Rome Masters Tennis Picks 2026 (Saturday 16th May)

The WTA Final at Rome takes centre stage on Saturday and the winner is going to be heading to the French Open in confident mood.

It has long been considered that the majority of the best players will skip the last week in between this tournament and the start of the French Open, especially with a Sunday start in play at that Grand Slam and that is looking like being the case next week.

And that means Rome is the last big opportunity for those top names to make a statement ahead of the second Grand Slam title of the 2026 season.

Coco Gauff - 2.5 games v Elina Svitolina: You cannot ignore the fact that Elina Svitolina has beaten Coco Gauff twice this season on the hard courts, including at the Australian Open, while the World Number 10 is not going to be lacking for confidence in the Rome Finals.

Victories over Elena Rybakina and Iga Swiatek, two of the French Open favourites, on back to back days have carried the Ukrainian into the Final, although the numbers suggest Elina Svitolina was perhaps a touch fortunate in both matches. In those two wins, Svitolina faced 36 Break Points compared with the 22 created, but she has played the big points as effectively as possible and this is a tournament the veteran has enjoyed playing.

Her best run at the French Open has been reaching the Quarter Final and Elina Svitolina has done that five times, but she was back to back Rome Champion in 2017 and 2018. and has reached the Quarter Final on three occasions since then.

Of course she is enjoying her best run in Rome since last winning the title here eight years ago and that makes Elina Svitolina dangerous.

There is room for improvement when you look at the Break Points faced and being created, but this will be a confident player and those two wins over Coco Gauff will stand her in good stead.

The American is very comfortable on the clay courts and her Semi Final win and the manner in which it was delivered will have given the World Number 4 plenty of reason to believe she can finally win a big clay court event at 1000 level.

Coco Gauff has been a consistent figure at the French Open- she has reached the Quarter Final five times in a row, while turning one of those into a Semi Final run, another finishing Runner Up and then finally winning the Grand Slam title in Paris eleven months ago. At the same time, she has reached the Final in Madrid and Rome, but losing both times, and Coco Gauff has two other Semi Final runs in the Italian capital before reaching another Final here on Thursday.

On the clay courts, serving numbers are going to make difficult reading compared with the faster surfaces, but both have been doing well enough- the difference here is that Coco Gauff has been the superior return player in Rome and that could see her begin to exert some control on this Final.

The second serve continues to be a vulnerability and Elina Svitolina should be able to attack that part of the Gauff game to real positive effect.

The same can be said for the higher Ranked player and this has the makings of a Final that should see both players pick up some momentum at different times.

However, the edge has to be with Coco Gauff who has shown a bit more consistency compared with Elina Svitolina, even if the latter seemingly matches up pretty well with the World Number 4.

Both winning a set would not be a surprise, but Gauff may still have enough in her return game to cover this spread even if the contest does need that deciding set to determine the Rome Champion in 2026.

MY PICKS : Coco Gauff - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

Rome Update: 6-4, + 0.74 Units (10 Units Staked, + 7.40% Yield)

Rome Masters Tennis Picks 2026 (Thursday 14th May)

The Rome Masters is into the last of the Quarter Final matches in the ATP event being played in the Italian capital and the two WTA Semi Final matches are scheduled for Thursday as well, although the weather will need to play ball.

It was the weather that changed the momentum of the Casper Ruud eventual win over Karen Khachanov and perhaps prevented the Norwegian from making it 2-0 for the Tennis Picks on Wednesday.

This has still been a decent tournament to add to the earlier positive clay court numbers and that is going to give the pages a boost ahead of the French Open, which is now a little over a week away from beginning at the end of the month.

Coco Gauff - 3.5 games v Sorana Cirstea: Retirement at the end of the season has already been announced, but there has to be some second thoughts in the Sorana Cirstea camp having played some of the best tennis of her career.

If the Rankings were released in the morning, Sorana Cirstea would be back at her career best World Ranking mark of Number 21 and she is very much trending towards cracking the top 20 for the first time. The veteran is also at Number 11 in the WTA Race to determine the best players in the world and Sorana Cirstea has upset Aryna Sabalenka during her run to the Semi Final here in Rome.

A confident player is a dangerous player and Cirstea has a very solid 10-2 record on the clay courts in the build up towards the French Open.

However, both losses have been against some of the better clay courters on the WTA Tour and one of those came at the hands of Coco Gauff at the Madrid Masters.

The defending French Open Champion has shown plenty of character to come through three setters in her run in Rome and Coco Gauff has long been very comfortable on the clay courts. This is a surface where a vulnerable second serve is not punished nearly as much as it is on the faster surfaces where recovering breaks of serve can be very difficult against the best players on the Tour.

On the clay courts, Coco Gauff will always feel she has enough quality from the return to neutralise rallies and ultimately break down an opponent and she is playing well on the surface this season. The numbers are not quite as good as the previous two seasons, but Gauff has shown she can dig in and overcome problems and that makes her the right favourite in this match.

Beating Sorana Cirstea in all three previous matches on the Tour, including twice this year, will also give the World Number 4 the confidence to push past this opponent again.

It was the Coco Gauff returning prowess that helped her beat Sorana Cirstea in Madrid and she created five more Break Points on the day.

Sorana Cirstea is playing with confidence and an almost 'nothing to lose' attitude, which makes her dangerous, but Coco Gauff can find those breaks of serve that helps her cover this spread set for this last four contest.

Daniil Medvedev - 3.5 games v Martin Landaluce: There have been flashes of his ability on the clay courts, but Daniil Medvedev has long stated his dislike for this part of the season and he is never that far from completely losing his temper when things are not panning out as expected. Little form had been shown prior to the arrival in Rome, which is the last big tournament Daniil Medvedev is set to take in before the French Open, but this is one of the clay court events that the World Number 9 has enjoyed.

In his career, Daniil Medvedev has reached one Quarter Final at the French Open and a couple of Fourth Round runs, but he has won the title here in Rome and followed up with back to back Fourth Round appearances.

He has already progressed at least one stage further here in Rome in 2026 and Daniil Medvedev is rightly set as the favourite to get the better of Lucky Loser Martin Landaluce.

The 20 year old is going to take another leap in the World Rankings thanks to his performances in the main draw, but the Spaniard is not the most convincing of clay courters.

In most cases you would expect anyone from his country to be very comfortable on the clay, but Martin Landaluce had a 4-4 record on the surface before winning one Qualifier and losing the other here in Rome. He earned a reprieve with the Lucky Loser spot, and Martin Landaluce has taken full advantage by winning three matches in a row without dropping a set, although this is another step up in level of opponent compared with what the youngster has faced in the main draw.

Martin Landaluce had never beaten a top 100 Ranked player on the clay courts in his career before his three main draw wins here, but none of the opponents beaten have been Ranked higher than Number 47 and so Daniil Medvedev should offer a much tougher challenge.

Confidence in putting a run like this together will make Martin Landaluce dangerous, but his serve can be vulnerable and that has been the main reason he had a 0-8 record against top 100 Ranked players on this surface before the last few days.

The expectation is that Daniil Medvedev can exert some pressure with his own serve and the higher Ranked player may have enough to cover this spread set.

Iga Swiatek - 4.5 games v Elina Svitolina: The latter played a Quarter Final that ended after two and a half hours on Wednesday evening and that is going to have an impact on Elina Svitolina, who has lost both previous clay court matches against Iga Swiatek.

The lower Ranked player has produced some very good tennis on the clay, but Swiatek is rounding into the kind of form that has seen her win multiple French Open titles.

The Pole was not pushed at all by Jessica Pegula to continue her incredible form in Rome and that long match played by Elina Svitolina has to be a factor without a day of rest between Quarter and Semi Final.

Covering this kind of spread against Elina Svitolina is always a challenge, but Iga Swiatek would have done that in both previous clay court wins over this opponent.

Energy and intensity should be with Iga Swiatek from early in this contest and she can eventually roll into the Final behind another confident win.

MY PICKS: Coco Gauff - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Daniil Medvedev - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Iga Swiatek - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Rome Update: 5-2, + 1.94 Units (7 Units Staked, + 27.71% Yield)

Rome Masters Tennis Picks 2026 (Wednesday 13th May)

The Rome Masters has reached the Quarter Final stage and there are several big names looking to win the first of potentially two big clay titles over the next few weeks.

Jannik Sinner is going to be the man to beat in Paris, but a wide open women's tournament here in Rome and at the French Open looks really interesting and one that will create the sporting drama that fans would all love to see.

Iga Swiatek - 3.5 games v Jessica Pegula: This is already looking like becoming the most productive year on the clay courts for Jessica Pegula who has moved into the Rome Quarter Final and has won nine of the ten matches played on the surface. A couple of those have been against top 20 Ranked opponents, which can only build the confidence, while the Third Round defeat at the Madrid Masters came at the hands of Marta Kostyuk, who eventually won the title in the Spanish capital.

The performances here in Rome are a real benchmark of the kind of successes the World Number 5 can have at the upcoming French Open.

She has reached the Quarter Final out in Paris before, but Jessica Pegula has one other Fourth Round run and so the wins she is putting on the board can only help as she looks to attack what feels like another wide open Grand Slam event.

Beating Iga Swiatek, the four time French Open Champion, would be a real statement of intent from the American.

Jessica Pegula has won four of the last six against Iga Swiatek, but one of those was on the grass courts and the others on hard courts and this will be only the second clay court contest between these highly Ranked players. The one previous occasion came all the way back in 2022 in the French Open Quarter Final and that was won pretty convincingly by Iga Swiatek on her way to a second title in the French capital.

We have yet to see vintage Iga Swiatek on the clay courts in 2026 and her Semi Final defeat in Paris, and the manner in which it ran away from her in the final set, will still be stinging. She has won five of the seven clay court matches played this season and Swiatek has produced very strong numbers, but a defeat to the World Number 9 Mirra Andreeva in Stuttgart suggests there is still a vulnerability about one of the favourites to win the next Grand Slam title.

This is something of a 'prove it' match for Swiatek, who will be keen to win the Rome title and just make a statement to her main rivals.

She is certainly the stronger return player on this surface and that is so important in clay matches, but the Iga Swiatek serve is to be respected and that should give her a chance to turn things around in the recent head to head.

Nothing is ever easy when facing a battler like Jessica Pegula, but the quality and confidence of Iga Swiatek on this surface should pay dividends at key moments within the sets.

The World Number 3 looks like a real potential winner at the French Open and she can be backed to make it through to the Semi Final in Rome with a big performance.

Casper Ruud - 4.5 games v Karen Khachanov: The hopes of winning a Grand Slam title remain high for Casper Ruud and his team, and the French Open may be the one tournament where he has his best opportunity.

The performances on the clay courts have remained strong and Casper Ruud is having a very strong run in the Rome Masters, which is laying a solid foundation for what can be achieved in the French capital. Not only has Casper Ruud won all three matches in the tournament, but he has done so in very strong fashion and wins over the likes of Jiri Lehecka and Lorenzo Musetti will have given Ruud a huge amount of confidence.

Next up is a Quarter Final against Karen Khachanov, who has had a much more battling run into this Round of the tournament.

In the past the World Number 15 has proven to be a solid competitor on the clay courts, and Karen Khachanov has reached the Quarter Final at the French Open twice. There had been little form produced before the Rome Masters as Khachanov had lost three of four clay court matches played, but three wins in a row will have rebuilt the confidence and this is a dangerous player when at his best.

The serve can be a big weapon for Karen Khachanov and he will need to employ that shot at a high level to just contain the threat coming from the other side of the net.

Out of the two players, Casper Ruud has been the happier return player on this surface of the two players contesting this Quarter Final and that may put the World Number 25 in a position to win the match and cover the spread set.

That slightly superior returning has been the key to Casper Ruud winning two of the three previous matches played between the players, although the most recent was won by Karen Khachanov last year on a North American hard court in the build towards the US Open.

The one sole clay court meeting took place in Rome in 2020 and was won by Casper Ruud in a back and forth battle- that was a tournament played in September, rather than May, and the difference in the conditions has to be noted.

However, the performances over the last several days suggest Casper Ruud is still playing well enough to earn another clay court win over Karen Khachanov. The spread is going to be tougher to deal with, but Ruud has looked very good at this event and that kind of level may be high enough to cover this handicap line.

MY PICKS: Iga Swiatek - 3.5 Games @ 1.66 William Hill (1 Unit)

Casper Ruud - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 William Hill (1 Unit)

Rome Update: 4-1, + 2.28 Units (5 Units Staked, + 45.60% Yield)

Rome Masters Tennis Picks 2026 (Monday 11th May)

The Rome Masters continues on Monday and this is the last big week on the Tour before the French Open.

Players will take part in events next week, but the majority of the top names will feel that the groundwork has been laid ahead of the second Grand Slam of the season.

Some of the leading contenders on both the ATP and WTA Tours are still going strong in Rome, which is an event played in conditions much more familiar to those who will be playing in Paris compared with the Madrid Masters. Personally it has also felt like the Rome Masters is more of an indicative tournament as to the kind of successes that could be had in Paris and could form part of a staking plan.

The opening selections from the tournament both came through in largely comfortable fashion and on Monday there are three Picks that can be read below.

Coco Gauff - 4.5 games v Iva Jovic: Two American players meet in the Fourth Round in Rome and the experience of Coco Gauff should be a telling factor in the outcome of the contest.

There is no doubting the excitement around Iva Jovic and the potential she has, but the 18 year old is still going to be learning her trade on the clay courts. That is especially the case at this level having reached the French Open Doubles Final in her time in the Junior ranks, while Iva Jovic has only had one win against a player Ranked higher than Number 47 on the surface this season.

The two wins in Rome have been against compatriots, but neither McCartney Kessler nor Taylor Townsend can bring the credentials that Coco Gauff takes onto the court.

Coco Gauff is the defending French Open Champion and she has been amongst the best clay courters in the world on the WTA Tour.

Vulnerabilities remain with the second serve, but Gauff is very comfortable on the surface and she has won at least 50% of return points played on clay courts since the beginning of the 2024 season. That puts a huge amount of pressure on any opponent she faces and Iva Jovic is still going to be working on the serve and how to make the best use of that shot on this surface compared to the hard courts.

Every one of these kind of matches will help Jovic develop, but Coco Gauff should have enough to remind everyone of her threat to win the French Open again by producing a strong, solid win on Monday.

Mirra Andreeva - 4.5 games v Elise Mertens: This portion of the clay court season is relatively short and so you can't always take numbers being produced by players on their own without any context.

Someone like Elise Mertens has been playing well all season and has the kind of tennis that should work on all surfaces- she has previously had solid runs on the clay courts and so has to be respected.

However, the numbers from the six matches played on the surface this season are so much higher than previous years that you do have to wonder if she can maintain current levels. Elise Mertens has beaten home favourite Jasmine Paolini in her run to the Fourth Round in Rome, but Paolini has been struggling for consistency and this match is against a player that has really strong clay court form since she joined the Tour.

Mirra Andreeva lost in the Madrid Final at the last 1000 tournament, but she has won a clay court title in 2026 and reached the Semi Final in Stuttgart at another big event.

The 19 year old now has an 82-19 career record on the clay and Mirra Andreeva has not been slowed down by taking part in the bigger events on the Tour.

The serve continues to be an important weapon for Mirra Andreeva, although she has to be working on her return to take the next step on this surface. Her best Grand Slam results have been at the French Open where she has reached the Semi Final and the Quarter Final in the last couple of years, but Andreeva knows that is when you need to step up even more if wanting a place in the Final and then to pick up the title in Paris.

The World Number 22 will cause problems, but the Elise Mertens second serve can become vulnerable and that may be the edge that helps Mirra Andreeva win outright and perhaps narrowly cover this spread.

Andrey Rublev - 1.5 games v Alejandro Davidovich Fokina: You cannot ignore the fact that both of these players can be pretty erratic on the court, but the lack of recent tennis played by Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has to be a factor.

He does have a terrible record against Andrey Rublev, but the last clay court meeting ended in a win for Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in Barcelona last year.

The Spaniard had not played since the Miami Masters and went 1-1 in Madrid at the last tournament, while Davidovich Fokina has already won a match here in Rome. However, it is a considerable challenge against someone like Andrey Rublev who reached the Final in Barcelona in April and who has long been pretty comfortable on the clay courts.

A lack of match competitiveness cannot be ignored, while Andrey Rublev holds wins over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina at the Madrid Masters and Rome Masters in previous years.

Over the last twelve months, there have been signs that Andrey Rublev is getting back to something like his best tennis and he can battle through this Third Round match.

MY PICKS: Coco Gauff - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 William Hill (1 Unit)

Mirra Andreeva - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

Andrey Rublev - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 William Hill (1 Unit)

Rome Update: 2-0, + 1.57 Units (2 Units Staked, + 78.50% Yield)

Rome Masters Tennis Picks 2026 (Sunday 10th May)

After a decent start to the clay court season, the decision had been made to miss the Madrid Masters and resume Tennis Picks at the Rome Masters in the last big event before the French Open.

There have already been some upsets in the early days at this tournament, but Jannik Sinner will be heading to Paris as the player to beat on the Men's side of the draw.

We could have another wide open second Grand Slam as far as the WTA players are concerned, but this is the last chance to lay down a marker for Paris with some big names still fighting through the draw.

The season totals have been updated below and there are two selections from the Sunday tennis in the Italian capital.

Iga Swiatek - 6.5 games v Elisabetta Cocciaretto: The first point you have to make is that the home player is not going to lose this match to Iga Swiatek having won a single game, as was the case right here in Rome last year. That was a devastating Second Round performance from the multiple time French Open Champion, but Elisabetta Cocciaretto may be more prepared by what she is going to be facing and will be looking to use the home crowd to push her forward.

There has not been a lot of positive clay court form to call upon, but a couple of wins in the main draw in Rome will have given Cocciaretto some belief, even if she is well aware that this is a big step upwards in terms of level of opponent.

Iga Swiatek will go into the French Open as one of the favourites, but she will be looking for a strong run in Rome after some inconsistent results of her own during this portion of the Tour.

Three wins and two losses on the clay courts may mean Iga Swiatek is in danger of heading to Paris a little undercooked, although the numbers have been solid and some of her main rivals at the next Grand Slam have also had their issues.

The serve is always a strong part of the Iga Swiatek game- if she is serving well, the rest of her tennis seems to flow and the numbers in the five clay court matches this season have been decent enough. The World Number 3 has also been having strong success on her return in the limited sample of matches played and Iga Swiatek may still have enough to cover this spread, even if it is not expected to be as one-sided as when these two players met last year.

Elisabetta Cocciaretto did take a set from Jessica Pegula in Charleston earlier this year, but this is a big step up compared with recent level of opponents and that should play out on the scoreboard in favour of the higher Ranked player.

Alexander Zverev - 3.5 games v Alexander Blockx: He started the season having to Qualify for the Australian Open, but there is every chance that youngster Alexander Blockx will be Seeded when Wimbledon rolls around at the end of June.

Even as recently as the Monte Carlo Masters, Blockx was playing in the Qualifiers, but his run to the Madrid Masters Semi Final means the Belgian has pushed his way into World Number 36.

That run was ended by Alexander Zverev, who was eventually beaten by Jannik Sinner, and it is going to be tough for the younger player to change the scoreline.

Alexander Blockx does have a serve that can keep him in matches, but the clay courts are always tougher to impose that shot alone and in Madrid it was Alexander Zverev who had the bigger serve by some margin.

The experience is also an edge and Alexander Zverev has long been very comfortable on the clay courts and two of the three defeats on the surface this year have been against the World Number 1.

While the numbers are impressive, there is also a feeling that Alexander Zverev has room for improvement and he will be looking to peak at the French Open beginning at the end of the month and not at this stage of the clay court season. He will be expecting a bit more out of the serve and will feel there is more pressure he can exert on the return, but Zverev did more than enough to get the better of Alexander Blockx at the last tournament and can frank that form.

Respect has to be given to Alexander Blockx for the confidence he would have earned from some of the upsets produced during the clay court season, but he may not have had enough time to make the adjustments for this match up.

MY PICKS: Iga Swiatek - 6.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (1 Unit)

Alexander Zverev - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 William Hill (1 Unit)

Season 2026: 97-82, + 10.54 Units (244 Units Staked, + 4.32% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2026- Fabio Wardley vs Daniel Dubois (Saturday 9th May)

The biggest weekend of the 2026 Boxing season did not disappoint the fans and instead has set up some big opportunities for those involved.

Some are already thinking ahead to a Naoya Inoue vs Bam Rodriguez Super-Fight, but Junto Nakatani pushed The Monster in a high quality contest and there will be plenty of voices calling for a rematch.

It is a situation where the loser has actually raised his profile further and both fighters can either look forward to seeing each other again before the end of the year or earning a big purse in another fight before turning back to each other in the first half of 2027.

Many hours later, David Benavidez impressed in crushing Gilberto Ramirez to win yet another World Title in yet another Division.

The Mexican Monster has long called for a bout against Canelo Alvarez, but that ship looks to have sailed and instead the likes of Dmitry Bivol and Jai Opetaia look like the kind of names that could be tempted into a mega-fight.

David Benavidez is likely going to have his pick of opponents, although those suggesting he should move to Heavyweight and challenge Oleksandr Usky may be pushing him too far ahead (in terms of weight, not of the obvious qualities that Benavidez possesses).

May continues with a huge fight in the Heavyweight Division- it may not make the noise around the world as it will in the United Kingdom, but the winner of the Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois main event will be a World Champion and in a position to Unify if the World Titles continue to fracture away from Oleksandr Usyk.

Queensberry Promotions have put together a solid undercard in support of the top of the bill in Manchester and it is likely going to be a really good night for those in attendance.

Fabio Wardley vs Daniel Dubois

One is a former World Champion and the other is going to be brining the WBO World Title into the ring, but, along with Ken Norton, is the only Title Holder in this Division who has never won a World Title fight.

Fabio Wardley is the Champion after being upgraded to full Title Holder after Oleksandr Usyk failed to fulfil his mandatory, but he would have much preferred to have had that WBO World Title on the line when he was beating Joseph Parker.

The background story is fascinating and Wardley has already overachieved, but he will take some big confidence from the way he has continued to step up.

Opening up his career with a Points win, Fabio Wardley has Stopped the next 19 opponents faced with the only blemish being the Draw with Frazer Clarke, which was wiped out impressively in the rematch. Following up with wins over Justis Huni and Joseph Parker has only continued the surge, but this is another step up in class.

Daniel Dubois is another big puncher and his three losses have been against Joe Joyce and Oleksander Usyk (twice).

Some will have questioned the manner of the first two of those losses, but the Fifth Round Stoppage against Usyk last year was emphatic and ended a strong run of form that Daniel Dubois had put together.

There was nothing wrong with his character and heart in beating Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and Anthony Joshua, but questions remain and this is a bout where both fighters will have to dig deep.

In reality we have seen Fabio Wardley dig and scrap even when fights have been turning against him and he carries his power very late.

That makes him dangerous, although he cannot afford to be tagged with some of the shots that have been allowed against the likes of Huni and Parker who simply do not hit as hard as Daniel Dubois.

Fabio Wardley's power is clear to see, although it does feel like Dubois' ability to take some shots is a little underrated- he's not granite, but the idea that Wardley could walk through fire all of the time has been proven to be a fallacy, which Joe Joyce found out to his cost.

It is a Heavyweight World Title fight that excited me as soon as it was announced and it would be stunning if there were not the fireworks that will be expected.

You can imagine both fighters being a little cautious of the power the other brings into the ring, but the first big contact could see things open up dramatically.

The Champion deserves nothing but respect for how far he has pushed his career, but Daniel Dubois has long felt like a fighter just below the very elite in the Heavyweight Division.

Fans of Daniel Dubois will want to see him make an early dent in Fabio Wardley, if only to build confidence within the ring when Dubois becomes his most dangerous.

I just can't shake the kind of shots Wardley has taken from lesser punchers than Daniel Dubois and for a fighter learning on the job, that is unlikely to be much different in this one.

Maybe he does have a really special chin, but Daniel Dubois has shown he can be a clinical finisher when he has his man in trouble and the feeling is that the former Champion can win a firefight that should entertain all who tune in.

There is a deep undercard that has been put together by Queensberry and some of those names are in a position to move onto really big nights if they can win, and win impressively.

Bakhodir Jalolov has long been touted as a potential World Champion in the Heavyweight Division and some even think he could soon be an opponent for Moses Itauma.

There is some uncertainty as to how long this fight is scheduled for, but Jalolov has been put in a showcase spot and should win early.

Fighters like David Morrell and Jack Rafferty are expected to win, but the opponents will give them something to think about.

Out of the two, Morrell should showcase his experience in fighting at a much higher level than Zak Chelli and he may be able to end the contest by breaking down the British fighter.

Jack Rafferty is in for a tough introduction to this weight class against Ekow Essuman and that looks like a potential upset with the ability of the latter to outwork opponents. Dropping back down to a domestic level should help The Engine and he may yet have another big night in the locker.

MY PICKS: Daniel Dubois to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 2.62 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Bakhodir Jalolov to Win Between 1-5 @ 2.00 Coral (2 Units)

David Morrell to Win Between 6-10 @ 3.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Boxing 2026: 13-27, - 13.42 Units (59 Units Staked, - 23.25% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Saturday 18th April)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 (Thursday 16th April)

There may have been plenty of matches scheduled on Wednesday, but enough doubt around the majority of them meant a single selection was made.

Rafael Jodar came through some tough moments to earn his straight sets win over Camilo Ugo Carabelli for the second time in this clay court season and Carlos Alcaraz withdrawing from the Barcelona tournament means all eyes will be on the other young Spaniard who is now beginning to make headlines.

He will have to wait until Friday before the Quarter Final matches begin, but Thursday is all about completing the Second Round matches across the various tournaments being played this week.

Once again a number of matches have come close to being selected, but ultimately have not quite convinced enough and that means going with two selections from the ATP Munich event.

Francisco Cerundolo - 3.5 games v Botic van de Zandschlup: The move into the clay court season means there is limited samples of how players are performing, but some are more comfortable on the red dirt compared with others.

The World Number 19 Francisco Cerundolo is one of the more comfortable clay courters and tends to take in the South American Golden Swing in between the Australian Open and the big hard court events in North America in March. That was the case again in 2026 and Cerundolo does win plenty of matches on the clay, which is a solid reason behind his overall World Ranking mark.

A title has been won on the surface earlier this year, but Francisco Cerundolo suffered a relatively early loss in the opening tournament played on the European clay courts.

A comfortable win in the First Round against a Lucky Loser has taken Francisco Cerundolo through to this Round and he is the right favourite in this match.

You have to have respect for the early clay court form shown by Botic van de Zandschlup who reached the Semi Final in Budapest and who has another win under his belt here in Munich. However, it should also be noted that the 30 year old has yet to face anyone Ranked higher than World Number 60 on the surface and his numbers in recent years suggest the current level is unlikely to be sustained through the two big Masters events coming up before the French Open.

This is a player that has been pretty reliant on his serve, but that cannot be the case on the clay courts and that is where Francisco Cerundolo should have the edge.

He has won the two previous meetings between the players and both on the hard courts in 2025.

Francisco Cerundolo did not drop a set in either of those two matches and his confidence on the red dirt should make sure he is in a position to move into the Quarter Final behind another strong win against this opponent.

Alexander Zverev - 4.5 games v Gabriel Diallo: The most consistent Grand Slam success produced by Alexander Zverev has been at the French Open and he was leading Carlos Alcaraz in the Final of that Slam two years ago before eventually being beaten in five sets.

There is no doubt that Alexander Zverev will be heading to Paris as one of the favourites, although at the same time most would have Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner significantly shorter prices in the outright markets.

Yet another defeat to the new World Number 1 at the Monte Carlo Masters underlines the challenges that face Alexander Zverev when it comes to finally winning a Grand Slam. The feeling remains that the window has closed barring unexpected defeats for the top two players in the world, but Zverev cannot think like that and the Semi Final run in Monte Carlo is a reminder of his qualities.

Alexander Zverev is expected to have too much for Gabriel Diallo in this Second Round contest in Munich, especially as the World Number 37 has had limited success on the surface.

He took advantage of a Lucky Loser spot to enter the main draw at the Madrid Masters in 2025 and Gabriel Diallo reached the Quarter Final at that ATP 1000 event. However, Diallo will have to accept that he was given a pretty kind draw and the Canadian was just 3-5 on the clay court outside of that run in Madrid.

Opening defeats in Bucharest and Monte Carlo will have done little for the confidence and Gabriel Diallo beat a Qualifier Ranked outside the top 200 in the First Round here in Munich.

Suffice to say that this Second Round match is a significant step upwards and Gabriel Diallo was well beaten by Alexander Zverev at the Australian Open back in January. That was a First Round match played on a surface that would suit Diallo more than the clay courts here in Munich and it may be a tough ask to stick with the top Seed in this ATP 500 tournament.

MY PICKS: Francisco Cerundolo - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Alexander Zverev - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 1-0, + 0.91 Units (1 Unit Staked, + 91% 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)

Boxing Picks 2026- Tyson Fury vs Arslanbek Makhmudov (Saturday 11th April)

The run of Boxing nights featuring the top names in the Heavyweight Division began last week at the O2 Arena in London when a really poor refereeing display overshadowed the Deontay Wilder-Derek Chisora main event.

Another poor judging day in the United Kingdom will not have gone down very well with the fans and it is certainly something that promoters will have noted when thinking about bringing the fighters to this part of the Boxing world.

It hurts local talent on the 'B' side of the card as Gully Powar found out, but he raised his profile and is going to get another big opportunity to become British Champion and then progress to the world level.

A rematch has been ordered, which is the least that Powar deserved, but he should have been given the right decision by judges who continue to make poor decisions in the UK.

The main event of the night saw Deontay Wilder perhaps set up a bout against Anthony Joshua- he looked better than he has, but Wilder still looks a long way past his best and so the next fight may have to be against one of the big names in the Division before retirement beckons.

It should be the last time we see Derek Chisora in the ring, but you just never know with Del Boy.

Tyson Fury vs Arslanbek Makhmudov

Almost sixteen months have passed since Tyson Fury was beaten for a second time by Oleksandr Usyk and soon announced his retirement from the sport.

Like the 'boy who cried wolf', no one believed this latest retirement would last much longer than previous ones announced by Fury.

He is back and still in denial about the results of the two fights with Usyk and so a third attempt at becoming Undisputed is the ambition- Tyson Fury believes he won both previous bouts, but it felt like he was a close loser in the first one and a much more comfortable second best in the rematch.

None of that really matters now and Tyson Fury is making a return with some big money fights still on the table.

With Usyk showing little appetite for a third fight, Fury's team are focused on a long-awaited contest against Anthony Joshua, which will still garner plenty of attention in the UK at the very least. Some have suggested that the teams are already speaking about a match up in Dublin, which would be something of a surprise, but before all of that, Tyson Fury has to make sure he looks good on Saturday.

That is not going to be easy for someone who has been out on the ring for the time that Fury has, nor when you consider his last three outings.

However, this is a big step down from Oleksandr Usyk and Fury looked completely out of shape when narrowly edging past Francis Ngannou in what should have been a very straight-forward exhibition style win.

Arslanbek Makhmudov had a big reputation until being battered into submission by Agit Kabayel and was also beaten by Guido Vianello eight months later.

He has not been acting nearly as menacingly as he had been before those defeats and wins over Ricardo Brown and Dave Allen are not the kind of results that suggest Makhmudov is ready for this kind of opponent.

As with any layoff, Tyson Fury may need some time to really get going in this one, but he is not the elusive puncher of old times and instead is likely going to plant his feet and unload.

There is no doubt that Arslanbek Makhmudov is there to be hit and Tyson Fury may be able to roll through the gears in the second half of this contest once the ring rust is shaken off a little bit. The opponent is one that has been broken down before and Fury is capable of doing the same here on his return with a late Stoppage perhaps the outcome to remind fans of his qualities and capabilities in the ring.

The chief support on the card is featuring Conor Benn as his new promoters drag Regis Prograis up to the 150 pound limit for this Ten Rounder.

It will be a real surprise if there are any rehydration clauses attached to this bout and so Benn is going to be a lot bigger in the ring.

The name value of Prograis is not as high as it once was, while rumours around his fitness ahead of this bout had swirled and suggested he was going to withdraw. Even Eddie Hearn has suggested Regis Prograis was not fit enough to fight, but the American has downplayed all of those reports.

Back to back defeats to Devin Haney and Jack Catterall suggested Regis Prograis' best days at the top were over, but he has been given this opportunity.

Unfortunately it feels like he has been brought over to be Stopped for the first time and Conor Benn may be able to get this one done before halfway, even if The Destroyer is still vastly overrated.

Two Heavyweight contests also feature on the undercard with fighters looking to either take the step up towards world level, or avoid falling too far from those levels.

In a crossroads bout, two fighters who have defeats to Fabio Wardley on the resume meet- Justis Huni has not fought since his loss to Wardley in June last year, while Frazer Clarke recovered from the wipeout defeat to the WBO World Champion in October 2024 by winning one fight before losing to Jeamie TKV.

Frazer Clarke looked completely lost in that defeat to TKV, especially in the latter stages when he was fortunate to avoid being Stopped.

The Australian opponent in this one has quick hands and had Fabio Wardley in all sorts of trouble before the latter found a special punch, but Justis Huni will feel he belongs at that level considering how far Wardley has progressed.

His speed can just wear down Frazer Clarke here and Justis Huni may be more ready to finish the fight when the opportunity comes up to just get himself moving back towards the very biggest names in the Division.

The aforementioned Jeamie TKV takes on Richard Riakporhe with the British Heavyweight Title on the line.

This is a closer contest than the layers feel, but Riakporhe may just have enough to edge past the Champion.

Jeamie TKV is tough, resilient and will come to fight, but The Midnight Train should have a bit too much quality in the exchanges in his third bout at Heavyweight. He is going to have to use some of the athleticism to avoid getting caught up in clinches and have the Champion wearing him down, but if Richard Riakporhe can do that, he may have the necessary quality and accuracy to force a Stoppage.

Earlier in the day, there is a card taking place in Japan involving a couple of veterans taking on home fighters.

Pedro Guevara has only been Stopped once in a fifty fight career, but the 36 year old Mexican is only a couple of fights removed since that blowout defeat to Bam Rodriguez.

Losing to a pound for pound superstar is one thing, but Pedro Guevara is taking on 3-0 Tomoya Tsuboi in this contest.

The 30 year old is on a fast track and he Stopped another veteran, Carlos Cuadras, in Eight Rounds back in November. That was only the second time that Cuadras had been Stopped in his long career and Tomoya Tsuboi may be able to ratchet up enough pressure to do the same to Pedro Guevara.

In the main event, Juan Francisco Estrada is looking for a second win in a row since his own loss to Bam Rodriguez, although the former World Champion put up a much sterner performance than Guevara managed.

He has been inactive in recent years, which is not ideal for the 35 year old, but Estrada is expected to have too much for Tenshin Nasukawa who was beaten for the first time in November.

Juan Francisco Estrada is still highly Ranked in the Bantamweight Division and he can set up a bout with Takuma Inoue by matching the Japanese fighter and also beating Nasukawa on the cards.

MY PICKS: Tyson Fury to Win Between 7-12 @ 3.00 Coral (1 Unit)

Conor Benn to Win Between 1-5 @ 2.20 William Hill (2 Units)

Justis Huni to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 1.83 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Richard Riakporhe to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 2.00 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Tomoya Tsuboi to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 2.30 William Hill (1 Unit)

Juan Francisco Estrada to Win @ 1.83 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Boxing 2026: 11-23, - 9.72 Units (51 Units Staked, - 19.06% Yield)

European Tour 4- German Darts Grand Prix Day 2 Picks 2026 (Sunday 5th April)

The middle day of the European Tour events sees the big Seeds enter the tournament and that means a lot of Second Round action to be completed across two Sessions.

At the German Grand Prix, that middle day is a Sunday rather than a Saturday and the tournament looks a wide open one without the current top two in the World Rankings and Gerwyn Price.

We have already had a number of upsets through the First Round and so the big names that have travelled to Germany have to be careful- once again there have been plenty of complaints about issues getting into Europe for this event, which may see more players pull out of events going forward, but those problems crossing the border will feel much more troubling if players do not make use of the open tournament and at least make it through to the final day.

Jermaine Wattimena-Niels Zonneveld over 5.5 180s: These two compatriots have played one close match on the European Tour this season that lasted ten Legs and a similar distance should see plenty of maximums being hit.

The layers are finding it hard to separate Jermaine Wattimena and Niels Zonneveld in the outright market and you can make a case for both.

The former has not had the most consistent season, but had a solid Players Championship outing last Monday and Jermaine Wattimena remains dangerous. He will certainly feel he can get the better of Niels Zonneveld if the World Number 39 is not able to produce a stronger performance than the one he had on Saturday, although Zonneveld continued to pile in the maximums.

Niels Zonneveld can go a long way to covering this total maximum mark on his own, but Jermaine Wattimena is capable when he finds his rhythm and clearing the 5.5 line may be the best approach to take.

Danny Noppert to win & most 180s v Ritchie Edhouse: The consistency at hitting the maximums has helped Danny Noppert take his game to the next level and that power scoring can see him edge past Ritchie Edhouse in the Second Round.

2026 has been an inconsistent year on the Tour so far for Ritchie Edhouse.

While he has fought through to Qualify for a couple of European Tour events, he has not really put together any solid form at the Players Championship. The opening win here will have given Edhouse confidence and he deserves respect as a former European Champion when he surprised a lot of people in 2024.

Backing that up has been difficult and Danny Noppert should find a way past him back into another Finals Day at one of the European Tour events this season.

Luke Woodhouse-Kim Huybrechts over 5.5 180s: He may have entered the German Grand Prix as the World Number 59, but there have been some signs that Kim Huybrechts has rediscovered some of his best form on the oche.

He was a strong winner in the First Round and has put together some decent results on the floor, although not quite pushing into contention to win an event.

The 6-3 win over Peter Wright may have been easier with stronger finishing, but Kim Huybrechts smashed in four maximums in those nine Legs and he has been a big scorer in the past.

Luke Woodhouse is another that finds plenty of maximums and this could be a good Second Round match with the Belgian being underrated as a significant underdog.

Both players will be looking for the strong scoring to put themselves in a position to have enough goes at a double to earn the victory and they are more than capable of covering this 5.5 180s line as long as the match is not a blowout.

The expectation is that we will see at least nine Legs and that could see the two players have enough time to surpass this mark.

Josh Rock to win & most 180s v Ryan Joyce: The Premier League has been challenging for Josh Rock, but he has picked up at least one win in each of the last two Nights.

He may not Qualify for the Play Offs, but that will have helped Josh Rock's confidence nad there have been some better signs about the performances being produced in that tournament setting.

It should be noted that Rock has largely played pretty well outside of the Premier League this season and he should be able to produce the most maximums in this contest with Relentless.

Ryan Joyce will be steady and he will believe in his doubling- that has always been a strength and so Josh Rock will have to be a little wary about this opponent.

However, Joyce had been struggling a little bit prior to the First Round win on Saturday and an improving Josh Rock should complete the Match Double.

Nathan Aspinall to win & most 180s v Ricardo Pietreczko: The home fans are going to be right behind Pikachu, but Nathan Aspinall's scoring power gives him the real edge in this contest.

It will be really important to not get engrossed in Ricardo Pietreczko's antics, nor getting involved with the crowd and so there is going to be some mental pressure on Nathan Aspinall in this one.

He has not been happy about issues he has had getting to Germany, while The Asp has not been playing at his very best over the last three weeks. Some of the draws have landed him in some tough spots, which is the case again here, but Pietreczko has also been struggling for form.

Ricardo Pietreczko had lost five matches in a row before edging out Ian White in a last Leg decider in the First Round- being able to win in that manner will give him belief, but Nathan Aspinall may have too much scoring for the home player and that can give him every opportunity of still be playing here on Monday.

Martin Schindler to win & over 1.5 180s v Brendan Dolan: There are big expectations on Martin Schindler, but the start to the 2026 season has largely been disappointing.

He will feel confident in this Second Round match up against Brendan Dolan- Martin Schindler beat him 6-1 earlier this year and has won the last four against Dolan.

However, Martin Schindler will know that the home fans are expecting a deep run in this tournament.

Last year he did have some solid European Tour outings, but Schindler has won one match in the previous three events already played this season. He will want to start putting some consistent results together and that begins by seeing off a Brendan Dolan who has been struggling for consistency of his own since Players Championship 5 in late February.

Martin Schindler is still a solid maximum hitter and he will need those scores to put himself in a position to be playing on the last day at home and it does feel like he has enough to win this match.

MY PICKS: Jermaine Wattimena-Niels Zonneveld Over 5.5 180s @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Danny Noppert to Win & Most 180s @ 2.30 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Luke Woodhouse-Kim Huybrechts Over 5.5 180s @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Josh Rock to Win & Most 180s @ 2.05 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Nathan Aspinall to Win & Most 180s @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Martin Schindler to Win & Over 1.5 180s @ 2.20 Bet365 (1 Unit)

German Darts Grand Prix Update: 1-1, - 0.39 Units (2 Units Staked, - 19.50% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2026- Deontay Wilder vs Derek Chisora (Saturday 4th April)

You always want to see a prospect develop into a contender and then into a Champion, but it is going to be very difficult to match Moses Itauma going forward.

He may feel he could get into the ring with Oleksandr Usyk tomorrow, but Frank Warren and the Queensberry connections will want to see him continuing to build the resume with no rush to win a World Title while they are largely locked up by the unbeaten Champion.

That is not to say there are no options out there- the winner of the Fabio Wardley vs Daniel Dubois fight would be a natural fight for Moses Itauma later this year, although Wardley and Itauma share the same trainer.

Fighters like Filip Hrgovic are already scheduled for fights so the July return has to be focusing on the likes of Marat Gassiev, who holds the WBA Regular Belt, or perhaps fighters like Zhilei Zhang, Martin Bakole or Guido Vianello who all are available for that date that was mentioned last weekend.

The manner of the win over Jermaine Franklin Jr will have caught the attention of more fans and right now it is very difficult to imagine a situation where Moses Itauma is not joining the elite of the Division by the end of 2026 or in early 2027.

Sebastian Fundora was also an impressive winner last weekend, but it would be very good to see him in with younger, fresher opponents in the loaded Light Middleweight Division.

Hearing Xander Zayas and Boots Ennis have agreed to face one another should force Fundora's hand and the obvious fight has to be with Vergil Ortiz Jr.

It is not a situation in which I feel Fundora is actively avoiding the younger challengers around him, but following Keith Thurman with a bout against Errol Spence Jr would be really disappointing and especially when it looks like the Champion has improved.

The only way to test that would be to test himself.

If you had stated a little under a decade ago that Deontay Wilder was travelling to London to face Derek Chisora you would have made the American a big favourite and hoped it would soon lead to a clash with Anthony Joshua.

In April 2026, both of the main event performers are considerably in decline, although it does feel like Wilder is much further gone on current form.

There is still some interest in seeing this bout with the winner likely having one more big opportunity, while the losing fighter should be hanging up the gloves.

It is part of a busy weekend of Boxing with some decent prospects and former Champions mixing things up across a number of cards in the United Kingdom and further afield.

Deontay Wilder vs Derek Chisora

Two 40 year old plus Boxers meet in a Heavyweight contest in London and it is a fight that would have meant so much at the top of the Division if it took place a number of years ago.

These days Deontay Wilder and Derek Chisora are on the final stretch of their respective careers, although the former still sounds like he harbours bigger ambitions than his opponent.

Deontay Wilder has spoken about what could come next, but Derek Chisora has openly spoken about retirement.

In a lot of cases that would mean red flags, but Chisora has regularly decided to have 'one more fight' and 'The Last Dance' was anything other than the case.

If he was to win, would you really see Derek Chisora walking away?

That is a question for another day and all eyes turn to London and see what these two fighters have left in the tank.

Make no mistake, those questions are largely geared towards Deontay Wilder who was last seen making harder than expected work of beating Tyrrell Herndon in June last year- the Seventh Round Stoppage was controversial in that Herndon still looked competitive, while Wilder had lost four of the previous five fights.

The third fight with Tyson Fury clearly took something away from Deontay Wilder who looked gun-shy in the loss to Joseph Parker before being wiped out by Zhilei Zhang. Instead of a fight with Anthony Joshua, that looked set if he had beaten Parker, The Bronze Bomber returned from a fourteen month layoff and failed to land anything serious against Parker and was beaten easily on the cards.

The Stoppage loss to Zhilei Zhang suggested his time at the top was over, but Wilder had been linked with a bout against Oleksandr Usyk and the motivation is clear- win this and he may just get the shot at the Undisputed Champion later this year.

Everything is about whether Deontay Wilder still has it in him to deliver the right hand that has brutalised so many.

Derek Chisora is in much stronger form having dropped his level since another defeat to Tyson Fury- the cards have been needed to beat Gerald Washington, Joe Joyce and Otto Wallin, but those are decent results and something that will give him confidence ahead of a meeting with this version of Deontay Wilder.

It has been seven years since Chisora last earned a Stoppage, but there is a belief that he can overwhelm Deontay Wilder with his stubbornness and willingness to push forward whenever he can. The looping shots have Knocked Down Joyce and Wallin so the power remains, but there is a danger with throwing those shots.

If, and it is a big IF, Deontay Wilder is still willing to throw his shots, the opponent in front of him looks wide open to the straight down the pipe. Timing is key, and Wilder's power can still be telling if he is able to land that shot right as Derek Chisora is looking to load up over the top.

The form is with Derek Chisora, but there is little doubt he has looked tired at times in his recent wins and those are not against someone who may yet contain the kind of power Deontay Wilder carries.

You can understand why Chisora is the favourite, but there is a nagging feeling that Deontay Wilder may yet have something left and he is a big price to put together enough of an assault to win this one to force the home favourite out before the end of this contest.

The undercard may not be the deepest, but there are a couple of British fighters looking to take the step to the very elite of their respective Divisions.

Denzel Bentley has mixed in that company before after a competitive loss to Janibek Alimkhanuly in 2022, but he suffered a big setback when losing to Nathan Heaney almost a year to the day later.

Wins over overmatched domestic opponents saw Denzel Bentley get back on the right track and his win over Brad Pauls looks all the better considering how Pauls has performed since then. The 31 year old put Brad Pauls on the floor in that win in December 2024, but it has been another significant layoff for him and Denzel Bentley cannot afford to think too far ahead.

The WBO Interim World Title is on the line after the aforementioned Alimkhanuly was suspended, although Denzel Bentley's team feel like the full World Title should be on the line.

He takes on 34 year old Endry Saavedra who has only had one fight since Denzel Bentley was last out and who is stepping up his level significantly. The Venezuelan is not Ranked by the other bodies outside of the WBO and this is a big chance for Bentley to move into a position for some big fights in a wide open Middleweight Division.

Endry Saavedra hits plenty hard, but so does Denzel Bentley and the latter can win the Title in some style.

A big opportunity has also been put together for Viddal Riley who is moving up a number of levels to see if he really does have what it takes to be a big player in the Cruiserweight Division.

He is unbeaten in thirteen fights and at 28 years old Riley wants to find out whether he has what it takes to mix with the elite of the Division.

Taking on Mateusz Masternak will give him every chance of testing that.

At 38 years old, Masternak's best days are behind him, but he has won three fights in a row since losing to Chris Billam-Smith in a WBO World Title bout in 2023. Six losses on the resume have almost exclusively been against the best opponents around and Mateusz Masternak will be well known to British fans having lost a couple of those to Billam-Smith and Tony Bellew.

This has not been lost on Viddal Riley who said he wants to outdo both of those British names, but he has also been very respectful of the fighter in front of him and his 'gatekeeper' status.

He expects to win, but Riley is well aware of how tough Masternak can be and the quality of fighter he has been.

Getting through him quicker than Chris Billam-Smith would be some statement, but an injury forced that Stoppage and the only other one on the Masternak resume came in the Eleventh Round.

He's tough and it will be difficult to break him down, especially as Viddal Riley has needed the cards in three of his last four wins as the opponent level has been lifted. The last win produced by Mateusz Masternak has to be respected considering it came in quicker style than Tony Yoka was able to produce against Joel Djeko and that kind of victory will just keep Riley focused as he tries to pick up the European Title on the cards.

The top fight of the evening takes place in London, but there is a decent card taking place in Cardiff.

Boxxer are the Promoters and this is one of the cards that they are putting together for terrestrial television in the United Kingdom.

The main event features Lauren Price as she looks to move a step closer to another big, big fight- she cannot overlook her unbeaten opponent, but the home fighter should be able to defend her hard earned World Titles.

The chief support looks really interesting as the vacant British Featherweight Title is up for grabs when Rhys Edwards faces Gully Powar.

Home advantage is with Edwards who has Boxed more Rounds and has had more fights compared with Gully Powar, but the latter was involved in the WBC Grand Prix tournament and had three bouts in 2025 compared with the single outing for Edwards.

Rhys Edwards has been involved in fights that have been closest to this Championship distance set for the British Title- he had three Ten Rounders in succession before an Eight Rounder last year and Gully Powar has only been beyond the Six Round distance once before.

It could be a telling factor, while Edwards is going to be feel he has been in with the tougher competition overall.

He will also believe he is more comfortable in the kind of atmosphere, but Powar is perhaps being underrated here.

There are questions to answer- showing off a gas tank to complete a Championship fight and Gully Powar is going to have to work hard to win on 'away' soil.

However, there were some very credible signs in the WBC Grand Prix and Gully Powar is someone who looks capable of stepping up and upsetting the odds.

Credit has to be given to Rhys Edwards for the performances he has produced at domestic level, but he may need to show some pop to keep Gully Powar from driving forward and that may allow the younger fighter to come away with an upset and the British Title to take back to the Midlands.

The long weekend in the United Kingdom means there are also a couple of cards being placed in Friday and Sunday slots.

Pat Brown entered the professional ranks with a huge amount of hype behind him and he is not taking a slow route to the top of the Cruiserweight Division.

There is a real hope that Brown will eventually campaign as a Heavyweight, but the 26 year old is focusing at the top of the Cruiserweight Division for now and is already Ranked with two of the organisations. The IBF route is perhaps the best to exploit after the World Title was stripped from Jai Opetaia, but Pat Brown has to focus on continuing his development.

All of his five professional bouts took place in 2025 and none of the last four have gone beyond the Second Round.

His opponent on Friday is ten years his senior, but Vasil Ducar is plenty experienced and the hope for Brown's team is that he can offer a different kind of resistance compared with recent opponents.

Vasil Ducar is a familiar name to British fighters having taken Chris Billam-Smith, Jordan Thompson and Cheavon Clarke all to the cards, albeit all in losing efforts.

One Stoppage is on the record and that came after ten completed Rounds against Mike Perez.

This gives Pat Brown something to aim at, but also suggests him winning by Stoppage is a very short price.

Chris Billam-Smith put Ducar down a couple of times in the middle of that Ten Round win, but it may be worth backing Pat Brown to do a little better and actually break down this opponent.

The favourite option in this fight is expecting Pat Brown to win before halfway again, but he may have to take a bit more time with an experienced campaigner and backing the British fighter to end this in the second half of the fight looks worth an interest.

Two different cards are going to take place several hours and thousand of miles apart with the first of those featuring a former World Champion out in Australia.

The timing is so a solid American audience can tune in to see Tim Tszyu who has promised a big performance ahead of a rumoured bout against Errol Spence Jr in the summer.

He had been out in December, but Tszyu was not at his best, which is perhaps not a surprise considering he had lost three of four fights prior to that outing. Getting Ten Rounds under the belt will help and he is facing another unbeaten opponent having taken that record from Anthony Velazquez.

Denis Nurja travels to Wollongong with a 20-0 record, but he has never competed at this level and looks to be coming in to give Tim Tszyu a chance to showcase his credentials.

A relatively early night is in the offing for the Australian who can make a statement for those who believe his career may be on the downward slide.

Later on Sunday, the UK will have Sky Sports returning to Boxing with a new Promoter leading the way for the channel- Jake Paul has signed a big deal with the company and that means there will be a big showcase of women's Boxing, while Zuffa Boxing have also made a deal to have their own events broadcasted on this platform.

Caroline Dubois and Terri Harper have been involved in a fiery build up ahead of this Unification main event in the Lightweight Division.

Neither has much time for the other, but Caroline Dubois is a worthy favourite.

She has shown decent pop, even while still working under the two minute per Round limit, and Dubois looks like she is on a mission to win this one in some style.

Terri Harper, like many of the women Boxers, has been up and down the Divisions, but both of her previous defeats have been in Stoppages at the hands of Alycia Baumgardner and Sandy Ryan. She has picked up this WBO World Title by ripping it away from one unbeaten fighter and then defending against another so there is some confidence, but Harper is going to have to show some resistance.

Stoppages have been harder to come by for Caroline Dubois in recent outings- none of her last seven fights have been prior to the cards being needed. However, four of those fighters have been put down and Terri Harper may not have the resilience she will need to keep Dubois from rolling through her in this main event.

MY PICKS: Deontay Wilder to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 3.25 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Denzel Bentley to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 3.60 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Gully Powar to Win @ 3.75 William Hill (1 Unit)

Pat Brown to Win Between 6-10 @ 4.33 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Tim Tszyu to Win Between 1-5 @ 3.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Caroline Dubois to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 2.87 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Boxing 2026: 9-19, - 11.65 Units (45 Units Staked, - 25.89% Yield)