Boxing Picks 2026- Errol Spence Jr vs Tim Tszyu (Saturday 25th July)

It has been a relatively quiet time for Boxing fans since Jaron Ennis beat Xander Zayas at the end of June, although that is partly down to the fact that promoters would have been keen to avoid clashes with the Football World Cup being hosted in North America.

With that in mind, it is no surprise that some big names are making comebacks on the first weekend since Spain won the World Cup for a second time, while Zuffa Boxing have their latest card taking place on Sunday.

All attention in this thread is on the fights taking place across a number of hours featuring Anthony Joshua and a returning Errol Spence Jr as he goes straight back into the deep end. The former is fighting in Saudi Arabia yet again, while The Truth travels Down Under to take on Tim Tszyu in what feels like a crossroads fight for both in the Middleweight Division.

Three selections returned winners in the last Boxing thread at the end of June, but there are some big nights ahead before the end of the 2026 calendar year and there is still some making up to do in what has been a slow first half of the year for the Picks being made.

Saturday is the start of the second half of the year for the Boxing Picks and building on the momentum from the last night is the ambition.

Errol Spence Jr vs Tim Tszyu

It may have something to do with the fact that I've always been a big Errol Spence Jr fan that this fight is the headline one for the Boxing Picks on Saturday 25th July.

The Truth was last in action three years ago when losing to Terence Crawford and that was a night in which his unbeaten run was ended and the Undisputed Welterweight crown was convincingly taken by Bud. A rematch clause was activated, but allowed to expire, and Crawford went on to dethrone Canelo Alvarez at Super Middleweight before retiring, which underlines the length of time Errol Spence Jr has been out of a ring.

This will be just the fourth fight since 2020 for Errol Spence Jr who had also suffered a significant car accident and retina issues before the defeat to Terence Crawford.

So the big question has to be what has Errol Spence Jr got left in the tank? That can soon be followed by why has the layoff been as long as it has for the Texan who is now 36 years old?

These will be answered on Saturday night with Errol Spence Jr returning to action with a new trainer having criticised previous trainer Derrick James and becoming embroiled in a legal dispute with him. In recent weeks, Derrick James has spoken about the issues Errol Spence Jr had in camp prior to the defeat to Crawford and you do have to wonder if this three year layoff has given Spence Jr time to heal both mentally and physically and whether it has been too long a time spent away from competitive action.

Ring rust is a real issue and it has to be a worry that Errol Spence Jr's team requested this bout to be changed to a Middleweight limit having previously agreed to a 158 pound catchweight.

Suffice to say there are plenty of red flags around the return!

However, at his best, Errol Spence Jr would really fancy doing the job against Tim Tszyu, even as the road fighter, and the style of the Australian is one that would have gelled perfectly for The Truth to expose and exploit.

The problem is we can't really be sure that the best of Spence Jr, or anything close to his former best, is going to be entering the ring and that is where Tim Tszyu could make things very tough.

There is nothing special about what Tszyu is trying to do- he will walk forward, throwing plenty of leather, and he will be looking to out-will his opponent. That has worked against a certain level of opponent, but also saw Tim Tszyu walk into huge shots from Sebastian Fundora and Bakhram Murtazaliev who were both able to close the show before the final bell.

A couple of wins over lesser opponents back home has given Tim Tszyu this opportunity and he has continued to remind anyone that listens that he has yet to lose in Australia.

Much like Errol Spence Jr, Tim Tszyu will know a win offers one more shot at the big time, but a defeat likely ends his time at this kind of level. That puts both men under pressure, but styles make fights and this is a fight that looks like it could catch fire pretty quickly.

Errol Spence Jr is the superior boxer with the better jab and the footwork would have also been to his advantage, at least before this long layoff.

There has been nothing wrong with the Tim Tszyu heart, even taking his defeats into consideration, and he is not going to want to lose in Australia. This could push him to keep getting forward and may eventually lead to a mistake that can be capitalised on by Errol Spence Jr.

At the same time, Tim Tszyu has to be thinking about taking Errol Spence Jr into the second half of the fight and see if there is much left of the former Unified World Champion, especially at a higher weight class and with that time spent away to think about.

It shouldn't take too long for the fight to catch fire, but the first couple of Rounds could be a feeling out process before either is willing to let more go.

Both have shown they can wear down opponents and the Twelve Rounds gives that bit more opportunity to do that and it would not be a big surprise if this contest ends in the second half of the contest, although picking a winner is as tough as the layers think with so much to think about for both fighters.

The chief support is Stephen Fulton versus Luke Wilson after Jermall Charlo was not given a visa to travel to Australia.

This feels like another crossroads bout, but Stephen Fulton is rightly favoured and the layers expect him to win this one on the cards.

However, Luke Wilson will take some confidence from the fact that he has never been beaten at the final bell of any contest with all three defeats ending in Stoppage when he has stepped up his level. Luke Wilson did give Emmanuel Navarrete a scare before losing in the Ninth Round and was then Stopped by Oscar Valdez in the Seventh.

Stephen Fulton has not really shown that kind of power at the world level, but should have enough skills to bounce back from his loss to O'Shaquie Foster.

The American is moving up in weight class again, but the expectation is that he could nick this one narrowly on the Judges' cards... (Since writing this, Fulton has missed weight significantly and the fight has been scrapped- anyone missing weight by a pound can be excused, but this was a bout set for a 130 limit and, even after allowing for 133, Fulton failed to weigh below 139 and that is an utter disgrace).

If things had been different, Callum Peters would have been travelling to Glasgow for the Commonwealth Games, but he has not allowed his disappointment to slow down what is beginning to be an eye-catching start to his professional career.

Fighting an unbeaten southpaw from South America can be dangerous, but Callum Peters can steal some of the limelight on this big show by producing a big performance.

So Tyson Fury was able to win a fight on Friday that did not have a broadcast deal and now the attention turns to Anthony Joshua to try and do his part and make sure the all-British Heavyweight Fight can be set later this year.

Most expect that contest to be announced if AJ can win, although there is also a real feeling that both are well passed their best and this is a bout that should have taken place several years ago.

Anthony Joshua was last seen crushing Jake Paul when finally cornering an opponent that refused to engage and simply run around the ring, but he suffered a devastating personal blow when two of his best friends passed away in a car accident in Nigeria. The former Champion is fortunate he was able to leave the incident with a few bumps and bruises, but the mental impact cannot be assessed and there were suggestions that he may not fight again.

Now the motivation is there to honour his friends and Anthony Joshua is expected to have little issue dismissing Kristian Prenga.

The underdog has a record that looks great on paper, but scratching the surface shows there is little depth to the resume and Prenga is stepping up multiple levels.

At 35 years old and with a perfect record in terms of Stoppages in wins, you have to question why Kristian Prenga has not stepped up to see if he can mix it with better company.

That alone is telling and he should be ripe for Anthony Joshua to produce an impressive Stoppage to give him momentum to take into the bout against Tyson Fury and the expectation is that his opponent may offer the opportunity to close the show pretty early on.

A couple of big names from British Boxing are defending World Titles on the undercard.

Josh Kelly fulfilled his potential by upsetting Bakhram Murtazaliev and picking up the IBF World Title in the Light Middleweight Division. That came back in January, but Kelly has not been able to entice one of the other Champions into the ring with him and instead he will be defending that World Title against unbeaten Caoimhin Agyarko.

The opportunity is one that the Irishman is desperate to take, but Agyarko has had issues with eye swellings in his last couple of fights and only just got the better of Ishmael Davis in September last year.

Caoimhin Agyarko has been out of the ring recovering, but he is unbeaten and steps up to face Josh Kelly filled with confidence.

However, the British fighter has the higher experience and should be the sharper puncher, which could end up reaggravating that previous eye issue.

Stopping fights is not something either is used to, but Josh Kelly could be a big price to get this one done inside the distance and then target the other Champions again.

The expectation is that this will be a competitive World Title fight, but the same cannot be said for Hamzah Sheeraz who is still hoping to be the next ticket drawn in the lottery to fight Canelo Alvarez, assuming the latter wins his next fight.

With that said, the promoters around Sheeraz have been very careful with his match-making and that has allowed the British fighter to produce some highlight reel performances.

It feels like the fortunate draw with Carlos Adames has perhaps spooked the advisors and Hamzah Sheeraz has not exactly been fighting opponents expected to offer a lot of resistance since then. In May he crushed Alem Begic and you do have to wonder what Simon Zachenhuber has done to earn the chance to fight for the WBO World Title in the Super Middleweight Division.

A 29-1 record may suggest something else, but Simon Zachenhuber was beaten in April by Pawel August, who happens to be an unbeaten fighter in a different bout on the undercard, and so little resistance is expected here.

That was a defeat in a Six Rounder and it is simply not possible to believe Zachenhuber is ready for a test like this one- those advising Hamzah Sheeraz may not be ready to see him in with the biggest names in the sport (unless for the kind of money Canelo Alvarez will provide), but he has shown this level of opponent is one that he can blitz through and that is the likely outcome of this World Title defence.

MY PICKS: Errol Spence Jr-Tim Tszyu Fight to Go the Distance- NO @ 1.66 William Hill (2 Units)

Callum Peters to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 1.72 William Hill (2 Units)

Anthony Joshua to Win Between 1-4 @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Josh Kelly to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 6.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Hamzah Sheeraz to Win Between 1-4 @ 1.91 Bet365 (2 Units)

Boxing 2026: 18-31, - 7.56 Units (75 Units Staked, - 10.08% Yield)

World Matchplay Darts Day 8 Picks 2026 (Saturday 25th July)

The absence of Luke Humphries has made the World Matchplay feel like a tournament that Luke Littler is going to win, but credit has to be given to him for the level being produced.

It may have been easy to drop the standard, but Littler is not built like that and his averages have been exceptional throughout the week.

Next up is Dirk van Duijvenbode, but this is a big test for the Dutchman even if he has been playing really well himself.

The second Semi Final was set on Friday when Gian van Veen and Gerwyn Price held off opponents that had fought back towards the end of the last eight matches. These two are familiar with one another through the Premier League meetings, but the winner will know that another mountain stands between them and the title here IF Luke Littler does come through the top half of the draw.

Luke Littler over 11.5 180s & Dirk van Duijvenbode 1+ 100+ checkout: The World Matchplay has felt like a procession for Luke Littler as he continues to produce truly impressive numbers in dismissing all those in front of him.

It says something that the handicap for this Semi Final has been set at 8.5 Legs, but Dirk van Duijvenbode has shown enough this week to offer some resistance.

Wins over Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson will have been in matches where the fans were firmly behind the opponent and so Dirk van Duijvenbode is unlikely to be upset by the atmosphere. Instead the Dutchman has to focus on what he has been doing well this week and that is hitting plenty of big scores and then showing composure when the doubles have needed to be popped off.

Combination finishing has really helped his cause and Dirk van Duijvenbode is likely going to need at least a couple of 100+ checkouts if he is to at least give Luke Littler something to think about.

Four of those big checkouts were needed to see off Gary Anderson and Dirk van Duijvenbode had another against Michael van Gerwen so can secure his part of this selection.

Luke Littler has been crushing the maximums for fun throughout this tournament and he has had thirty-eight in three matches here and can contribute at least thirteen in this Semi Final. The layers are taking no chances compared with the Quarter Final prices for his maximums, but the World Number 1 can put plenty more on the board in this match and it is going to surprise no one to state that this is a Semi Final that Littler should win.

Gerwyn Price to win & both players 1+ 100+ checkout v Gian van Veen: This is going to be the eighth meeting between these players in 2026 and it is Gerwyn Price who leads with five wins from the previous seven matches.

All of those have been in the Premier League under the best of eleven format, but this is a race to seventeen Legs and that should mean a few more twists and turns.

However, the head to head cannot be dismissed and especially not when you consider how the two players have been performing at the World Matchplay.

Gerwyn Price started slowly, but is continuing to improve in each match played and that can only be a positive for him. A similar level to the one that beat Ross Smith would make The Ice Man a solid favourite to win this Semi Final and Price is rightly expected to do that.

He will be looking to come out and play at a similar level, but Gian van Veen is well aware that he needs to be more consistent if he is going to upset the odds again in this tournament.

Credit has to be given to Gian van Veen for the finishing qualities shown, and he will need all of his combination finishing in this one. The big checkouts have been a feature of the wins Gian van Veen has produced in Blackpool and both of these players are more than capable of finding at least one big finish during the course of this Semi Final.

As has been mentioned, Gerwyn Price deserves the edge and he can reach the World Matchplay Final again.

MY PICKS: Luke Littler Over 12.5 180s & Dirk van Duijvenbode 1+ 100+ Checkout @ 2.05 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Gerwyn Price to Win & Both Players 1+ 100+ Checkout @ 1.75 Bet365 (1 Unit)

World Matchplay: 12-13, + 0.55 Units (25 Units Staked, + 2.20% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Saturday 25th July)

The tournaments that are being played this week are being concluded over the weekend before both Tours move onto bigger hard courts events.

That begins the real lead into the US Open, but first we have to complete the events being played this week, although there may not be too many selections from the Semi Final and Finals that will be scheduled.

Barbora Krejcikova - 5.5 games v Lilli Tagger: Eight straight wins have been put on the board by Barbora Krejcikova and she is the favourite to win the title in Prague after picking up the trophy in Athens.

Once again the former French Open and Wimbledon Champion is pushing back towards the top 20 in the World Rankings and Barbora Krejcikova will be looking for one or two more big runs at the Grand Slam events.

She does have a Quarter Final run to defend at the US Open, but Krejcikova has been in dominant form this month on the hard courts and will be heading into August with a lot of confidence.

The expectation is that Barbora Krejcikova will have too much for Lilli Tagger- the World Number 26 has not only been winning matches, but winning convincingly and it may be difficult for the teenager to slow her down.

Lilli Tagger has played well this week, but this is a big step up and she had lost all three matches against top 50 Ranked opponents on the hard courts before the win in the Quarter Final on Friday. That was against another home player, but playing the Number 2 Seed is another challenge and Barbora Krejcikova may be able to maintain her current momentum in what could be another relatively comfortable win.

MY PICKS: Barbora Krejcikova - 5.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 5-5, - 0.88 Units (10 Units Staked, - 8.80% Yield)

World Matchplay Darts Day 7 Picks 2026 (Friday 24th July)

It is going to take a monumental effort for anyone to beat Luke Littler in the form the defending Champion has produced this week and you have to imagine he is going to be entering the remaining World Ranking events as a short price favourite.

We are not quite at the Phil Taylor level of dominating and that is largely down to what Luke Humphries can produce, but we are getting closer and closer to those kind of outright prices. The more Luke Littler continues to win the big TV tournaments, the more people are going to have him down as a strong favourite to win any event he enters.

This week there is no Humphries in the draw to try and slow down the momentum that Luke Littler has picked up at major events- his record in longer format matches is quite simply ridiculous and Littler is going to be a big favourite to win a third straight World Championship later in the year and into the early part of 2027.

On Friday we will be a step closer to seeing who may eventually be standing opposed to Luke Littler in any Final as the bottom half as the two Quarter Final matches scheduled.

Both have a huge amount of potential on paper, but darts are still played up on a stage and it is all about which of the players can hold themselves together the best on the night.

The one disadvantage for those in the bottom half is that there are no more rest days between matches and that does mean a bit more pressure to avoid being dragged into a slog of a contest to drain energy ahead of the weekend.

Ross Smith-Gerwyn Price both over 7.5 180s & 1+ 100+ checkout: It was Ross Smith standing behind Cameron Menzies and helping his fellow professional out when the Scot fainted and felt very ill in the Second Round.

Ultimately that led to a withdrawal and Smith made it through to the Quarter Final after playing just three Legs.

He had shown he was feeling pretty good having thrown three maximums in that time on the stage, but this is going to be a different test for Ross Smith in the last eight. This time Ross Smith may feel like the underdog and under some pressure to deliver the big scoring to try and stay with Gerwyn Price in what is only the second meeting in two years.

Of course Ross Smith should take a lot of confidence from the fact that he beat Gerwyn Price 11-9 here two years ago, but he is going to have to be better for longer in this Quarter Final format.

Ross Smith can do that and he is very capable of delivering at least eight maximums and one big checkout during the course of this match.

At the same time, Ross Smith will be well aware that the Gerwyn Price that crushed Rob Cross in the Second Round looked to be in much better form than the one that scraped through the First Round against Martin Schindler.

The scoring was much better in the Second Round and Gerwyn Price also showed composure with his doubles and that is why he is set as the favourite in this match.

However, it is expected to be a close one with the sole meeting this year ending in a Price 8-6 win on the European Tour as he picked up another title. He can match those numbers that are expected of Ross Smith in what is expected to be a competitive match right to the end and one in which we are focusing on the stats rather than trying to pick a winner.

Gian van Veen 2+ 100+ checkouts & over 26.5 total legs v James Wade: These two players produced a very good Quarter Final at the World Matchplay twelve months ago, which was eventually won 16-13 by James Wade, but Gian van Veen will feel he was the better player on the day.

After rallying to beat Wessel Nijman, Gian van Veen will be a slight favourite to get the better of James Wade in the 2026 Quarter Final, although the Dutchman will be aware that he needs to lift his level.

Recent weeks has seen the form fluctuate and that will not get the job done against someone like James Wade who is playing some top class darts.

Despite what he may have said himself, James Wade put together a really good performance to see off Ryan Searle in the Second Round and averaged just shy of triple digits. That is a level that will make things very difficult for any player, barring perhaps Luke Littler, and James Wade has always enjoyed playing at this venue and at this tournament.

Nothing will come easy for either player, but the expectation is that Gian van Veen is going to have to continue to find some big finishes to keep himself pushing forward in this Quarter Final.

He has five 100+ checkouts already in the tournament and the combination finishing remains a real strength for Gian van Veen.

James Wade is never going to go away easily and especially not at this tournament so we should see both players reach at least eleven Legs each and putting this selection together does offer up a decent price without having to back either player to win in what should be another close, competitive Quarter Final.

MY PICKS: Ross Smith-Gerwyn Price Both Over 7.5 180s & 1+ 100+ Checkout @ 2.25 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Gian van Veen 2+ 100+ Checkouts & Over 26.5 Total Legs @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

World Matchplay: 10-13, - 1.80 Units (23 Units Staked, - 7.82% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Friday 24th July)

We are into the Semi Finals in Kitzbuhel, but in the main, Friday is Quarter Final day at the tournaments being played across the ATP and WTA.

It has been a relatively quiet week for the Tennis Picks, but this looks to be the busiest day with a number of selections being made from the tournaments in Prague and Estoril.

The thoughts behind those selections can be read below with matches taking place throughout the day.

Hugo Gaston - 3.5 games v Tiago Torres: The Quarter Final lineup at the ATP tournament in Estoril will underline the status of some of the events taking place this week, but don't say that to Hugo Gaston and Tiago Torres.

This is a big opportunity for those Ranked lower down than the elite players on the Tour and a Semi Final run at any ATP 250 event will offer a big leap for the winner of this one.

No matter how this tournament ends from here, Tiago Torres will be playing at a new career high World Ranking mark and that is a boost for this young player who has been playing his College Tennis in the United States. A Wild Card was given to him by the Estoril organisers and Tiago Torres should be given a lot of respect for the way he has handled himself with wins over Nikoloz Basilashvili and Alejandro Tabilo already on the board.

Those are victories that will give Torres a lot of confidence, but those have both been surprising wins when you consider he has limited experience at this level and has suffered pretty one-sided losses to Roman Safiullon and Jaime Faria on this surface in 2026.

However, Tiago Torres will be confident after the wins produced this week and now takes on Hugo Gaston, who can be erratic to say the least.

The 25 year old has had a difficult time trying to regain his place amongst the top 100 in the World Rankings, but Hugo Gaston has shown he is comfortable facing this level of opponent.

In 2026, Hugo Gaston has a 10-3 record when facing a player Ranked lower than himself on the clay courts and the lefty is a pretty effective returner on this surface. He will be looking to put the pressure on Tiago Torres and Hugo Gaston had a really strong performance in the Second Round which, if replicated, would make him very hard to beat.

Both players will be expecting the return to be a big part of the outcome of this Quarter Final, but Hugo Gaston may be able to get a little more out of the serve and that could end up being a decisive part of the match.

The spread is a wide one if this is a match that features plenty of breaks of serve, but the two losses to the higher level opponents faced by Tiago Torres have both ended without covering this line set. Hugo Gaston may not be as strong as Roman Safiullon or Jaime Faria, but he is very capable of beating those he should and he has usually been able to do that with some degree of comfort on the final scoreboard.

Roman Andres Burruchaga v Alexander Blockx: After withdrawing at the French Open, Alexander Blockx won for the first time since Paris when getting through his Second Round match in three sets.

He was perhaps fortunate on the day and the Belgian looks to be a vulnerable favourite in this Quarter Final.

Alexander Blockx has had some very strong runs on the clay courts this season and at a significantly higher level than this ATP 250 tournament brings, but he still needs to show a bit more improvement on the return of serve. His own serve has been a big weapon, but Blockx faced seventeen Break Points in the Second Round and is coming up against a pretty comfortable red dirt player.

This is a Quarter Final in which Roman Andres Burruchaga is the lower Ranked player and he is the underdog, but the World Number 60 should be battle-hardened having come through in three sets to beat both Stan Wawrinka and Nuno Borges. Both players would have had the large majority of the support, if not all of the support, while the real credit that Roman Andres Burruchaga deserves is the fact he dropped the second set each time and STILL rallied to win.

Last week Burruchaga reached the Semi Final in Umag, but the majority of his successes have been at Challenger level and so there is a gap to bridge.

Roman Andres Burruchaga should take a lot of confidence from the fact he has beaten Alexander Blockx in both previous meetings, albeit in 2024 and when it was Burruchaga who was Ranked higher than Alexander Blockx.

This is a much tougher looking challenge, but Blockx struggled in the Second Round and Roman Andres Burruchaga may have enough clay court nous to edge through.

Daria Snigur - 3.5 games v Lanlana Tararudee: Credit has to be given to Lanlana Tararudee who won a lower level event on the hard courts last week and has used the momentum to maintain her winning run in Prague.

She recovered from a really difficult position earn her spot in the Quarter Final and that means Lanlana Tararudee is set to reach a new career high World Ranking, although she will also be very keen to continue the run.

Next up is a very tough match against Daria Snigur who is also improving her career high World Ranking mark from week to week.

The 24 year old has been crushing the competition at a lower level than the main WTA Tour, but that is the kind of level in which Daria Snigur may have run into Lanlana Tararudee.

Her numbers have been really impressive on the hard court, albeit at that lower level, and Daria Snigur should be the much fresher player, while she has also been in really solid form in winning both matches here in Prague.

Both players are strong returners, but Daria Snigur may be able to get through a couple more service games with holds thanks to her freshness compared with Lanlana Tararudee who needed over three hours to win on Thursday. That comes after winning the title last weekend and then travelling over to Prague and all of that could add up to a difficult obstacle to overcome in this Quarter Final.

Marie Bouzkova - 2.5 games v Tereza Valentova: Earlier this month, the Ladies Final at Wimbledon was a reminder of the kind of talent that is being produced by Czechia on both the ATP and WTA Tour.

This tournament in Prague is a big opportunity for a home player to pick up the title and we are guaranteed to see one Czech player in the Semi Final at the end of this Quarter Final match.

It is a repeat of the Semi Final of 2025 when Marie Bouzkova and Tereza Valentova meet on Friday and credit has to be given to both of these players that they are much higher in the World Rankings in 2026 compared with twelve months ago. Out of the two, 19 year old Tereza Valentova needs the win more to avoid dropping in the World Rankings, but Marie Bouzkova has looked pretty comfortable here this week.

There is very little between them in the numbers, but Marie Bouzkova will have the mental advantage after winning the Semi Final last year and also beating Tereza Valentova in straight sets on the grass of Nottingham last month.

Matches between compatriots can have that 'pecking order' feel to them and that may be the case for Marie Bouzkova and Tereza Valentova when they step onto the court.

Marie Bouzkova has been the stronger return player in the head to head and that may end up being the factor that separates the two when they face off in this Quarter Final.

Sara Bejlek - 2.5 games v Lilli Tagger: Two very young players are meeting for the second week in a row on the WTA Tour and Sara Bejlek may feel home advantage can help her make she gets the better of Lilli Tagger once again.

Last week in Athens, Sara Bejlek beat this opponent for the loss of four games, although matching that kind of dominant win will be difficult now that Lilli Tagger has some experience of what to expect.

Sara Bejlek was beaten in the Prague Quarter Final last year, and she was beaten in the Quarter Final in Athens last week, but the performances through the opening couple of Rounds will give her a lot of belief.

Both of these players have strong hard court numbers, but Sara Bejlek has a slight edge in those, while Lilli Tagger is trying to turn things around against players Ranked higher than herself. While she has a 4-5 record on the hard courts in 2026 in that situation, Lilli Tagger's numbers have taken a significant dip.

At the same time, Sara Bejlek has a 10-2 record on the hard courts when facing opponents Ranked outside of the top 50 in the World Rankings, while she is 7-1 when facing a lower Ranked opponent. The numbers have been really impressive in those spots and the home crowd can keep the 20 year old focused enough to earn a spot in the Semi Final behind a strong win over Lilli Tagger for a second week in a row.

MY PICKS: Hugo Gaston - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Roman Andres Burruchaga @ 2.20 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Daria Snigur - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Marie Bouzkova - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Sara Bejlek - 2.5 Games @ 1.72 William Hill (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 3-2, + 0.41 Units (5 Units Staked, + 8.20% Yield)

World Matchplay Darts Day 6 Picks 2026 (Thursday 23rd July)

You can only hope that Cameron Menzies has not suffered a serious illness after he was forced to withdraw from his Second Round match after just three Legs had been completed.

He looked fine after taking the lead with a winning double in the third Leg, but suddenly had a bout of dizziness on the stage and it was soon announced that Menzies was not going to be able to continue.

Ross Smith moves through, but the thoughts of all of the peers would have been with Cameron Menzies who had produced a big win in the First Round and who has been in decent form over the last few weeks as he finally looked to be fulfilling some of the potential.

The show had to go on at the World Matchplay and the Quarter Final line up has been set.

The top half of the draw will be in action on Thursday with the format now expanded to a best of thirty-one contest and that also means a slightly later start to the session. It will then be the turn of the bottom half on Friday before the Semi Final and Final is completed over the course of the weekend.

After this weekend is completed, the PDC Tour moves into a slight hiatus- there are two Players Championship events to be played next week, but then the World Series takes over with back to back Masters events Down Under in Australia and New Zealand in consecutive weeks.

Once again a couple of Players Championship tournaments will be played before the next European Tour event at the Hungarian Darts Trophy at the end of August.

It should mean all eight players left in the World Matchplay can be completely focused on the task in front of them and that is winning one of the big Majors on the Tour and we should have a decent four days of Darts left in Blackpool.

Gary Anderson - 2.5 legs v Dirk van Duijvenbode: All credit has to be given to Dirk van Duijvenbode for the way he handled the pressure as Michael van Gerwen pushed him into extra Legs for a second match in a row.

Once again Dirk van Duijvenbode found a way, much as he did in the First Round against Chris Dobey, and this is a player who has found plenty of heavy scoring.

This makes him dangerous, while van Duijvenbode is also hitting his doubles at a decent rate.

However, Dirk van Duijvenbode will be aware that he may need to be even better if he is going to upset Gary Anderson who has been far too good for Ryan Joyce and Jonny Clayton.

Gary Anderson has not been at his absolute best, but he has been piling up big scores and has looked very comfortable when it comes to finishing off Legs and The Flying Scotsman remains a very strong player. The question is how will his darts hold up the longer he has to stay on the stage and this is a best of thirty-one Quarter Final, but Anderson has not had as many dips as Dirk van Duijvenbode and that can ultimately make the difference in the match.

When they met at the UK Open, Gary Anderson was a little too strong for Dirk van Duijvenbode and that may be the case when they meet in Blackpool in a big Quarter Final.

Luke Littler over 11.5 180s v Josh Rock: The layers are not anticipating a lot of resistance from Josh Rock in this World Matchplay Quarter Final, but that does feel like it is a little harsh on the Northern Irishman.

He has not hit the heights of 2025, but Josh Rock has given Luke Littler something to think about in meetings in 2026 and that has to give him some encouragment.

Of course it should be stated that not many are going to be able to live with the standards Luke Littler has produced in the first two Rounds as he looks to defend the title won last year. Nathan Aspinall averaged over 100 and yet it never felt like he was going to beat Luke Littler, who averaged over 113 to follow up his First Round 109+ average.

The World Number 1 can blitz past any opponent that stands in front of him and there is the feeling that there will be at least one session that ends in a whitewash and Luke Littler should be good enough to move into the Semi Final again.

That means getting to at least sixteen Legs and Luke Littler has been absolutely spot on his rhythm when it comes to attacking the treble 20- backing that up is the fact he hit one nine darter and missed a double for a second in his Second Round win.

Luke Littler has won twenty-one Legs in this tournament and he has thrown twenty-one maximums, while he had nine in twenty Legs when these two met at the UK Open earlier this year.

The top Seed has looked so much more comfortable here though and Littler can produce at least twelve maximums in this Quarter Final contest.

MY PICKS: Gary Anderson - 2.5 Legs @ 1.72 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Luke Littler Over 11.5 180s @ 2.10 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

World Matchplay: 9-12, - 1.90 Units (21 Units Staked, - 9.05% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Thursday 23rd July)

Just when it looked like it was going to be the fourth time in a little over seven days when a player has failed to earn one more game than the spread, Alex Molcan did pick up a late break of serve to secure his victory in the Second Round.

That made it a positive start to the week, but a busy Thursday has not offered up many matches that have fallen within the parameters set in the pages that have resulted in a bounce back year.

The focus on the day is on a single selection from the two ATP tournaments being played in Estoril and Kitzbuhel and those can be read below.

Jaime Faria - 4.5 games v Gonzalo Bueno: One of the big home hopes has been eliminated, but Jaime Faria is going to be hitting a new career high World Ranking mark at the end of the tournament.

Another win would see Jaime Faria crack the top 80 for the first time and the Portuguese player will be given plenty of support in Estoril.

He is facing a Qualifier, but Gonzalo Bueno should be given enough respect for having come through a couple of those Rounds and then earning a win in the main draw. That was a win over a Portuguese Wild Card in the main draw and Gonzalo Bueno has to be given a lot of credit for fighting back from losing the second set 6-1 and hold himself together to win a final set tie-breaker.

This is a step up in terms of level of opponent, but a comfortable clay courter can always become a dangerous opponent once momentum is behind them.

Over the course of the season, Gonzalo Bueno has played at a lower level than the main ATP Tour and his numbers on the clay have been pretty average. This should encourage Jaime Faria who had won three Qualifying matches at the French Open and was still able to force his way through to the Third Round at that Grand Slam, and Faria has had a lot more success at this level compared with his opponent.

Before his win in the Second Qualifying Round in Estoril, Gonzalo Bueno had lost all six matches played against higher Ranked opponents on the clay courts in 2026. His serve has been put under pressure consistently in those matches and so Bueno is going to have to really step up to make this a competitive contest.

Jaime Faria has a 19-7 record on the clay when facing opponents that were Ranked lower than himself when they stepped onto the court and the numbers are much more solid than those produced by Gonzalo Bueno.

This is a big spread for any young player to deal with, but Jaime Faria should have the qualities needed on the court to eventually wear down Gonzalo Bueno.

Mariano Navone - 2.5 games v Quentin Halys: You cannot take anything away from Quentin Halys and the performances he has put together this week in Kitzbuhel, but he has been struggling for consistency over the last several months.

That has seen the World Ranking drop back outside of the top 80, while the Frenchman has a 10-7 record on the clay courts in 2026.

The serve remains a big weapon for him, even on the red dirt, but Quentin Halys has struggled to have a big impact on the return and that has ultimately proved to be a decisive factor in the results that have been placed on the board.

Next up is this Quarter Final against Mariano Navone who has looked very sharp through the opening couple of Rounds.

The higher Ranked player is the superior returner on the clay courts and that could be the key to this match, while Mariano Navone has beaten Quentin Halys on the clay courts around fifteen months ago.

On that day the World Number 47 was the much superior server and Mariano Navone can find his way through to the Semi Final with another decent win on the board.

MY PICKS: Jaime Faria - 4.5 Games @ 1.70 William Hill (1 Unit)

Mariano Navone - 2.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 2-1, + 0.71 Units (3 Units Staked, + 23.67% Yield)