Tennis Picks 2026 (Friday 17th April)

The Quarter Final matches at the four big events being played this week have all been scheduled for action on Friday, but there are only two selections from the matches available.

After a 3-0 start to the week, the hope is that these two selections can continue the positive start to the clay court season.

One of those comes from  the ATP 500 tournament being played in Barcelona and the other from the WTA 500 tournament in Stuttgart.

Some of the top contenders for the French Open title can lay down an early marker at these 500 events, although there are still bigger events to be played in Madrid and Rome at the 1000 level.

However, as mentioned earlier this week, the Masters event in Madrid tends to have a very different feel to the other events during this European clay court run and may be one to keep a watching brief before the Rome event and the last run up into the second Grand Slam of the season.

Rafael Jodar - 3.5 games v Cameron Norrie: It was never going to be easy being the next player to break through in British Tennis during the Andy Murray era, but Cameron Norrie has put together a strong career. He continues to be a brilliant competitor every time he steps onto the court and there is something to be said about that.

At his peak, Cameron Norrie reached World Number 8, while he reached the second week at all of the Grand Slam events with his best effort being a Semi Final run at Wimbledon in 2022. This is an all-court player who reached the French Open Fourth Round for the first time just last year and Cameron Norrie has battled through a couple of Rounds to reach the Quarter Final here in Barcelona this week.

Later this year, Cameron Norrie is turning 31 and there was a feeling several months ago that his best tennis was now behind him.

No one will suggest this is a flashy player, but Norrie will grind every time he steps on the court and his numbers are pretty similar across the surfaces.

Cameron Norrie serves well enough on the clay courts and will get himself into the return rallies to remain dangerous, and the veteran is sure to have learned plenty out of the one-sided defeat suffered to Rafael Jodar on the hard courts of Acapulco in February.

On that day, the young Spaniard won 82% of his service points played and broke the Cameron Norrie serve three times and Rafael Jodar has continued his 2026 form on the clay courts with two solid wins at this event.

That comes after winning a title in Bucharest at an ATP 250 level and Jodar has looked comfortable at this 500 level, although he will respect the fact that he is facing the highest Ranked opponent on this surface so far this season.

Rafael Jodar was not at his very best in the Second Round, but he continues to serve really effectively and that is allowing him to build real pressure on the return. Those numbers on that side of the court are really impressive and it feels like the 19 year old is going to have enough to get past Cameron Norrie.

It should be closer than the meeting in Acapulco now that Norrie has had a proper look at the opponent, but Rafael Jodar is on track to really move up the World Rankings and this is a surface that should favour him to enough of an extent to earn the win and the over of the spread set.

Coco Gauff - 3.5 games v Karolina Muchova: The French Open Final was played in some incredibly difficult conditions, but credit has to be given to Coco Gauff for holding it together for longer than Aryna Sabalenka to win that Grand Slam in 2025.

She has long been very comfortable on the clay courts and Coco Gauff would have been confident of winning the French Open after recent experiences on the surface. Last year, Gauff put together another impressive year on the clay, although the one poor tournament was right here in Stuttgart.

A comfortable win in the Second Round will have given Coco Gauff early momentum and she is going to be happy with the match up in this Quarter Final.

Karolina Muchova is a former French Open Finalist, but she has not played too much clay court tennis over the last couple of years.

That takes away nothing from the ability Muchova has shown to play on all courts, but she has lost all six Tour meetings against Coco Gauff and this has proven to be a difficult opponent to work out.

Karolina Muchova has put together two solid wins in Stuttgart, but she has simply not been able to impose her serve on Coco Gauff in those previous six matches. That is going to be even tougher to achieve on the clay courts, while the World Number 3 has to be credited for getting more out of the first serve on this surface.

This could become an awkward spread where the line currently stands.

However, Coco Gauff's comfort on the clay courts gives her every chance of maintaining the advantage over Karolina Muchova with another win over this opponent.

MY PICKS: Rafael Jodar - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Coco Gauff - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 3-0, + 2.54 Units (3 Units Staked, + 84.67% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Wednesday 15th April)

The clay court season has gotten underway earlier this month, but a decision was made to skip making any Tennis Picks at the Monte Carlo Masters.

There are plenty of big events to be completed before we get to the French Open at the end of the month and there are three 500 level events this week in Barcelona, Munich and Stuttgart with some big names on both the ATP and WTA Tour in action.

It should be remembered that there are still plenty of clay court specialists out there and those have to be respected, while some top names are much more comfortable on the faster surfaces rather than the red dirt.

We have already seen another meltdown from Daniil Medvedev last week in Monte Carlo, while some of the top American names are skipping some of this part of the season knowing they are much more dangerous when it comes to the hard or grass courts. Others that are playing become vulnerable to the upsets that the layers may not always price up as they should and so there is a lot of consideration given to a number of factors that can change the selection.

Taking note of the kind of clay court tournaments coming up is also important- the Madrid Masters plays very different to the other clay events and the French Open and tends to throw up many more upsets than most events at this time of the season. Conditions tend to see the ball fly that much quicker through the air and the surface so that may be another event which needs to be watched, rather than having multiple selections made, but that is something to consider when the tournament comes around next week.

A decent start to the season took a knock in March with the Indian Wells and Miami Masters both getting the better of the selections.

Overall we have to be happy with where the numbers currently stand, but building momentum towards the French Open is important and that is the focus over the next six weeks until the second Grand Slam of the season gets underway.

Rafael Jodar - 4.5 games v Camilo Ugo Carabelli: After the retirement of Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz has become the poster boy for Spanish Tennis, but there is another Rafael making his way up the World Rankings.

19 year old Rafael Jodar may not have made the early waves of Alcaraz, but he is operating at a career best World Number 55 after winning the title in Marrakech earlier this month. A Wild Card has been handed to him to take his place in this ATP 500 event in Barcelona and the same can be expected at the ATP 1000 event in Madrid and Rafael Jodar could make significant leaps in the World Rankings right through the French Open.

He has played well on the hard courts as well as the more natural clay and that makes this teenager someone to keep an eye on.

Veteran Jaume Munar was dismissed in the First Round very comfortably and Rafael Jodar is a pretty significant favourite in this match up against Camilo Ugo Carabelli.

The 26 year old Argentinian is the World Number 43 and like many of his compatriots, Camilo Ugo Carabelli is very comfortable on the red dirt. Earlier this season he won a Challenger event in Argentina and later reached the Quarter Final at the ATP 250 tournament held in Buenos Aires.

Early losses in Rio de Janeiro and Santiago will have been a disappointment during the South American Golden Swing, but Camilo Ugo Carabeli reached the Semi Final in Marrakech to boost confidence.

That run was ended by Rafael Jodar as they prepare to meet for a second time on the clay this month, and the real test for Camilo Ugo Carabelli is whether he can find a way to get his teeth into the Jodar serve. It was a problem in Marrakech with Ugo Carabelli creating just 2 Break Points in a straight sets defeat as he struggled to make an impact on either the first or second serve return.

While only a small sample, Rafael Jodar's serving in his six clay courts matches in 2026 has been really impressive and he has backed that up by keeping the pressure on opponents with his return.

If Camilo Ugo Carabelli can get his first serve rhythm going, he can be dangerous and put some pressure on the younger player. However, the second serve can be a real weakness and Ugo Carabelli was broken four times when these players met in Morocco.

Winning just three games again is unlikely, but Camilo Ugo Carabelli may struggle to still cover this spread set for the Second Round match in Barcelona.

MY PICKS: Rafael Jodar - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Season 2026: 93-80, + 9.20 Units (238 Units Staked, + 3.87% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2022 (April 23rd)

SWEEP!!

A 5-0 Friday has moved this week back in a position to record another winning run on the clay courts and I have to hope that the momentum is now behind the selections.

After a difficult couple of days, it was nice to be on the right side of some of the fortune and the tournaments are all back on track with the Semi Final matches set to be played in the four events on Saturday and the conclusion of the events to come on Sunday.

There are quite a few matches scheduled to be played on Saturday with Semi Final matches at all four events, but I think it is reasonable to suggest a watching brief should be taken with the majority of them.

However, I do have a single Tennis Pick can be read below:

Diego Sebastian Schwartzman - 1.5 games v Pablo Carreno Busta: Players who have reached the Semi Final at the ATP Barcelona tournament have had to go through double duty on Friday and it does make those matches a little tougher to break down.

All credit has to be given to the four players remaining, but I do wonder how much Pablo Carreno Busta has left in the tank having needed the full six sets on Friday. His wins over Lorenzo Sonego and Casper Ruud are solid and will give Pablo Carreno Busta a lot of confidence, but going the distance in both matches means the Spaniard has spent just shy of six hours on court in a single day.

It has to have taken something out of the tank, while Pablo Carreno Busta also allowed his two opponents to combine for more break point chances than he managed himself. I am expecting not just the physical side of things to be a concern for Pablo Carreno Busta, but those were emotional wins and he is going to need the full support of the Spanish fans.

I do think he will have success against Diego Sebastian Schwartzman who can have a very vulnerable serve on the clay courts. However, the diminutive Argentinian earned his place in the Semi Final with much more conviction than Pablo Carreno Busta and Diego Sebastian Schwartzman also spent a little over four hours on the court on Friday.

This should be important considering the kind of rallies we are expecting to see from the two players in Barcelona, but Diego Sebastian Schwartzman has the edge when it comes to the return of serve.

Both players have struggled to hold serve in previous matches between them, while Pablo Carreno Busta beat Diego Sebastian Schwartzman in a tight three setter here in Barcelona in 2021. This time I expect the fresher Schwartzman to have the advantage as he looks to reach the Final, and he has also had the stronger numbers here this season.

Pablo Carreno Busta has been serving well in terms of the holds he has put together, but the break point chances have been there for his opponents and someone like Diego Sebastian Schwartzman can do enough to win this match.

I expect plenty of swings in momentum with both players likely to find breaks of serve, but Diego Sebastian Schwartzman being fresher has to be a huge key to the outcome of this Semi Final.

MY PICKS: Diego Sebastian Schwartzman - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 11-10, - 0.54 Units (42 Units Staked, - 1.29% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2022 (April 20th)

That was a poor day all around punctuated by the horrible Manchester United performance at Anfield.

I might have had a tough day in the office as far as the Tennis Picks are concerned, but I was largely happy with the selections and felt I deserved slightly better.

One player has moved onto my 'blacklist' and will not be selected over the next couple of weeks as I take a watching brief on their matches, but it was a frustrating day in the main with only Marton Fucsovics returning as a winner.

Wednesday is another extremely busy day of Tennis with the four tournaments getting into the meat of the events being played and it is hopefully a day in which the Picks can be much more productive.

Pablo Carreno Busta - 4.5 games v Barnabe Zapata Miralles: These two players met here in Barcelona last year and it will be interesting to see how much Barnabe Zapata Miralles learned from the experience.

He was pretty well beaten by the experienced Pablo Carreno Busta and the higher Ranked player did reach the Quarter Final in Monte Carlo last week. I do have to admit that the numbers have largely been a little disappointing compared to what you may expect from Pablo Carreno Busta, but he is a battle hardened player and that means he has found a way to win close matches.

Much will depend on how effective the Pablo Carreno Busta serve will be and over the last twelve months it has been an inconsistent weapon on the clay courts. He will definitely feel there is an improvement to be made from his Monte Carlo performance, but this is a good chance to get into the tournament in Barcelona.

Being a higher Ranked and older player than his compatriot is something that has made an impact in matches throughout the history of the Tennis Tour and I think that may have been part of the reason that Barnabe Zapata Miralles was beaten pretty handily last season. The one previous match should mean Zapata Miralles is a bit more comfortable facing up to Pablo Carreno Busta, but he has had a mixed time on the clay courts in 2022.

Barnabe Zapata Miralles has come through the Qualifiers and his three wins in Barcelona have been very impressive, but he has struggled with his serve on the clay courts this season. That makes him vulnerable to Pablo Carreno Busta, although I do think the younger Spaniard will be able to have success with his own return.

That has been the strongest part of his game, but it may be under pressure if Barnabe Zapata Miralles is not able to produce strong serving on the day. It was the difference last season with Zapata Miralles struggling to hold onto his serve when they met here in Barcelona and I do think Pablo Carreno Busta can produce a similar kind of victory on Wednesday in this Second Round meeting.

I would like to see Pablo Carreno Busta just knuckle down quicker than he did in his matches in Monte Carlo last week, but he has enjoyed playing in Barcelona and I think he can win through to the next Round.

Alex De Minaur - 3.5 games v Ugo Humbert: You cannot ignore the fact that Alex De Minaur has not been at his most comfortable on the clay courts and so it is very difficult to back him as a favourite in any match on this surface.

That is the case even when facing someone like Ugo Humbert who has been struggling with his confidence in 2022- however, the Frenchman has won a match in Barcelona and should be plenty ready to deal with the conditions he is facing.

Ugo Humbert is another player who has been at odds with playing on the clay courts and I think that, coupled with his lack of confidence, will make him vulnerable to someone as solid as Alex De Minaur can be. This might not be his best surface, but De Minaur has been able to get a little bit more out of his serve compared with Ugo Humbert and the Australian also looks to have a real edge when it comes to the returning numbers on the surface.

Their two previous matches have both been played on the hard courts and have seen the two players split those one apiece, but the clay courts may just strengthen the edge in favour of Alex De Minaur.

Any player who has struggled on a surface as much as Alex De Minaur has done can be difficult to trust to cover such a spread as the one he is being asked to cover on Wednesday, but I do think he played well enough in Monte Carlo. Playing a first match in this ATP Barcelona event also means Alex De Minaur may need a bit of time to just get himself ready to compete, but I do think his numbers over the last twelve months suggest he is the stronger player on the clay courts and able to work his way to an edge.

In their two hard court matches, the Australian has had a slight edge too and I think he can earn enough break points to be in a position to cover this mark.

MY PICKS: Pablo Carreno Busta - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Alex De Minaur - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Petra Kvitova - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Emma Raducanu - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet365 (2 Units)

Anett Kontaveit - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Tamara Zidansek - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 2-4, - 4 Units (12 Units Staked, - 33.33% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2022 (April 19th)

The sole Tennis Pick on Monday returned an early morning winner and I can't ask for much more than that.

There are some big tournaments being played this week on both the ATP and WTA Tours, but the focus for the Tennis Picks on Tuesday are the two ATP events in Barcelona and Belgrade. I have three selections from Barcelona and two from Belgrade which can be seen below.

While I don't have any Picks from the WTA Stuttgart tournament, I will be hoping to tune in at some point when Bianca Andreescu makes her return to the Tour. Injuries have stalled a promising career, but I am hoping that the Canadian is over those and can push back towards the top of the World Rankings where she belongs.

After a long layoff, Bianca Andreescu makes her season debut on Tuesday and I can only wish her the best of luck.

Roberto Carballas Baena - 1.5 games v Lloyd Harris: He may be Ranked over fifty places behind his opponent, but you can understand why Roberto Carballas Baena has been set as the favourite in this First Round match against Lloyd Harris. While the Spaniard has long been at his most comfortable on the natural surface of the clay courts, Lloyd Harris has struggled to have an impact on the red dirt and the next six weeks is a difficult time for the big serving South African.

You cannot completely disregard the Roberto Carballas Baena World Ranking, but I do think he is the right favourite in this First Round match in Barcelona.

He reached the Semi Final of a Challenger event on the clay in Madrid last week and Roberto Carballas Baena has won matches at the main ATP level too. The Spaniard has suffered a couple of heavy losses to the likes of Casper Ruud and Lorenzo Sonego, but those two players are pretty comfortable on the clay courts too and the overall numbers produced by Roberto Carballas Baena are decent enough.

They are certainly going to be good enough to give him a big chance to beat Lloyd Harris who has long struggled on the slower surface as he has not been given as many free points as he would expect to receive on the hard and grass courts. Lloyd Harris was pretty handily beaten in Monte Carlo in the sole match played there and even in 2021 he only held serve in 71% of service games played, which leaves him vulnerable on this surface against a clay court specialist.

It also has to be noted that Lloyd Harris has not been as comfortable as he would have liked when it comes to returning on the clay courts- while he will get into rallies, the slower surface tests the consistency of the groundstrokes and that is where Roberto Carballas Baena looks to have a real advantage over Lloyd Harris in this First Round match.

Roberto Carballas Baena has an attackable serve, but Lloyd Harris has not really shown the consistency to be able to exploit that. Instead, it feels like the Carballas Baena return could make the difference on the day and I will look for the Spaniard to earn a good win in this First Round match in Barcelona.

Marton Fucsovics - 4.5 games v Jordan Thompson: Playing on the clay courts in Houston is one thing, but the European clay courts are a big test for players like Jordan Thompson who want to spend the majority of their time on faster surfaces. This is a surface in which patience and consistency can be rewarded, while movement is very different for players compared with the hard courts and grass courts they will be playing on for much of the season.

The Australian was beaten in his first match in Houston and in recent years he has not had a lot of experience of playing on the red dirt. Last season he finished with a 2-4 record on the clay courts, although Jordan Thompson did win a match here in Barcelona and will be hoping that experience can be replicated.

A big problem for Jordan Thompson over the last couple of years on the clay courts has been the serve and he has just struggled to get out of those tough spots that a big serve can manage to do when playing on the hard courts. It is perhaps no surprise it has led to Jordan Thompson holding just 68% of service games played on the clay over the last twelve months compared with his 77% mark on the hard courts.

The pressure has then been ramped up on the return and it has proved to be a tough spot for Jordan Thompson to deal with as he has broken in just 18% of return games on a surface on which the return should be easier to deal with.

Marton Fucsovics will be hoping to take advantage after a relatively disappointing Monte Carlo Masters showing- he has dropped out of the top 50 in the World Rankings and may have seen his best tennis pass him by, but he remains a solid, if unspectacular clay courter.

Over the last twelve months, Marton Fucsovics has found his own serve being much more vulnerable on the clay courts, but he does hold 70% of service games played. That number is not much better than Jordan Thompson's mark, but a difference for the Hungarian is that he has broken in 32% of return games and I do think he will be the superior player whenever we get into rallies.

I expect that to make the difference on the day and the return of serve should favour Marton Fucsovics to move into a position to cover what is a big handicap mark. As long as he serves even semi competently, I expect Marton Fucsovics to record a solid win in Barcelona on his way to the Second Round of this tournament.

Pablo Andujar - 2.5 games v Ugo Humbert: The main problem some of the clay court specialists have is that they have serves that can be vulnerable and it is something that the top players on the Tour will exploit.

Take Pablo Andujar as an example- he has a winning record on the clay courts over the last twelve months, but his numbers are hurt by the fact he only holds 68% of service games played. The wins have largely come about thanks to the 33% of games in which he has broken serve, but it makes players like Andujar hard to trust when it comes to covering any spread.

However, he is the favourite against Ugo Humbert in the First Round in Barcelona and deservedly so when you think of the season long struggle the Frenchman has had on the Tour. The confidence is clearly dented as shown by his manner of defeat to Pedro Martinez in the Monte Carlo Masters, but Ugo Humbert had more successes breaking the serve than looking after his own and that makes him potentially awkward for Pablo Andujar to deal with.

The difference between the players does look to be the return.

Over the last twelve months Ugo Humbert has struggled for wins on all surfaces, but especially on the clay courts where he too has only managed to hold serve in 68% of service games played on the surface. Unlike Pablo Andujar, Ugo Humbert has not been able to break serve as consistently with a 20% mark there and I think the favourite is going to earn a measure of revenge for losing to the Frenchman at the Olympic Games last year.

That was a match played on the hard courts and I do think the shift onto the clay courts favours Pablo Andujar.

He hasn't played for a couple of weeks, but playing on the clay will feel natural for Pablo Andujar and I think he will find a way to force the breaks against a player lacking confidence. Ugo Humbert will have some break chances of his own, but Andujar should have the majority of break points on the day and I think he will work towards a good looking win.

MY PICKS: Roberto Carballas Baena - 1.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Marton Fucsovics - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Pablo Andujar - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Joao Sousa + 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

David Goffin - 2.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 1-0, + 1.80 Units (2 Units Stake, + 90% Yield)

Season 2022: - 16.46 Units (494 Units Staked, - 3.33% 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)

Tennis Picks 2021 (April 23rd)

Another day and some more poor moments within matches have just swung things against my Tennis Picks which continues to frustrate more than disappoint.

Even Pablo Carreno Busta did his best to lose a match he was dominating, or at least fail to cover the handicap, but thankfully that was not the case.

Regardless I am really disappointed with my results in the first two months of the season and it is a far cry from the profitable seasons I have enjoyed in recent years. Some adjustments have to be made by me, but I also have to believe that the breaks are going to eventually start going my way especially if players keep dominating in all statistical areas bar the scoreboard.

Ultimately it is the scoreboard that is most significant and, no matter how things shake up, the results have not been good enough as far as I am concerned. I wrote in the last post that I would take the rest of the month off if the Thursday results were not good enough and that is where I stand after another 2-3 where players continue to miss their own break point chances but can't prevent opponent's from taking the few opportunities that come their way.

It was during the Stefanos Tsitsipas win over Alex De Minaur that this decision was made- he has been in such hot form, but to only win three return points in the first five games and then wait until he couldn't cover before going into overdrive and dominating the match was the final straw for me.

The second you start believing the negative feelings around any selection then it is best to just stick a pin in things for now. I will get back to it when the Madrid Masters comes around in early May and that will be the big run towards the French Open during which time I will be demanding nothing but good results and no excuses from myself.

Before then I will have my second NFL Mock Draft with the real Draft taking place next Thursday, while I will also have the Weekend Fantasy thoughts out for the Premier League with the deadline set for Friday afternoon.

And before you know it we will be into the third Masters event of the season.

Tennis Picks 2021 (April 19th)

The four new tournaments that are set to be played on the clay courts this week have some very big names attached to them and I do think we will see better tennis as the players get used to playing on this surface.

I will have a fuller post for the Tuesday Tennis Picks, but time has not really been on my side on Sunday.

For now you can see my selections to open the week below.

MY PICKS: Pablo Andujar - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Kei Nishikori - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Nikola Milojevic - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Filip Krajinovic - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Tennis Picks 2019 (April 27th)

The 2019 season has been a really good one for the Tennis Picks, but I think Friday 26th April is comfortably the worst day I have had during over the course of the first four months of the year.

My selections went 1-4 on the day, but it was a highly frustrating one with both Kei Nishikori and Petra Kvitova having no right to not cover in the wins they earned. The former missed a shedload of break points in the early stages of the second set and could easily have taken it 6-1 or 6-2 with some better composure, while the latter was on the brink of a cover despite losing the first four games of the match. That all went up in smoke when Petra Kvitova failed to hold serve one more time when leading 4-2 in the final set and both players missed the cover by half a game.

Matteo Berrettini's win over Pablo Cuevas also failed to cover the number as he decided to take the second set off which was dropped 6-1 and then missed multiple break points which would have earned the cover in the final set.

The only selection I was actually disappointed in was Guido Pella who was outplayed by Dominic Thiem, but with that in mind I had no right going 1-4 on the day.

On Saturday we are into the Semi Final matches at the tournaments being played this week and you can read my selections below.


Kei Nishikori v Daniil Medvedev: This is a fascinating Semi Final and one that is going to tell us a lot about Daniil Medvedev and whether he really has turned a corner on the clay courts like his results over the last two weeks are suggesting. Prior to the 2019 season, Medvedev had struggled to impose himself on opponents on the clay courts, but he has won some big matches already this year which is perhaps further evidence of the overall improvement the young Russian has made over the last twelve months.

The victories over Stefanos Tsitsipas and Novak Djokovic stand out and adding Kei Nishikori to that list would be really impressive. So far this week Medvedev has barely been tested as he has made comfortable progression through the draw into this Semi Final, and his numbers have remained impressive.

Daniil Medvedev is continuing to serve very well, but he is backing it up with some impressive returning which is making him a real threat on the surface. Last week he was beaten surprisingly by Dusan Lajovic considering the wins Medvedev had earned on the court in Monte Carlo prior to that and I do think Kei Nishikori is very comfortable on this surface and is playing well enough this week to win this pick 'em contest.

The Japanese star has yet to drop a set this week in Barcelona where he is a former Champion, but this is an opponent who is playing at a higher level than the previous ones he has faced.

However Kei Nishikori will be feeling very confident from the fact he has held 93% of his service games, although I do think that number is going to be given a severe examination by the Medvedev return game. Both players will be confident in their return game as Nishikori comes into this match having won 44% of return points this week and only a poor performance on the break points in the last Round prevented him from having a better number than the 37% of return games in which he has broken serve.

These two players have met three times in a little over twelve months and in that time it is Nishikori who has had the edge with two wins to one for Medvedev. In those matches Nishikori has had the slightly superior service numbers which have proven to be a difference maker, while Nishikori also dominated their one clay court match in the Monte Carlo Masters in early April 2018.

I can't deny it feels like Medvedev has improved on the clay in the time since that last match, but Kei Nishikori is one of the best players on the Tour on the surface and I will back him to edge to a win.

MY PICKS: Kei Nishikori @ 1.91 Betfair Sportsbook (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 2-4, - 4.74 Units (12 Units Staked, - 39.50% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2019 (April 26th)

I didn't have the time to research the Tennis Picks for Thursday so there were no selections made to back up the win we had on Wednesday.

My mind was not ready to sit down and work things out after the Manchester derby on Wednesday evening and the slightly longer than expected journey back home due to roadworks being done on long stretches of the motorway. You don't want to hear my sob story here though, instead the focus is on the Tennis Picks from the Friday Quarter Final matches at the tournaments being played this week.


Guido Pella + 3.5 games v Dominic Thiem: There would have been a real hope for Dominic Thiem fans that their man was ready to get back to some of his best tennis after he won a big Masters title in Indian Wells. That came on the hard courts and the return to the clay courts would have been seen as a good time to put some strong runs together.

An early defeat in Monte Carlo was a real surprise, but Thiem has reached the Quarter Final in Barcelona without expending too much energy. Two good looking wins over Diego Sebastian Schwartzman and Jaume Munar will stand the Austrian in good stead, but his numbers are still some way down on where they have been on the clay courts in recent years.

Where he has been someone who holds somewhere in the low 80s in terms of percentage, Thiem is holding down at 71% on the clay courts in 2019. Even though Thiem has yet to drop a set in this tournament, his hold number has only improved to 77% and it is the return game that has been key to his wins.

His whole game is going to be tested by Guido Pella who is having a career season on the clay and is looking to maintain his consistency on the court. The Argentinian has reached a career best Ranking at the beginning of the week and is continuing to trend in a positive direction with a couple of strong wins on the clay of Barcelona.

Guido Pella dropped the first set this week, but he has won five sets in a row as he has produced three wins to reach the Quarter Final. His service numbers are slightly improved this week compared with the season, while Pella has also been returning well enough to believe he can challenge Dominic Thiem if the latter is not able to turn the switch and produce a much better level than he has for much of 2019.

These two played a tight match on the clay of Buenos Aires last season and it feels like Pella is coming into this Quarter Final in much stronger form. Coupled with Dominic Thiem's slight decline in form on the clay courts through 2019 compared with previous seasons and this could be a close match in which the games being given to the underdog look very appealing.


Petra Kvitova - 3.5 games v Anastasija Sevastova: An indoor court on any surface should be something that is very much a confidence booster for a player like Petra Kvitova. You may assume that the clay courts are not really the surface for someone who is as aggressive as Kvitova is on the court, but she has shown throughout her career that she can be very effective on the surface.

The serve certainly helps Kvitova as it can set up short balls on a surface where she would prefer to avoid being dragged into the long rallies that could see her break down as she continues chasing the lines. It was a very strong weapon for the Czech player last year and she began her tournament in Stuttgart with a comfortable win in the Second Round.

In recent years Kvitova has had something of a mixed time in Stuttgart with some early losses around a deep run at the event. She is favoured to see off Anastasija Sevastova who has had some really good results on the clay courts in recent years, but who has perhaps not matched up the kind of level that Kvitova has produced on the surface.

The Latvian has been the more consistent returner on the clay out of the two players in this match, but she has not managed the same kind of numbers Kvitova produced in 2018. It is also going to be a big challenge for Sevastova to deal with the Kvitova serve, although their previous matches have been close enough to think the underdog does have the chance to spring the upset.

However I am backing the favourite to win and cover considering the performances on the clay over the last twelve months. Petra Kvitova has been playing at a very high level over that time period and it is enough to believe she can win this match with a break more in each set of a straight sets match.


Matteo Berrettini - 1.5 games v Pablo Cuevas: This looks like a Quarter Final that is best suited to the clay courts with two players who are very comfortable on the surface looking to secure some vital World Ranking points. Pablo Cuevas is a veteran these days who is clinging onto his top 100 World Ranking as he has struggled for consistency, while Matteo Berrettini is approaching his career best World Ranking having hit his peak earlier in 2019.

Both players have made their way through to this Quarter Final in different ways. Where Berrettini has been pretty dominant in his two wins, Cuevas has had to dig deep and need a final set to come through his own matches and this has come just days after winning a title on the Challenger Tour.

Fatigue could be a potential issue for Cuevas who has performed well enough on the clay courts in 2019, but has struggled when it comes to the return of serve which has prevented him winning more matches. Those numbers have actually dipped on both serve and return in the tournament here in Budapest as Cuevas has held in 75% of his service games and broken in 25%.

Now Cuevas has to deal with Matteo Berrettini who has been a big time server on the clay courts in the last couple of years but who has struggled with his own return. So far in his three matches in 2019 the Italian has been actually much improved with his return, but the serve has suffered a little bit, although the two wins in Budapest have been impressive against Mikhail Kukushkin and Aljaz Bedene.

In Budapest Berrettini has been holding 85% of the service games played and has broken in 35% and those numbers are impressive enough to give him the edge in this Quarter Final. I do think all of the tennis that Cuevas has played in the last couple of weeks is going to make it difficult for him too and needing three sets to win his two matches this week and now playing for a third day in a row is a tough spot for the veteran to be in.

Matteo Berrettini won't have things all his own way, but he looks to be performing at a higher level than Pablo Cuevas in the conditions and I will back the younger man to come through with a win and a cover.

MY PICKS: Guido Pella + 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Petra Kvitova - 3.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (2 Units)
Matteo Berrettini - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)
Kiki Bertens - 1.5 Games @ 1.83 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Kei Nishikori - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 William Hill (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 1-0, + 1.60 Units (2 Units Staked, + 80% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2019 (April 24th)

Last week was not the best for the Tennis Picks, although I did finish up with a very slight profit from the Monte Carlo Masters.

It was not an easy week to be perfectly honest and the final two players being Dusan Lajovic and Fabio Fognini underlines the point as the likes of Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal were upset earlier in the tournament. With both players losing early there may be some hope for others when the French Open comes around, although I don't think you can make sweeping statements about how tournaments are going to develop from one event.

This week the ATP Tour has moved to two different spots in Barcelona and Budapest, while the WTA Tour is also back with a couple of events in Istanbul and Stuttgart. Those events have begun, but I have not really had time to research the selections before Wednesday as I look to get the week off to a positive start.

The Thursday selections will be made in a much shorter post and likely posted on the morning of those matches because I will be at the Manchester derby on Wednesday evening and then I will be putting up a longer thread for the Friday Quarter Finals.


Grigor Dimitrov - 1.5 games v Fernando Verdasco: Matches between Grigor Dimitrov and Fernando Verdasco have proven to be tight and competitive affairs for the most part, although the veteran Spaniard did crush Dimitrov in straight sets at the French Open last year. To be fair to Dimitrov, it wasn't a one-sided match despite the 3-0 scoreline in sets, but it does mean he has lost two of the three previous matches between these players on the clay courts.

With that in mind it may be something of a surprise I am backing Dimitrov over Verdasco in the Second Round in Barcelona, but I think the superior health of the younger player is going to have an impact in this match. Fernando Verdasco had lost his opening match in Marrakech and Monte Carlo against players he was favoured to beat and I would not want to read too much into his win over fellow veteran and compatriot Feliciano Lopez in the First Round here.

The win will give Verdasco some confidence, but a knee issue has prevented him from taking in some of the tournaments last month and being a new father may have distracted him from putting the time in on the court as he would have liked.

His head to head to with Dimitrov would be a slight concern when opposing him, especially as the Bulgarian is not the most effective on the clay courts. Two wins in Monte Carlo before being defeated by Rafael Nadal will help Dimitrov, but he was not dominating his matches and the last couple of years shows he is someone who will give his opponents a chance of beating him.

In the last couple of years Dimitrov is holding serve at less than 80% of the service games he has played on the clay courts. The return game was in good nick in Monte Carlo though and I expect Dimitrov to at least challenge the Verdasco serve which has seen opponents win 42% of return points against it.

One of the real issues for Verdasco in the last couple of weeks on the clay is the lack of success he has had on the return himself and I think Dimitrov may have the edge in this one. Playing in Spain could be tough with the fans likely to be behind Verdasco, but Grigor Dimitrov might just have the superior fitness on the court which can see him win and just about cover this number over three sets.

MY PICKS: Grigor Dimitrov - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Season 2019 Update: + 56.04 Units (593 Units Staked, + 9.45% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2017 (April 28th)

The tournaments this week have reached the Quarter Final stage and there have been some big upsets in the events being played. I am not sure why that has been the case, but you do get these weeks when some players overachieve and others are not able to produce their best so you just have to take it for what it is and move on.

Reaching the Quarter Final of events means there are not as many matches taking place through the day, although there do look to be a few options when it comes to the tennis picks. My focus is on the ATP Barcelona and WTA Stuttgart events and my picks come from those two tournaments.


Dominic Thiem - 5.5 games v Yuichi Sugita: I might be making a mistake in opposing Yuichi Sugita on a second day in a row after seeing him upset Pablo Carreno Busta on Thursday. For a player that had no previous success on the clay courts, Sugita's run through the draw has been very surprising, but I am looking for Dominic Thiem to be too good for him on the day and that to show up on the scoreboard.

All credit has to be given to Sugita as he has managed to hold onto his own service games far more effectively than I would have imagined on Thursday. An early hold after facing two break points changed the momentum of the match and I think that was important for Sugita, but another strong serving day could see him surprise Thiem who is one of the better clay court players on the Tour.

Thiem has played well this week in seeing off a couple of British players in his two matches and I do think the Austrian can be a real threat at the French Open. He has had more rest heading into this tournament than he is perhaps used to and that can see him really build up his form heading into Roland Garros over the next month and I do think he has enough about his game to find his way to break points in this one.

The manner of the way Thiem plays does mean he will give up some chances to Sugita in this one and I wouldn't be surprised if the latter is able to break the serve unlike Kyle Edmund and Daniel Evans who missed their break point opportunities. However I am not going to be sold on Sugita being able to maintain the level he has played at so far this week and I am looking for Thiem's heavy groundstrokes and ability to get up to the net to force mistakes from Sugita.

It is a big number when you think of the way Sugita has been playing, but I am going to back Thiem at odds against to do that in the same way I did back Pablo Carreno Busta on Thursday and was on the wrong side.


Maria Sharapova - 4.5 games v Anett Kontaveit: So far so good for Maria Sharapova on her return to the Tour when lesser players might have been worried about what people think of her. Mentally Maria Sharapova has always been amongst the best on the Tour and the last fifteen months seems to have strengthened her resolve to return to the Tour and she really couldn't care less what other players think of her.

She has produced a couple of really solid wins so far this week and now will be out on the court for a third competitive match in three consecutive days. Wins over Roberta Vinci and Ekaterina Makarova have seen Sharapova produce some strong tennis at key moments and then she has taken control of the match to pull away with a relatively straight-forward win.

Things could be tougher on Friday in this Quarter Final when Sharapova takes on Anett Kontaveit who has beaten Garbine Muguruza already here this week and won a number of matches to come through the Qualifiers and main draw into the Quarter Final. This tournament comes after reaching the Final in Biel two weeks ago and Kontaveit is clearly playing with some confidence.

However she doesn't have a lot of previous success on the clay courts and at 21 years old she could easily be someone who would have looked up to Sharapova. Facing her for the first time can be really difficult mentally and I do wonder if that can be a factor in the outcome.

The Sharapova serve has been a key shot for her all week and I think Sharapova will be getting more and more confident with the draw opening up for her. Imagine if she goes on and wins the title after a fifteen month lay off- that could see Sharapova arguably move to the head of the queue when it comes to market favouritism for the clay court events coming up.

I have to stick with Sharapova having backed her twice already this week and seen her cover this number. If Kontaveit is perhaps a little overawed early, she may allow Sharapova to move away and that can see the Russian to come through with a 6-2, 7-5 win.


Laura Siegemund + 3.5 games v Karolina Pliskova: Over the course of a season, Karolina Pliskova is clearly going to win a lot more matches at this level than Laura Siegemund. On most surfaces I would expect Pliskova to cover this number against the German, but the clay courts may be the great equaliser and this could be enough games for the home favourite to keep this competitive.

In fact I think there is a chance that Siegemund is going to have enough to perhaps even earn an upset outright with her best results produced on the clay courts throughout her career. She made her breakthrough on the main Tour by reaching the Final here in Stuttgart last season during a run where Siegemund came through the Qualifiers and beat the likes of Simona Halep and Agneiszka Radwanska before finding Angelique Kerber too tough in the Final.

That run sparked a good time for Siegemund on the clay with a decent run in Madrid before reaching the Semi Final in Bucharest and winning the title in Bastad. Only a poor showing at the French Open might have been a disappointment, but Siegemund looks like 2017 is finally getting going now she is back on clay after a poor first three months.

Her opponent has had some good runs on the clay courts in the past, but Pliskova is a little more inconsistent on the surface because I think her movement is not the best. That is what Siegemund has to expose and she has to try and make plenty of balls back off the powerful Pliskova serve to force the higher Ranked player to not feel she is completely in control of the match.

I do think Siegemund is a decent enough clay court player to cause problems for Pliskova and she could sneak a set which will make this number of games very tough for the latter to cover. A good start by the home player is key to make Pliskova feel in an uncomfortable match and doing that will give her a chance to at least cover and possibly secure the upset.


Simona Halep - 5.5 games v Anastasija Sevastova: The head to head might read 3-2 in favour of Anastasija Sevastova, but there are going to be some mental demons to exorcise in this one having been beaten 6-0, 6-0 by Simona Halep when they last played one another in the Final in Bucharest last season.

It would be a huge surprise if this Quarter Final sees Sevastova fail to win a game, but I do think Simona Halep has played well over the last week and looks to be in decent form. 2017 has been an inconsistent season so far for Halep, but she might be going into the French Open as one of the favourites to win that Grand Slam event and I do think she is one of the better clay court players on the Tour.

Halep will always be challenged on the surface because her serve is not one of the better ones when she is feeling nervous, but it also shows off her returning skills and I think there will be some quality rallies played by these two players. Sevastova is a decent player and showed that in her win over Johanna Konta, but Halep is much more comfortable on the clay courts than Konta and I expect that to show up here.

The key for Halep to cover this handicap is to make sure she can save a few of the break points she is going to face. If Sevastova is clinical with the chances she creates, then it will be very difficult for Halep, but I do think the Romanian will earn plenty of break points of her own.

After a tough first set, I think Halep can take control of the match and move into the Semi Final behind a 6-4, 6-2 win.

MY PICKS: Dominic Thiem - 5.5 Games @ 2.00 William Hill (2 Units)
Maria Sharapova - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Laura Siegemund + 3.5 Games @ 1.85 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Simona Halep - 5.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 6-8, - 5.10 Units (28 Units Staked, - 18.21% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2017 (April 27th)

No one will be surprised that the tennis headlines on Thursday morning were going to be made by the return of Maria Sharapova as the WTA Stuttgart event garnered the most attention it probably ever has before. There is no denying the size of the story as Sharapova returned from a fifteen month suspension for failing a drugs ban.

The press conference after the match was more interesting than the actual performance on the court with a journalist taking the brave option of asking Sharapova whether she is taking something new for the 'heart condition' that had seen her using meldonium past the date it had been added to the 'banned list'.

While Sharapova wouldn't say what she is using now, it was interesting to hear some of her thoughts about her fellow professionals who have been very negative about her return to the court. Eugenie Bouchard was the latest to voice her feelings against the return of Sharapova, although the Canadian went a step further than most when suggesting Sharapova should have been banned for life.

This sounds like a controversy that is not going anyway any time soon with the profile Sharapova has and more heat will be added to it depending on what the French Open organisers do with the Wild Card decision for the Russian in the next couple of weeks.

On Thursday Sharapova will be back on the court for her Second Round match and I am going to back her again, while I also have two picks from Barcelona which you can read below.


Maria Sharapova - 4.5 games v Ekaterina Makarova: This will be the seventh time Maria Sharapova and compatriot Ekaterina Makarova meet on the Tour and so far it is Sharapova who has won the previous six matches. Four of those have come by a wide margin and I am looking for Sharapova to back up her impressive win on her return to the Tour by seeing off Makarova in the Second Round.

There are some question marks around Sharapova despite her strong performance in the win over Roberta Vinci in the First Round. Tiredness, both emotionally and physically, could be a real factor in this match with Sharapova playing for the second day in a row in a competitive environment for the first time in fifteen months, while emotionally Wednesday would have been huge for Sharapova.

Those two issues could see her produce a sub-par performance here, although I was impressed with some of the serving under pressure and her general consistency off the ground. That will be tested by Makarova who will hit the ball back with a lot of power and has a decent serve of her own to get herself out of trouble.

However, Makarova can't be feeling that confident mentally having had a difficult four months to open 2017, while she is not at her best on the clay courts. Makarova is just 15-15 on this surface since the beginning of 2014 and that might mean she is unable to expose any vulnerabilities that Sharapova is feeling.

Sharapova's movement was not at its best on Wednesday, but she will be better for having had a match on the surface. Her previous performances in Stuttgart is another positive and I think Sharapova can get the better of her compatriot with a similar looking win to the one she produced in the First Round and cover the same number.


Pablo Carreno Busta - 5.5 games v Yuichi Sugita: One of the players I have to expect to have a really good clay court season over the next few weeks is Pablo Carreno Busta and I am looking for him to record a dominant win in the Third Round in Barcelona. That isn't being disrespectful to Yuichi Sugita, but there should be a clear advantage in the Spaniard's favour and I would look for him to show that on the court.

Before entering the draw as a Lucky Loser, Sugita had not won a clay court match in a main Tour event in his career. This week he has snapped that run with two impressive wins over Tommy Robredo and Richard Gasquet, but there are reasons you can make for both results.

Robredo is a veteran who has lost his consistency on a day by day basis these days and Gasquet is back from an injury lay off and that was his first match on clay and the first in two months overall. None of those issues should be ones that Carreno Busta is going to be dealing with and that makes this a considerably tougher match for Sugita than the last two have been.

I do like the way Carreno Busta has been able to put pressure on opponents on the clay courts by making sure he makes plenty of returns and then shows the stamina and patience to outwork them in rallies. That has led to a number of sets where he has won it with a couple of breaks of serve more than he gives up and I would expect Carreno Busta to be the dominant player the longer the rallies develop in this one.

The Spaniard has also been serving effectively enough to think he can get himself into a strong position in rallies when defending his own serve and I am looking for Carreno Busta to wear down Sugita and produce a 6-3, 6-3 win on the day.


Alexander Zverev - 4.5 games v Hyeon Chung: There is a lot of expectation of these two 20 year olds and how their careers are supposed to progress, but so far it is Alexander Zverev who has shown more consistency at a higher level than Hyeon Chung.

This has been a good week for Chung, but he has not had the best start to 2017 and playing Zverev will be a tough test for him. Chung has a couple of upset wins behind him but I am not sure he is going to be the kind of clay court player that I expect Zverev to become and the latter has shown signs of improving on the surface all the time.

Last season Chung took some relatively comfortable losses on the clay courts to players like Malek Jaziri and Marcel Granollers and I think Zverev is ahead of those two veterans. Zverev did come through a tough Second Round match against Nicolas Almagro, but the latter has shown plenty of clay court successes in the past to think he just played better than he has for much of 2017 on his return from injury.

In this one it is up to Zverev to put the pressure on Chung early in the match and I think that might see the South Korean just struggle to stay with him mentally. I do think Chung will have some chances too because Zverev still shows some inconsistencies at time and can lose a bit of focus, but the majority of the aggressive play should come from Zverev.

I can see a situation where Zverev has to overcome dropping serve a couple of times, but I still think he will have enough to see off Chung with a 7-5, 6-3 win on the day.

MY PICKS: Maria Sharapova - 4.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (2 Units)
Pablo Carreno Busta - 5.5 Games @ 2.00 William Hill (2 Units)
Alexander Zverev - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 5-6, - 2.80 Units (22 Units Staked, - 12.72% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2017 (April 24th)

The first Masters tournament on the clay courts is in the books with a familiar name picking up the title as Rafael Nadal cemented his place as the favourite to win the French Open for many people.

There are still some big events to play prior to Roland Garros this season which could see that opinion changing and this week all of the event have some significance before we move into May where the Madrid and Rome Masters are played and the French Open begins.

Monday is usually a quieter day for the tennis picks at the beginning of a new set of tournaments, but this week we have a pretty solid schedule in Barcelona and I am opposing a couple of British players in that tournament.


Jeremy Chardy v Kyle Edmund: I have to say I am a little bit surprised that Kyle Edmund is coming into this First Round match as a fairly strong favourite to beat Jeremy Chardy. I accept that Chardy has yet to really spark consistently in 2017, but he has had a couple of solid weeks on the clay courts and did beat Kyle Edmund in the Davis Cup Quarter Final on this surface at the beginning of the month.

That did come in a dead Rubber so I wouldn't read too much into that, but Edmund is an inconsistent performer as he is trying to work out the best way to put his game together on the court. There are some nice aspects of his game, but I do think Edmund is still capable of throwing in too many errors at key times of a match and I think he may have been over-rated by his performance against Rafael Nadal last week.

Losses to Chardy and Lucas Pouille at the Davis Cup without winning a set is more concerning and Edmund has had inconsistent performances on the clay courts over the last twelve months.

Chardy is hard to trust, but he is the underdog and I am not sure that is the right way this match should be priced up. He hasn't exactly put together a long stretch of wins on any surface in recent weeks nor has Chardy had a deep run in a clay court tournament over the last twelve months, but I think the Frenchman is comfortable on the surface and he can 'upset' Edmund in this First Round match.


Thiago Monteiro - 2.5 games v Daniel Evans: Coming through the Qualifiers will give Thiago Monteiro some confidence, but the Brazilian has not really pushed on in his career as he may have expected. Monteiro has some power and he should feel at home on the clay courts and I do think that can give him the edge against Daniel Evans.

You have to credit Evans for starting to fulfil his potential on the Tour, but the clay court season is not exactly going to be his favoured part of the season. He looked upset on the surface in his loss to compatriot Kyle Edmund in Monte Carlo and playing a specialist like Monteiro could be another troubling experience for Evans.

I do think Evans can be decent on the clay if he played with a bit more belief, but he can be someone who loses his focus and I do wonder if the British player is already thinking about the grass court season and beyond.

Evans has beaten Monteiro once this season, but that was on the hard courts in Sydney and it was a tougher than expected match for the higher Ranked player. Monteiro has had some disappointing losses on the clay courts this season, but winning back to back Qualifiers will give him a boost in confidence that he can take into the First Round.

After a struggle and a number of breaks of serve, I can see Monteiro coming through with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 win.

MY PICKS: Jeremy Chardy @ 2.37 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Thiago Monteiro - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Tennis Picks 2016 (April 23rd)

I couldn't really have asked for much more from the tennis picks on Friday than what I got- there were five picks made, and all five came in as winners.

That has put the week in a position to recover from the poor Monte Carlo tournament, but there are still a couple of days to go to wind up the week.

On Saturday it is the Semi Finals being played in the four tournaments that have been going on this week and I am looking to kick on from Friday to underline the successful week.


Agnieszka Radwanska - 4.5 games v Laura Siegemund: This has been a very good week for Laura Siegemund who is playing in one of the home tournaments she is able to compete at. Siegemund has come through three Qualifiers and three main draw matches and has beaten the likes of Simona Halep and Roberta Vinci without dropping a set this week.

The German will look for another big scalp in this Semi Final and will have to be at her best to see off Agnieszka Radwanska who had an impressive win on Friday herself. Radwanska's was the last match on court so it was important for her to get through in straight sets and she will look to bamboozle Siegemund who only won one game in her only other appearance here.

I will admit that I am not always a fan of backing someone like Radwanska to cover a big spread like this one because of her serve being a weakness and thus easier to break. However she has the return game and movement around the court to force mistakes from Siegemund although the latter will feel she has gotten used to that style with the way she beat Halep and Vinci already this week.

I do think Radwanska is in the best form of those three players mentioned so Siegemund will have to be even better and I think it is the former who will win enough of the big points to come through 75, 63.


Federico Delbonis - 3.5 games v Lucas Pouille: This has been the second successful week Federico Delbonis is having on a European clay court and that will bode well for him in the coming weeks. It will give Delbonis every chance to improve his World Ranking and the Argentinian will be looking for another title having won in Casablanca a couple of weeks ago.

This looks a Semi Final he can win against the Frenchman Lucas Pouille who has had a successful week already. His win over Paolo Lorenzi might have taken something out of the tank though as Pouille as he had to come back from a set down to win in three tight sets.

While that was an impressive win from behind, Pouille will also know he will have to be better if he is going to compete with Delbonis who has been dismissing many an opponent on this surface over the last three weeks. The lefty has a decent serve which sets up his play and he has also been returning effectively and creating plenty of break points which makes him a dangerous opponent.

I think it won't be an easy match for Delbonis, but I do think he is the better player and can come through with an impressive 64, 64 win and a place in the Final on Sunday.


Fernando Verdasco - 2.5 games v Guillermo Garcia-Lopez: A battle between two Spaniards will determine the second Finalist in Bucharest and it is Fernando Verdasco who has dominated the head to head. Verdasco leads Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-3 on the head to head, but it was the latter who won their most recent match last season and he is considerably higher in the World Rankings.

Even with that in mind, I think the Garcia-Lopez serve is one that doesn't particularly have a lot of bite and it is a shot that Verdasco should be able to have some success against. While Garcia-Lopez has had success on the surface, I do think Verdasco is capable of having a number of break points in this one if he continues on the positive trend he has shown so far this week.

The win over Robin Haase was the kind of match that Verdasco has lost too often, but he battled through the first set after giving up his break of serve before looking after serve in the second set and breaking late to take the match. Those are the kinds of wins that will help Verdasco get back up the World Rankings and I do think his performances this week suggests he will have a little too much for Garcia-Lopez.

Verdasco has to stay focused when serving to not give Garcia-Lopez any encouragement and that focus should help him come through with a 76, 64 win in this one.


Benoit Paire + 4.5 games v Kei Nishikori: Benoit Paire is not someone I would be wanting to back as a favourite too often these days, but he looks to be getting plenty of games in this one against Kei Nishikori. The last two times these players have met has seen Paire come out victorious both times and the eye test suggests this is too many games being asked of the higher Ranked player to overcome.

That is not to say that Paire isn't capable of throwing in an absolute stinker of a match and being beaten 2 and 2 in this one. However he seems to enjoy the match up with Nishikori and this is a player that has performed well on the clay courts of Monte Carlo and here in Barcelona.

Nishikori is a former winner here so deserves all the respect he is being given while he is yet to drop a set this week. However he did have to save four set points against Alexandr Dolgopolov on Friday which may have turned that match completely, and Nishikori will have to be at his best to beat Paire in this Semi Final.

I will say it is hard to back Paire with a lot of confidence, but he will be a tough out for Nishikori if he is serving well and I will back him to cover with this number of games behind him, although I am not so convinced he wins the match.

MY PICKS: Agnieszka Radwanska - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Federico Delbonis - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)
Fernando Verdasco - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet365 (2 Units)
Benoit Paire + 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Ladbrokes (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 10-4, + 9.34 Units (28 Units Staked, + 33.36% Yield)