You can make adjustments when matches are blow outs going against the selections, but this has been a month where players have been in solid positions to win and then lost all form and played poor tennis at key times.
It is annoying, but it is also part of a long season on the Tour.
This week the tournaments move onto another few clay court stops in Europe, but there are a couple of hard court events being played as the run up towards the US Open officially begins in Atlanta. The big Masters events are due to go in August ahead of the tournament in New York City, but it has been confirmed that Novak Djokovic will not play the Canadian Masters as he looks to give himself more time to rest and recover.
The ATP Hamburg event is a pretty big one as an ATP 500 tournament, and the Tennis Picks are largely going to concentrate on that tournament this week. Monday tends to be a quieter day with Qualifiers being completed and some of the markets not produced for all of the matches that are set to be played, while I am looking for a stronger return all around after another poor week.
Tomas Martin Etcheverry - 1.5 games v Laslo Djere: A disappointing loss in Bastad will have hurt, but Tomas Martin Etcheverry can make up for that by earning a spot in the Second Round in Hamburg.
It has been a strong season on the clay courts with the notable result being his run to the Quarter Final at the French Open, and that was a run that helped Tomas Martin Etcheverry reach a career high World Ranking last month. With a couple more solid performances over the next four weeks, Etcheverry has to be thinking about being Seeded for the US Open, which may give him an opportunity to pick up some more World Rankings.
Things have not always been smooth for the Argentine and the defeat last week in Bastad means his post-Wimbledon performances on the clay courts over the last twelve months have not been that impressive. Last year he was beaten in the First Round in all three clay court events played in the European summer, but the first serve has looked a more efficient weapon for Tomas Martin Etcheverry this year and this could be a key for him in this First Round match.
His opponent is someone that has to be respected- Laslo Djere is very capable at his best, but he is also never that far away from a really poor outing, which is perhaps why his numbers are average on the clay courts. Last week he was beaten in very poor fashion by Zizou Bergs in Gstaad, but overall Laslo Djere has played well against opponents outside of the top 20 on the clay courts and has a 12-6 record against them on this surface in 2023.
The numbers are much stronger in those matches and Djere is someone who can serve well on the clay, while the Serb's return game has to be respected too.
However, Tomas Martin Etcheverry has been a little better all around on the surface over the last seven months and the feeling is that he will have enough quality to get the better of a tough opponent.
Both have similar service numbers against players Ranked outside the top 20, but Etcheverry has been slightly superior on the return and that could be shown up in this First Round contest that may be played under the Hamburg main court roof.
Jil Teichmann - 3.5 games v Erika Andreeva: It is always going to be tough to perform on the Tour when your younger sister is seen as the more talented up and comer and a potential multiple time Grand Slam Champion in the making.
This did not stop Venus Williams from making a huge impact of her own on the Tour even when her father was speaking about the potential of Serena, and that is something that Erika Andreeva is going to have to show.
She has not really been able to find the strong results that Mirra has done, while Erika's World Ranking has slipped back outside of the top 150.
Things can quickly turn around, but it can also be very difficult to crack the top 100 once you slip out of those positions. Jil Teichmann is a great example of that having lost form in a twelve month period and the Swiss player is struggling to put the results together to end her slide.
A Quarter Final run last week will help, but that was in a WTA 125 tournament and this is a big week for the home player. The fans are going to be behind Teichmann, which will help the lefty, while a strong win over Erika Andreeva a few weeks ago will give the favourite more confidence to take into the match.
Erika Andreeva has flashed some of her potential, but her serve is still vulnerable and Jil Teichmann should be able to take advantage and frank the win she holds over her. While she is not playing at the level that took Teichmann into World Number 21 in July 2022, she does hold a 6-2 record against players not Ranked inside the top 100 on the clay courts and that includes that win over Andreeva.
For all of her potential, Erika Andreeva is just 4-6 in matches against players outside of the top 100 on the red dirt in 2023 and she has suffered some comfortable defeats in those matches.
MY PICKS: Tomas Martin Etcheverry - 1.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Jil Teichmann - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Mirra Andreeva - 5.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)
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