European Tour 5- European Darts Grand Prix Day 2 Picks (Saturday 18th April)

The top Seeds are all due out on Saturday when the Second Round of this European Tour 5 event is played across two Sessions.

There are some good looking matches set to head out and the fans are in for a fun day with plenty of home players also in action.

Kevin Doets to win & most 180s v Jermaine Wattimena: This is a clash between two friends, but Kevin Doets has been getting the better of Jermaine Wattimena in recent meetings.

Kevin Doets is clearly in the stronger form over the last month, and he can build on that with the superior scoring likely to be a factor.

The maximums have been coming thick and fast for Doets and that could be a key to getting past Wattimena again.

Wessel Nijman - 1.5 legs v Ryan Searle: You can never dismiss the chances of a World Championship Semi Finalist, but Ryan Searle would be the first to admit that Wessel Nijman is playing the best darts on the floor this year.

He has taken a couple of heavy losses to the young Dutchman over the last twelve months and Ryan Searle may struggle to make his Seeding count in this one.

The consistency of Wessel Nijman can see him find a way to come through without the need to be dragged into a final Leg decider.

Josh Rock to win & most 180s v Keane Barry: Any player who has a win under their belt ahead of the Second Round at any European Tour event is to be respected.

Keane Barry has played some solid darts in 2026, but there are real signs that Josh Rock is warming up with his Premier League form improving.

Outside of that tournament, the Northern Irishman has produced much stronger results consistently and Josh Rock could have too much scoring for Keane Barry in the last match of the Afternoon Session.

Gerwyn Price to win & over 2.5 180s v Dave Chisnall: He did not look at his best in Rotterdam on Thursday, but another couple of days should have seen Gerwyn Price move through the illness that kept him out of both Players Championship tournaments earlier this week.

He was scoring well enough on Thursday, but Luke Littler had a bit too much.

This is unlikely to be the case from an inconsistent Dave Chisnall and Price should have too much for the opponent in this Second Round.

The only risk with adding at least 180s to be scored by Gerwyn Price is that Chisnall has been playing poorly enough to fall away without pushing the Welshman too deep.

Nathan Aspinall to win & most 180s v Jeffrey de Zwaan: After winning European Tour 4, a well rested Nathan Aspinall can make a solid start to the next big event he has entered.

His maximum hitting has not been an issue over the last several months, but Aspinall can be wasteful on the doubling, which has prevented him from having deep runs at the Majors.

Jeffrey de Zwaan should be respected, but he has been in mixed form over the last couple of months and the higher Ranked player can complete the Match Double in this Second Round match.

Joe Cullen v Gian van Veen: The latter is playing in the Premier League, but Gian van Veen has not been playing at his best over the last month.

He is still a quality operator and is rightly favoured, but Joe Cullen has a habit of lifting his game against the better players and looks a big price for the upset.

Recent form has not exactly been inspiring, but Joe Cullen is a streaky player and looked in decent shape in the First Round.

Of course he is going to have to be better if he is to upset one of the top players on the Tour, but Cullen has beaten Gian van Veen in each of the last four meetings- two of those were played last year and the World Number 32 could find a way in this best of eleven Leg format.

MY PICKS: Kevin Doets to Win & Most 180s @ 2.40 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Wessel Nijman - 1.5 Legs @ 2.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Josh Rock to Win & Most 180s @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Gerwyn Price to Win & Over 2.5 180s @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Nathan Aspinall to Win & Most 180s @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Joe Cullen @ 3.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

European Darts Grand Prix: 1-3, - 2 Units (4 Units Staked, - 33.33% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Saturday 18th April)

The tournaments being played around Europe are all coming to a conclusion this weekend and the attention will soon turn to the Madrid 1000 event for both the ATP and WTA Tours.

The top of the ATP event has lost both Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic with both players citing injury- the withdrawal of Alcaraz is more worrying considering he pulled out of the event in Barcelona before playing his Second Round match and the defending French Open Champion will be desperate to get some more clay court tennis under the legs at the Rome Masters in early May.

We know that Novak Djokovic is all about peaking for the Grand Slams, but his fans will also like to see him take part in a clay court event before the French Open gets underway at the end of next month.

The WTA event in Madrid is intact at the time of writing, but things can change quickly on the Tour as most begin to think about the second Grand Slam of the season.

Alexander Zverev - 4.5 games v Fabio Cobolli: At the end of March, Fabio Cobolli set a new career high World Ranking mark at Number 13 and he can move even higher than that if he is able to win the ATP Munich title on Sunday.

The performances at this event have been pretty strong, but the Italian has benefited from a draw in which he has not faced anyone Ranked higher than World Number 40.

You can only beat what is placed in front of you and so credit has to be given to Fabio Cobolli for the manner in which the wins have been produced. This is a clay court event, but it says something when you think Cobolli has only been broken twice in three matches, although he will be the first to admit that his serve will be tested considerably more by the World Number 3 compared with the opponents that have been seen off in this tournament.

Alexander Zverev showed his qualities in coming from behind to beat Francisco Cerundolo in the Quarter Final and he is very comfortable playing in front of the home fans. After dropping the first set 7-5, Alexander Zverev lost just two more games against a very solid clay courter, and he looks to have his eye in on the return of serve.

There is a pretty small sample of clay court results at this stage of the season, especially for these two players who have both begun the red dirt experience since the Tour moved back to Europe.

The numbers are pretty similar, but it cannot be ignored that Alexander Zverev has been facing considerably stronger opponents than the younger player across the net. It means Fabio Cobolli probably has another level to find if he is going to compete in this Semi Final and Alexander Zverev should be comfortable with the match up.

He has won both previous matches against Fabio Cobolli and Alexander Zverev has won all five sets played against one another.

They met at the French Open last year and Alexander Zverev was a very comfortable winner in that Third Round meeting- the higher Ranked player proved to have a real edge when it comes to the service numbers and that could play out again in a tournament that Alexander Zverev has really enjoyed.

In a best of three set format, this is a big spread, but Alexander Zverev has been playing with the intensity and qualities to find a way to break down the Fabio Cobolli game and ultimately make relatively comfortable passage into yet another Munich Final.

MY PICKS: Alexander Zverev - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 4-1, + 2.34 Units (5 Units Staked, + 46.80% Yield)

NBA Picks 2025- Play In Tournament (Tuesday 15th April-Friday 18th April)

The 4-0-1 run for the NBA Picks in the 2024 Finals proved to be the difference between a winning and losing season for the selections.

Matching the Playoff run through the 2023 tournament was always going to be challenging, but back to back years with a profit returned cannot be ignored.

After a long regular season, and the second NBA Cup, we are back into the post-season beginning with the Play In Tournament from Tuesday through to Friday. We have seen the opening schedule for the Game 1s of the First Round with four to be played on Saturday and four to be played on Sunday and it is no surprise that the four teams that are able to come through the Play In Tournament will be featured on the second of those days.

Of course the final two places will not be decided until Friday and so those two teams will be the ones with the least amount of recovery and preparation before the Playoffs get underway, but that is the downside of either finishing as a the Number 9 or 10 Seed in either Conference or having lost the battle between the Number 7 and Number 8 Seeds.

Those opening games between the highest Seeds involved in the Play In Tournament have been set for Tuesday with the first elimination games played on Wednesday.

The regular season may still be tweaked in the years ahead to ensure games matter even more than they do now, although that does not mean it was a year devoid of storylines.

Even now, the trade made by the Dallas Mavericks to move Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers is being felt throughout the League and the former of those teams has to find a way to win two games and earn a spot in the First Round of the Playoffs. Anything less than that will have Mavericks fans wondering whether there should be firings in the executive areas of the team, namely Nico Harrison, especially as it would have happened less than twelve months since Dallas were playing in the NBA Finals.

It is a big week for the likes of the Golden State Warriors and Orlando Magic, two teams in each Conference that will certainly feel they can give the top Seeds something to think about if they are able to make it through the Play In Tournament. Others may value the experience that participating in the First Round of the Playoffs will give them, even if they are not expected to have a big impact in the Playoff and so there will be plenty of motivation on display when the first phase of the post-season this week.

As in previous years, the First Round Picks for the NBA Playoffs will be split into a couple of threads, but the first of those will be published on Friday evening/Saturday morning.

Before that, the focus is on the Play In Tournament with selections added to this thread over the next four days as the match ups are set.

Tuesday 15th April

Atlanta Hawks @ Orlando Magic Pick: The regular season series may have been split 2-2, but you cannot place a lot of stock in the Atlanta Hawks win over the Orlando Magic on the final day of the regular season. The Seeds for the Play In Tournament had already been set by then and both the Hawks and Magic knew they would be meeting in Orlando in the first of the Play In games with the teams holding the Number 7 and 8 Seeds.

The reason the Orlando Magic are hosting is thanks to a home win over the Atlanta Hawks last week and that was a game that had meant a lot to both teams.

It will give the Magic the mental edge in this game where the winner will move into the bracket for the Playoff with a Series against the Boston Celtics to come. The losing team will have a second opportunity to earn a spot in the post-season later in the week when hosting the winner of the Chicago-Miami Play In Tournament game, but neither Orlando nor Atlanta will be thinking about anything other than winning this one.

The top two Seeds in the Eastern Conference are both looking very strong and will be tough to beat, but the Orlando Magic may be the most dangerous opponent to meet. Injuries are perhaps the main reason Orlando finished 3 games out of the top six in the Eastern Conference with the likes of Frank Wagner and Paolo Banchero missing significant time during the regular season, but both have been influential to earning the top spot in the Play In Tournament.

Jalen Suggs is missing, which is a blow, but the Orlando Magic have continued to play strong Defensive basketball and that is expected to be key in this game. When beating the Atlanta Hawks at home last week, Orlando were a bit more careful with the ball, but the key was matching the three point output of the Hawks on the night.

They may need more of the same in this one with Atlanta still looking like a team that can rack up the points on any given night. Trae Young has shown his ability to perform in the pressurised environment of the post-season plenty of times and the Hawks finished the season in very consistent form on the Offensive side of the court, although they will have to respect how well Orlando have played against that.

There is also pressure on the Hawks Offensively as they have not performed as well on the other side of the court throughout the season. This Orlando team may not be that convincing Offensively, but they have those players like Banchero and Frank Wagner capable of doing enough and that is how this opening Play In Tournament may end up landings.

With the Magic better at home, they can do enough Offensively to keep the Hawks under some pressure and that should allow the Defensive schemes to just pressurise the road team to force up some shots. As long as the Magic continue to challenge on the boards as they did last week, Orlando can find a way to win this game and cover the spread set.

The Number 7 Seed is 6-2 in the Play In Tournament since this format was introduced and the Orlando Magic can extend that further with the win and cover.

Memphis Grizzlies @ Golden State Warriors Pick: They were one of a handful of teams that had so much riding on the final regular season game, but the Golden State Warriors were beaten at home in Overtime by the LA Clippers. Despite being one of the hottest teams in the NBA since the All Star Game, that defeat has cost the Warriors an opportunity to take their place in the First Round of the NBA Playoffs and instead they enter the Play In Tournament.

This is still a veteran team that will feel they can have a major impact in the post-season, but the key for the Warriors may be winning this first of potentially two Play In Tournament games. Winning this one would mean facing the Houston Rockets in the First Round, which feels a much more winnable Series than having to go in with the Number 1 Seed and title favourites Oklahoma City Thunder.

Head Coach Steve Kerr will not be too concerned, but it does feel the Number 7 Seed in the Playoff will offer Golden State a much better chance to really build momentum. With players like Draymond Green, Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler in the rotation, the Warriors are going to be very dangerous if they can play their way into the First Round.

This opening Play In Tournament game sees the Warriors hosting the Memphis Grizzlies, who had a late, disappointing collapse in their own bid to earn a top six finish in the tough Western Conference. Memphis did win four of their last six games, but consecutive defeats to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets saw those two teams earn one of the top six places and with Memphis now scrambling for a spot in the First Round.

The losing team is likely going to be a favourite in the last elimination game later this week, but having to face the Thunder in the First Round instead of the Rockets will mean there is plenty of motivation to avoid that pressurised final game.

With Ja Morant in the lineup, there has not been a lot wrong with the Memphis Offensive approach down the stretch, although this is a tough test for them against the Golden State Defense. It becomes that much more challenging on the road and the Grizzlies may be put under pressure by the continued absence of Jaylen Wells.

His absence has really been felt on the Defensive side of the court and that may be the case again on Tuesday as they prepare to face an opponent that won three of the four regular season games. That includes the Golden State Warriors winning as a road favourite at the Memphis Grizzlies earlier this month when Steph Curry put up 52 points and was well backed by Jimmy Butler (27 points).

This feels like a decent enough match up for the Warriors and they should have had ample time to recover emotionally and physically from the Overtime loss to the Clippers on Sunday. That game was played in the afternoon and this one is set for Tuesday evening so there will be no excuses for Golden State as they look to avoid an elmination from this Play In Tournament format for the third time in five years.

Last year they were beaten as the Number 10 Seed, while losses to the Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies saw the Warriors eliminated in 2021. It has been a few seasons, but revenge can be earned for that home defeat in 2021 with a strong victory over Memphis to take their place as the Number 7 Seed in the Western Conference Playoff bracket.

Wednesday 16th April

Miami Heat @ Chicago Bulls Pick: The regular season has been completed and we move into a portion of the schedule where experience can be more valuable than outright talent.

The experience edge has to be with the Miami Heat in the first elimination game played in the Play In Tournament in 2025 when the Number 10 Seed visit the Chicago Bulls. However, it is the Number 9 Seeded Bulls hosting this game and they will point out that they have won all three regular season games between these rivals and all have been played since February.

That includes the Bulls beating the Miami Heat by 8 points last week, which is effectively why Chicago are hosting rather than travelling to South Florida. In saying that, the situation is a bit different in this Play In Tournament game compared with the three regular season games and that is because the Bulls have been set as the favourite, albeit narrow favourite, for the first time.

Players and fans will know that and that does build pressure with a sense of expectation around the team.

Trades were made by both Chicago and Miami during the regular season which will have dampened enthusiasm for a deep post-season run and both know that their only opponent in the First Round is the Number 1 Seed Cleveland Cavaliers. Even reaching that Round will mean winning two games in a row this week, but the focus has to be on Wednesday when the 'win or go home' state first comes up.

Seeding has tended to be important in the opening Play In Tournament games and the Number 9 Seed has a 6-2 record against the Number 10 Seed. That includes Chicago winning as a host in 2024, while in 2023 the Bulls were one of the Number 10 Seeds that have secured a road upset to move through.

In saying that, it will not have been lost on anyone that both the 2023 and 2024 Play In Tournament runs ended in the Number 8 Seed Game and both times the Chicago Bulls have fallen at the hands of the Miami Heat.

This is going to be a mental factor that the Bulls have to overcome if they are going to progress and earn one more shot at taking their place in the post-season.

Chicago will need their key players to be healthy and all of the talk in the City is about Josh Giddey and his availability after it was announced he has been dealing with tendinitis issue that could affect his three point shooting capabilities. Like many of the starters, he was rested at times down the stretch in order to be ready to compete and his status is going to be important.

The expectation is that he will suit up and this is a Bulls team that have dominated those they will have expected to beat in recent games. However, the team have struggled against the top teams and so anything more than a First Round Playoff run would be seen as a huge success.

They will be able to attack a Miami team that have not been as strong since trading Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors, but a team that could benefit from the development some of the younger players have had. Like Chicago, the Heat were focused on the Play In Tournament when concluding the regular season and they will be confident that they can create the situations to hurt a Bulls team missing some of their better Defensive talent.

However, the Heat no longer have that go-to player who can take a post-season game over, while the team lost four of their last six games to close out the regular season. When they played here last week, the Heat actually won the turnover battle, but that was still not enough to secure the victory and Josh Giddey's availability would see this game lean in favour of the hosts.

This is not a big spread so it is reasonable to point out that the Heat have struggled as road underdogs with a 6-14 record in twenty games played in that spot. It is the first time they are being given points against Chicago this season, but those three regular season wins have to count for something and recent history continues to give the Number 9 Seed the advantage in this elimination Play In Tournament game.

Dallas Mavericks @ Sacramento Kings Pick: Both of these teams made big moves by trading away their best Guard ahead of the trade deadline, but there is little doubt that the biggest noise continues to be around the one that the Dallas Mavericks made.

Most teams may have shopped around for the best haul when talking about moving a potentially generational talent, but Nico Harrison has been hugely criticised for not only deciding that the Mavericks are better off without Luke Doncic. Furthering the disgust of the fans has been the news that Harrison had focused only on Anthony Davis as the trade piece he wanted back and so Dallas quietly moved behind the scenes to make a really poor trade with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Poor for the Mavericks, not for the Number 3 Seeded Lakers.

This is going to go down as a historically poor trade and even winning the NBA Championship may not be enough to excuse Nico Harrison's thinking.

The reality is that the Dallas Mavericks made the NBA Finals last year with Luka Doncic a huge piece of that run, but this year they have almost backed into the Play In Tournament and Kyrie Irving has been injured and ruled out for the remainder of the season. Many were baffled that Harrison was so keen to bring in injury-prone Anthony Davis and that is how it has worked out with Davis missing considerable time, although available for this Play In Tournament game.

When the Sacramento Kings moved De'Aaron Fox days after the Doncic trade, it barely made a blip on the radar that was still shaking by what Dallas had done.

The Kings have not exactly been flying since their own trade, but they have been solid and they look to have a team that can produce too much scoring for the current Dallas Mavericks roster. Being at home is another advantage, while the Kings have won both regular season games against the Mavericks since February.

Four losses in five games to round out the regular season offers little encouragement for fans of the Dallas Mavericks and they are likely going to need some fortune if they are going to prolong their season for a few more days. Ultimately they will need the Sacramento shooters to have a poor evening shooting the ball if the Mavericks are going to be able to impose their size on this Play In Tournament game, but that feels like a big ask and Sacramento may have too much.

Sacramento blew out the Golden State Warriors in this exact same spot twelve months ago and there is a chance that this gets out of hand for the Dallas Mavericks.

In recent games, the Dallas Mavericks have been inconsistent when it comes to shooting the three point shot and there is every chance this game becomes ugly if they are being forced to throw up too many of those shots. They are also playing a Kings team that have been pretty good Defensively over the last couple of weeks and one that has the Offensive talent to really push the pace against their opponent.

Nico Harrison is going to have some big questions to answer from those above him if the Mavericks are bounced out early having reached the NBA Finals in 2024, but that looks the only likely outcome of this elimination game. Fans will be wondering what may have been if someone could have stopped the trade that rocked the NBA world, and that may become even more painful to watch and/or read if Dallas do not make the First Round of the Playoff and the Los Angeles Lakers have the kind of run that many feel they can.

Friday 18th April

Miami Heat @ Atlanta Hawks Pick: These two teams could not be heading into this lasr Play In Tournament game in different moods, but the results since the introduction of this stage of the post-season have perhaps been surprising.

You may anticipate that the team that won the first game would have the momentum in the Play In Tournament, but it is the higher Seed that lost the opening Tournament game who have won five of the eight elimination games played. That includes winning the last four in a row and so it cannot be underestimaed the edge home advantage can give any team.

The Miami Heat have earned their place in this Play In Tournament game by crushing the Chicago Bulls on the road and they are just the third Number 10 Seed that have made it through to the Number 8 Seed game. The previous two were both beaten and Miami will know that it is going to be a challenge for them to continue producing on the Offensive side of the court at the high level that they have been.

Facing the Atlanta Hawks, who were blown out by the Orlando Magic on Tuesday, will give Miami the mental edge after winning the last two regular season games between these rivals. However, both were at home and the Heat have lost twice in this Arena already this season.

Miami came out very quickly against the Chicago Bulls and then suffocated them Defensively by holding them to just 90 points. This has to give the Heat plenty of reason to believe they can win here and this is a team that will look to the strong Defensive play to spark what they do Offensively with turnovers the key.

There is no doubting that the Miami Heat have been shooting the ball well in recent games and they can put some pressure on the Atlanta Hawks, although there are players in the home uniform who will also feel they can make a big Defensive impact on the game.

A concern has to be that Atlanta struggled to deal with the Orlando Magic Defensive schemes on Tuesday, even before Trae Young was ejected from the game. They are gong to need to organise more effectively on this side of the court and the Hawks have to play a cleaner game than the Miami Heat in terms of turnovers and rebounding numbers and this has the feeling of a very close game.

Neither is expected to offer too much resiliency against the Number 1 Seed Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference, but the narrow lean has to be with the Miami Heat to become the first Number 10 Seed to earn a spot in the First Round of the Playoff. Nothing will come easy, but Miami may feel that their Defensive work gives them the edge, as long as they can find someone to step up and perform Offensively as they have seen in recent games.

Dallas Mavericks @ Memphis Grizzlies Pick: The Dallas Mavericks upset the odds to beat the Sacramento Kings and that has earned them the right to compete in the Number 8 Seed in the Western Conference Play In Tournament. They are just the second Number 10 Seed to make it through the opening elimination game and that occurred just hours after Miami Heat had become the first to do that.

Making the First Round may not appease the unhappy fans, but the knives could be out for Nico Harrison if Dallas fail to make the Playoff.

He will have been very satisfied watching Anthony Davis lead the Mavericks to that win earlier this week, but this is another big test for Dallas when they head out to face the Memphis Grizzlies. A narrow loss to the Golden State Warriors has forced the Grizzlies into this Number 8 Seed game, but they will be encouraged by the overall performance and a couple of blowout wins over the Mavericks since the Luka Doncic trade will also help.

One of those may not matter too much with it being played on the final day of the regular season, but the win in March is important and will give Memphis plenty of belief to take into this game.

However, there is one concern that Ja Morant may miss out.

While he has not reached previous levels, Morant's recent performances have been much more encouraging and his absence will hurt Memphis. The Grizzlies are 18-14 without Ja Morant this season, but they will give him all of the time he needs to get himself ready to play having hurt his ankle in that loss to the Warriors.

The Grizzlies will know that their Offensive plans will be impacted without Ja Morant, although they can still give Dallas more to think about than the Sacramento Kings did in a disappointing home loss. The Mavericks will try and use their size to dominate the boards and limit the Memphis Grizzles to one and done, while grinding it out has to be part of the plan Offensively.

Most teams in the NBA will look to really get going from the three point range, but that is not a strength for Dallas and instead they will want to get the ball down into Anthony Davis and use him to open things up for others. The Mavericks did hit 14 three pointers in the win over the Kings and at 50% of the shots thrown up, but this Memphis team has plenty of intensity when getting out to the shooters and that could prevent that happening again.

Klay Thompson did remind people of his obvious talent in that win over the Kings to support Davis, but the veteran is not the force he once was. Replicating that effort will be tough and it gives Memphis the edge, even if Morant has to sit out.

This is a big spread if Dallas can impose themselves on this Number 8 Seed game, but the feeling is they may not have the consistency to do that as they did when beating the Sacramento Kings. This may just give Memphis the impetus to pull away in the Fourth Quarter and cover this mark set for the last Play In Tournament game.

MY PICKS: 15/04 Orlando Magic - 5 Points @ 1.90 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

15/04 Golden State Warriors - 6.5 Points @ 1.83 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

16/04 Chicago Bulls - 1 Point @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

16/04 Sacramento Kings - 5 Points @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

18/04 Miami Heat + 1 Point @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

18/04 Memphis Grizzlies - 6 Points @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

Play In Tournament: 3-3, - 0.28 Units (6 Units Staked, - 4.67% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2022 (April 18th)

Winners in both Semi Final matches at the Monte Carlo Masters on Saturday ensured I would not have a losing week, but I didn't really find an angle I was comfortable enough in the Final.

My feeling was that Stefanos Tsitsipas would win, but the handicap mark looked right on the money and it turned out he would have failed to cover by a single game.

It was a good week for Alejandro Davidovich Fokina even though he came up short, and both players will be heading into the rest of the clay court season feeling pretty good about what they can achieve. This is a time on the Tour when the big tournaments are played frequently on the run up to the French Open and a huge number of top names are playing on both the ATP and WTA Tours this week.

The WTA Tour returns after a short break where the Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers were played, but there is a big event in Stuttgart this week before the Madrid Masters. For some reason the two Tours are not playing at the same time in Madrid this year with the ATP Tour heading there in early May, but the tournaments in Barcelona and Belgrade have plenty of big names attached to them this week.

Monday is usually one of the quieter days for main Tour tennis matches being scheduled, but a busy day in Barcelona is set to take place.

My Tennis Picks are going to be restricted to a single selection on Monday with more to come as the tournaments heat up this week.

I will also update the season totals for the Tennis Picks in the Tennis Picks thread on April 19th.

Lorenzo Musetti v Sebastian Baez: Two young players meet in the First Round of the tournament in Barcelona and they are both very comfortable on the clay courts which makes for a fascinating match.

Lorenzo Musetti has had a couple of good runs in Marrakech and Monte Carlo, but the feeling is that he will still be a little disappointed that those tournaments were not even stronger for him. Losses to Laslo Djere and Diego Sebastian Schwartzman are not so bad on paper, while the performances in his returning game will offer plenty of encouragement for Lorenzo Musetti.

The 44% of points won on the return are a significant improvement on his numbers on the clay courts in previous seasons so the question is whether Lorenzo Musetti can maintain his level of 2022. You do have to believe that the Italian has an improvement in him at just 20 years old, while the serve is another shot that is likely to improve in the next few years.

He is going into this match as the lower Ranked player as Sebastian Baez has used his performances to reach a peak career World Ranking of Number 60 last month. The Argentinian has played a lot more clay court tennis compared with Lorenzo Musetti this season, but Sebastian Baez has been a little weaker both in terms of his serve and his return.

Sebastian Baez has won plenty of clay court matches over the last fifteen months and that will make him very dangerous having the confidence of knowing what to do on the surface. However, a lot of the successes have been against players lower down the World Rankings.

In saying that, Sebastian Baez does have a 10-4 record against top 100 Ranked opponents on the clay courts over the last twelve months. Despite that, Baez has not been as strong returning against those higher Ranked opponents compared with the majority of opponents he has faced, and I do think Lorenzo Musetti could use his serve to make the slight difference to hand him the edge in this First Round match.

There would be no surprise if this match needs a third set to decide the winner, but I do think Lorenzo Musetti could earn revenge for losing in the Next Gen Finals to Sebastian Baez back in November. The clay courts are a surface that both will be happy to be playing on and I think the fans will enjoy the tennis that both of these young players will produce, but I am going to back Lorenzo Musetti to continue returning at a level that sees him win this match.

MY PICKS: Lorenzo Musetti @ 1.90 Bet365 (2 Units)

Monte Carlo Masters Tennis Picks 2019 (April 18th)

It could have been a really good Wednesday if not for a couple of the late selections failing to come through as I had been looking for, but it was a winning day and that keeps the positive numbers going for the week.

There are times when you can regret those kind of days when it looks like being a really special one and doesn't turn out to be the case, but that's being greedy and I will take a winning day every day. Hopefully Thursday and the full Third Round set of matches can keep the positive progression being made.


Stefanos Tsitsipas - 1.5 games v Daniil Medvedev: This Third Round match in Monte Carlo involves two of the brightest talents on the ATP Tour and both Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas are entrenched in the top 20 of the World Rankings. To make things a little tastier when they face one another, there is clearly no love lost between them and that tension generally does produce a really good match.

It may be something of a surprise to some that Medvedev has a 3-0 head to head advantage over Tsitsipas, but those matches have all come on the hard courts and they have been close matches too. The hard courts are arguably a surface on which Medvedev has the edge, but I think that changes now this match is being played on the clay where Tsitsipas has had more consistent success than his opponent.

Daniil Medvedev has had a pretty miserable time on the clay in the last couple of years as he has moved up to the main ATP Tour, but you do have to wonder if things are changing for him. The Russian has dominated Joao Sousa and Radu Albot in the Monte Carlo tournament having won both matches in straight sets and not losing more than two games in a single set in that time.

However the challenge in facing Tsitsipas is another step up for him compared with Sousa and Albot and we are really going to begin to see if Medvedev has actually found his groove on the clay. In the last couple of years Medvedev has struggled behind his serve and the return has not proven to be as effective on the clay courts as much as it has been on the hard courts or the grass courts.

That has not been the case for Stefanos Tsitsipas who has very strong hold numbers on what is his favourite surface at this moment in his career. I think that is going to make a difference in this match up and the Greek player is also someone who seems much more comfortable with the way to get into return games on the red dirt.

It may take three sets to separate them, but I think this time it is Tsitsipas who will find a way to win the big games down the stretch and he can earn his first victory over Medvedev.


Dominic Thiem - 4.5 games v Dusan Lajovic: 2019 has not opened as well as Dominic Thiem would have liked and he could find himself taking a significant drop down the World Rankings if he can not produce the kind of tennis we know he can on the clay courts. Winning the title in Indian Wells last month will have given Thiem a boost in confidence and the Austrian has tended to play his best tennis on the clay courts.

He was a very comfortable winner in the Second Round against Martin Klizan, but Thiem did not enjoy a very good Golden Swing in South America on this surface earlier this season. The return of serve is still an important part of his game, but Thiem's results have taken a dent on the clay courts so far in 2019 because he has not returned as well as he has in previous seasons.

Dominic Thiem has won 61% of the points behind serve in his five clay court matches in 2019 which is someway down on the 65%-66% numbers he has produced in 2015 through to 2018. It has also meant opponents have been able to break the serve at a much higher rate, but the win over Klizan may have shown a player that is returning to the kind of level we expect on the red dirt.

A match up with Dusan Lajovic looks a good one for Thiem considering he has won all five previous matches against the Serb and all of those have been played on the clay courts. Their most recent match came in Lyon last May and it was the closest of the matches that they have played against each other, but Thiem will be confident having held in 96% of service games played against this opponent compared with Lajovic who has held in 70% of his own.

In recent years the clay courts have been the favoured domain of Lajovic as well as Thiem, although like his opponent Lajovic has had a difficult time on the surface in 2019 before putting two wins on the board here in Monte Carlo. Dusan Lajovic has been serving well in Monte Carlo, but it will be a tough level to sustain against a returner like Thiem and I think the higher Ranked player is going to be able to win the match and cover this number.

I do have a respect for the service numbers Lajovic has produced on the clay courts in recent years. However those numbers have taken a significant dent whenever Lajovic has played a top 20 Ranked opponent on the clay courts and I think we could see more of the same in this Third Round match.


Alexander Zverev - 4.5 games v Fabio Fognini: This has been a difficult first four months on the Tour for Fabio Fognini, but you just know the enigmatic Italian is going to be 'up' for playing a top ten Ranked opponent on the clay courts. The red dirt is clearly the favoured surface for Fabio Fognini and he is very comfortable on it, although we have yet to see him really produce his best tennis on the surface in 2019.

He took in the South American Golden Swing earlier this season, but Fognini lost all three matches there and was also beaten in Marrakech in his first match at that tournament before beating Andrey Rublev in the First Round in Monte Carlo. The Italian was able to move into the Third Round thanks to a walkover, but the challenge is a difficult one for him now he is here when he has to face off with Alexander Zverev.

2019 has not exactly gone the way Zverev would have hoped so far, but he remains the leading contender of the 'Next Gen' that could win a Grand Slam title. The Masters level has been on that Zverev has enjoyed and he has long been very comfortable on the clay courts himself.

The German star had a disappointing loss to Jaume Munar in Marrakech last week, but Zverev continues to possess a solid serve coupled with an ever improving return on the clay courts. Despite the big serve, this is a weapon that can be attacked by opponents, although Zverev has been very strong on the return side of things that can quickly put opponents under pressure.

In a usual season I would think Fognini could provide the kind of serving and returning to really give Zverev some problems, but he has not looked at his best throughout 2019. The Italian also has lost both previous matches against Zverev and Fognini has held in just 55% of the service games played while only being able to break in 11% of return games. That includes a routine win for Zverev when these two players met on the clay courts at the Rome Masters and I think the higher Ranked player can be backed to cover this number.

With a serve that can sometimes be a little erratic, Zverev is not an easy player to back to cover this kind of number on the spread. However I think he will be able to earn enough breaks of serve against the Fognini serve to give himself every chance of doing that and I think Zverev should be backed to do so.

MY PICKS: Stefanos Tsitsipas - 1.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Dominic Thiem - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Alexander Zverev - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Lorenzo Sonego - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Borna Coric - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Ladbrokes (2 Units)

Monte Carlo Update: 8-4, + 6.78 Units (24 Units Staked, + 28.25% Yield)

Monte Carlo Masters Tennis Picks 2018 (April 18th)

The Monte Carlo Masters moves into the Second Round on Wednesday and that means the majority of the big names in action this week will get their tournament underway.

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic will garner the most attention, but there are some quality matches to come on Wednesday as the Monte Carlo Masters moves forward.

Tuesday was a mixed bag with the Tennis Picks going 1-1, but much of that was down to the fact that Kyle Edmund did not take the chances that came his way. The scoreboard may say different, but the numbers don't lie and Edmund will be kicking himself for losing to Andreas Seppi in the First Round.

At least Richard Gasquet came through a couple of difficult moments to win his First Round match, but I am hoping for a stronger day on Wednesday.


Kei Nishikori - 3.5 games v Daniil Medvedev: It still feels like Kei Nishikori is on a road back to the very top of the ATP Tour with his injury issues only recently behind him. The impressive performance against Tomas Berdych in the First Round will give Nishikori some confidence, but it won't be a big surprise to note the inconsistent performances he has produced since returning to the main Tour.

His draws have not always been the best and Nishikori is likely to be challenged by Daniil Medvedev who is part of the 'Next Gen' of talent on the ATP Tour.

Medvedev has shown he is capable of playing with the very best players on the Tour and has stunned Stan Wawrinka in a Grand Slam in his young career. However Medvedev has not shown a lot of form on the clay courts and that is the reason I am going to back Nishikori in this Second Round match.

While his opponent has not shown a lot of form on this surface, Nishikori has been one of the better clay courters out there and has some very strong numbers on the red dirt. There is the concern that Nishikori is only just back from a serious injury which curtailed his 2017 season, but I think the clay courts suit his style of play.

Some may also be concerned by the service numbers, but Nishikori may get some help from Medvedev who needs to show more patience on the clay. He goes for his shots, but on the slower clay courts you have to build points a little better and I think that is where Nishikori can frustrate his younger opponent.


Fabio Fognini - 3.5 games v Jan-Lennard Struff: There are very few players that can frustrate as much as Fabio Fognini who shows flashes of tremendous talent, but also feels like he is never far away from a meltdown on the court.

The Italian is at his best on the clay courts though and he has some solid looking numbers when he is facing those players Ranked outside the top 50. Fognini play one of those on Wednesday in Jan-Lennard Struff, but anything less than his best will give Struff the chance to earn the upset.

Struff is very comfortable on the clay courts himself, but he has yet to really take his Challenger form onto the main ATP Tour. His win in the First Round was expected, but Struff still impressed and has to be respected with his serve being a potent weapon and one that he can protect even on the slower surfaces.

That serve will be challenged by Fognini who has produced some very good returning numbers on the clay courts and those have remained steady when facing players outside the top 50 of the World Rankings on this surface. This year he is 7-0 in clay matches against those opponents and his 80% hold and 39% break numbers are very strong.

Fognini was not quite as strong as that last season, especially when it comes to the hold of serve which is obviously the concerning side of his game when asking him to cover any spreads. He may be aided just enough by Struff who has struggled with his break numbers against top 100 Ranked players on the clay and I will look for Fognini to get the better of him with a couple more breaks over the course of the match.


Fernando Verdasco + 3.5 games v Marin Cilic: There are plenty of signs to show Fernando Verdasco has declined as a player on the main Tour, but he still is able to produce some big weeks when he does put his tennis all together. Verdasco battled past Pablo Cuevas in the First Round and now has to face Marin Cilic, but he has tended to play the Number 2 Seed very tough.

The veteran is going to want to show what he still has left in the tank and playing on the clay courts suit Verdasco just fine.

However there is no doubting the kind of test in front of him and I am pretty high on Marin Cilic as a player. He has a strong serve and heavy artillery off the ground which will always make him a tough opponent, but Cilic is also an underrated returner and can shift the pressure of a rally onto his opponents almost immediately.

Since the beginning of 2017 Cilic has broken serve at a huge rate and he should be very comfortable on the clay in Monte Carlo. It should also be noted that those numbers come down markedly when Cilic is playing top 50 Ranked players on the clay and that is where I think Verdasco can at least keep this match competitive.

Cilic's serve remains a potent weapon, but he perhaps would like to be a little more clinical when the break point chances come his way in those matches against top 50 Ranked opponents. The Verdasco serve is a big weapon for him on the clay too and I think that will help him at least keep this close with every chance the Spaniard is able to win at least one set in this Second Round match.

I do worry about Verdasco's ability to crumble in matches which could see him fail to cover even in a three setter, but he would have done that in three of the last four matches against Cilic. He has also won their sole clay court match in 2015 and I will take the games with Verdasco in this Second Round encounter.

MY PICKS: Kei Nishikori - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Fabio Fognini - 3.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (2 Units)
Fernando Verdasco + 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Monte Carlo Update: 1-2, - 2.56 Units (6 Units Staked, - 42.67% Yield)

Midweek Football Picks 2018 (April 17-19)

This is a 'make up' week in the English Premier League with teams involved in the FA Cup Semi Final on Saturday and Sunday having missed a couple of Rounds of League games. All four Semi Finalists will play between Tuesday and Thursday and there will be one more midweek in May where the remaining 'games in hand' are scheduled to be played.

With four League games from Tuesday to Thursday, I have four Picks which can be seen below.

It is a big week for all of the teams involved with Cup Semi Final places up for grabs, while the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United won't want to drop more points after losing this past weekend.

Brighton and Southampton are the teams playing who are involved in the Premier League relegation battle, although there has begun to be a separation of the bottom three to the rest of the Division which could really add to this being an anti-climatic end to the season.


Brighton v Tottenham Hotspur Pick: Saturday was a tough afternoon for both the Brighton and Tottenham Hotspur players, but this isn't the time of the season to feel sorry for yourselves as things begin to get decided at the top and bottom of the Premier League table.

Both teams look to be in relatively comfortable spots to achieve their goals of avoiding relegation and Champions League Football respectively, but the two managers won't allow complacency to set in.

Instead I imagine Chris Hughton and Mauricio Pochettino will be very keen on picking up a vital three points to keep the momentum going to achieve those goals.

Out of the two teams it is easier to imagine Tottenham Hotspur recover from their humbling at the hands of Manchester City on Saturday. They had been in fine form prior to that and have won their 5 away games in all competitions, while Brighton are not to the same standards as the likes of Manchester City.

It should mean more of the ball for Tottenham Hotspur and more of an opportunity to create chances.

They are aided by Brighton just hitting a poor patch of form with 4 losses from their last 5 games in all competitions and off a tough 3-2 defeat at Crystal Palace over the weekend. Their 8 point gap to Southampton looks too much for The Saints to close, but Brighton are still 5 points away from the 40 point mark and there may be a few nerves in the home dressing room.

Brighton have also really struggled when facing the top Premier League clubs even if they have beaten Arsenal at home this season. Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea have all won by at least two goals at the Amex Stadium while the latter two teams scored 5 and 4 goals respectively in wins here.

Generally Brighton have struggled to bridge the gap to the top teams with goals hard to come by in those matches. They have shown enough defensive discipline to make life tough for Tottenham Hotspur, but I think the latter will have plenty of the ball and they have the attacking players to create chances and win this game well.

The FA Cup Semi Final is on Saturday, but Pochettino won't risk losing a top four place with an upset here and there is enough time for his players to recover for the Semi Final. A strong Tottenham Hotspur team can show why they have scored at least twice in 7 of their last 8 away games and I fancy they can win well here.


Bournemouth v Manchester United Pick: The Manchester United defeat to West Brom at Old Trafford has to be one of the most surprising results of the Premier League season and it is a fixture from which Jose Mourinho will demand his players move on very quickly.

This is a big week for Manchester United and will determine much of how the season is reviewed as they bid to solidify their 2nd place spot in the Premier League before facing Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup Semi Final on Saturday. Two losses would really put a negative spin on the campaign, but two wins can see the West Brom defeat put in the rearview mirror.

Earning a win at the Vitality Stadium is going to be far from easy as Bournemouth will come into this one with nothing to lose.

That has allowed the players to perform with some freedom and they have been very good at home in recent weeks with a single loss in 9 games played here. The determination has been clear to see with Bournemouth conceding the first goal in 6 of their last 7 games at the Vitality Stadium yet they have not lost a single one of those games.

It should be noted that only Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have visited Bournemouth in their last 9 games who are a part of the big six. The Gunners lost here, but Tottenham Hotspur came from a goal behind to beat Bournemouth and join Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool as winners from trips to this ground.

Despite the changes Manchester United will make, they can become the latest of the big six clubs to win at the Vitality Stadium as the players come out with some better desire than they showed on Sunday. That defeat to West Brom should help in that regard and I do think Manchester United can earn a victory here even if it won't be an easy game.

Manchester United have been 2-0 down in each of their last 2 away games which has to be a concern, but they have shown they can score goals on their travels too and I think they can win a high-scoring fixture. If you fancy Manchester United to win, you can get them to win a fixture featuring at least two goals at odds against which has to be taken on.

Backing at least three goals to be shared out overall is also a decent looking price, but I am expecting Manchester United to bounce back and will take the odds against quote I mentioned.


Burnley v Chelsea Pick: This should be a fascinating Premier League game on Thursday evening and much is going to depend on how Chelsea begin this fixture as to the eventual outcome.

If they pick up from where they left off at Southampton, Chelsea will be very dangerous and potentially become the latest of the top clubs to win at Turf Moor. Burnley have only lost 5 times at home in the Premier League, but 4 of those have come against teams in the current top six with only a late equaliser against Manchester City breaking that trend.

On the other hand if Chelsea begin as they did for the first 60 minutes at Southampton then Burnley are playing well enough to cause problems having won 5 Premier League games in a row.

Both should be motivated as Burnley try for an outstanding top six finish, while Chelsea may feel there is still a slight opening into the top four if they can finish the season with five straight League wins.

The FA Cup Semi Final on Sunday shouldn't be a huge distraction for the Chelsea players, but it may mean some changes to the first team to keep players fresh. Even then you would imagine the likes of Eden Hazard and Willian will be played in attacking areas against a Burnley team who have been struggling for clean sheets of late.

They've still been winning games though as Sean Dyche has taken a positive approach with the old time two up front producing plenty of goals for the team. Burnley have scored at least twice in their 5 wins in a row and they will look to get after a Chelsea team who have been far from watertight in recent matches.

It does make me think the layers are underestimating the chance of seeing at least three goals in this one with the odds against quotes looking tempting. There haven't been a lot of goals in matches at Turf Moor this season, but the last 2 here have both featured at least three goals while League games with Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur did the same.

Chelsea may concede more than they are used to, but they still pose a real attacking threat and these teams combined for five goals earlier this season. They may not get to that number again, but they can certainly help reach three goals shared out and I will back that at an attractive price.


Leicester City v Southampton Pick: At this time of the season teams are desperate for points when they are down at the bottom of the Premier League table and Southampton really need to find a way to win a League game.

Blowing a 2-0 lead against Chelsea hurt even more when Crystal Palace and Huddersfield Town both won later on Saturday afternoon and even Swansea City earning a point has put Southampton in a precarious position.

Mark Hughes has come in as manager, but the tide has not been turned for Southampton who have lost 4 League games in a row and conceded three times in each loss.

The performances in the last couple of games will have given Hughes some belief that Southampton can still avoid the drop, but they have to take advantage of Leicester City who don't have a lot left to play for. The defeat at Turf Moor means Leicester City are not likely to finish in a European spot and they have not been in the best recent form.

It has been more trouble for Leicester City at the King Power Stadium where they have not won any of their last 4 League games and this does feel like an opportunity for Southampton. Forget the FA Cup Semi Final to be played on Sunday, this game is everything for Hughes and the club and Southampton have to show their desire against an opponent that may not be fully concentrated with little left to play for.

Taking advantage of the opportunity will mean defending better than they have though and I do think Leicester City will play a part in this one with the players able to play with some freedom. If Southampton get desperate there is still enough quality for Leicester City to punish them and I can see a fixture where both teams score on current form.

Southampton have to take risks though and I can see this fixture going against recent trends at the King Power Stadium and produce one more goal to cover the goal line. At odds against it is worth backing seeing at least three goals shared out on Thursday as Southampton try to give themselves a huge boost of confidence by winning here.

MY PICKS: Tottenham Hotspur - 1 Asian Handicap @ 1.95 Bet365 (2 Units)
Manchester United Win & Over 1.5 Goals @ 2.05 Boyle Sports (2 Units)
Bournemouth-Manchester United Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.75 Betfair Sportsbook (2 Units)
Burnley-Chelsea Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.20 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Leicester City-Southampton Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.00 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Monte Carlo Masters Tennis Picks 2017 (April 18th)

The last couple of months has seen me suffer more than my fair share of hard luck losses, but I finally got a couple of wins where I could easily have ended on the other side.

That is important to get the Monte Carlo Masters Tennis Picks moving in a positive direction after the first two days at the event, but the majority of the event is yet to be played so nothing has been decided yet. I have had some positive starts which have gone south very quickly and I am just looking for another solid day from the Tennis Picks on Tuesday as we complete the First Round and move into the Second Round.

There is plenty of tennis for the visitors to the tournament to enjoy on Tuesday with some solid looking matches to be completed.


Lucas Pouille - 4.5 games v Ryan Harrison: I am still not sure where I stand about Lucas Pouille and his potential as a significant player on the Tour because I feel he might have had a couple of fortunate runs over the last twelve months which has put him in an artificially strong position in terms of his World Ranking. However he should be looking forward to the coming weeks on the clay court and Pouille has to be happy with his First Round draw in Monte Carlo.

That isn't disrespecting Ryan Harrison who has shown he can be a tough player on the Tour with a strong run of wins a few weeks ago. Harrison will have been disappointed with his lack of an impact in Indian Wells and Miami, while the clay courts do not look like the surface on which the American will thrive.

It is a chance for Harrison to build more Ranking points now that he is likely to have a direct entry into the big clay court events leading up to the French Open, but he has never really shown a lot of form on the surface. The game Harrison has is much more suited to the faster surfaces and someone like Pouille should be able to work him around the court.

One thing I can't always rely on is Pouille playing a clean match so I do think Harrison will have some chances to break serve too, but ultimately I am looking for the better clay court player to show that off.

There will be some difficult moments for the player who is likely to get plenty of home support, but I think Pouille can come through with a 7-5, 6-3 win behind him.


Karen Khachanov - 2.5 games v Nicolas Mahut: This pick has plenty to do with opposing Nicolas Mahut whose Singles performances on the clay courts have not raised too many eyebrows in his career. That should not be a surprise when you consider he is a serve-volley player which is incredibly difficult to perform with the consistency needed on the slower surface.

However it isn't a pick solely to oppose Mahut who has a decent serve which can cause problems if someone is not comfortable on the clay courts themselves. That isn't the case against Karen Khachanov who showed he can produce solid results on clay courts last season albeit at the Challenger level for the most part.

It has not been a great opening to 2017 for Khachanov as the youngster has perhaps not quite been at it mentally to secure wins when in a position to do so. The move to the clay may help him feel more at ease and this is a match up where he should know it is a winnable match against someone who has not performed effectively on the surface through his career.

Managing his emotions could be tough with the crowd likely to be against him, but Khachanov can keep himself together for long enough to come through a first set tie-breaker which can give him the momentum to go on. I will be looking for him to be a little too strong for Mahut in a 7-6, 6-4 win in this First Round match.


Jiri Vesely - 3.5 games v Mischa Zverev: These two players met in Marrakech last week and Jiri Vesely was a fairly comfortable winner on that occasion. He is clearly the player more suited to playing on the clay courts than Mischa Zverev and I expect Vesely to frank the form and come through with another victory.

Much of Zverev's issue is going to be to continue playing the attacking and aggressive tennis on a surface where patience and building a point is the key. The German will look to serve-volley on almost every point and the majority of those types of players have had issues on the clay courts to really produce their best tennis.

It is hard to trust someone as inconsistent as Vesely who can produce some top level tennis one day and then struggle to hit his marks on another. He did play well in Monte Carlo in 2016 though and the confidence from a Semi Final run in Marrakech has to make the Czech player come in with some more belief.

Zverev was beaten nine times on a clay court last season and he would have gone 3-6 against this number in those matches. While I think he will have some success against the Vesely serve, I think it will be difficult for Zverev to find the consistency he needs to win this match considering how he has struggled on the returning aspect of his game.

After a battle I will be looking for Vesely to have something similar to last week by coming through with a 6-4, 6-4 win.


Jeremy Chardy - 1.5 games v Borna Coric: Going against a player who has just won a title can be a tough choice, but Borna Coric had to dig deep to win the Marrakech tournament on Sunday and there isn't a lot of time to prepare for this event. The journey to Monte Carlo isn't going to be an issue for a young player like Coric, but the emotion of winning a title can be tough to come down from.

The manner of the title win has to play a part too as Coric had to dig deep to come from a set behind twice and also won a final set tie-breaker in another match. The win in the Final against Philipp Kohlschreiber when Coric came so close to losing the match and I do think this is all adds up to make it tough to lift his game again just days later.

The fact Coric is facing Jeremy Chardy who has shown some decent form of late will also be a problem for the youngster. Chardy is comfortable on the clay courts and he has the kind of game that can take the racquet out of Coric's hands especially if the Croatian is perhaps making a slow start to the match.

Their one previous clay court match did end with Coric winning comfortably over two sets, but I think this could have a different outcome because of the effort Coric had to put in last week.

Perhaps I am putting too much stock into that, but Chardy has played well enough over the last couple of weeks to think he can can battle through this First Round match.


David Goffin - 4.5 games v Nicolas Almagro: These two players met at the French Open last season and David Goffin was able to record his first professional win over Nicolas Almagro. He had previously lost three matches in a row against Almagro, but Goffin looks to have moved past the Spaniard at this stage of their respective careers and I do expect that to show up on Tuesday.

Both have recorded a win here in Monte Carlo so they should be feeling good about themselves, although Almagro was perhaps the beneficiary of his opponent Martin Klizan's mental weakness in their First Round match. Goffin was much more comfortable in his win and he has the consistency and mental strength to push Almagro much further than Klizan was able to despite taking the first set.

Almagro has only recently returned from an injury which has seen him miss close to three months on the Tour and he had lost a couple of matches on his return before the win in the First Round here. The Spaniard will have to find at least a couple of gears higher if he is going to challenge Goffin, although Almagro has the first serve which can get him out of a jam on this court.

Any time this match sees a rally develop you would have to favour Goffin to get the better of Almagro who might not have enough to stay with the top 15 Ranked player once we start getting into the fifth shot and longer. Goffin has served well enough to think he can keep Almagro guessing and I think he will be able to wear down the former top 20 player.

This is a fairly big number for Goffin to cover, but I think he can earn around three more breaks of serve over the course of the match that should mean he comes through with a 7-6, 6-2 kind of win in the Second Round.

MY PICKS: Lucas Pouille - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Coral (2 Units)
Karen Khachanov - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Coral (2 Units)
Jiri Vesely - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Coral (2 Units)
Jeremy Chardy - 1.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)
David Goffin - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Monte Carlo Update: 5-0, + 9.28 Units (10 Units Staked, + 92.80% Yield)