Boxing Picks 2026- Sebastian Fundora vs Keith Thurman (Saturday 28th March)

This weekend represents the beginning of a very busy run for those Heavyweights associated with Frank Warren and his Queensberry stable- over the next seven weeks, almost the entire Division led by Warren will be out in big fights or main events and the Heavyweight landscape could look very different at the end of that run.

A World Title will be defended, but there is plenty of intrigue around young (Moses Itauma) and older (Tyson Fury) fighters as they look to get into the mix.

Oleksandr Usyk is still the man to beat in the Division, but he is taking on an opponent that feels little more than an exhibition for the unbeaten Champion.

A bigger fiht will be expected at the end of the year and that is where the names going out over the next several weeks have to push their credentials.

Moses Itauma is headlining a solid fight card in Manchester, but there is also a significant night planned in the United States where Sebastian Fundora defends his Light Middleweight World Title against Keith Thurman.

Much like the card in Manchester, this is a fight that was delayed by an injury to the 'A' side name, but it is a solid looking card in Las Vegas and the main event is likely going to give the victorious fighter plenty of big options going forward.

The last ten months have been pretty disappointing for the Boxing Picks and that has covered the back end of 2025 into 2026.

A little bit of luck has been missing at times, but it is important to try and avoid the poor decisions which have made things a little more difficult.

Moses Itauma vs Jermaine Franklin

Soon after making his professional debut, suggestions that Moses Itauma had targeted becoming the youngest Heavyweight World Champion of all time quickly propelled the story forwards.

In a four Belt era, that did sound a possibility if Moses Itauma could fulfil his obvious potential, but the recent investment of Saudi Arabia tied those Belts up.

Moses Itauma has also had a couple of delays in his career through injury, but there is every chance that this 21 year old can place himself pretty high on the list of youngest Heavyweight Champions later this year.

All of those plans would be ripped up if Itauma is not able to move past Jermaine Franklin, an American Heavyweight best known for losing a tight Decision to Dillian Whyte before a more straightforward defeat to Anthony Joshua on the cards.

Those two fights came in a four month period between November 2022 and April 2023, but Franklin has not really been able to build on that experience. Losing both meant some lost momentum, but it is a disappointment to note that Jermaine Franklin has fought just three times in almost three years, albeit winning all three times.

Two of those wins were against unbeaten opponents, but this is a considerable step upwards and Franklin was pretty one-paced in his win over Ivan Dychko back in September.

He has promised a war, but Jermaine Franklin cannot rely on being the faster fighter in this one and Moses Itauma has shown he can close gaps and is very comfortable letting his hands go.

Frank Warren and those around Itauma would love to see him put some Rounds in the bank before stepping up towards the very World level. None of the last nine opponents have been able to hear the bell for the Third Round and that is why they have targeted Jermaine Franklin here.

However, it also feels a good opportunity for the connections to talk up Moses Itauma even further if he can do something that former World Title Challenger Dillian Whyte and World Champion Anthony Joshua have failed to do and actually Stop this opponent.

Jermaine Franklin has shown he can roll with the shots and is solid enough to take some big shots and steer out of trouble, but doing that against someone as ruthless as Moses Itauma is a big ask.

If he shows any sign of being hurt, Moses Itauma will step on the gas and he may be able to secure his latest Stoppage a little after the first two Rounds, but before the second half of the contest is set to begin.

At 36 years old, Nathan Heaney is looking for one last run and for a second win in a row as he looks to move towards a potential British Middleweight Title bid.

He is a former British Champion, but that Title was ripped away from him by Bradley Pauls.

Nathan Heaney was Stopped in a comeback fight in February 2025, but that result was later turned into a No Contest and he is going to be well backed by his huge supporter base when returning to the Co-Op Arena in Manchester.

His opponent may not be a former British Champion, but Gerome Warburton fought for the vacant Title last year and ultimately was Stopped by Kieron Conway.

Gerome Warburton has not really fought at that level prior to the defeat to Conway and this is another tough test for him, even if Nathan Heaney is past his best.

Neither is a huge puncher and the cards may be needed for Heaney to put a win on the board that will take him closer to a fight for the British Middleweight Title, which looks about the level he will reach at this latter stage of his career.

The aforementioned Brad Pauls is also on this deep card of domestic fighters looking to push onto the next level.

The 32 year old is a former British Champion and only relinquished his Title to Denzel Bentley on the cards, but the inactivity can be a problem when facing a hungry Shakiel Thompson.

Activity is the difference between the fighters after Thompson secured three wins in 2024 and two in 2025, while there is no doubt that the height and length work in favour of the unbeaten southpaw.

It is a step up in level against a former British Champion, but Shakiel Thompson has shown his power at the domestic level and can make a big statement here.

The chief support also looks a good one between Willy Hutchinson and Ezra Taylor.

It looks like it will be a competitive fight with Taylor protecting an unbeaten record, but stepping up his level against Willy Hutchinson who has the best win on the resume when getting the better of Craig Richards.

Losses to Lennox Clarke and Joshua Buatsi perhaps highlight a limit to where Hutchinson can go in his career, but he may still have a bit too much for Ezra Taylor.

Both fighters should have their moments, but Hutchinson may do enough to nick this one on the cards.

Sebastian Fundora vs Keith Thurman

The WBC will have to make a decision about their Light Middleweight World Title sooner than later if Sebastian Fundora continues to insist that he will be targeting the big money fights rather than other Champions or his mandatories.

Those involve taking on big name veterans and there have been reports that Sebastian Fundora has already explored a fight with Errol Spence Jr, who is expecting to return after a three year layoff in the summer.

Overlooking Keith Thurman would be a mistake, but the 37 year old has been incredibly inactive and you do have to wonder what he has in the tank- at his peak, Thurman would have been a real threat with his style, but it feels like it will be much harder to execute across the full Twelve Rounds of this Title fight and especially against the relentless pressure that Sebastian Fundora will bring.

Keith Thurman has had just two fights since his 2019 defeat to Manny Pacquiao and just three Rounds since 2022- this is not ideal preparation against an awkward, active fighter like Sebastian Fundora.

Three years ago Sebastian Fundora was being KO'd by Brian Mendoza, who is on the undercard, but he has bounced back with three wins in a row- he fought twice last year, including a second win over Tim Tszyu and the momentum is going to be tough to stop.

A competitive fight is expected, at least early, but Sebastian Fundora may be able to wear down and ultimately overwhelm Keith Thurman in this main event.

A Stoppage could come from a compassionate corner or referee and that is likely after Keith Thurman has spent his gas tank, which is some time after the bell for the Seventh Round is rung.

The aforementioned Brian Mendoza is on the chief support against once beaten Yoenis Tellez- the latter is continuing his rebuild following the defeat to Abass Baraou.

Brian Mendoza is 32 years old, but he has not been active enough.

If he had been, Mendoza could be in a position to earn an upset, but the likelihood is that Yoenis Tellez will do enough to take this one on the cards.

There is plenty of action scheduled for the undercard, but the other fight that stands out is the continued development of Yoenil Hernandez who is unbeaten in nine fights and has earned eight Stoppages.

Not only does he fight in the wide open Middleweight Division, but Hernandez has already got himself a solid Ranking with a number of the organisations.

It would be a pretty big upset if veteran Terrell Gausha is able to derail Hernandez, especially having not been in the ring for twelve months.

However, Gausha is very savvy and tough and he has given opponents something to think about- he was beaten on a Split Decision by Elijah Garcia last year and was outpointed by Carlos Adames for the WBC World Title in this Division.

That toughness could see him push Yoenil Hernandez and at least force the unbeaten contender to have to lean on the scorecards for the victory.

MY PICKS: Moses Itauma to Win Between 1-5 @ 1.91 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Nathan Heaney to Win by Decision/Technical Decision @ 2.60 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Shakiel Thompson to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 1.80 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Willy Hutchinson to Win by Decision/Technical Decision @ 2.50 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Sebastian Fundora to Win Between 7-12 @ 3.00 William Hill (1 Unit)

Yoenil Hernandez to Win by Decision/Technical Decision @ 2.37 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Boxing 2026: 7-15, - 9.97 Units (37 Units Staked, - 26.95% Yield)

Miami Tennis Day 12 Pick 2026- Women's Final (Saturday 28th March)

The Miami Masters has proven to be a story of missed opportunities as yet more Break Points came and went in what turned out to be another fairly routine win for Jannik Sinner over Alexander Zverev.

The latter played better than he did in Indian Wells, but it was saving a single Break Point in one game followed by getting out of a 15-40 jam in the next that allowed Alexander Zverev to force a second set Tie-Breaker, which ultimately landed in the wrong direction for the German player.

We are about to head into the clay court season, but before that we have to see both Singles Finals completed.

The WTA Final goes up first on Saturday with the ATP Final on Sunday concluding this opening hard court run in the 2026 season.

While the majority of the top ATP players will then rest ahead of the Monte Carlo Masters in early April, the WTA takes in a clay court event in Charleston and plenty of experienced players will begin the clay court season there. In the past it has been a tournament that plays pretty differently to the European clay, but it is a big event with a 500 mark attached and that does mean seven of the current top 20 will be competing.

The clay court season does feel like it is long enough with the French Open beginning at the end of May, but the big tournaments come around very quickly and so players have to pick and choose their spots. The Madrid and Rome big 1000 events begin at the end of April through to the middle of May and at that point the majority of the big French Open contenders will take a break and prepare for what they hope will be a productive trip to Paris.

Aryna Sabalenka - 3.5 games v Coco Gauff: This is going to be the thirteenth professional meeting between Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff and the Miami Champion will end the night with a 7-6 lead.

It is the World Number 1 who has begun to get the better of Coco Gauff more often than not with four wins in the last six, but there is rarely a lot between the players and the slight adjustments made can turn things back around. There are perhaps some signs of that happening considering the last four between Sabalenka and Gauff have been split with two wins apiece, while the biggest win in that time is Coco Gauff's success in the French Open Final last year.

She is not just the home player in terms of this being played in the United States, but Coco Gauff was born in Florida and still lives there- this means having the local support and plenty of support from friends and family ahead of this big Final.

The run has been something of a surprise when you think the World Number 4 had to withdraw mid-match in Indian Wells and had some serious concerns about shooting pains in her arm. A MRI came back clear, but that would have reduced expectations in the second half of the Sunshine Double and it has already been a productive fortnight that will be concluded with a jump up to World Number 3 when the next set of World Rankings are released on Monday morning.

The overall level in 2026 has been a little below what is expected from Gauff, but she has looked stronger in the Miami event and that will help her confidence. The second serve continues to be a big weakness for the 22 year old as she continues to try and develop her tennis, but Coco Gauff has been able to cover up those issues by making more first serves and backing it up with solid returning numbers.

She is going to need all of that and more if she is going to upset the World Number 1 who has followed the title win in Indian Wells by producing high quality tennis here in Miami.

Aryna Sabalenka will be particularly pleased with getting the better of Elena Rybakina for a second tournament in a row after losing the Australian Open Final against the World Number 2, and the serve continues to put her in a strong position to win any match she plays.

There is room for improvement on the return with the numbers slightly below her usual level on the hard courts, but Aryna Sabalenka may feel her Semi Final win over Elena Rybakina is proof that everything is coming together just in time for another title to be secured.

Nothing ever comes easily against Coco Gauff and that is because the American can get plenty of balls back in play and neutralise rallies when at her best.

There have been signs of that in this tournament, but Aryna Sabalenka is playing at a much stronger level than most right now and the World Number 1 can complete the Sunshine Double with a solid win in the Final.

MY PICKS: Aryna Sabalenka - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Miami Update: 18-17, + 0.21 Units (34 Units Staked, + 1% Yield)

Miami Tennis Day 11 Picks 2026 (Friday 27th March)

The Miami Open is down to the final three days of the tournament and the Women's Singles Final has been set for Saturday between two of the current top four players in the World Rankings.

Some may feel the second ATP Semi Final scheduled to be played on Friday is a de facto Final with the winner likely going to be set as a strong favourite in the title match on Sunday. The two other players left in the draw will certainly have something to say about that, but Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev are playing at a really high level and the day of rest between the Semi Final and Final will certainly edge things in their favour.

A mixed Day 10 has continued to hold back the totals, but that is just the way the second half of this Masters event has gone.

One selection is available from the ATP Semi Final matches to be played on Day 11 and that can be read below.

Jannik Sinner - 4.5 games v Alexander Zverev: For the second Masters event in a row, Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev meet and this is a match that really comes down to the racquet of the latter.

He must serve well if he is going to produce the upset, but it may be asking too much against the World Number 2.

In Indian Wells, Jannik Sinner dominated the second serve of Alexander Zverev and that saw him coast to a pretty comfortable win. Not only does that make it six wins in a row for Sinner, all on the hard courts, but the last three have been very one-sided and something will have to change for Alexander Zverev to even put a competitive performance on the board.

Protecting that second serve more effectively is important, but there is also considerable concern with the way Alexander Zverev has been dealing with the Sinner delivery.

In the last three matches, Alexander Zverev has not been able to win more than 31% of return points played and that has kept him under the pump. In their last meeting in Indian Wells, Zverev managed to win just 26% of return points played and he has now broken the Jannik Sinner serve once in the last five matches played.

During that same period, Alexander Zverev has been constantly having to fend off Break Points and it is very difficult to see much changing with the short turnaround between recent matches.

Jannik Sinner is playing exceptionally well in Miami and is on course to complete the Sunshine Double, which will give him a huge amount of confidence to take into the clay court season as he looks to become the latest player to complete the career Grand Slam.

This is a big spread and a strong serving display from Alexander Zverev will make it very difficult to cover, but Jannik Sinner's recent head to head against the German makes him the right play in this second Semi Final scheduled for Friday.

MY PICKS: Jannik Sinner - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Miami Update: 18-16, + 1.21 Units (33 Units Staked, + 3.67% Yield)

Premier League Darts Night 8 Picks 2026 (Thursday 26th March)

The Premier League reaches the halfway mark of the Group Stage of the competition and that means the current Number 1 faces Number 8, Number 2 faces Number 7, etc etc.

Luke Littler picked up the Nightly win last Thursday and that has helped him close on Jonny Clayton and both look in a good spot to kick on and secure two of the four Play Off spots.

Only five points separate Number 3 Gerwyn Price and Number 7 Stephen Bunting and so there is still much to play for, while Josh Rock is just desperate for any win after another poor performance in Dublin.

Seeing Luke Humphries win the European Tour 3 event last weekend will give his fans plenty of reason to believe the defending Premier League Champion can kick on over the next two months and avoid an upset elimination in the Group Stage. He was clearly upset by some criticism of his 'aura' on the oche and the fact it was suggested he rolls over for Luke Littler, but Humphries used that to fuel him to a success and he will be targeting a second run to the Nightly Final on Night 8 of the tournament.

Nothing comes easy in the Premier League and the matches are being played out in Berlin this week, which may not be offering much encouragement for Luke Littler who tends to avoid playing in Germany at this stage of his career. That may change in the years ahead, but it makes Night 8 challenging for him and Luke Humphries is in the 'weaker' half as long as he can fight his way past Michael van Gerwen in the Quarter Final.

Jonny Clayton to win & most 180s v Josh Rock: Some Jonny Clayton fans may have been wondering how the Welshman would cope with a first Quarter Final loss in the 2026 Premier League on Night 7, but they had no need to be concerned.

He has been a consistent force on the Tour over the last twelve months and Clayton reached the Final of the Belgium Darts Open last weekend.

Confidence will be high, but it could not be any different for Josh Rock who lost in the Second Round in Belgium and has yet to win a single match in the Premier League. There is no doubting the quality of this player, but losses piling up can be very difficult to shake off and Josh Rock has really been struggling in the Premier League.

The Night 5 performance saw Josh Rock average over 100 in a narrow loss to Luke Littler, but he has been well beaten in the next two Premier League matches and averaged in the low 80s. That level is not going to cut the mustard when facing the kind of opponents Josh Rock meets every week in the Premier League and a heavy scoring Jonny Clayton can win this one and add another two points to his total.

Jonny Clayton continues to pile in plenty of maximums and that may see him complete the match double that his mate Gerwyn Price only just missed out last week in his whitewash of Rocky in the Quarter Final in Dublin.

Luke Humphries to win & most 180s v Michael van Gerwen: With two wins over this opponent already this month, Luke Humphries has to be confident of completing a hat-trick against Michael van Gerwen.

Neither of the last two wins have been in tough matches and Humphries is certainly playing with a lot more confidence than his opponent, even if the World Number 2 has room for improvement on the doubles.

He was better in the Belgian Darts Open success last weekend, which included a dominant Semi Final win over van Gerwen.

Three wins in Belgium will have done Michael van Gerwen the world of good as he looks to snap a four match losing run in the Premier League. After withdrawing from Night 3 with an illness, Michael van Gerwen has struggled to back up his strong start to the Premier League and Luke Humphries may have too much scoring for him again.

Luke Littler to win & most 180s v Stephen Bunting: It was far from his most impressive Nightly win in the Premier League and Luke Littler should have perhaps been beaten in the Semi Final and the Final, but he continues to find a way to win matches.

He was upset in the Third Round at the Belgium Darts Open last Sunday, which will give opponents some encouragement, while Night 8 of the Premier League is played in Berlin and everyone knows how much Littler dislikes playing in Germany.

The fans are going to try and rattle him, but Littler may still have enough to beat Stephen Bunting for a second Premier League week in a row.

Stephen Bunting averaged 104 to Littler's 105 in a defeat last week, but he may struggle to reach those levels again.

Last weekend, Stephen Bunting was beaten even earlier than Luke Littler and he has lost four matches in a row- the crowd will likely get behind him, but Littler's maximum hitting power can lead him through to a Semi Final here.

Gerwyn Price to win & most 180s v Gian van Veen: Unlike his fellow debutant, Gian van Veen was pretty comfortable in the Premier League setting in his first appearance in the tournament.

He started well enough, but the last month has been a bit more difficult with European Tour events beginning and a lot more darts than usual being played.

The form may already have slipped, but Gian van Veen is also only making his way back from a Kidney Stones operation having been forced to miss Night 7 in Dublin. He also dropped out of the European Tour 3 event and the Dutchman has admitted that he is not quite at full health right now.

This would have been a difficult match up if fully healthy, but a well rested Gerwyn Price is going to be even tougher to beat.

Night 7 ended in a strange way for Price- he had won seventeen of eighteen Legs played in Dublin and had cruised into a 5-0 lead over Luke Littler in the Final. Somehow he lost six Legs in a row to finish as Runner Up, but Gerwyn Price is considered one of the toughest players mentally on the Tour and he can take advantage of a weakened opponent.

They have met twice in the Premier League this season and both have one win apiece and eleven Legs won each.

However, Gian van Veen may need some time to get his rhythm back and this Quarter Final may be too soon after the operation last weekend.

With his maximum hitting continuing at a strong rate, the Ice Man can come through with the match double on Night 8.

MY PICKS: Jonny Clayton to Win & Most 180s @ 3.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Luke Humphries to Win & Most 180s @ 2.62 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Luke Littler to Win & Most 180s @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Gerwyn Price to Win & Most 180s @ 3.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Darts 2026: 40-52, - 4.36 Units (89 Units Staked, - 4.90% Yield)

Miami Tennis Day 10 Picks 2026 (Thursday 26th March)

So what can you say about that match?

Tommy Paul has Break Points in the opening two returns games of the deciding set and then FOUR Match Points in the Tie-Breaker, all in succession, and still manages to lose?

That result is kind of how the last few days have been going at the Miami Masters with the fine edges now working against the selections. It means instead of a proper bounce back fortnight after Indian Wells, the target is simply to head away with a positive return from the tournament and hoping the bounces begin to fall inside our lines, rather than just outside.

Matches are running down with four scheduled for Thursday and then just two on Friday- after that we have the Singles Finals played on Saturday for the WTA event and Sunday for the ATP event and then the entire Tour can settle down and get ready for some big clay court action.

Jannik Sinner - 5.5 games v Frances Tiafoe: Winning matches is what will always matter most in any sports field, but the current levels being produced by Frances Tiafoe are going to have to be significantly improved if he is going to pose a threat to the World Number 2.

The last couple of wins here in Miami have been a touch fortunate, but Frances Tiafoe should be credited for finding a way to turn momentum around. He has dropped the middle set in each of the last two Rounds, but has rallied to win the decider and the World Number 20 will be playing with plenty of support behind him in the stands.

Frances Tiafoe has taken advantage of the Miami conditions and that has led to holds in 90% of service games played this week, although he has also struggled on the return.

The bigger points have landed in Tiafoe's favour and that has seen him come through the last couple of matches despite facing more Break Points than he has created.

All of this is well and good, but Frances Tiafoe will need to raise his levels considerably if he is going to upset Jannik Sinner.

The World Number 2 was tested by Alex Michelsen in the Fourth Round, but he was largely in control thanks to the dominance behind serve and that meant Sinner cannot have ever been really concerned about the position within the match. Over the last couple of years on the hard courts, Jannik Sinner has been one of the more dominant servers and his numbers in Miami make him a clear favourite to win the title on Sunday.

He may not have returned to the usual level in the Fourth Round win over Michelsen, but that did not stop Jannik Sinner from creating seven Break Points.

In the first two matches in Miami, Sinner had been much more consistent on the return of serve and he will be relatively comfortable within this match up having dominated Frances Tiafoe the last couple of times they have faced each other in competition.

Over eighteen months have passed since they last played one another, but Jannik Sinner will feel he can still predict what is to come from the American.

You can never dismiss Frances Tiafoe's ability to serve at a very high level when putting together that rhythm, but he could be under a lot of scoreboard pressure throughout this Quarter Final and the expectation is that Jannik Sinner will have a bit too much in the locker and that may allow him to cover this spread.

Alexander Zverev - 3.5 games v Francisco Cerundolo: It has been a very productive trip to Miami for Francisco Cerundolo and he will be keen for it to continue for at least another Round.

Very little strong hard court form had been presented by the World Number 19 over the last few years and Francisco Cerundolo had a 4-3 record in the surface in 2026 before the three wins already secured here.

The win over Daniil Medvedev is the stand out result achieved, but Francisco Cerundolo is facing an even higher Ranked opponent in this Quarter Final. His serve has proven to be a decent weapon in the conditions, but Cerundolo has really impressed with the level of the return and 45% of return games ending in a Break of serve across three wins is impressive.

None of that will be lost on Alexander Zverev who will have hoped to have been on the other side of the draw where he would have now been a big favourite to reach the Miami Final. Instead Zverev is going to have go through this tough Quarter Final opponent and then likely have another crack at trying to beat World Number 2 Jannik Sinner on Friday and it is a challenging position for the German player.

Alexander Zverev has only faced 3 Break Points in the three wins secured in Miami, but he has still spent some significant time on the court in the last two Rounds. Having a day off between the Fourth Round and the Quarter Final will help and the World Number 4 is going to be very comfortable with the serving numbers produced this season.

The returning numbers have not been as encouraging in the tournament, but Alexander Zverev has to feel there is more to come from himself.

He will take significant belief out of the fact he has won the last three matches against Francisco Cerundolo and all on the hard courts, including a very comfortable win at the Australian Open in January. The match late in 2025 was a more competitive affair in the Davis Cup, but Alexander Zverev may be the player with the majority of Break Points in this Quarter Final and that could see him edge past this spread, even if some may feel it is a game too high.

MY PICKS: Jannik Sinner - 5.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Alexander Zverev - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 William Hill (1 Unit)

Coco Gauff-Karolina Muchova Over 21.5 Games @ 1.72 William Hill (1 Unit)

Aryna Sabalenka-Elena Rybakina Over 22.5 Games @ 1.80 William Hill (1 Unit)

Miami Update: 16-14, + 1.30 Units (29 Units Staked, + 4.48% Yield)

Miami Tennis Day 9 Picks 2026 (Wednesday 25th March)

Day 8 came down to Frances Tiafoe and he looked in a decent position when taking the first set 6-4 and quickly moving into a 0-40 position to take complete command of the Fourth Round match.

However, Tiafoe served a reminder as to why he is rarely selected as he not only failed to convert those Break opportunities, but wilted in the second set.

As stated, Frances Tiafoe is a battler though and he wins plenty of matches- he just doesn't tend to cover as a favourite and that was proved again as he dropped the second set 6-1, but won two 6-4 sets around it.

The last few days have been a little disappointing for the Tennis Picks and that has dented the totals that had been produced through the opening six days of the tournament.

Wednesday feels important to try and bounce back and there are two selections from the four Quarter Final matches that are scheduled to be played.

Elena Rybakina - 2.5 games v Jessica Pegula: If it wasn't for the WTA decision to remove Ranking Points from the 2022 Wimbledon event that was won by Elena Rybakina, the latter may have actually earned a top two World Ranking before last week.

It has felt like she has been playing as the second best player in the world for some time and winning the Australian Open title backed that up.

Elena Rybakina was not quite able to add the Indian Wells title to her collection, but the run to the Final was enough to move past Iga Swiatek and the Kazakhstan player may already be thinking about closing on the World Number 1 spot. Taking that away from Aryna Sabalenka is not going to be easy, but Elena Rybakina has little to defend at the next two very important WTA 1000 events on the clay and her run to the Quarter Final here in Miami has improved on the Second Round loss last year.

Thinking too far ahead would be a mistake, but this could be a special year for Elena Rybakina if she can stay healthy and she will certainly be amongst the favourites at Wimbledon and the US Open.

The current top two players in the world are setting the standard and Jessica Pegula is desperately trying to bridge the gap.

She may be the World Number 5 and put together some very strong results to open 2026, but Jessica Pegula has already suffered two important defeats to Elena Rybakina in Melbourne and Indian Wells.

A title was won in Dubai, but Jessica Pegula is desperate to win a Major and that would mean having to beat the likes of Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka from her current World Ranking mark.

There is little wrong with the quality of tennis that Jessica Pegula is playing- she serves much more effectively than some may think and Pegula backs that up with solid returning, but this match up will test her mentally.

Two defeats suffered to Elena Rybakina this season can be added to the two hard court losses against this opponent after the US Open last year.

Three years ago she was beaten by Elena Rybakina in Miami and it is hard to ignore that the higher Ranked player has been the superior one in those head to heads with Jessica Pegula.

The American has not been overwhelmed, but Elena Rybakina has played the bigger points best and she has covered this handicap line in all of those wins.

Jessica Pegula is unlikely to roll over, but it is Rybakina who has the edge on the serve and that can be the difference maker in this Quarter Final.

Tommy Paul v Arthur Fils: This is going to be a close, competitive Quarter Final and the winner is going to be the favourite to progress to the Miami Final on Sunday.

They will have a Semi Final to play, but Tommy Paul and Arthur Fils look like they are clearly the best players left in the top half of the draw as we reach the last eight of this Masters event.

No one can argue about the level being produced by Arthur Fils right now, but Tommy Paul looks an interesting underdog to back, despite not having those big time results this year.

He has played well when going up against some of the stronger players on the Tour, but the Arthur Fils numbers have dipped when taking in his hard court matches against top 50 Ranked opponents.

That is not to say Fils cannot win this match, because he clearly can, but Tommy Paul is a very solid hard court player and the home crowd could push him over the line in the last match scheduled to be played on Day 9 at the tournament.

It is Tommy Paul who has won the sole previous meeting, but that was long enough go to be largely irrelevant.

What does remain important is that Paul has been serving well enough and may have the edge on the return, which ultimately could prove to be the difference between them in a match that may go all the way.

MY PICKS: Elena Rybakina - 2.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Tommy Paul @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Miami Update: 16-12, + 3.30 Units (27 Units Staked, + 12.22% Yield)

Miami Tennis Day 8 Picks 2026 (Tuesday 24th March)

Day 7 was not an impressive one for the Tennis Picks, but there was a little bit of misfortune around some of the selections.

Ugo Humbert, Aryna Sabalenka and Jakub Mensik all came very close to doing enough to cover, but a Break of serve here or a poor service game there proved costly.

However, overall it has been a solid tournament and there is every hope that Day 7 is only a slight setback.

It is another busy day coming up on Tuesday with the ATP Fourth Round completed and the opening two WTA Quarter Final matches also scheduled to be played.

The weather is continuing to play ball with the tournament, which is a good thing, and there are five selections on Day 8, which can be read below and with the Miami totals updated.

Sebastian Korda - 3.5 games v Martin Landaluce: Upsets have opened this portion of the ATP Miami draw and a big opportunity comes up for both Sebastian Korda and Martin Landaluce to reach the business end of a 1000 level event.

They have not taken advantage of others doing the hard work so there is going to be a lot of confidence in both camps.

Sebastian Korda has the biggest win after coming through against World Number 1 Carlos Alcaraz in the Third Round- he should have won in straight sets, but all credit should be given to Korda for overcoming the disappointment in the middle of the match and still finding a way to fight through in three sets.

The American is plenty experienced and is a former top 20 Ranked player so it is no surprise that Sebastian Korda is the favourite in this Fourth Round match.

However, he has to be very aware of the fact that Martin Landaluce has already beaten two opponents Ranked higher than Korda in making his way through to the Fourth Round here having begun his tournament in the Qualifying Rounds. The 20 year old has beaten four top 100 Ranked players in Miami and all of his wins have been against players Ranked higher than himself, and it is a run that will have surprised Martin Landaluce's team as much as anyone else.

Over the last twelve months, Martin Landaluce has put together some solid hard court numbers against top 100 Ranked opponents and that will have to be respected. The serve has been a huge weapon in Miami and the numbers have been considerably stronger than his overall hard court serving numbers and so you do have to wonder how long he can keep this going.

Following up an important win can be tough, but Sebastian Korda will point out that he has won eighteen of the twenty-two hard court matches played against opponents Ranked outside the top 50 over the last twelve month period. However, he will have to be careful in this Fourth Round match as all four of those defeats have been disappointing ones facing players Ranked outside the top 100, even if the numbers have remained relatively strong.

This is a big spread, but Sebastian Korda may do enough to edge past the handicap mark set against an opponent who will be edging back towards his career best World Ranking after an unexpectedly strong run here.

Tommy Paul - 3.5 games v Tomas Martin Etcheverry: Finding enough consistency to push on with improving his career high World Ranking has been difficult for Tomas Martin Etcheverry and the numbers have been steady on all surfaces.

The clay court season feels like it will be important for Etcheverry and he may be entering that part of the 2026 year with more confidence having put a solid run together here in Miami.

He is going to be the underdog in this Fourth Round match against Tommy Paul, but Tomas Martin Etcheverry is a solid enough hard court player to feel he has every chance of earning the upset. However, the Argentinian player has not beaten a player Ranked in the top 20 on this surface over the last twelve months and, in fact, Tomas Martin Etcheverry has been beaten in all four of those matches played.

The problem has been that he has struggled to impose his serve on those matches, while the return game has simply not been good enough to make up for that fact.

Tommy Paul has dropped out of the top 20 of the World Rankings, but he needs one or two more wins to push back into that elite portion of the Tour. The hard court results have perhaps not been as good as the overall performances, but Tommy Paul will have taken plenty of belief out of the two wins he has had in Miami having had to dig deep to win both in three sets.

There has been little wrong with the serving, but Tommy Paul will know there is room for improvement when it comes to the return- those numbers have not been as strong as they were in 2025, and Paul will be looking to be a bit more effective in that side of his tennis to push forward.

The 28 year old is pretty effective on all surfaces so the next several months is a chance to rebuild some of the confidence, as well as the World Ranking, while Tommy Paul may feel his current return level is still enough to find the opportunities to win this Fourth Round match.

Covering the handicap will be challenging on recent form, but Tomas Martin Etcheverry has just had a bit of a struggle for consistency and that may give Tommy Paul the opportunity to produce a solid victory in this match.

Jannik Sinner - 5.5 games v Alex Michelsen: The two hard court wins that Jannik Sinner holds over Alex Michelsen were both played in 2024, and both are improved since those matches.

However, it is Sinner who has improved that much more and his hard court numbers over the last two years are very special.

He is on for the Sunshine Double, which has not been completed by many players previously, and Carlos Alcaraz already exiting the tournament only strengthens Jannik Sinner's position as favourite.

Alex Michelsen is going to be under pressure to serve at his very best.

Anything below that level will give Jannik Sinner all of the momentum, especially as Michelsen has only broken in 8% of return games played against the World Number 2 in those previous matches. His return can still be something of a weakness, especially against the elite players on the Tour and the two losses to Daniil Medvedev earlier this season back that up.

It is a wide spread, but Jannik Sinner is playing with some supreme confidence after picking up the title in Indian Wells and he will be looking to push much closer to the World Number 1, if not overtake him in the World Rankings, over the next six weeks.

Frances Tiafoe - 2.5 games v Terence Atmane: The World Number 20 has tremendous grit and determination and that has to be respected, but Frances Tiafoe is rarely backed to cover any spread on these pages.

Why? The main reason is that his numbers are always pretty average and that means he is rarely winning matches with much confidence for those watching on.

Even in a recent run to the Final in Acapulco, Frances Tiafoe came through a couple of very tight matches before being fortunate to beat Brandon Nakashima in the Semi Final before finally coming up short- he was a little lucky to get through his Third Round match here in Miami on Monday too.

However, Terence Atmane can say the same after upsetting Felix Auger Aliassime and the Frenchman has much poorer overall numbers compared with his opponet in the Fourth Round here.

Terence Atmane had won just four of twelve hard court matches prior to his arrival in Miami and his Hold and Break percentages are considerably lower than those Frances Tiafoe has put together.

They actually played one another last month in Dallas and it was Atmane who won the opening set before Frances Tiafoe rallied and coasted through the next two.

On that day, the difference in the serving efficiency was evident and that may be the case again, although you do have to hope Frances Tiafoe has recovered from spending an hour longer on the court than the World Number 53 in their respective Third Round wins.

Karolina Muchova v Victoria Mboko: This is the second time these two are meeting in a big spot having contested the WTA 1000 Final in Doha last month.

This time a Semi Final spot is on the line for Victoria Mboko and Karolina Muchova and both have been producing strong hard court tennis all season.

The older player has been set as the narrow underdog, but Karolina Muchova will take confidence from the fact she has won a big title on the surface and her three defeats have been one apiece to the current top three in the World Rankings.

Victoria Mboko has perhaps passed Mirra Andreeva as the leading teenager capable of winning a Major after the development over the last twelve months- she was beaten in the Fourth Round at the Australian Open to the current World Number 1, but that has not dented any of the confidence and Victoria Mboko has reached at least the Quarter Final in every other hard court event played.

She will have learnt a lot from the defeat to Karolina Muchova in the Middle East, but the experience of the latter and the slightly stronger performances on the surface in 2026 suggests the World Number 14 can edge through here.

MY PICKS: Sebastian Korda - 3.5 Games @ 1.70 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Tommy Paul - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Jannik Sinner - 5.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Frances Tiafoe - 2.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Karolina Muchova @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Miami Update: 14-9, + 4.30 Units (22 Units Staked, + 19.55% Yield)