Canadian Masters Tennis Picks 2025 (Wednesday 6th August)

Plenty of people have come out and criticised the new format being used by the Canadian and Cincinnati Masters with the extended schedule causing some problems.

While we have yet to have a conclusion to the two tournaments being run north of the border, the Cincinnati Masters First Round will begin on Thursday, which is the same day the Canadian Finals have been scheduled to be played.

Traditionalists will be baffled by a Thursday Final for the tournaments in Canada, but they will be pretty unhappy that the Cincinnati Masters is set to be concluded on a Monday, which is less than a week before the US Open begins.

The Tours are likely going to make some adjustments with the events, but the back to back nature of the two Masters ahead of the final Grand Slam means needing more space in the calendar. At least those events earlier in the season at Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid and Rome are all in a part of the schedule where they can begin on Thursday and have the traditional Sunday finish, but the Canadian Masters is played right after a big event in Washington and there has already been some overlap with that tournament without the pre-weekend start.

Fans are not that happy, but players are also aggrieved with the scheduling and so it has to be assumed something will be done to appease everybody, including the Masters events that want to sell extra sessions.

The Grand Slams have done the same with the First Round now beginning on a Sunday at all but Wimbledon, while the Night Session approach of the other three Slams also means they can make that extra revenue. Maybe in the years ahead Wimbledon will be following suit, especially if they do finally begin work on the ground extension that was given approval by the courts in the UK, and that will be another blow to what traditionalists have become used to seeing on the Tour.

It has been a solid week for the Tennis Picks at the Canadian Masters, but there are still six matches to be played before the Tour can all move onto Cincinnati.

There are three selections from the Semi Finals that have all been scheduled for Wednesday and those can be read below.

Alexander Zverev - 2.5 games v Karen Khachanov: In a tournament that was missing the likes of Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, the field will have arrived in Toronto with the belief that a deep run could be possible. Those three players will go into most tournaments as the favourites to win the title so the absence is a big boost to others, although that may have increased the pressure on the Seeded players involved.

That may have been the case for someone like Alexander Zverev who had such a disappointing Wimbledon, but who has always been able to make a big impact at the US Open.

He came close to winning the French Open last year, but Alexander Zverev's biggest miss feels like the US Open in 2020 when leading 2-0 in sets and also serving for the title in the Fifth Set. Playing on the hard courts have been a comfortable experience for the top Seed and his numbers over the last couple of years means he has to head to New York City as a genuine contender.

The performances here in Toronto have been very strong and dumping out the defending Champion after dropping the first set will have given Alexander Zverev confidence. It is the second time he has won a match in Toronto having lost a first set tie-breaker, but Zverev looks a player performing with a lot more belief than even a month ago and that has shown up in the strong finishes to those matches.

Karen Khachanov is the Semi Final opponent and the World Number 16 deserves plenty of respect as a hard court player, even if 2025 had been disappointing prior to his run here. He had been just 5-7 in hard court matches before the four wins at this Masters event, but Karen Khachanov had won 65% of his hard court matches in the previous two seasons and is someone who loves playing on the surface.

With a big serve, Khachanov is able to build plenty of pressure on the hard courts, and an aggressive style means he will look to get on the front foot on the return.

His numbers have been very good in Toronto with 71% of his service points being won and Karen Khachanov will know he needs to serve well to try and keep a lid on Alexander Zverev.

It is the lower Ranked player who has found a bit more joy out of the returning numbers, but Karen Khachanov has seen those declining in each of the four wins produced in the tournament run. He was tested by Alex Michelsen in the Quarter Final win and now arguably faces the toughest serve he will have seen in this event.

Alexander Zverev does have the upper hand in the head to head having beaten Karen Khachanov in five of seven meetings on the Tour.

That includes two hard court wins in North America in 2024 in matches where Zverev had a significant edge as far as the serving numbers go as he comfortably dismissed Karen Khachanov both times. Add in the fact that the latter has tended to struggle when facing higher Ranked opponents on the surface, despite the win over Casper Ruud earlier in the tournament, and you have to believe Alexander Zverev can get the better of the World Number 16 in two tight, competitive sets.

Elena Rybakina - 3.5 games v Victoria Mboko: It has been a really strong season for Victoria Mboko as she continues her development as a professional tennis player with a huge amount of expectation on her shoulders. The 18 year old has won a lot of matches and reached a career high World Ranking of Number 85 in the lead up to a big event in her home country, but even the biggest advocate of Mboko could not have been prepared for the tournament she has put together.

An upset of Coco Gauff will have made headlines, but Victoria Mboko has refused to allow that victory to overwhelm her and she has won two more matches to make it through to the Semi Final in Montreal.

She has already climbed into the top 50 of the provisional World Rankings and now Victoria Mboko takes aim at reaching her biggest Final in her young career.

That would mean overturning a result from Washington when she was beaten by Elena Rybakina and this looks a big challenge considering how well the former Wimbledon Champion is playing right now.

As mentioned previously this week, Elena Rybakina has been struggling on the Tour as off-court issues have regularly been making the headlines instead of her tennis. However, she has looked much more comfortable back on the hard courts over the last month and Elena Rybakina has been in very strong form here in Montreal, while also perhaps benefiting from the fact that Victoria Mboko will have made the majority of the headlines.

Both players will feel they can dominate behind a big first serve, while it is the younger player who has perhaps impressed most with her return game.

In saying that, it was Elena Rybakina who was the stronger of the two players in Washington and she was able to make many more inroads into the Victoria Mboko serve compared with the other way around.

This week the home support will make it that much tougher for Elena Rybakina, but she has a very strong game for the hard courts and the expectation is that she can frank the form with another win over the youngster. In that match in Washington, it was Elena Rybakina who managed to protect the second serve much more effectively compared with Mboko and that may be the case again in this Semi Final with the former World Number 3 also having the advantages of being much more experienced at the latter stages of these big tournaments.

Victoria Mboko will have learned plenty out of that defeat in the previous tournament, and she is playing with a lot of confidence. She will have her moments, but the feeling is that Elena Rybakina may have a few more as she looks to put a big tournament in the books ahead of the US Open.

Naomi Osaka - 1.5 games v Clara Tauson: Both of these players earned dominant Quarter Final wins on Tuesday and so there will be no excuses for Naomi Osaka and Clara Tauson when they have to play again on Wednesday.

The performances throughout the runs in Montreal have been very impressive, although you have to perhaps say the wins that Clara Tauson has produced have been superior to the ones that Naomi Osaka has on the board.

Beating two of the three Grand Slam Champions of 2025 will give Tauson so much confidence and she will feel she is serving well enough in these conditions to try and shorten the points against a dangerous player standing on the other side of the net.

Naomi Osaka has some very strong wins on the record, but she has not faced the likes of Madison Keys or Iga Swiatek and that has to be a potential factor. Crushing Elina Svitolina in the manner she did on Tuesday would have gotten the attention and Naomi Osaka is set to be Seeded at the US Open, which is important to allow her to work her way into that Grand Slam.

Much like her opponent, Naomi Osaka has been using the serve to contain the threats posed from the other side of the net and this has the makings of a close match.

Earlier this year, it was Clara Tauson who will hold the win over Naomi Osaka in the Auckland Final, but the latter withdrew from that match after winning the first set. The numbers really were heavily skewed in favour of Osaka in that match and so she will certainly enter the court with a lot of belief that her game is going to match up well with Clara Tauson's.

The expectation is that both players are going to have plenty of success behind the serve, but Naomi Osaka looks to be playing with a lot of confidence. Her numbers at the event look similar to Clara Tauson's, but Osaka may not make the errors that ended up costing Madison Keys in the Quarter Final defeat to the Dane.

The first set will be important, and Naomi Osaka could be tough to peg back if she is able to get in front.

Clara Tauson is going to be playing at a career high World Ranking from next week and has to be respected, but a big hitting match may end up just slipping away from her at the end.

MY PICKS: Alexander Zverev - 2.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Elena Rybakina - 3.5 Games @ 1.85 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Naomi Osaka - 1.5 Games @ 1.66 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 13-4, + 6.99 Units (17 Units Staked, + 41.12% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2022- Vergil Ortiz Jr vs Michael McKinson (August 6th)

Boxing does not have a traditional off-season as you would see in other sports, but there is no doubting that July tends to be the quieter month of the year.

It is usually the time when the top fighters will have all been out once already and will likely be preparing for either a late summer bout, or one later in the year, and that tends to leave July for mainly tick-along fights.

In saying that we have had some very good fights over the last month- we have a new World Cruiserweight Champion in Jai Opetaia from Australia who deservedly beat Mairis Breidis. Chris Billam-Smith and Joe Joyce both had big wins in the Cruiserweight and Heavyweight Divisions respectively, while Ryan Garcia and Danny Garcia both made triumphant returns.

July has tended to be a good month for me to take stock of the Boxing Picks too and it has been a decent year in terms of the overall numbers, although I am still not satisfied with the win-loss record even if a positive return has been produced.

The last Boxing Picks were made at the end of June and so the five week break has come at a good time, allowing me to refresh and get ready for what looks to be a huge second half of the season.

You may not know it, but Anthony Joshua is back in just a couple of weeks- I have been completely caught off-guard with the lack of fanfare on the UK channels and media about the rematch for three of the four Heavyweight World Titles against Oleksandr Usyk. At first I thought it was down to Joshua signing a deal with DAZN, but Sky Sports have the rights to broadcast the rematch from Saudi Arabia and I have yet to really see anything pushing the fact the bout is coming up at the speed of knots.

Some big fights have been rumoured and some have been signed for September and moving forward and I do think the fans will have plenty to enjoy. It would have been nice to return and say I can't wait for Errol Spence Jr vs Terence Crawford, but that super-fight has hit a few obstacles as expected and we are still not sure what is going to be happening in one of the top Divisions in Boxing.

Rumours about a potential Conor Benn vs Chris Eubank Jr bout will certainly attract plenty of casual fans back to the sport, which can only be a good thing for the fighters, while there has yet to be an announcement on Anthony Yarde's challenge against the fiercesome Artur Beterbiev which was long expected to take place in the United Kingdom in October.

These are the frustrating moments for fans, but we can only hope any issues are straightened out and the expected strong end to 2022 takes place.

Vergil Ortiz Jr vs Michael McKinson

I spoke about some big names returning to the ring over the past month above, but this weekend we have another fighter who has been absent for almost an entire year.

Vergil Ortiz Jr and Michael McKinson were supposed to fight back in March, but a serious health issue was discovered for the former which has meant a considerable time out of the ring. The expectations remain the same on his return, but Ortiz Jr will be foolish for overlooking The Problem who is unbeaten and a quality southpaw.

Michael McKinson may not have ever received the same fanfare as some of his domestic rivals, but he has long believed in himself and he has worked his into this fight the hard way. A win over Chris Kongo gave McKinson a platform to push forward and he has taken advantage with a couple more wins to get himself a pretty high Ranking with the WBO and WBA.

Beating someone like Vergil Ortiz Jr would certainly push Michael McKinson to be next in line for a number of the belts which are currently tied up between Errol Spence Jr and Terence Crawford. Rumours remain that neither of those two fighters are long for the 147 Division and so an upset on Saturday would certainly give Michael McKinson at least a shot for a vacant belt over the next several months.

Winning won't be easy and the big question is how effectively Michael McKinson can ride the obvious power that Vergil Ortiz Jr will bring to the ring. The British fighter is someone who will move and offer angles that are unfamiliar to opponents and his key will be getting Ortiz Jr to reset before he can really unload, but it is a tough game plan to execute against someone with a reputation like the American has.

It would be a real surprise if Michael McKinson decides to stand in front of Vergil Ortiz Jr for any length of time- he has only won two of his twenty-two fights inside the distance and the key for the underdog will be to move and outbox someone who will want to come in and rain down punches.

I certainly think McKinson will have some successes doing that, but Vergil Ortiz Jr is very big for the Division and it is very difficult to keep him off of you for an entire 36 minutes. There is no doubt in my mind that Michael McKinson will be trying to win this fight and I think he will give Vergil Ortiz Jr plenty to think about with a style that is not easily replicated.

It really would not be a big surprise if there is a touch of controversy about the finish as Ortiz Jr looks to keep his knock out record going, but I do think he will find a way to touch up Michael McKinson late. Vergil Ortiz Jr has not been beyond Eight Rounds, but has shown he carries his power and I think he will wear down the unbeaten Brit and find a way to stop him in the Championship Rounds, perhaps with some help from an overzealous referee.

MY PICKS: Vergil Ortiz Jr to Win Between 7-12 @ 2.62 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Boxing Update 2022: 26-42, + 15.23 Units (121 Units Staked, + 12.59% Yield)

Canadian Masters Tennis Picks 2019 (August 6th)

Monday was not a great day for the Tennis Picks, but things can be turned around over the coming days as we get further into the Canadian Masters being played in Montreal and Toronto.

I have updated the totals from the Canadian Masters at the bottom of this thread, and you can see my selections from the remaining First Round matches and the Second Round matches that are scheduled for Tuesday in this thread too.


Gilles Simon - 1.5 games v Radu Albot: As you can get in any of the Masters events that are played throughout the season, there are some good looking First Round matches that take place. One of those that has me intrigued is this match between a veteran who is finding an Indian Summer and a player who has produced some of his best tennis of his career over the last few months to reach a new career high Ranking to open this week.

Gilles Simon is the veteran who has reversed what had been a declining position in the World Rankings and who could be Seeded at the US Open if he can put together some solid wins over the next couple of weeks. His opponent is Radu Albot who is five places behind him in the World Rankings, but who is fresh off a run to the Semi Final in Los Cabos which means he is at a career best Number 39 in the Rankings.

Both players will look to play a similar brand of tennis- they will feel their serve can be a little vulnerable, but they can make plenty of balls back on the return to win a large amount of points to earn the breaks of serve too. It really is going to come down to which of these two players can find their consistent tennis the best on the day to determine which will move through to the Second Round.

Radu Albot may feel he has been playing the better tennis since Wimbledon having taken in a couple of tournaments and reaching the Semi Final last week. However I do think Gilles Simon will feel like he was a very unfortunate loser to Nick Kyrgios in Washington last week and the defeat doesn't feel so bad when you think of how the Australian played on his way to winning the title in the United States capital.

The very slight edge in terms of the numbers over the last twelve months on the hard courts at the main ATP level have to be given to the Frenchman too. Gilles Simon has won a higher percentage of points behind serve and on the return when it comes to the hard court matches in that time period compared with Radu Albot and that has led to an edge in terms of percentage of service games held, although he has slightly fewer breaks of serve.

These two have also met on the hard courts twice before and Gilles Simon is yet to drop his serve against Albot while winning all five sets they have competed with the last match between the players coming in Metz less than twelve months ago. Gilles Simon has been very comfortable getting into the Albot service games and finding the breaks of serve in their previous matches and I give the veteran the edge to come through and win this match with a cover of the number too.


Diego Sebastian Schwartzman - 4.5 games v Marco Cecchinato: The last twelve months have just seen Diego Sebastian Schwartzman fall back from his career best World Ranking achieved in June 2018. He will be looking to return to the top 20 in the weeks ahead as someone who is perhaps under-rated on the hard courts and Schwartzman picking up the title in Los Cabos a few days ago should be playing with confidence.

It can be very difficult to win a title and then produce some of your best tennis for a second week in succession, but Schwartzman has been given a chance to get his teeth into the Canadian Masters being played in Montreal. He is facing Italian Marco Cecchinato who is really struggling for his form and who has not been at his best on the hard courts.

Marco Cecchinato is just 5-16 on the hard courts over the last twelve months and he is now down at Number 61 in the World Rankings. He did reach the Semi Final in Doha to open the 2019 season, but for the most part it has been a struggle for Cecchinato and this could be a very tough match up for him.

In the last twelve months Marco Cecchinato has held just under 77% of his service games played on the hard courts, but the issues he has mainly faced is working out the best way to approach return games. The Italian has won just 31% of the return points played on the hard courts in that time and he has broken in 11% of return games played.

There is a chance that Cecchinato has more success against Diego Sebastian Schwartzman who has a serve which can be attacked by opponents. The Argentinian has held just 76% of the service games he has played on the hard courts over the last twelve months, but he makes a much stronger impact on the return of serve with almost 30% of the return games played ending in a break in his favour.

Having a long week in Los Cabos could also go against Schwartzman, but I think his ability on the return of serve will give him a chance to cover this number. These two met twice on the clay earlier this season and it is Schwartzman who had the slight edge with breaks in 30% of return games played compared with Cecchinato's 27% mark.

The last of those matches came in Madrid where the conditions tend to be quicker and it was Schwartzman who won comfortably that day. Quicker courts should suit him more here in Montreal too and I will look for the higher Ranked player to cover a big mark.

MY PICKS: Gilles Simon - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Diego Sebastian Schwartzman - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet365 (2 Units)
Taylor Fritz @ 2.20 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Alex De Minaur - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Ekaterina Alexandrova - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)
Anastasija Sevastova - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Kiki Bertens - 5.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Canadian Masters Update: 1-4, - 6 Units (10 Units Staked, - 60% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2018 (August 6th)

Last week should have been a really good week, but a poor Friday means the positive number to add to the season totals is not nearly as good as it should have been.

I didn't get a lot of luck with the final picks of the week with a couple of players having the better of things but failing to earn the cover, but ultimately having a winning week is better than having a losing one so I have to be happy with that.

This week we have the first of two Masters/Premier Event tournaments beginning in Toronto for the ATP players and Montreal for the WTA players. The next two weeks are the last opportunities for the top players to get some tennis into their legs ahead of the US Open so I was surprised to see Roger Federer deciding to skip this week.

It will mean the favourite to win the US Open will only take in the tournament in Cincinnati before the final Grand Slam of the 2018 season begins but Federer knows better than the majority of us as to what will work best for him.

Another big name out of the draw is Serena Williams who suffered the worst loss of her career last week in San Jose, while Andy Murray has decided his body needs a rest after three tough wins in Washington which will have given his World Ranking a boost.

Even with some of the players that are absent in Canada, this week still looks a big one with the likes of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic leading the way in the men's draw and Simona Halep and Angelique Kerber looking to add another Grand Slam to the successes they have had already this season with a couple of strong runs on the hard courts in preparation for the US Open.

It should be another fun week on the Tour.


On Monday we have some of the First Round matches scheduled to get the week underway, but the number of Qualifiers who are having main draw matches meant the markets took a little time to be put together.

All in all that means I am going to begin this week by adding the Tennis Picks to this thread below.

I have also updated the season numbers.


MY PICKS: Anastasija Sevastova - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Karolina Pliskova - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Jared Donaldson - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Daniil Medvedev - 2.5 Games @ 2.00 Boyle Sports (2 Units)
Pablo Carreno Busta - 2.5 Games @ 2.00 Ladbrokes (2 Units)

Season 2018 Update: + 27.54 Units (1277 Units Staked, + 2.16% Yield)

Olympic Tennis Picks 2016 (August 6th)

The Olympic Games tennis tournament is played this week in Rio de Janeiro and it should be a fascinating week.

The nature of the draw means there are some very strange names in the mix of a 64 player tournament as it is an event that is opened up to include as many nations as possible. However it has also produced some really interesting First Round matches and there should be some excellent tennis on display over the next few days.

I am not sure how much television coverage there will be of the tennis before the later stages of the tournament, but I won't be around for much of Saturday so won't really know how that coverage will work until Sunday. There are plenty of courts on which the tennis will be played, but I can't imagine too much televised matches outside of the top two courts, although I am hoping to be pleasantly surprised in the coming days.

Anyway I will also use this thread to post any picks from the Atlanta Semi Finals which will take place on Saturday, but I won't add those until early Saturday evening once I am back home.


Marin Cilic - 2.5 games v Grigor Dimitrov: There was an improvement made by Grigor Dimitrov in reaching the Toronto Quarter Final last week, a run that included a win over Ivo Karlovic who beat Marin Cilic in the opening Round there. However I am not going to suggest Dimitrov is already back to his best after one good tournament as there have been some false dawns in a turn around of his form over the last twelve months.

Dimitrov has had more tennis this summer than Cilic which might give him a slight edge, but a loss to Daniel Evans won't inspire much confidence. His best performances have come on the hard courts though and Dimitrov can give Cilic plenty to think about, especially if the latter is not serving as well as he can.

The Croatian has been involved in Davis Cup action since Wimbledon where he did beat John Isner but the early loss in Toronto was an unexpected setback for Cilic. A poor hard court record in 2016 is an issue for Cilic, but he has saved his best performances for the US Open and these courts are supposed to play most similar to that tournament.

I do think Cilic will have more belief in his own game even if he falls behind in this one and that is why I give him the edge over Dimitrov. It will likely be a tense battle but I am looking for Cilic to take a tight opening set and then perhaps with a little more comfort in the second set to cover this number.


Illya Marchenko + 2.5 games v Andreas Seppi: The favourite for this match might be Andreas Seppi, but it is Illya Marchenko who comes into this First Round contest as the higher Ranked player.

Marchenko has shown some solid form in winning one Challenger and ending as Runner Up in another on the hard courts since Wimbledon. Both of those were played in Europe which might be an issue, but Marchenko's confidence should be in a very good place heading into this match.

Compared with Marchenko, Seppi has not been playing a lot of tennis since the third Grand Slam of the season ended. He has lost his two matches since Wimbledon and 2016 has been a difficult year for the Italian on the hard courts as he is just 5-6 in his matches played on that surface.

The experience edge has to be given to Seppi, while Marchenko's recent wins have come on the Challenger circuit rather than the main Tour. However his confidence can't be underestimated in this one and what that will give Marchenko and facing someone who might not be feeling his best on this surface should give the Ukrainian a chance to cover with this number of games in his hand.


Evgeny Donskoy - 1.5 games v Jan-Lennard Struff: Playing Challenger events in Kazakhstan might not be the best preparation for the Olympic Games in Brazil, but Evgeny Donskoy won that event after reaching the Semi Final of another hard court Challenger event in Italy.
That makes him the favourite in this First Round match against Jan-Lennard Struff who has been playing on the main Tour this summer but in clay court events. Neither player has the best of records at the main Tour level, but Donskoy can point to a 16-3 record on the Challenger and Qualifier level on hard courts compared with Struff who is going to be playing just his fourth hard court match in 2016.

The familiarity with the surface might give Donskoy the edge in the match although he is yet to take his Challenger level successes onto the main Tour. Some of the losses would have been particularly disappointing for the Russian, but he did reach the Second Round at the US Open last season after coming through the Qualifiers and that followed successes on the Challenger circuit at this time of the season.

I don't think there will be a lot between these players, but I think Donskoy may have the edge having played plenty of hard court tennis in recent weeks compared with Struff. A narrow win is likely to be the outcome and I will back Donskoy to achieve that and cover this number of games.


Due to time constraints, picks from the Women's matches on Saturday will be set up in the 'MY PICKS' section.


Reilly Opelka + 3.5 games v John Isner: There were a couple of markets that leaped off the page as I looked through the two Atlanta Semi Finals and both involved the second Semi Final of the night. It is John Isner versus 'The New John Isner' Reilly Opelka and the youngster has played well enough to deserve more respect on the game handicap than I feel he is getting.

Both players have big serves that are going to be difficult to break and so getting this many games for Opelka at odds against looks too much to ignore.

Tiebreakers are likely to play a key part in this match and this potentially needs John Isner to break two more times than Opelka to come through with a cover of this number. It will be difficult to break the big serve once, let alone twice, while the Isner serve has been more vulnerable this summer than in previous years.

At odds against I have to say I do like Opelka's chances to keep this one competitive and I will back the younger player to do that.

MY PICKS: Marin Cilic - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Boyle Sports (2 Units)
Illya Marchenko + 2.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Evgeny Donskoy - 1.5 Games @ 1.83 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Kiki Bertens - 2.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Barbora Strycova - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Elina Svitolina - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Reilly Opelka + 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Tennis Picks 2015 (August 6th)

You wouldn't think it was too difficult coming back from a set down to comfortably win tennis matches if you have been following the picks in the last couple of days. Jiri Vesely and Robin Haase both won sets with games in hand and still failed to get the job done, despite the former also serving for the match, while Bernard Tomic was another player who won the first set and went on to lose the match.

It feels like a bad couple of breaks that are letting down the week, but there is room to get back into a decent position if players begin to finish the positions they are getting into.

It also makes me laugh how brutal players are when they get into break point chances against my players picked this week, but are shockingly bad at taking those same chances when not being picked against!


Fabio Fognini v Philipp Kohlschreiber: This is the best Quarter Final taking place in Kitzbuhel today and I believe the winner might be the favourite to go on and win the title.

Philipp Kohlschreiber has won two of the three previous matches between these players, but Fabio Fognini won the most recent and has the quality to level up the head to head.

He can be hard to really trust as Fognini is just as capable of throwing in a performance where he barely looks like he wants to be on the court and he has to work hard to win his points. The Italian has shown better recent form than Kohlschreiber, although the latter has two decent wins under his belt this week which makes him dangerous once he gets on a roll.

I can see that as the reason that Kohlschreiber is perhaps favoured in this match as well as the long week that Fognini had in Hamburg where he came up just short against Rafael Nadal. However, a similar performance to one he had in the Final will be good enough for Fognini to beat Kohlschreiber in this one, although he might need three sets to do it.


Dusan Lajovic + 3.5 games v Nicolas Almagro: I wouldn't have picked either of these players to reach the Quarter Final and if it wasn't for Jiri Vesely choking away a 76, 52 lead, Nicolas Almagro certainly wouldn't be here. I am not convinced that the Spaniard is really to be trusted at short odds to make it through to the Semi Final even if Dusan Lajovic is not exactly in the greatest of form this past few weeks.

However, I think Lajovic is able to work through some games and will have chances to break the Almagro serve and winning a set should, and I mean should, be enough to make these games count. It hasn't so far with players winning sets with games in hand to begin, but Almagro hasn't looked like blowing anyone away and does look a vulnerable favourite.

The convincing loss to Pablo Andujar last week worries me when backing Lajovic, but Almagro hasn't been in the form to suggest he can win comfortably. Lajovic will have to protect his serve better than he did in his win over Andreas Seppi, especially in the first set, but he should have opportunities.

I simply also don't believe Almagro is such a big favourite in this one and Lajovic is worth backing with the games in his favour at odds against.


Dominic Thiem - 4.5 games v Albert Montanes: You have to think the last two weeks has taken some kind of physical toll on Dominic Thiem, but the two titles he has won has to be worth that effort. He had to dig deep in his first match in Kitzbuhel to come through in three sets, but the home tournament should inspire him to put in another big effort this week as he looks for a third title in a row.

A couple of years ago he was beaten comfortably by Albert Montanes here, but I think he can get a measure of revenge by moving into the Semi Final with a 64 63 win in this one.

Montanes has played well this week, but this has been an exception to previous weeks on the Tour as the veteran has begun to slip down the Rankings. The clay courts remain his favoured surface, but this is also where Thiem has won all of his titles this season and I think he will have gotten something out of his Second Round win.

The quality should be on the side of Thiem and his younger legs should respond to being at home and trying to win another title. Montanes has been very good this week, but he has taken some heavy losses prior to the week and I think Thiem is too good for him in this Quarter Final.


Agnieszka Radwanska - 5.5 games v Misaki Doi: Coming back from a long lay off on the Tour is difficult as Andy Murray found out to his cost on Wednesday, but I expect better from Agnieszka Radwanska. She faces Misaki Doi who looks to be a very good match up for her in her return to the Tour and I do think Radwanska wins with something to spare.

One concern would be the confidence that Doi has picked up from three consecutive wins in Stanford, but when she loses, she does tend to lose comfortably. That might be because Doi doesn't have a serve that can give her too many cheap points and the best players on Tour would expect to out-rally her when those points develop.

Since the beginning of the 2015 season, Doi has lost five matches on the hard courts and they have come by margins of 7, 6, 4, 6, 9 games each. Radwanska might not have had the best of years by her high standard, but the run to the Semi Final at Wimbledon might have sparked her and I expect a couple of decent runs during this hard court North American swing.

I think she will outwork Doi in the rallies and is happy enough to be out on court all day if she needs to and I expect Radwanska to win this 64, 62 once she gets settled back on the hard courts.


Karolina Pliskova - 5.5 games v Kimiko Date-Krumm: Another player who is making a long awaited return to the Tour is Karolina Pliskova who decided to skip events between Wimbledon and her return to Stanford. That is the biggest concern in wondering if she can get off to a flyer, but the match up with Kimiko Date-Krumm gives her every chance to do so.

The veteran had to dig incredibly deep to come through the First Round here against Sabine Lisicki and you have to think that has taken something out of the tank. Date-Krumm was 61, 41 down in that match, but turned it around to win in three sets and I think Pliskova may have a chance to pick her off in this match.

A lay off can cause problems in terms of rhythm and that would be my biggest concern for Pliskova who did crush Kimiko Date-Krumm for the loss of just four games here last year. However, that came after she had played a couple of other tournaments between Wimbledon and Stanford so I think this will be closer, although Pliskova should have the quality to overcome her opponent.

It might take a set to get used to being back in a competitive setting, but I then expect Pliskova to pull clear in a 64, 62 win.


Kei Nishikori - 4.5 games v Leonardo Mayer: After a difficult first set which Kei Nishikori dropped in the Second Round, he got back to form and moved into the Third Round relatively comfortably. After a strong run at the US Open last year when reaching the Final, Nishikori might have bigger expectations over the next six weeks than he did twelve months ago and he will expect to win the title in Washington.

His next opponent won't be easy to overcome as Leonardo Mayer has put together another solid season and looks set to surpass his career best number of wins in a single season. Mayer has a decent serve which will give Nishikori something to think about, but the latter has found a way to neutralise that in their previous matches and eventually crack through.

Nishikori has now won all six sets against Mayer and he hasn't lost more than four games in any of the last five sets after the first one they played went to a tie-breaker. Last year in New York, Nishikori beat Mayer 64, 62, 63 in the Third Round and he has the returning ability to break the Argentinian down again.

Leonardo Mayer is playing his first tournament since Davis Cup action in early July and struggled in the Second Round match which he won in three tight sets. His physical strength will be tested through this match and I expect Nishikori to eventually wear him down in a 63, 64 win.


Grigor Dimitrov - 2.5 games v Steve Johnson: Steve Johnson fans might be happy I am opposing their man again in the Third Round considering he has produced his best tennis in the last couple of months when I have been backing his opponent. However, I think Grigor Dimitrov is capable of seeing off the American who I simply doubt can serve as effectively as he did in his Second Round win over Bernard Tomic.

I will say I have been impressed with Johnson's performances with some more consistency in his wins, but he has also produced some really bad stuff. Losses to Tatsuma Ito and Ricardis Berankis would have been seriously unexpected and I do think Johnson is someone who can throw in a real wobbly performance.

My concern for Grigor Dimitrov is how he is going to react to his break up with Maria Sharapova and whether 2015 is already something of a write off for him. Too many poor losses and not enough deep runs in big events has to be a real disappointment for a talented player and this is likely going to be the lowest number of wins in a single season since 2012 as he is nowhere near the 45 wins he achieved in 2014.

Dimitrov did beat Johnson in straight sets at Wimbledon and I think he is the better player who will have been given a boost by his Second Round win. He has to serve well to keep some pressure on Johnson and I do think Dimitrov is able to get more joy from the return games than Tomic did as he works his way throygh to a 76, 64 win.

MY PICKS: Fabio Fognini @ 2.15 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Dusan Lajovic + 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)
Dominic Thiem - 4.5 Games @ 2.05 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Agnieszka Radwanska - 5.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Karolina Pliskova - 5.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Kei Nishikori - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Grigor Dimitrov - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 3-8, - 10.16 Units (22 Units Staked, - 46.18% Yield)

Canadian Masters Tennis Picks 2014 (August 6th)

It has been a good start to the week for the picks, even in the face of an absolute capitulation from Eugenie Bouchard in her Second Round loss on Tuesday, and hopefully that can be built upon over the next few days.

There is also good news for the fans that are attending Toronto/Montreal with the weather forecast calling for zero amount of rain in the coming days after a wet start to the week. Fortunately the tournament remains on schedule and the big names will have all got their first matches of the hard court season under their belt by the time play concludes on Wednesday.


Jo-Wilfried Tsonga - 3.5 games v Jeremy Chardy: Playing in Canada is usually a lot of fun for the French players with that language being a popular one in the east of the country and Jeremy Chardy will have good memories of his last appearance in Toronto.

Two years ago, Jeremy Chardy beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in straight sets here and he reached the Third Round, but it might be a big ask of him to beat his compatriot on current form.

As effective as Chardy's first serve can be, his second is much more vulnerable than Jo-Wilfried Tsonga's and I think it is going to be hard for him to maintain the rallies in the face of the power he will be seeing on the other side of the net.

Tsonga is also off a very good performance against Edouard Roger-Vasselin and I would expect the former top ten player to come through 63, 76.


Andreas Seppi v Ivan Dodig: Andreas Seppi has won all four previous matches against Ivan Dodig and he may be able to make that five in a row against a player that hasn't played much tennis in two months.

As good as his win over John Isner in the First Round was, Ivan Dodig hadn't played since the French Open and it will be interesting to see how quickly he can recover to play another tough looking match. Dodig has at least had a day between matches, but Seppi has been able to neutralise him in the past and that has to also weigh on his mind.

It hasn't been a good 2014 for Seppi who has been inconsistency personified and he hasn't won two matches in a row since the French Open. The hard courts show up his serve on a surface where a break of serve can end the set, but I think his added fitness may prove to be the difference in this one.

I wouldn't be surprised to see this go three sets, but Seppi looks a sound pick as the underdog.


Feliciano Lopez - 3.5 games v Tim Smyczek: He might have the serve that should be very effective on the faster surfaces, but there is little doubt that Feliciano Lopez' return game leaves something to be desired. In saying that, he can build scoreboard pressure and is off an impressive First Round win over Roberto Bautista-Agut and I think he can move past the American Tim Smyczek in this one.

Smyczek did well to qualify for the Masters here in Toronto and he has won all six set he has competed in the tournament, but there is a feeling that his mind could quickly turn to qualifying for Cincinnati next week.

His serve has been vulnerable on the hard courts this summer and Lopez slices enough balls back in play to expose errors in the Smyczek game.

As long as Lopez also serves well to keep the pressure on Smyczek, I believe he can win this match 76, 63.


Jack Sock + 3.5 games v Milos Raonic: Milos Raonic did very well to win the biggest tournament of his career to date last week in Washington, but backing that up at home could be more difficult as it proved for Vasek Pospisil yesterday.

However, Raonic has dominated Jack Sock and has beaten him three times already this season, including in Washington last week.

We all know what to expect from the Raonic serve, but Sock has a decent serve himself and there is definitely more belief in his play since winning the Doubles title at Wimbledon. Sock has played a couple of Semi Finals in the Singles tournaments since Wimbledon and was a dominant winner in the First Round here and I do think he can cause problems for Raonic, especially if fatigue is a factor.

Their three matches played on the hard courts over the last twelve months have all been keenly contested with Sock being able to cover if handed this amount of games. I backed against him last week, but I think Sock has the serve and belief to keep this competitive, as well as Raonic coming off a 'high' with his title win in Washington.


Tomas Berdych - 4.5 games v Yen-Hsun Lu: Yen-Hsun Lu can be a very difficult opponent to shake off as Tomas Berdych found out last year in Bangkok when he needed two tie-breakers to beat Lu.

However, I am expecting this to be a little more straight-forward for him on the current form Lu has been displaying- since winning a Challenger title at home, Lu has moved to North America and suffered a couple of very easy losses to players at a level below what Berdych can produce.

Lu had a decent, but expected, win over Marcel Granollers in the First Round and Berdych wasn't at his best in Washington last week, but this should be a portion of the season that suits very well for the Czech player.

This is another match where Berdych serving well could produce enough pressure on Lu to perhaps push too hard and the top ten player should come through 64. 63.


Serena Williams - 5.5 games v Samantha Stosur: Serena Williams won the title in Stanford last week, but she was tentative at times, although I expect to see an improvement now that her body held up. She started off very slowly which put her under pressure, but Williams ended most matches playing up to the dominant level we have come to expect over the last two years.

On the other hand, Samantha Stosur has had a poor time on the court since the French Open even compared to her usual struggles on the grass. She then suffered a disappointing early exit in Stanford and has not been as strong on the hard courts as her serve should help her be.

It is now three years since Stosur surprised Williams to win the US Open, but she has been dismissed fairly comfortably in the next two matches and is not playing at anything near the level it took to win a Grand Slam title.

Williams hasn't been serving as well as she can either so this match may feature a few more breaks of serve than people may expect with the players on the court. Once the dust is settled though, I expect Serena has moved into the Third Round with a 75, 62 win in the bag.

MY PICKS: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga - 3.5 Games @ 2.05 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Andreas Seppi @ 2.10 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Feliciano Lopez - 3.5 Games @ 2.10 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Jack Sock + 3.5 Games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Tomas Berdych - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Serena Williams - 5.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Toronto/Montreal Weekly Update: 6-2, + 7.20 Units (16 Units Staked, + 45% Yield)

Tennis Picks Canadian Masters 2013 (August 6th)

The biggest issue with the first of the back to back Masters tournaments in Canada is that a lot of players are coming in without playing a lot of tennis since Wimbledon. That means there are some surprising performances from players as they find their feet, while others are just trying to improve their fitness ahead of the US Open which will begin later this month.

It does mean you have to be a little more careful when making picks as you have to take a few more things into account and not just simply the match up on the court. Hopefully I will be able to avoid those surprising results on Tuesday as the First Round matches are concluded and the Second Round gets underway.


Nicolas Almagro - 2.5 games v Radek Stepanek: It is Radek Stepanek that leads the head to head between these players including a decisive fifth rubber win in the Davis Cup Final last season and while I believe Nicolas Almagro is the more talented player, I do have reasons in my mind why Stepanek has the lead in the head to head.

Let's face it- Stepanek is one of the more awkward players to play on the Tour and I don't just mean for the serve-volleying skills or the ability to get to the net. The Czech player has always been happy to try and get into the mind of his opponent on the court and I can see that really affecting someone like Almagro who can start making a lot of unforced errors when he mentally is not tuned in to the contest.

On pure talent, you would think that Almagro would hold the edge- he has the bigger serve, while his backhand should be capable of neutralising Stepanek's backhand, which is his more reliable shot. Of course, Stepanek can pressure opponents by getting to the net and forcing them to pass him, especially considering the Czech man is one of the better doubles players in the world and is comfortable playing a number of volleys.

If Almagro doesn't allow Stepanek to get into his mind, he should be able to find a way to come through this match, although I think it will be a tight contest. I expect the bigger serve to pay dividends in the end and Almagro to come through 63, 57, 64.


Fabio Fognini v Marcos Baghdatis: It has been a stunning summer for Fabio Fognini so far as he won his first two titles on the ATP Tour and only missed out on a third as tiredness finally caught up with him in the Final at Umag. The Italian then enjoyed a well deserved week off before this tournament and I think he has the confidence that can certainly make life difficult for Marcos Baghdatis.

The court in Montreal isn't playing particularly fast from what tennis I saw on Monday and that could aid Fognini's game as it should, in theory, give him more time to get the ball back in play. He was also returning serve with real vigour during the summer clay court season in Europe and he will see a lot of second serves in this one and could certainly put Baghdatis under some pressure.

Baghdatis will at least feel better having stopped his losing run with a couple of wins in Washington last week and he played pretty well in his first two matches. He has a lot of flash about him and can certainly put together periods of hitting plenty of winners, but he may have to have better consistency if he is to see off Fognini.

The Italian's serve can certainly be a weakness, but I will have a unit on Fognini to cause a surprise in the First Round.


Tommy Haas - 4.5 games v David Goffin: It can be easy to forget that Tommy Haas is a 35 year old with the way he has turned back the clock in 2013 and there is a real chance he could earn enough points to be invited to the End of Year Championships in London in November.

Haas has been very consistent and I think he is going to be a little too good for David Goffin in this one, even if the young Belgian player has a Challenger title on the hard courts last month. The problem for Goffin is that he doesn't really have the power to mix with the top players and he is being out-hit by opponents who have a real idea as to how he will come out and approach a match.

In Washington, Goffin was swept aside by Bernard Tomic, although he did snap an eight match losing run on the main ATP Tour with a win over Yen-Hsun Lu at that event. His problem is how to deal with a player like Haas that is pretty effective off both wings and also has a serve that can offer up cheap points.

My only concern with Haas is that he can lose concentration and give up breaks of serve with silly unforced errors at time, but his overall performance this season suggests he will be a fairly comfortable winner in this First Round match. The German has a Quarter Final appearance in Toronto to defend from last season, and he can at least make a start towards that with a 64, 62 win.


Dominika Cibulkova v Angelique Kerber: I have a lot of admiration for both of these players, but I feel that Dominika Cibulkova is the more mentally stable of the two and that will help her reach the Third Round in Toronto.

Cibulkova is back in the top 20 of the World Rankings after winning the big event in Stanford and even her early exit in Carlsbad can be forgiven after the exploits of the week before and the fact she lost to a decent player in Ana Ivanovic. The hard courts have generally been the surface on which Cibulkova has had the most success as she is able to hit through opponents a little easier and she has a lot more power than someone would initially think.

She is also up against an opponent in Angelique Kerber that can be so up and down- I admire where the German has taken her game in the last couple of seasons, but every time I think she is ready to make a real move at a Grand Slam, she fails to do that. There have been times when Kerber has lost matches from strong winning positions and I think her inconsistency will likely be her downfall against a player like Cibulkova that plays a consistent 7/10 most times she is on the court.


Francesca Schiavone v Chanelle Scheepers: This has been set as a pick 'em contest because Francesca Schiavone is not at the same level as when she won the French Open and the hard courts are certainly not her favoured surface. However, she is playing Chanelle Scheepers, a player that has had a tough 2013 and I am not sure the South African should be favoured to beat Schiavone just yet.

There is no doubt that we will see a few breaks of serve in this match, but Schiavone is mentally as tough as almost any player on the WTA Tour and I think that will prove to be the difference in the match.

Both players have losing records on the Tour on the hard courts this season, but the level of opponent they have lost to is clearly different with some of the biggest names knocking off Schiavone and I still believe she is a competing at a level higher than Scheepers. Of course, the South African will be used to the conditions in Toronto with two qualifying match wins under her belt, but I like Schiavone to come through this one in three sets and the Italian to tough out her opponent.


MY PICKS: Nicolas Almagro - 2.5 Games @ 1.95 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Fabio Fognini @ 2.38 Sporting Bet (1 Unit)
Tommy Haas - 4.5 Games @ 1.95 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Dominika Cibulkova @ 2.10 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Francesca Schiavone @ 2.00 Pinnacle (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 2-1, + 1.30 Units (6 Units Staked, + 21.67% Yield)

Tennis Picks August 6th

While a lot of the players on the ATP and WTA Tours have been focused on the London Olympics, some others have already began their hard court swing in North America and today is the beginning of the first of the two major Masters events ahead of the US Open.

The Men travel to Toronto while the Women will be beginning their tournament in Montreal tomorrow- there are expected to be a number of players that are going to pull out of these events following the ending of the Olympic event over this weekend.

Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer are already top 10 players on the ATP Tour that will not be playing in Canada this week, while the WTA have held back the start of the event in Montreal to a Tuesday in the hope that it will persuade the big stars to make the effort to play.

With the uncertainty surrounding how serious the players will take the event, I think we may see a surprise winner of the Toronto Masters, usually a level of event that is dominated by the top four players on the ATP Tour. That uncertainty has also meant there are not many layers willing to put up prices on the winner of this event so I will hold off on that this week and stick with the picks on a daily basis.

Jeremy Chardy - 3.5 games v Donald Young: Jeremy Chardy has been playing some decent tennis in recent weeks, although he was beaten early last week in Washington, and I do think he is still going to be too strong for Donald Young whose confidence has to be shot to bits.

Young has lost FIFTEEN straight matches on the Main Tour and at least four of those losses have come when he was set as the favourite.

The American did not play in Canada last year, but he did reach the Semi Finals in Washington in 2011, but the form is just not there at the moment and I don't know how much fight he will have if he falls behind in this one.

With Chardy having a bounce back year from a poor 2011, I think he is going to be a little too strong in this one.

Victor Troicki - 3.5 games v Alex Bogomolov: Another player that has really struggled throughout 2012 is Alex Bogomolov as he has a hard time reaching the heights he achieved in 2011.

Victor Troicki has not exactly been setting the World alight with his own performances this year, but he did reach the Third Round in Canada last year. He isn't the most trustworthy considering his form so far in 2012, but his opponent has been in a worse run and you have to think the World Number 30 will be a little too strong.

Troicki does lead the head to to head 2-1, but those matches have all been tight so this is a slightly risky pick. However, the odds against offer looks a little too tempting to ignore as far as I am concerned.

MY PICKS: Jeremy Chardy - 3.5 games @ 1.84 Pinnacle (2 Units)

Victor Troicki - 3.5 games @ 2.01 Pinnacle (2 Units)

MLB Picks August 6th

The picks went 2-1 last night as both the Atlanta Braves and Detroit Tigers won, while Arizona were hammered early and could not recover in 7-4 defeat.

I have only the one pick tonight:

Minnesota Twins vs Chicago White Sox: The Chicago White Sox are 2-7 against Minnesota this season and they have not won back to back matches at Minnesota since 2007.


Carl Pavano will start on the mound for the Twins and, although he has been struggling of late, he has dominated the White Sox in 2 starts against them this season.


Jake Peavy was the scheduled starter, but he has been pushed back until tomorrow so Zach Stewart will be asked to make his 4th career start and he has not pitched since June 27th in the Major Leagues.


We could catch the layers a little cold if you play Minnesota to win on the straight market rather than the one where the scheduled starters are listed.


MY PICK: Minnesota Twins @ 1.95 Unibet (1 Unit)


AUGUST UPDATE: 3-3, - 0.51 Units

Tennis Picks August 6th Washington and San Diego

One down, two to go- that is how the outright picks are going as we get down to the Final 4 in both of these tournaments this week.

Marcos Baghdatis was a huge disappointment yesterday as he fell in straight sets to Donald Young. I warned myself that it could be one of those weeks for Young, but did not heed that advice and still fancied Baghdatis to get the job done. He had 3 set points in the 2nd set but failed to convert- more disappointing was the fact he failed to get the ball in play on any of those points before falling in the tie break.

It was more frustrating considering he faced Radek Stepanek in the Semi Final if he had got through and he could have really boosted the coffers as a 19.00 shot outright at the start of the week.

Now we have John Isner and Agnieska Radwanska left in the outright as the tournaments come to a close.

The Picks:

Andrea Petkovic vs Agnieska Radwanska: Anyone who followed my outrights at the start of the week know we will win 4 units if Radwanska makes it through to the Final, but the Polish player had called for a trainer in her last match with Daniela Hantuchova and has since admitted that she considered pulling out of the match.

Petkovic has become a popular figure in the stands as she follows victories with the 'Petko Dance' that became famous when she did it for a joke last year. She has been solid on the hard courts and has had a routine path through to the Semi Final, but generally has faltered when coming up against the better players on the tour with losses to Maria Sharapova, Na Li and Marion Bartoli on the hard courts this year.

Radwanska is a solid hard court player herself and reached the Final here last year so obviously must like the conditions. She came back from a horror start against Daniela Hantuchova in the last Round by overturning a 0-6 first set to win in 3 sets. However, I am still concerned about her shoulder and whether she wants to fight through.

Radwanska also holds a 2-0 head to head over Petkovic, winning both matches on the hard courts of Tokyo in the last 2 seasons. Personally, I thought Radwanska would be the favourite, but the injury has  me concerned and I will cover my outright here.


Vera Zvonareva - 3.5 games vs Ana Ivanovic: Ana Ivanovic is apparently still having a little bit of trouble with her wrist, and she now faces a real competitor in the form of Vera Zvonareva.

The Russian is in good form having won a hard court tournament in Azerbaijan a couple of weeks ago and her 3 set win over Sabine Lasicki is impressive, especially the focus she had in the match.

Ivanovic has won through in straight sets in every match this week, but she is still capable of throwing in a stinker and she will be under more pressure against a quality opponent today.

The head to head is 4-4, but it is Zvonareva that has won the last 2 meetings, although they have not played since March 2009. Zvonareva remains the stronger player and I think she will come through with a break in each set to record a straight sets victory.


Gael Monfils vs John Isner: This is another pick for those that followed the outright picks at the start of the week- we took Isner at 10.00 to win the tournament so will be due 4.5 Units if he makes it through to the Final.

I am going to put a couple of units on Monfils here to cover the outright as the Frenchman has played well this week and the lottery of tie breaks is not worth the stress. Whoever wins this match will be the big favourite to win the tournament on Sunday.

As for personal opinion, I think Monfils is overestimated in the match to win, especially the way Isner can serve in tie breaks. If I had no outrights running, I would suggest the value is on the American.


MY PICKS: Andrea Petkovic @ 1.72 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Vera Zvonareva - 3.5 games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Gael Monfils @ 1.66 Pinnacle (2 Units)


WEEKLY UPDATE WASHINGTON/SAN DIEGO: + 0.58 Units

Saturday Football Picks and Preview

I have 3 picks from the Saturday coupon, so let us hope for a good start to the new season:

http://www.goonersguide.com/football-pick-11265-Coventry-City-v-Leicester-City.htm

http://www.goonersguide.com/football-pick-11267-Burnley-v-Watford.htm

http://www.goonersguide.com/football-pick-11276-Southampton-v-Leeds-United.htm

All of the above links will give you full previews of the games and my reasoning behind the picks.


MY PICKS: Leicester City @ 2.15 William Hill (1 Unit)
Burnley-Watford Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.75 Victor Chandler (2 Units)
Southampton @ 2.25 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)