European Tour 10- European Darts Open Day 3 Picks 2026 (Sunday 12th July)

We move into Finals day at the European Darts Open and there are a number of players that are still competing who will be looking to put down a marker ahead of the World Matchplay that begins next weekend.

Luke Littler and Luke Humphries are both going to be waiting in Blackpool, but fans will be hoping that others can step up in the next Ranking event to bring some more excitement to the sport.

Wessel Nijman is one that stands out, but there are some dangerous players scattered throughout the World Matchplay draw.

Before that, the European Darts Open has to be completed with a title on the line at the end of Sunday.

The Third Round is played in the Day Session before the Quarter Finals, Semi Finals and Final are completed in the Evening Session and there are a number of players involved who will believe they can go all the way.

Any selections from the Evening Session will be added to this thread once the Quarter Final lineup has been confirmed.

Wessel Nijman to win & both players over 1.5 180s v Dirk van Duijvenbode: This should be another high quality battle between these two compatriots after Wessel Nijman edged past Dirk van Duijvenbode on the European Tour at the end of May.

That match ended 6-5 in favour of the in-form Wessel Nijman and another close contest is expcted.

It is largely down to the heavy scoring that Dirk van Duijvenbode can produce and he had four maximums in that loss, a number Nijman had to match.

You would expect at least two maximums each in this one and once against Wessel Nijman to find a way to edge into the Evening Session at another European Tour event.

Michael van Gerwen to win & most 180s v Damon Heta: There have been signs that the latter is getting back into the kind of form he was producing in the last couple of years after a pretty underwhelming first six months in 2026.

Damon Heta is a confidence player and can match the best when at his best, but Michael van Gerwen is certainly looking a bit more like his old self.

He came through a tough Second Round match with some big checkouts and strong scoring and that is a combination that could be difficult to deal with in Leverkusen.

The Australian can be a big maximum hitter, but van Gerwen can edge past him in that statistical column and also win this Third Round match.

Kevin Doets to win & over 2.5 180s v Sebastian Bialecki: It will have disappointed Sebastian Bialecki to have missed out on the World Matchplay, but his form over the last twelve months is improving all of the time.

You would think he would be pushing for a top 32 spot next time around, while this weekend he can be free of thought and not concern himself about the tournament beginning in Blackpool next weekend.

Kevin Doets will be there and he has just maintained a strong run of form that has him pushing towards being Seeded for these European Tour events going forward.

Beating an out of sorts Martin Schindler will still have given Doets another push forward in momentum and he was scoring well enough to complete this double and progress to the Quarter Final later in the day.

Nathan Aspinall-Ross Smith both over 2.5 180s: My only real concern about this Third Round match is that both Nathan Aspinall and Ross Smith will likely have been up late watching the England World Cup Quarter Final that concluded around 2am local time.

With the assumption that neither would have been rushing to go to sleep after the manner in which England progressed, there could be some tired minds on the stage.

It is a concern about the level of performance that may be produced, but the two are scheduled to go out pretty late and that will certainly help.

At their best, both Aspinall and Smith are big maximum hitters and they will know that they will need to score well to get the better of the other. That could help with the focus, as long as there is no significant hangover to deal with, and both are capable of peppering the treble 20 bed in a match that should go at least nine Legs.

Gian van Veen - 1.5 legs v Krzysztof Ratajski: In the last Third Round match in the Day Session, Gian van Veen and Krzysztof Ratajski will be looking to lay down a marker to the other.

A place in the Quarter Final is motivation enough, but these two players also meet in the First Round of the World Matchplay next week.

Gian van Veen is beginning to look stronger after a mid-season slump and he has the scoring and the finishing to make things difficult for any opponent. He should have a little too much for The Polish Eagle in this Third Round contest and the likelihood is that the Dutchman can progress without the need for a final Leg decider as he becomes the last player into the Quarter Final.

MY PICKS: Wessel Nijman to Win & Both Players Over 1.5 180s @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Michael van Gerwen to Win & Most 180s @ 2.60 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Kevin Doets to Win & Over 2.5 180s @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Nathan Aspinall-Ross Smith Both Over 2.5 180s @ 2.20 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Gian van Veen - 1.5 Legs @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 14 Pick- Mens Final 2026 (Sunday 12th July)

The Ladies Final looked like it was going to follow the Wimbledon Final of 2025 which ended in very one-sided fashion.

Linda Noskova had so many opportunities to win in the second set, but she just failed to get over the line and all credit has to be given to her for rallying and winning the Championship in the deciding set.

The big question for Noskova is whether she can push on from this success and, at 21 years old, there is every chance she can do that, but the recent Women's Champions have not always been able to do that. This continues to mean that there is every opportunity available for every player that enters a Grand Slam draw on this side and the US Open is going to be another big chance for so many to pick up a Major.

It is over to the Men on Sunday and the top of this side of the sport is very healthy- Carlos Alcaraz holds two Grand Slam titles, but there are serious doubts about when he will be able to return to action having missed the French Open and Wimbledon and also withdrawn from the Canadian Masters.

Alexander Zverev holds the French Open and Jannik Sinner will be heading into this Final as the defending Champion here at Wimbledon.

Opportunities outside of these three players are much tougher to find, although Novak Djokovic will have something to say about that, and it can sometimes make the early Rounds less dramatic compared with the Women's events. Some of the top ATP players will be able to hold their head up amongst the historical giants of the sport, especially if they can continue to churn out the Majors like the Big Three before them, but that is perhaps not the case with the very best WTA players who feel like they are very strong, but lacking the kind of consistency that was last displayed by Serena Williams at her best.

Can Linda Noskova move through and join the elite players on the Tour and kick on from there? That is to be seen over the next twelve months before she opens Centre Court on Day 2 of the 2027 Wimbledon, but the most immediate concern of the sport is finding out who will be opening the main show Court at SW19 on Day 1 next year.

Wimbledon was a really tough tournament for the Tennis Picks, but the last few days have proven to be a really strong bounce back effort and the tournament can be concluded with a profit with a Day 14 winner, or a very narrow loss with a losing selection.

At one stage it felt like all of the work from the opening six months of the season would be wasted and so a slight loss would still feel like a positive from where the Picks were earlier this week, although of course any selection being made is with the belief it can return a winner.

Over the remainder of the month, the European clay court swing and some of the early hard court tournaments will be played before moving into the two Masters events ahead of the US Open.

Sunday will be exactly seven weeks until the final Grand Slam of the 2026 season is to begin and there is plenty of tennis to get through before the US Open gets going in New York City.

Jannik Sinner - 5.5 games v Alexander Zverev: The defending Champion has perhaps not looked at his very best through the run back to the Final here at Wimbledon, but Jannik Sinner will have taken plenty of confidence from the way he was able to beat seven time former Winner Novak Djokovic in the Semi Final.

2026 has not been the season that the World Number One may have anticipated having yet to reach a Grand Slam Final and losing very early at the French Open, but Jannik Sinner is very comfortable on the grass. He has shown that again with another strong run at Wimbledon and Jannik Sinner has an opportunity to win a first Grand Slam since doing that right here twelve months ago, while perhaps underlining his status as the top player in the world.

A real argument could be made that Alexander Zverev is the current best player in the world if he is to back up the French Open success by winning a Grand Slam on his worst surface.

He has previously won titles on the grass, but Alexander Zverev had never reached the Quarter Final at Wimbledon before this season and the French Open success last month has clearly given the Number 2 Seed a real sense of belonging with the very best. You could say Alexander Zverev felt that before Paris, but this is a player who played within himself at key moments in the biggest matches and winning the French Open will have freed the mind.

Jannik Sinner had to come through in five sets in the First Round, while Alexander Zverev dropped a set in the opening Round too, but in the main both players have been pretty comfortable. There will be no excuses about fitness concerns after straight set Semi Final wins and the tennis being played by Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev has been at a level that makes them more than deserving Finalists.

The serve is going to be a big weapon for both Sinner and Zverev and they will need to maintain the levels that has seen them win at least 70% of service points in every match at the tournament. It can be argued that they have not faced someone who can return the ball as effectively as the other standing across the net, but these two players have to focus on themselves and that delivery will set them up to get through plenty of games without too much pressure being applied on them.

Out of the two players, Jannik Sinner has been the more consistent returner, but the Zverev serve can be a huge shot for the Number 2 Seed.

The raw numbers at this tournament have been really similar, but the mental advantage is clearly with Jannik Sinner who has dominated Alexander Zverev since the early meetings on the Tour.

Alexander Zverev had led 4-2 on the head to head, but they have played eight times since January 2025 and it is Jannik Sinner who has won all eight of those, beginning with a straight sets win in the Australian Open Final. That is the sole meeting in the last nineteen months in a Grand Slam event, but they have played in big Masters tournaments and Jannik Sinner will know that he has won all but a single set in the eight matches won by the Italian since the start of the 2025 season.

This simply cannot be ignored- four matches in 2026 have all ended in straight sets wins for Jannik Sinner which includes two on the hard court and two on the clay courts.

None of those meetings have been on grass, but this is a surface on which Jannik Sinner has had a lot more success than Alexander Zverev and the serve has been dominated by the top Seed during the last nineteen months.

In those eight matches played in that time, Jannik Sinner has held 99% of his service games with a single break given away and just 14 Break Points faced. Compare that to Alexander Zverev who has held 71% of service games played and been broken twenty-four times, while facing 49 Break Points and it is very tough to make a case for the French Open Champion being able to follow the likes of Bjorn Borg and Rafael Nadal in completing the Channel Grand Slam Double.

Alexander Zverev has proven he is going to be a threat to win Grand Slams going forward by becoming the first player to back up his maiden Major success by reaching the Final of the next Slam played, but Jannik Sinner should be the stronger grass court player. He can maintain his dominance of this opponent with another strong showing and Jannik Sinner can win his second Wimbledon title in succession on Sunday afternoon.

MY PICK: Jannik Sinner - 5.5 Games @ 2.10 William Hill (2 Units)

Wimbledon Update: 41-34, + 0.26 Units (148 Units Staked, + 0% Yield)

European Tour 10- European Darts Open Day 2 Picks 2026 (Saturday 11th July)

It is another very busy day on the European Tour circuit with the Second Round of this latest tournament to be played across two Sessions as the big names who are in Leverkusen this weekend enter the draw.

After a positive enough opening day, the selections continue from the Afternoon and Evening Sessions.

Luke Woodhouse - 2.5 legs v Dragutin Horvat: The Englishman crushed this opponent in a European Tour event back in March and only lost two Legs to him in another event last year.

Luke Woodhouse continues to play with real confidence and Dragutin Horvat will have to lift his level a couple of steps if he is going to make this one more competitive.

There are times when Woodhouse perhaps plays down to the opponent in front of him, but he was upset early in the last European Tour event played and should be focused enough to cover this handicap mark.

Kim Huybrechts v Jermaine Wattimena: Missing out on the World Matchplay at Blackpool will be a blow for Kim Huybrechts, but he is still playing some very good darts right now.

He has won both meetings with Jermaine Wattimena this season, albeit on the floor, and Kim Huybrechts has one match under his belt on this stage, which will give him some confidence to take into this good looking Second Round match.

There is no doubt that Jermaine Wattimena is very dangerous, but Kim Huybrechts may be able to edge past him with the scoring to match the Dutchman and the recent form that may just see him come through as the slight underdog.

Wessel Nijman - 2.5 legs v Bradley Brooks: You have to give Bradley Brooks some credit for turning around his form over the last month after a really trying period between February and April when he could not buy a win.

He has looked better and has won a match on this stage, but Brooks will be aware that he is going in against one of the top performers on the PDC circuit in 2026.

Wessel Nijman has played well enough to no longer have to begin European Tour events on Friday and he is a genuine contender to win this one. He will also be looking for. a strong weekend to take into the World Matchplay next weekend when Nijman has a chance to showcase his improvement to a wider audience and the last couple of meetings between the players has seen the Dutchman overpower Bradley Brooks 12-3 in Legs.

You have to expect Brooks to offer a bit more resistance, but that may not be enough for this handicap mark.

Stephen Bunting to win & most 180s v Ryan Joyce: This is quite a simple Second Round match and how it is going to be decided- if Stephen Bunting has his finishing at better than 45% on the checkouts, he should have too much for Ryan Joyce.

Relentless has shown he is a steady scorer, but he is a clinical finisher and will take advantage of any mistakes made by an opponent.

However, you have to believe Stephen Bunting has the far superior scoring power and that should mean having many more darts at winning Legs and the match.

Stephen Bunting played in both floor events earlier this week before a quick stop in London for an exhibition and then travelling to Leverkusen. That is something of a concern in terms of mental fatigue that could have built up, but Bunting should still have enough to complete the match double in this opening match of the Evening Session.

Jonny Clayton to win, Clayton over 1.5 180s & Karel Sedlacek over 0.5 180s: This three combination approach looks like a good one for this Second Round match.

Jonny Clayton should be able to continue his fantastic 2026 by edging past Karel Sedlacek, but both players are capable of getting into the maximum groove and thaey should at least hit one each.

However, it is Clayton who has really shown off his power scoring around the treble 20 bed which makes it easier to ask him to hit at least two in this one and putting the bet builder together offers up a a decent price from this Second Round match.

Kevin Doets to win & both over 1.5 180s v Martin Schindler: There has not been a lot wrong with the level of performances produced by Martin Schindler, but recent losses have piled up and that has to have dented the confidence.

On current trajectories of these two players, it will be Schindler who will soon be starting European Tour events in the First Round while Kevin Doets will be pushing into the Seeded positions.

Martin Schindler has had the edge in the recent head to head, but the last meeting was in April 2025 and Kevin Doets is much improved now.

Both remain very solid maximum hitters and this could be one of the matches of the night, although the edge has to be with Kevin Doets to snap the losing run against this opponent.

Ross Smith-Niels Zonneveld over 2.5 180s each: The last match of the Evening Session is scheduled for around half an hour before England's Quarter Final at the 2026 World Cup and so Ross Smith will be hoping the earlier matches have not dragged on too long.

His focus will be on appearing on Finals Day in Leverkusen, but he will also want to get off the stage without missing too much of the England game.

Power scoring can quicken up Legs and both Smith and Niels Zonneveld are very capable of putting together some monster scoring.

These two players met in a European Tour event in early May and the maximums were powered in by both in a match that lasted nine Legs. You have to imagine that will be the case in this one too and that should give Ross Smith and Niels Zonneveld enough time to hit three maximums each in a fitting end to the Evening Session schedule.

MY PICKS: Luke Woodhouse - 2.5 Legs @ 1.66 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Kim Huybrechts @ 2.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Wessel Nijman - 2.5 Legs @ 1.83 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Stephen Bunting to Win & Most 180s @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Jonny Clayton to Win, Jonny Clayton Over 1.5 180s & Karel Sedlacek Over 0.5 180s @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Kevin Doets to Win & Both Players Over 1.5 180s @ 2.20 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Ross Smith-Niels Zonneveld Over 2.5 180s Each @ 2.15 Bet365 (1 Unit)

European Darts Open: 2-1, + 1.05 Unis (3 Units Staked, + 35% Yield)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 13 Pick- Women's Final 2026 (Saturday 11th July)

It is never easy seeing a great Champion lose that half a step, but that looks to be the situation for Novak Djokovic and Father Time looks to have caught up with him.

This leaves Alexander Zverev and Jannik Sinner as the last two Men standing at Wimbledon in 2026, but on Saturday the focus is on the Ladies title which will be won by a Czech player yet again.

Both players should be full of confidence ahead of the Final and the anticipation is that we are going to have another close battle between two players who have already won a title on the grass this season.

Karolina Muchova-Linda Noskova over 22.5 games: Wimbledon has always had some brilliant Czech Champions and they are going to be crowning another in the Ladies tournament on Saturday.

We are guaranteed to have a third different Czech Ladies Champion in four years after Marketa Vondrousova and Barbora Krejcikova won in 2023 and 2024, while the likes of Jana Novotna and Petra Kvitova are other former Champions without mentioning Martina Navratilova (who was born in Czechoslovakia before switching nationality to the United States).

Both Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova are top ten Seeds in the tournament and they have managed to avoid the pitfalls that saw the draw open up as the top players went tumbling out of the event. The numbers produced by the two players will give them plenty of belief that they can become the latest Grand Slam Champion on the Tour, while Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova both won warm up tournaments on the grass to underline their ability to play on the surface.

One previous match between these two friends was played at the US Open last year when Karolina Muchova won in three sets and this match is going to feel like it is being played in line with a hard court considering the heat that has been in London over the last fortnight. Some of the grip on the grass is still different, but first strike tennis is going to be important and both Muchova and Noskova will know that.

They visited Centre Court together in the hours before each won Semi Final matches and you have to feel that the fact they are close off the court should help the pair settle on the court.

It is a Grand Slam Final though and so nerves have to be expected.

Karolina Muchova fans will have some concern about the way she was holding her stomach at the end of her Semi Final win over Coco Gauff, although it did feel like nerves were getting on top of her rather than an injury that will affect her in the Final. However, it is something to consider, especially as Muchova will not want to be hindered when it comes to the serve.

She will have to serve well to just stay with Linda Noskova, who has been serving really well throughout the tournament and who overpowered Marta Kostyuk in her own Semi Final.

The superior variation is going to come from Karolina Muchova, but Linda Noskova is capable of ripping big shots and that is going to be her approach to try and get on top of rallies as soon as she can.

The Covid pandemic meant Wimbledon was not played in 2020 and three of the last five Ladies Finals since then have all gone the distance- it would be a stunning turn of events if it ends 6-0, 6-0 as this Final did twelve months ago and instead this looks like a Final that will have some real swings in momentum.

Each player winning a set would not be a surprise, but a closely fought two set match may still see this total games mark overcome, as it was when Karolina Muchova beat Naomi Osaka in straight sets in the Quarter Final.

Picking a winner is tough, but perhaps the experience of Karolina Muchova will eventually tell, although Linda Noskova has played well throughout this grass court season and the 21 year old is unlikely to go away very quickly.

MY PICK: Karolina Muchova-Linda Noskova Over 22.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Wimbledon Update: 40-34, - 1.34 Units (146 Units Staked, - 1% Yield)

European Tour 10- European Darts Open Day 1 Picks 2026 (Friday 10th July)

A couple of Players Championship events were held earlier this week, but in the main, the PDC Tour has been on a little hiatus moving into the second half of the year.

This is when things really begin to ramp up though with more European Tour events and a Tour that has a second half that is filled with Ranking events after the field for the World Matchplay was confirmed.

That begins in mid-July on the same weekend as the World Cup Final is scheduled, but that also means the Matchplay will be gaining plenty of attention once the football has concluded and the tournament heats up.

Before that, the European Tour 10 event is to be played across this weekend in the format that has become very familiar to all.

Seeds will be joining the tournament on Saturday, but the First Round will be played across two Sessions on Day 1 on Friday before the event is concluded across a couple of Sessions on Sunday.

Andrew Gilding - 1.5 legs v Rob Owen: Beating Rob Owen is never going to be easy, but Andrew Gilding has something he likes about the match up and he can get through this First Round tie at the latest European Tour event.

Both players have been in decent form on the floor, but the Gilding experience is an important factor that gives him the edge.

Goldfinger will have noted the early losses suffered by Rob Owen at the Players Championship events played earlier this week and Andrew Gilding can back up his solid performance at European Tour 9 by making sure he gets into the weekend here.

The World Matchplay draw will be something that Andrew Gilding will be interested in seeing once it is released, but the focus is to have some momentum ahead of the trip to Blackpool and he can get the better of his Welsh opponent yet again.

Kim Huybrechts to win & most 180s v Samuel Price: These two players met on the floor earlier this year, but the key here is whether Kim Huybrechts can overcome the disappointment of missing the World Matchplay.

That does not take away from how well he has played in 2026, but it is important to keep building forward.

Kim Huybrechts is the favourite against Samuel Price who has lost his last eight Players Championship matches and the heavier scoring should come from the Belgian.

This is another step in the development for Price and his career, but Kim Huybrechts should overpower him on his way through to the Second Round.

Joe Cullen to win & over 1.5 180s v Charlie Manby: These two met in a high quality match on the Tour earlier this season and it was Joe Cullen who edged to the victory 6-4 in a Quarter Final at Players Championship 08.

Charlie Manby looked in decent shape on the floor in Players Championship 23, but Joe Cullen wasn't playing badly and just needs to get his doubling back up to par.

He has admitted that the scoring is not really an issue, but Cullen cannot afford to give away too many chances if he is going to have a decent run in this event.

You would expect Joe Cullen to put at least two maximums on the board, but this is going to come down to whether he can withstand the push that Charlie Manby will have and whether the former can hit his big doubles. That is hard to guess, but Joe Cullen should be motivated in a match like this and that is usually when we see his best efforts.

MY PICKS: Andrew Gilding - 1.5 Legs @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Kim Huybrechts to Win & Most 180s @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Joe Cullen to Win & Over 1.5 180s @ 1.95 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Darts 2026: 94-120, - 13.83 Units (211 Units Staked, - 6.55% Yield)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 12 Picks 2026 (Friday 10th July)

The opening Ladies Semi Final was something pretty special, but Karolina Muchova's opponent is yet to be determined at the time of writing.

Once the second Semi Final is completed, I will update the Wimbledon numbers from the tournament, but this thread is focusing on the two Semi Finals to be played on Friday.

It was something of a surprise to read that the bottom half Semi Final will be played first, especially as they were on court on Wednesday and not Tuesday, but it is a positive for Novak Djokovic to have that slightly longer time to prepare for another big match on Centre Court.

Both favourites look very likely to come through, but matches are played on grass and not screens/paper, while dismissing Novak Djokovic to win any tennis match would be very foolish indeed.

Jannik Sinner - 5.5 games v Novak Djokovic: As soon as the Wimbledon draw was made two weeks ago, most fans would have been hoping for the latest battle between Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic with the winner expecting to be favourite to win the title on Sunday.

Over the last couple of years, it has felt like Jannik Sinner has gotten on top of Novak Djokovic and the World Number One had beaten the Serb in five straight matches.

That alone would not have been an issue for someone like Novak Djokovic, but three of those wins had been earned at Grand Slams, including beating Djokovic at the Australian Open in 2024 and Wimbledon in 2025. Those are two tournaments that Novak Djokovic has loved throughout his career and to be beaten in the manner he had been would have certainly had some wondering if Djokovic would ever win another Grand Slam.

He admitted himself that beating both Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz at the same tournament would be a considerable challenge, but the latter has been absent from the last couple of Grand Slam events. That means Novak Djokovic 'only' has to beat Jannik Sinner and he will have taken a great amount of confidence from the Australian Open Semi Final win over the Italian back in January.

Not only did it snap the losing run to Jannik Sinner, but Novak Djokovic will have taken great heart from outlasting the Italian in that Semi Final that lasted over four hours and needed to go the distance to determine a winner.

Novak Djokovic needed over five hours to win his Quarter Final, but the match was played on Tuesday and that means this is a situation where the former seven time Wimbledon Champion has had two days of recovery, rather than the usual one day between matches that would be the case at Grand Slam events. Beating Felix Auger Aliassime in the manner he did is a reminder that Novak Djokovic still has something in the tank, but he will be aware that he needs to find another level to beat the defending Champion on Centre Court.

Serving well has been the key for Novak Djokovic, but he is not the same returner as he was at his peak and that will offer plenty of encouragement to Jannik Sinner who has not won any of the last three Grand Slam tournaments played. He is the World Number One, but Sinner has yet to make a Grand Slam Final in 2026 and there is pressure on his shoulders, which perhaps contributed to a tougher than expected Quarter Final win.

Jannik Sinner has spent considerably less time on the court than 39 year old Novak Djokovic and that is going to be a potential factor, while the top Seed has been serving at a consistently high level.

He would like to show a bit more on the return of serve to really feel like his rhythm is in a good place, but Jannik Sinner should be happy enough with the match up and beat Novak Djokovic in straight sets in the 2025 Wimbledon Semi Final.

This one should be a bit more competitive, but Jannik Sinner should still have the qualities needed to find the breaks of serve at key times and eventually win with room to spare in this last four meeting on Centre Court.

Alexander Zverev - 6.5 games v Arthur Fery: An incredible performance in the Quarter Final has helped Arthur Fery into the Wimbledon Semi Final and he will be sitting alongside three Grand Slam Champions as the youngster looks to prevent the clock hitting midnight on his Cinderella run.

A straight sets win in the Quarter Final would have been just what the doctor ordered if Arthur Fery wants to put his best foot forward in this Semi Final.

Earlier in the tournament, Arthur Fery has invested so much time and energy on the court as he has battled out of very difficult spots to continue to make this unexpected run. The fans are firmly behind him and the British player is going to be moving just outside the top 32 positions in the World Rankings even if he is beaten on Friday.

The World Rankings will look after themselves and all Arthur Fery and his supporters will be thinking about is this Semi Final against the French Open Champion.

Alexander Zverev has never been able to put it all together at Wimbledon, but there was an immediate feeling that winning the French Open could see this player kick on and add Grand Slam titles to his collection really quickly. He knows he can get over the line on the biggest stage and Zverev has moved through the Wimbledon draw with a lot of confidence, although he did beat a Taylor Fritz suffering with an injury in the Quarter Final.

It may have been a factor, but Alexander Zverev will also believe he has been playing well enough to deserve his spot in the Semi Final and the serve has been a huge weapon for him. Serving well is going to be key in this one to offer the crowd little to get behind, while also reminding Fery of the kind of level he is facing, and it is no surprise that the Number 2 Seed is the big favourite.

Arthur Fery served well in the Quarter Final, but he had been put under pressure on that shot in the previous two wins and Alexander Zverev can do the same to him here.

Centre Court is going to be firmly behind the 24 year old who has come out of nowhere to put this run together at Wimbledon, but it would be a big surprise if it is a run that can continue onto the Final on Sunday.

You would have to say that Alexander Zverev is going to have to show improvement on the return of serve if he is going to complete the French Open-Wimbledon double that has proven to be so difficult for players down the years. Considering Zverev had never made the Quarter Final in SW19 before this tournament, a title here would really be a big surprise, but the German could not have hoped for a better Semi Final opponent and Alexander Zverev can wear down the upstart.

On current form, Arthur Fery can make a set or two competitive, but you would have to imagine that all of the emotions and physical exertions of the last two weeks will eventually get on top of the British player. He is playing with little to lose, but Fery does have something to aim at here and Alexander Zverev can use a big serve to keep him under pressure and ultimately come through with a solid scoreboard victory that sees him cover this handicap mark laid out.

MY PICKS: Jannik Sinner - 5.5 Games @ 2.00 William Hill (2 Units)

Alexander Zverev - 6.5 Games @ 2.10 William Hill (2 Units)

Wimbledon Update: 38-34, - 5.54 Units (142 Units Staked, - 3.90% Yield)

2026 World Cup- Quarter Final Picks (Thursday 9th July-Saturday 11th July)

There has always been a sense that the World Cup should be the pinnacle of football and that means it should be a tournament that shows off the very best of the sport.

While there have been some very good matches, the controversial moments are making the bigger headlines and that is not a good thing.

FIFA made a decision to reprieve the United States striker of a suspension, which has broken all protocols, and it was clearly a decision that was made to appease the President. This comes in the same tournament where a FIFA appointed official was not allowed into the United States and where Iran were forced to travel in and out of the country, which ultimately affected the levels of performances they could produce.

And just when the Round of 16 may have been concluding without too many more moments of negativity, the Argentina-Egypt game was filled with some strange officiating that will only fuel conspiracy theories.

The only hope is that the Quarter Final matches are won by the quality on the field and not the lack of quality in the officiating, which has been a real feature of this tournament.

For the first time, FIFA decided to 'Seed' the top four Ranked teams in the Rankings and that meant they would avoid one another until the Semi Final as long as they won their Groups and then three Knock Out Rounds.

France, Spain, England and Argentina have all done their part in different ways and they are all going to be favourites to Qualify from the Quarter Final matches against Morocco, Belgium, Norway and Switzerland respectively.

You have to anticipate some resistance, but the top four teams should be favoured and that could potentially set up some huge football matches next week as the 2026 Finals come to a conclusion.

World Cup- Quarter Final Picks

Thursday 9th July

France vs Morocco Pick: These nations met at the 2022 World Cup in a Semi Final that was won by France, but Morocco had come through some very tough matches prior to that and perhaps ran out of steam.

The squad has changed significantly since that World Cup Semi Final and Morocco arrived in North America with a lot more belief and expectation of themselves.

Morocco have played well, but there is still a feeling that this team has lacked the kind of bite in the final third that could see them potentially become the first African team to win the World Cup. They showed a clinical touch to beat Canada 3-0 in the Last 16, but late goals put a gloss on the final scoreline and the underdog had given as good as they got for much of the fixture before Morocco took over.

They were the better team against the Netherlands, but it should be noted that Morocco have scored more than one goal against the two CONCACAF opponents faced, but not against Brazil, Scotland or Netherlands.

Ismael Saibari scored in those two Group matches against Brazil and Scotland, but picked up an injury in the Last 16 and is set to miss out, which is a huge blow for Morocco. It is likely going to mean the approach is to be organised and try and make things very difficult for the favourite and Morocco may lean on the blueprint set out by Paraguay in the last Round, albeit without the kind of challenges and dark arts that Paraguay were able to get away with.

France will take great confidence from the fact they were able to overcome Paraguay, despite all of the issues they had to deal with on the day, and they are a team that will always feel they have a difference maker in the final third to edge matches in their favour. The defence has not really been tested in the last couple of matches, but France will expect this match to be played in a very similar way as the the last Round with Morocco looking to close spaces and make things as difficult as possible.

The defensive numbers have been strong enough in this tournament to believe Morocco can make things tough, but France have shown there is a depth to the attacking talent that may ultimately give them the edge.

The expectation is that this could be another tight fixture with Morocco trying to find the right balance between attack and defence and it would not be a great surprise if one of the teams fail to find the back of the net. An early goal could change everything, but this feels like it could be competitive for a long time and that may see risks lessened the longer it is closely contested.

Friday 10th July

Spain vs Belgium Pick: A motivated Belgium team came out with a point to prove against the United States in the Last 16 and the 4-1 victory over the co-hosts will have given this squad a lot of enjoyment.

Off the field decisions made by FIFA infuriated the Belgians and they used that to fuel them as they came out with plenty of attacking intent.

The United States were a big disappointment in the Last 16, but Belgium cannot expect the same generosity from a Spanish team that have reached the World Cup Quarter Final for the first time since winning this title in 2010.

The European Champions have maintained the run of clean sheets and continue to create enough in the final third to do what is needed to earn progression. There still feels like there is more to come from Spain, but the absence of Nico Williams is a blow and that has perhaps meant Spain have lacked the kind of quality that took them to the European Championship title two years ago.

In saying that, Spain are still a threat going forward and they should find spaces to exploit against this Belgium defence that were put under the cosh by Senegal.

Belgium's Rudi Garcia has to be credited for some of the big decisions he has made to help the team reach the Quarter Final, but he will have to make more in this one. His team can create problems for Spain, but it is all about finding the balance between attack and defence and losing Amadou Onana is a big blow.

Spain do look the team most likely to have possession and the best chances and they can win this game, while also looking for Mikel Oyarzabal to have another shot on target.

Saturday 11th July

Norway vs England Pick: You can expect to hear the famous commentary out of Norway when beating England in 1981 and the statement of 'your boys took a hell of a beating' to be played over and over again in the build up to this World Cup Quarter Final.

The players will only be focusing on the task at hand and both Norway and England have to feel this is a massive opportunity to reach a World Cup Semi Final in front of them.

England have the greater expectation to burden on their shoulders and that can be a factor, but the 2-3 win over Mexico in the Azteca Stadium will have given the players a huge lift in confidence. It was arguably the best performance the national team have produced in a World Cup Finals tournament since the 1966 World Cup Final, and clearly the best under Thomas Tuchel, and that should give the squad some real momentum to take into this match.

Moving from the altitude of Mexico City to the heat and humidity of Miami is going to be a big test, but England have the qualities to beat this Norway team.

Erling Haaland is the threat that everyone will know about and his goals have been crucial in helping Norway beat Iraq, Senegal, Ivory Coast and Brazil in this famous run. He knows how to score against English opponents and Norway will take a huge amount of encouragement from some of the defending produced by the opponent.

At the same time, Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane have to be confident they can create some opportunities against a Norway team that have yet to keep a clean sheet and who conceded at least twice against Senegal and France. The chances that Brazil fashioned will be a concern for Norwegian fans, even if Haaland has shown he can get this team out of a difficult situation, and England have the capabilities of winning this match and beating another Scandinavian opponent in a World Cup Quarter Final as they did when seeing off Sweden in 2018.

Argentina vs Switzerland Pick: When the Knock Out Bracket was finalised, Argentina looked like they could not have asked for a better way to really build from the Group Stage successes.

However, the World Champions have made heavy weather of Cape Verde and Egypt and the latter of those opponents have been furious with some of the decisions made by the officials that turned the match against them.

Egypt were leading 0-2, but Argentina showed some real grit and character to score three times in the final eleven minutes and move through without the need for another fixture involving Extra Time. That should mean having some energy kept in reserve and Argentina will take encouragement from the way Colombia performed against Switzerland in the last Round.

The Swiss still got through on Penalties and they are a team that will look to make things difficult, but a more consistent threat on the other side of the pitch is important. There are vulnerabilities in this Argentina defence, which has been exploited by the last two opponents, but Switzerland have to find a balance with the way they approach this fixture.

It could be easy to sit in and look to counter, but Argentina have shown there is enough quality in the final third to create chances, even when not at their very best.

If they get into the same kind of positions as Colombia, Argentina have shown they can provide the clinical touch and they also have players who will display plenty of composure in that final third.

This should be the difference and Argentina can win this game, while scoring at least twice in the process of reaching a third World Cup Semi Final in four runnings of the tournament.

MY PICKS: France-Morocco Both Teams to Score- NO @ 1.83 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Spain to Win & Mikel Oyarzabal Over 0.5 Shots on Target @ 2.05 Bet365 (1 Unit)

England to Win @ 1.85 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Argentina to Win & Over 1 Total Goals @ 2.20 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Quarter Final: 2-2, - 0.12 Units (4 Units Staked, - 3% Yield)

Last 16: 6-2, + 2.52 Units (8 Units Staked, + 31.5o% Yield)

Last 32: 10-6, + 4.38 Units (16 Units Staked, + 27.38% Yield)

Group Stage MD 3: 11-11-1, - 1.29 Units (23 Units Staked, - 5.61% Yield)

Group Stage MD 2: 16-8, + 7.44 Units (24 Units Staked, + 31% Yield)

Group Stage MD 1: 12-12, - 0.30 Units (24 Units Staked, - 1.25% Yield)