UK Open Darts Day 3 Picks 2026 (Sunday 8th March)

The 'FA Cup of Darts' is played to a conclusion on Sunday with the Quarter Finals up first in the Day Session and then the Semi Finals and Final all completed later in the Evening Session.

Luke Littler remains in the tournament and that means he remains the big favourite to win the title here for a second year in a row as he continues to dominate the scene.

You would expect Danny Noppert to have something to say about that after beating Luke Humphries in the Sixth Round, but Littler is hard to beat over these longer formats and incredibly hard to beat when he motivates himself to chalk off records.

The remaining six players in the draw will all believe they can go on and win the title- James Wade and Rob Cross are just reminding people of how well they can play, while the two Welshmen taking part in the Premier League, Jonny Clayton and Gerwyn Price, will take huge confidence into the Semi Final by getting the better of the other in the Quarter Final.

Josh Rock will certainly be hoping his run over the last couple of days can inspire a Premier League win on Night 6 of the tournament on Thursday, but all eyes are on Luke Littler and he looks the man to beat.

After a poor Day 1 for the Darts Picks, a strong run on Day 2 has just turned things around.

Quarter Final Picks will be placed here first, and any selections from the Evening Session will be available after the draw has been made later on Sunday afternoon.

Josh Rock - 1.5 legs v Krzysztof Ratajski: We have yet to see Josh Rock win a match in the Premier League, but he had a strong run at the World Masters and has backed that up at the UK Open.

You can never dismiss the ability of Krzysztof Ratajski to cause an upset, but Rocky has found a way past the Polish player in recent head to heads and the performances so far this weekend suggest he can do the same again.

There have been some very good wins produced by Ratajski too, but Josh Rock may just have the slight edge and is capable of coming through with a 10-7 kind of scoreline

James Wade & Rob Cross over 3.5 180s: Two very experienced players face off in the Quarter Final having produced some very strong darts over the last couple of days.

These Ranking events should give James Wade a lot of motivation to remind the PDC that they should have included him in the Premier League this year.

Dominating wins behind big scoring saw Wade come through two matches with the loss of just five Legs on Saturday and he is capable of producing at least four maximums here.

You have to expect Wade to be pushed a bit more by Rob Cross, who has looked close to his best in the Minehead this weekend.

Like his opponent, Rob Cross has found plenty of maximums in his outings and both players hitting at least four looks a big price.

Luke Littler over 6.5 180s v Danny Noppert: He has not always enjoyed the Day Sessions as much as the Evening, but Danny Noppert's win over Luke Humphries should have focused Luke Littler.

There is no doubt that Littler is going to need to produce some strong darts to beat an opponent who felt he did enough to earn a Premier League spot in 2025.

Danny Noppert has refused to allow that disappointment to overshadow his 2026 though and the win over Humphries will have given him plenty of confidence.

It should mean the Dutchman is able to offer some resistance, but Luke Littler showed his scoring power in the win over Gary Anderson in the Sixth Round and he can produce at least seve maximums in this Quarter Final.

Gerwyn Price win & over 8.5 match 180s v Jonny Clayton: A long losing run was snapped by Jonny Clayton when he beat Gerwyn Price in the Premier League a couple of weeks ago, but the latter got back to winning ways against his compatriot in a Player Championship event since then.

You have to believe the Ice Man can continue to get the better of Clayton over this best of nineteen Leg format.

However, the current Premier League leader is producing some really good darts at the moment and he will certainly give Gerwyn Price something to think about.

Both should be able to put together plenty of maximums in a match that may need at least seventeen Legs to decide a winner and the edge has to be with Price to be that winner considering how so many matches between the two Welshmen have gone in recent times.

Gerwyn Price win & over 5.5 180s v James Wade: Both players came through Quarter Final matches in eighteen or more Legs, but Gerwyn Price was much more impressive than James Ward.

Big scoring power overwhelmed compatriot Jonny Clayton in a high level performance and Gerwyn Price is capable of keeping that going in the Semi Final.

He will want to make things a little more straight-forward to keep something in the tank for the Final, but James Ward is unlikely to roll over.

The Machine did have a tough time getting over the line against Rob Cross and it can be tough maintaining a strong level throughout the day- James Ward will believe he can score well enough and has the kind of finishing that will continue to make him dangerous, but Gerwyn Price may have enough to secure the spot in the Final.

If he can power in the maximums as he was doing in the Quarter Final, Price should be able to make this a touch more comfortable.

Luke Littler over 0.5 100+ checkout & over 6.5 180s v Josh Rock: Midway through the Quarter Final, it may have felt like Danny Noppert was going to move into a position to upset the World Number 1.

However, Luke Littler continues to show his superiority over the majority of the Tour when it comes the longer match format and he should be able to get the better of Josh Rock in the Semi Final.

The Northern Irishman will be very aware that he needs to improve his overall level if he is going to beat Luke Littler, but that looks a big ask.

Maximum hitting has not been as prolific as we have come to expect from Luke Littler, but he should have a few more Legs to get his rhythm going, while the combination finishing always gives him a chance to checkout a ton plus finish.

MY PICKS: Josh Rock - 1.5 Legs @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

James Wade & Rob Cross Over 3.5 180s Each @ 2.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Luke Littler Over 6.5 180s @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Gerwyn Price to Win & Over 8.5 Match 180s @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

SEMI FINAL PICKS: Gerwyn Price to Win & Over 5.5 180s @ 2.20 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Luke Littler Over 0.5 100+ Checkout & Over 6.5 180s @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

UK Open Update: 8-8, + 0.88 Units (16 Units Staked, + 5.50% Yield)

Indian Wells Tennis Day 5 Picks 2026 (Sunday 8th March)

The time change in the United States means we are going to be seeing the Indian Wells tournament beginning an hour earlier in the United Kingdom than the opening four days at the event.

Fans of US Sport have to enjoy this brief period when the Eastern Time Zone is only four hours behind London time, especially as the UK clocks will not change for a couple of weeks.

It won't make picking winners any easier as the tournament moves into the Third Round, but there are four selections from the schedule with stronger matches now beginning to take place- this remains a big tournament with many considering that 'fifth Major', and having deep runs here is important for those looking to build their Ranking Points and improve potential Seeding spots for the clay court and grass court seasons soon coming up.

The Tennis Picks have been very mixed in the early part of the tournament, but there is plenty of time to get things back on track over the coming days.

Alexander Zverev - 3.5 games v Brandon Nakashima: Only one tournament has been played by Alexander Zverev since he was beaten in the Australian Open Semi Final and he barely made an impact in Acapulco.

You have to believe that Zverev is now at an age and a stage of his career where the Majors take on a lot more focus compared with the rest of the tournaments on the Tour, but he will still want to build some momentum ahead of the run into the clay court season. Two North American hard court events give him an opportunity, but Alexander Zverev knows that this is a potentially awkward Second Round match.

A win over Matteo Berrettini and in the fashion it was produced will certainly help Alexander Zverev settle into this tournament, but there will be ample respect for the opponent.

The World Number 30 reached the Semi Final in Acapulco last week, and Brandon Nakashima has come through a Second Round match without suffering too much.

He also reached the Final in a warm up tournament ahead of the Australian Open, although Nakashima will be very disappointed with his effort in Melbourne.

Brandon Nakashima has held 90% of his service games played on the hard courts this season, but that number has dipped to 80% when facing top 20 Ranked opponents. There has also been a vulnerability about his return performances, and that has really be exploited by the top players, which will give Alexander Zverev confidence.

Adding to that is the fact that Zverev has won all five previous matches against Brandon Nakashima and there has been a big advantage in favour of the German when it comes to the serving numbers.

Three of those wins have been on hard courts where Brandon Nakashima has held 71% of service games played compared with Alexander Zverev's 97% mark.

Even on a slower hard court, Alexander Zverev has the edge and he may do just enough to find the Breaks of serve needed to push clear of this handicap spread.

There have been a couple of disappointing losses on the Alexander Zverev ledger this year, but his numbers continue to be very strong on the hard courts.

Alexander Zverev has not always enjoyed his time in 'Tennis Paradise', but he should be unperturbed by the match up and that should help the World Number 4 settle for a solid win on the scoreboard.

Jakub Mensik - 1.5 games v Alejandro Davidovich Fokina: Both of these players are very comfortable on the hard courts and that makes this a fascinating Third Round match.

There are similarities with the level of performance that Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Jakub Mensik have produced on the hard courts, although the latter has surprisingly been the more effective return player.

This should be a key factor on the courts at Indian Wells and Jakub Mensik has been playing with real confidence even as he has taken on some of the stronger players on the Tour.

Unlike the 20 year old, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has had his problems when he has faced top 50 Ranked opponents on the hard courts. His service numbers have not been impacted too much in those matches, but the Spaniard has really had his problems when it comes to the return of serve and that could be a difference between the players in this Third Round contest.

You cannot overlook the match up here though- Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has won the last four between the players and three of those have been on the hard courts. The Spaniard dominated when the players met at the Canadian Masters in August in the lead up to the US Open, while he came from 2-0 down to beat Mensik at the Australian Open last year, and those have to be considered ahead of this Third Round match.

That does raise a couple of doubts, but the younger player still has room to grow and he may just have enough out of his return game to edge past Davidovich Fokina.

In the hard court matches, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has had a slight edge in terms of points won behind serve, but six months on from the last meeting, Jakub Mensik may just turn things around to a level where he can edge to the win.

MY PICKS: Alexander Zverev - 3.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Jakub Mensik - 1.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Amanda Anisimova - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Coco Gauff - 5.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Indian Wells Update: 4-5, - 1.85 Units (9 Units Staked, - 20.56% Yield)

Indian Wells Tennis Day 4 Picks 2026 (Saturday 7th March)

Some of the top names on the Tennis Tour joined the Indian Wells party on Friday and the remainder of the draw will now enter the fray on Saturday as the Second Round is completed.

There have been some mixed results with the last two days ending with 1-1 records, but there is a long week to go in the first of two Masters events to be played in North America this month.

Saturday looks to be a busier day for the Tennis Picks with four selections made, all from the ATP tournament, and this is when the tournament really begins to motor.

Carlos Alcaraz - 5.5 games v Grigor Dimitrov: Twelve months ago, Carlos Alcaraz crushed Grigor Dimitrov for the loss of just two games right here in Indian Wells, but that was a Fourth Round match and the World Number 1 had to snap a two match losing run to this opponent.

In 2026, Carlos Alcaraz is playing at a much higher level than Grigor Dimitrov on his return from an injury.

Even with that in mind, it is not expected to be as comfortable a win for Carlos Alcaraz as it was when these two met in 2025, although the Spaniard is right to be considered a significant favourite.

This is the first competitive match that Carlos Alcaraz will have played in Indian Wells this year, but he has been on the grounds for some time and that will help. Confidence is not going to be any issue considering Alcaraz has won all twelve matches played in 2026 and has picked up titles in Melbourne and Doha.

Grigor Dimitrov battled for almost two and a half hours to win his First Round match, but he was far from convincing and the level increases significantly in the Second Round.

The Bulgarian has yet to find his best form since his return from injury and he will be under pressure to serve well enough to contain the threat that Carlos Alcaraz brings onto the court.

There was nothing wrong with the Grigor Dimitrov performance in the First Round, and the signs of improving the return game will certainly give him belief.

However, this is a tough test for any player on the Tour and especially for one that. is perhaps not feeling quite at his very best.

Over the last twelve months, Carlos Alcaraz has been keeping opponents under constant pressure with his returning and that may see him break down the Dimitrov game on Saturday.

Luciano Darderi - 2.5 games v Rinky Hijikata: It is no surprise that Luciano Darderi took in the South American Golden Swing on the clay courts rather than the hard court events.

He had a successful time with a title secured and the World Number 21 will be looking to make a better transition onto the hard courts compared with last year. An early loss at Indian Wells means Luciano Darderi has plenty of Ranking Points to pick up with a couple of wins, even if he has struggled to put the consistency together on the hard courts.

2026 might be looking brighter having finished up at the Australian Open with a 4-2 record, but there is still room for improvement in his game on this surface.

Despite that, the Italian is rightly favoured to beat Rinky Hijikata who has slipped outside the top 100 of the World Rankings.

The Australian has always been pretty happy on the hard courts and he has won plenty of Qualifiers to earn spots in main draws, although without having a big impact in a tournament as he would have liked.

Rinky Hijikata has yet to win two matches in a row in the main draw of any ATP Tour event, but he will take aim at doing that in the Second Round here.

Out of the two players, Hijikata has been the one having more success on the return and that could be important on a surface like the one that tends to play at this hard court Masters event.

However, Luciano Darderi will take plenty of confidence out of beating Rinky Hijikata at a couple of Grand Slam events, including a crushing display at the US Open last year.

The Italian has won all six sets against this opponent and Luciano Darderi may do enough to edge past this spread.

MY PICKS: Carlos Alcaraz - 5.5 Games @ 1.53 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Luciano Darderi - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Cameron Norrie - 1.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Alex De Minaur - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Indian Wells Update: 2-3, - 1.10 Units (5 Units Staked, - 22% Yield)

UK Open Darts Day 2 Picks 2026 (Saturday 7th March)

It was a disappointing Friday at the Evening Session for the UK Open Darts Picks, but the tournament rolls onto the Fifth and Sixth Rounds on Saturday.

Picks from the Day Session will begin proceedings and those from the Sixth Round will be added to this thread later this afternoon when the draw has been made.

Ross Smith win & most 180s v Daryl Gurney: This should be a fun contest for those tuning in, but the edge has to be with Ross Smith who has really picked up his form over the last couple of weeks.

Winning a Players Championship event will always give a player confidence, but Smith was able to back that up with another positive run the following day.

He crushed Andrew Gilding, a former UK Open Champion, in the Fourth Round and the power scoring was evident once he got through a sticky opening.

In the best of nineteen Leg format, Ross Smith should have enough time to find his rhythm and scoring power in this one against the tenacious Daryl Gurney.

Superchin has been winning plenty of matches without having a seriously deep run in a tournament in 2026, but he is more than capable on his day. He produced a strong level on Friday evening which makes him dangerous, but Daryl Gurney may be the player having the few chances to get out of Legs and that may see him come up a little short in terms of winning the match, but also on the maximum hitting count in this one.

Gary Anderson over 5.5 180s v Martin Schindler: Both of these players can be huge maximum hitters, but the focus for the selection is on Gary Anderson.

The Flying Scotsman was in great form on Friday and he should have enough to get past Martin Schindler, although it is going to be far from easy.

Being up on the main stage will be a different feeling for both players, although Anderson is plenty experienced.

In a match that is likely going to need at least sixteen Legs before we find a winner, the match total for maximums is set at a 9.5 line.

There is every chance that could be surpassed, but Gary Anderson is likely going to have to lead the way and he can tally at least six of his own.

James Wade - 2.5 legs v Gabriel Clemens: Both of these players came through in final Leg deciders in the Fourth Round, but James Wade will be expecting to have a bit too much for Gabriel Clemens to deal with in the Fifth Round.

After a relatively poor run of form, James Wade should have taken a lot of confidence out of the win over an in-form Chris Dobey.

His doubling remains a big strength and Wade will certainly feel he scores well enough to stick with Gabriel Clemens and steal a few more Legs than the opponent.

Anyone who has won two matches on the same day will also have earned plenty of confidence and Gabriel Clemens is very dangerous at his very best.

We have just not seen enough of that over the last twelve months and the German may end up coming up a little short in what looks likely to be a 10-6 or 10-7 kind of win for the higher Ranked player.

Stephen Bunting win & most 180s v Mensur Suljovic: The biggest test in this Fifth Round match for Stephen Bunting is how he is going to deal with the pace that Mensur Suljovic plays with.

There is no doubt that the underdog is happy to get into a bit of gamesmanship by slowing things down even further and there was a disagreement with Jermaine Wattimena on the boards on Friday.

Mensur Suljoviv is capable of playing really good darts too, but he perhaps leans a little too much into disrupting others when things are not going his way.

Ultimately Stephen Bunting has to focus on his own performance and he will be very happy with his opening win in Minefield, which has backed up some strong recent performances in the Premier League.

Confidence has to be in a decent place and Bunting was hitting plenty of maximums in his win on Friday.

His opponent is capable of finding those big power shots too, but Stephen Bunting may have a bit more in the locker and come through this contest to take his place in the Sixth Round draw.

Danny Noppert win & most 180s v Peter Wright: Winning a match with a Nine Darter is about as good as it can get and that is what was achieved by Danny Noppert in the Fourth Round.

He continues to put up plenty of wins and Noppert has to be a player targeting a Premier League spot for next season having come close to joining the elite eight in 2026.

Peter Wright has shown something at the UK Open following a difficult start to the 2026 season and two wins will have given him confidence.

However, this is a big challenge for Wright at this current stage of his career and he will do well to match the improved scoring power Danny Noppert has been putting together over the last twelve months.

Maximum hitting has been a noticeable improvement from the World Number 11 and Danny Noppert can use that edge to help him win this match.

Mike De Decker & Rob Cross over 3.5 180s: After the upset over Gian van Veen, Rob Cross has to be feeling really good about his chances in this Fifth Round match.

He is down as the favourite, but Mike De Decker is capable of racking up the maximum hitting and this could develop into a fun contest.

Neither is likely going to pull away for a very easy win and the likelihood is that we will need to see sixteen or more Legs to decide which of the two will be going through to the Sixth Round draw.

With that said, both De Decker and Cross are capable of reaching at least four maximums each following strong showings attacking the treble 20 on Friday. Backing that up is not always easy, but both are capable and in a longer format match, these are achievable targets.

Luke Humphries win & most 180s v Dave Chisnall: No one will have to tell Luke Humphries twice about the threat that Dave Chisnall can pose, but it was the World Number 2 who got the better of the match when they met at the World Masters.

His strong win over Luke Woodhouse can only have increased the confidence and Humphries has been operating at a really high level throughout 2026.

The results have yet to follow as consistently as he would like, but the power scoring and strong checking out on Friday will make Luke Humphries tough to beat.

You have to expect Dave Chisnall to have his moments and he can go through incredibly strong scoring spells.

It does make the most maximums part of the equation a little more troubling, but Luke Humphries deserves the edge and he should have enough consistency to move past this opponent into the Sixth Round.

Stephen Bunting v Josh Rock: A very strong Day Session has just turned this tournament around for the Darts Picks, but the Sixth Round is a key moment.

Two Premier League participants have been drawn to face one another and it is perhaps a slight surprise that Stephen Bunting has been set as the underdog.

Out of the two players, Bunting has been playing at a more consistent level over the last month and his two wins here have been relatively stress-free, which is so important especially on days when you are being asked to play twice.

Josh Rock has shown some character to come through tougher matches, but he has to find another level if he is going to beat Bunting and he has yet to show that in the Premier League.

A best of nineteen format means having a bit more time to turn things around, but Stephen Bunting has been playing well enough to deserve favouritism.

Rob Cross win & most 180s v Daryl Gurney: The latter was the one selection in the Day Session that failed to return a winner, but it feels right to go against Daryl Gurney again.

He was fortunate that Ross Smith failed to find his feet with the doubles, especially late into the contest, but this looks a tougher match.

Daryl Gurney will have to be a little stronger in the scoring to get the better of Rob Cross who has impressed through his first two wins.

A decider was needed to get past Mike De Decker, but Rob Cross has shown flashes of his best form and the scoring power has been there.

Rob Cross won the sole meeting between the players in 2025 and he can get the better of Daryl Gurney and with more maximums in the contest.

Luke Humphries win & over 9.5 match 180s v Danny Noppert: Two wins at the UK Open have been secured without being put under much pressure, but the standard produced by Luke Humphries has to be respected.

Maintaining that level will give Humphries every chance of winning the title on Sunday, but he will be well aware of the growing threat posed by Danny Noppert.

A crushing win over Peter Wright has taken Noppert through to the Sixth Round and he continues to be one of the bigger maximum hitters on the Tour.

However, Danny Noppert needs to win a match like this one to show he really belongs amongst the best.

Five straight losses to Luke Humphries, including at the World Masters a few weeks ago, will have just reminded Danny Noppert of the level he still has to find to join the very best players and win the biggest titles.

That is not to say he has not been competitive though and Danny Noppert can certainly put Luke Humphries under pressure with his maximum hitting.

Both can get that part of the scoring going and we should see at least ten in this best of nineteen format with the assumption being that neither player blows past the other.

You still have to favour the World Number 2 to find a way to get to the winning line first and that is the third play from the Evening Session.

MY PICKS: Ross Smith to Win & Most 180s @ 1.80 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Gary Anderson Over 5.5 180s @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

James Wade - 2.5 Legs @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Stephen Bunting to Win & Most 180s @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Danny Noppert to Win & Most 180s @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Mike De Decker & Rob Cross Over 3.5 180s @ 2.20 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Luke Humphries to Win & Most 180s @ 1.95 Bet365 (1 Unit)

SIXTH ROUND PICKS: Stephen Bunting @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Rob Cross to Win & Most 180s @ 3.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Luke Humphries to Win & Over 9.5 Match 180s @ 2.15 Bet365 (1 Unit)

UK Open Update: 1-5, - 4.28 Units (6 Units Staked, - 71.33% Yield)

Indian Wells Tennis Day 3 Picks 2026 (Friday 6th March)

It has been a conscious decision to make a slower start to the Tennis Picks at Indian Wells and that is partly down to the uncertainty as to how conditions are playing here this year.

The other reason is the continuous rumours of illnesses surging through the field, which is something that slightly concerns me whenever I've seen a price drifting.

Two selections have been made from the opening Second Round matches at the tournament as Day 3 gets underway.

On Thursday, the two selections were split with a win apiece, but that meant the narrowest of positive returns- at the moment the idea is to slowly build into the event, but you just never know when there are multiple matches that hit the criteria being used to move from shortlist to selection.

Victoria Mboko - 5.5 games v Kimberly Birrell: Like many sports, there is always going to be times when you want to identify the next big stars coming through.

Two teenagers are making waves in the top ten of the World Rankings and Victoria Mboko may be feeling most confident.

The 19 year old has reached the Final at a couple of tournaments on the hard courts in 2026, although Victoria Mboko has come up short both times. The latter of those appearances was in the Final of the WTA 1000 event in Doha and Mboko has also reached the Fourth Round at the Australian Open.

Twelve months ago, Victoria Mboko was sitting outside the top 150 in the World Rankings and would have been taking part in tournaments far below this elite level. It means the Canadian has little to defend in terms of Ranking Points until the Tour moves significantly into the clay court season in preparation for the French Open and Victoria Mboko has been playing well enough to believe she can have a strong impact in Indian Wells.

Playing here for the first time will be challenging, but Mboko has to be pretty comfortable with the opponent she is facing in the Second Round.

Kimberly Birrell was a comfortable winner in the First Round and reached the Semi Final in Austin last week, but it has been a real struggle for the World Number 69 when she has stepped up to face some of the top players on the Tour.

Over the last twelve months, Kimberly Birrell has a 4-8 record on the hard courts when facing top 50 Ranked opponents and her numbers have taken a significant dip in those compared with her overall form on the surface.

The first serve has perhaps not had the impact she would have hoped and Kimberly Birrell has struggled on the return, which are both going to pose problems for her in this kind of match.

Both Amanda Anisimova and Elena Rybakina have secured very strong wins over Kimberly Birrell on the hard courts in 2026, while Victoria Mboko beat her for the loss of just three games in the Adelaide Semi Final back in January.

This is the second time Victoria Mboko has beaten Kimberly Birrell on the hard courts over the last seven months and the younger player has been a much more confident server in those head to head matches. When they played in Montreal last August, Mboko wasn't quite as effective on the return, but still won pretty handily and was much improved in that aspect of her tennis when facing the Australian in Adelaide.

You have to expect Kimberly Birrell has picked up some confidence from her performance in Austin and then winning an opening Round match here, which also means being a bit more comfortable in the conditions.

However, not only has she lost all five hard court matches against top 20 Ranked opponents over the last twelve months, but Kimberly Birrell would not have covered this line in four of those defeats and that may be the case again in the Second Round.

Alexandra Eala v Dayana Yastremska: One player who seemingly plays at an unexpected level when she is opposed on these pages, but is so far off it when she is backed, is Dayana Yastremska.

However, she is going to be opposed in this Second Round match at Indian Wells.

A win in the First Round will have made the World Number 52 feel a lot better about her tennis, but she has a 4-7 record prior to Indian Wells on the hard courts. Dayana Yastremska has struggled for any kind of consistency and her numbers on serve and return both back that up.

Draws can slant any record, but it should be noted that Dayana Yastremska is just 4-4 when going into a match as the higher Ranked player- even in those matches, the numbers remain disappointing for a former Australian Open Semi Finalist.

Without a doubt that has to have had an impact on the confidence.

At the moment it does feel like Alexandra Eala is a touch overrated in the main- she has played at Rafael Nadal's Academy, which will generate headlines, and the youngster has put some solid results on the board that means she climbed 100 places in the World Rankings from January 2025 to January 2026.

An early exit at the Australian Open would have hurt considering the support she received, but Alexandra Eala has bounced back with a solid run through the Middle East.

Out of the two players, Alexandra Eala has been putting up some solid hard court numbers and she will have taken confidence from the crushing win produced over Dayana Yastremska on the grass courts of Eastbourne last June.

A slow hard court is a different test, but Alexandra Eala comes into the match having won nine of the thirteen matches played against opponents Ranked outside of the top 20 on the hard courts this season. Her numbers have been very good, and she looks like she can edge past the Ukrainian into the Third Round.

MY PICKS: Victoria Mboko - 5.5 Games @ 2.05 William Hill (1 Unit)

Alexandra Eala @ 1.80 William Hill (1 Unit)

Indian Wells Update: 1-2, - 0.90 Units (3 Units Staked, - 30% Yield)

UK Open Darts Day 1 Picks 2026 (Friday 6th March)

The second Ranking tournament on the PDC Calendar is being played in Minehead over the weekend and the UK Open has long been described as the 'FA Cup of Darts'.

Much like the football competition, the top Seeds are held out until the Fourth Round of the competition, which is played in the Evening Session on Day 1 of the tournament.

And just like the FA Cup, the UK Open Darts tournament is an open draw that takes place after each Round following the opening three Rounds, which are played on Day 1 during the Day Session in a best of eleven Leg format.

That becomes best of nineteen in the Fourth Round and the markets will be priced up after the draw is made on Friday afternoon- an open draw means we could see some big matches immediately.

Round Five is set to be played in the Day Session on Day 2, while the Sixth Round will be played in the Evening Session on the same day.

Most top Darts players will be used to the Quarter Final, Semi Final and Final played on the Sunday, although the longer format does make it more challenging and increases the importance of trying to get through matches without having to face too much emotional drama.

Picks from the Day 1 Evening Session should be added here around 6pm (assuming markets are put together pretty quickly) and there is no doubting the intensity of all participants with big prize money and strong Ranking Points to be earned.

Gian van Veen to win & over 4.5 180s v Rob Cross: It has been a tough year for Rob Cross who has slipped out of the top 20 in the World Rankings, but he has been producing some decent stuff on the floor.

More will be needed if he is going to get the better of a player who replaced him in the Premier League in 2026.

Gian van Veen has found a consistent level in the Premier League, but has also shown he is a very competitive match player at the World Championship and World Masters.

The Dutchman should have enough to progress past Rob Cross and the expectation is that he will hit at least five maximums in what could be a match that needs at least fifteen Legs before finding Gian van Veen in a position to win and take his place in the draw for the next Round.

Michael Smith - 2.5 legs v Leon Weber: The underdog has come through a couple of Rounds at the UK Open and was hitting some big maximums in those wins.

However, Leon Weber has invested a lot already today with eleven Legs needed in both wins and his average has been far from impressive.

Now while Michael Smith has not been near his best level over the last twelve months, he has shown on the floor and in Qualifying for European Tour events that he is still a level above what he should see in this Fourth Round match.

In a best of nineteen format, Bully Boy should be able to come through with some room to spare.

Luke Humphries to win & most 180s v Luke Woodhouse: If the World Masters meeting is anything to go by, this is going to be one of the ties of the Round in the Fourth Round at the UK Open.

Luke Woodhouse is improving all of the time, but he fell short against Luke Humphries in the World Masters and that is likely going to be the case again.

Set play can make scores that much closer, but Humphries won eleven of the eighteen Legs played at the World Masters and he has still been playing at a level that could be too much for most to handle.

One concern is that Luke Humphries has struggled to maintain standards within matches and he will need to make a fast start- he has been scoring well, but the doubling has been letting him down at times.

As long as he can look after that side of his darts, Luke Humphries may have one or two more maximums in a winning effort.

Gary Anderson - 1.5 legs v Dirk van Duijvenbode: This should be a big hitting match, but Gary Anderson has found a way past the Dutchman in the last three meetings on the Tour.

They only met once last year, but Anderson found that relatively comfortable and he has been playing with a bit more consistency on the floor.

Dirk van Duijvenbode is always capable of producing an upset with his power scoring, but Gary Anderson can match that side of his darts and may use the fan support to find a way to something like a 10-7 win.

Josh Rock - 2.5 legs v William O'Connor: The Premier League has proven to be a really difficult step for Josh Rock, but the actual performances are not as bad as the results being produced.

He is going to be pushed by William O'Connor, who was receiving plenty of support in the Day Session, but Rocky has handled the darts thrown at him from this opponent.

They met in Krakow a couple of weeks ago and Josh Rock averaged 10 points higher than O'Connor, which was reflected in the 6-1 win.

Confidence might have been dented by the opening five weeks in the Premier League, but Josh Rock can use the best of nineteen leg format to warm up to the task and eventually pull away in this one.

Nathan Aspinall v Michael van Gerwen: This was a Premier League level match last year and Nathan Aspinall has to be really disappointed that he was not invited back into that tournament.

He has been playing some very good darts to open 2026, but it has been a couple of weeks since we last saw him at the Polish Open.

A huge amount of respect is given to Michael van Gerwen, but Nathan Aspinall may be playing the Dutchman at a good time.

Illness has slowed the early form and van Gerwen has lost his last three matches, while also suffering an early exit at the World Masters. He was not himself on Thursday night at the Premier League and Aspinall had enough wins over him in the Premier League last season to have the confidence to get over the line.

His scoring will need to be on point, but Nathan Aspinall can outlast Michael van Gerwen in this one.

MY PICKS: Gian van Veen to Win & Over 4.5 180s @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Michael Smith - 2.5 Legs @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Luke Humphries to Win & Most 180s @ 1.95 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Gary Anderson - 1.5 Legs @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Josh Rock - 2.5 Legs @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Nathan Aspinall @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Darts 2026: 17-23, - 2.78 Units (39 Units Staked, - 7.13% Yield)

Indian Wells Tennis Day 2 Picks 2026 (Thursday 5th March)

There have been some mixed reviews about how the Indian Wells surface has been playing through the opening few days at the first of two big Masters 1000 events to be played this month.

It certainly warrants something of a watching brief with some stating it is perhaps faster than usual, while others continue to describe Indian Wells as a slow hard court.

The ball change could be having an early impact too, but it is something to keep an eye upon as the First Round is completed on Thursday.

One selection was made on Wednesday and, unfortunately, that did not return as hoped, but there are two ATP selections for the completion of the First Round, which can be read below.

Terence Atmane v Grigor Dimitrov: There will be a hope that every tournament that Grigor Dimitrov plays will get him closer to the form he was displaying before his injury at Wimbledon last year. He was right on course to beat eventual Champion Jannik Sinner in that Fourth Round match at the third Grand Slam of the 2025 season, but the Bulgarian has not had any real success since returning to the Tour.

Grigor Dimitrov won a match at the Paris Masters at the end of 2025 before having to withdraw from the tournament.

Another return was made earlier this year in Brisbane in the preparation for the Australian Open and Grigor Dimitrov comfortably got the better of fellow veteran Pablo Carreno Busta.

However, that has been the highlight for the World Number 42 who has lost his next four matches with opening Round defeats at the Australian Open followed by more of the same in Dallas and Acapulco. Grigor Dimitrov has struggled massively on the return of serve with just 28% of points won when facing serve, and that has put a lot of pressure on his own serve.

The next month could see Dimitrov take a big slip in the World Rankings as he defends a Fourth Round run in Indian Wells and then a Semi Final run from the Miami Masters. If he can get healthy, there will be plenty of Ranking Points to pick up after Wimbledon, but the draws get tougher and having to Qualify for events will just add to the pressure around the former World Number 3.

The 34 year old faces an opponent who is ten years his junior and Terence Atmane will be confident having beaten Grigor Dimitrov last week on the hard courts of Acapulco.

He dominated that match with 74% of service points won and facing just a couple of Break Points, while Atmane won 41% of points played on the Grigor Dimitrov serve and broke serve three times.

Terence Atmane is playing at a career high World Ranking after reaching the Quarter Final in Acapulco, but he will know there is still room for improvement on the hard courts.

Despite that, he has been playing well enough to believe he can frank the win over Grigor Dimitrov having been much more effective on the return of serve since heading over to North and Central America following his trip Down Under. That can be very important in the conditions at the Masters event in Indian Wells and the Frenchman looks a decent underdog to get behind.

Sebastian Korda - 4.5 games v Francisco Comesana: A disappointing run in January and the early loss at the Australian Open may have dented some confidence, but much of that should be restored by Sebastian Korda after recent efforts.

He has clearly enjoyed being back in North America and Sebastian Korda returned by reaching the Final of a Challenger event held in San Diego.

Backing that up are his efforts in Dallas and Delray Beach having reached the Quarter Final of the former and winning the title at the latter and Korda is now well rested.

Facing an opponent who is more comfortable on the clay courts can be dangerous on what have usually been slower hard courts in Indian Wells, but Sebastian Korda is right to be set as a strong favourite when facing Francisco Comesana.

It is no surprise that Francisco Comesana took in clay court tournaments after the Australian Open, but he has not exactly been racking up the wins in those. Earlier this year through to the first Grand Slam of the season, Comesana finished with a 2-3 record on the hard courts and he certainly served well enough to offer some resistance in this First Round match, even if conditions tend to favour the returner.

His opponent has also been serving really well on the surface, but Sebastian Korda has broken in 21% of return games compared with Francisco Comesana's 11% mark and that is likely going to be a factor in the outcome of this match.

This is a big spread and can be awkward,  but Sebastian Korda looks worthy of backing in what is going to be a slow start to the tournament for the Tennis Picks.

MY PICKS: Terence Atmane @ 2.20 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Sebastian Korda - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Indian Wells Update: 0-1, - 1 Unit (1 Unit Staked, - 100% Yield)