Monte Carlo Masters Tennis Picks 2025 (Sunday 13th April)

It did feel like the Semi Final was going to get away from Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, but the battling qualities on the clay courts was on display and it helped him to a competitive defeat against Carlos Alcaraz.

This may not be good news for Davidovich Fokina, but it was for the Tennis Picks with another winner on the board here in Monte Carlo.

On Sunday the tournament comes to a conclusion before important ATP events in Munich and Barcelona next week as the big names continue to get as much clay court tennis under the legs before the second Grand Slam of the season begins. The Final should be a decent match in Monte Carlo, but it is hard to look past Carlos Alcaraz to win the trophy and just underline his status as the player to beat in Paris in June.

Carlos Alcaraz - 4.5 games v Lorenzo Musetti: There have been successes at Grand Slam level, which is always most important to any player on the Tour, but Carlos Alcaraz will be pleased to end a relatively long wait for a place in the Final of an ATP 1000 event.

Winning the title on Sunday will move Carlos Alcaraz back into World Number 2 and he will certainly feel he can build momentum towards the defence of the French Open title won last year. While his main rival Jannik Sinner continues to serve a suspension, Carlos Alcaraz can build his own confidence and the Spaniard is a strong favourite to win the title in Monte Carlo.

We have not always seen his very best tennis at the tournament, but Carlos Alcaraz has played well and the Semi Final victory will have only improved his own belief.

He will be facing Lorenzo Musetti in the Final and the World Number 16 has to be respected for his ability and comfort on the red dirt. However, the Italian has had to dig very deep in the last couple of Rounds in his wins over Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alex De Minaur and you do have to wonder if the accumulated fatigue works against Lorenzo Musetti, especially with the Final scheduled for earlier in the day than would usually be the case.

The challenge for Lorenzo Musetti is being able to serve well enough to contain the threat of Carlos Alcaraz.

In the last two wins, Musetti has faced twenty-nine Break Points and that suggests he will have some issue against Carlos Alcaraz who has won 47% of return points played this week and has broken in 42% of return games played. The issue for Alcaraz has been protecting his own serve, although Lorenzo Musetti has had his difficulties against this opponent in recent meetings.

You cannot rule out Lorenzo Musetti from making this competitive considering how well he can perform on this surface, but this feels a tough ask with the match being played without a lot of rest and recovery time.

A fast start will be needed from the Italian, but Carlos Alcaraz has looked like he has been enjoying his time here in Monte Carlo and the may just be able to get through those early moments to take control of the Final. With his returning working well so far this week, Carlos Alcaraz may just come through with a victory along with a cover of this handicap set.

MY PICK: Carlos Alcaraz - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Monte Carlo Update: 5-1, + 3.49 Units (6 Units Staked, + 58.17% Yield)

Monte Carlo Masters Tennis Picks 2025 (Saturday 12th April)

Most, not all, of the Masters events played on the ATP Tour have been extended a few days rather than played within a single week, but the Monte Carlo Masters is a rare event that sticks with the traditional format.

It does mean a fast moving tournament is into the final two days with the Semi Final matches scheduled for Saturday.

Some of the top names have been playing here this week with this being the first big step on the road to the French Open, but it is the defending Roland Garros Champion who is the highest Seed remaining in the tournament.

His opponent secured an easy win for the Tennis Picks in the Quarter Final and that has just ensured a solid bounce back after losing the first selection of the clay court season. There are still three potential Picks to be made before we can come to a conclusion on this being a positive week or not, but we are in a good position moving into Semi Final day.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina + 4.5 games v Carlos Alcaraz: The feeling was that Alejandro Davidovich Fokina would have too much clay court nous for Alexei Popyrin, but it still came as a slight surprise that he was able to win that Quarter Final without any issues at all.

The Spaniard did not face a Break Point in that win, and was able to create nine chances with three Breaks produced, but everyone on his team will be expecting a vastly tougher challenge when going up against the World Number 3.

Rafael Nadal had been the dominant clay court player in his time on the Tour and likely goes down as the greatest player on the surface, but Spanish tennis has been given a boost by the arrival of Carlos Alcaraz on the Tour. He is already a multiple time Grand Slam Champion and the World Number 3 is the defending French Open Champion, while likely going into Roland Garros as the favourite to win the title again.

However, it has not been the easiest of weeks for Carlos Alcaraz and he was given a real test in his Quarter Final win over Arthur Fils.

Players at the very elite level of tennis are always going to be looking for improvements and Carlos Alcaraz will certainly feel he can serve better than he has so far this week. His last two opponents have both created at least ten Break Points against him and that is something that Alejandro Davidovich Fokina will look to exploit in his bid to earn the upset.

Of course the lower Ranked Spaniard is going to be have to be well aware of the returning power that Carlos Alcaraz has on any clay court.

It has been that aspect of his tennis that has helped him through to the Semi Final here and Alcaraz will not be overly concerned about the serve of the World Number 42, even if Davidovich Fokina is a player that can rally with just about anybody on the clay.

This is likely to be a tough match for both, much like it was when they met in Barcelona two years ago.

On that occasion Carlos Alcaraz was able to come through in two competitive sets, but both players managed to produce eleven Break Points and it was only converting four Breaks to three that helped Alcaraz to the victory.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has played well enough here in Monte Carlo to believe he can at least push the younger man again and this looks like plenty of games to be given to the former. There will be some moments where Davidovich Fokina is going to have to fend off the Carlos Alcaraz charge, but he is certainly capable of returning well enough to create opportunities of his own and ultimately that may see him cover, even in a likely losing effort.

MY PICKS: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina + 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

Monte Carlo Update: 4-1, + 2.39 Units (5 Units Staked, + 47.80% Yield)

Monte Carlo Masters Tennis Picks 2025 (Friday 11th April)

After making hard work of his Second Round win over Jordan Thompson, Stefanos Tsitsipas took all of his chances and dominated the big points in his comfortable win over Nuno Borges in the Third Round on Thursday to tick a winning selection.

We are moving into the Quarter Final Round on Friday with all four matches scheduled to be played- it was almost tempting to back Tsitsipas for a third time this week, but Lorenzo Musetti's performances have been strong enough to push back against that selection.

The feeling is that Carlos Alcaraz and Alex De Minaur will both win, but the handicap mark looks about right for both of those matches and just offers the underdog of covering, even in a losing effort.

That leaves just the one selection from the Quarter Final Round and that comes from the opening match of the day.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina - 2.5 games v Alexei Popyrin: Both of these players earned 'upsets' to take their place in the Monte Carlo Masters Quarter Final, although you have to believe Alejandro Davidovich Fokina would have been 'expecting' his win over Jack Draper more than Alexei Popyrin may have done when facing Casper Ruud.

The win for Popyrin deserves plenty of respect on this surface and the Australian has been using his serve to build pressure.

All three of Alexei Popyrin's wins have been in three sets and he has perhaps had a bit of fortune behind them when you think all three of his opponents actually created more Break Points in those defeats. Take nothing away from someone winning the big points to progress, but it is an unsustainable method and you do have to wonder if Popyrin could just run out of fuel in what is expected to be another tough clay court match.

His opponent has fallen down the World Rankings in recent months and comes into the tournament as the World Number 42, but Alejandro Davidovich Fokina is very comfortable on the clay courts. The Spaniard has also needed three sets in two of his three wins in Monte Carlo, but he has looked more convincing in his victories and that should give Davidovich Fokina some confidence to take into this Quarter Final.

The serve is not the most convincing, but Alejandro Davidovich Fokina is an effective return players on the surface.

This could be the key to the outcome of this match and Davidovich Fokina looks to have a considerable edge over Alexei Popyrin in that department. While not always being the player that can be trusted to produce his best on any given day, the Spaniard may still have enough here to win the match and cover this mark as the favourite.

MY PICKS: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Monte Carlo Update: 3-1, + 1.59 Units (4 Units Staked, + 39.75% Yield)

Monte Carlo Masters Tennis Picks 2025 (Thursday 10th April)

It felt like another frustrating day was in the offing at the Monte Carlo Masters, but this time fortune smiled down on the Tennis Picks with some big moments going the way of the players selected.

This was in direct contrast to the opening day and has pushed the total back into a positive number.

The first clay court Picks of the season can be difficult to judge with players adjusting to the red dirt having largely competed on the hard courts to open 2025, but we should see pretty quick improvements in the level, even at this opening Masters tournament in the run towards Roland Garros.

However, saying all that, the Third Round matches scheduled for Thursday look tough and the sole pick is going back in with the defending Champion, even if he let me down a couple of days ago.

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 3.5 games v Nuno Borges: It took a bit of time to get into his rhythm, but by the end of the Second Round win over Jordan Thompson, Stefanos Tsitsipas was motoring.

This is a venue where Stefanos Tsitsipas continues to find his best tennis and the numbers were up to where he would have wanted them to be at the end of that win over Jordan Thompson.

However, in saying that, the Greek star will be expecting a sterner challenge from Nuno Borges and that in turn means having to come out and play some of his better tennis right from the start of this Third Round match. The defending Champion will have some confidence after a decent couple of months on the Tour and ahead of this clay court part of the year, but this is a tough event and the standard of opponent is taking a big step upwards.

Nuno Borges has two wins under his belt in Monte Carlo, although he was pushed all the way in the Second Round by clay court specialist Pedro Martinez. The opening win over Holger Rune is hard to judge considering the second set retirement that was forced upon the Dane, but Borges will be playing with plenty of belief, even with some mixed results on the surface so far this season.

The World Number 43 is a solid performer on the clay, but he was beaten relatively comfortably by Stefanos Tsitsipas on this surface two years ago. While Nuno Borges has improved since then, this is still a big test on the clay courts of Monte Carlo and it may be just a little too much to ask against Stefanos Tsitsipas who loves playing here.

MY PICKS: Stefanos Tsitsipas - 3.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Monte Carlo Update: 2-1, + 0.93 Units (3 Units Staked, + 31% Yield)

Monte Carlo Masters Tennis Picks 2025 (Wednesday 9th April)

The first clay court Tennis Pick of the season produced a frustrating result, but it is only day one and there are still two months of action to get through.

Stefanos Tsitsipas had his chances, but ultimately missed the cover by a game after missing the multiple Break Points opportunities he had in the middle of set two and beginning of set three. By the time he brought his clinical best tennis into the biggest moments, the cover was missed and the final set 6-2 win was too little, too late (for the Pick if not for his own personal record at the tournament in Monte Carlo).

The rest of the Second Round is going to be played on Wednesday and it is another very busy day in Monte Carlo.

As frustrating as it was on Tuesday, taking careful steps is the only way forward if we want to build on what has been a productive start to the 2025 season.

Two matches have made the shortlist and the selections can be read below.

Andrey Rublev - 2.5 games v Gael Monfils: Partnering with Marat Safin will have made the headlines, but Andrey Rublev will be much happier if it leads to a bit more consistency on the Tour. He is the World Number 9, which means a Bye through to the Second Round in Monte Carlo, but it has not been the most consistent of twelve months and Rublev is looking for answers to just turn things back around.

The form in 2025 has been feast of famine for Andrey Rublev- he has lost opening matches in Hong Kong, Indian Wells and Miami and was also beaten in the First Round at the Australian Open, but the Russian has also won a big title in Doha and had a Quarter Final and Semi Final run during the indoor hard court season in Europe.

An opening clay court match would have been tough anyway, even if Rublev is very comfortable on the surface, but that challenge is that much greater when opposed by someone like Gael Monfils. All of the support in the crowd will be with the player on the other side of the net, which is a challenge to deal with, while Gael Monfils continues to enjoy an Indian Summer with some big performances throughout 2025.

His fightback to comfortably win his First Round match will have certainly helped Gael Monfils after a couple of difficult years playing on the clay. The numbers have not been good enough on the clay in recent seasons with the Gael Monfils serve looking vulnerable, but that First Round win will improve the confidence even as he steps up his level considerably to face a top ten Ranked opponent.

Andrey Rublev, for all his troubles, continues to serve well and that will be key in working his way past the veteran home player.

Breaks have to be expected in this match on this surface, but Andrey Rublev may get his clay court season underway with a solid win over an opponent in good form. His partnership with Marat Safin will be enjoyable to watch, and the hope for Rublev is that his compatriot can just help spark his season with a solid win to open up.

Grigor Dimitrov - 4.5 games v Valentin Vacherot: For the second year in a row, Valentin Vacherot represents Monaco in the Monte Carlo Masters and he is up against Grigor Dimitrov.

The 26 year old will receive plenty of support, although he is facing a popular player, but the World Number 255 has a gap in quality to bridge and that is the much bigger issue for him to deal with.

A Davis Cup win over Nuno Borges on the clay courts will have given Valentin Vacherot confidence, but the majority of the opponents he faces on the Tour are Ranked outside the top 100 and he was crushed by Damir Dzumhur last week in Bucharest.

The First Round win over Jan-Lennard Struff will help, but it is still asking a lot of Valentin Vacherot to compete with Grigor Dimitrov, even if the Bulgarian is much happier on the faster surfaces.

In saying that, it would be foolish to think that Grigor Dimitrov cannot compete on the clay courts with his positive numbers throughout his career suggesting otherwise. His First Round win over Nicolas Jarry underlines the ability of Dimitrov on the red dirt and the World Number 18 has won 66% of his matches played on the clay since the beginning of the 2022 season.

This includes a routine win over Valentin Vacherot on the clay courts of Monte Carlo twelve months ago when Grigor Dimitrov was able to find four Breaks of serve. During that match he only allowed a single Break Point to be created against his own serve and pushed through the gears through the second set to comfortably progress past the Wild Card.

Something similar could happen in this Second Round match with Grigor Dimitrov expected to be able to get on top of rallies as they develop.

Much like that match in 2024, the first set could be competitive, but that soon followed by a more routine set for Grigor Dimitrov and he can do the same here to win and cover.

MY PICKS: Andrey Rublev - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Grigor Dimitrov - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

Monte Carlo Update: 0-1, - 1 Unit (1 Unit Staked, - 100% Yield)

Monte Carlo Masters Tennis Picks 2025 (Tuesday 8th April)

Finishing the Miami Masters with a positive return wrapped up the first quarter of the tennis season and concluded the opening stint on the hard courts.

As mentioned at the time, the decision was made to wait until the Monte Carlo Masters before the opening clay court Tennis Picks of the season would be made and that was mainly so the events on the European red dirt would begin. There have been events in the United States, which always feel like clay courts that play a lot differently than those in the build up towards the French Open, while the ATP events last week were at the 250 level and they were events which would give us some early indication of the form of those much lower in the World Rankings.

The Monte Carlo Masters is perhaps not seen in the same light as Madrid and Rome in the preparation for the French Open, but a very solid field has come together this week. For many it will be the first clay court action for several months in a competitive environment, and that can lead to some early upsets, but the picturesque setting should mean fans will arrive at the tournament in as good spirits as most of the contenders.

Most of the First Round has been completed through the first two days at the event, although there are still some opening matches to be played on Tuesday. On the same day, the top Seeds join the Monte Carlo party and this should be another solid week on the Tour for those on the ATP side of the table.

Stuttgart will be the first big event for those on the WTA Tour with that 500 level event being played next week ahead of the Madrid 1000 events to round out the month. All eyes will be sharpening up towards that second Grand Slam of the season with the men's tournament looking pretty wide open and Iga Swiatek still being the player to beat in the women's event.

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 4.5 games v Jordan Thompson: The last two times these players have met on the Tour have been huge battles with both Jordan Thompson and Stefanos Tsitsipas working their way to a victory apiece. However, both were played on the hard courts and there feels like a big advantage in favour of the higher Ranked player when it comes to matches on the clay.

Furthering that advantage is this Second Round match being played in Monte Carlo where Stefanos Tsitsipas has really enjoyed his time.

His 22-3 record is one thing, but it should also be noted that Stefanos Tsitsipas has won the title in three of the last four years after returning to the event in 2021. The only exception was a Quarter Final defeat to Taylor Fritz in 2023, but the World Number 8 made up for that by winning the title in 2024 with wins over the likes of Alexander Zverev and Jannik Sinner on the way.

He was born in Greece and represents that nation, but Stefanos Tsitsipas is clearly very comfortable in Monte Carlo with this being his main home these days. That has been reflected in his level of performance at the event and since 2021, Tsitsipas has dominated most aspects of his tennis when playing at this Masters event.

The serve has been very strong, although the key to the successes that Stefanos Tsitsipas has had is the returning numbers with 37% of return games ending in a break of serve in his favour. Numbers on both the serve and return move even more in his favour when only considering matches against players Ranked lower than him and Stefanos Tsitsipas has to be seen as a strong favourite, even in his first match back on the clay courts.

A couple of disappointing efforts in Indian Wells and Miami may have knocked the confidence, but being back on the red dirt will really help Stefanos Tsitsipas.

His opponent has come through a First Round match, so is adjusted to the conditions, but you have to consider Jordan Thompson as a pretty poor clay courter. The Australian was beaten in his first match in Houston last week, and he had lost sixteen of seventeen clay court matches played on European soil before his First Round win.

Jordan Thompson can take confidence from that win, but his numbers have been really poor on the surface and going up against someone as comfortable on this surface as Stefanos Tsitsipas makes it hard to believe the former can be competitive.

The serve is a big weapon for Thompson on most surfaces, but that is not the case on the clay where patience is as important as power. Ultimately his return has also suffered with opponents capable of pushing him around the court and this may be a rare match against Stefanos Tsitsipas where the World Number 38 is unable to challenge the top ten player as he would like.

It is a big spread for a first match on the surface, but Stefanos Tsitsipas is capable of covering in surroundings where he has always felt right at home.

MY PICKS: Stefanos Tsitsipas - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

2025 Season: 68-51, + 13.08 Units (157 Units Staked, + 8.33% Yield)

Monte Carlo Masters Tennis Picks 2023 (April 14th)

Wow, that was some day...

The last three weeks have been really frustrating, but I don't think any of the previous days have been as irritating as the last one.

I've lost count of the number of tie-breakers that have inched the other way this week, and those really hurt on Thursday.

Karen Khachanov won more points during the first set against Andrey Rublev, but lost a tie-breaker and was not able to take advantage of an early break in the second set.

Let's be honest- if Novak Djokovic plays that match with Lorenzo Musetti later this month, I think he wins well. He had Set Points at 5-2 and 5-3 in the first set and, even though he eventually won that set, Novak Djokovic was not able to regain the dominance he had in the match at that point and lost in a tight three setter.

But the worst of the misfortunes was saved for the last match of the day.

Alexander Zverev served for the match in the second and in the third set and also had a Match Point on serve in the final set tie-breaker.

I'd have been disappointed to have gone 2-1, but to have a 0-3 day is a bitter blow.

So it makes Friday pretty important- after the early positives for this season, I am having a look at what is going wrong at the moment. My feeling is that the majority of selections have fallen down due to bad luck rather than a bad look, but I am keeping a tight leash on the Tennis Picks and Friday's Quarter Final action will be important to get back to winning ways in what is likely going to be a tournament ending in a negative number.

MY PICKS: Stefanos Tsitsipas - 3.5 Games @ 1.95 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Holger Rune - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Jannik Sinner - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Monte Carlo Update: 5-9, - 9.66 Units (30 Units Staked, - 32.20% Yield)

Monte Carlo Masters Tennis Picks 2023 (April 13th)

While I will admit that I have not had the time to write out my reasoning for the Tennis Picks this week, I have been putting in the research to see if the selections are within the parameters set.

Three more games from Diego Schwartzman would have made it a very good day, but he was not able to finish his match with Jannik Sinner and I have had to settle for a 3-2 return.

On Thursday we are into the Third Round at the Masters event and all eight matches are scheduled to be played and conditions should be warming up through to the end of the weekend. I do want to see my returns warming up too after a poor start to the tournament and there is still some work to do in order to see that improvement.

MY PICKS: Karen Khachanov @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Novak Djokovic - 5.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet365 (2 Units)

Alexander Zverev @ 2.30 Bet365 (2 Units)

Holger Rune - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Monte Carlo Update: 5-6, - 3.66 Units (22 Units Staked, - 16.64% Yield)

Monte Carlo Masters Tennis Picks 2023 (April 12th)

It was a mixed day at the Monte Carlo Masters, but the meat of the tournament will be played in the next couple of days and I am looking for a real upturn in returns.

I have not been very happy with the first two days for the Tennis Picks, although I do think there have been fewer 'bad selections' compared with those that had chances to get into a winning position. My feeling is that a slight improvement in the fortune at key moments will swing things back around in a positive direction and I will be looking for some of that on Wednesday.

The update for the season totals will be added to this thread on Wednesday morning, but the late creation of some of the markets means I will place my selections for the day below beforehand.

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

Nicolas Jarry - 3.5 Games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Jannik Sinner - 5.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Karen Khachanov - 3.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet365 (2 Units)

Stan Wawrinka @ 2.80 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Holger Rune - 3.5 Games @ 1.90 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Monte Carlo Update: 2-4, - 4.52 Units (12 Units Staked, - 37.67% Yield)

Tennis 2023: + 12.21 Units (432 Units Staked, + 2.83% Yield)

March 2023: - 1.73 Units (189 Units Staked, - 1% Yield)

February 2023: + 0.26 Units (18 Units Staked, + 1.44% Yield)

January 2023: + 13.68 Units (146 Units Staked, + 9.37% Yield)

Monte Carlo Masters Tennis Picks 2023 (April 11th)

That was a rough opening to the clay court season.

While I will hold my hands up and say the Cameron Norrie was a poor performance and never stood a chance of recovering, the Sebastian Baez defeat to Jack Draper was incredibly frustrating.

He had three times as many Break Points as Draper, but the latter played every critical point better than the Argentine player. A match that saw Jack Draper win in straight sets also had Sebastian Baez convert 1/12 Break Points compared with Draper's 3/4 record on the day.

That is definitely a selection I would make again if I was given the numbers that they were both going to produce, but the fortune was not on the side of Baez this time.

A tough start, but it is only the start of the week. On Tuesday there is another loaded day in Monte Carlo as the First Round is completed and a few Second Round matches are scheduled to be played with more of the big names in action for the first time on the red dirt in 2023.

I will have a fuller thread on Wednesday, but time constraints means I will only place my selections below with the updated total for the tournament.

MY PICKS: Jiri Lehecka - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Miomir Kecmanovic @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Hubert Hurkacz - 1.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Monte Carlo Update: 0-2, - 4 Units (4 Units Staked, - 100% Yield)

Monte Carlo Masters Tennis Picks 2023 (April 10th)

It was a mixed time in the Sunshine Double for the Tennis Picks as the first half of the hard court season came to a close.

Still, I can't really argue with the results through to the start of the clay court season as the build up to the French Open continues. Tournaments have already been played at the opening of the month, but the big names are getting their preparation going when the ATP Tour makes a stop in Monte Carlo for the first Masters on the clay courts ahead of further big stops in Madrid and Rome.

The run up to the French Open will see plenty of tennis being played with both Tours giving players the time to really adjust back onto the clay courts.

It is also a time of the year where some of the players that have enjoyed a lot of success through the first three months of the season may have not have the same level of enjoyment and quality of results on the red dirt. On the other side there are going to be some huge opportunities for the clay court specialists that thrive at this time of the season and I do think it is something to keep in mind when making selections, rather than solely focusing on the season numbers.

I am going to update the season totals in either the Tuesday, or most likely Wednesday, thread at the Mont Carlo Masters.

The opening Tennis Picks from the Monte Carlo Masters and the clay court season overall can be read below.

Cameron Norrie - 2.5 games v Francisco Cerundolo: You might not always consider a player out of Great Britain as being a 'clay court specialist', but Cameron Norrie has played some of his best tennis on the surface.

The Monte Carlo Masters can be a tournament filled with surprises, especially early in the event, and it is the only Masters event on the Tour that is not a mandatory one when it comes to the World Rankings. That has sometimes meant it is one that skipped by the top names or one where players do not hang around for too long, but Cameron Norrie may feel he is ready to have a deep run following an early exit in his last appearance in the beautiful surroundings.

Cameron Norrie did not stay in Europe and the Middle East between the Australian Open and the hard court Masters events in North America, but instead chose to join the Golden Swing in South America. It is a decision that has proven to be a good one for a player that put together a 10-1 record, which included picking up a big title in Rio.

In general he did not face too many top players, but splitting two matches with Carlos Alcaraz will have Cameron Norrie feeling confident ahead of the European clay court season.

It was a less successful time for Francisco Cerundolo who has a 4-4 record on the clay courts in 2023, but this is a player that has grown up on the red dirt. He will feel his return game is superior than Cameron Norrie's, but Francisco Cerundolo is going to have to pick up his serving numbers when entering these Masters tournaments.

The record is disappointing when you think of the kind of level of opponents Francisco Cerundolo was drawn to face in the tournaments played on the Golden Swing. Wins in events held during the summer in 2022 helped the confidence of the Argentinian, but this is a tough opening draw in Monte Carlo and I do think Cameron Norrie can frank the form that saw him edge past Francisco Cerundolo in Lyon last year.

A loss to Daniel Evans at the French Open was a disappointing one for Francisco Cerundolo and I think he is beaten by a British player here.

Sebastian Baez - 2.5 games v Jack Draper: I am backing one British player on Monday, but I am opposing another when Jack Draper faces Sebastian Baez in the First Round in Monte Carlo.

This is another match between a Brit and an Argentine player, but this time I am looking for Sebastian Baez to show off his clay court prowess.

I do like Jack Draper and his potential, but he is coming in off an injury and his lack of experience on the red dirt is a problem. Last year we saw Draper play a couple of quality matches at the Madrid Masters, but that is a tournament played in conditions that tend to be some of the faster clay courts in the lead up to the French Open and would have suited the big hitting game that Jack Draper wants to play.

Unfortunately that is not likely to be the case in Monte Carlo and Sebastian Baez did reach the Quarter Final in Estoril last week.

He was well beaten by Casper Ruud as the defending Champion in Estoril, but Sebastian Baez has had plenty of wins on the red dirt and I think he is one of those players that will thrive playing on this surface over the next couple of months.

Sebastian Baez has found a certain level too much to handle on this surface, but he is 22-5 in clay court matches played against opponents Ranked outside the top 50 over the last year. The know how on the clay courts have allowed Baez to serve well and really build the pressure on the return and I think he can put that together in winning his opening match at this Masters tournament.

MY PICKS: Cameron Norrie - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Sebastian Baez - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Monte Carlo Masters Tennis Picks 2022 (April 16th)

A late surge from Stefanos Tsitsipas helped produce a winning day for the Tennis Picks having gone 2-1 on Quarter Final day.

None of the players have a lot of time to prepare for their next matches with the Semi Final at the Monte Carlo Masters to be played on Saturday and you can read my selections below.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina - 1.5 games v Grigor Dimitrov: Three sets were needed by all four players that won their Quarter Final matches at the Monte Carlo Masters, but Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Grigor Dimitrov spent a similar amount of time on the court.

The two players have had strong events and I expect they will privately be very confident in reaching the Final of the first Masters to be played on the clay courts in 2022. Both have beaten two top 14 Ranked opponents in their run through to the Semi Final and that is going to give Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Grigor Dimitrov plenty of confidence when they step onto the court.

Overall it has been a stronger week for the Spaniard, but Grigor Dimitrov has been in fine form on the red dirt and his run has perhaps been more unexpected of the two players. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has not really threatened to perform to this level on the clay courts in Masters events, but he had a strong run at the French Open and the returning performances have been impressive to spark this successful tournament.

It is a tough task in front of him in this one though considering how well Grigor Dimitrov has been serving throughout the tournament. The Bulgarian is holding 95% of his service games and his last three matches, which have been completed on the court, have seen Grigor Dimitrov allow a maximum of four break point opportunities in each match.

Much is going to depend on whether Davidovich Fokina can get into the returning games as well as he has throughout the Monte Carlo Masters. It will be a real test for the Spaniard, but his level this week coupled with his overall twelve month numbers suggest his level may be a little more sustainable than the Dimitrov serving numbers on this surface.

In saying that, you have to respect how well Dimitrov has been serving and he is has backed up his game with some solid returning efforts too. It makes him a dangerous player, one who can be very tough to beat when his confidence is in the place it is likely to be in right now, but Alejandro Davidovich Fokina is playing really well too and I do think he has the superior return which ends up proving to be the difference on the day.

When these two met in Rome last year, both have solid serving numbers, but it was Alejandro Davidovich Fokina managed to protect his serve with the slightly stronger percentage of points won behind that shot. He did have to fend off more break points than Grigor Dimitrov that day, and I think this is likely to be a close match with very little between them too.

The feeling is that Grigor Dimitrov may not have the same kind of success on the return as Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and I do think that the latter will find a way to edge to another victory over this opponent. It will likely be a tight, competitive match, but the superior returning of the Spaniard may seal the deal in the tough moments as long as he is not as wasteful as he was in the big points in this Quarter Final win.

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 1.5 games v Alexander Zverev: It can be very difficult to recover from the tough, emotional victories that underline the progress through to the Semi Final, but both Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas are in a similar boat.

Alexander Zverev won his match against Jannik Sinner in over three hours and was pushed very hard in the final set when it looked like he might have broken the back of the match, Winning a tie-breaker to secure his place in the Semi Final means plenty of emotional and physical efforts were used on Friday and it will be far from easy for Alexander Zverev to prepare for this Semi Final match.

However, he played in the match prior to Stefanos Tsitsipas who also needed close to three hours to win his Quarter Final. The Greek player was the first to admit that he should have won in straight sets when being broken at 5-3 ahead of Diego Sebastian Schwartzman, but Stefanos Tsitsipas also showed off his character to roll through six games in a row in the final set decider having fallen 0-4 behind.

Both players will have a difficult time preparing for this Semi Final having put in as much as they did to earn a spot in the final four. The lack of time makes it more difficult, but Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev are very familiar with one another, while the former is also the defending Champion in Monte Carlo and arguably the favourite to win the tournament again.

The performances in the tournament so far shows there is not much between them- Stefanos Tsitsipas has been the superior server, but Alexander Zverev has been slightly stronger when it comes to the returning numbers. It certainly makes for another potentially very tight match and I think it will come down to the small margins.

Stefanos Tsitsipas does have the edge with the head to head lead and he has won six of the nine matches between these players overall. Both previous clay court matches have been won by the Greek player too and those two wins have seen Stefanos Tsitsipas hold 89% of his service games played compared with Alexander Zverev's mark of 79% mark.

You do have to respect how well Alexander Zverev has been returning this week as he looks to put a more significant dent into the Tsitsipas service games, but I do think he has shown some vulnerability on his own serve.

A late finish in Monte Carlo is far from ideal for Stefanos Tsitsipas, but Alexander Zverev had an incredibly tough Quarter Final too and I do think the defending Champion may be able to manage himself well enough to win this match. The margins have been tight in the two previous wins Stefanos Tsitsipas has had over Alexander Zverev on the clay, but he has had a strong enough edge to believe he can back that up here.

Two quality players should produce a quality match, but I am looking for Stefanos Tsitsipas to do enough to win the Semi Final.

MY PICKS: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina - 1.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Monte Carlo Update: 11-12, - 3.80 Units (46 Units Staked, - 8.26% Yield)

Monte Carlo Masters Tennis Picks 2022 (April 15th)

Another disappointing day for the Tennis Picks at the Monte Carlo Masters, but it was one filled with some frustration considering the level produced by those I selected.

The underdogs had strong showings throughout the day, but it is Quarter Final day on Friday and I do like a number of players to perform well enough to move through to the tennis this weekend.

We also have Billie Jean King Cup action over this weekend and any Picks from those matches on Friday will be added to this thread.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina v Taylor Fritz: After spending a relatively short time on the court to win in straight sets, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Taylor Fritz have to be feeling pretty good about their chances of earning a spot in the Monte Carlo Masters Semi Final.

The top half of the draw looks very open and that means the two players will have a chance to put up some significant Ranking points. Taylor Fritz not only reached the Final of the Indian Wells Masters, but he won the title there so there may be confidence in his tennis which will be hard to contain, although the American is still a work in progress on the clay courts.

Winning matches is always a plus, but Taylor Fritz is still trying to figure out how to get the best out of his return on the clay courts. He has also benefited from an extremely kind draw which has meant Taylor Fritz has yet to beat anyone Ranked in the top 20 and he faces another opponent who is not within that mark.

However, Taylor Fritz is playing someone who is very comfortable on the clay courts and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has produced a strong tournament. The win over Novak Djokovic is the stand out, but the Spaniard has also beaten David Goffin who won the title in Marrakech last week and his numbers have been more impressive than the ones that Taylor Fritz has been able to manage.

Tougher opponents make the numbers more impressive, and it is the Davidovich Fokina return which could be the key to determine the outcome of this Quarter Final match.

Their previous two matches were split on the clay courts, but Taylor Fritz won the match in Madrid on a court that has traditionally been a much quicker clay court than the others in Europe. Three years ago it was Alejandro Davidovich Fokina who beat Fritz in Estoril in what was a tight match and I think he is going to be able to dig in and edge to another win over the American here in Monte Carlo.

Alexander Zverev - 3.5 games v Jannik Sinner: Over the next few years, this is a match that is likely going to be at the business end of many of the big tournaments being played on the Tour and especially when the likes of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic call time on their careers.

At almost 25 years old, Alexander Zverev is considerably further along in his overall development compared with the 21 year old Italian Jannik Sinner and the numbers being produced by the higher Ranked player are at a superior level.

That is taking nothing away from Jannik Sinner who has been very impressive as soon as he made his breakthrough on the Tour. There is no doubting the talent and I do think Jannik Sinner is going to be a multiple time Grand Slam Champion, but he is still developing his game and to beat someone like Alexander Zverev is going to be a big challenge for him.

Jannik Sinner has played well in Monte Carlo, and his return has been a huge weapon for him. However, Sinner will be the first to admit that he is going to have to find a way to look after his serve more effectively than he has in the tournament so far with just 62% of points won behind this shot and holding 78% of his service games played.

While the return of serve has helped Jannik Sinner win his three matches here, Alexander Zverev's serve has been a potent weapon for him throughout this event. The German has had to win one less match after receiving a Bye in the First Round, but he has been dominant in those wins and Alexander Zverev has actually broken serve in 51% of his return games played.

He is winning a higher percentage of points behind serve compared with Sinner too and I do think Alexander Zverev will have the edge in this Quarter Final.

Jannik Sinner did upset Alexander Zverev at the French Open in 2020 during his epic run, but it is Alexander Zverev who has won their last two matches. Both of those have been on the hard courts, but Alexander Zverev has a serve that can be very effective on the clay courts as well as the faster surfaces and I think he will find the breaks he needs to earn a narrow edge in each set played and ultimately move through with a cover.

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 3.5 games v Diego Sebastian Schwartzman: There is plenty of respect for Diego Sebastian Schwartzman who has gotten every ounce out of his talent on the Tour and proved to be a pretty respectable player on all surfaces.

That point is underlined over the last twelve months with similar levels of numbers being produced on hard courts, clay courts and grass courts. It means Diego Sebastian Schwartzman has to be respected and he is an opponent that can be very difficult to beat if you are not playing your best tennis.

The return has been a big weapon for Diego Sebastian Schwartzman in Monte Carlo and he has needed to be at his best on this side of his tennis. It is largely down to the return that a player who has held just 67% of service games played has worked his way into the Quarter Final, although Diego Sebastian Schwartzman has bounced back from dropping the first set in two of his three matches to underline the kind of belief he has in his own game.

Stefanos Tsitsipas is expected to provide a much tougher test as one of the improving clay courters on the Tour. This may feel like his favourite surface and Stefanos Tsitsipas is still the defending Champion in Monte Carlo, while his two wins in the tournament have been behind some impressive numbers.

Of course this is a much tougher test than Fabio Fognini or Laslo Djere can offer, but Stefanos Tsitsipas has been serving well and it has allowed him to free up his arm and break in 31% of return games played. That is not a number that compares with Diego Sebastian Schwartzman's 50% mark, but I do think Stefanos Tsitsipas is going to believe he will have enough chances to break down the Argentine's serve as long as he looks after his own.

Over the last twelve months, Stefanos Tstisipas has put together the stronger performances on the clay courts of the two players and he can earn revenge for a defeat to Diego Sebastian Schwartzman on the hard courts at the ATP Cup in January. Diego Sebastian Schwartzman was much the better player that day, but Stefanos Tsitsipas has won their sole previous match on the clay courts and I think he will have enough big serving to get out of some tight spots and eventually pull clear of this tough opponent.

MY PICKS: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Alexander Zverev - 3.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Monte Carlo Update: 9-11, - 5.46 Units (40 Units Staked, - 13.65% Yield)

Monte Carlo Masters Tennis Picks 2022 (April 14th)

That was not a good day.

The late break when serving for the match in the final match of the day proved to be the difference and has taken the week from a winning position into a losing one.

But the only positive is that I can't really be unhappy with any of the selections made. It is only worse when you feel regret about any Pick you make, but that was not the case despite the losing day.

On Thursday we are down to the Third Round as the Monte Carlo Masters heats up and that means players who want to win the title are going to be asked to play every day through the remainder of the event. It looks like a very open tournament with a case to be made for a number of players and I do think the Third Round matches are highly competitive which means I have only three Picks from the eight matches set to be played.

Casper Ruud - 4.5 games v Grigor Dimitrov: It was a tougher than expected Second Round match, but Casper Ruud did what he needed to in order to progress to the next Round at the Monte Carlo Masters. He will know that he needs to be stronger in the return part of his game, but the conditions in Monte Carlo should be a little easier to deal with on Thursday compared with Wednesday and being back on the red dirt should see Casper Ruud go from strength to strength.

Others have fallen by the wayside so it was important for Casper Ruud to dig in and beat Holger Rune having recovered from difficult spots in both the first and second sets.

He should be stronger with the match under his belt and Casper Ruud is facing an opponent in Grigor Dimitrov who is far from at his most comfortable on the clay courts. The Bulgarian had a solid win in the Second Round over Dusan Lajovic and also benefited from having Wednesday as a day off, but Grigor Dimitrov is going to have to expect to be put under a lot more pressure by Casper Ruud than he has faced in this tournament so far.

Much is going to depend on the Grigor Dimitrov serve and whether he can keep Casper Ruud under pressure- earning breaks against the Norwegian has been a challenge for opponents on the clay courts so it is imperative that Dimitrov serves well and tries to stick with the top ten Ranked player he is facing.

When they met on a hard court last year, Grigor Dimitrov was able to find enough breaks of serve to push Casper Ruud, although he ended up losing in a deciding set. Playing on the clay courts look to give Casper Ruud a much stronger edge and I think that shows up in the early match at the Monte Carlo Masters as the Third Round is completed through the day.

The performance on Wednesday was not the best, but Casper Ruud has plenty more to give on the clay courts and I am happy to back him here.

David Goffin - 1.5 games v Alejandro Davidovich Fokina: Any time you earn a win like the one that Alejandro Davidovich Fokina produced in the Second Round, it can be very difficult to pick yourself up emotionally and ready yourself for the next challenge. It cannot be ignored that Davidovich Fokina has not really had as many impressive wins as the one he put together against Novak Djokovic in the Second Round, and especially not on the clay courts.

He did win plenty of clay court matches last year too, but Alejandro Davidovich Fokina plays in tight margins and the question is whether he has been able to refocus after the biggest win on his career.

Having a day off on Wednesday may actually benefit Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, but he will have to produce some top tennis to beat a confident David Goffin who won the title in Marrakech last week.

After injuries have meant a loss of form, winning that title will have just reminded David Goffin of the level he can produce on the Tour. It may have been easy to not be able to get himself ready for the Monte Carlo Masters after investing a lot of energy into winning in Marrakech, but David Goffin has looked good in his two wins here and will be heading to the court looking to book himself a Quarter Final spot.

Those injuries and loss of form mentioned have meant a couple of difficult years on the clay courts, but David Goffin has looked good so far in 2022. Sustaining the level will not be easy, but I do think the David Goffin return game may give him an edge in this Third Round match.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has to be given plenty of respect with a solid return game of his own, but David Goffin has been serving at a considerably higher level on the clay courts. It is important to be able to do that and at least keep some of the pressure from building on you and I think the Belgian may have enough to beat out an opponent who needs to have recovered emotionally from a top win.

It would not be a massive surprise if we need three sets to separate these two players on the day, but I think David Goffin can do enough with his serve to edge to the victory.

Alexander Zverev - 3.5 games v Pablo Carreno Busta: We have not really seen the best of Pablo Carreno Busta so far this week in Monte Carlo and there will be pressure on him to pick up his level if he is going to earn a spot in the Quarter Final of this Masters event. Instead of being the higher Ranked player as he has been in the first two matches here, Pablo Carreno Busta is taking on a top ten Ranked opponent who has returned to the clay in strong form.

Alexander Zverev was perhaps fortunate to avoid a suspension from the Tour for his actions in Acapulco and he did not have the best tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami, but he did crush Federico Delbonis in the Second Round on Wednesday. He has also won a couple of matches against overmatched opponents on the surface in the Davis Cup, but the German is likely to be the first to admit that this is going to be the toughest test he has faced on the surface since losing in the French Open Semi Final last year.

The serve has been a big weapon for Alexander Zverev over the last couple of years on the red dirt and he is a productive returner which suggests he should be very comfortable on the surface. For a long time his numbers on the clay have been very impressive and Alexander Zverev will feel that his overall tennis is enough to secure his place in the Quarter Final.

Pablo Carreno Busta cannot really point to the same impressive numbers- he is holding 77% of service games on the clay courts in 2022 and breaking in 22% of return games, although the twelve month totals are stronger. The problem for the Spaniard is that those numbers have dipped significantly when facing top 50 Ranked opponents on the surface.

The same is not true for Alexander Zverev who has kept his level very high when facing the better players on the Tour and I do think he is going to have the edge against Pablo Carreno Busta in this Third Round match.

Mentally he holds the edge too having won both previous matches between these players on the Tour, although both of those were on the hard courts. The last of those was played in the 2020 US Open and I do think Alexander Zverev remains the more consistent of the two top 20 Ranked players and his serve may prove to be the key difference between them on the day.

If he serves well, the return game should find the breaks needed to win this match by a good margin.

MY PICKS: Casper Ruud - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

David Goffin - 1.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Alexander Zverev - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Monte Carlo Update; 8-9, - 2.90 Units (34 Units Staked, - 8.53% Yield)

Monte Carlo Masters Tennis Picks 2022 (April 13th)

Another winning day has put the Monte Carlo Tennis Picks into a positive position for the week, but we are not even halfway through the tournament and that means there is still work to do.

A number of players taking to the court on Wednesday will be playing in their first clay court event of the season and conditions have been pretty tough with plenty of wind around. That can be very tough for players not accustomed to the surface beneath their feet, but the move from the hard to the clay courts, and vice versa, tend to be pretty comfortable for most compared with the move onto the grass courts that will happen in June.

Wednesday is a busy day at the tournament and I am looking for my six selections to help return another winning day to keep the positive run going.

Albert Ramos-Vinolas v Cameron Norrie: A veteran of the ATP Tour, Albert Ramos-Vinolas now spends a large amount of his time on his favourite surface and he will be looking forward to the next few weeks with the Tour going through the main portion of the clay court season. Players like Albert Ramos-Vinolas remain very dangerous on this surface and especially when playing against those who are not as confident on the red dirt, but who may be Ranked considerably higher than those who spend their time predominantly playing clay court events.

Most surfaces are beginning to feel uniform so the clay court specialists of old are perhaps not as common in the draws as they would have been, but there are clearly some top names that have struggled for consistency on this surface.

Cameron Norrie is not one of them having moved into the top ten of the World Rankings earlier this month after a hugely productive twelve months on the Tour. Last season Cameron Norrie has a number of deep runs in big clay court events and finished up with a 16-5 record on the surface, so he has to be respected, although the British player is going to be performing for the first time on the red dirt in 2022.

As mentioned, Albert Ramos-Vinolas plays plenty of clay court tennis and he won a title on this surface during the Golden Swing in South America. He has already secured his first win at Monte Carlo and you do have to believe that the Spaniard has the tennis to upset a top ten opponent in the Second Round.

Albert Ramos-Vinolas has far from an overwhelming game and his serve can be vulnerable on the clay courts, but the lefty has been a pretty solid return player and that has helped. There is no doubt that Cameron Norrie may have the more consistent serve of the two southpaws playing, but his return game has not been as effective as his opponent's and I do think a maiden clay court match could see Norrie come up short.

The British player did beat Albert Ramos-Vinolas for the first time last year, although that was on the grass courts of Queen's Club in West London. Earlier in the same year Cameron Norrie had come up a little short in losing to Ramos-Vinolas in the Final of Estoril, a clay court event, and all three previous defeats to this opponent had been in clay court matches.

Slightly stronger returning proved to be the key for Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the clay court Final in Estoril and I think that may be the case in Monte Carlo too. It should be noted that Cameron Norrie has gone from strength to strength in the time since these players last met on the clay, but the veteran know-how of the Spaniard could just see him work his way past the higher Ranked opponent.

Andrey Rublev - 4.5 games v Alex De Minaur: Both of these players have proven to be much happier on the hard courts than the other surfaces on the Tour, but Andrey Rublev has been more than a decent clay courter in recent years too. That is more than can be said for Alex De Minaur who has struggled to impose his tennis on the slower surface where his own tennis can be a bit more vulnerable.

A win in the First Round will have given the Australian a boost, but since 2018 Alex De Minaur only has a 6-11 record on the clay courts and that includes the win he has secured in the First Round. Last season was a bit more productive than the previous two years, but Alex De Minaur will know his level has to be improved significantly if he is going to have an impact in tournaments over the next couple of months.

Alex De Minaur has held 75% of his service games and broken in 26% of return games played on the clay courts over the last twelve months, but the break percentage has dropped significantly when he has been faced with a top 50 Ranked opponent on this surface.

He is just 1-7 against top 50 Ranked opponents on a clay court in his career and Andrey Rublev is a better clay courter than some may think, even if he is not as strong as he is on a hard court.

The World Number 8 had a poor showing at the Miami Masters, but that should mean he is well rested for this tough clay court portion of the season. 2020 was a strong year on the clay courts, but even last season Andrey Rublev held 82% of his service games on the surface and broke in 26% of return games and I do think his serve will prove to be the difference in this Second Round match.

Andrey Rublev did suffer some very disappointing defeats on the clay last year, but he should have enough of an edge on the serve to win a match like this one.

He has never beaten Alex De Minaur, which could play a mental part in the match, but both previous defeats were back in 2018 and Andrey Rublev is a much better player now. The surface also should give him a slight edge with the likelihood that Alex De Minaur is going to have to work much harder to hold serve than his opponent and that can wear players down on the clay courts with every point a challenge at times.

It is a big mark, but I think Andrey Rublev will find the breaks of serve to earn a solid win on the scoreboard.

Casper Ruud - 5.5 games v Holger Rune: Wisdom teeth issues meant the Miami Masters Runner Up was not able to take part in the clay court event held in Houston, but Casper Ruud should be up to full speed to take part at the Monte Carlo Masters.

Casper Ruud reached the Semi Final here in 2021 and matched that run with another Semi Final at the Madrid Masters before a very productive summer in which he became the first player to win three tournaments in three weeks on the ATP Tour since Andy Murray back in 2011.

All of those were won on the clay courts and he won another title in Buenos Aires and there is no doubt that Casper Ruud will be approaching the French Open as a genuine contender to win the title. His run in Miami has seen the Norwegian reach World Number 7, a new career best, but there may be further improvement made if Casper Ruud can put together the kind of clay court tennis he has proven to be able to play in recent years.

It has long been his favoured surface and I am not anticipating too much time being needed to become comfortable on the red dirt. Novak Djokovic's exit in the tournament has opened up the top half of the draw and Casper Ruud has to feel he can go even further than the Semi Final run in 2021.

The numbers have been incredibly impressive on the clay courts with Casper Ruud holding 87% of his service games on the surface over the last twelve months and backing that up with breaks in 32% of return games played. It makes Casper Ruud one of the most effective clay courters on the Tour and I do think he is going to get the better of young Danish player Holger Rune.

You have to credit Holger Rune for digging in and working his way past Aslan Karatsev in the First Round, while he has come through the Qualifiers so the conditions at this tournament will offer no surprises compared with his opponent who will play his first match here. Holger Rune did need three sets to beat his last opponent and spent a considerable amount of time on the court, but he has won a title on the clay courts at Challenger level this year and that should offer him some belief.

However, Holger Rune would be the first to admit that this is a big step up in class for him and Casper Ruud underlined the gap that existed between them in 2021 by handing out two very one-sided wins over him on the hard courts. One of those was right here in Monte Carlo and I think Rune may still not have moved on enough to make this match much closer if Casper Ruud brings his best tennis to the court.

In their two clay court matches in 2021, Casper Ruud dictated behind serve and held 93% of the service games played. The real difference was made by Ruud on the return though and he broke the Holger Rune serve in an incredible 71% of return games played, while winning 60% of the return points played.

The young Danish player will have learnt from those experiences, but the feeling is that Casper Ruud will be able to keep the pressure on him with his return, while protecting the serve to offer little encouragement to the underdog. While it is unlikely to result in another wide, one-sided win, I do think Casper Ruud will find the breaks needed to secure a relatively comfortable victory over this opponent again and get his favourite part of the season underway with a solid win.

MY PICKS: Albert Ramos-Vinolas @ 2.25 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Andrey Rublev - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Casper Ruud - 5.5 Games @ 2.20 Bet365 (2 Units)

Lorenzo Sonego - 1.5 Games @ 1.83 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Jannik Sinner - 3.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet365 (2 Units)

Pablo Carreno Busta - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Monte Carlo Update: 6-5, + 1.28 Units (22 Units Staked, + 5.82% Yield)

Monte Carlo Masters Tennis Picks 2022 (April 12th)

There were some ups and some downs over the course of Monday and the five Tennis Picks largely had a mixed day on the court.

The first four could have all won, but also all lost on another day, so the split was not too bad. Thankfully Marin Cilic did his job as expected and in routine fashion to bring in a winning day and square up the Monte Carlo Masters after the sole loss on Sunday.

The remainder of the First Round is set to be completed on Tuesday, but it is also the day Novak Djokovic returns to the court for the first time since the ATP 500 event in Dubai. The current World Number 1 has admitted it has been a difficult time for him with all of the drama around his decision to travel to the Australian Open before being forced to leave the country.

Other nations are still making it clear that unvaccinated athletes will not be able to enter their borders, but the clay court season feels like a very good time for Novak Djokovic to have some consistency in his season. Monte Carlo, Spain, Italy and France all have come to the decision they will be allowing Novak Djokovic to compete and the defending French Open Champion will be looking to put strong runs together.

He is involved in one of three Second Round matches that are scheduled to be played on Tuesday and I am looking for the momentum from Monday to move the Tennis Picks into a winning position for the tournament so far.

Novak Djokovic - 5.5 games v Alejandro Davidovich Fokina: We always want to see the top names out on the Tour, but injury means the Monte Carlo Masters will be without both Rafael Nadal and Daniil Medvedev.

Thankfully Novak Djokovic is back on Tour to add star power to a loaded draw and it sounds like the nations that will be hosting events through to the French Open will be allowing unvaccinated athletes to compete. That is big news for Novak Djokovic, as is the French lifting restrictions which means he can defend his French Open title and hopefully get some consistency with his own schedule back on the Tour.

Novak Djokovic has not played since the tournament in Dubai when he was upset in the Quarter Final against Jiri Vesely, although the World Number 1 did have a couple of solid wins before exiting the event. Playing on the clay should mean Novak Djokovic is able to build up his rhythm, although I can't forget that he was upset in this tournament twelve months ago in the build to the French Open and that was at a time when Djokovic was playing much more regularly.

You cannot make up competitive tennis conditions in practice, but Novak Djokovic is an exceptional player and I think this is a player that will be very focused with what he wants to do. I think he does benefit from playing an opponent that Djokovic will be comfortable playing as he goes up against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina who was beaten by the Serb very easily at the Rome Masters and the Tokyo Olympics.

Their match in Rome saw Novak Djokovic dominate the match and win 55% of return points against the Davidovich Fokina serve, although I expect this one to be closer considering the layoff that Djokovic has had to endure from the Tour.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina is comfortable on the clay courts and he has won a match here in Monte Carlo already, although he was beaten in the first match played on the surface last week in Marrakech. The serve can be vulnerable on the clay courts and I think that is where Novak Djokovic, the best returner in the game, could put the Spaniard under immense pressure from the off.

His numbers on the clay courts are decent enough overall, but Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has really struggled when facing top 20 Ranked opponents on this surface over the last twelve months. The Spaniard seems to play the big points pretty well considering the amount of sets he has won doesn't really coincide with the numbers produced, but Novak Djokovic has been able to force his tennis to dominate the rallies between these players and I think he will find the breaks of serve to eventually pull clear and cover this big mark on his return to the Tour.

Pedro Martinez - 3.5 games v Ugo Humbert: This has been a tough year for Ugo Humbert already with a 2-7 record in 2022 and I am not sure he is going to be too happy about the move onto the clay courts. Last year Ugo Humbert finished with a 1-6 record on the clay courts and his numbers have been below average on the clay courts through much of his career.

A loss of confidence and perhaps a dislike to the surface does not really bode well for Ugo Humbert and especially not when he is facing someone who is happy on the clay.

Pedro Martinez won a title in Santiago during the Golden Swing earlier this year, although he did suffer some early losses in the other three tournaments played on the red dirt in South America. He put some battling wins together to win the title in Santiago, and the numbers in 2022 have not been eye-catching, but Pedro Martinez has been up against opponents who have also been comfortable on the clay and that is simply not the case here.

Last year the Spaniard had stronger clay court numbers and I do think the soon to be 25 year old will have enough know-how on this surface to beat Ugo Humbert. The Frenchman has only held 77% of service games on the hard courts this year, but Ugo Humbert's numbers on the clay were at 70% in 2021 and he has simply not returned as well as he would like.

This is a wide mark when you think of some of the Pedro Martinez limitations, but I do think he will have the majority of the break point chances and the confidence of Ugo Humbert is not in a good place right now. I think that will show up in this First Round match and I think Pedro Martinez will find the breaks of serve to pull away in the overall games stakes.

Lorenzo Musetti - 3.5 games v Benoit Paire: The suggestion from Benoit Paire over the last couple of years is that he has not enjoyed playing tennis in front of empty stands, but the current World Number 61 has not exactly lit things up in 2022 now the fans are back. The Frenchman has a really poor 3-10 record in 2022 and Benoit Paire has been struggling with most aspects of his tennis, which makes him a vulnerable First Round player.

Things have not been much better for Benoit Paire when it has come to clay court tennis and his numbers have been pretty poor since the pandemic hit 2020. He decided to take part in the Golden Swing in South America earlier this year, but Benoit Paire returned having played in three tournaments and failed to win a single match.

Unsurprisingly the return has been working to some extent on the red dirt, but the real problem for Benoit Paire has been the poor serving. The return of serve will offer Benoit Paire a chance of winning this match, but he cannot overcome a level where he is holding just 65% of service games as he has been operating at over the last twelve months on this surface.

He is the underdog against Lorenzo Musetti, although the youngster has been having a mixed year of his own. After breaking onto the Tour with some big performances, Lorenzo Musetti is perhaps finding things more difficult now that opponents have an idea of how he plays and strengths and weaknesses on display.

Like many of his compatriots, Lorenzo Musetti is comfortable on the clay courts and he did reach the Fourth Round at Roland Garros where he held a 2-0 lead over Novak Djokovic before wearing down against the eventual French Open Champion. The Italian has reached the Quarter Final in Marrakech this season, and over the last twelve months Lorenzo Musetti has been that much stronger than Benoit Paire when it comes to holding serve which can make the difference in this First Round match.

Lorenzo Musetti was a convincing winner over Benoit Paire at the Miami Masters in 2021 and I do think he is the superior clay court player of the two. While there is still room to grow for the young Italian, I think he will have the edge in the serving department which leads to a solid win in the First Round in Monte Carlo.

MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic - 5.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Pedro Martinez - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Lorenzo Musetti - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)

David Goffin - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Monte Carlo Update: 3-3, - 0.34 Units (12 Units Staked, - 2.83% Yield)

Monte Carlo Masters Tennis Picks 2022 (April 11th)

A solid week has been put in the books, but once again we have reached Monday and the Tour has moved on to fresh tournaments.

The WTA Tour will take a short break with Fed Cup matches the priority, but the ATP Masters at Monte Carlo feels like the true beginning of the run to the French Open.

This is a tournament that has plenty of matches scheduled over the first four days of the event with the Final set to be played on Sunday. Conditions look to be decent for much of the week, but it could be slightly windy in the middle of the week and wet towards the end.

I did have one pick from the Monte Carlo Masters on Sunday, but that has not opened the week in the way I would have wanted, although Monday is a much busier day for the tournament as well as the Tennis Picks.

Diego Sebastian Schwartzman - 2.5 games v Karen Khachanov: The Monte Carlo Masters may be the one Masters event that players can choose to skip without affecting potential Ranking points, but it is a big event to start the clay court season for many. In most years a strong field will come together and this year's event feels no different with that point underlined by this quality looking First Round match.

Diego Sebastian Schwartzman and Karen Khachanov have had some tough battles on the Tour already and they have split four meetings two apiece. All of those have come on the hard courts, a surface you would expect to favour Karen Khachanov, but this is a match on the clay courts and I would expect Diego Sebastian Schwartzman to have enough to move through to the Second Round.

This is the first match that Karen Khachanov will be playing on the red dirt in 2022 and he has been a pretty average player on the surface since 2019. He only has a 16-15 record on the clay courts in that time and the numbers have been pretty steady, although unspectacular in that time.

Now Karen Khachanov has to face Diego Sebastian Schwartzman who had a strong Golden Swing on the South American hard courts between the Australian Open and the North American Masters events played on the same surface. The Argentine reached the Semi Final in Cordoba, before coming up short in the Final at both the Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro tournaments where the likes of Casper Ruud and Carlos Alcaraz have proved too strong for Schwartzman.

The serve is vulnerable and I do think that makes it hard to trust Diego Sebastian Schwartzman to cover a spread like this one, but he has long been a very productive return player on the clay courts. I expect that to be a difference maker for Schwartzman, especially on this surface, although both players have been able to earn plenty of breaks of serve against the other in their previous four matches.

You do have to expect the Karen Khachanov serve to have had an 'easier' time holding serve on the hard courts against Diego Sebastian Schwartzman than he has had in their previous matches. Now Karen Khachanov has to take on a player who wins a considerable percentage more points on the return on the clay than the hard courts and one who has a much stronger break percentage on this surface and I think Diego Sebastian Schwartzman will do enough to eventually cover this mark on his way past this opponent.

Jannik Sinner - 3.5 games v Borna Coric: Injuries may have seen Jannik Sinner forced to withdraw from both North American hard court Masters events played over the last month, but longer term issues have really stunted Borna Coric's career.

A twelve month absence from the Tour was ended when Borna Coric was beaten relatively early in both the Indian Wells and Miami tournaments. He missed the entirety of the clay court season in 2021 and has actually not played in a clay court event since being upset in the First Round of the 2020 Roland Garros which was played in the Autumn of the pandemic hit year.

It will take some time for Borna Coric to get used to competing on the Tour at this level again, but he will likely pick up some Wild Cards into the biggest events as he currently sits at World Number 199. The problem for Borna Coric is that he is likely to be handed some very difficult draws in tournaments he enters and that is the case here in Monte Carlo.

Jannik Sinner will feel he had an underwhelming clay court campaign in 2021 and there is room for improvement. Blisters saw his tournament end prematurely in Miami, but the Italian has been practicing with Novak Djokovic here and I think he should be ready to compete.

Playing on the clay will likely mean his superior match fitness compared with Borna Coric is very important and I think that will give Jannik Sinner every chance of breaking down his opponent in this good looking First Round match. When Borna Coric last played on the clay courts, he did not return as he would have liked and I think that could be problematic for him as he rebuilds his career.

I do think Borna Coric can have success against this Jannik Sinner serve, but the younger player is an improving force and he should have enough all around game to beat an opponent who is still not quite up to full speed on his return to the Tour.

Marin Cilic - 4.5 games v Jo-Wilfred Tsonga: The last few years have been very difficult for Jo-Wilfred Tsonga on the Tour as age and injury has caught up with him and it is no surprise that he has decided Roland Garros will be the perfect place to end his career.

He is likely to take in a couple of tournaments in the lead to the last French Open of his career, but Jo-Wilfred Tsonga has slipped outside the top 200 of the World Rankings. The key for the Frenchman will be to be as injury-free as possible going into the French Open so he is able to at least complete his matches, but it has felt very clear that Jo-Wilfred Tsonga is not really able to compete at this level as he once could.

Last year Jo-Wilfred Tsonga was beaten in all three clay court matches played and he struggled both on serve and return. In those losses, Tsonga managed to hold 70% of service games played, but he was only able to break in just shy of 8% of return games played and that led to some heavy defeats.

The serve has been productive in 2022 for Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, but those have been on the hard courts and it is always that much tougher to hold on the clay courts.

Jo-Wilfred Tsonga is taking on another veteran in Marin Cilic who had a pretty disappointing 2021 on the clay courts, but who has looked strong in 2022 in the build up to the clay court season. Marin Cilic will be the first to admit he has not always found his best tennis since the Australian Open, but a couple of those losses have been against solid competitors on the Tour and I am simply doubting that Tsonga remains one of those.

Marin Cilic will feel his serving gives him enough of an edge over Jo-Wilfred Tsonga to work his way through to the Second Round without too many concerns. His return game is also significantly stronger than Tsonga's at this time in their careers and I think that helps on the way to a cover of a big spread.

These two are meeting one another for the first time since 2018, but both Jo-Wilfred Tsonga and Marin Cilic will be very familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of the other. Both previous clay court matches have been won by Marin Cilic and he has not been broken by Jo-Wilfred Tsonga in those matches, while the big Croatian has broken in 16% of return games played.

This will also be the second time they have met one another in Monte Carlo and I do think Marin Cilic can win by a slightly wider margin than the 6/3, 7/6 victory he earned in April 2015 when both were Ranked inside the top 15 of the World Rankings.

MY PICKS: Diego Sebastian Schwartzman - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Jannik Sinner - 3.5 Games @ 1.75 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Marin Cilic - 4.5 Games @ 2.20 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Jaume Munar - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Pablo Carreno Busta - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Monte Carlo Update: 0-1, - 2 Units (2 Units Staked, - 100% Yield)

Season 2022: - 16.48 Units (444 Units Staked, - 3.71% Yield)