World Matchplay Darts Day 3 Picks 2026 (Monday 20th July)

The First Round at the World Matchplay will be completed on Monday night and there are once again some quality looking matches to be played in the session.

Four more names will fill out the Second Round and those matches will begin tomorrow as the format moves into a best of twenty-one setting.

The schedule already looks really good for Tuesday, but the focus is the remaining First Round matches to be played before a thread for Day 4 in Blackpool is put together.

Ross Smith-Kevin Doets over 16.5 legs & over 10.5 180s: When these two players met on the floor back in May, Kevin Doets was much stronger than Ross Smith on the day and ran out a comfortable winner.

Since then, Ross Smith has shown his level on the European Tour and in other Players Championship events and he will be feeling confident ahead of this big First Round match.

The layers are finding it tough to separate them, which is a testament to how well Kevin Doets continues to play in 2026 as he looks to push up the World Rankings. Beating Ross Smith and opening up this section of the draw could allow Doets to build some real momentum in this tournament.

Both players should be able to have their moments and it would be a disappointment if this match does not need at least seventeen Legs. The power scoring of both is a big part of their darts, which will give one of the players an opportunity to run through Legs quickly if the other is not quite at the races, but you have to believe that Kevin Doets and Ross Smith are playing well enough to push the other in what could be one of the best matches of the opening Round.

Gerwyn Price to win & over 4.5 180s v Martin Schindler: Since the conclusion of the Premier League, Gerwyn Price has not really been playing as many tournaments as you may expect, while early losses in some of those he has attended means having little competitive action.

The Welshman lost his first match at the Players Championship 23 event earlier this month and did not take part the next day so you do have to wonder what kind of form he will be bringing into Blackpool.

Gerwyn Price has played well at the World Matchplay and that may give him some belief heading onto the stage, especially the fact he has beaten Martin Schindler in this format before.

And if you think Price has been out of form, Martin Schindler has really been struggling having suffered five defeats in a row- even last week in front of the home crowd, The Wall could not find his consistency on the oche and that could be a real problem against someone like Gerwyn Price.

There should be enough time for The Ice Man to find a good level in a winning effort and he can put together five maximums on his way into the Second Round.

Luke Humphries-Cameron Menzies over 15.5 legs and both over 2.5 180s: It is no surprise that Luke Humphries is a big favourite in this First Round match having reached the Nordic Darts Masters Final and then winning the US Darts Masters after coming up very narrowly short of retaining his Premier League title.

There has not been a lot of darts played in recent weeks, but Humphries has been in very good form all season and he will certainly be thinking about himself as a real contender to win the World Matchplay.

Cameron Menzies struggled for form earlier in the season having done some damage to his hand when punching the podium at the World Championship.

Recent weeks have been much better for Menzies who competed at the World Cup of Darts alongside Gary Anderson when Scotland were beaten pretty handily by an England team pairing up the two Lukes.

Since then, Cameron Menzies has won a Players Championship title and he pushed Luke Humphries all the way at the European Championships at the back end of 2025. That will give the World Number 27 some confidence and both players should be able to win at least six Legs, while also throwing at least three maximums each.

Danny Noppert-Rob Cross over 15.5 legs & Cross over 3.5 180s: There is no doubt that Danny Noppert has seen his level slip in recent weeks, but that does not mean it gives anyone the right to send the kind of vitriol that the Dutchman has been subject to on social media.

He called things out by posting the message he had been receiving, but Noppert will be hoping he can focus on his darts and build on what was a decent showing at Players Championship 24.

Last week Danny Noppert was beaten early in Leverkusen, but he should be capable of pushing Rob Cross in what is a fine First Round match to conclude Day 3 in Blackpool.

Rob Cross was in a fight to even earn a spot in the draw, but the former World Champion has found some serious form which saw him win a Players Championship title and reach the Final at a European Tour event last month. He was another that was beaten early in Leverkusen, but Cross is down as the favourite and that is not a surprise on his performances over the last several weeks.

The expectation is that both will be able to get to six Legs, but Rob Cross has been powering in the maximums and that could give him the edge in the First Round match.

Nothing will be easy, but the former World Champion can pick up four maximums in what should be a close, competitive match.

MY PICKS: Ross Smith-Kevin Doets Over 16.5 Legs & Over 10.5 180s @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Gerwyn Price to Win & Over 4.5 180s @ 2.05 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Luke Humphries-Cameron Menzies Over 15.5 Legs & Both Over 2.5 180s @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Danny Noppert-Rob Cross Over 15.5 Legs & Cross Over 3.5 180s @ 1.95 Bet365 (1 Unit)

World Matchplay: 5-5, + 0.20 Units (10 Units Staked, + 2% Yield)

World Matchplay Darts Day 2 Picks 2026 (Sunday 19th July)

The opening day at the World Matchplay may only have featured a single session and four First Round matches, but the Leg Format of this tournament continues to throw up some drama.

We have already had the first last Leg decider of the week, while two players averaged in triple digits in winning matches- Luke Littler faces Nathan Aspinall in what looks to be a standout Second Round match.

Sunday is a packed day with two sessions spread over several hours, although some of the attention will shift from the late matches that clash with the 2026 World Cup Final. Unlike the contingency plan that involved moving the sessions around to avoid any darts being played if England had reached the Final, the Spain vs Argentina game will be played at the same time as the evening matches.

There will be plenty of fans tuning into the World Matchplay as well, but it does sound like a conscious decision to have the likes of Gary Anderson and Michael van Gerwen playing in the afternoon session rather than the evening.

Both of those former World Champions are on course to meet in the Quarter Final if they can win a couple of matches over the coming days, but they will be challenged as the quality of the field gets stronger and stronger each season.

Gary Anderson to win & over 4.5 180s v Ryan Joyce: There is always a huge amount of respect that has to be given to Ryan Joyce whenever he gets up on stage and he has given Stephen Bunting a scare here in Blackpool in each of the last two years.

Ryan Joyce was playing well in Leverkusen last week on the European Tour as well, but Gary Anderson should have the scoring power to get over the line in this one.

We have not seen much of The Flying Scotsman in recent weeks and he made little impact at the Players Championship events played earlier this month.

However, the best of twenty-one format gives Gary Anderson time to work his way into this First Round match and use his stronger scoring to put himself in a position to move through to the next Round.

Michael van Gerwen to win & most 180s v Andrew Gilding: This has the makings of becoming a high quality First Round match in the afternoon session on Day 2 of the tournament.

Michael van Gerwen has the bigger name and has achieved more in the sport, but Andrew Gilding has rarely allowed that to bother him.

Just last month he edged past the Dutchman in a very good match on the European Tour, while he has beaten van Gerwen in a big television spot at the UK Open.

Two years ago Michael van Gerwen did get the better of Andrew Gilding right here at the World Matchplay, and that was a match in which the heavier scoring came from the former. This will be needed again and van Gerwen will likely need to produce the maximums fairly regularly if he is going to keep Goldfinger at bay.

Jonny Clayton to win & over 3.5 180s v Damon Heta: Last week was another sign that Damon Heta is picking up his level again, but he will be disappointed that he was not able to get past Jermaine Wattimena in the Semi Final in Leverkusen.

Overall the performances will have given Heta a boost in confidence before heading to the World Matchplay.

First up is a tough draw against Jonny Clayton who reached the Semi Final here last year and should really have beaten James Wade, and the Welshman has maintained a strong level over the last twelve months. He is a strong scorer, but also a confident finisher and Jonny Clayton will not panic if things begin slowly.

There has not been a lot of meetings between the players in the last couple of years, but both should be familiar enough with the other to make sure they are super focused in their bid to reach the Second Round.

And with that said, Jonny Clayton should have enough at the back end of Legs to secure passage past Damon Heta on Sunday afternoon.

Jermaine Wattimena v James Wade: These two players may approach their darts in a different way, but both have been very successful and another close match is expected.

That is not a big surprise at the World Matchplay with so many quality players in the field, but matches between these players have tended to be very close.

They met at a similar distance at the Players Championship Finals at the back end of last year and that was won by Jermaine Wattimena, who had given himself enough chances with this scoring.

He is going to need to do the same here, and Wattimena will have headed to Blackpool with confidence after reaching the Final in Leverkusen last week. Losing that will have hurt, but the player is in decent form and he may just edge James Wade in what should be a close match right to the end.

Either way, Jermaine Wattimena looks a lively underdog and he can come through a tough match.

Gian van Veen to win & most 180s v Krzysztof Ratajski: These two met last week in Leverkusen and it was Krzysztof Ratjaski who came through a low quality contest.

Despite not being at his best, Ratajski used the momentum to carry himself through to winning the latest European Tour event and that will have given him a lot of confidence to take into this event.

Krzysztof Ratajski is a steady player and will not go away easily, but Gian van Veen will know he has the levels to go through to take this First Round match away from the Polish player.

Gian van Veen was in better form when beating Niko Springer in Leverkusen and you have to expect the longer format in the World Matchplay to give him the time to fight back in this First Round match. The Dutchman will have to make a stronger start to just make things a little more comfortable and he can do that at an event where he reached the Quarter Final twelve months ago.

Wessel Nijman - 2.5 legs, over 3.5 180s & 1+ 100 checkout v Dave Chisnall: A disappointing early exit in Leverkusen will not have dented the Wessel Nijman confidence, at least not significantly, and this is a player that could make big waves here in Blackpool over the next week.

A big season has been put on the board, but the next five months is all about doing it in front of the bigger television audiences that will be the feature of the World Ranking events to be played.

Wessel Nijman has not always played his best in front of the fans and the cameras, but he has been performing well on the European Tour and he looks to have all of the tools ready to complete the three parts of this selection.

Dave Chisnall was not involved in the last European Tour, but continues to have his difficulties in putting consistent results on the board.

He will be inspired to play someone like Wessel Nijman and Chizzy can still be very dangerous at his best, but the Dutchman is playing at a different level to so many right now and he can show off his improvement to a wider audience in this opening match in this tournament.

MY PICKS: Gary Anderson to Win & Over 4.5 180s @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Michael van Gerwen to Win & Most 180s @ 2.30 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Jonny Clayton to Win & Over 3.5 180s @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Jermaine Wattimena @ 2.40 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Gian van Veen to Win & Most 180s @ 2.75 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Wessel Nijman - 2.5 Legs, Over 3.5 180s & 1+ 100 Checkout @ 2.25 Bet365 (1 Unit)

World Matchplay: 2-2, + 0.35 Units (4 Units Staked, + 8.75% Yield)

2026 World Cup Final Pick- Spain vs Argentina (Sunday 19th July)

The two teams that had been set as the underdog in the 2026 World Cup Semi Final ties were both able to win in normal time to progress to the showpiece event on Sunday.

Spain vs Argentina will also be the first time that the European Champions and Copa America Champions are meeting in a World Cup Final and it should be a big occasion for all tuning in to see who will be next to get their hands on the famous trophy.

Before that, the Third Place Playoff will be played on Saturday evening in Miami in what is largely described as the fixture that nobody wants to play.

It will be France and England who compete for third place in 2026 after very disappointing exits on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively and both will have questions to answer as the 2026 tournament is completed over the weekend.

World Cup Final Pick

Sunday 19th July

Spain vs Argentina Pick: These two nations have worked their way through to the World Cup Final in very different ways and there is little doubt that Spain have been the more convincing overall.

However, Argentina have shown off the huge amount of experience that has been built up over several years and this is a team that have scored so many goals during the run to the Final.

There is some pressure on the shoulder as they look to emulate great rivals Brazil by winning back to back World Cup titles, but Argentina have coped very well with all that has been thrown at them.

Breaking down Spain is likely going to be the biggest challenge faced in North America this summer and it will be much more difficult to fight back against this team compared with the likes of Egypt and England. Unlike those two teams, Spain will keep the ball much better and they are unlikely to drop off to contain Argentina, but instead offer a threat on the counter throughout this one.

Spain will take a huge amount of confidence from the manner in which they beat France in the Semi Final and they are the European Champions, which means having plenty of experience of their own to call upon.

Players are unlikely to panic like it felt previous Argentina opponents have done and Spain will take plenty out of the way Switzerland played against the World Champions in the Quarter Final before a sending off changed the momentum again.

The balance of Spain has impressed for some time and they are performing like the 2010 squad did when they won the World Cup for the first time.

With the options from the bench, Spain should have too much for an Argentina team who were rumoured to have wanted to avoid playing the Finalissima against the Spanish last year, despite beating Italy a couple of years earlier.

You can never dismiss an Argentina team that have found a way to earn their successes, but Spain should be too good all around and that can play out over the course of ninety minutes.

Saturday 18th July

France vs England Pick: The Third Place tie is one that neither team will really want to play, but it has produced some open football down the years.

England's disappointment from Wednesday night has yet to have dissipated and Thomas Tuchel has faced plenty of criticism for the subs he made when the team were leading Argentina 1-0.

Players looked out of energy by the end of that Semi Final and so changes have to be expected, although the same can be said for France.

So many believed they were going to cruise to a third straight World Cup Final under Didier Deschamps, but France were terrible in the loss to Spain on Tuesday and the manager is going to be signing off at the end of this weekend.

You have to believe the French players have one more big effort in them for Deschamps and especially against a rival like England, while the depth in the squad should mean changes are less impactful than they may be for the English.

Keep an eye out on the team news ahead of kick off, but this should be a fixture played with some freedom and that could allow the attacking players to shine the most.

With that in mind, and with the poor defensive performances that these teams have produced at times, the edge here is with France to score at least twice and leaving England with another loss in this Third Place Playoff.

MY PICKS: Spain @ 2.25 Bet365 (1 Unit)

France to Win & Over 1 Total Goal @ 1.95 Bet365 (1 Unit)

World Cup Final/Third Place: 0-2, - 2 Units (2 Units Staked, - 100% Yield)

Semi Final: 0-2, - 2 Units (2 Units Staked, - 100% Yield)

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)

2026 World Cup: 57-45-1, + 8.63 Units (103 Units Staked, + 8.38% Yield)

World Matchplay Darts Day 1 Picks 2026 (Saturday 18th July)

A contingency plan had been in place in case England were to reach the World Cup Final, but the PDC have not needed for that to go-ahead following results in the Semi Final of that tournament.

That means the World Matchplay is going to take place as the Sessions were planned and that means beginning on Day 1 with an Evening Session featuring four First Round matches.

Some believe that this is the biggest Ranking tournament after the World Championships and the field is loaded with talent, although the stand out names remain the two Lukes and those who have competed in the Premier League.

You have to imagine the likes of Luke Woodhouse and Wessel Nijman will have something to say about that after the way they have performed on the floor and European Tour events all season, but Luke Littler and Luke Humphries will be the most difficult to stop in their bid to meet in yet another big Final next weekend.

The last couple of days at the last European Tour event were unbelievably tough to take and a bounce back effort is needed in Blackpool.

You can't get it all back at once, but continuing to work through the long Tour is the key and that begins on Day 1 at the World Matchplay with a long run still coming up through to the end of the World Championships in early January.

Josh Rock most 180s v Luke Woodhouse: This looks the perfect way to open the World Matchplay between two very talented younger players with one looking to move into the kind of role the other has been enjoying in 2026.

Josh Rock earned his spot in the Premier League, but you have to believe that Luke Woodhouse has ambitions to join that elite tournament sooner than later.

Both are closely matched and the layers are finding it pretty hard to separate the two in this First Round match, which is not a surprise. Luke Woodhouse has arguably been the more consistent performer, but Josh Rock is still playing at a strong level and he has the power scoring that can make the difference.

No one should doubt the abilities of Luke Woodhouse, but Josh Rock should have the edge in the maximum department- that may not be enough to win the match if the doubling continues to be inconsistent, but the Northern Irishman should edge the most maximums market in this good looking match.

Stephen Bunting to win & over 15.5 legs v Niels Zonneveld: If this match was played a couple of months ago, Niels Zonneveld would likely have had plenty more support in the market in his bid to earn this upset.

While the Dutchman is still playing decent enough, there is no doubt that the level has dipped and that has been reflected in some of the recent win-losses on the Tour.

Last week Niels Zonneveld had his chances against Ross Smith, but missed his doubles and that meant leaving Leverkusen with a big defeat. He should be far more competitive in this First Round match having already given Stephen Bunting challenges in a couple of European Tour events, but it also cannot be ignored that Zonneveld has come up short both times.

Stephen Bunting is not exactly putting strings of wins together and was also beaten early in Leverkusen last week, but he can battle and scrap in this one and another relatively tight victory looks the most likely outcome of this First Round contest.

Luke Littler-Niko Springer over 14.5 legs and over 2.5 180s each: He has not played in any Players Championship events this season and Luke Littler also skipped out on the European Tour last weekend meaning he has not played since losing the US Darts Masters Final against Luke Humphries.

Does that affect his performance? Most likely not, but Littler will be heading to Blackpool as the defending Champion knowing that he is always likely to be given a tough opening draw.

That did not stop him crushing Ryan Searle in the First Round twelve months ago, but Littler was then pushed all the way by the likes of Jermaine Wattimena and Andrew Gilding on his way to the title.

Opening up against Niko Springer should give Littler the chance to build up his rhythm with the opponent one that will push the better players- Springer has tended to play up and down to the level of the opponent and that has produced the inconsistent results.

Last week he gave Gian van Veen all he could handle, but missed doubles cost Springer and he cannot afford to do that again.

In a best of twenty-one Leg format, Niko Springer should have the time to contribute to the maximums market as long as he is not overwhelmed by the occasion. The expectation is that he will thrive in the situation and that should mean Springer can join Luke Littler in earning at least three maximums in a match that should need at least fifteen Legs to find a winner.

Nathan Aspinall to win & over 4.5 180s v Joe Cullen: There is an England football match scheduled to be played around the same time as this First Round match, but neither Nathan Aspinall nor Joe Cullen should be distracted by a Third Place Playoff at the World Cup.

If it had been the Final, that would have been a very different situation, but both players should be focused in rounding out Day 1 with what looks to be a very good match on paper.

Joe Cullen is still very capable on his day and everyone on the Tour will respect that.

However, Nathan Aspinall has continued to put together some very strong darts and only his doubling cost him in the Quarter Final in Leverkusen last week. That could still be an issue for Aspinall, but in this longer format, there is more opportunity for a scrapper like The Asp to dig himself out of a hole.

Nathan Aspinall is a former winner of the Matchplay and may take something from the fact that he beat Joe Cullen along the way- that was a Semi Final match in 2023, but Aspinall should be able to produce five maximums on his way to a winning effort in the First Round in 2026.

MY PICKS: Josh Rock Most 180s @ 1.80 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Stephen Bunting to Win & Over 15.5 Total Legs @ 2.20 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Luke Littler-Niko Springer Over 14.5 Total Legs and Over 2.5 180s Each @ 1.95 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Nathan Aspinall to Win & Over 4.5 180s @ 2.15 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Darts 2026: 99-133, - 22.49 Units (229 Units Staked, - 9.82% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Wednesday 15th July)

Everyone in England is going to be going to be thinking about the World Cup Semi Final that will be kicking off at 8pm local time, but the Tennis Tour will continue behind the scenes in the five main Tour events being played this week.

Those will 'only' be moving into the Second Round and will barely make a mark on the UK sporting radar, but those competing in Athens, Bastad, Gstaad, Isai and Umag will be looking to move into the business end of those tournaments and earn the chance to pick up vital Ranking Points.

Most of these selections should be completed way before the second of the World Cup Semi Final ties begin, but the reality is that the Football will take over all attention whether that is the case or not and most will likely be settling in to watch what is likely going to be a dramatic game to decide whether England or Argentina make it through to the World Cup Final scheduled for Sunday.

The opening Tennis selection of the week was not quite able to get over the line, but the next two both returned winners to make it a positive start to the week.

Keeping that going is the challenge in what is going to feel like a much quieter three weeks between Wimbledon concluding and the Canadian Masters beginning, but there are opportunities to exploit and that is the ambition ahead of the two big Masters hard court tournaments in August.

Maria Sakkari - 5.5 games v Harriet Dart: The WTA returned to Athens for the first time in thirty-five years this week and it is no surprise that Maria Sakkari has chosen to use the event as one of the preparation spots ahead of the US Open.

She reached the Third Round at Wimbledon and Maria Sakkari enters this week as the World Number 37, but there are some significant Ranking Points to protect over the coming weeks and earning a Seeding spot at the US Open will help. The Greek player is going to be given so much support here and she has to be highly motivated to want to put a strong week on the board and Maria Sakkari is rightly favoured to reach the Quarter Final.

It has not been the best year on the Tour for Maria Sakkari as she returns to hard court action, but she was a dominant winner in the First Round and has been playing at a more challenging level than Harriet Dart.

The British player had a disappointing grass court campaign and has failed to use the opportunities given to her to improve the World Number 152 spot.

Harriet Dart is turning 30 years old later this month and you do have to wonder if there is enough strong tennis left in her to push back into the top 100 of the World Rankings. There is only so many times players are going to want to go through multiple Qualifying Rounds to earn main draw spots in the biggest tournaments and Dart has almost exclusively been playing below the WTA 250 level over the last couple of years.

With that said, the hard court numbers are not that encouraging and this is a considerable step up in level of the usual opponents that Harriet Dart will face.

Three sets were needed to beat a Qualifier who is Ranked outside the top 300 in the First Round and Maria Sakkari can use the home crowd to get the better of Harriet Dart with some level of comfort on the scoreboard. These two met all the way back in 2017 on the grass courts when both were still pushing up the World Rankings and it was Sakkari who won comfortably on that day and she can record the breaks of serve needed to cover this handicap mark.

Alycia Parks - 2.5 games v Mai Hontama: You may expect most American players to leave Wimbledon behind and head back to North America to take in events ahead of the US Open.

Last year Alycia Parks decided to play in Prague in July before taking part in the big Masters events in Canada and Cincinnati and this year the World Number 70 has decided to play in Athens. This is in addition to entering the Prague hard court tournament next week and it does offer Parks an opportunity to pick up those vital World Ranking points to move back towards a career best mark set in August 2023.

She has not really kicked on as would have hoped with Number 40 being the best career mark so far, but that is much higher than Mai Hontama has been able to produce.

These days Hontama is operating outside the top 200 in the World Rankings, but she upset Magda Linette in the First Round and that will have given the 26 year old a huge boost in confidence. Mai Hontama returned really well in that First Round win and is going to have to do the same if she is going to reverse the result from when she was beaten by Alycia Parks last year in Prague.

It is a big step up for Mai Hontama who had lost all four hard court matches against top 100 Ranked opponents over the last twelve months before the First Round upset. Three of those defeats were to players Ranked between 84 and 99 and Alycia Parks should have the serving power to keep the scoreboard pressure on this opponent, much like she did in the 2025 match.

Alycia Parks is not an easy player to back to win matches having compiled a losing record on the hard courts over the last twelve months, but she is 11-9 when facing players Ranked outside the top 100 compared with 9-15 against those inside those positions. As long as she serves as she can, Parks should have the opportunities to break serve and that can see her win this Second Round match and cover the handicap.

Raphael Collignon - 2.5 games v Lorenzo Sonego: The 24 year old Belgian is playing on a career best World Ranking mark, but there will be disappointment that a bigger impact was not had on the grass courts after a strong showing in Halle.

Raphael Collignon moves back onto the clay here in Gstaad and he enjoyed significant success at Challenger level on the surface before reaching the French Open Third Round.

It will give him some confidence after coming through a tight three setter in the First Round and Raphael Collignon will certainly believe he is playing superior clay court tennis than opponent Lorenzo Sonego.

However, the Italian is very comfortable on the surface and has a win under his belt here, which deserves respect, even if Sonego struggled on the clay after missing two months of the Tour through injury.

Lorenzo Sonego won just two clay court matches through to the end of the French Open, but he played well enough at Wimbledon and has had a couple of decent runs in Paris that do deserve respect.

If he serves like he can, Lorenzo Sonego can put some real pressure on Raphael Collignon, although his numbers in 2026 have been disappointing. Again, some of that has to be put down to finding his rhythm back on the Tour, but Collignon may feel he is able to make some inroads on the return.

More impressive is the way in which Raphael Collignon has been serving on this surface and that may help build up the scoreboard pressure that eventually sees him crack through the World Number 83 in this Second Round contest.

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 2.5 games v Jerome Kym: If this match had been played twelve months ago, Stefanos Tsitsipas would have been a huge favourite, but he has been sinking in the World Rankings week to week.

Usually we would not see someone like Tsitsipas playing between Wimbledon and the Masters events on the hard courts leading into the US Open, but the Greek star has been struggling massively with his consistency.

Backing up that statement is Stefanos Tsitsipas being the World Number 85 heading into this tournament in Gstaad, but his win in the First Round is a reminder of how good this player can be when he is focused and finding his best tennis. It is a victory over a player that is significantly stronger than Jerome Kym, who has been given a Wild Card into this tournament, but who also had to battle to make it into this Second Round against the World Number 618.

Jerome Kym has spent the majority of his career away from the main ATP Tour and he has a 2-2 record against top 100 Ranked opponents on the clay courts.

He serves well, which makes him dangerous, but Jerome Kym has struggled on the return at a much weaker level than the opponent he is going to be facing in the Second Round.

This potentially makes Stefanos Tsitsipas a touch underrated in this match and the former World Number 3 can do enough to win and cover this handicap mark.

MY PICKS: Maria Sakkari - 5.5 Games @ 2.00 William Hill (1 Unit)

Alycia Parks - 2.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (1 Unit)

Raphael Collignon - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 2-1, + 0.74 Units (3 Units Staked, + 24.67% Yield)

2026 World Cup- Semi Final Picks (Tuesday 14th July-Wednesday 15th July)

There was some controversy around the FIFA decision to Seed the top four World Ranked teams when the draw was made, although they made it clear that it would only be the case if France, Spain, Argentina and England all won the Groups in which they had been placed.

All four did and have made it through to the final four, albeit with some bumps to negotiate along the way.

France are the favourites having cruised through the tournament behind a fearsome front four, but Spain stand in the way in a third Semi Final meeting in a third different competition from 2024 to 2026. Both previous matches have been won by Spain, but they have needed very late goals to beat Portugal and Belgium and the only real positive is avoiding having to go through Extra Time.

In real terms, both France and Spain have made pretty comfortable passage, but Argentina and England have been forced to dig deep.

The defending World Champions have twice needed to win games in Extra Time and came from 0-2 behind to beat Egypt with an injury time winner to avoid all three matches needing the additional thirty minutes. This accumulation can wear teams down and Argentina have looked fragile and heavily reliant on Lionel Messi, which is a disappointment considering the bid to develop since winning in Qatar.

Where Argentina have one superstar stepping up, England have had both Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham provide big moments and stopping both is the challenge.

However, nothing has come easy for England after battling from behind to beat both DR Congo and Norway, the latter in Extra Time, while they also came through an epic battle in Mexico City to beat one of the co-hosts 2-3 in a memorable World Cup fixture.

All four teams at this stage of the competition will be confident, but you have to believe the winner of the France-Spain Semi Final will be going on to lift the trophy on Sunday, regardless of who they face in the Final.

Things could look very different at the end of the Semi Final Round, but it would be a surprise from here as the 2026 World Cup Finals wind down.

World Cup Semi Final Picks

Tuesday 14th July

France vs Spain Pick: The Euro 2024 Semi Final and the 2025 Nations League Semi Final matches were both won by Spain, but there has been a feeling in this tournament that the French team are playing at a superior level.

Strong attacking play will always make the headlines more than strong defensive work and Spain will still be feeling confident about their chances.

They will certainly believe they have come through a tougher pathway in the Knock Out Rounds and that can mean being more battle-tested. Wins over Austria, Portugal and Belgium means Spain are used to that rhythm and tempo provided by European opponents and those opponents make for better reading than France seeing off Sweden, Paraguay and Morocco.

It is not the fault of the French that they have not had to play Germany or a full strength Morocco, but Spain may take something from the fact that France did struggle to break down the last two of those opponents. We have certainly not seen a full performance from France in the tournament, which does make them dangerous, but Spain may feel they can contain the attacks to some extent, whilst also giving France so much more to think about on the defensive side of the field compared with the last three Knock Out opponents.

Spain should take heart from the chances Senegal and Sweden created before they fell behind and France have yet to had to battle back from adversity.

The same can be said for Spain, who have also not been behind in the tournament, but they have had to dig in to beat Portugal and Belgium and that will give the team confidence. Having Nico Williams back is also a big confidence builder for Spain, even if he cannot start, and the European Champions have shown they can hurt a vulnerable France defence over the last couple of years.

France have tended to be the superior World Cup team compared with Spain, who have been much stronger in the continental tournaments, but this has the makings of a classic World Cup Semi Final.

Whoever scores first will be confident, but it should be noted that recent games between these European neighbours have tended to be very competitive and with the attacking players usually coming out on top.

So while World Cup Semi Final matches can become tight and tense, this may be one where both teams feel they can hurt the other and it may be another fixture between France and Spain that ends with at least three goals shared out.

Wednesday 15th July

England vs Argentina Pick: There is little love lost between these nations and they are meeting in the biggest game between the rivals in the history of this sport.

Making a World Cup Final is obviously the motivation, but there will be a huge amount of pain for the loser to absorb if going down to the other in this Semi Final.

Both England and Argentina will know that they need to improve to beat the other and the squad that has dealt best with the Extra Time needed to win Quarter Final matches will have the edge.

Superstar names have stepped up for both nations during what have been inconsistent performances in the Knock Out Rounds and the defences have really had problems. That could be the case in this Semi Final with both England and Argentina going to be feeling like the attacking players can hurt the other and it may be a game in which one of the teams will make one too many errors to hand the game to other.

Lionel Messi, Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham will receive the attention, but it could be a player at the back taking an unnecessary risk that proves costly.

Both teams will have their moments, but both are likely going to be relying on Emiliano Martinez and Jordan Pickford to step up when they are asked questions.

Out of the two, Martinez may just give Argentina the edge, but England have to know the defending World Champions are not looking nearly as good as they did in Qatar.

This has all of the makings of a tense night in both nations in a fixture that neither England nor Argentina dare to lose, but it could be one where the goalkeepers are forced into action more than some of the layers may think.

Extra Time and Penalties would not surprise anyone, but big saves are likely going to be needed before that and the defensive numbers have shown two teams that will give up shots on goal during this Knock Out run.

MY PICKS: France-Spain Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.95 William Hill (1 Unit)

England-Argentina Over 7.5 Match Shots on Target @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Semi Final: 0-2, - 2 Units (2 Units Staked, - 100% Yield)

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)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Tuesday 14th July)

The third Grand Slam of the 2026 season was completed on Sunday and that means the majority of the top players on the Tour will take a well-earned rest and only turn their attention back to the tennis at the end of the month or in early August.

That is when the focus will turn to the US Open, which begins at the end of August, and those players will choose to head to North America to take in back to back big Masters events in preparation for the final Slam of the season.

Frustration will still abound amongst the players that the Canadian Masters and Cincinnati Masters are further 1000 events that have begun to treat their tournament as mini-Slams and we have another strange situation of the Canadian Masters having the Final scheduled for Thursday. That cannot be ideal for fans or players, but the Tour has yet to take in the advice, although Cincinnati will be concluded on a weekend.

Other big events will take place between now and the US Open, but the top names will tend to stick to those Masters events and then the last Slam of the season. It does offer up opportunities for others to build up some confidence and momentum, while those still in Europe will have a chance to play some last clay court tennis before the move onto the hard courts.

This week there are three European clay court ATP events taking place and there are some decent names heading out onto the court who will be looking to bounce back from relatively poor showings at Wimbledon.

 It is an opportunity to pick up some vital Ranking Points and that should give all of the competitors some motivation to take into this week as the Tour moves on from the grass court part of the season.

Juan Manuel Cerundolo - 3.5 games v Zdenek Kolar: There is a vast experience edge here in favour of the younger player and Juan Manuel Cerundolo can come through this opening match in Gstaad without too much fuss.

He is going to be long known as the player that upset Jannik Sinner in Paris, but Cerundolo has a Challenger title on the surface this season and this kind of match up will feel like one that he would usually face at the lower level.

Juan Manuel Cerundolo reached the Final in Gstaad last year and so does have plenty of Ranking Points to protect, while he has been serving with slightly more authority this time around. That should help the World Number 45 as he looks to push his career best World Ranking mark to another level over the coming weeks and Cerundolo should have too much for Zdanek Kolar.

The 29 year old has a 15-14 record on the clay courts in 2026 with the majority of matches played way beyond the main ATP Tour.

Zdanek Kolar did lose in the Second Qualifying Round at Roland Garros, but almost exclusively plays on the Challenger circuit.

He will believe he can have some success on the return, but so will Juan Manuel Cerundolo and the latter's experience should be telling.

Pablo Carreno Busta - 3.5 games v Matej Dodig: Two players at opposite ends of their career path will be facing one another in Umag and Matej Dodig is likely going to be receiving plenty of support.

He has played here before, but the soon to be 21 year old has mainly be operating on the Challenger Tour and that is a big reason he is down at World Number 254.

Matej Dodig has produced pretty average numbers on the clay in 2026 and at a much lower level than the one he will be competing in this week.

Veteran Pablo Carreno Busta reached the Fourth Round at the French Open and won a Challenger event on the clay and reached the Final of another in the lead up to the second Grand Slam of the season. Those performances should make the Spaniard a strong favourite to progress into the Second Round of this tournament.

Pablo Carreno Busta has been serving well enough, but has impressed most with his return.

Those numbers have looked really good when Carreno Busta has faced opponents Ranked outside of the top 100 and he can quieten down the crowd with a solid win in this First Round match.

Alex Molcan - 2.5 games v Valentin Royer: This is a decent looking First Round match in Umag and the feeling is that Alex Molcan can continuing building his momentum on the Tour.

Injuries have seen him drop out of the top 100, but Alex Molcan can climb back into those positions with a couple of wins on the board here in Umag and that will give him plenty of motivation to back up the level being produced in 2026.

The last couple of seasons has shown Alex Molcan is happy enough on the surface when playing a certain level of opponent and Valentin Royer may be one of those opponents.

The Frenchman has not been as effective on the serve or return compared with Alex Molcan and Valentin Royer has spent a lot of his own time on the Challenger Tour. His 13-10 record on the clay leaves him vulnerable in this First Round match and the layers are anticipating the same with Alex Molcan down as the favourite.

There has been a real gap in the amount of breaks secured by the two players and that may be a factor that ends up giving Alex Molcan the edge to push on and secure the victory.

MY PICKS: Juan Manuel Cerundolo - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Pablo Carreno Busta - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Alex Molcan - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Season 2026: 172-144, + 10.16 Units (501 Units Staked, + 2.03% Yield)