Indian Wells Tennis Day 8 Picks 2026 (Wednesday 11th March)

The last couple of years have proven to be a little difficult in terms of reading the Indian Wells Masters and the 2026 tournament looks to be no different.

There has been some meat left on the table with a couple of selections coming up short of the criteria and producing the winners that have been lacking so far this week.

On Wednesday, the Fourth Round is concluded at this Masters event and there are some very good looking matches heading out onto the courts, but it would be greatly appreciated if at least two of the three selections enter the Winners' Enclosure and start pulling things back as we approach the business end of the first of two big events to be played in March.

Daniil Medvedev - 3.5 games v Alex Michelsen: The Fourth Round defeat at the Australian Open not only hurt because it came relatively early in the draw, but the manner in which Daniil Medvedev was beaten would have stung.

There may have been something of a hangover after that tournament with early defeats in Rotterdam and Doha on the board, but Daniil Medvedev cruised through the draw at the ATP 500 event in Dubai and won the title.

The World Number 11 concluded the title win just hours after the Middle East erupted into a war that meant airspace was closed and that also meant Daniil Medvedev arrived in Indian Wells a little later than planned. However, that has not impacted the confidence that he would have picked up from that run in Dubai and Daniil Medvedev has impressed through the first two wins at the opening ATP 1000 event of the season.

Another strong run will help Daniil Medvedev move back into the top ten of the World Rankings and it will also offer him a boost as he looks to find a way to bridge the gap between himself and the top two players in the world.

Once again Daniil Medvedev is producing some strong numbers on the hard courts and he is backing up his serve by keeping opponents under pressure on the return.

The returning side of his tennis will be tested by Alex Michelsen who had been struggling for consistency since reaching the Semi Final in Brisbane and before he arrived in Indian Wells. The American had not won consecutive matches since Brisbane, but Michelsen is back on track with three wins at this tournament and that will give him some belief.

Adding to the confidence is the fact he was able to beat Taylor Fritz in the Third Round and Alex Michelsen is already moving his World Ranking back in the right direction with the run he is putting together here.

Reaching the Fourth Round is already the best run he has produced at Indian Wells and he is really making the best use out of the serve in the conditions.

Alex Michelsen is going to be well aware that he needs to continue serving well if he is going to beat Daniil Medvedev for the first time having been beaten in all three previous matches.

Two have been on the hard courts, including here in Indian Wells last year in a match that lasted just two games and the other in the Brisbane Semi Final in January and Alex Michelsen has really struggled to impose his serve on this opponent.

Putting the very short match here at Indian Wells aside, it should be noted that Alex Michelsen only won 53% of points behind serve when facing Daniil Medvedev in Brisbane and he was broken four times in that match. He did create chances against the Medvedev serve, but the biggest points were won by the higher Ranked player and that could be the outcome in this Fourth Round match too.

Daniil Medvedev will recognise that his opponent is playing with some confidence, but the World Number 11 has been in really good nick for a couple of weeks now and he may have the superior returning numbers to edge to a cover of this handicap mark set.

Elina Svitolina - 4.5 games v Katerina Siniakova: The emotion came pouring out of Katerina Siniakova after her Third Round win over defending Champion Mirra Andreeva- she admitted in the post match interview that she had very little left in the tank as the match was concluded and Tuesday is an important recovery day.

Three wins have been produced in Indian Wells, but the World Number 44 has battled for everything earned.

These days the majority of the successes that Katerina Siniakova has is on a Doubles court, but she has long been an effective and awkward Singles player to beat and most of the top players know that. However, prior to the tournament in Indian Wells, Siniakova had not won consecutive Singles matches within an event and she had put together a 2-5 record on the hard courts.

All three wins have been in three sets this week and Katerina Siniakova eight hours on the court.

It is going to add up and take a toll and this is a tough match up for the lower Ranked player against Elina Svitolina who tends to give little away.

All four previous matches between the players have been won by the Ukrainian, including two years ago right here in Indian Wells.

Elina Svitolina is not someone who will take anything for granted when noting that all of those four previous head to head matches have needed to go the distance before the current World Number 9 has found a way through. The numbers have been skewed in favour of Svitolina in those head to head matches, but she will know that she needs to be focused and has to give Katerina Siniakova little encouragement.

The wins have been piling up in 2026, but Elina Svitolina plays with fine margins and that has meant she has sometimes been pushed a bit more than she would have expected within matches. That happened in the Second Round at this latest WTA 1000 event, but Svitolina was comfortable in the Third Round and should have far too much energy for her opponent, which will ultimately show up on the scoreboard.

Iga Swiatek - 2.5 games v Karolina Muchova: The Covid pandemic meant the Indian Wells tournament was moved out of its usual spot in the calendar, but it has been restored to the month of March in recent times.

In four editions of the tournament back in its normal place, Iga Swiatek has manaed to win the title twice and she has been a Semi Finalist in the other two appearances here.

Over the last twelve months, Iga Swiatek has remained a solid force on the hard courts, but Quarter Final runs at the Australian Open and in Doha are underwhelming returns for the World Number 2.

The Pole has been in good nick through the first couple of matches in Indian Wells, but this is a big step up in level when taking on Karolina Muchova, who has won all eight matches played since her Fourth Round loss at the Australian Open. That run has secured one title and Karolina Muchova could soon move back inside the top ten of the World Rankings if she can maintain current form.

She is an all-court player and Muchova has long been seen as someone who can upset the odds and win a Major, but her head to head with Iga Swiatek has been a problem.

In 2026, Karolina Muchova's serve on the hard courts continues to be a big weapon, but Iga Swiatek has matched those numbers and it is the latter who has been a little more effective when it comes to the return of serve.

That has really shown up when it comes to the head to head and it is Iga Swiatek who has won all three previous hard court matches- while the World Number 2 has been broken five times across those matches, Swiatek has broken the Karolina Muchova serve fourteen times and has a real advantage when it comes to the returning numbers produced.

Just twelve months ago they met here at Indian Wells at the same stage of the tournament and Karolina Muchova was able to win just two games as she was brushed aside.

It is very hard to believe she struggles as much as that considering how well she has been playing, but Karolina Muchova may end up being edged out in the opening two sets and that should be enough for Iga Swiatek to get the better of this handicap line.

This is the toughest test that Iga Swiatek will have faced in the tournament, but she is playing well enough to maintain her current advantages over Karolina Muchova and can end the winning run being produced by the latter.

MY PICKS: Daniil Medvedev - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Elina Svitolina - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Iga Swiatek - 2.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Indian Wells Update: 7-11, - 5.20 Units (18 Units Staked, - 28.89% Yield)

Indian Wells Tennis Day 7 Picks 2026 (Tuesday 10th March)

It has been an inconsistent opening week as the Tennis Picks have taken one step forwards and then two steps back, but that is just the nature of the Tour at times.

There have been moments when it has looked like there has been some momentum behind the selections, but Madison Keys failed to build on a 6-2 first set in losing her match on Monday evening and that meant another 2-2 day.

Tuesday looks a much more difficult day with the matches being competitively priced, but there are two more Picks from the day, which can be read below.

Felix Auger Aliassime - 1.5 games v Arthur Fils: Don't expect this to be a match filled with rallies considering the serving powers of both Arthur Fils and Felix Auger Aliassime.

That proved to be the difference in favour of Felix Auger Aliassime when he beat the Frenchman in Montpellier last month, although that was also a match played on an indoor hard court. Playing in outdoor conditions is always going to be a little different and especially in a tournament like the one held in Indian Wells where it can be that much more challenging, although Auger Aliassime is playing with enough confidence to back up that previous win over this opponent.

In that Quarter Final match last month, Felix Auger Aliassime dominated behind serve and it ended up putting pressure on Arthur Fils to respond.

Felix Auger Aliassime won 90% of service points played compared with Arthur Fils at 58% and the higher Ranked player will be confident in having the edge again.

Things will feel a little different as that event in Montpellier was the first Arthur Fils was competing in this season, but he has since reached the Final of an ATP 500 event held in Doha and the World Number 32 has impressed in his two wins in Indian Wells.

Confidence can be such a big factor and Arthur Fils is playing with a lot of that right now- his serve is still an important weapon and Fils is also showing plenty of athleticism around the court on his return, although that aspect of his tennis going to be severely tested by Felix Auger Aliassime.

The first month of the season was massively disappointing for Felix Auger Aliassime and included a First Round loss in Melbourne, but he has been flying since then.

Winning the title in Montpellier was followed by a run to the Final in Rotterdam and Semi Final in Dubai and the Canadian has been serving very well.

However, that has always been a strength of the Auger Aliassime game and it is the 18% Break percentage that actually stands out the most- he has not always been the best return player on the hard courts, but Felix Auger Aliassime is applying pressure on that side of the net and it may be a key reason that he can edge past Arthur Fils and most likely in straight sets.

He has needed to go three sets in both wins in Indian Wells, but there has been little wrong with the serve and Felix Auger Aliassime has continued to find the Breaks that he has needed and he can do something similar in this Fourth Round match up.

Jannik Sinner - 5.5 games v Joao Fonseca: There are some huge expectations on the shoulders of 19 year old Brazilian Joao Fonseca, but that has perhaps contributed to the player struggling to have the kind of impact people may have wanted to see from him.

Third Round runs at the French Open and Wimbledon helped push him close to the top 20 of the World Rankings at the end of the 2025 season, but Joao Fonseca arrived at Indian Wells as the World Number 35.

The numbers being produced over the last twelve months overall have been very solid and shows the growing presence around this player, but there has been little hard court action taken in this season.

With that said, Joao Fonseca has done very well to win three matches here and move through to this big Fourth Round match.

Joao Fonseca showed tremendous character to do just enough to edge past Karen Khachanov in the Second Round, but was so much more impressive in crushing Tommy Paul for the loss of five games last time out. In that win, Fonseca backed up his serve by keeping the home player under pressure on the return, but everyone around the teenager will be reminding him of the step up in level he will be facing in the Fourth Round.

That is because the Brazilian will be playing the World Number 2 and one of the top hard court players in the world in Jannik Sinner.

The latter has only played a couple of tournaments so far this season and will have been disappointed to have lost in the Semi Final at the Australian Open and the Quarter Final in Doha. That doesn't mean the Jannik Sinner numbers have dipped with him continuing to produce at an exceptionally high level on the hard courts, but he will be looking to build up some momentum.

Over the next couple of months, Sinner has little to defend in terms of Ranking Points and will be expecting to push up a lot closer to Carlos Alcaraz, but he will also want to win some titles and look to get something positive going ahead of the clay court season.

Jannik Sinner has looked a man on a mission with his two very convincing wins to open his time at Indian Wells and he did reach the Semi Final in his last appearance at this tournament two years ago.

He will certainly feel he serves well enough to contain much of the threat that will be posed by the youngster on the other side of the net, and Jannik Sinner exerts plenty of pressure on the return.

It means Joao Fonseca will have to serve really well to keep this one competitive and there are still levels for the Brazilian to develop to really get into a position to compete with the top two players on the Tour.

There is little doubt that Fonseca can have successes for a while, but maintaining the level needed to beat Jannik Sinner is going to be very difficult to achieve. One of the sets will be competitive, but it also would not be a big surprise if there is a period when the World Number 2 is able to string the games together and that can push Jannik Sinner into a position to cover the wide line set for the match.

MY PICKS: Felix Auger Aliassime - 1.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (1 Unit)

Jannik Sinner - 5.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Indian Wells Update: 7-9, - 3.20 Units (16 Units Staked, - 20% Yield)

Indian Wells Tennis Day 6 Picks 2026 (Monday 9th March)

The opening five days at the Indian Wells tournament have been disappointing for the Tennis Picks, but it is still early and the opportunity remains to turn things around and get this event back on track.

Things could have been worse, but they certainly could be a lot better and there are a few more selections from Day 6 with the Third Round set to be completed.

A bit of fortune at key times would be nice, but this is just one of those moments on a long Tour when things are not quite going to plan and that is just something we have to navigate, while also remembering it has been a positive start to the 2026 season to back up the winning 2025 campaign.

Novak Djokovic - 4.5 games v Aleksandar Kovacevic: The crowd is likely going to give Aleksandar Kovacevic some decent support at Indian Wells, but Novak Djokovic is a legend and there will be plenty backing him to make the Fourth Round.

This is the first tournament taken in by Novak Djokovic since coming up short at the Australian Open Final and the win in the Second Round means he is already putting some World Ranking Points in the bank.

These days Novak Djokovic is unconcerned about his Ranking with the focus being on winning another Major, but staying in the top four would mean avoiding having to face the likes of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz before the Semi Final at any Grand Slam coming up. He knows how tough it will be to beat both players, but facing them in the Semi Final and Final is better than having to use up too much energy early in a Slam and Novak Djokovic will be confident in his chances at the remaining three Majors.

Motivation for other tournaments is harder to find, but Novak Djokovic should have enough quality to get past the World Number 72 who has a 5-9 record on the hard courts over the last twelve months when facing top 50 Ranked opponents.

When he finds a rhythm, the serve can be a big weapon for Kovacevic, but he has struggled on the return of serve and that has kept him under pressure.

Novak Djokovic can exert that pressure on this opponent and he remains a solid return player on the surface, even if the former World Number 1 is not at the level he once was.

He did drop a set in the Second Round, but this may end up being a more routine win for the Serb as he progresses into the Fourth Round at Indian Wells.

Madison Keys - 3.5 games v Sonay Kartal: She has had a mixed time at Indian Wells, but Madison Keys reached the Semi Final here twelve months ago and looked in decent form on her return to the Tour.

This is the first tournament that Madison Keys has played since the defence of her Australian Open crown ended in the Fourth Round in Melbourne.

There is room for improvement on the Second Round win over Diane Parry, but Madison Keys showed enough on the return of serve to be feeling pretty good about her latest run in Indian Wells. She did need to save eight Break Points to avoid being dragged into a real battle, but Keys did what was needed and is rightly favoured in this Third Round match on Monday.

Sonay Kartal has once again reached the Third Round in Indian Wells, but she would be dropping in the World Ranking if she is not able to at least match the performance of 2025 when she made it through to the Fourth Round.

Saving Match Points to beat Emma Navarro will have given the British player a lot of confidence and Sonay Kartal has reached a couple of Quarter Finals on the hard courts this season. The Middle East swung began well, but Kartal has just had issues with her consistency and she had lost four in a row against top 50 Ranked opponents on the surface before beating Navarro in the Second Round.

Over the last twelve months, Madison Keys has won twelve of fourteen hard court matches against opponents Ranked outside of the top 20.

She has also beaten Sonay Kartal on the grass courts of Wimbledon, although that was in a match played in 2023 and the World Number 54 is a much more experienced player now.

That should mean Kartal is able to have some successes, but she has struggled with the return of serve against the higher Ranked players faced this year and Madison Keys may do just enough to clear this handicap line.

MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Madison Keys - 3.5 Games @ 1.95 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Belinda Bencic @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Elina Svitolina - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Indian Wells Update: 5-7, - 2.94 Units (12 Units Staked, - 24.50% Yield)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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