2026 World Cup- Semi Final Picks (Tuesday 14th July-Wednesday 15th July)

There was some controversy around the FIFA decision to Seed the top four World Ranked teams when the draw was made, although they made it clear that it would only be the case if France, Spain, Argentina and England all won the Groups in which they had been placed.

All four did and have made it through to the final four, albeit with some bumps to negotiate along the way.

France are the favourites having cruised through the tournament behind a fearsome front four, but Spain stand in the way in a third Semi Final meeting in a third different competition from 2024 to 2026. Both previous matches have been won by Spain, but they have needed very late goals to beat Portugal and Belgium and the only real positive is avoiding having to go through Extra Time.

In real terms, both France and Spain have made pretty comfortable passage, but Argentina and England have been forced to dig deep.

The defending World Champions have twice needed to win games in Extra Time and came from 0-2 behind to beat Egypt with an injury time winner to avoid all three matches needing the additional thirty minutes. This accumulation can wear teams down and Argentina have looked fragile and heavily reliant on Lionel Messi, which is a disappointment considering the bid to develop since winning in Qatar.

Where Argentina have one superstar stepping up, England have had both Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham provide big moments and stopping both is the challenge.

However, nothing has come easy for England after battling from behind to beat both DR Congo and Norway, the latter in Extra Time, while they also came through an epic battle in Mexico City to beat one of the co-hosts 2-3 in a memorable World Cup fixture.

All four teams at this stage of the competition will be confident, but you have to believe the winner of the France-Spain Semi Final will be going on to lift the trophy on Sunday, regardless of who they face in the Final.

Things could look very different at the end of the Semi Final Round, but it would be a surprise from here as the 2026 World Cup Finals wind down.

World Cup Semi Final Picks

Tuesday 14th July

France vs Spain Pick: The Euro 2024 Semi Final and the 2025 Nations League Semi Final matches were both won by Spain, but there has been a feeling in this tournament that the French team are playing at a superior level.

Strong attacking play will always make the headlines more than strong defensive work and Spain will still be feeling confident about their chances.

They will certainly believe they have come through a tougher pathway in the Knock Out Rounds and that can mean being more battle-tested. Wins over Austria, Portugal and Belgium means Spain are used to that rhythm and tempo provided by European opponents and those opponents make for better reading than France seeing off Sweden, Paraguay and Morocco.

It is not the fault of the French that they have not had to play Germany or a full strength Morocco, but Spain may take something from the fact that France did struggle to break down the last two of those opponents. We have certainly not seen a full performance from France in the tournament, which does make them dangerous, but Spain may feel they can contain the attacks to some extent, whilst also giving France so much more to think about on the defensive side of the field compared with the last three Knock Out opponents.

Spain should take heart from the chances Senegal and Sweden created before they fell behind and France have yet to had to battle back from adversity.

The same can be said for Spain, who have also not been behind in the tournament, but they have had to dig in to beat Portugal and Belgium and that will give the team confidence. Having Nico Williams back is also a big confidence builder for Spain, even if he cannot start, and the European Champions have shown they can hurt a vulnerable France defence over the last couple of years.

France have tended to be the superior World Cup team compared with Spain, who have been much stronger in the continental tournaments, but this has the makings of a classic World Cup Semi Final.

Whoever scores first will be confident, but it should be noted that recent games between these European neighbours have tended to be very competitive and with the attacking players usually coming out on top.

So while World Cup Semi Final matches can become tight and tense, this may be one where both teams feel they can hurt the other and it may be another fixture between France and Spain that ends with at least three goals shared out.

Wednesday 15th July

England vs Argentina Pick: There is little love lost between these nations and they are meeting in the biggest game between the rivals in the history of this sport.

Making a World Cup Final is obviously the motivation, but there will be a huge amount of pain for the loser to absorb if going down to the other in this Semi Final.

Both England and Argentina will know that they need to improve to beat the other and the squad that has dealt best with the Extra Time needed to win Quarter Final matches will have the edge.

Superstar names have stepped up for both nations during what have been inconsistent performances in the Knock Out Rounds and the defences have really had problems. That could be the case in this Semi Final with both England and Argentina going to be feeling like the attacking players can hurt the other and it may be a game in which one of the teams will make one too many errors to hand the game to other.

Lionel Messi, Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham will receive the attention, but it could be a player at the back taking an unnecessary risk that proves costly.

Both teams will have their moments, but both are likely going to be relying on Emiliano Martinez and Jordan Pickford to step up when they are asked questions.

Out of the two, Martinez may just give Argentina the edge, but England have to know the defending World Champions are not looking nearly as good as they did in Qatar.

This has all of the makings of a tense night in both nations in a fixture that neither England nor Argentina dare to lose, but it could be one where the goalkeepers are forced into action more than some of the layers may think.

Extra Time and Penalties would not surprise anyone, but big saves are likely going to be needed before that and the defensive numbers have shown two teams that will give up shots on goal during this Knock Out run.

MY PICKS: France-Spain Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.95 William Hill (1 Unit)

England-Argentina Over 7.5 Match Shots on Target @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Semi Final: 

Quarter Final: 2-2, - 0.12 Units (4 Units Staked, - 3% Yield)

Last 16: 6-2, + 2.52 Units (8 Units Staked, + 31.5o% Yield)

Last 32: 10-6, + 4.38 Units (16 Units Staked, + 27.38% Yield)

Group Stage MD 3: 11-11-1, - 1.29 Units (23 Units Staked, - 5.61% Yield)

Group Stage MD 2: 16-8, + 7.44 Units (24 Units Staked, + 31% Yield)

Group Stage MD 1: 12-12, - 0.30 Units (24 Units Staked, - 1.25% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Tuesday 14th July)

The third Grand Slam of the 2026 season was completed on Sunday and that means the majority of the top players on the Tour will take a well-earned rest and only turn their attention back to the tennis at the end of the month or in early August.

That is when the focus will turn to the US Open, which begins at the end of August, and those players will choose to head to North America to take in back to back big Masters events in preparation for the final Slam of the season.

Frustration will still abound amongst the players that the Canadian Masters and Cincinnati Masters are further 1000 events that have begun to treat their tournament as mini-Slams and we have another strange situation of the Canadian Masters having the Final scheduled for Thursday. That cannot be ideal for fans or players, but the Tour has yet to take in the advice, although Cincinnati will be concluded on a weekend.

Other big events will take place between now and the US Open, but the top names will tend to stick to those Masters events and then the last Slam of the season. It does offer up opportunities for others to build up some confidence and momentum, while those still in Europe will have a chance to play some last clay court tennis before the move onto the hard courts.

This week there are three European clay court ATP events taking place and there are some decent names heading out onto the court who will be looking to bounce back from relatively poor showings at Wimbledon.

 It is an opportunity to pick up some vital Ranking Points and that should give all of the competitors some motivation to take into this week as the Tour moves on from the grass court part of the season.

Juan Manuel Cerundolo - 3.5 games v Zdenek Kolar: There is a vast experience edge here in favour of the younger player and Juan Manuel Cerundolo can come through this opening match in Gstaad without too much fuss.

He is going to be long known as the player that upset Jannik Sinner in Paris, but Cerundolo has a Challenger title on the surface this season and this kind of match up will feel like one that he would usually face at the lower level.

Juan Manuel Cerundolo reached the Final in Gstaad last year and so does have plenty of Ranking Points to protect, while he has been serving with slightly more authority this time around. That should help the World Number 45 as he looks to push his career best World Ranking mark to another level over the coming weeks and Cerundolo should have too much for Zdanek Kolar.

The 29 year old has a 15-14 record on the clay courts in 2026 with the majority of matches played way beyond the main ATP Tour.

Zdanek Kolar did lose in the Second Qualifying Round at Roland Garros, but almost exclusively plays on the Challenger circuit.

He will believe he can have some success on the return, but so will Juan Manuel Cerundolo and the latter's experience should be telling.

Pablo Carreno Busta - 3.5 games v Matej Dodig: Two players at opposite ends of their career path will be facing one another in Umag and Matej Dodig is likely going to be receiving plenty of support.

He has played here before, but the soon to be 21 year old has mainly be operating on the Challenger Tour and that is a big reason he is down at World Number 254.

Matej Dodig has produced pretty average numbers on the clay in 2026 and at a much lower level than the one he will be competing in this week.

Veteran Pablo Carreno Busta reached the Fourth Round at the French Open and won a Challenger event on the clay and reached the Final of another in the lead up to the second Grand Slam of the season. Those performances should make the Spaniard a strong favourite to progress into the Second Round of this tournament.

Pablo Carreno Busta has been serving well enough, but has impressed most with his return.

Those numbers have looked really good when Carreno Busta has faced opponents Ranked outside of the top 100 and he can quieten down the crowd with a solid win in this First Round match.

Alex Molcan - 2.5 games v Valentin Royer: This is a decent looking First Round match in Umag and the feeling is that Alex Molcan can continuing building his momentum on the Tour.

Injuries have seen him drop out of the top 100, but Alex Molcan can climb back into those positions with a couple of wins on the board here in Umag and that will give him plenty of motivation to back up the level being produced in 2026.

The last couple of seasons has shown Alex Molcan is happy enough on the surface when playing a certain level of opponent and Valentin Royer may be one of those opponents.

The Frenchman has not been as effective on the serve or return compared with Alex Molcan and Valentin Royer has spent a lot of his own time on the Challenger Tour. His 13-10 record on the clay leaves him vulnerable in this First Round match and the layers are anticipating the same with Alex Molcan down as the favourite.

There has been a real gap in the amount of breaks secured by the two players and that may be a factor that ends up giving Alex Molcan the edge to push on and secure the victory.

MY PICKS: Juan Manuel Cerundolo - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Pablo Carreno Busta - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Alex Molcan - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Season 2026: 172-144, + 10.16 Units (501 Units Staked, + 2.03% Yield)

European Tour 10- European Darts Open Day 3 Picks 2026 (Sunday 12th July)

We move into Finals day at the European Darts Open and there are a number of players that are still competing who will be looking to put down a marker ahead of the World Matchplay that begins next weekend.

Luke Littler and Luke Humphries are both going to be waiting in Blackpool, but fans will be hoping that others can step up in the next Ranking event to bring some more excitement to the sport.

Wessel Nijman is one that stands out, but there are some dangerous players scattered throughout the World Matchplay draw.

Before that, the European Darts Open has to be completed with a title on the line at the end of Sunday.

The Third Round is played in the Day Session before the Quarter Finals, Semi Finals and Final are completed in the Evening Session and there are a number of players involved who will believe they can go all the way.

Any selections from the Evening Session will be added to this thread once the Quarter Final lineup has been confirmed.

Wessel Nijman to win & both players over 1.5 180s v Dirk van Duijvenbode: This should be another high quality battle between these two compatriots after Wessel Nijman edged past Dirk van Duijvenbode on the European Tour at the end of May.

That match ended 6-5 in favour of the in-form Wessel Nijman and another close contest is expcted.

It is largely down to the heavy scoring that Dirk van Duijvenbode can produce and he had four maximums in that loss, a number Nijman had to match.

You would expect at least two maximums each in this one and once against Wessel Nijman to find a way to edge into the Evening Session at another European Tour event.

Michael van Gerwen to win & most 180s v Damon Heta: There have been signs that the latter is getting back into the kind of form he was producing in the last couple of years after a pretty underwhelming first six months in 2026.

Damon Heta is a confidence player and can match the best when at his best, but Michael van Gerwen is certainly looking a bit more like his old self.

He came through a tough Second Round match with some big checkouts and strong scoring and that is a combination that could be difficult to deal with in Leverkusen.

The Australian can be a big maximum hitter, but van Gerwen can edge past him in that statistical column and also win this Third Round match.

Kevin Doets to win & over 2.5 180s v Sebastian Bialecki: It will have disappointed Sebastian Bialecki to have missed out on the World Matchplay, but his form over the last twelve months is improving all of the time.

You would think he would be pushing for a top 32 spot next time around, while this weekend he can be free of thought and not concern himself about the tournament beginning in Blackpool next weekend.

Kevin Doets will be there and he has just maintained a strong run of form that has him pushing towards being Seeded for these European Tour events going forward.

Beating an out of sorts Martin Schindler will still have given Doets another push forward in momentum and he was scoring well enough to complete this double and progress to the Quarter Final later in the day.

Nathan Aspinall-Ross Smith both over 2.5 180s: My only real concern about this Third Round match is that both Nathan Aspinall and Ross Smith will likely have been up late watching the England World Cup Quarter Final that concluded around 2am local time.

With the assumption that neither would have been rushing to go to sleep after the manner in which England progressed, there could be some tired minds on the stage.

It is a concern about the level of performance that may be produced, but the two are scheduled to go out pretty late and that will certainly help.

At their best, both Aspinall and Smith are big maximum hitters and they will know that they will need to score well to get the better of the other. That could help with the focus, as long as there is no significant hangover to deal with, and both are capable of peppering the treble 20 bed in a match that should go at least nine Legs.

Gian van Veen - 1.5 legs v Krzysztof Ratajski: In the last Third Round match in the Day Session, Gian van Veen and Krzysztof Ratajski will be looking to lay down a marker to the other.

A place in the Quarter Final is motivation enough, but these two players also meet in the First Round of the World Matchplay next week.

Gian van Veen is beginning to look stronger after a mid-season slump and he has the scoring and the finishing to make things difficult for any opponent. He should have a little too much for The Polish Eagle in this Third Round contest and the likelihood is that the Dutchman can progress without the need for a final Leg decider as he becomes the last player into the Quarter Final.

MY PICKS: Wessel Nijman to Win & Both Players Over 1.5 180s @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Michael van Gerwen to Win & Most 180s @ 2.60 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Kevin Doets to Win & Over 2.5 180s @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Nathan Aspinall-Ross Smith Both Over 2.5 180s @ 2.20 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Gian van Veen - 1.5 Legs @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

QF PICKS: Luke Woodhouse to Win & Over 1.5 180s @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

James Wade to Win & Over 8.5 Total Legs @ 2.25 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Nathan Aspinall to Win & Over 2.5 180s @ 2.25 Bet365 (1 Unit)

European Darts Open: 5-5, - 0.66 Units (10 Units Staked, - 6.60% Yield)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 14 Pick- Mens Final 2026 (Sunday 12th July)

The Ladies Final looked like it was going to follow the Wimbledon Final of 2025 which ended in very one-sided fashion.

Linda Noskova had so many opportunities to win in the second set, but she just failed to get over the line and all credit has to be given to her for rallying and winning the Championship in the deciding set.

The big question for Noskova is whether she can push on from this success and, at 21 years old, there is every chance she can do that, but the recent Women's Champions have not always been able to do that. This continues to mean that there is every opportunity available for every player that enters a Grand Slam draw on this side and the US Open is going to be another big chance for so many to pick up a Major.

It is over to the Men on Sunday and the top of this side of the sport is very healthy- Carlos Alcaraz holds two Grand Slam titles, but there are serious doubts about when he will be able to return to action having missed the French Open and Wimbledon and also withdrawn from the Canadian Masters.

Alexander Zverev holds the French Open and Jannik Sinner will be heading into this Final as the defending Champion here at Wimbledon.

Opportunities outside of these three players are much tougher to find, although Novak Djokovic will have something to say about that, and it can sometimes make the early Rounds less dramatic compared with the Women's events. Some of the top ATP players will be able to hold their head up amongst the historical giants of the sport, especially if they can continue to churn out the Majors like the Big Three before them, but that is perhaps not the case with the very best WTA players who feel like they are very strong, but lacking the kind of consistency that was last displayed by Serena Williams at her best.

Can Linda Noskova move through and join the elite players on the Tour and kick on from there? That is to be seen over the next twelve months before she opens Centre Court on Day 2 of the 2027 Wimbledon, but the most immediate concern of the sport is finding out who will be opening the main show Court at SW19 on Day 1 next year.

Wimbledon was a really tough tournament for the Tennis Picks, but the last few days have proven to be a really strong bounce back effort and the tournament can be concluded with a profit with a Day 14 winner, or a very narrow loss with a losing selection.

At one stage it felt like all of the work from the opening six months of the season would be wasted and so a slight loss would still feel like a positive from where the Picks were earlier this week, although of course any selection being made is with the belief it can return a winner.

Over the remainder of the month, the European clay court swing and some of the early hard court tournaments will be played before moving into the two Masters events ahead of the US Open.

Sunday will be exactly seven weeks until the final Grand Slam of the 2026 season is to begin and there is plenty of tennis to get through before the US Open gets going in New York City.

Jannik Sinner - 5.5 games v Alexander Zverev: The defending Champion has perhaps not looked at his very best through the run back to the Final here at Wimbledon, but Jannik Sinner will have taken plenty of confidence from the way he was able to beat seven time former Winner Novak Djokovic in the Semi Final.

2026 has not been the season that the World Number One may have anticipated having yet to reach a Grand Slam Final and losing very early at the French Open, but Jannik Sinner is very comfortable on the grass. He has shown that again with another strong run at Wimbledon and Jannik Sinner has an opportunity to win a first Grand Slam since doing that right here twelve months ago, while perhaps underlining his status as the top player in the world.

A real argument could be made that Alexander Zverev is the current best player in the world if he is to back up the French Open success by winning a Grand Slam on his worst surface.

He has previously won titles on the grass, but Alexander Zverev had never reached the Quarter Final at Wimbledon before this season and the French Open success last month has clearly given the Number 2 Seed a real sense of belonging with the very best. You could say Alexander Zverev felt that before Paris, but this is a player who played within himself at key moments in the biggest matches and winning the French Open will have freed the mind.

Jannik Sinner had to come through in five sets in the First Round, while Alexander Zverev dropped a set in the opening Round too, but in the main both players have been pretty comfortable. There will be no excuses about fitness concerns after straight set Semi Final wins and the tennis being played by Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev has been at a level that makes them more than deserving Finalists.

The serve is going to be a big weapon for both Sinner and Zverev and they will need to maintain the levels that has seen them win at least 70% of service points in every match at the tournament. It can be argued that they have not faced someone who can return the ball as effectively as the other standing across the net, but these two players have to focus on themselves and that delivery will set them up to get through plenty of games without too much pressure being applied on them.

Out of the two players, Jannik Sinner has been the more consistent returner, but the Zverev serve can be a huge shot for the Number 2 Seed.

The raw numbers at this tournament have been really similar, but the mental advantage is clearly with Jannik Sinner who has dominated Alexander Zverev since the early meetings on the Tour.

Alexander Zverev had led 4-2 on the head to head, but they have played eight times since January 2025 and it is Jannik Sinner who has won all eight of those, beginning with a straight sets win in the Australian Open Final. That is the sole meeting in the last nineteen months in a Grand Slam event, but they have played in big Masters tournaments and Jannik Sinner will know that he has won all but a single set in the eight matches won by the Italian since the start of the 2025 season.

This simply cannot be ignored- four matches in 2026 have all ended in straight sets wins for Jannik Sinner which includes two on the hard court and two on the clay courts.

None of those meetings have been on grass, but this is a surface on which Jannik Sinner has had a lot more success than Alexander Zverev and the serve has been dominated by the top Seed during the last nineteen months.

In those eight matches played in that time, Jannik Sinner has held 99% of his service games with a single break given away and just 14 Break Points faced. Compare that to Alexander Zverev who has held 71% of service games played and been broken twenty-four times, while facing 49 Break Points and it is very tough to make a case for the French Open Champion being able to follow the likes of Bjorn Borg and Rafael Nadal in completing the Channel Grand Slam Double.

Alexander Zverev has proven he is going to be a threat to win Grand Slams going forward by becoming the first player to back up his maiden Major success by reaching the Final of the next Slam played, but Jannik Sinner should be the stronger grass court player. He can maintain his dominance of this opponent with another strong showing and Jannik Sinner can win his second Wimbledon title in succession on Sunday afternoon.

MY PICK: Jannik Sinner - 5.5 Games @ 2.10 William Hill (2 Units)

Wimbledon Update: 41-34, + 0.26 Units (148 Units Staked, + 0% Yield)

European Tour 10- European Darts Open Day 2 Picks 2026 (Saturday 11th July)

It is another very busy day on the European Tour circuit with the Second Round of this latest tournament to be played across two Sessions as the big names who are in Leverkusen this weekend enter the draw.

After a positive enough opening day, the selections continue from the Afternoon and Evening Sessions.

Luke Woodhouse - 2.5 legs v Dragutin Horvat: The Englishman crushed this opponent in a European Tour event back in March and only lost two Legs to him in another event last year.

Luke Woodhouse continues to play with real confidence and Dragutin Horvat will have to lift his level a couple of steps if he is going to make this one more competitive.

There are times when Woodhouse perhaps plays down to the opponent in front of him, but he was upset early in the last European Tour event played and should be focused enough to cover this handicap mark.

Kim Huybrechts v Jermaine Wattimena: Missing out on the World Matchplay at Blackpool will be a blow for Kim Huybrechts, but he is still playing some very good darts right now.

He has won both meetings with Jermaine Wattimena this season, albeit on the floor, and Kim Huybrechts has one match under his belt on this stage, which will give him some confidence to take into this good looking Second Round match.

There is no doubt that Jermaine Wattimena is very dangerous, but Kim Huybrechts may be able to edge past him with the scoring to match the Dutchman and the recent form that may just see him come through as the slight underdog.

Wessel Nijman - 2.5 legs v Bradley Brooks: You have to give Bradley Brooks some credit for turning around his form over the last month after a really trying period between February and April when he could not buy a win.

He has looked better and has won a match on this stage, but Brooks will be aware that he is going in against one of the top performers on the PDC circuit in 2026.

Wessel Nijman has played well enough to no longer have to begin European Tour events on Friday and he is a genuine contender to win this one. He will also be looking for. a strong weekend to take into the World Matchplay next weekend when Nijman has a chance to showcase his improvement to a wider audience and the last couple of meetings between the players has seen the Dutchman overpower Bradley Brooks 12-3 in Legs.

You have to expect Brooks to offer a bit more resistance, but that may not be enough for this handicap mark.

Stephen Bunting to win & most 180s v Ryan Joyce: This is quite a simple Second Round match and how it is going to be decided- if Stephen Bunting has his finishing at better than 45% on the checkouts, he should have too much for Ryan Joyce.

Relentless has shown he is a steady scorer, but he is a clinical finisher and will take advantage of any mistakes made by an opponent.

However, you have to believe Stephen Bunting has the far superior scoring power and that should mean having many more darts at winning Legs and the match.

Stephen Bunting played in both floor events earlier this week before a quick stop in London for an exhibition and then travelling to Leverkusen. That is something of a concern in terms of mental fatigue that could have built up, but Bunting should still have enough to complete the match double in this opening match of the Evening Session.

Jonny Clayton to win, Clayton over 1.5 180s & Karel Sedlacek over 0.5 180s: This three combination approach looks like a good one for this Second Round match.

Jonny Clayton should be able to continue his fantastic 2026 by edging past Karel Sedlacek, but both players are capable of getting into the maximum groove and thaey should at least hit one each.

However, it is Clayton who has really shown off his power scoring around the treble 20 bed which makes it easier to ask him to hit at least two in this one and putting the bet builder together offers up a a decent price from this Second Round match.

Kevin Doets to win & both over 1.5 180s v Martin Schindler: There has not been a lot wrong with the level of performances produced by Martin Schindler, but recent losses have piled up and that has to have dented the confidence.

On current trajectories of these two players, it will be Schindler who will soon be starting European Tour events in the First Round while Kevin Doets will be pushing into the Seeded positions.

Martin Schindler has had the edge in the recent head to head, but the last meeting was in April 2025 and Kevin Doets is much improved now.

Both remain very solid maximum hitters and this could be one of the matches of the night, although the edge has to be with Kevin Doets to snap the losing run against this opponent.

Ross Smith-Niels Zonneveld over 2.5 180s each: The last match of the Evening Session is scheduled for around half an hour before England's Quarter Final at the 2026 World Cup and so Ross Smith will be hoping the earlier matches have not dragged on too long.

His focus will be on appearing on Finals Day in Leverkusen, but he will also want to get off the stage without missing too much of the England game.

Power scoring can quicken up Legs and both Smith and Niels Zonneveld are very capable of putting together some monster scoring.

These two players met in a European Tour event in early May and the maximums were powered in by both in a match that lasted nine Legs. You have to imagine that will be the case in this one too and that should give Ross Smith and Niels Zonneveld enough time to hit three maximums each in a fitting end to the Evening Session schedule.

MY PICKS: Luke Woodhouse - 2.5 Legs @ 1.66 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Kim Huybrechts @ 2.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Wessel Nijman - 2.5 Legs @ 1.83 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Stephen Bunting to Win & Most 180s @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Jonny Clayton to Win, Jonny Clayton Over 1.5 180s & Karel Sedlacek Over 0.5 180s @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Kevin Doets to Win & Both Players Over 1.5 180s @ 2.20 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Ross Smith-Niels Zonneveld Over 2.5 180s Each @ 2.15 Bet365 (1 Unit)

European Darts Open: 2-1, + 1.05 Unis (3 Units Staked, + 35% Yield)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 13 Pick- Women's Final 2026 (Saturday 11th July)

It is never easy seeing a great Champion lose that half a step, but that looks to be the situation for Novak Djokovic and Father Time looks to have caught up with him.

This leaves Alexander Zverev and Jannik Sinner as the last two Men standing at Wimbledon in 2026, but on Saturday the focus is on the Ladies title which will be won by a Czech player yet again.

Both players should be full of confidence ahead of the Final and the anticipation is that we are going to have another close battle between two players who have already won a title on the grass this season.

Karolina Muchova-Linda Noskova over 22.5 games: Wimbledon has always had some brilliant Czech Champions and they are going to be crowning another in the Ladies tournament on Saturday.

We are guaranteed to have a third different Czech Ladies Champion in four years after Marketa Vondrousova and Barbora Krejcikova won in 2023 and 2024, while the likes of Jana Novotna and Petra Kvitova are other former Champions without mentioning Martina Navratilova (who was born in Czechoslovakia before switching nationality to the United States).

Both Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova are top ten Seeds in the tournament and they have managed to avoid the pitfalls that saw the draw open up as the top players went tumbling out of the event. The numbers produced by the two players will give them plenty of belief that they can become the latest Grand Slam Champion on the Tour, while Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova both won warm up tournaments on the grass to underline their ability to play on the surface.

One previous match between these two friends was played at the US Open last year when Karolina Muchova won in three sets and this match is going to feel like it is being played in line with a hard court considering the heat that has been in London over the last fortnight. Some of the grip on the grass is still different, but first strike tennis is going to be important and both Muchova and Noskova will know that.

They visited Centre Court together in the hours before each won Semi Final matches and you have to feel that the fact they are close off the court should help the pair settle on the court.

It is a Grand Slam Final though and so nerves have to be expected.

Karolina Muchova fans will have some concern about the way she was holding her stomach at the end of her Semi Final win over Coco Gauff, although it did feel like nerves were getting on top of her rather than an injury that will affect her in the Final. However, it is something to consider, especially as Muchova will not want to be hindered when it comes to the serve.

She will have to serve well to just stay with Linda Noskova, who has been serving really well throughout the tournament and who overpowered Marta Kostyuk in her own Semi Final.

The superior variation is going to come from Karolina Muchova, but Linda Noskova is capable of ripping big shots and that is going to be her approach to try and get on top of rallies as soon as she can.

The Covid pandemic meant Wimbledon was not played in 2020 and three of the last five Ladies Finals since then have all gone the distance- it would be a stunning turn of events if it ends 6-0, 6-0 as this Final did twelve months ago and instead this looks like a Final that will have some real swings in momentum.

Each player winning a set would not be a surprise, but a closely fought two set match may still see this total games mark overcome, as it was when Karolina Muchova beat Naomi Osaka in straight sets in the Quarter Final.

Picking a winner is tough, but perhaps the experience of Karolina Muchova will eventually tell, although Linda Noskova has played well throughout this grass court season and the 21 year old is unlikely to go away very quickly.

MY PICK: Karolina Muchova-Linda Noskova Over 22.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Wimbledon Update: 40-34, - 1.34 Units (146 Units Staked, - 1% Yield)

European Tour 10- European Darts Open Day 1 Picks 2026 (Friday 10th July)

A couple of Players Championship events were held earlier this week, but in the main, the PDC Tour has been on a little hiatus moving into the second half of the year.

This is when things really begin to ramp up though with more European Tour events and a Tour that has a second half that is filled with Ranking events after the field for the World Matchplay was confirmed.

That begins in mid-July on the same weekend as the World Cup Final is scheduled, but that also means the Matchplay will be gaining plenty of attention once the football has concluded and the tournament heats up.

Before that, the European Tour 10 event is to be played across this weekend in the format that has become very familiar to all.

Seeds will be joining the tournament on Saturday, but the First Round will be played across two Sessions on Day 1 on Friday before the event is concluded across a couple of Sessions on Sunday.

Andrew Gilding - 1.5 legs v Rob Owen: Beating Rob Owen is never going to be easy, but Andrew Gilding has something he likes about the match up and he can get through this First Round tie at the latest European Tour event.

Both players have been in decent form on the floor, but the Gilding experience is an important factor that gives him the edge.

Goldfinger will have noted the early losses suffered by Rob Owen at the Players Championship events played earlier this week and Andrew Gilding can back up his solid performance at European Tour 9 by making sure he gets into the weekend here.

The World Matchplay draw will be something that Andrew Gilding will be interested in seeing once it is released, but the focus is to have some momentum ahead of the trip to Blackpool and he can get the better of his Welsh opponent yet again.

Kim Huybrechts to win & most 180s v Samuel Price: These two players met on the floor earlier this year, but the key here is whether Kim Huybrechts can overcome the disappointment of missing the World Matchplay.

That does not take away from how well he has played in 2026, but it is important to keep building forward.

Kim Huybrechts is the favourite against Samuel Price who has lost his last eight Players Championship matches and the heavier scoring should come from the Belgian.

This is another step in the development for Price and his career, but Kim Huybrechts should overpower him on his way through to the Second Round.

Joe Cullen to win & over 1.5 180s v Charlie Manby: These two met in a high quality match on the Tour earlier this season and it was Joe Cullen who edged to the victory 6-4 in a Quarter Final at Players Championship 08.

Charlie Manby looked in decent shape on the floor in Players Championship 23, but Joe Cullen wasn't playing badly and just needs to get his doubling back up to par.

He has admitted that the scoring is not really an issue, but Cullen cannot afford to give away too many chances if he is going to have a decent run in this event.

You would expect Joe Cullen to put at least two maximums on the board, but this is going to come down to whether he can withstand the push that Charlie Manby will have and whether the former can hit his big doubles. That is hard to guess, but Joe Cullen should be motivated in a match like this and that is usually when we see his best efforts.

MY PICKS: Andrew Gilding - 1.5 Legs @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Kim Huybrechts to Win & Most 180s @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Joe Cullen to Win & Over 1.5 180s @ 1.95 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Darts 2026: 94-120, - 13.83 Units (211 Units Staked, - 6.55% Yield)