Tennis Picks 2026 (Tuesday 24th February)

The Tennis Tour continues this week with the ATP 500 events being the big tournaments to be played, while the WTA Tour turns its attentions to the upcoming Indian Wells Masters.

The majority of the top names will be finally earning some rest after the controversial swing through the Middle East, and the same will apply in the main for the top names on the ATP Tour. None of these events are mandatory for the latter, while that is not the case for those on the WTA Tour and that is something that will need to be addressed.

On Tuesday, any selections from the ATP Acapulco event will be added to this thread and the season total will also be updated.

Daniil Medvedev - 4.5 games v Juncheng Shang: This is the second time during the Middle East swing that these two players are facing off and Daniil Medvedev is expected to frank his win over Juncheng Shang.

The Australian Open run ended very disappointingly and Medvedev has struggled for some consistency since then.

He has now lost three of the last four matches played, but the exception is the win over Juncheng Shang in Doha and Daniil Medvedev is still playing at a level that should be too good for the World Number 262.

Injuries have contributed to that World Ranking mark for a 21 year old who was as high as World Number 47 less than eighteen months ago. Juncheng Shang has a 3-3 record on the hard courts at the start of the 2026 season, but the losses have all been pretty comfortable and that means the numbers being produced are not very impressive.

Juncheng Shang does have a serve that can cause problems, but he has only been breaking in 14% of return games played, which has put pressure to serve well. He was not able to impose that shot on Daniil Medvedev in Doha with the second serve in particular being a shot that was attacked by the higher Ranked player and that saw Shang broken three times.

The Daniil Medvedev serve is not as potent a weapon as you would expect for a former Grand Slam Champion, but the World Number 11 has long been someone who can rattle opponents with his return of serve. This year Medvedev has been breaking in 31% of return games played and he will have learned plenty about the opponent when beating him pretty convincingly in Doha.

It may not be quite as wide as that win last week, but Daniil Medvedev can be backed to cover the same line that was presented to him in the other tournament taking place on this Middle East swing.

Jakub Mensik-Hubert Hurkacz over 0.5 Tie-Breakers: When they met at the Australian Open in January 2024, Jakub Mensik was an 18 year old trying to make an impact on the Tour, while Hubert Hurkacz was a top ten Ranked player.

The match lasted five sets before Hurkacz was able to pull through and the big Pole earned another win over Jakub Mensik last year on the clay courts of Rome.

That time it was Jakub Mensik who was Ranked higher than Hubert Hurkacz, but a bigger gap has developed between the players ahead of this latest match up in Dubai.

Only ten places separated them in May 2025, but now Mensik is on the edge of cracking the top ten of the World Rankings, while Hubert Hurkacz has slipped out of the top 50 as injuries and a loss of form have become contributing factors.

Hubert Hurkacz won four matches at the United Cup in the build up to the Australian Open, but has lost every match played since winning a First Round contest in Melbourne. The serve continues to be a huge weapon, but Hurkacz has been struggling on the return and that has led to a number of disappointing results at tournaments that have been played.

Jakub Mensik had been playing well in Melbourne, but was forced to give Novak Djokovic a walkover as he was not fit enough to take his place on the court. That has been one of the disappointing aspects of his career so far with injuries needing to be overcome, but Mensik has shown plenty of mental resolve and he bounced back to reach the Semi Final in Doha last week.

He has already won a title on the hard courts and Jakub Mensik will be confident enough in his serve, even if the numbers are a little below expectations- he has won 65% of service points played, but that has only led to 81% of service holds as he has perhaps struggled to win the big points.

However, the likelihood is that Mensik is not going to be facing a lot of Break Points in this one as long as he serves as he has been, while his own return is not expected to have the same impact against a server as effective as his opponent.

The younger player should eventually prevail, but it could be similar to the Doha Semi Final where you have to believe the servers can do just enough to force at least one Tie-Breaker.

In the two previous matches which have had eight sets played, three have needed Tie-Breakers and Jakub Mensik was not broken in the match on a clay court last year. In that one he took one Break Point, but a faster surface should suit both when it comes to the serving power and it would be a surprise if at least one of the sets is not decided by a first to seven point situation.

MY PICKS: Daniil Medvedev - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Jakub Mensik-Hubert Hurkacz Over 0.5 Tie-Breakers @ 1.53 Bet365 (1 Unit)

European Tour 1- Poland Open Darts Day 3 Picks 2026 (Sunday 22nd February)

There were upsets on Day 2 as the top players on the Tour competed at the Polish Open Darts for the first time and the first European Tour event of the 2026 season will come to a close on Sunday.

Despite one or two players being dumped out unexpectedly, most of the leading contenders have fought through and the Third Round is set to be played in the Day Session.

Any selections from the Quarter Final matches, or any Outright Picks, will be added after the Round is completed around 4pm.

UPDATE: The Quarter Final lineup has been put together, but it has been a strong tournament for the Darts Picks from the first European Tour of the season.

Selections have been added for the Evening Session with the World Number 1 the feature.

Luke Littler to win & over 3.5 180s v Ross Smith: He won the World Masters, but Luke Littler has perhaps been lacking some motivation over the last couple of weeks having withdrawn from the opening Players Championship events.

The early form in the Premier League has been underwhelming, but Luke Littler is keen on becoming the first Champion of this European Tour event.

The performance in the win over Mike De Dekker was really impressive and Littler will know that he will need to keep that level up if he is going to get past Ross Smith and other players in the draw to take home the title at the end of the evening.

Matching the Smith scoring power is always key and Luke Littler can do that, although he will be aware that Ross Smith has had a solid week on the circuit.

Ross Smith was a comfortable winner in the Second Round, but he may struggle to deal with the overall strength of the Littler game and both should produce plenty of maximum hitting.

Jonny Clayton & Michael Smith over 2.5 180s: These two veteran players of the Tour met four times in 2025 and Jonny Clayton won three of those.

With that said and factoring in recent form, you can understand why Jonny Clayton is favoured to beat Michael Smith.

Both were playing well in the Second Round on Saturday and dishing out plenty of maximum hitting, although it can be tough to replicate that kind of level.

There is less to be concerned about when it comes to Clayton considering the overall form he has been producing throughout 2026, but Michael Smith is a lot more inconsistent these days.

His maximum power helped him past Joe Cullen, and Michael Smith did win six matches in European Tour 3 and European Tour 4 Qualifying before heading over to Krakow. That will have given Bully Boy confidence and this is a Third Round match that is expected to need at least nine Legs played, which will give both players a chance to hit at least three maximums.

Luke Littler to win & most 180s v Josh Rock: You have to like the way Josh Rock has been playing this weekend, but he has struggled at the Premier League level.

This is the kind of match up he has been struggling with and Luke Littler looks to be in very motivated form after crushing Ross Smith in the Third Round.

He had far too much for Rock at the World Masters and Littler's power scoring did for Ross Smith earlier in the day.

Luke Humphries to win & over 2.5 180s: He may not have been very happy with the crowd on Saturday, but Luke Humphries managed to get past the home favourite and has comfortably made his way into the Poland Open Quarter Final.

He faces Premier League rival Stephen Bunting in this Round and Luke Humphries has already gotten the better of him on the floor this season.

Last year Luke Humphries won three of the four Premier League games against Bunting and he managed three maximums in the win over Boris Krcmar.

He can match that in another winning effort to make it through to the Semi Final.

MY PICKS: Luke Littler to Win & Over 3.5 180s @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Jonny Clayton & Michael Smith Both Over 2.5 180s @ 2.60 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Luke Littler to Win & Most 180s @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Luke Humphries to Win & Over 2.5 180s @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Poland Open: 6-4, + 1.87 Units (10 Units Staked, + 18.70% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2026- Mario Barrios vs Ryan Garcia (Saturday 21st February)

You never want to make a lot of assumptions, but there is clearly a feeling amongst those who follow Boxing that something has changed for the United Kingdom Promoters who had been in lockstep with Riyadh Season over the last couple of years.

That has meant a lot of the big fights have ended up in Saudi Arabia, but Turki Alalshikh has joined forces with Dana White and TKO to produce a new 'Boxing League' and that has perhaps meant less interest in partnering up with the likes of Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn.

The latter of those Promoters is still having some work together with the Saudis, but there seems to have been a real breakdown between Turki Alalshikh and Frank Warren.

Of course nothing has been said, but it is interesting that the WBO World Heavyweight Title will be defending in Manchester, while Callum Smith vs David Morrell heads up a card in Liverpool.

That fight and Fabio Wardley vs Daniel Dubois are the kind of bouts that have not really been seen over in the United Kingdom over the last eighteen months and rumour will continue to swirl that all is not well between the big parties involved.

Ultimately it matters little to fans of the sport as long as the big fights are being made and there are several big cards taking place between April and May.

Before all that, we have a big fight taking place in Las Vegas this weekend when the WBC World Welterweight Title is on the line- the Division is still looking for a dominant force to come through and take over from the likes of Terence Crawford and Jaron Ennis who had been the leading names in the 147 pound Division.

And while the headliner in Nottingham is between two fighters who are perhaps past their best and the days when they won World Titles, fans have to be really excited about seeing Leigh Wood vs Josh Warrington for the second time.

Two weeks ago, Britain lost a World Champion when Nick Ball was Stopped in the final Round by Brandon Figueroa and it was a missed opportunity for the Boxing Picks.

My feeling was that Figueroa might not have gotten a fair crack if the fight went to the cards, but he was someone that I wrote I would have backed in any neutral setting.

The last twelve months have been a little like that when not quite having the full conviction to follow through with a Pick and being disappointed at missing out.

2026 is still a long year and there are plenty of opportunities in front so you cannot be thinking backwards and instead have to stick to the plan and look for that to reap its own rewards.

Mario Barrios vs Ryan Garcia

There is a huge amount of controversy around Ryan Garcia- he has been Stopped by Gervonta Davis and the win over Devin Haney is massively tainted after Garcia failed a drugs test.

The last time we saw Ryan Garcia he was being dropped in the Second Round and putting in a listless performance in losing to Rolly Romero.

Of course that has been seen as good enough for the WBC to allow their Champion to fight Ryan Garcia having kept the latter in the top four of the Rankings(!)

The Welterweight Division is lacking real star power, although Devin Haney is now holding the WBO World Title and there is a natural rivalry with Garcia that can be explored further if the 27 year old is able to win the WBC World Title.

It is hard to know what to expect from Ryan Garcia who has won one of the last four fights if you consider the Devin Haney bout a No Contest.

He does feel like a fighter who has a big reputation without actually having proved he deserves that in the ring and Ryan Garcia is going to have a tough day in the office if he is not fully prepared.

However, it has long been stated that Mario Barrios may be one of the weakest World Champions in ANY Division and he has only managed to earn two Draws since being upgraded from Interim to full World Champion.

To say his run has been underwhelming would be an understatement and the last time anyone saw Mario Barrios, he had just drawn with Manny Pacquiao who had not fought in four years.

Prior to that, Mario Barrios had been given another Draw with Abel Ramos in a controversial Decision and that was against an opponent who had lost three of the previous five bouts.

So many people have thought about targeting Barrios for an 'easy' World Title bid, but he has managed to retain the support of the WBC and this will be just the third defence of this Title since October 2024.

Both fighters have come up short when they have stepped up their level and that makes the World Title clash tougher to call, but you have to feel that Ryan Garcia has the higher ceiling. He cannot afford to think he can coast to a win though and will have to put together a lot more intensity than he showed in the loss to Romero last year, while inactivity has been a real issue for both (at least Ryan Garcia had an 'excuse' of being given a ban after his failed test following the Devin Haney clash).

The winning fighter may be presented with a few opportunities, but you have to imagine most at the top of the sport would prefer that to be Ryan Garcia.

He does have the faster hands and the flashier combinations, while Mario Barrios will want to dig in and make this a rough fight.

Ryan Garcia does carry some power though and that may end up being the difference in the Championship Rounds of this World Title fight, although he needs to put together a really strong effort to impress and erase the memories of some of those recent outings.

There will be some expectation on Ryan Garcia to make a statement and perhaps push through the gears and Stop Mario Barrios, but he may have to settle in becoming World Champion thanks to the Judges.

This is a card being headed up by Riyadh Season and The Ring Magazine, which means there is a healthy looking undercard that has been put together.

Young prospect Amari Jones can continue his move up towards the top of the Middleweight Division, which could soon have a number of vacant World Titles available if Janibek Alimkhanuly is banned after failing a drugs test.

He is facing a veteran in Luis Arias who has only been Stopped once before.

However, Arias has become a fighter used to give prospects Rounds and has lost two in a row against unbeaten opponents, but taking both to the cards.

His best days are behind him and Amari Jones has shown a bit more spite than most as he has moved up the Rankings and he can become the second fighter to force a Stoppage against Luis Arias after Erickson Lubin managed that in 2023.

We should also see Bektemir Melikuziev continue his winning run as he takes a step back in level of opponent in the wide open Super Middleweight Division.

Recent outings have not been the most impressive, but Bully is facing an opponent who has been out of the ring for fifteen months and who had been Stopped very early in back to back fights before a blowout in his most recent outing.

Sena Agbeko has not been able to handle the early power and that may be the case again in this bout.

One of the intriguing undercard bouts features a returning Frank Martin who is back out just two months after ending a year long layoff.

He is now operating at the Light-Welterweight level, but he looks a very short favourite against Nahir Albright.

The underdog was only beaten by Keyshawn Davis in a Majority Decision in the Lightweight Division, but upset his brother Kelvin Davis last June. That victory was marred by a backstage scrap with the other Davis brothers, but Nahir Albright has shown he is a tough out and his style could make things very tough for The Ghost.

On paper the Gary Antuanne Russell World Title defence against Andy Hiraoka looks like an appetising support for the main event.

Combined they have suffered just one defeat between them, while thirty-seven of the forty-two combined wins have been in Stoppages.

It most definitely feels like the Champion has been in with the higher calibre of opponent, while there has to be some serious doubts about Andy Hiraoka's decision to arrive in the United States just a couple of days before the fight is due to take place.

At one point it sounded like he would not be given a Visa to travel, but the late arrival is not going to be ideal in what could develop into a really good fight.

You would not describe Gary Antuanne Russell as the most active fighter out there, but he may just outlast the Challenger and he can force the Stoppage after an entertaining battle.

Another who may earn a Stoppage in defence of his World Title is Richardson Hitchins who will be defending the IBF Light-Welterweight Title for the second time.

His Promotional team have asked Hitchins to move through the gears and impress fans by putting his shots together and the Stoppage of George Kambosos Jr in his first defence has given the Champion a real boost.

There is a dangerous opponent in front of him as Oscar Duarte Jurado is unbeaten in four fights since losing to Ryan Garcia to earn this shot.

The Mexican earned a couple of wins in 2025 to earn this opportunity, but it does feel like this is a step up compared with recent opponents and the toughest fight since he was beaten by Ryan Garcia.

In the main Richardson Hitchins has been happy to rack up the points and use the cards to remain unbeaten, but the performance against Kambosos Jr showed a bit more.

An open Division is going to be calling for Unifications soon and Hitchins will want to remind the fans of his own quality by matching the Stoppage earned by Ryan Garcia against this opponent.

Leigh Wood vs Josh Warrington II

There is no love lost between these fighters, but there is also a healthy respect having shared the ring once before.

October 2023 was the first time Leigh Wood and Josh Warrington faced off and it was not the first time that Wood had seemingly been losing a fight before turning it around by displaying his huge punching power.

Josh Warrington has seemingly been haunted by the defeat and felt the referee had let him down by Stopping things right at the end of Round Seven instead of allowing him to have that minute between Rounds.

In fairness Warrington looked done in the fight having dominated, but then caught by some huge shots from the gloves of Leigh Wood.

He is the underdog in this fight back in Nottingham, although not at the City Ground as Leigh Wood would have liked, and both fighters know that this could be a career-ender for the loser.

The defeat to Wood was the second of a three fight losing run for Josh Warrington, which culminated in a defeat on the cards by Anthony Cacace- that took place in September 2024 and Warrington left his gear in the ring to suggest he was calling time on his career before surprisingly returning in 2025 and shaking off the ring rust in a Ten Round Decision win.

Leigh Wood has only had one fight since the win over Warrington and that was also a defeat to Antony Cacace, although this time it was in a Ninth Round Stoppage in May last year.

There is no doubt that both have moved past their primes, but that should mean we are in for another barnstormer with some of the punch resistance gone and the two at a similar stage in their careers.

Plenty of leather was thrown in the original bout and that ended in the Seventh Round.

The pattern is likely to be the same when Leigh Wood and Josh Warrington meet again and it would be a surprise if this one goes the distance.

It will either be Josh Warrington wearing out Leigh Wood or the latter finding another combination of big punches, but the wear and tear on both fighters at 35 and 37 years old respectively should be shown up in the ring on Saturday.

Ultimately the fans should be getting their money's worth when these two face off with neither looking like they will settle for taking a backwards step.

The chief support sees the British Light Middleweight Title on the line.

Ishmael Davis won the that Title and the Commonwealth Light Middleweight Title in a close victory over Sam Gilley in November and he has won two fights in a row having suffered three straight defeats.

Those came in contests when Davis was willing to step in on short notice, but he impressed enough to be given more opportunities and he is the favourite.

However, Bilal Fawaz has to be respected having beaten a highly touted prospect in Junaid Boston- he had to fight the youngster twice after a controversial Draw the first time around, but Fawaz deserved the Decision in the rematch and he has been signed by Matchroom, which underlines the potential they still see in a 37 year old who has been held back in his career as his immigration status has been fought out in the courts.

In another life Fawaz would have competed for Great Britain in the Olympic Games and there is some momentum in his career right now and an opportunity you feel he can grasp.

This is a tough step up and Ishmael Davis has overcome plenty of disadvantages in his own life, while also operating against a higher level of opponent.

Beating Troy Williamson is impressive and Davis certainly gave Josh Kelly and Caoimhin Agyarko real tests, which also look more impressive especially after Kelly has moved on to become a World Champion.

Both are tough, grizzled and with everything to gain and so it does feel like the Judges will be needed.

Bilal Fawaz is hugely motivated, but Ishmael Davis has shown he can do enough to win fights against this kind of level of opponent and it makes for fascinating viewing.

The undercard is littered with a number of one-sided women fights with the A side names all expected to come out on top.

There is still a real lack of depth in the women's side of the sport, which means Sandy Ryan is able to fight for a World Title just one fight removed from back to back defeats. She should be able to get a Belt back around her waist and both Molly McCann and Tiah Mai Ayton are also expected to continue their development towards the top of the Rankings with wins.

One fighter who is expected to impress is Dave Allen who returns and is expected to make short work of Karim Berredjem.

The latter is experienced and only been Stopped in three of his ten defeats, but those have come in the Fourth, Third and First Round and Allen should be able to come in and just get back to winning ways pretty quickly.

MY PICKS: Ryan Garcia to Win by Decision/Technical Decision @ 3.50 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Amari Jones to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 1.61 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Bektemir Melikuziev to Win Between 1-5 @ 1.83 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Gary Antuanne Russell to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 2.75 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Richardson Hitchens to Win Between 7-12 @ 10.50 William Hill (1 Unit)

Leigh Wood-Josh Warrington Fight to Go Distance- No @ 2.10 Bet Fred (2 Units)

David Allen to Win Between 1-3 @ 2.00 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Boxing 2026: 2-7, - 6.66 Units (16 Units Staked, - 41.63% Yield)

European Tour 1- Poland Darts Open Day 2 Picks 2026 (Saturday 21st February)

The first European Tour event of the 2026 began with an excited crowd on Friday as the First Round in Poland was completed, but the atmosphere should be even better on Saturday when some of the very best players on the Tour join the party.

Some quality matches have been set out ahead of the final day and the opening selections returned a slight profit.

Backing that up is the key across the two sessions set for Saturday with eight Second Round matches in the best of eleven format to be completed in both.

Nathan Aspinall to win & most 180s v Darryl Pilgrim: The early performances at the Players Championship have been solid enough for Nathan Aspinall, but he would have wanted at least one deeper run this past week.

He remains one of the big maximum hitters on the Tour and Nathan Aspinall is looking to put together a year that does earn him a return to the Premier League.

The likelihood is that the scoring power is going to be key for Aspinall against Darryl Pilgrim who upset Dave Chisnall, as well as one of the selections made on these pages on Friday.

However, that was not exactly a strong performance from Pilgrim and he is going to have to find a higher level, while also unlikely to be afforded as many chances as Chisnall allowed him to have in the First Round.

You have to expect Nathan Aspinall to have the majority of maximums in the match and that should set him up for a place in the Third Round.

Wessel Nijman v Gary Anderson: It has been made clear over the first seven weeks of the 2026 season that Gary Anderson is one of the favoured players, but he may struggle to contain Wessel Nijman.

Big hitting gives Anderson a chance to win any match he plays, but a couple of Third Round losses at the opening two Players Championship tournaments have continued an inconsistent start to the season.

He is well rested having skipped the two Players Championship tournaments played earlier this week, but that may leave Gary Anderson a little short against an extremely confident player.

Wessel Nijman was far from at his best in the First Round win here in Poland, but he has been putting together plenty of wins on the floor.

The numbers are impressive and it is Nijman who can be backed just ahead of Connor Scutt and Daryl Gurney as the strongest looking underdog to be able to make it through to the next day.

Jonny Clayton to win & over 2.5 180s v Adam Gawlas: The underdog came through the First Round with a solid win, but this is a step up in level if Jonny Clayton gets near to the form he has been producing in the Premier League.

The Night 3 Winner has admitted how much he enjoys playing in that Premier League tournament, but he is also keen to impress on the European Tour.

Jonny Clayton is finishing well enough and has been producing some very high scoring and that may give him the edge in this one.

The World Number 5 has not played Adam Gawlas in a few years, but he will have noted the maximum hitting that the latter produced on Friday. Jonny Clayton will have to match that in any winning effort, but he has been pounding the treble 20 bed with real regularity and can hit at least three on his way through to the Third Round.

Joe Cullen v Michael Smith: The withdrawal of Gerwyn Price allowed Michael Smith to not only travel to Krakow, but to take the Welshman's place in the Second Round.

Bully Boy lost a Qualifier to Micky Mansell that really upset him earlier this month, but he has earned six wins this week that has earned Smith places in European Tour 3 and 4 events to be played.

Those will have given him confidence, but Michael Smith has to be aware that Joe Cullen looks to be rounding into real form after some underwhelming months on the Tour.

A strong First Round win has to have given Cullen a boost, while he has also gotten the better of Michael Smith in a Players Championship meeting.

Both played well on that day, but the money has been coming in on Joe Cullen who has now become the favourite, which looks about right.

Luke Humphries to win & over 2.5 180s v Krzysztof Ratajski: The fans are going to be loud and boisterous for this Second Round match as the home favourite takes on the World Number 2.

However, Krzysztof Ratajski is going to need Luke Humphries to have an off day if he is going to earn the upset.

The Polish Number 1 has lost the last seven matches against Luke Humphries and has struggled to match the scoring power that the latter can produce. That has led to some one-sided wins for Humphries, including two last year on the Tour, and the challenge is all the greater for Ratajski when you consider how well Luke Humphries has been playing of late.

His results have not reflected that in the Premier League, but only three dates have been played, while Luke Humphries won a Players Championship earlier this week.

The scoring has been there and Luke Humphries should have too much for Krzysztof Ratajski even if the home crowd can inspire the underdog to push this one closer than some of the recent matches against the World Number 2 have played out.

MY PICKS: Nathan Aspinall to Win & Most 180s @ 1.95 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Wessel Nijman @ 2.10 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Jonny Clayton to Win & Over 2.5 180s @ 2.05 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Joe Cullen @ 1.80 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Luke Humphries to Win & Over 2.5 180s @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Poland Open: 3-2, + 0.77 Units (5 Units Staked, + 15.40% Yield)

European Tour 1- Poland Darts Open Day 1 Picks 2026 (Friday 20th February)

The PDC Tour continues to expand into new territories and strong crowds at recent World Series of Darts events in Poland have seen the country rewarded with a full European Tour event.

In 2026, the Poland Darts Open act as the European Tour 1 tournament and the majority of the top names are amongst the forty-eight player field.

Qualification for the first four European Tour events have been completed and this is the start of a busy period for players across all levels of the PDC Tour.

You would imagine that some of the Premier League participants will decide to limit the schedule around those nights, as well as the European Tour, UK Open and Players Championship events- we have already heard that Gerwyn Price will not be playing this weekend, while Michael van Gerwen's participation remains uncertain having missed Night 3 of the Premier League with an illness.

In saying that, there are plenty of top names heading to Krakow and those higher Ranked players will be receiving a Bye through to the Second Round, which is played across two sessions on Day 2.

On Friday, Day 1 begins with the entire First Round to be played across the two sessions and there are some quality players heading out trying to take their place alongside the elite of the Tour.

Ritchie Edhouse v Cameron Menzies: You don't want to dismiss some of the issues Cameron Menzies has been having away from the oche, but there is no doubt that they are affecting his performances right now.

One match has been won when playing at Players Championship 1, but Menzies has lost all four other matches he has played in those floor events. That makes it nine losses in the last ten played and Cameron Menzies has been struggling in his game, which is not an ideal place to be when facing Ritchie Edhouse.

Two years ago Ritchie Edhouse won the European Championship as a massive outsider and he has worked his way through Qualifying for a couple of the upcoming European Tour events.

Much more solid form has been produced at the Players Championship floor events and Edhouse can win this one as the slight favourite.

Luke Woodhouse to win & most 180s v Carl Sneyd: If he continues to develop as he has been, Luke Woodhouse is going to fancy winning a big title some time over the next ten months.

He had a strong 2025 and Luke Woodhouse has been producing plenty of wins on the floor.

The higher Ranked player is also a big maximum hitter, although he will have to have some respect for Carl Sneyd who has Qualified for the Poland Darts Open.

Carl Sneyd won his Tour card at Q-School, which is a tough field to negotiate, and he has shown his capabilities with a decent showing at Players Championship 2.

Early losses in Players Championship 3 and 4 this week and in European Tour 4 Qualifying will have dented some confidence and Luke Woodhouse may need around three maximums in any winning effort to get this double over the line.

Niels Zonneveld & Dave Chisnell double: Both of the favourites have been showing decent form on the floor and they may be able to work their way through to the Second Round at the Poland Darts Open.

Niels Zonneveld is facing a host Qualifier and should have a considerable edge in scoring.

It was a difficult 2025 for Dave Chisnell, but he has won seven matches across the last three Players Championships on the floor and that has to have given him some confidence. He has also had plenty of experience in these European Tour events and Chisnell is well liked in the tournaments played, which can aid him.

He is facing Darryl Pilgrim who had a really good Players Championship 3, but who has just suffered with some inconsistency around that.

Failing to Qualify for European Tour 3 and 4 this past week will also have been a potential dent in confidence for Darryl Pilgrim and he will need to find another level to beat Dave Chisnell, even if the latter is not at his peak level.

Wessel Nijman to win & most 180s v Thomas Lovely: The most consistent player on the floor early in the 2026 season is Wessel Nijman and the Dutchman will be hoping he can take that form onto the bigger events being played.

It did not quite happen for him at the World Masters, but Nijman should be able to get off to a strong start against Thomas Lovely in the Poland Darts Open.

Wessel Nijman beat him twice on the floor last year and Thomas Lovely has been struggling for some consistency, while unlikely to match the scoring power that the favourite can bring into this First Round match.

Krzysztof Ratajski & Joe Cullen double: Two relatively strong favourites should be able to get past a couple of Qualifiers in this First Round match.

Joe Cullen is facing a home Qualifier and has been playing well enough on the floor to believe he should have too much for Krzysztof Kciuk who did enough, but did not overly impress in his three wins.

We have seen Cullen struggle for consistency, but he has a 7-4 record in Players Championship games and there is a level he can find that should be too much for the home player.

Earlier in the Evening Session, Krzysztof Ratajski should be able to overcome Mickey Mansell for the second time this week.

With the home crowd behind the top Polish player on the Tour, Ratajski should be able to back up the victory in Players Championship 3 when he beat Mansell 6-2 and had a huge advantage in the three dart average.

MY PICKS: Ritchie Edhouse @ 1.95 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Luke Woodhouse & Most 180s @ 1.95 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Niels Zonneveld & Dave Chisnell @ 2.15 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Wessel Nijman & Most 180s @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Krzysztof Ratajski & Joe Cullen @ 2.02 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Darts 2026: 8-14, - 4.05 Units (21 Units Staked, - 19.29% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Friday 20th February)

The week has been a difficult one and the fine margins have just leaned the wrong way on one too many selections.

Some of the matches barely missed entering the criteria, which was a shame, but there are still a couple of days to round out the week before we put this one into the books.

Next week is going to be a quieter week all round with the WTA Tour moving into a couple of 250 events as attention turns to Indian Wells, which begins the following week.

Of course the WTA 1000 title in Dubai has to be handed out before that, while the ATP Tour will have big events in Dubai and Acapulco at the 500 level.

Once again the attention has to remain on the present and any selections from the ATP tournaments in Rio and Delray Beach will be added to this thread when the weekly totals will also be updated.

Jessica Pegula - 2.5 games v Amanda Anisimova: The WTA 1000 tournament in Dubai is down to the final four and there will be at least one American in the Final on Saturday.

Both of these players came through testing Quarter Final matches, but you do have to believe that Amanda Anisimove invested a lot more emotional energy in her battling win over Mirra Andreeva.

Not only did she come from a set behind, but it looked like Anisimova's run in the Middle East was drawing to a close when she fell 6-5 behind in the final set, but a break of serve and then coming through the Tie-Breaker has kept the dream alive of winning another title in this part of the world. Last year Amanda Anisimova won the title in Doha, and beating the defending Champion in Dubai has to have filled her with confidence.

Spending over two and a half hours on the court and putting herself through the mental and physical wringer could be a factor in this Semi Final, while Amanda Anisimova is also going to be trying to get the better of compatriot Jessica Pagula for the first time.

These players met at the Australian Open and Jessica Pegula was the better player on the day and she did get to play earlier in the day on Thursday when coming through in three sets against Clara Tauson.

It was a very tough match in the Quarter Final and Jessica Pegula has to be given credit for holding herself together at key times during that match. Getting through has maintained a strong start to the season and Jessica Pegula should be well rested having decided to skip Doha last week.

The serve is going to be a big weapon for both players, but it is Jessica Pegula who has just been producing at a slightly higher level compared with Amanda Anisimova. There isn't much between them, but Pegula is the player that is likely going to have the majority of the Break Points and having a bit more energy without a day break between matches should be in her favour.

At some point you would imagine Amanda Anisimova will begin to turn the tables on her older compatriot, but that may not be ready to begin on Friday in this big Semi Final.

Arthur Fils-Jakub Mensik over 0.5 tie-breakers: The ATP Doha Semi Finals do feature Carlos Alcaraz, but Jannik Sinner was beaten in the Quarter Final by Jakub Mensik who will now be under some pressure to back that up.

Last year Mensik was able to do that when winning the Miami Masters having beaten five players Ranked Number 21 or higher.

One of those wins was against Arthur Fils, who is the Semi Final opponent on Friday.

The Frenchman missed the opening month of the season, but has looked in solid form so far in Doha where the conditions make his serve dangerous.

The same can be said for the Jakub Mensik serve and that was an important weapon for him in the upset over Jannik Sinner.

You have to believe both are capable of putting the other under pressure behind the serve and both Arthur Fils and Jakub Mensik have needed at least one Tie-Breaker to be played in two of the three wins put together in Doha.

Arthur Fils has held 88% of service games played and has won 66% of service points played, which makes it tough for opponents.

Jakub Mensik has 89% and 69% marks in both of those categories and the sole match on the main Tour last year in Miami needed a first set Breaker to separate the two players.

MY PICKS: Jessica Pegula - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Arthur Fils-Jakub Mensik Over 0.5 Tie Breakers @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Premier League Darts Night 3 Picks 2026 (Thursday 19th February)

Rumours had been building ahead of Night 3 of the Premier League Darts that Michael van Gerwen was not going to be healthy enough to take part in Glasgow and those were confirmed early on Thursday.

He had made a really good start to the tournament having reached two Finals and winning one of the Nights played so it is perhaps not a massive blow to miss out if he has not been feeling well. At the time of writing, Michael van Gerwen is set to play in the Poland Masters this week in the first of the European Tour events that take place across the year, but his withdrawal on Thursday means Luke Littler is straight through to the Semi Final.

Fans have been critical of the Premier League current format, but there will be some excitement around the tournament even at this early stage after neither of the Lukes made it through to the Final. Both are sitting outside of the top four right now, although it would take a brave person to predict that either will miss out on the Play Offs with another fourteen nights to complete.

However, in saying that, they will both be very keen to get the Premier League up and running on Night 3 in what has proven to be a hostile environment in Glasgow where neither Littler nor Humphries are expected to get a lot of support.

Early pressure is already building on Stephen Bunting and Josh Rock to get off the mark, but the likes of van Gerwn and Gerwyn Price will be very happy with the points they have already accrued.

It was a little disappointing in failing to back Price to win Night 2 having identified him with Luke Littler as the most likely winners.

After the Bye into the Semi Final, Luke Littler is odds on to win this week, but it was Luke Humphries who won a Players Championship event and who looks in strong form right now. He is going to have to move through the tougher top half of the draw, but Humphries can make the Final and he will not be 11/2 to beat anyone in that showdown.

Stephen Bunting v Gian van Veen: After having a nightmare in the Premier League in 2025 and then having his inclusion questioned massively ahead of the tournament in 2026, the last thing Stephen Bunting needed was to have played two and lost two.

He, along with Josh Rock, is still searching for the first points in 2026, but Stephen Bunting continues to produce some solid performances in the floor event.

In Players Championship 3 he was beaten in the Final, albeit very convincingly, but Bunting averaged above 96 for the day.

The following day it needed a three dart average from eventual Winner Luke Humphries to beat Stephen Bunting in Players Championship 4 and the latter averaged over 100 in that defeat too.

Last week another three dart average was needed to beat him in the Quarter Final on Night 2, but Stephen Bunting may feel he can work more chances against Gian van Veen.

The Dutchman is still figuring out the now increasingly busy schedule in his debut season in the Premier League and Gian van Veen has not opened 2026 in great form. Early losses at all four Players Championship events and a Quarter Final defeat in Antwerp last week will have just dented some of the confidence, even if van Veen remains very dangerous with his impressive finishing.

Stephen Bunting edged him out twice in three matches last year and he looks a big price on current form to get the better of Gian van Veen in the opening match in Glasgow.

Luke Humphries to win & over 2.5 180s: Winning the Players Championship on Tuesday will have just given Luke Humphries another boost having lost in the Quarter Final to Luke Littler last week on Night 2 of the Premier League.

Like the Masters, Humphries had his chances to beat the World Number 1 and his change in stem length on the darts looks to have worked for him.

The maximum hitting is still a huge part of his game and Luke Humphries is rightly favoured in this Quarter Final.

You do have to expect a lot more from Josh Rock who was in awful form in Antwerp and later blamed the soap at the event for making it impossible to grip his darts. Credit has to be given to the Northern Irishman for stronger numbers at the two Players Championship events played earlier in the week, but relatively early losses will have stung and the pressure is building to get off the mark in the Premier League having suffered two defeats in two matches played.

He has lost his last three against Luke Humphries, but should play a part in an entertaining Quarter Final.

Josh Rock hits big enough scores to keep the World Number 2 focused and it is the Englishman who may outlast this opponent in a 6-3 kind of win.

Jonny Clayton over 2.5 180s & over 8.5 total Legs: Another tight loss to his good mate Gerwyn Price will have hurt Jonny Clayton who has not beaten his compatriot ten tries.

The last win was back in 2023 when both were competing in the Premier League, but Clayton may feel he has played well enough to beat Gezzy in both the Masters and on Night 2 of the 2026 Premier League.

He is still hitting plenty of big scores and that will give Jonny Clayton a chance as he takes aim at Gerwyn Price again.

Last week Jonny Clayton had three maximums in the loss to Price in Antwerp and he was in good form when it comes to those maximums at Players Championship 3 earlier this week.

On that day Jonny Clayton reached the Quarter Final, but Gerwyn Price went one better in Players Championship 4 as he reached the Semi Final to continue what has been a fine start to 2026.

It does feel like the layers have got this right with Price a favourite, but Jonny Clayton can give his mate something to think about and win at least three Legs in any losing effort thanks to some big maximum hitting.

MY PICKS: Stephen Bunting @ 2.75 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Luke Humphries to Win & Over 2.5 180s @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Jonny Clayton Over 2.5 180s & Over 8.5 Total Legs @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Darts 2026: 7-12, - 3.05 Units (18 Units Staked, - 16.94% Yield)