European Tour 8- Baltic Sea Darts Open Day 1 Picks 2026 (Friday 29th May)

The long Premier League Darts season which covers the majority of the opening five months of the season has come to a conclusion with Luke Littler regaining the title he lost last year.

Once again it was a Final featuring Littler and Luke Humphries and that has led to new calls for the Premier League format to be changed.

The criticism is that we are seeing the top players face one another far too often in the current format and that is something that will lose the uniqueness of those battles- we all want to see the best face off, but they become special battles when they are not occurring every other week and that is something the PDC should be noting.

The Premier League is over, but the next several weeks are pretty busy on the PDC Tour.

Another European Tour event begins on Friday with the First Round played over two Sessions and this tournament will be competed on Sunday.

Before the next big Ranking event- the World Matchplay in July- there are a number of events taking place that will feature some big names.

The World Cup of Darts is played on the opening weekend of the 2026 Football World Cup, but there are also three European Tour events, two Masters tournaments, and six Players Championship events scheduled to be played.

The cutoff point for entry into the World Matchplay tournament is early July and that means there are plenty of players competing at events to build up their Ranking Points so they can compete.

And that means we are in for another important weekend for those competing, especially as the Baltic Sea Darts Open is missing big names that were involved in Premier League action on Thursday.

Ross Smith took advantage of that last weekend with his first European Tour title and there will be plenty of players involved this weekend who will certainly believe they can pick up the trophy when all is said and done.

Ryan Joyce & Krzysztof Ratajski double: For the second week in a row, Ryan Joyce and Christian Kist meet in a European Tour event, although this time it is a First Round match.

Last week Kist was a late entry into the International Darts Open as he took the place of a Seeded player withdrawing, but he was well beaten by Ryan Joyce.

Relentless is expected to have enough to get the better of Christian Kist again, especially if he can build on last weekend when reaching the Quarter Final.

In the Afternoon Session, Joyce can be doubled up with Krzysztof Ratajski who has plenty of European Tour experience and can edge out Daniel Klose.

The World Number 143 has been playing pretty well, but Ratajski should have a couple of gears to go through and he should be able to reach the Second Round after a bit of a battle.

Niels Zonneveld to win & most 180s v Richard Veenstra: An all-Dutch First Round match should be a decent watch, but the edge has to be with Niels Zonneveld, even if he has not been at his best over the last few weeks.

He is still playing well enough to beat Richard Veenstra, who has lost four matches in a row, and Niels Zonneveld should have the edge in the maximum hitting.

Kevin Doets to win & most 180s v Lukas Wenig: The recent form produced by Lukas Wenig is going to have to be improved significantly if he is going to win this First Round match at the latest European Tour event.

He is a capable player when putting his best foot forward, but the consistency has been lacking and that leaves Wenig vulnerable when coming up against Kevin Doets.

This may be one of the last few occasions when Kevin Doets is asked to play on the opening day of an European Tour event and he is definitely going to be targeting a place at the World Matchplay.

Kevin Doets will be disappointed to have been beaten in the Third Round last week at the International Darts Open, but he has the scoring power to make sure he begins another positive run at the Baltic Sea Darts Open.

Dirk van Duijvenbode to win & most 180s v Paul Krohne: Doubling is always going to be the key to winning any Darts match and it was the finishing that let Dirk van Duijvenbode down last week in his defeat to Rob Cross.

His scoring remains an important part of his game and the Dutchman should have enough of that to create more chances to win Legs and then Matches.

Paul Krohne has flashed his ability on European Tour events in 2026, but this is another level compared with his usual competition.

That has meant losing three in a row and Dirk van Duijvenbode can complete the Match Double within this First Round contest. 

MY PICKS: Ryan Joyce & Krzysztof Ratajski Double @ 2.09 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Niels Zonneveld to Win & Most 180s @ 2.20 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Kevin Doets to Win & Most 180s @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Dirk van Duijvenbode to Win & Most 180s @ 2.20 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Darts 2026: 74-102, - 14.85 Units (173 Units Staked, - 8.58% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 6 Picks 2026 (Friday 29th May)

It felt unlikely that a higher Seed than Elena Rybakina would drop out of the French Open before the end of the first week, but the incredibly hot conditions ended up being a huge factor in Jannik Sinner's demise at the tournament.

At 6-3, 6-2, 5-1, the top Seed looked to be making routine progress into the Third Round.

Suddenly the heat got on top of him as Jannik Sinner mentioned feeling dizzy and sick and he then lost 18 of the next 20 games to be dumped out of a tournament in which he was a clear favourite after Carlos Alcaraz was unable to travel to Paris.

At the start of the tournament, it felt like the Women's Tournament was wide open, but the Men's now feels the exact same way.

Alexander Zverev will be favourite, but there is going to be a huge amount of pressure on all those competing knowing the opportunity that has come up and the bottom half of the draw looks much tougher to negotiate than the top.

The remaining ten days at this event are going to be fascinating.

It was not a very good day at all for the Tennis Picks- a couple were simply poor selections, while one retirement and a player losing their way in the second set after taking the opener contributed to a poor day in the office.

Overall the French Open remains in a positive position, but Friday is about bouncing back as the Third Round gets underway.

Rafael Jodar - 5.5 games v Alex Michelsen: The inspiration of Rafael Nadal means the top Spanish players are no longer considered clay court specialists, but capable of performing on all surfaces on the Tour.

Carlos Alcaraz has taken up the baton from Nadal, but he is missing at the French Open in 2026 and the Spanish media will be very much focusing on Rafael Jodar, the teenager who has enjoyed a really strong clay court season in the build up to Roland Garros.

It has been such a strong build up that Rafael Jodar has moved from World Number 89 in early April to one of the Seeding positions at the French Open. He is very confident on the hard courts too, but the clay is where he has made his move on the Tour and Rafael Jodar has to believe that the minimum expectation at this Grand Slam is reaching the Quarter Final.

Some will think that is overconfidence from someone who is playing in just his second Grand Slam tournament, but Rafael Jodar won a title in Marrakech before reaching the Semi Final in Barcelona and the Quarter Final at back to back ATP 1000 events in Madrid and Rome.

Suffice to say, he is feeling pretty good about his tennis and Rafael Jodar has dropped a single set through the first two Rounds.

There is an argument to be made that Rafael Jodar made life a little more difficult in the Second Round than he perhaps should have, but winning breeds confidence and no one should be surprised that he has been set as a big favourite in this Third Round match.

All credit has to be given to Alex Michelsen for finding his way through to the Third Round and the American could soon return to being a Seed at Grand Slam events having reached World Number 30 back in July last year. These days he is the World Number 42, which makes Michelsen one of those awkward early Round opponents that Seeds could run into, but he is at his most vulnerable on the clay courts.

The two wins at the French Open have been against the World Number 88 in the First Round and then the World Number 148 in the Second Round and the early loss for Taylor Fritz has opened things up for Alex Michelsen. Prior to the French Open, Alex Michelsen had compiled a 4-6 record on the clay courts and a player who is reliant on his serve finds it hard to deal with a 72% hold rate on the red dirt.

He wants to be aggressive, but that is not the right way to approach clay court tennis and it has put Alex Michelsen under pressure to deliver on the return, which is still a developing part of his game.

This is expected to play out in this Third Round match in Paris on Friday and Rafael Jodar should have a bit too much know-how on this surface for Alex Michelsen.

Rafael Jodar is 16-1 when facing opponents outside of the top 20 in the World Rankings on the clay courts this season- in the fifteen matches played before the French Open, Rafael Jodar has held 86% of service games in that situation and broken in 37% of return games and that is a level that should break down Alex Michelsen in this best of five set format and give the Spaniard every opportunity of covering a wide spread.

Alex De Minaur - 5.5 games v Jakub Mensik: These two players had extremely different experiences in the French Open Second Round and it is Alex De Minaur who HAS to be in better shape going into the Third Round.

The Australian received a Walkover into the Third Round, while opponent Jakub Mensik had to battle for twenty minutes shy of five hours to eventually prevail in five sets... That alone would not be an issue this early into a Grand Slam tournament, but Jakub Mensik was playing in incredibly hot conditions and had to be taken off in a wheelchair at the conclusion of the match.

Earlier in the week, Casper Ruud came through a five setter and won his next match having described himself as a 'zombie' on the court in what have been crazy conditions in Paris. At 20 years old, Jakub Mensik is likely to have pretty good recovery and he has admitted that he felt much better having spent some time off of a court that had almost no shade from the blistering heat of Wednesday.

On Friday it is expected to still be very humid in Paris, but overcast conditions may help- the sun beating down on anybody makes a big difference and so Jakub Mensik is going to feel he is ready to compete.

A bigger challenge is the opponent who reached the Semi Final in Hamburg and Alex De Minaur made pretty comfortable work of Toby Samuel in his sole match at the French Open. The Australian is unsurprisingly happier on the faster surfaces of the Tour, but over the last couple of years, Alex De Minaur has shown he can battle on the clay and his speed and effort around the courts will make it tough for any opponent to break him down.

Prior to the French Open, Jakub Mensik was only holding a 3-3 record on the clay in the lead up to the second Grand Slam of the season. The World Number 27 does bring a dangerous serve into play, but you do have to wonder if there is not going to be some impact on his ability to show patience that may be needed to break down Alex De Minaur.

Jakub Mensik is much happier on the hard courts, but he has lost all five previous matches against Alex De Minaur and all of that surface, which should aid his game more than the clay courts.

They have played nine completed sets against one another and Alex De Minaur has won eight of those, including a straight sets win at the United Cup leading up to the Australian Open earlier this season.

A statistic that is almost certainly going to end in this Third Round match is the fact that Alex De Minaur has NEVER been broken by Jakub Mensik- on a clay court, that is close to impossible to happen again.

However, it does tell you that the match up is pretty good in favour of the higher Ranked player and Alex De Minaur has also broken in 26% of return games played and on faster surfaces. Any time the World Number 7 sees the second serve, Alex De Minaur is going to feel he can win the rallies and the extra strength he should have in this Third Round match is likely going to be a critical factor as he looks to move past Jakub Mensik in a good looking contest.

MY PICKS: Rafael Jodar - 5.5 Games @ 1.60 William Hill (2 Units)

Alex De Minaur - 5.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Andrey Rublev - 1.5 Sets @ 1.66 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Karen Khachanov - 1.5 Sets @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Belinda Bencic - 4.5 Games @ 2.05 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Sorana Cirstea - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

French Open Update: 11-7, + 3.80 Units (34 Units Staked, + 11.18% Yield)

Premier League Darts Finals Night Picks 2026 (Thursday 28th May)

Sixteen Premier League Nights have been completed and half of the field have been eliminated ahead of Finals Night.

You would say that the four best players have made their way to the O2 Arena where the Semi Final and Final will be played over the course of a few hours.

Defending Champion Luke Humphries is going to be involved in the second Semi Final having moved past Gerwyn Price and that means facing Jonny Clayton rather than Luke Littler.

Anyone who thinks that means we are definitely getting the Luke vs Luke Final for a third year in a row in the Premier League should be careful about overlooking two proud Welshmen, but it is no surprise that the layers have set that as the favourite outcome of the two Semi Finals.

None of these four players decided to take in the European Tour event played last weekend and that means there should be no excuses about fatigue with a big title and big prize money to be decided on the night.

Luke Littler to win & over 5.5 180s v Gerwyn Price: Twelve months ago, there was a real feeling that Luke Littler did not like playing Gerwyn Price and it did feel like the Welshman was winning just as many matches as the teenage star of the PDC Tour.

Fifteen of the last sixteen meetings between these players have now ended in Luke Littler wins- some have been competitive, but those are numbers that begin to get into a player's head and that has to be the case in this Semi Final.

The last eight matches between the players have all been won by Luke Littler and you have to believe the World Number 1 is going to be more focused on Finals Night than he has seemingly been in the last month.

Even then he has won matches and it would be a big surprise if Luke Littler is not competing in the Premier League Final later in the evening.

Gerwyn Price has been battling through some kind of health issue, although he has not mentioned exactly what he has been dealing with.

He sounded more positive about his status ahead of the Premier League Finals Night when stating that he would not be playing on the European Tour this weekend, but will be back looking to pick up Ranking Points after a short holiday. That is good news for Gerwyn Price and his fans and he should push Luke Littler, which will give the World Number 1 enough time to reach at least six maximums in any winning effort he can produce.

Luke Humphries to win & most 180s v Jonny Clayton: This is the sixth meeting between these players in 2026 and it is Jonny Clayton who has three wins compared with two for Luke Humphries.

That alone may make some believe there is value in backing Jonny Clayton as a significant underdog- he also finished seven points clear of Luke Humphries in the Premier League standings.

However, it should be noted that the last meeting between the players was in early April and there is no denying the quality that Luke Humphries has put together in May.

Luke Humphries reached the Final of the last four Premier League Nights and the defending Champion of this tournament has also won a Players Championship title in that time. Some consider Luke Humphries' recent form as being the best on the Tour and he will certainly be arriving at the O2 Arena with a lot of confidence.

Throughout this season, there has been little wrong with the power scoring produced by Luke Humphries, but the real turnaround of the form has been down to the doubling.

Misses almost cost him a chance to defend his title at the O2 Arena, but Humphries has shown some confidence at the Doubles and that is likely going to give him the edge.

On his day, Jonny Clayton is more than capable of matching any player on the Tour, but Luke Humphries has lifted his level considerably since they last met and the World Number 2 can book his place in the Premier League Final after completing the match double.

MY PICKS: Luke Littler to Win & Over 5.5 180s @ 2.15 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Luke Humphries to Win & Most 180s @ 2.60 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Darts 2026: 73-101, - 15 Units (171 Units Staked, - 8.77% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 5 Picks 2026 (Thursday 28th May)

On the 6th April 2014, the Undertaker's winning streak at Wrestlemania was ended by Brock Lesnar.

I could understand how he may have felt after seeing the very strong winning run to open the French Open ended when Andrey Rublev failed to cover in his Second Round win, despite winning the first set 6-1.

Fun aside, it was never going to be a tournament when every selection was going to return a winner, but putting another positive day on the board is not a bad thing.

Continuing to build on the early numbers is the key and this remains very early at the French Open.

Thursday looks a tougher day, but there are a number of selections that made appeal, which can be read below.

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 1.5 sets v Matteo Arnaldi: A retirement helped Stefanos Tsitsipas through to the Second Round without being pushed in the soaring Paris heat and he could make use of that to beat Matteo Arnaldi at the French Open for a second time in three years.

Two years ago, Stefanos Tsitsipas came through a couple of awkward sets before pulling away from the Italian in a Fourth Round match here in Paris.

While he is still the higher Ranked player in 2026, both players have slipped considerably from where they stood when facing off in that Fourth Round match in 2024.

Stefanos Tsitsipas was a top ten Ranked player, while Matteo Arnaldi was the World Number 35 and only just outside of the Seeded positions... Now they are the World Number 79 and 104 respectively and both players are in need of a big run to just rebuild their position and restore some lost confidence.

In the build up to the French Open, neither player impressed- Matteo Arnaldi did win a decent Challenger event that had a number of quality players in the field, but he has struggled in main Tour matches, while the same can be said for Stefanos Tsitsipas and the underlying numbers back that up for both players.

Matteo Arnaldi did take a set from Rafael Jodar in Rome, but he was the weaker player on the day and you cannot ignore the fact he spent over four hours on the court for his First Round upset of Tallon Griekspoor.

He will take huge encouragement from the performance, but in sapping heat, that time on the court could be the difference if Stefanos Tsitsipas can offer little to his opponent.

The former World Number 3 has struggled to turn the screw on opponents on the clay courts, which should be the favoured surface for Stefanos Tsitsipas, but he may have just enough to edge through in four sets.

Flavio Cobolli - 5.5 games v Yibing Wu: After making short work of his compatriot in the First Round, Flavio Cobolli is hoping to make use of his Number 10 Seeding and push for his best run at the French Open.

Flavio Cobolli reached the First Round in his first appearance in the main draw at the French Open and has followed up with a Second Round and then Third Round run at this Grand Slam event. Last year he reached the Wimbledon Quarter Final, which came as a surprise, but the minimum expectation here in Paris is making it through to the second week.

In reality, the draw could not have worked out much better for Flavio Cobolli, but the Italian had struggled for consistency in the build up to the French Open. Early losses in Rome and Hamburg will have felt like a blow, but Flavio Cobolli is a very comfortable performer on the clay and had previously reached the Final in Munich and Quarter Final in Madrid.

There is room for improvement- Flavio Cobolli has struggled on his return and that cannot continue if the World Number 14 is going to have the kind of run he expects from himself.

This French Open Second Round sees Cobolli facing Yibing Wu, who also came through in straight sets in the First Round, but who is a player that has struggled on the clay courts before this season.

Injuries have been a main factor in the career of Yibing Wu and it is the reason he is clinging onto a top 100 Ranking, although the win over Marcos Giron earlier this week is a boost.

Yibing Wu won a clay court tournament held in Sarasota, but that was at a much lower level than the kind of opponent he is facing in the Second Round at Roland Garros. Since then, Yibing Wu failed to Qualify for Madrid and reached a Quarter Final at another Challenger event, while his career has not been one to write home about when it comes to clay court tennis.

Serving well will give Yibing Wu a chance, especially when you consider the inconsistent returning performances of Flavio Cobolli this season, but the latter has to have the edge.

It could be a competitive match throughout with little between them in the sets, but you have to give the Seeded player the edge with the Cobolli experience on the clay courts an important factor. Flavio Cobolli will also believe he is the superior server and that may just put enough pressure on Yibing Wu to give up enough Break Points to give the former an opportunity to progress with a cover of this spread.

Anna Kalinskaya - 4.5 games v Alina Korneeva: There are almost ten years between these two compatriots who meet in the French Open Second Round and it is Anna Kalinskaya, the 27 year old, who will enter the match as the Seeded player.

However, there is a huge amount of hope around 18 year old Alina Korneeva, who played against Mirra Andreeva in the Junior ranks, although Korneeva has yet to make the same kind of impact on the main Tour.

In 2023, it was Alina Korneeva who won the Girl's titles at the Australian Open and French Open and she was the Junior World Number 1. The win in Australia came against Mirra Andreeva, but the progress on the Tour has been slower and there have been a number of 'firsts' achieved by Alina Korneeva over the last month.

She played in the main draw at a WTA 1000 event for the first time and Alina Korneeva has won three Qualifiers to take her place in the French Open main draw for the first time. A win in the First Round has only given 'mini Sharapova' a real boost in confidence, although Alina Korneeva and her team will know that this is a stiffer test for the youngster.

Alina Korneeva has dropped a single set in her run at Roland Garros and winning the Junior title on these courts can only give the teenager belief in her tennis. There has not been a lot of experience of facing top 100 Ranked opponents on the clay in the build up to this Grand Slam, but Korneeva upset the World Number 38 in the First Round.

You have to believe that Anna Kalinskaya will know plenty about the young Russian players making their way on the Tour and the same applies with Alina Korneeva.

While earning a Seed in the main draw, Anna Kalinskaya has been a mixed bag on the clay courts this season and her opening Round win against Lois Boisson, a Semi Finalist last year, will have done her the world of good. Anna Kalinskaya will feel her own experiences will stand her in good stead, while the serving edge has to be with the older player who may be able to earn a few more cheaper points.

That is welcome on any day, but it could be hugely important in very hot conditions at the French Open and Anna Kalinskaya has produced some solid clay court wins in Charleston and Rome in the lead up to the French Open.

Out of all the defeats suffered, the early defeat in Madrid probably stings Kalinskaya the most, but she may be able to wear down Alina Korneeva in this one.

A competitive opening set would surprise no one, but at that stage, Anna Kalinskaya should take control against a player still learning her trade at this level.

Covering will not be easy, but in five wins on the clay courts this season, Anna Kalinskaya would have covered this mark four times and she can in a victory in the Second Round.

Amanda Anisimova - 5.5 games v Julia Grabher: Reaching the Final at Wimbledon and the US Open is obviously going to give any player a huge amount of confidence, but that also brings pressure and Amanda Anisimova has a lot of Ranking Points to defend in the second half of the season. That makes her recent injury a blow, but the World Number 6 feels like the wrist is about as healthy as it can be and Amanda Anisimova blew past her First Round opponent for the loss of four games.

Missing the entirety of the clay court season is far from ideal for a player who reached the Semi Final in Paris back in 2019, but Amanda Anisimova eased concerns about the injury and admitted that she was just being cautious to ensure she could compete at the French Open.

The early stages of the First Round win did see Amanda Anisimova struggle to find her feet, but she was rolling by the end of the contest and now faces another player Ranked outside of the top 100 in the Second Round on Thursday.

The 29 year old Julia Grabher is the World Number 121 and she is almost three years removed from her best ever career mark of just outside the top 50, which was set in June 2023.

Beating a Qualifier in the First Round will have given Julia Grabher some important Ranking Points, but it should be noted that she has only played two top 100 Ranked opponents this season the clay courts and lost both. In reality, Grabher was not very competitive in either of those defeats in Linz and Madrid and that has been the case in recent seasons on this surface as she has suffered nine losses in her last eleven clay court matches against top 100 Ranked opponents.

Those have come across a three year period and Julia Grabher is going to need to serve well to contain an aggressive Amanda Anisimova who will want to get on top of rallies.

Pressure is likely to be ramped up if Julia Grabher cannot improve her returning level against the better players on the Tour and this could be a French Open Second Round match that plays out very similarly for Amanda Anisimova as the First Round match did.

Namely that means it could be competitive early as Amanda Anisimova grows into the contest, but by the end the American should be clearly demonstrating she is the better player.

Amanda Anisimova has little in terms of clay court action this season, but she was very good last year and the opening Round win should give her the confidence to cover in the Second Round against another opponent Anisimova has the power to overwhelm.

MY PICKS: Stefanos Tsitsipas - 1.5 Sets @ 2.00 William Hill (2 Units)

Flavio Cobolli - 5.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Anna Kalinskaya - 4.5 Games @ 2.05 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Amanda Anisimova - 5.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Daria Kasatkina - 5.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet365 (2 Units)

Oleksandra Oliynykova - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

French Open Update: 10-2, + 12.06 Units (24 Units Staked, + 50.25% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 4 Picks 2026 (Wednesday 27th May)

The conditions have been very difficult for the players in Paris and that has led to a number of retirements in the First Round of this Grand Slam tournament.

It does not get any easier for those going out on Day 4 when the Second Round begins at Roland Garros and this is a time where the top names just want to continue to get through as easily as possible.

The selections from the Day 4 action can be read below.

Novak Djokovic - 6.5 games v Valentin Royer: Last week, Novak Djokovic turned 39 years old and all of his former rivals have long moved into retirement.

It is no surprise that the body is not able to stand up to the rigours of the Tour as much as previously, but Novak Djokovic reached the Australian Open Final in January and he is convinced there is still a Major left to win. There is a feeling that the window is closing and Djokovic is no longer a player who is going to be worrying about his World Ranking, but the absence of Carlos Alcaraz offers an opportunity and the former World Number 1 is still one of the top clay court performers on the Tour.

At least Novak Djokovic was in 2025- we simply don't know where he stands in 2026 with just one clay court match played in the build up to the French Open, while Djokovic had to dig in before beating home hope Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in four sets in the First Round. After a couple of tight sets that were split, Novak Djokovic moved through the gears and he will appreciate being off the court before three hours had ticked onto the clock, which means having enough time to appreciate the conditions without overburdening himself.

Another Frenchman will be standing in the way in the Second Round of the tournament, but Valentin Royer is going to have to pick up his level if he is going to be celebrating his 25th birthday in a Third Round match on Friday.

Valentin Royer made short work of his First Round opponent, but he had not been in great form prior to the start of the French Open.

In fact, Valentin Royer had lost five of six matches played on the clay courts and his biggest successes in the build up to the French Open have been at Challenger level.

This is going to be a big challenge for a player who has faced two top 100 Ranked opponents on the clay this season- Valentin Royer has won just 53% of service points played in those two matches, which have led to 63% holds of serve, while the Frenchman has struggled on the return in both to put himself under real pressure.

It does feel like a big ask to push Novak Djokovic- even this current undercooked version- and the latter looked to be rolling through the gears by the end of the First Round match.

If he can pick up from where he left off, Novak Djokovic may be able to produce the tennis in this Second Round match to make routine progress and not tax himself too much in what are likely to be brutal conditions on late Wednesday afternoon in this Paris heatwave.

Alexander Zverev - 6.5 games v Tomas Machac: It has been written in the Novak Djokovic preview for his Second Round match that the writer feels the absence of Carlos Alcaraz is a big boost for the former World Number 1 as he looks for a twenty-fifth Grand Slam title.

The absolute same can be said for the Number 2 Seed in the French Open draw as Alexander Zverev chases a maiden Grand Slam title.

Two years ago, Alexander Zverev was beaten by Carlos Alcaraz in the French Open Final after leading 2-1, although the World Number 3 has openly admitted he still feels Jannik Sinner is the clear favourite to win this title. However, being able to avoid the Italian until the Final and knowing that a big battle with Carlos Alcaraz is not needed should give Alexander Zverev confidence that he can finally pick up a big Grand Slam title.

Five sets were needed when Zverev was beaten by Alcaraz in the Australian Open Semi Final earlier this year, but the former has reached at least one Grand Slam Final in each of the last two seasons. Alexander Zverev made very comfortable work of Benjamin Bonzi in the First Round, despite the potential of that being an awkward draw, and he will enter this French Open Second Round match with real confidence.

In terms of World Ranking, a match up with Tomas Machac will feel like it has come a bit too early- the 25 year old was inside the top 20 of the World Rankings thirteen months ago, but dropped out of the Seeding positions as injuries have held back the Czech player.

Tomas Machac has produced his best tennis on the faster surfaces, but his First Round win over Zizou Bergs in straight sets shows the kind of level that he can produce when fully dialled in.

The 5-4 record on the clay courts prior to the French Open is one thing, but Tomas Machac has shown his inconsistencies within tournaments during that time- he has only managed to win two matches in a row on one occasion in a clay court tournament this season, while the Tomas Machac defeats have been against some of the stronger clay court players on the Tour, but also adding a disappointing defeat to Cameron Norrie to the ledger.

It is clear the serve is not nearly as effective on the clay as it is on other surfaces, although the very hot conditions in Paris should aid Tomas Machac.

He is 1-2 on the clay courts when facing top 20 Ranked opponents this season and Tomas Machac is now 2-9 in his career under those conditions. There have been some competitiveness shown, but the Machac serve is a big part of his tennis and in those matches against top 20 Ranked opponents, those numbers are heavily impacted on the surface.

As mentioned, conditions will help, but the same applies for Alexander Zverev, who is the much more comfortable player on the surface.

This Second Round match at the French Open has been scheduled for the Night Session, which may not be an issue for Alexander Zverev as much as Tomas Machac, and the higher Ranked player will take confidence from having beaten Machac on the clay courts of Roland Garros in routine fashion at the Paris Olympics in the summer of 2024.

Alexander Zverev can sometimes get bogged down in matches in Grand Slam events, but this is a Second Round opponent that should focus the former Finalist and that can see him put together the performance needed to avoid the upset as the German moves through to the Third Round on Friday.

MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic - 6.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Alexander Zverev - 6.5 Games @ 1.91 William Hill (2 Units)

Andrey Rublev - 5.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Belinda Bencic - 4.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Jasmine Paolini - 2.5 Games @ 1.72 William Hill (2 Units)

French Open Update: 7-0, + 11.06 Units (14 Units Staked, + 79% Yield)

NBA Playoffs 2026- Conference Finals Games 5-7 (Tuesday 26th May-Sunday 31st May)

Most New York Knicks will say there have been a lot more downs than ups in the last quarter of a century as a fan of this team.

There have been marked improvements since the signing of Jalen Brunson and some of the other trades/signings that have been made to push the New York Knicks back into contention just a few years after they finished with the worst record in the NBA (17 wins in 2019).

Years of poor decisions had caught up with a team that had barely challenged since the Eastern Conference Finals of 2000.

Last year the Knicks finally made it back to the Conference Finals before running out steam against the Indiana Pacers, but the moves made between 2019 and 2026 have to be hugely respected and the entire organisation deserves some credit for being patient, which has not really been a feature of the Knicks.

Even then, this current Knicks roster deserves so much respect- they were not considered as Eastern Conference favourites even after winning the NBA Cup, but the team have found a positive formula at a very good time and eleven straight wins have finally brought the NBA Finals back to Gotham.

The performances in those eleven wins will have raised expectations, but the Western Conference Champion will be favourite when those Finals begin next Wednesday.

As a Knicks fan, everyone will be praying for a seven game Series out West and there is every chance of that happening with the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder tied at 2-2 and with the momentum shifting from game to game.

Game 5 feels like it could be decisive and that is going to be played on Tuesday.

Hopefully the New York Knicks are getting themselves rested and ready for what could be a special June.

NBA Playoff Picks- Conference Finals Game 5-7

Tuesday 26th May

San Antonio Spurs @ Oklahoma City Thunder Game 5 Pick: Victor Wembanyama was hugely critical of himself after the Game 3 loss at home and he came out in Game 4 looking to make a statement for the San Antonio Spurs.

For the second time in the Western Conference Finals, Victor Wembanyama decided to take over a game and for the second time the Spurs won to level up the Series before heading back to the home of the defending Champions.

Game 4 adjustments saw the Spurs move away from double-teaming Shai-Gilgeous Alexander and force the Oklahoma City Thunder superstar to get the ball out of his hands.

This time the Spurs looked comfortable allowing different players to challenge the regular season MVP and make sure they were not going to allow the Thunder shooters to spot up and make uncontested shots. With both Ajay Mitchell and Jalen Williams out of the rotation, the Spurs clearly believed they could take whatever Shai-Gilgeous Alexander was able to put together and would simply make others miss.

It worked- the Thunder had four players contribute at least 10 points from the bench in Game 3, but that was reduced to just two in Game 4, while the contested shots meant the Thunder moved from 17 three pointers in Game 3 to just 6 last time out.

Expecting little reaction from the Oklahoma City Thunder would be a mistake and there will be adjustments made by the defending Champions in what feels like a hugely important Game 5 for both of these teams.

The blowout might actually not be a bad thing for either team in Game 4- after the Double Overtime of Game 1, that blowout has allowed the key players to have significantly less time on the court last time out and that can only be a positive, but for both teams.

There has to be a concern in the home ranks that they are losing those players who can handle the ball in place of SGA, but this is a team that has overcome adversity time and time again over the last eighteen months. That experience can help with just a day of rest between games again, while being back home should be more comfortable for the role players who struggled all around in Game 4.

San Antonio fans will want to see Wemby continue to dominate, but they will also feel there is room for improvement from the three point range after a 27% effort in Game 4- some of the shooters were wide open playing off of Victor Wembanyama, but those shots need to start falling if the Spurs are going to earn the upset.

If they are going to reach the NBA Finals, the Spurs need another win on the road and this Game 5 will feel like a really good time to do that.

Historically Game 5 of the Conference Finals has been dominated by the higher Seeds and the favourites, which is something that the Oklahoma City Thunder are in both categories ahead of this one. Teams that have lost Game 4 have also bounced back very well in Game 5, which all points to the Oklahoma City Thunder, but this may be a spread where we have to go against recent trends and back the San Antonio Spurs to cover.

An aggressive Victor Wembanyama will be needed for that to happen and the Spurs may have found something from their superstar in Game 4 that can carry over to this one and at least give the San Antonio Spurs a chance to cover, even if they cannot win outright.

Thursday 28th May

Oklahoma City Thunder @ San Antonio Spurs Game 6 Pick: When you look at Victor Wembanyama and the size he has over most in the NBA you can be forgiven for forgetting that he is still a young player in the League and one who has never played in the pressurised environment of the post-season before 2026.

With that in mind, it cannot be a surprise when the superstar has a 'learning game' and that is what Game 5 will feel like for Wembanyama and for the fans.

There is no doubting that Wemby has a real desire to be seen as the best basketball player in the world and he has all of the tools to become that- some have put pressure on the Frenchman to crown himself by helping the San Antonio Spurs reach the NBA Finals, but they are now a game away from elimination... And that has a lot to do with an awful outing from Victor Wembanyama.

He was bullied out of the paint and a 4-15 shooting day is not going to cut it, while the Spurs missed Victor Wembanyama's presence around the boards on both ends of the floor. The role players tried to keep the Spurs going, but San Antonio are well aware that Wembanyama needs to be operating at his best if they are going to win the Western Conference Finals.

It was a dud in Game 5 and the Spurs lost- the two best performances produced by Victor Wembanyama in this Series in Game 1 and Game 4 have both ended in San Antonio wins and they will need him to give all that he has to force this Series back to Oklahoma City for a decider.

Minor adjustments have to be made and you have to think the Spurs Coaching staff are going to encourage Victor Wembanyama to take more control at both ends of the court. It has been a tough, physical Series and there were signs of some wear and tear, but being back at home offers everyone on the San Antonio roster a boost.

The defending Champions Oklahoma City Thunder will be much more grateful for the poor effort produced by Wemby considering their own star Shai-Gilgeous Alexander also put together a below par effort. He still contributed plenty, but the Spurs would have looked at that SGA stat-line and feel they have missed an opportunity to get in front and close out this Conference Finals at home on Thursday.

Both Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell missed out- the latter is going to miss Game 6 and the former remans Questionable.

Despite those absences, the Oklahoma City Thunder will have been pleased with the way the bench kept the team in front of the San Antonio Spurs and held off some of the rallies.

Four of the five starters scored at least 12 points, while Alex Caruso recovered from a poor Game 4 to produce 22 points from the bench.

The Thunder have to expect a reaction and the role players have tended to find things more challenging on the road. Oklahoma City had the edges in terms of efficiency of the three point shooting and also won on the glass and that will give them encouragement, although the team will likely need more as they look to reach the NBA Finals and earn some rest before those begin next week.

Teams that have won Game 5 have tended to back that up in Game 6 and those in a close out spot are 6-1 against the spread in the last seven games when this situation has come up.

However, Number 1 Seeds have not been the best to back when they have been set as small favourites or underdogs and there is almost certainly going to be some kind of reaction from Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.

They missed an opportunity in Game 5, but the fans are going to be right behind the Spurs and that should help this team at least force a one game decider back out on the road this weekend.

Covering will be tough, but this is a Spurs team that will be listening to the criticism and they can come out with more authority from the opening tip as they did in Game 4 here.

Saturday 30th May

San Antonio Spurs @ Oklahoma City Thunder Game 7 Pick: Every single New York Knicks fan out there will have been very happy to see the Western Conference Finals go to seven games for the first time in eight years.

Both Conference Finals reached seven games in 2018 and the Golden State Warriors ended up sweeping the Eastern Conference Champions Cleveland Cavaliers, but in 2026, the New York Knicks are going to be well rested as they await to see whether they are visiting San Antonio or Oklahoma City for Games 1 and 2 of the NBA Finals next week.

As expected, Victor Wembanyama came out in Game 6 with a chip on his shoulder and he produced a big First Quarter and dominant opening half to put the San Antonio Spurs in a position to win and force this Game 7 decider.

Of course you have to credit the other players around Wembanyama for their performances and it was a big run in the Third Quarter with Wemby on the bench that saw the San Antonio Spurs break the game open and eventually tie things up.

It is going to feel like the momentum is back with the San Antonio Spurs, but the Oklahoma City Thunder are defending Champions and they have been very good at home over the last two post-season runs. Last year the Thunder finished 11-2 at home in the Playoffs and they are 6-1 this season with a couple of comfortable wins recorded over the San Antonio Spurs in these Western Conference Finals.

Game 6 was another poor effort from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the role players struggled on the road, which has been a thing in the NBA in recent years.

The MVP is always going to be under pressure to lead the team, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has scored 19 Points in Game 4 and 15 Points in Game 6... Those are numbers that are simply not going to get the job done.

However, in Game 5 back at home, SGA scored 32 Points and that was key, even if sixteen of those came at the Free Throw line.

Both teams are well aware that the role players are important, but this is a Conference Finals that will be decided by the two star players on either side of the court.

When Victor Wembanyama has played well, the Spurs have won, but the three games in which they have lost, the 22 year old has shown some of the inexperience of playing in a first NBA Playoff run. The Frenchman came out with a lot more energy and aggressive intent in Game 6 and that opened things up for the other San Antonio Spurs to step up and it is imperative for the road team that Victor Wembanyama comes out with a similar mindset.

It is a make or miss League though and not everyone will be comfortable with Wemby trying to line up three pointers instead of trying to dominate the paint and opening up those shooting lanes for others.

He was more active around the boards, which was hugely important for the Spurs, but there still has to be more to come from the likes of De'Aaron Fox if San Antonio are going to win for a second time on the road.

Oklahoma City welcomed back Jalen Williams for Game 6, but he offered limited minutes from the bench and also struggled when he was on the floor, which is not a big surprise. The Thunder will hope J-Dub can offer more in this 'win or go home' setting, while a deep bench has to win those moments when Victor Wembanyama is on the bench.

Both teams will have no excuses for fatigue after key players were withdrawn pretty early in Game 6 as things got out of hand for the Oklahoma City Thunder, but picking a winner is tough.

All respect has to be given to the Thunder for the way they have bounced back at home on two occasions already in the Western Conference Finals, while they can expect role players to be more comfortable in front of their own fans. This is an experienced team that won the NBA Championship eleven months ago and the Thunder are 17-3 at home over the last two post-season runs.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander can be more of an influence at home after a couple of below par efforts on the road, but the others around him have to find spacing and make their shots.

The Thunder have been better at doing that home, while recent Game 7s in Conference Finals offer little in terms of trends- they have tended to be lower scoring, but the line for this Game 7 is pretty tight in terms of the total, while the team that won Game 6 is only 3-3 both straight up and against the spread in this decider to reach the NBA Finals.

Both teams have won once on the road in this Western Conference Finals, but the lean for the selection is backing this Game 7 to end up over the totals line set.

Three point shooting has been something both teams have tried to use to open things up inside the paint, while fouls have led to a number of Free Throws. The last six Game 7s in Conference Finals have all finished 'under' the total, but four of the six games in the Western Conference Finals have ended with the total surpassed and that would have been the case in Game 6 if the starters had been on the court for longer than they were with that one ending a couple of points shy of an 'over' hitting.

Simply put it is hard to pick a winner- there is perhaps some value in picking the San Antonio Spurs to win outright, rather than backing them with this small number of points on the handicap. If they cover, it is more than likely going to be in a straight up win, but the Oklahoma City Thunder have likely got another punch in them and this may come down to which of the role players steps up for longest to back up the superstars, who have to also have big outings.

MY PICKS: 26/05 San Antonio Spurs + 5.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

28/05 San Antonio Spurs - 3.5 Points @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

30/05 Oklahoma City Thunder-San Antonio Spurs Over 212.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Conference Finals: 8-2, + 5.33 Units (10 Units Staked, + 53.30% Yield)

Second Round: 5-8, - 3.45 Units (13 Units Staked, - 26.54% Yield)

First Round: 15-17, - 3.28 Units (32 Units Staked, - 10.25% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 3 Picks 2026 (Tuesday 26th May)

It has been a decent start to the French Open for the Tennis Picks, but Day 3 is the busiest in terms of number of Picks selected.

Over the course of a fortnight of selections, there are going to be some difficult moments and the key is to try and limit those, while making sure that you make hay when the sun is shining.

It has been shining very hard in Paris this week and the conditions look like they are going to continue to be a big factor in the tournament, at least through to the second week. That means players are simply trying to make sure they are not exerting too much energy to battle through the opening week, but there has to be a balance between aggression and pushing the envelope too far, which would suddenly mean being dragged into an unnecessary battle.

The numbers from the first two days can be seen below, but before that is the Day 3 Picks.

Coco Gauff - 5.5 games v Taylor Townsend: There will be plenty of familiarity when these two American players meet in the First Round of the French Open, but it is no surprise that the defending Champion is set as a significant favourite.

She was beaten in the Rome Final, but Coco Gauff had that happen to her twelve months ago before picking up the French Open title weeks later.

The World Number 4 will likely be the first to admit that she has not quite reached the heights of 2025 as far as the clay court form goes, but Coco Gauff is still playing at a high level. That should be good enough to negotiate the early Rounds from her Seeding, although the expectation is that real improvement will be needed in the second week of this Grand Slam if Coco Gauff is going to defend the title won here last year.

Most will expect Coco Gauff to get off to a positive start on Tuesday on Day 3 of the French Open when she takes on Taylor Townsend, who is much more known for her work on the Doubles side of the Tour.

There has been very little consistent success as a Singles player on the clay courts over the last couple of years and even in the build up to the French Open, Taylor Townsend has struggled when facing the better players on the Tour. She has a 4-2 record on the clay courts, but that becomes 1-2 when only focusing on matches against players Ranked inside the top 100 and the numbers on the serve and return have been heavily impacted when facing those players.

Credit has to be given to the World Number 75 for earning her spot in the main draw without having to go through the Qualifiers, as Townsend did last year, but she was well beaten in the First Round and this looks a very tough match up on paper.

In their sole meeting back in 2019, Taylor Townsend got the better of Coco Gauff, but she was 200 places above her in the World Rankings and things have changed for both since those days.

Familiarity with what to expect should help the lower Ranked American, but it feels like a First Round match that the favourite will eventually showcase the difference in quality and be able to pull away for a good, solid win.

Madison Keys - 5.5 games v Hanne Vandewinkel: At 22 years old, it is no surprise that Hanne Vandewinkel has looked to take the next step in her development by entering bigger events.

She had a solid clay court record at the lower level, which will make her dangerous, but Hanne Vandewinkel has struggled t0 a 3-6 record on the surface in 2026 and she was one of the late direct entries into the main draw at the French Open.

The three clay court wins have all been against players Ranked outside of the top 100, while the youngster has really had some issues protecting the serve when it comes to the better players on the Tour.

On any other surface, Madison Keys would be a big favourite to beat the Belgian, but she feels a little underrated in this spread considering the kind of performances the World Number 19 can produce on the red dirt. Last year Keys reached the Quarter Final at the French Open, so there is some pressure to defend Ranking Points, but that is a run that has been backed up by a 5-2 record on the clay since the move from Charleston.

European clay events are more important as a form indicator and Madison Keys reached the Final of a 125 level tournament in the build up to the French Open.

While not being the biggest of statements to do that, Madison Keys will feel it is a level that should provide opponents of the level she is facing in the First Round and that should show up on the final scoreboard.

However, there is the one concern about the thigh issue that forced her to withdraw from the Final of the Paris 125 event and also meant Madison Keys withdrew from Strasbourg. It sounded like a precaution in the last event before the French Open, but that is the only negative to this selection, which raises a slight concern.

The feeling is that Madison Keys will be good enough if she does step onto the court and her power could prove decisive as she looks to limit the time needed to get through the First Round ahead of bigger challenges to come.

Luciano Darderi - 1.5 sets v Sebastian Ofner: The top of Italian Tennis is dominated by Jannik Sinner, who will be entering the French Open as the top Seed and clear favourite to win the title in Paris for the first time.

However, there are a number of other men's players from Italy who have made an impact on the Tour and Luciano Darderi could be next in line.

He is the World Number 17 and that says something about the consistency of the performances when you think Luciano Darderi has only made the second week of a Grand Slam once and that was in Melbourne back in January.

Of course that means having little to defend in terms of World Ranking Points and Luciano Darderi has to take advantage of being a Seeded player- he has never been beyond the Second Round at the French Open and that is a real surprise when you think of the kind of tennis he plays on the clay courts.

A Semi Final run at the Rome Masters and then the Quarter Final run at Hamburg should mean the Italian is heading into this First Round match with confidence, although he will have respect for veteran Sebastian Ofner, even if the World Ranking has slipped to 91.

Sebastian Ofner has won ten of eighteen clay court matches this season, but that slips to two of five when considering top 100 Ranked opponents and one of four when only focusing on top 50 Ranked opponents. He has continued to serve well enough in those matches, but Ofner has seen his returning numbers decline the higher the Ranked opponent faced and that has put him under pressure.

It feels like that could be the difference in this match and Luciano Darderi has provided stronger serving numbers when facing those opponents outside of the top 50 in the World Rankings. He has won twelve of sixteen clay court matches in that spot this season, while Darderi beat Sebastian Ofner on the clay courts for the loss of just three games in the sole previous match up on the red dirt.

The 24 year old Italian can still be erratic at times, but he should have enough to win this match and to do so without needing a deciding set- it is perhaps more likely Luciano Darderi wins in four sets, rather than straight sets, but backing the Seeded player to come through and cover the set handicap looks the play.

MY PICKS: Coco Gauff - 5.5 Games @ 1.80 William Hill (2 Units)

Madison Keys - 5.5 Games @ 1.72 William Hill (2 Units)

Luciano Darderi - 1.5 Sets @ 1.66 William Hill (2 Units)

Iva Jovic - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 William Hill (2 Units)

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 6.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

French Open Update: 3-0, + 4.70 Units (6 Units Staked, + 78.33% Yield)