Indian Wells Tennis Picks 2025 (Thursday 13th March)

I guess I should not have irritated the Tennis Gods by complaining about the win-loss being at 0.500 for the week after the two selections on Wednesday both fell to a defeat.

They were a touch unfortunate- Coco Gauff's match with Belinda Bencic was incredibly tight and she had actually been winning more points overall just before the Swiss player went out to serve for the match.

And an injury issue meant Brandon Nakashima was not able to maintain his serving after the first set with Ben Shelton had ended in a tie-breaker before the latter was able to pull away easily enough.

We move forward though and it is Quarter Final day in Indian Wells with all eight matches across both the ATP and WTA tournaments scheduled to be played.

Friday will then be reserved for the Women's Semi Final matches before Saturday sees the last four ATP players head out onto the court. And the tournament will come to a conclusion on Sunday with both Finals set to be played on the same day before everyone turns their attention to the Miami Masters, which begins next week.

Daniil Medvedev - 3.5 games v Arthur Fils: A dominant win over Tommy Paul has just continued Daniil Medvedev's serene progress at Indian Wells, while also maintaining the strong form he has opened with in 2025.

The hard courts have always been the surface on which Daniil Medvedev has played his best tennis, but there is little doubt that this form dipped in 2024.

At 29 years old and with a lot of years on the Tour under the legs, there will have been some thinking that Daniil Medvedev was on the slide in his career, but the early form does offer encouragement. Winning a big title in either Indian Wells or Miami would just give Medvedev some momentum to take into the clay court season, which begins in April, and the build up to the French Open.

The Quarter Final sees Daniil Medvedev take on young, improving Arthur Fils.

The Frenchman is set to move into a new career high World Ranking inside the top 20 at the end of this tournament, but Arthur Fils will only be focused on winning this match and earning a spot in the Semi Final. He has had to battle for the victory in the last couple of Rounds, with both going the distance, but that should just give Arthur Fils a boost in confidence as he looks to win the second Tour meeting with Daniil Medvedev.

The first was won comfortably by Daniil Medvedev, but that was at the end of 2023 and both players are different places now.

Both players will feel they can improve on the service numbers produced in the tournament, but it does look like a tournament in which Arthur Fils is returning better than would be expected. Maintaining that will be tough, especially if the pressure is put onto the 20 year old by the Daniil Medvedev return, and the World Number 6 may just have the edge in the match.

Covering these marks can be tough, especially if a server like Arthur Fils is at his very best, but neither has been dominant behind that shot in the tournament and Daniil Medvedev's superior returning can make the difference for him.

Mirra Andreeva - 3.5 games v Elina Svitolina: Winning matches and titles will always impress and create headlines, but the manner in which Mirra Andreeva is winning her matches is really going to impress all who watch her play. A bright future has been predicted for a player who is going to be turning 18 years old at the end of next month, and it is important to see Andreeva with a good team around her to guide her during her development.

A crushing win over Elena Rybakina can only boost the confidence of the young player and she is rightly set as the favourite for this Quarter Final considering the level that has been shown all season.

Mirra Andreeva has stepped that up even further here in Indian Wells, although the veteran Elina Svitolina is going to present a significant test.

It has been a solid season for Elina Svitolina, who has been competitive in the majority of matches played and who has openly spoken about the positive support she has been receiving at Indian Wells. That has not been impacted by the fact that she has beaten three American players to reach the Quarter Final, although Elina Svitolina has needed three sets in two of the three wins produced.

The pressure will be on Elina Svitolina to serve well and she if she can build up some scoreboard pressure on the younger player, but Mirra Andreeva's returning capabilities have long been spoken about as a big part of her tennis.

Getting more out of the serve is thus leading to the wins being strung together and Mirra Andreeva is certainly looking much more confident behind that opening shot. Her 2025 numbers have improved on 2024, which is not a surprise considering we are nowhere near where Mirra Andreeva is going to look like when at her peak, and those numbers have been impressive.

She has been particularly strong here in Indian Wells having faced a single Break Point across her last two wins, and Mirra Andreeva is playing with the kind of confidence that will be tough for anyone to shake.

Elina Svitolina will try and use all of her experience to just give her opponent something to think about, but Mirra Andreeva is playing really well and has been all season, and that consistency may produce a level that is too much for the World Number 23 to deal with.

Aryna Sabalenka - 5.5 games v Luidmila Samsonova: The World Number 1 has become accustomed to entering the back to back WTA 1000 events on the hard courts in March with a title under her belt, but Aryna Sabalenka is not doing that this year.

Some of the recent form had been disappointing following the Australian Open Final defeat to Madison Keys, but there is no doubting the quality and the talent of the Belarusian.

Her three wins in Indian Wells have been very strong and it will take a big effort to stop Aryna Sabalenka whenever she enters an event on the hard courts.

That challenge is taken up by Luidmila Samsonova, a player who has proven to be dangerous to Sabalenka when performing at her best. That is underlined by the fact that Samsonova has beaten Aryna Sabalenka twice on the hard courts and as recently as Montreal 2023, although last year the World Number 1 earned a crushing win on the hard courts of Cincinnati.

Early 2025 form had been very inconsistent from Luidmila Samsonova and she entered Indian Wells with a 6-6 record and average numbers.

However, three wins here will have boosted her confidence and any player that crushes Jasmine Paolini deserves a lot of respect.

Luidmila Samsonova is going to have to serve well- getting plenty of first serves in play will help her cause no end, but the second serve also needs to be effective enough and not allow an aggressive returner to get on top of the rallies in what should be a big hitting Quarter Final.

Anything less will make things difficult for Samsonova, who won just five games in that loss to Aryna Sabalenka in Cincinnati, especially with the way the top Seed has been serving so far this week. Covering won't be easy if the World Number 25 is serving at around 65% of first serves being made, but a dip below 60% will give Sabalenka an opportunity and she is playing well enough to make that count.

MY PICKS: Daniil Medvedev - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Mirra Andreeva - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Aryna Sabalenka - 5.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Indian Wells Update: 3-5, - 2.52 Units (8 Units Staked, - 31.50% Yield)

Indian Wells Tennis Picks 2025 (Wednesday 12th March)

One winner, one loser, and that continues a relatively poor trend in Indian Wells, although it could be worse.

The poor weather delayed many of the matches, but the tournament has stayed on schedule and that means the remaining Fourth Round matches will be played on Wednesday as we move into the business end of the first of back to back Masters events.

Once again it will be two selections from the matches scheduled to be played and those can be read below.

Coco Gauff v Belinda Bencic: No one could have anticipated Belinda Bencic's return to the Tour to be as successful as it has been just several months after giving birth.

Even the former top ten Ranked player admitted that she had entered some events with little expectation, but Belinda Bencic played well in Melbourne at the Australian Open and has backed that up really well. Winning the WTA 500 event in Abu Dhabi will have provided another boost in confidence after the run to the Fourth Round at the Australian Open and Belinda Bencis has been in fine form in Indian Wells.

Three wins have been secured here and the last two have been against top 20 Ranked opponents, including beating Doha Champion Amanda Anisimova in the Second Round.

Belinda Bencic has always been a decent server on the hard courts, but she is certainly playing with more aggression and belief in her return and that has been key to the performances and results produced.

Next up is another big test for the Swiss player when going up against Coco Gauff, who will have plenty of support from the stands.

The World Number 3 was beaten in the Australian Open Quarter Final, which was a huge disappointment, but followed up with opening defeats in both Doha and Dubai. That meant Coco Gauff entered the tournament in Indian Wells having lost three hard court matches in a row, and there is a vulnerability about her tennis despite winning twice in this WTA 1000 event.

Coco Gauff was better in the Third Round win over Maria Sakkari than in her opening victory here, but she will be tested by a confident Belinda Bencic.

They met at the Australian Open in January and Coco Gauff had to fight back from a set down to get the better of this opponent. Her serve is still an issue, especially the second serve, but Coco Gauff may feel she can get enough balls back into play to wear down Belinda Bencic, even if the latter is playing at a really good level.

Too many Double Faults are putting Coco Gauff under pressure, but the first serve could offer up some cheaper points and Belinda Bencic may just come up short against a top ten Ranked opponent for the fourth time in five matches played in 2025.

Brandon Nakashima-Ben Shelton over 23.5 games: Two American players will be looking for a strong serving day in order to book their place in the Quarter Final of the first ATP Masters played in 2025.

Brandon Nakashima has forced his way into the World Number 33 Ranking spot, which is his career best mark, and his confidence has to be in a good place after reaching the Semi Final in Acapulco and Quarter Final in Delray Beach. The hard courts are a surface on which Brandon Nakashima is very comfortable and his two wins in Indian Wells have come in dominant fashion.

There is room for improvement as far as the return of serve numbers go, but Brandon Nakashima has displayed quality serving and that has put the scoreboard pressure on opponents.

He will need to serve well when taking on compatriot Ben Shelton, who is the World Number 12, which is also his peak career Ranking.

Ben Shelton has certainly looked like a player that enjoys the big stage and that was backed up by reaching the Australian Open Semi Final. Early losses in hard court events in February will have been a disappointment, but Shelton has been in good form in Indian Wells and has won back to back matches for the first time since Melbourne.

Much like his opponent, Ben Shelton has been a very strong server and that has used that to try and build scoreboard pressure. His return still has room to be improved, again like Brandon Nakashima, and both players are likely going to be as successful as their serving can be on the day.

It is Ben Shelton who has won all three previous meetings between the players on the Tour and that includes a victory at the Australian Open. Ben Shelton has won all seven sets played against Brandon Nakashima, but it should also be noted that every set has seen both players win at least five games.

That is not surprising when you think Ben Shelton has won 71% of service points played and held 95% of those games played, while Brandon Nakashima has won 70% of service points played leading to holds in 88% of service games played.

The mental edge is with Ben Shelton having won the big points to secure the victories, but the players can combine to cover this total games line set. Both have served well enough to believe they can look after that aspect of their tennis and that should mean tie-breakers are in play, which can quickly put this Fourth Round match on the way to surpassing the total set.

MY PICKS: Coco Gauff @ 1.80 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Brandon Nakashima-Ben Shelton Over 23.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Indian Wells Update: 3-3, - 0.52 Units (6 Units Staked, - 8.67% Yield)

Indian Wells Tennis Picks 2025 (Tuesday 11th March)

The Indian Wells Masters rolls through to the Fourth Round on Tuesday and there are some top matches scheduled for the day.

The Tennis Picks have had a mixed start to the tournament with two winners and two losers, but this looks to be another day in which two selections are going to be made.

It is one each from the men's and women's draws and those two can be read below.

Daniil Medvedev v Tommy Paul: Over the last eighteen months, Tommy Paul has become a very solid player on the ATP Tour and a threat on all surfaces.

He is a steady, consistent performer and that has pushed Tommy Paul into World Number 11- you would think his strongest numbers would be on the hard courts, but Paul has been able to reach a similar level on the clay and grass courts over the last twelve months and two strong wins in Indian Wells will have eased any concerns about a lingering injury that forced a walkover in Acapulco.

Tommy Paul has earned his wins over players he would have expected to beat and neither opponent has been Ranked higher than World Number 77.

That will all change on Tuesday in the Fourth Round at Indian Wells when Tommy Paul is set to face Daniil Medvedev, the World Number 6 and a player that only needed to play two games in the Third Round and who should be well rested and ready to compete.

Daniil Medvedev did suffer an early exit at the Australian Open, but February was a stronger month for the Russian and he reached a Semi Final and two Quarter Finals and the confidence has to have increased.

Both players have been serving well and then backing that up with quality returning and there really isn't much between Tommy Paul and Daniil Medvedev.

However, there has been one key difference between Paul and Medvedev so far this season and that is the strength of opponent they have faced. Tommy Paul is 0-2 on the hard courts when facing top 50 Ranked opponents in 2025, while Daniil Medvedev is 5-2 in the same situation, and there is much more room for improvement for the American.

He did end his losing run to Daniil Medvedev by beating him on the clay courts in Rome last year, but Tommy Paul suffered a loss when these two met here in Indian Wells in 2024. The return was the dominant shot for both players in that meeting on the hard courts at this Masters tournament, but Daniil Medvedev rallied from a poor start and he can get the better of the home hope again.

Backing the higher Ranked player to edge past Tommy Paul again looks the play when they meet in the Fourth Round.

Elena Rybakina v Mirra Andreeva: Off court issues continue to follow Elena Rybakina on the WTA Tour, but credit has to be given to the World Number 7 for maintaining her focus as much as she has been able to do.

Her former Coach/current boyfriend may not be allowed to enter the tournament as he continues to serve his suspension that has been set by the WTA Tour, while so many are offering their opinion about what Elena Rybakina should do to handle her current situation.

She is trying to focus on her tennis and Elena Rybakina has won fifteen of twenty hard court matches in 2025, although she has not been able to pick up a title despite the relative consistent level produced.

Two solid wins have been produced at this event, but the level of opponent picks up again when Mirra Andreeva looks to beat Elena Rybakina for a second tournament in a row.

The first was produced in the Dubai Semi Final at the end of February and Mirra Andreeva was able to win the biggest title of her career at a WTA 1000 event. That victory is part of an eight match winning run for the youngster and Mirra Andreeva has barely been pushed in that time.

It should be noted that the win over Elena Rybakina was the toughest that Andreeva has been able to secure, but she will be confident and looking to move back into the top ten of the World Rankings at the end of the first of back to back big hard court tournaments played in the United States.

Mirra Andreeva is a solid server, and one that is improving as she continues to grow, while her aggressive return will make her dangerous.

Being able to pick the Elena Rybakina serve will be a tough test, but Mirra Andreeva did well in Dubai, even if Rybakina created more Break Points on the day.

The higher Ranked player has been serving well in Indian Wells and if Elena Rybakina can maintain the level shown, she may have the qualities to turn the result from Dubai around and in her own direction. There really wasn't much between Rybakina and Mirra Andreeva in that Semi Final and getting in a few more first serves may be all it takes for things to switch around.

Credit has to be given to Mirra Andreeva for pushing Elena Rybakina in both previous meetings, which have been split with one win each, but the underlying numbers have been slightly in the latter's favour both times. We may need another third set decider, as has been the case the last two times the players have met, but this time it is Rybakina who can come through with an important win.

MY PICKS: Daniil Medvedev @ 1.75 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Elena Rybakina @ 1.91 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

Indian Wells Update: 2-2, - 0.27 Units (4 Units Staked, - 6.75% Yield)

Indian Wells Tennis Picks 2025 (Monday 10th March)

This was the one day of the Indian Wells week where the thread was likely going to come out a little later than planned and the late research means just adding a couple of selections from the remaining Third Round matches.

It was a mixed opening to the Indian Wells selections, but it is a long week remaining at the tournament before the move to the Miami Masters and so the actual direction for the Tennis Picks have yet to be decided.

Jack Draper - 4.5 games v Jenson Brooksby: There is a real determination to manage the workload and ensure Jack Draper is able to get through the majority of this season without the injury issues that have plagued him in his young career.

Two tournaments have already been played and Jack Draper played well at the Australian Open before reaching the Final in Doha, but decided he would not participate in Dubai and instead focus on Indian Wells and Miami. He earned a very strong win over talented up and comer Joao Fonseca in the Second Round and Jack Draper has to be considered a strong favourite to win this match.

The British player has been a solid performer on the hard courts throughout his career and Draper is someone who serves well enough to keep opponents under some pressure.

He has not returned too badly this season, but Jack Draper has room for improvement when it comes to playing those key points on that side of the court. While Draper is winning a similar amount of return points played, the break percentage is someway below the mark set in 2024 and Jack Draper will want to earn a few more breaks of serve.

Next up is Jenson Brooksby who will have the home fans behind him, but who is still finding his feet on his return to the Tour after suspension.

Unsurprisingly it is taking a bit of time for the American to get back to a level he had been producing, but Jenson Brooksby beat Felix Auger-Aliassime in the Second Round. That will have given him a huge amount of confidence, but backing that up will be a challenge and Brooksby will be the first to admit that he is not serving as effectively as he would like.

Both previous meetings with Jack Draper offer little encouragement for Jenson Brooksby having been crushed both times back in 2022. The Draper serve was a huge weapon in both wins over Jenson Brooksby, but it was the fact that the British player was able to get on top of the Brooksby serve that ended up producing the one-sided scores.

Covering this mark is not going to be easy, but Jack Draper has played well enough in 2025 to believe he can get the better of this opponent in relatively straight-forward fashion again.

MY PICKS: Jack Draper - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Taylor Fritz - 4.5 Games @ 1.90 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Indian Wells Update: 1-1, - 0.17 Units (2 Units Staked, - 8.50% Yield)

Indian Wells Tennis Picks 2025 (Sunday 9th March)

The plan was always going to be that the Indian Wells Tennis Picks would begin on Sunday with the Third Round matches scheduled.

A decent February to follow the Australian Open has just maintained some positive momentum in what is going to be a year filled with swings in momentum.

March sees the two Masters events in North America earn the focus of the Tennis Picks before the Tour officially moves onto the clay courts and the beginning of the run towards the French Open. Big events will be played in Europe leading into Paris, but the big Ranking points on offer in Indian Wells and Miami will motivate all involved in the events before the attention turns to building up towards the second Grand Slam of the 2025 season.

Matteo Berrettini v Stefanos Tsitsipas: A strong second set had given Matteo Berrettini all of the momentum when he was facing Stefanos Tsitsipas in Dubai at the end of February and it did feel that the match was on his racquet. One chance was handed out to the Greek player in the final set decider, and Matteo Berrettini was punished for that slight dip in concentration and suffered a defeat to Stefanos Tsitsipas for the fifth time in six matches.

It also meant Matteo Berrettini has lost all four of their hard court matches, while Stefanos Tsitsipas was able to take advantage of a slightly fortunate win to go on and win the title in Dubai and move back into the top ten of the World Rankings.

They play one another in the Third Round at Indian Wells and both players are going to be feeling confident after some of the tennis they have produced in 2025. Both had dropped in the World Rankings as form had dipped following injury, but both Berrettini and Tsitsipas will be expecting stronger campaigns as long as they can stay healthy.

There hasn't been much wrong in the serving numbers produced by both players and that is expected to be the case on Sunday in this Third Round match.

Stefanos Tsitsipas has to be given the slight edge in terms of the returning game, especially when it comes to the big points being played and that was the case when the pair met in Dubai. It has to be a slight concern for Matteo Berrettini, but the Italian will also believe he was a little unfortunate to end up on the losing side and it certainly feels strange to see the odds flipping for this match compared with how they were set in Dubai.

This time it is Tsitsipas set as the favourite and his confidence will be much improved with a title under his belt, but Matteo Berrettini felt the right play in Dubai and the same can be said in Indian Wells.

The fine margins landed in favour of Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Middle East, but Matteo Berrettini has to believe a similar standard of performance may be enough to see him earn the spot in the Fourth Round.

Mirra Andreeva - 3.5 games v Clara Tauson: Another rematch from Dubai takes place in the Third Round at Indian Wells, although the last time Mirra Andreeva and Clara Tauson met, there was a title on the line. Both youngsters played well to come through a tough WTA 1000 event in Dubai before Mirra Andreeva got the better of Clara Tauson in that Final and there is every reason to believe the 17 year old can frank that victory with another in California.

The layers are feeling the same and the handicap is a little wider in this Third Round match, although perhaps not wide enough to prevent Mirra Andreeva from covering.

Confidence should not be an issue for either player considering the kind of wins they earned in Dubai, although it was Mirra Andreeva who was a bit more convincing throughout that tournament. A solid win in the Second Round at Indian Wells has maintained the positive form and it has been a very good start to the season for Mirra Andreeva.

Clara Tauson has played well too and her win over Aryna Sabalenka in Dubai deserves a lot of respect.

The Dane serves well and that will always make her dangerous on the hard courts, although Clara Tauson will know that there is room for improvement on the return. That is especially the case when she has faced higher Ranked opponents on this surface in 2025 and it is the return of serve that looks to give Mirra Andreeva the edge in this contest.

When they met in Dubai, it was Clara Tauson who created more Break Points, but it was Mirra Andreeva who had more success winning points against the Tauson serve compared with the other way around.

After a competitive first set, Mirra Andreeva was able to roll through the second on that day and the feeling is that she can pull away from Clara Tauson in the game handicap market again. Clara Tauson will have learned plenty from that match, but she may yet struggle to have the same impact on the return of serve and that is where the younger player can produce another victory over a potential long-term rival.

MY PICKS: Matteo Berrettini @ 2.00 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

Mirra Andreeva - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

2025 Season: 49-32, + 16.15 Units (119 Units Staked, + 13.57% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2025- Gervonta Davis vs Lamont Roach (Saturday 1st March)

The late illness picked up by Daniel Dubois meant an opportunity for replacement Martin Bakole, but it was clear from the off that failing to have any kind of training camp was not going end well for the boogeyman of the Heavyweight Division.

Of course there are benefits of 'saving' the day for Turki Alalshikh and the Saudi authorities who were running the card in Riyadh.

For starters Martin Bakole will have been extremely well paid, but the second part of the deal is also important for a fighter who feels he has been avoided.

With the gratefulness of 'His Excellency' behind him, Martin Bakole is sure to earn some big opportunities to move back into contention in a fast moving Division and he is expected to be back out with a full camp before the midway point of the 2025 season.

Joseph Parker has benefited from the late call and there are still some that believe that his fight with Daniel Dubois should be rearranged for one of the big cards that Riyadh Season are going to be promoting. However, the team behind the British Champion are instead focusing on seeing if they can do a deal with Oleksandr Usyk and that could leave Parker perhaps in line to take on someone like Agit Kabayel, another Heavyweight who had a massive win last weekend.

The card was a very good one, and entertaining for the fans, even if the Boxing Picks have fallen into a solid hole early in the season.

The key word is 'early' and the turnaround could be pretty rapid, although starting to pick a few winners would help.

It has been a disappointing start, but there have been some misfortune with some of the selections and a bit of luck is always needed.

Still, it is not about erasing the number in one fell swoop, but the key is to rebuild slowly and surely, beginning with this weekend when three decent cards have been put together.

Gervonta Davis vs Lamont Roach

While pretty much every top name in Boxing has made a deal to fight under the Riyadh Season card, including fights in Saudi Arabia, the last outlier is Gervonta Davis who refuses to entertain any outside offers.

The challengers are lining up in and around Gervonta Davis, but the American is firmly in control of his own career and will fight who he chooses.

He is the WBA Lightweight World Champion, and fighters like Shakur Stevenson, Keyshawn Davis, Teofimo Lopez and Devin Haney have all called him out, but so far Gervonta Davis has resisted those efforts, even if his win over Ryan Garcia looks much stronger these days.

The criticisms are that Tank Davis not nearly as active as he perhaps should be, and you cannot blame some believing Lamont Roach coming up from Super Featherweight is not the kind of fighter that should be opposing Davis when so many others have stronger reasons to fight him.

Lamont Roach deserves his respect as a full World Champion in his own right, but he has not really been in with many opponents that can stand alongside someone as good as Gervonta Davis.

They know each other having faced off as amateurs, but it is Tank Davis who has really been the impactful fighter as a professional and it is very difficult to find a good reason to back Lamont Roach for any potential upset.

Recent fights featuring Gervonta Davis have tended to finish in the middle Rounds and three of the last four have ended between Round Six and Round Eight. He is a patient fighter, but Tank's power is going to be telling and you have to figure he will be able to move through the gears against a rival that is coming up in weight and who doesn't look to offer to slow the momentum that Gervonta Davis is likely to pick up.

It has been almost six years since Gervonta Davis last won a fight before the Fifth Round and you have to believe Lamont Roach has enough know-how to get through the early stages of this one. However, once Davis warms up, he should just underline why so many see him as the top fighter in this Division and the unbeaten Lightweight Champion can find the punches to end this one in the middle of the contest.

Another solid undercard has been put together and Subriel Matias is looking to take another step towards reclaiming his IBF Light-Welterweight World Title.

He is a powerful puncher and won't have to go looking for Gabriel Valenzuela, which should mean a fun, exciting bout, but one that is unlikely to get very close to the Championship Rounds.

It is scheduled for Twelve Rounds, but Matias can just push his credentials for another shot at the IBF World Title by forcing a mid-fight Stoppage.

The unbeaten run Gary Antuanne Russell had built was ended in a very close loss to Alberto Puello and you have to believe the American is looking to get back to winning ways and earn a rematch with the WBC World Champion.

Both are on this undercard too- Russell should get back to winning ways, even if his inactivity continues to be frustration and he can wear down Jose Valenzuela in what looks a good fight on paper with the WBA World Title on the line.

WBC Light-Welterweight Champion Alberto Puello is facing Sandor Martin, who had not been out in 2024 and the unbeaten Dominican looks an appealing price as the narrow favourite to defend the World Title he won against the aforementioned Russell.

We have seen some tough performances out of Sandor Martin, but Puello may just have the Southpaw know-how to deal with the Spanish lefty in another good fight on this Pay-Per-View card.

There are also a couple of veterans heading out to the ring in Brooklyn- Jarrett Hurd has never really recovered from the upset loss to Julian Williams and his style has meant growing much older in the ring than a 34 year old should have.

However, he can give himself one last attempt at a run by winning his crossroads fight with Johan Gonzalez and Jarrett Hurd can do that inside the scheduled Ten Rounds.

The fighter who sparked Hurd's downfall is also on the card and Julian Williams is being used as a potential step up for Yoenis Tellez who is looking to earn an Interm World Title in the Light-Middleweight Division sooner rather than later.

He has impressed in his young career and it does feel like Tellez can get the better of J-Rock before needing to get into the second half of their contest.

British Boxing fans have perhaps been a little frustrated that so many of the top names have headed over to Saudi Arabia, but the promoters have made it clear that they want to put on decent cards in the United Kingdom.

The atmosphere that is likely going to be generated in Belfast may not be matched anywhere and especially when the main event gets underway.

Before that, Tommy McCarthy is hoping to have one more big run towards European honours and potentially having a crack at the World Title in the Cruiserweight Division.

He gave Chris Billam-Smith all he could handle when first facing him in 2021, but that has sparked a run of form where McCarthy has won three fights and lost four.

It all adds up to a crossroads fight with Steven Ward, someone who is very familiar to McCarthy, and both are willing to put friendship to one side in order to give their respective career a late shot in the arm.

Familiarity should mean Steven Ward has a decent game plan for this bout, but his professional career has been stop-start and Tommy McCarthy can use his experience to wear down his man.

In another Ten Rounder, Padraig McCrory is fighting in front of his own fans in a new Division against experienced Craig Richards.

The fans will push McCrory forward, but he was Stopped by Edgar Berlanga a little over twelve months ago and he is facing an opponent who hits pretty hard.

Craig Richards has little room for error if he is going to give himself one more chance at trying to become a World Champion in a tough Division, but he has shown he is close to World level. His last three wins have been in Stoppages and he may just force Padraig McCrory out of this one inside the distance.

Those are a couple of decent fights for the Belfast fans to enjoy, but everyone will be anticipating the main event when Lewis Crocker takes on Paddy Donovan and both have unbeaten records to protect.

It is the right fight at the right time for two fighters who believe they are destined for big things and both teams are incredibly confident.

Both are Ranked highly in the Welterweight Division and so the winner could be in line for an eliminator later in the year so there is plenty on the line.

The reality is that there is very little to choose between the main event fighters and this is one where you want to sit back, savour the atmosphere and enjoy what should be a top main event in Belfast.

Over in Bournemouth, Ryan Garner is headlining an event and there is so much on the line for the unbeaten British fighter.

Reports suggest he will be given a chance to headline a big event at St Mary's Stadium this summer if he can pick up the vacant European Super Featherweight Title and he will certainly improve his World Ranking with a victory over Salvador Jimenez.

The Spaniard is unbeaten with his only blemish being a Draw when Salvador Jimenez fought for the European Title before.

His experience of going Twelve Rounds will help, but Ryan Garner has shown enough to believe he can edge the visiting fighter on the cards.

MY PICKS: Gervonta Davis to Win Between 5-8 @ 2.75 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Subriel Matias to Win Between 5-8 @ 3.25 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Gary Antuanne Russell to Win by KO/TKO @ 2.75 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)

Alberto Puello to Win by Decision @ 2.62 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Jarrett Hurd to Win by KO/TKO @ 3.75 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Tommy McCarthy to Win by KO/TKO @ 2.37 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)

Craig Richards to Win by KO/TKO @ 2.87 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Ryan Garner to Win by Decision/Technical Decision @ 4.00 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

Boxing 2025: 5-25, - 23.35 Units (38 Units Staked, - 61.45% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2025 (Saturday 1st March)

The Final of the ATP 500 tournament is scheduled for Saturday and the attention will soon turn to the Indian Wells Masters.

That tournament is getting going early next week with the main draw released on Monday, but the likelihood is that the first Picks from that event will be made when the Third Round begins a week on Sunday.

Before that, one more selection will be made from the ATP Dubai Final and the outcome will decide whether this is a profitable week or one with a slight setback.

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 1.5 games v Felix Auger-Aliassime: Both of the players competing for the ATP 500 title in Dubai have been firm members of the top ten in the World Rankings, but who have just been through some leaner times and looking for a big boost in confidence and momentum.

A win for Stefanos Tsitsipas will push him back inside the top ten as soon as Monday and ahead of the Indian Wells Masters draw being made. He has come through some difficult moments this week, but Tsitsipas was very strong in his Semi Final win over Tallon Griekspoor.

This will give him confidence having needed to rally in wins over Matteo Berrettini and Karen Khachanov and the World Number 11 is playing pretty well overall in Dubai, which will also bolster the belief.

It is Felix Auger-Aliassime who has made his way through to the Final to face Stefanos Tsitsipas and the Canadian will end the tournament back inside the top 20 of the World Rankings.

In a tough tournament that brings in some of the best players on the Tour, Felix Auger-Aliassime was not Seeded at the start, but he has perhaps benefited from the top names falling all around him in the bottom half of the draw. This is backed up by the fact that he has not beaten anyone higher than World Number 38 so far this week, which makes Stefanos Tsitsipas the highest Ranked opponent by some distance, and even then Felix Auger-Aliassime has not had things all his own way.

Felix Auger-Aliassime has had to play every set possible in his four wins in Dubai and that has meant spending a lot more time on the court compared with his opponent in this Final.

This is most certainly a potential factor, while Stefanos Tsitsipas has won six of the last seven matches played between these two players on the Tour, albeit the last of those being in November 2023.

Both players are serving well, with Stefanos Tsitsipas having the edge, and that could be important in determining the outcome of the Final.

There hasn't been a lot between the players when they faced off with Tsitsipas having the slight edge on the serve over Felix Auger-Aliassime.

In a match of potentially fine margins, Stefanos Tsitsipas may just do enough to win the majority of the key points that the players will inevitably have to play against one another. He has perhaps not returned as well as Felix Auger-Aliassime in his run to the Final, but Tsitsipas will point out the tougher path he has had to tread to reach this Stage and that could be key in this big match.

MY PICK: Stefanos Tsitsipas - 1.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 5-4, - 0.05 Units (9 Units Staked, - 1% Yield)