level he can produce.

In all honesty, Andrey Rublev has not been serving that well on the clay courts this season and certainly not to the standard of the last two years. However, he has still been getting enough from that shot to believe he will be the stronger on the day and the returning pressure could end up seeing the higher Ranked player move through the gears into another Third Round in Paris.

MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic - 7.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Alexander Zverev - 8.5 Games @ 2.20 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Andrey Rublev - 8.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Arthur Fils - 6.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Jack Draper - 6.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

French Open Update: 3-11, - 8.48 Units (14 Units Staked, - 60.57% Yield)

Australian Open Tennis Day 5 Picks 2025 (Thursday 16th January)

The Australian Open continues to roll forward and the remainder of the Second Round will be completed on Day 5 at the tournament.

Challenges will increase for the players over the coming days with the competition level increasing at the same time as the temperatures are expected to become much, much hotter and it can bring another factor to the table to consider.

A 2-1 record on Day 4 is welcomed, but there is still some frustration from the fact that Felix Auger-Aliassime blew a 2-0 lead over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, although not nearly the same level the Canadian will be feeling after a disappointing early exit from the Grand Slam event in Melbourne.

It still pushes things forward for the Tennis Picks, but Day 5 looks like being the busiest one yet for the selections being made and could have a big impact on the direction this tournament is going to travel.

Karen Khachanov - 1.5 sets v Gabriel Diallo: There is one Diallo making a big impact on a global stage by representing Manchester United Football Club, but Gabriel Diallo is hoping that his own name will also become well known for achievements in his own sport.

The Canadian is playing at his career best World Ranking and the First Round win over Luca Nardi means Gabriel Diallo will be improving that mark further. He did need over four hours to win that First Round match in five sets, but Gabriel Diallo looked the stronger player in the last couple of sets and also snapped a run of consecutive defeats, both to Italian players.

Last September, Gabriel Diallo reached the Third Round of the US Open and his game is very well suited to the hard courts. Winning matches will build confidence and he has built scoreboard pressure on his opponents by holding 87% of the service games played in 2025.

The opening draws have helped and it should be noted that Gabriel Diallo allowed 15 Break Points in his opening win in Melbourne.

Now the test is also much greater for the 23 year old when he goes up against Karen Khachanov, who won his First Round match against veteran Adrian Mannarino in straight sets. The World Number 19 has not really been able to become a consistent fixture in the top ten, but Karen Khachanov is a strong hard court player and he looks to hold a considerable edge over Gabriel Diallo on the returning numbers.

That could be key in a match that may need tie-breakers to separate the players within sets, while Karen Khachanov also holds the mental advantage over Gabriel Diallo having beaten him twice on the Tour.

Both wins were on the hard courts in matches played over the last six months and the higher Ranked player has held 87% of his service games compared with a 68% mark from Gabriel Diallo. In the two matches combined, Diallo has created 9 Break Points, but Karen Khachanov created 19 Break opportunities when beating the Canadian in Almaty to take the title in their most recent match.

You do have to feel that Karen Khachanov is still at the peak of his powers at 28 years old and he can back up those previous victories over Gabriel Diallo by riding his return game to another victory in the Second Round at the Australian Open.

Francisco Cerundolo - 1.5 sets v Facundo Diaz Acosta: Two compatriots meet in the Australian Open Second Round and both Francisco Cerundolo and Facundo Diaz Acosta will feel this is an opportunity to begin to reverse the slide in their individual World Rankings.

It is Francisco Cerundolo who is the higher Ranked of the two Argentine players taking to the court, but the head to head is split after four games and that means Facundo Diaz Acosta deserves his respect.

A Quarter Final run as a Lucky Loser in Auckland does mean Facundo Diaz Acosta has produced a number of wins already in 2025, which can build confidence. The test for Diaz Acosta is recovering after needing over four hours on the court in the First Round to earn his place in this match, while he is clearly a player who is much more comfortable on a clay court rather than a hard court.

The disappointing early exit in Auckland is a part of a tough twelve months for Francisco Cerundolo, but the World Number 31 crushed Alexander Bublik in the First Round in Melbourne.

Make no mistake about the significance of that win and performance against a player who only barely missed out on a Seed for the Australian Open.

Backing up that kind of performance will never be easy, but the experience of Francisco Cerundolo will help.

Much like other South American players, Francisco Cerundolo is not at his most comfortable on this surface, but he has found a consistent level and one that could be enough to see him move past his lower Ranked countryman.

All four of the previous matches between these players have been on the clay courts and the only one in 2024 was won by Facundo Diaz Acosta, but the surface in Melbourne should allow Francisco Cerundolo to get a bit more out of the serve.

Ultimately that could be key in what is likely to be a match filled with plenty of rallies, but just having a few more cheaper points may just put Francisco Cerundolo in a position to win this one in three or four sets.

Daniil Medvedev - 6.5 games v Learner Tien: He may not be everybody's cup of tea, but tennis needs characters like Daniil Medvedev who are not afraid to say what they think.

His actions on the court turn some people the other way- the destruction of the net camera during his First Round win over World Number 418 Kasidit Samrej produced plenty of headlines, but Daniil Medvedev was able to avoid the upset in a five set win and remains a potential dark horse to win the Australian Open title.

There is no doubt that Daniil Medvedev will need to be a lot stronger than his First Round showing, and he is looking to bounce back from what was a dip in his performances on the hard courts throughout 2024. Prior to that, Medvedev was amongst the very best on the Tour on this surface, but he has slipped significantly behind Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz and bridging that gap is the challenge that the World Number 5 has to face.

A stronger start will be needed if Daniil Medvedev is going to make this a more comfortable match than the First Round ended up being, especially as he is facing 19 year old Learner Tien who has come through three Qualifying Rounds and then won his First Round match against an opponent Ranked higher than himself.

Learner Tien is just building his experience on the Tour right now and he is very comfortable on this surface, but he is still operating mainly on the Challenger Tour and this is a huge step up for him.

He does have a 6-5 record against top 100 Ranked opponents on the hard courts, but Learner Tien's service numbers have dropped to winning below 60% of points played. Someone like Daniil Medvedev will look to get plenty of balls back in play and test Tien's temperament and that is key to the outcome of this one.

Cameron Norrie beat Learner Tien pretty comfortably in Hong Kong and it may need some special tennis and an underperforming Daniil Medvedev performance to make this a really competitive match.

The top ten player has won his last fourteen matches at hard court Grand Slam events against opponents Ranked outside the top 100 and Daniil Medvedev might double down his focus after being given a scare in the First Round. He is likely to be faced with a tough opening set, but Medvedev should be able to move through the gears and eventually pull away from the young American with a strong win on the scoreboard.

MY PICKS: Karen Khachanov - 1.5 Sets @ 1.66 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Francisco Cerundolo - 1.5 Sets @ 1.83 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Daniil Medvedev - 6.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet365 (2 Units)

Holger Rune @ 2.20 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Ons Jabeur - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Elina Svitolina - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Australian Open Update: 7-3, + 4.86 Units (18 Units Staked, + 27% Yield)

ATP World Tour Finals Day 5 Tennis Picks 2024 (Thursday 14th November)

The ATP World Tour Finals look to be building towards a potentially special ending, but it has not been the best four days for the fans.

Very little drama has been seen within matches and we have yet to have one match go the distance in the Singles draw.

Big matches are coming up with places in the Semi Final still open to all eight players that have begun this event and that is perhaps the most encouraging aspect of the end of the Group Stage. Things could change very quickly as matches continue to be completed, but it should mean we have focused players heading onto the Turin courts with so much still to play for as the season winds down.

Taylor Fritz - 2.5 games v Alex De Minaur: The situation is pretty clear for Taylor Fritz with a single match left in the Group and that begins and end with winning this match.

He cannot secure passage into the Semi Final until the result from the other match in the Group is confirmed, but Fritz can put himself in a strong position if he is able to win this one in straight sets. The 'easier' the scoreboard win looks, the more likely he is to make it through to the Semi Final, which was the minimum ambition the American set for himself when the World Tour Finals began.

However, this is far from a foregone conclusion and that is because Taylor Fritz has had a tough time when facing up to Alex De Minaur.

The Australian has won their last couple of matches, both on the hard courts, and Alex De Minaur has not been eliminated from the tournament despite losing both matches in the Group in straight sets. His margin for error is much smaller than Taylor Fritz in the fact that Alex De Minaur needs to win this one in straight sets and hope Jannik Sinner is able to beat Daniil Medvedev in straight sets and even then it will come to percentage of games won.

The maths takes a bit of working out, but De Minaur's sole focus has to be winning in straight sets and you do have to wonder how he will be able to pick himself up if he is to drop either of the first two sets played. It is a sport in which the focus is on the court once a player is there, but you have to believe it is a potential factor that Alex De Minaur will perhaps fade if he is not able to progress.

His performances in Turin have been a little disappointing with Alex De Minaur really struggling to have much of an impact on the return, which is a key part of his tennis. Only ONE Break Point has been fashioned in two matches and De Minaur has won less than 21% of return points played, which is a problem when facing someone with the serving capability of Taylor Fritz.

In recent matches between the players, Alex De Minaur has been able to get enough back into play on the return to frustrate his opponent and extract errors from the Taylor Fritz side of the court. You have to think this will be the game plan again, but Alex De Minaur also needs to really pick up his level on the serve if he is going to upset the odds against the American again.

The head to head has to give anyone pause for thought.

However, Taylor Fritz has played the stronger tennis in Turin this week and he should have enough to work his way past this awkward opponent and move into a decent position to Qualify for the Semi Final on Saturday.

Jannik Sinner - 3.5 games v Daniil Medvedev: The big question on Thursday has to be 'which Daniil Medvedev is going to be heading out onto the court for this vital last Group match?'

He did not play badly against Taylor Fritz, but was pretty well beaten at the end and looked like he was not having any kind of fun on the court. A lingering injury had been bothering Daniil Medvedev and his behaviour suggested he might already have checked out of the World Tour Finals after a single Group match had been played.

Two days later, Daniil Medvedev dominated Alex De Minaur and was a very comfortable winner against the Australian, which has also reignited his push to make the Semi Final at this tournament.

Of course he is facing the World Number 1 and the home favourite in this final Group match and a player that has really dominated the head to head between these two in recent times.

Jannik Sinner has won both matches in straight sets, but surprisingly that has not been enough to confirm passage into the Semi Final. By the time this match is scheduled to be played, Sinner's place in the next Round may be secured and both of these players will have eyes on the other match in the Group played earlier in the day.

For Sinner the scenario is pretty clear- no matter what happens in the other match, winning one set in this final match would take him through and as Group Winner. Of course winning this match makes for the easiest scenario, while there is a chance that a heavy, straight sets defeat in this Group match would potentially eliminate Jannik Sinner if Taylor Fritz has crushed Alex De Minaur in straight sets earlier in the day.

Those game permutations are much more convoluted than the sets breakdown, but it may be something Daniil Medvedev is also working on. He can progress with a straight sets win as long as Taylor Fritz has not won in straight sets too, while a loss may still give Medvedev an opportunity if Alex De Minaur has beaten Taylor Fritz earlier in the day, although the World Number 4 will likely need to win a set.

It is all a little messy with each match in the Group won and lost in straight sets, but Jannik Sinner looks very focused this week and he can beat Daniil Medvedev in this last Group match, even if a Semi Final spot has been achieved.

Jannik Sinner has been serving at a very high level in this event and that will build pressure on Daniil Medvedev if the shoulder is still feeling a little sore. There has also been a definite edge with the World Number 1 when it comes to the return of serve, while the multiple wins racked up over Medvedev, including in very big settings, will only aid the confidence further.

He beat Daniil Medvedev in four sets at the US Open and since then Jannik Sinner has crushed the same opponent in Shanghai and in the exhibition tournament held in Saudi Arabia (exhibition in terms of being a Ranking event, the money on offer made it plenty serious).

In his current form, it is really hard to look past Jannik Sinner franking those hard court victories with another in front of the home crowd, even if a place in the Semi Final has been secured by the result from the other Group match.

Daniil Medvedev had a bit more focus in his win over Alex De Minaur, but that has been a better match up than facing the World Number 1 and we may see the Russian quickly lose hope in this one. He does become very motivated when the crowd get on his back, but there is every chance that Medvedev will fall away in this one and Jannik Sinner can secure a third straight win to really push his credentials as a potential Champion of the event this weekend.

MY PICKS: Taylor Fritz - 2.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Jannik Sinner - 3.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet365 (1 Unit)

World Tour Finals Update: 5-3, + 0.92 Units (8 Units Staked, + 11.50% Yield)

US Open Tennis Day 5 Picks 2024 (Friday 30th August)

The Third Round at the US Open is scheduled to get underway on Day 5 of the tournament and the intensity of the matches should begin to build.

There are some very good looking matches set to take to the courts and it looks to be the busiest day for the Tennis Picks so far this week. It means Day 5 is an important one to try and set this tournament on a positive path to a winning event for the selections being made.

Casper Ruud - 1.5 sets v Juncheng Shang: A withdrawal in Canada and an early loss in Cincinnati meant Casper Ruud arrived in New York City as a vulnerable Seed. He is a former US Open Finalist, so clearly is very capable of playing on the hard courts in front of a vociferous crowd, but there were some doubts with the build up for the tournament being far from ideal.

Wins in the first two Rounds will have given him confidence, and he looked to be in pretty good nick in the Second Round when beating veteran Gael Monfils. He was out on the court for just shy of three hours, although not in the heat of the day when conditions in New York City have proved to be tough for many other players performing.

Conditions should be better for tennis when this Third Round match is played, but it is likely to be humid and we are moving into that time of the Grand Slam when matches become that much more difficult.

Now you are facing opponents who have also won a couple of matches in the main draw and Juncheng Shang has already eliminated one Seed in his run to the Third Round. The five set win over Alexander Bublik was backed up perfectly with a routine win in the Second Round, and Shang has shown he has an ability that is perhaps much higher than his World Ranking would suggest by putting a 9-5 record on the board against top 50 Ranked opponents on this surface.

The layers are not underestimating the capabilities of the World Number 72, especially as Juncheng Shang reached the Semi Final in Atlanta in the hard court tournaments used to build towards the US Open. The 19 year old also reached the Third Round at the Australian Open before finding Carlos Alcaraz too much to handle, and Shang is not going to be that worried about having to face someone like Casper Ruud.

Confidence and a left handed serve makes him dangerous, but Ruud has looked in good shape through the first couple of Rounds. He is a perfect 8-0 on the hard courts in 2024 when facing players Ranked outside the top 50, and Casper Ruud has been able to dominate behind his own serve in those matches.

Juncheng Shang is capable in his own return, but the serve is perhaps not quite as reliable as the one Casper Ruud has at this stage of their respective careers. That could prove to be key in this good looking Third Round match and it may see the former US Open Finalist push through for a solid win as he progresses through to the second week here again.

Ben Shelton - 1.5 games v Frances Tiafoe: Twelve months ago, Ben Shelton arrived at the US Open knowing he had already made a big impact on the Tour when he reached the Australian Open Quarter Final.

Not many would have picked the young American to surpass that, but he did by reaching the US Open Semi Final where his run was ended by eventual Champion Novak Djokovic.

However, Ben Shelton had upset compatriot Frances Tiafoe on his way to the Semi Final with a four set win in the Quarter Final and this time around Shelton will be playing in New York City as a Seeded player. The World Number 13 was Ranked down at Number 47 last year, although it does mean Shelton is playing under the pressure of having to defend a Semi Final run.

He doesn't really strike anyone as a player who will worry about external pressure though and Ben Shelton will have big ambitions for himself. Solid results through the course of the season have pushed him close to the top ten in the World Rankings, while he had plenty of wins in hard court matches while preparing for the US Open.

Wins over veterans Dominic Thiem and Roberto Bautista Agut without dropping a set will have given Ben Shelton some real confidence, but this is a significant step up in terms of class of opponent.

Frances Tiafoe has admitted that it has been a tough twelve months for himself, but he reached the Final at the Cincinnati Masters in the lead to the US Open. It was a run that came out of left field considering the form Tiafoe has produced over the course of the year, and his wins in the main draw will have furthered his belief.

As the World Number 20 would say himself, Frances Tiafoe has suffered a lot of tough losses, but this is a player that is more than capable of the 'upset'. In the last two years, Tiafoe has reached the Semi Final and the Quarter Final at his home Grand Slam and there is little doubt that he will be hugely motivated when playing in front of these fans.

We do know that Ben Shelton is perhaps not the strongest return player on the Tour, but he is a player with a monster serve and that makes him dangerous at all times. He looks especially dangerous against someone like Frances Tiafoe, who has struggled with his return through the course of the season, although both players were able to break serve a number of times when they played in the Quarter Final here last year.

There will be some swings in momentum through the course of this big time Third Round match, but the Ben Shelton serve can come through at key moments. It will put pressure on Frances Tiafoe, who has a 4-4 record when facing top 20 Ranked opponents on the hard courts over the last twelve months.

However, that would have read 1-3 before his run to the Cincinnati Final and Ben Shelton may just prove to have the right shots at the right time to pull clear of his compatriot again.

Alexei Popyrin + 7.5 games v Novak Djokovic: This is the third Grand Slam in 2024 where Alexei Popyrin will be forced to face Novak Djokovic and it is the former World Number 1 who has won the previous meetings at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. Credit has to be given to Popyrin for winning a set each time and remaining competitive in those defeats, but winning the biggest title of his career in Canada earlier this month should mean he is playing with higher ambitions than merely being competitive.

This is a tough match up for Alexei Popyrin- his aggressive style behind a big serve has been working well enough to take him into the top 30 of the World Rankings for the first time, but it is tough to be able to do that against a defensive master like Novak Djokovic. You can for a set, but to do so for three or four hours is where it becomes very challenging and that has been clear in his two Grand Slam defeats against the Serb.

Alexei Popyrin has overcome some tough numbers to keep things close- he saved 8/11 Break Points faced in Melbourne and 6/8 Break Points faced in London and those numbers will have to be repeated in this one.

Ultimately he has also not been able to get into the Novak Djokovic service games as effectively as he would like and Popyrin has managed just three breaks in the two Grand Slam matches played.

Novak Djokovic admitted he was not serving at his best in the Second Round win over his compatriot Laslo Djere, but he was still comfortable enough and looks very focused on attempting to win a maiden Grand Slam title in 2024. The Gold Medal earned in Paris has bolstered the confidence and Djokovic remains one of the top players in the world on this surface.

The feeling is that Novak Djokovic will accept those hot streaks that Alexei Popyrin has been able to produce and by looking after his own serve, the Number 2 Seed will feel his opportunities will come.

Most of the pressure will still be on Alexei Popyrin to find a way to at least give Djokovic something to think about when returning. He played well on the return in winning the Canadian Masters, but Popyrin was beaten early in Cincinnati and the New York City heat may have subsided a little, which may mean his own serve is impacted a little more.

However, in saying all that, Alexei Popyrin has shown he can produce the tennis needed to challenge Novak Djokovic and this time he will be playing as a Masters Champion. That confidence cannot be understated and Popyrin may be able to make use of the games that are being given to him in this Third Round match.

Victoria Azarenka - 4.5 games v Yafan Wang: A severe migraine looked like it could be very difficult to overcome, but Victoria Azarenka showed off her veteran experience in earning a spot in the US Open Third Round.

A former two time Australian Open Champion and three time US Open Finalist, Victoria Azarenka has seen her best tennis days. The numbers have remained impressive, but the Belarusian former World Number 1 lacks the consistency that saw her reach the top of the WTA Tour.

Even reaching the second week of a Grand Slam has become a challenge for Victoria Azarenka, but she did manage that at the Australian Open earlier this year. This is a player that is comfortable on the hard courts and Azarenka will be pleased with the draw having beaten Yafan Wang in the preparation events for the final Grand Slam of the season.

Over the last several weeks, Yafan Wang has had some mixed results on the hard courts, but she was able to take advantage of Maria Sakkari's injury issues in the First Round in New York City. She had won just two of the eight matches played against top 50 Ranked opponents on the hard courts prior to that win over Sakkari and it may be tough to close the gap between the two players.

There were a couple of concerns about Victoria Azarenka heading into the tournament considering the last time she had played had ended prematurely in Toronto. Her performances in the first two Rounds should have the player and her fans feeling better and she can frank the victory she had over Yafan Wang in Washington during the hard court tournaments building up to this Grand Slam.

Serving more efficiently will help make things easier, but this is likely going to be a match in which a number of breaks of serve are shared out. Ultimately you have to believe Victoria Azarenka can get the better of the opportunities and she can produce a solid Third Round win.

Coco Gauff - 3.5 games v Elina Svitolina: There is little doubt that the continued war between Russia and Ukraine remains on the forefront of many minds, but it is so much harder for athletes from Ukraine. Many of the tennis players have made it clear how much they support their compatriots and it does mean fans are going to be behind them.

The biggest name may be Elina Svitolina and she has received massive support since returning to the Tour.

Her heart is worn on her sleeve and the fans have responded, but it will be tough to win the support from the stands when facing Coco Gauff, the American defending Champion. Form prior to the tournament has been erratic, but Gauff is going to feel very comfortable in New York City and on the courts where her maiden Grand Slam title has been won.

Coco Gauff began the season very well on the hard courts and also reached the Semi Final at the Australian Open, but she has suffered early losses in Toronto and Cincinnati. This perhaps meant Gauff was coming into the tournament as a vulnerable higher Seed, but she has looked more comfortable in this setting and this is a match up that should not be one that concerns her too much.

Of course there will be a respect for Elina Svitolina, but Coco Gauff has to believe her serve is the more effective of the two players and that can give her the edge in the match. It was the case in their most recent match in Auckland earlier this year as the higher Ranked player was able to exert her control, even in a match that ended up going the distance.

The previous match between the two was at the Australian Open back in 2021 when the Rankings were switched.

On that occasion Elina Svitolina won the match, but it was a close, competitive affair and Coco Gauff is a much improved player now. The return is likely going to put Elina Svitolina under pressure over the course of this Third Round match and it may be one that Gauff ends up winning with some relative comfort.

MY PICKS: Casper Ruud - 1.5 Sets @ 1.72 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Ben Shelton - 1.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Alexei Popyrin + 7.5 Games @ 1.83 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Victoria Azarenka - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Coco Gauff - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet365 (2 Units)

Emma Navarro - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Donna Vekic @ 1.80 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Brandon Nakashima - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

US Open Update: 10-8, + 1.08 Units (36 Units Staked, + 3% Yield)

Paris Olympics Tennis Day 5 Picks 2024 (Wednesday 31st July)

The Olympic Games might be played over two weeks, but for the tennis players in Paris, the tournament is fast coming to a close.

We are already into the Quarter Final matches in the women's event and the men's Quarter Final matches will be set on Wednesday evening with the Gold Medals handed out this weekend. Many of the players on the Tour have already begun their hard court preparation with the US Open now less than a month away and there are two Masters events to get through before that too.

With that in mind, the Olympic Games tournament has to be fitted into the calendar every four years.

The players still playing for Medals will only be focused on what they can achieve over the next few days and both tournaments are heating up.

Plenty of attention is also being paid to the Doubles here with teams being paired that would not normally be seen for fans over the course of the season.

And winning a Doubles Gold Medal is still a huge achievement and one that players will remember for the rest of their lives so there is plenty to achieve in the coming days for all still in Paris.

Francisco Cerundolo + 3.5 games v Casper Ruud: Having a day of rest between the Second Round and Third Rounds at the Olympic Games is going to be a big deal for Francisco Cerundolo.

He won the title in Umag on Saturday and was already in action in Paris on Sunday with consecutive wins over Tomas Barrios Vera and Ugo Humbert. Beating one of the home hopes for a Medal will not have endeared Cerundolo to the Roland Garros crowd, especially as Argentina have been criticised for celebrations about French players at the end of the Copa America.

Fans can really get on top of players on these grounds, but Francisco Cerundolo has to believe he has gotten through the worst he will hear when beating a home hope in the previous Round.

Beating Casper Ruud on a clay court is a tougher challenge than seeing off Ugo Humbert and that is the bigger problem for Cerundolo in the Third Round. Over the last few years, only Rafael Nadal, Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic have been able to beat Casper Ruud, although the Norwegian has not been at his absolute best over the last month.

He was disappointingly beaten by Thiago Monteiro in his opening match in Bastad, where Ruud was also playing Doubles alongside Rafael Nadal, while the wins over Taro Daniel and Andrea Vavassori at the Olympics have perhaps been tougher than expected.

Casper Ruud is a strong clay court player and his overall numbers have been much stronger than Francisco Cerundolo's.

The serve is a critical weapon that should give Ruud the edge, but the match up with Francisco Cerundolo has been one that has given the World Number 9 problems.

This is the sixth meeting on the Tour and it is Francisco Cerundolo who leads 3-2, while he has also won two of the three matches played on the clay courts. In their most recent on the clay in Rome in 2023, Casper Ruud was the much stronger player, but even then Francisco Cerundolo was able to drag him into a competitive match and this Third Round contest in Paris may end up being the same.

In terms of the pure numbers, there really has not been much between the players and it certainly makes the games being given to the underdog appealing from a handicap point of view.

Sebastian Baez + 4.5 games v Stefanos Tsitsipas: A comfortable Second Round win over Daniel Evans helped produce a win earlier this week, but this time the decision is to oppose Stefanos Tsitsipas.

The Third Round match against Sebastian Baez is expected to be much tougher than beating the British player in the previous Round, especially with the confidence Baez will bring into any clay court match.

It has been a summer where Baez has reached the Semi Final in Hamburg and the Quarter Final in Kitzbuhel, and he has beaten Thiago Monteiro before a tougher victory over Benjamin Hassan. The wins will have grown the confidence of the World Number 18, although Sebastian Baez is going to have to serve very well to stay competitive in this match.

Stefanos Tsitsipas came through a difficult First Round match before the comfortable victory over Daniel Evans, but it has not been the year expected despite some successes. He will be the first to admit that more needs to be done if he is going to challenge the elite on the ATP Tour, although Tsitsipas has also been dealing with a couple of injuries that have just restricted his capabilities.

Playing on the clay gives him every chance of winning a Medal this week, although the potential Quarter Final against Novak Djokovic looks an extreme test.

Overlooking Sebastian Baez and thinking ahead to any potential meeting with Djokovic would be a mistake though and the Argentinian player is capable of pushing Stefanos Tsitsipas even in a losing effort.

The two previous matches between these players on the Tour have both been very competitive, although Stefanos Tsitsipas has been able to come through on the hard courts in Melbourne and the clay courts in Madrid. The last of those matches was played over twelve months ago, but Tsitsipas will be relatively confident in the match up and that may see him come through one or two critical moments during this match.

Those are the moments that could prove telling in the direction this match eventually is played out, but Sebastian Baez can stay within this bigger than expected line set for the Third Round contest.

MY PICKS: Francisco Cerundolo + 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Sebastian Baez + 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Donna Vekic - 1.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Olympic Games Update: 6-4, + 1.90 Units (20 Units Staked, + 8.64% Yield)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 5 Picks 2024 (Friday 5th July)

The sun was shining on Thursday, although it was perhaps windier than some of the tennis players would have hoped, and that has allowed Wimbledon to get back on track.

Andy Murray's time at the tournament took another step towards the exit door after his early defeat in the Men's Doubles and the Mixed Doubles is the only draw left for the two time former Singles Champion.

The organisers made sure there was a proper tribute video ready to go and a number of players were also welcomed onto court to offer Andy Murray his best as a top career moves into the final month before retirement is called.

Day 5 looks like it could be considerably wetter than the Thursday and that could be problematic, especially ahead of a potentially wet weekend. The Third Round could be hit hard with players having to play on consecutive days, and that could be an issue for those who have not been scheduled on the two main show courts.

Daniil Medvedev - 1.5 sets v Jan-Lennard Struff: The Second Round win was much tougher than expected for Daniil Medvedev and he was in a bit of bother when trailing by a set and a break.

However, the World Number 5 has reached six Grand Slam Finals and also the Wimbledon Semi Final in his career and you can only do that by figuring out problems on the court. He showed all of that in the Second Round and Daniil Medvedev battled through, much like he tends to do on a week by week basis on the Tour.

Being one of the top players, Daniil Medvedev will tend to be scheduled to play on the show courts, but the feeling is that he prefers NOT to play on Centre Court. There is a belief that Centre is playing slower than Court One, although being on the main show court in SW19 may help in this case against a very dangerous opponent.

Jan-Lennard Struff almost cracked the top 20 of the World Rankings for the first time in his career thirteen months ago, but he has fallen out of the Seeded positions these days. Injury has not helped, but a run to the Quarter Final in Halle where Struff was narrowly beaten by Jannik Sinner perhaps indicates that there is going to be a turnaround in the drop in World Rankings.

Nothing has been easy for Jan-Lennard Struff at Wimbledon in the first two Rounds, but he will have gained some confidence from winning matches. That helps in the tight moments, and there are likely going to be a few of those in this match against one of the top Seeds.

The serve is going to be a key weapon for both of these players, but you have to give Daniil Medvedev a significant edge on the return. Ultimately that could be key to the outcome of the match and in their previous eight matches on the Tour, it is Medvedev who has a real advantage when it comes to the numbers that lead to breaks of serve.

They have met twice on the grass courts too and both in 2021- Jan-Lennard Struff beat Daniil Medvedev in straight sets at Halle, but it was the latter who earned revenge with a four set win over the German here at Wimbledon in the First Round.

Once again, Daniil Medvedev has been able to hold a significant amount of games more than Jan-Lennard Struff in those two matches and that is likely going to be the case on Day 5 at The Championships.

Tie-breakers may be needed, but Daniil Medvedev can move into the second week at Wimbledon again with a win in three or four sets against a potentially dangerous opponent.

Carlos Alcaraz - 6.5 games v Frances Tiafoe: There will be plenty of people thinking back to the 2022 US Open Semi Final played between Carlos Alcaraz and Frances Tiafoe which was won by the Spaniard in five sets.

He ended up winning his maiden Grand Slam at that event and Carlos Alcaraz has gone from strength to strength on the Tour, even if he arrives at Wimbledon as the World Number 3. At the moment Alcaraz holds both the French Open and Wimbledon titles, but defending the latter is all that is on the mind.

Peaking too early at a Grand Slam can be problematic and there is little doubt that Carlos Alcaraz is happy to work his way into the tournament. He had to get through two tough sets in his First Round win over the World Number 269 and Carlos Alcaraz needed to win a tie-breaker to take the first set in the Second Round before moving through the gears.

A match like this one should mean we see the defending Champion come out with a lot more focus right from the off and he will certainly appreciate the threat that Frances Tiafoe can bring to the court.

It has been a tough twelve months for the American who is in danger to slip further down the World Rankings and miss Seeding for the US Open coming up in August. Earlier this week, Frances Tiafoe made it clear that he feels he has been underperforming and losing to 'clowns', which would not have gone down very well with his fellow professionals, but he is not facing a circus act in this Third Round.

Prior to Wimbledon, Frances Tiafoe had only won two matches in the same tournament on two occasions in 2024 and that has seen him start the year as the World Number 16 and drop down to his current Number 29 mark.

To be fair to Frances Tiafoe, he has not played badly on the grass in the lead up to Wimbledon, but he has just lacked the confidence when the big moments have arrived within matches. The serve can be a big weapon when at his best, but Tiafoe has had difficulty on the return and that is likely to be exposed by Carlos Alcaraz.

Even in the five set win at the US Open a little under two years ago, Carlos Alcaraz dominated the numbers and actually won the match by a NINE game margin. It would not be a surprise to anyone if we need to see at least one Breaker in this Third Round match, especially if it is needed to be played under the roof with more rain expected in SW19, but eventually the feeling is that Carlos Alcaraz will create enough Break Points to be in a position to cover a big handicap mark.

Twelve months ago, Frances Tiafoe was well beaten in the Third Round at Wimbledon by Grigor Dimitrov and the defending Champion may just roll through the gears and wear down an opponent that may not have the confidence to stay with him.

Coco Gauff - 6.5 games v Sonay Kartal: Any player that is able to work through the Qualifiers and win two main draw matches at a Grand Slam deserves a lot of respect and Sonay Kartal is deserving of some of the extra attention she has earned at Wimbledon.

She began the tournament on the edge of dropping out of the top 300 in the World Rankings and there has been a real worry that the British player would have to think about calling time on her career. Despite the quality of tennis she can play, injuries have been a big factor that has prevented Sonay Kartal from putting some steam behind her performances and to find the consistency needed.

Even if Sonay Kartal was to lose on Day 5 at The Championships, she will be playing on a new career high World Ranking at the end of Wimbledon. There is still considerable work for Kartal to do if she is going to break into the top 100 and earning direct entry into Grand Slam events, from where you can build further, but for now the concentration has to be on playing for as long as possible at her home Grand Slam.

There was little doubt that this match would be placed on a show court, although Sonay Kartal may be a touch disappointed that Court One has been selected rather than Centre Court.

Despite that, Coco Gauff will offer a stiff challenge for the home hope and the performances in the first two Rounds have been ruthless. As mentioned in the last few days, Gauff likely cannot believe the opportunity in front of her in the bottom half of the Ladies draw and the World Number 2 is playing with the confidence that will make her very difficult to beat.

In the four sets won this week, Coco Gauff has dropped just six games and the only concern may be the little amount of Sonay Kartal that she or her team will have seen.

However, the American has shown that she can work things out pretty quickly and the level shown on the grass makes it very hard to believe Kartal can keep this one much competitive than the last two opponents Coco Gauff has faced have managed to do.

Sonay Kartal has played well, but she is going to need to serve at a very high level to put Coco Gauff under any pressure and the spotlight can sting when you are a player that is not used to being the focus of big crowds. The home crowd will make sure they get behind Kartal, but Coco Gauff is very popular at Wimbledon too and her level might be too high for a player that has massively overachieved by reaching the Third Round at Wimbledon this summer.

The handicap is a big one, but Coco Gauff has shown she is comfortable being a frontrunner and it has allowed her to motor through matches.

MY PICKS: Daniil Medvedev - 1.5 Sets @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Carlos Alcaraz - 6.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Coco Gauff - 6.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet365 (2 Units)

Wimbledon Update: 13-7, + 8.24 Units (40 Units Staked, + 20.60% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 5 Picks 2024 (Thursday 30th May)

It has been an incredibly wet day in Paris and more bad weather is to come on Day 5 at the tournament, which really could play havoc on the schedule.

The organisers will be hoping for wider pockets of clear weather to try and get as many of the Second Round matches through, especially with the Third Round scheduled to begin on Friday.

Daniil Medvedev - 5.5 games v Miomir Kecmanovic: He has not always had much love for the clay or the grass courts, but Daniil Medvedev has shown he has the grit and determination to produce big results at the French Open and Wimbledon.

Last year was a disappointment considering he had won the big title in Rome, but Medvedev is back in Paris and will be hoping to fly under the radar early on with the focus on Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

It took four sets to get past Dominik Koepfer in the First Round, but it is a solid win for Daniil Medvedev who had a relatively unspectacular build up to the second Grand Slam of the season.

Next up is Miomir Kecmanovic, who is very capable of upsetting the very best players on the Tour when he is able to put his tennis together. Finding that consistency has been tougher and perhaps the main reason this player from Serbia has not been able to crack the top 20 of the World Rankings like others from his nation in recent years.

The clay court season was pretty disappointing as far as Kecmanovic is concerned, but a solid First Round win over Thiago Monteiro will have him feeling better about his tennis. Miomir Kecmanovic was beaten by the same opponent in Rome, but he does hold a win over Casper Ruud on the red dirt in the lead up to the French Open and that will give him confidence, and Daniil Medvedev something to think about.

However, it has not been a good match up for Kecmanovic who has lost all three previous matches against Daniil Medvedev and without causing too many problems either. This is the first meeting in sixteen months, but Medvedev will fondly remember beating this opponent in three very comfortable sets at Roland Garros two years ago.

We should have a more competitive match than that under a likely roof with poor weather forecasted, but Daniil Medvedev can still come out on top and cover the spread set for the Second Round match.

Casper Ruud - 6.5 games v Alejandro Davidovich Fokina: There was nothing to really worry Casper Ruud in the First Round and he made relatively easy work of his opponent just days after winning the Geneva title. He has reached the Final in back to back years at the French Open, but the last player to beat Ruud who was not called Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal will be standing on the other side of the net in this Second Round match.

He only missed out on a Seeding spot so this might be as tough a match as Casper Ruud could face when going up against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

The Spaniard is well versed on playing on the clay courts, but confidence has to have been dented by his 1-4 record on the surface leading into Paris. The First Round win was expected, but Alejandro Davidovich Fokina perhaps made it a touch more difficult than it should have been and further underlines the feeling that he is playing without a lot of confidence.

However, it makes him dangerous that there is 'nothing to lose' and there is no doubting that Davidovich Fokina can produce some top clay court tennis.

We know Alejandro Davidovich Fokina can return very well, but his serve has really not been up to scratch and that could be exploited by Casper Ruud.

The expectation is that there will be competitive games and one, perhaps two sets could be very tight, but you have to lean towards the more confident Casper Ruud to get this done. He will remember losing to Davidovich Fokina at Roland Garros, but this is a good opportunity to earn revenge behind a strong win.

Elina Svitolina - 4.5 games v Diane Parry: These days Elina Svitolina is treated like an honourable Frenchwoman having married Gael Monfils, but the crowd might be a little more split than usual when the Ukrainian takes to the courts of Roland Garros.

A loud, vocal support helped Elina Svitolina come from behind to beat Karolina Pliskova in the First Round, but there will be plenty supporting Diane Parry in this Second Round match that may have to be played under the roof.

It will certainly help the atmosphere grow that much more, and the 21 year old Frenchwoman will be looking for revenge having lost in her home country against Elina Svitolina last week in Strasbourg. Diane Parry also had to come from a set behind to beat a compatriot in the First Round so she may be ready for the split loyalties the crowd will be faced with and instead has to focus on her tennis.

Prior to this tournament, Diane Parry had been struggling for form with a single win on the clay courts and so there is a significant gap to bridge.

She will also gain some confidence from the fact that Elina Svitolina has been struggling for consistency on the red dirt, even if the French Open Quarter Finalist from 2023 has shown how well she can take to this surface.

The strengths of the players might be going up against one another here- Diane Parry may feel her serve can set up a few more easier points, but Elina Svitolina is a very strong return player and that has shown throughout her clay court season.

It was the Elina Svitolina return which won the day when the players met in Strasbourg, but this is expected to be a tough test for the higher Ranked player. Diane Parry has to believe that it won't take much to turn things around in the match up after the defeat last week, but the overriding feeling is that Elina Svitolina will find a way to frank the form in a good looking Second Round match.

Madison Keys - 4.5 games v Mayar Sherif: The American has been more comfortable on the clay courts than you may expect and Madison Keys is certainly capable of having a deep run at the French Open in 2024.

She won the title in Strasbourg last week to build confidence, while runs in Madrid and Rome were both ended by Iga Swiatek, who has been the dominant clay court player on the women's side of the sport for some time.

After winning in the First Round without breaking a sweat, Madison Keys has to expect a bit more of a challenge from Mayar Sherif.

Last year Mayar Sherif reached a career best World Ranking of Number 31, but she is back outside of the top 50 heading into this tournament. Much like Madison Keys, Sherif made easy work of a First Round opponent, while she has reached back to back clay court Finals in the two weeks prior to the start of the French Open.

Losses in those Finals will have hurt, but they have been a part of a strong run of form for Mayar Sherif and that makes her dangerous and to be respected. At her best, the Egyptian can match the serving output that Madison Keys will expect from her own game, but whether Sherif can do that for long enough to win the match is another question altogether.

A competitive set cannot be ruled out, but Madison Keys may be able to then get on top and exert her extra qualities on the match. She has a slightly stronger returning numbers this season and that may be the big difference maker for Keys as she looks to march into the Third Round.

MY PICKS: Daniil Medvedev - 5.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Casper Ruud - 6.5 Games @ 1.91 William Hill (2 Units)

Elina Svitolina - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Madison Keys - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

French Open Update: 6-1, + 7.40 Units (14 Units Staked, + 52.86% Yield)