European Tour 6- Austrian Darts Open Day 1 Picks 2026 (Friday 8th May)

It is not a big surprise that some of the Premier League participants have decided to skip this European Tour event in a bid to remain fresh as the Premier League comes to a conclusion.

The absence of the likes of Jonny Clayton, Gerwyn Price, Luke Littler and Luke Humphries will feel like it has created an open tournament, but there are some big names in quality form taking part over the weekend.

Day 1 is an opportunity for players to put a solid win on the board before going into the Day 2 Sessions against Seeded opponents and there are plenty of First Round matches to get through over two Sessions to open this tournament on Friday.

Kevin Doets to win & most 180s v Chris Landman: These two split two matches on the Tour last year, but Kevin Doets looks to have pushed on another level.

He won a Players Championship event earlier this week after reaching a couple of Semi Finals at those floor events in the previous week, while Doets has been putting together some solid form on the European Tour as well.

Chris Landman has been a bit more streaky and deserves his respect, but the power scoring of the Dutchman should be enough to see him win this match and the maximum count on the way through to the Second Round.

Joe Cullen - 1.5 legs v Robert Owen: You cannot always be sure what you are going to get from Joe Cullen, but he may just have enough in the locker to beat Roberto Owen in this First Round match.

Some decent runs were put together at the two Players Championship events earlier this week and Joe Cullen is familiar with the European Tour setting.

Ignoring some of the wins that Robert Owen has produced over the last couple of weeks would be a huge mistake- he has beaten the likes of Beau Greaves, Josh Rock and Danny Noppert on the floor. That is a level that makes him dangerous, but The Rock Star has been in decent form of his own and has the kind of scoring that can see him push clear.

Dirk van Duijvenbode to win & most 180s v Madars Razma: A four match losing run to this opponent was ended by Dirk van Duijvenbode earlier this week on the floor at Players Championship 13.

That can be franked in this opening Round at the Austrian Darts Open having had a stronger showing at Players Championship 14.

The Dutchman should always be the bigger maximum hitter of the two, but Madars Razma is a very capable player and will need to be respected.

Recent form has not been the most positive though and that can hold back Razma and allow Dirk van Duijvenbode to bull his way into the Second Round behind the heavier scoring power.

Micahel Smith to win & most 180s v Ian White: The Bully Boy is still throwing erratic darts, but he reached the Players Championship Final a couple of weeks ago and that will have reminded Michael Smith of the obvious qualities he has.

Two losses in three matches since that run at Players Championship 11 will have slowed some of the momentum, but veteran Ian White has been in poor overall form himself.

Ian White did Qualify for this event, but that was at the start of April and he has lost eight of the last twelve matches since then.

He can be a dangerous scorer, but so can Michael Smith when he does find some rhythm and the latter is going to need that to come to the fore in his bid to make the Second Round.

MY PICKS: Kevin Doets to Win & Most 180s @ 1.61 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Joe Cullen - 1.5 Legs @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Dirk van Duijvenbode to Win & Most 180s @ 1.66 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Michael Smith to Win & Most 180s @ 2.20 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Darts 2026: 57-83, - 14.43 Units (137 Units Staked, - 10.53% Yield)

European Tour 5- European Darts Grand Prix Day 1 Picks 2026 (Friday 17th April)

The European Tour heads back to Germany across this weekend where the European Darts Grand Prix will be played.

Some of the top Premier League contenders are preparing to join the party in the Second Round, but the top two Ranked players in the world are both missing. Once again this will feel like it opens the door for others, although there are plenty in the kind of form to believe they would be able to knock off Luke Humphries while he continues to find a way to lose matches he should win.

The First Round at this European Tour event is going to be played across two Sessions on Friday before the entire Second Round is concluded on Saturday.

In all likelihood, the winner of this tournament is expected to be starting on Saturday, but don't tell that to players like Wessel Nijman, Niels Zonneveld and Kevin Doets who have been putting together strong form in the lead up to European Tour 5.

Kevin Doets - 2.5 legs v Jurgen van der Velde: The aforementioned Kevin Doets should have too much for Jurgen van der Velde in the First Round in Germany and back up the Players Championship win over this opponent.

He had two solid outings at those Players Championship events held earlier this week and Kevin Doets also reached the Semi Final of European Tour 4 having produced some quality darts.

All of the momentum is with him and that makes Doets dangerous going into this weekend, but he has to make sure he is switched on against his fellow Dutchman.

Jurgen van der Velde is outside of the top 100 in the World Rankings and has struggled for consistency over the last couple of months.

Some of his averages have been really sub-standard and Kevin Doets should be able to overpower him.

Andrew Gilding - 1.5 legs v Paul Krohne: You don't always know what you're going to get out of Andrew Gilding, but he reached the Third Round at the last European Tour event played and has also had a run into the Players Championship Semi Final earlier this week.

That should mean Goldfinger is pretty confident with the darts being thrown, although overlooking Paul Krohne would be a mistake.

Strong doubling helped Krohne upset Cameron Menzies in the last European Tour event and he gave Josh Rock a scare, but he is not as experienced as Gilding and that could be important.

Recent improvements in the form certainly makes Andrew Gilding the right favourite and he may have just enough to push through to the Second Round without needing a deciding Leg.

Dirk van Duijvenbode & Kim Huybrechts both over 2.5 180s: This is one of the last matches heading out in the Evening Session and it could be a cracker.

Germany may be hosting, but there should be plenty of noise being made for a Dutchman and a Belgian in this First Round shoot out.

Kim Huybrechts has certainly been showing signs of getting back into the form that pushed him into the upper echelons of the World Rankings and he had four wins in Players Championship settings earlier this week. He reached the Third Round at the last European Tour event and may have felt he could have won that match against Jonny Clayton, but the confidence will have improved and Huybrechts has been peppering the treble.

That is always the case for Dirk van Duijvenbode who is looking to bounce back having lost three matches in a row.

Maximum hitting is rarely the issue, but the World Number 27 could be a vulnerable favourite in this one.

When they met earlier in the year at the Players Championship, nine Legs were played and Dirk van Duijvenbode came through with the victory. Notably both crashed in a lot of maximums in that match and Kim Huybrechts perhaps deserves the nod as the underdog if he can compete in the scoring department as he has been in recent outngs.

Daryl Gurney to win & over 1.5 180s v Oskar Lukasiak: He is still up at World Number 23, but Daryl Gurney has been struggling for consistency and that always makes him a tough player to read.

This First Round match is very winnable, especially against an opponent who has lost every Players Championship match played this year and both at the World Masters.

Only at the UK Open did Oskar Lukasiak find a winning feeling, but there is no doubt he is struggling and that should see the Northern Irishman bull his way through to the Second Round.

In the Players Championship 10 tournament on Tuesday, Daryl Gurney had nine maximums in two matches played and he can produce at least two on his way past his Swedish opponent in the penultimate match of the Evening Session.

MY PICKS: Kevin Doets - 2.5 Legs @ 2.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Andrew Gilding - 1.5 Legs @ 2.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Dirk van Duijvenbode-Kim Huybrechts Over 2.5 180s Each @ 2.20 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Daryl Gurney to Win & Over 1.5 180s @ 2.05 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Darts 2026: 48-71, - 14.08 Units (116 Units Staked, - 12.14% Yield)

European Tour 3- Belgium Darts Open Day 1 Picks 2026 (Friday 20th March)

A remarkable night in Dublin ended with Luke Littler closing the gap on Jonny Clayton in the Premier League standings, but Gerwyn Price and Michael van Gerwen will both be wondering how they failed to beat the World Number 1.

Once again, it is a reminder that Littler feels like he is clear of the rest of the Tour and that the mental pressure of facing him is beginning to ramp up, much as it did in the past when players moved into position to beat the likes of Phil Taylor and van Gerwen.

Missing darts built up the sense of dread that the top player on the Tour would punish them and Luke Littler has done that enough in his relatively short time as a professional to have built that aura around him.

He will be playing at European Tour 3 this weekend and the Belgium Darts Open features the majority of the top names, although Price, Gian van Veen and Gary Anderson have withdrawn.

It is a big event for players looking to build up some confidence or build on the momentum that has been picked up ahead of the next set of Players Championship tournaments later in the month.

These European Tour events are the big titles to be won over the coming weeks and months until the World Cup of Darts is played on the same weekend as the Football World Cup begins. In that time there are plenty of Players Championship events to be played as well alongside the Premier League and it remains a busy time for the players and fans of the sport.

Last weekend was a difficult one for the Darts Picks at European Tour 2, but this is an opportunity to bounce back.

Day 1 features the entirety of the First Round being played across two Sessions, while the top Seeds join the party on Saturday with the Second Round split over two Sessions.

The selections from Night 7 at the Premier League at least got things moving back in a positive direction, but it is important to build on that in the Belgium Darts Open to keep things ticking over.

Ricky Evans to win & over 1.5 180s v Scott Williams: At his best, Scott Williams can be a very dangerous player, but the price has shortened on Ricky Evans to come through this good looking First Round match.

Both have been putting together inconsistent results over the last few weeks, but there has perhaps been one or two more flashes from Rapid Ricky.

He will need his scoring and Evans has always been a decent maximum hitter, but it is doubles that win matches and that cost him last weekend in the loss to Danny Noppert.

Scott Williams has lost four of his last five matches and has just been having his issues of late, but he did earn his spot in Belgium through the Qualifiers and beat some solid competition in his run.

So did Ricky Evans though and his numbers have been a little stronger to believe he can edge to the win with a couple of maximums thrown in too.

Dave Chisnall to win & over 1.5 180s v Thibault Tricole: The form over the last several months has been disappointing as far as Dave Chisnall is concerned, but he can find a way to get past an improving Thibault Tricole.

One of his wins to earn a Qualifying spot at the Belgium Darts Open was against Ricky Evans and he had a very strong run at Players Championship 6 when reaching the Semi Final.

That means Thibault Tricole has to be respected, but Dave Chisnall has beaten him once this season and usually enjoys taking part in these European Tour events.

There is a pressure on Chizzy to find some wins to avoid dropping too far in the World Rankings and having to eventually take part in the cutthroat business of Qualifying, but there is still some good darts being played.

Doing it for long enough, even in this short format, has been the problem for Dave Chisnall, but he may just have enough here to edge past a quality First Round opponent.

Scoring is going to be key and Chisnall can put together a couple of maximums during a match that should last at least nine Legs.

MY PICKS: Ricky Evans to Win & Over 1.5 180s @ 2.05 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Dave Chisnall to Win & Over 1.5 180s @ 2.15 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Darts 2026: 33-48, - 8.04 Units (78 Units Staked, - 10.31% Yield)

European Tour 2- European Darts Trophy Day 1 Picks 2026 (Friday 13th March)

Another Premier League Night has ended with Jonny Clayton picking up maximum points and he is well on his way to reaching the Play Offs in the competition he enjoys playing the most.

His participation in the European Darts Trophy is perhaps a little uncertain having played through the pain with his gout making it difficult to walk, especially with this tournament taking place in Germany and perhaps not being an ideal time to travel.

Of course the form through the first two and a half months of the 2026 season has been at such a level that Clayton would love to keep things going and he is not due out until Saturday when the Second Round is played.

Luke Humphries had a productive night in Nottingham, although one that did not end with the Nightly win even after beating Luke Littler and Gian van Veen earlier in the evening.

The Polish Open was won by Littler, but he is not involved this weekend and Luke Humphries has to be amongst the favourites, even at a time when his doubling has been letting him down.

The European Darts Trophy looks like it is wide open this week with Humphries down as a 4-1 favourite, but plenty of the big names are expected to be involved in Germany and it should be three strong days for the fans to enjoy.

The First Round will be played across two sessions on Friday before the same situation for the Second Round on Saturday.

Third Round matches will be completed in the Day Session on Sunday before the traditional ending to the European Tour events with all of the Quarter Final, Semi Final and Final matches played in the Evening Session to produce the second winner on this circuit.

Later this month the Belgian Darts Open will also be played as the European Tour 3 event is scheduled to be played and so it is a very busy time for the biggest names in the PDC with Premier League Nights also to be played on Thursday over the next couple of months.

Ricky Evans & Cameron Menzies double: The Afternoon Session features a number of decent players, but there are some close matches to call and picking these two looks the best approach to take to the eight games scheduled.

Ricky Evans played pretty well at the World Championships, but he has not been able to build on that in 2026 and suffered a relatively early defeat in the UK Open.

However, he should still have enough to beat Florian Preis in the First Round, even if the latter is going to be given plenty of crowd support.

Doubling up Ricky Evans with Cameron Menzies is slightly risky when you think of some of the recent performances offered up by the latter.

A hand injury inflicted on himself has proved to be a big problem for Menzies, but he did come through a couple of Rounds at the Polish Darts Open last month and Paul Krohne may not have enough to use the crowd and land a spot in the Second Round.

Dirk van Duijvenbode & Wessel Nijman double: A double from the Evening Session puts together a couple of Dutchman who should have enough to progress into the Second Round.

Dirk van Duijvenbode has slipped to the World Number 29 position and has been very inconsistent this season, but he faces someone who is struggling much more than himself.

After a decent enough start to the season, Mario Vandenbogaerde has lost his last six matches in a row and some of those have been in close defeats.

This all adds to the mental challenges when it comes to late Legs, and DvD may have too much scoring for him at critical times in this First Round match.

A fellow Dutchman has been in fine form on the floor and Wessel Nijman had a strong run at the Polish Darts Open- there is still more to come from him and he can edge past Cristo Reyes who is a player that can make strides up the World Ranking in the weeks and months ahead.

However, Nijman looks capable of squeezing past him here in Germany in what should be a quality match to end the session.

Kai Gotthardt v Nico Springer: The best of eleven Leg format is always open for an upset or two to occur and Kai Gotthardt can back up some solid form at the UK Open by getting the better of his compatriot in Germany.

These two actually met last week in Minehead and it was Gotthardt who edged past Nico Springer, while the familiarity with this opponent should allow the underdog to settle into this First Round match.

It should be noted that Gotthardt had shown little form going into the UK Open, but those wins will have done him the world of good.

Nico Springer is very talented, but he has just hit a slump in form with three straight defeats under his belt- he has been a little inconsistent on the Tour this year and suffered an early loss at European Tour 1 last month.

This is likely going to be a close match in front of the home fans, but Kai Gotthardt looks a big price to edge through to the Saturday Second Round.

MY PICKS: Ricky Evans & Cameron Menzies Double @ 2.64 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Dirk van Duijvenbode & Wessel Nijman @ 1.82 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Kai Gotthardt @ 2.50 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Darts 2026: 29-37, - 2.87 Units (65 Units Staked, - 4.42% Yield)

UK Open Darts Day 1 Picks 2026 (Friday 6th March)

The second Ranking tournament on the PDC Calendar is being played in Minehead over the weekend and the UK Open has long been described as the 'FA Cup of Darts'.

Much like the football competition, the top Seeds are held out until the Fourth Round of the competition, which is played in the Evening Session on Day 1 of the tournament.

And just like the FA Cup, the UK Open Darts tournament is an open draw that takes place after each Round following the opening three Rounds, which are played on Day 1 during the Day Session in a best of eleven Leg format.

That becomes best of nineteen in the Fourth Round and the markets will be priced up after the draw is made on Friday afternoon- an open draw means we could see some big matches immediately.

Round Five is set to be played in the Day Session on Day 2, while the Sixth Round will be played in the Evening Session on the same day.

Most top Darts players will be used to the Quarter Final, Semi Final and Final played on the Sunday, although the longer format does make it more challenging and increases the importance of trying to get through matches without having to face too much emotional drama.

Picks from the Day 1 Evening Session should be added here around 6pm (assuming markets are put together pretty quickly) and there is no doubting the intensity of all participants with big prize money and strong Ranking Points to be earned.

Gian van Veen to win & over 4.5 180s v Rob Cross: It has been a tough year for Rob Cross who has slipped out of the top 20 in the World Rankings, but he has been producing some decent stuff on the floor.

More will be needed if he is going to get the better of a player who replaced him in the Premier League in 2026.

Gian van Veen has found a consistent level in the Premier League, but has also shown he is a very competitive match player at the World Championship and World Masters.

The Dutchman should have enough to progress past Rob Cross and the expectation is that he will hit at least five maximums in what could be a match that needs at least fifteen Legs before finding Gian van Veen in a position to win and take his place in the draw for the next Round.

Michael Smith - 2.5 legs v Leon Weber: The underdog has come through a couple of Rounds at the UK Open and was hitting some big maximums in those wins.

However, Leon Weber has invested a lot already today with eleven Legs needed in both wins and his average has been far from impressive.

Now while Michael Smith has not been near his best level over the last twelve months, he has shown on the floor and in Qualifying for European Tour events that he is still a level above what he should see in this Fourth Round match.

In a best of nineteen format, Bully Boy should be able to come through with some room to spare.

Luke Humphries to win & most 180s v Luke Woodhouse: If the World Masters meeting is anything to go by, this is going to be one of the ties of the Round in the Fourth Round at the UK Open.

Luke Woodhouse is improving all of the time, but he fell short against Luke Humphries in the World Masters and that is likely going to be the case again.

Set play can make scores that much closer, but Humphries won eleven of the eighteen Legs played at the World Masters and he has still been playing at a level that could be too much for most to handle.

One concern is that Luke Humphries has struggled to maintain standards within matches and he will need to make a fast start- he has been scoring well, but the doubling has been letting him down at times.

As long as he can look after that side of his darts, Luke Humphries may have one or two more maximums in a winning effort.

Gary Anderson - 1.5 legs v Dirk van Duijvenbode: This should be a big hitting match, but Gary Anderson has found a way past the Dutchman in the last three meetings on the Tour.

They only met once last year, but Anderson found that relatively comfortable and he has been playing with a bit more consistency on the floor.

Dirk van Duijvenbode is always capable of producing an upset with his power scoring, but Gary Anderson can match that side of his darts and may use the fan support to find a way to something like a 10-7 win.

Josh Rock - 2.5 legs v William O'Connor: The Premier League has proven to be a really difficult step for Josh Rock, but the actual performances are not as bad as the results being produced.

He is going to be pushed by William O'Connor, who was receiving plenty of support in the Day Session, but Rocky has handled the darts thrown at him from this opponent.

They met in Krakow a couple of weeks ago and Josh Rock averaged 10 points higher than O'Connor, which was reflected in the 6-1 win.

Confidence might have been dented by the opening five weeks in the Premier League, but Josh Rock can use the best of nineteen leg format to warm up to the task and eventually pull away in this one.

Nathan Aspinall v Michael van Gerwen: This was a Premier League level match last year and Nathan Aspinall has to be really disappointed that he was not invited back into that tournament.

He has been playing some very good darts to open 2026, but it has been a couple of weeks since we last saw him at the Polish Open.

A huge amount of respect is given to Michael van Gerwen, but Nathan Aspinall may be playing the Dutchman at a good time.

Illness has slowed the early form and van Gerwen has lost his last three matches, while also suffering an early exit at the World Masters. He was not himself on Thursday night at the Premier League and Aspinall had enough wins over him in the Premier League last season to have the confidence to get over the line.

His scoring will need to be on point, but Nathan Aspinall can outlast Michael van Gerwen in this one.

MY PICKS: Gian van Veen to Win & Over 4.5 180s @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Michael Smith - 2.5 Legs @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Luke Humphries to Win & Most 180s @ 1.95 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Gary Anderson - 1.5 Legs @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Josh Rock - 2.5 Legs @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Nathan Aspinall @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Darts 2026: 17-23, - 2.78 Units (39 Units Staked, - 7.13% Yield)

Indian Wells Tennis Day 1 Picks 2026 (Wednesday 4th March)

The three weeks following the Australian Open were not as productive as the opening Grand Slam of the season for the Tennis Picks, but the solid return at the ATP Dubai event has pushed the season totals back in a positive direction.

The Final was not played in Dubai after Tallon Griekspoor decided he could not compete with the injury suffered in the Semi Final, but that tournament was unlikely to be concluded after escalating tensions in the Middle East led to open warfare in the region.

It is a concerning time for all, but the sporting world will try and continue and the Indian Wells Masters opens March with the first of two really important events.

This is also the time of the season when the opening hard court run comes to a conclusion and both Tours will soon turn the attention to the French Open.

We have had some clay court tennis played in South America, but the Tours will head back to Europe at the end of the Miami Masters later this month and that is when the serious push towards the French Open will begin with some big tournaments to be played.

Over recent years, most will have noted the conditions in Indian Wells and how different the hard courts play in the desert compared with the other North American hard court tournaments.

This has to be factored into the selections being made, but it has been a difficult tournament to read and that will also be considered.

Both ATP and WTA tournaments will be beginning on Wednesday and it will feature a similar schedule to Grand Slam events with the two halves of each draw being split to play on alternate days.

Unsurprisingly the fields are loaded with the best names on the Tour, including returning players like Aryna Sabalenka who have not been out on the court since Melbourne.

The top names will be entering the Masters event in the Second Round, which begins on Friday, but the First Round gets going on Wednesday and completed on Thursday before those big names enter the fray in what is long considered to be the 'biggest' tournament outside of the Grand Slam events.

McCartney Kessler - 1.5 games v Zeynep Sonmez: Indian Wells may be described as the 'fifth Major', but this hard court tournament plays pretty differently to most on the Tour.

Adjustments have to be made to the criteria for selections compared with some of the other hard court events played through the course of the year.

That does not only apply to those of us watching, but the players themselves have to made adjustments in a tournament where the return has been very important. Most hard courts may favour stronger serving, but that has not always been the case in Indian Wells where the wind can pick up and the ball can fly through the air very quickly at times.

McCartney Kessler is the sole selection from the host of First Round matches to be played on Wednesday as the main draw gets underway in both the WTA and ATP events.

The American should be a little more familiar all around with the differences in events played in her country and Kessler has played in the main draw here before. Last season she was beaten in the Second Round by Aryna Sabalenka, but McCartney Kessler has been growing on the Tour and had much stronger runs at other WTA 1000 events played on the hard courts as the season progressed.

The 4-3 record to open 2026 may not inspire, but McCartney Kessler has been in with tough competition for the majority of those matches. That is certainly the case in terms of the World Rankings of opponents faced and Kessler has still been able to produce some solid numbers overall.

Her opponent has an 8-6 record on the hard courts in 2026, but half of those wins have been in Qualifying settings and Zeynep Sonmez had lost four hard court matches in a row before reaching the Quarter Final in Merida last week.

The World Number 80 has built her opening record on getting the better of weaker players on the Tour and the 3-6 mark against top 100 Ranked opponents has to be a concern. Zeynep Sonmez actually upset the highest Ranked opponent she has faced in Ekaterina Alexandrova (World Number 11) at the Australian Open, but none of the other matches have been against anyone Ranked higher than World Number 39 and that makes the record look a little weaker.

The serve has really been an issue in those nine matches and McCartney Kessler may be able to tee off on some of the returns to get on the front foot in the rally.

It also should be said that Zaynep Sonmez has produced a slightly weaker return than the American and it may lead to the higher Ranked player coming through with a solid win.

A concern has to be the back issue that forced McCartney Kessler to miss the Middle East swing after reaching the Quarter Final in Abu Dhabi, but that is factored into the odds.

MY PICKS: McCartney Kessler - 1.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Season 2026: 62-46, + 15.25 Units (174 Units Staked, + 8.76% Yield)

European Tour 1- Poland Darts Open Day 1 Picks 2026 (Friday 20th February)

The PDC Tour continues to expand into new territories and strong crowds at recent World Series of Darts events in Poland have seen the country rewarded with a full European Tour event.

In 2026, the Poland Darts Open act as the European Tour 1 tournament and the majority of the top names are amongst the forty-eight player field.

Qualification for the first four European Tour events have been completed and this is the start of a busy period for players across all levels of the PDC Tour.

You would imagine that some of the Premier League participants will decide to limit the schedule around those nights, as well as the European Tour, UK Open and Players Championship events- we have already heard that Gerwyn Price will not be playing this weekend, while Michael van Gerwen's participation remains uncertain having missed Night 3 of the Premier League with an illness.

In saying that, there are plenty of top names heading to Krakow and those higher Ranked players will be receiving a Bye through to the Second Round, which is played across two sessions on Day 2.

On Friday, Day 1 begins with the entire First Round to be played across the two sessions and there are some quality players heading out trying to take their place alongside the elite of the Tour.

Ritchie Edhouse v Cameron Menzies: You don't want to dismiss some of the issues Cameron Menzies has been having away from the oche, but there is no doubt that they are affecting his performances right now.

One match has been won when playing at Players Championship 1, but Menzies has lost all four other matches he has played in those floor events. That makes it nine losses in the last ten played and Cameron Menzies has been struggling in his game, which is not an ideal place to be when facing Ritchie Edhouse.

Two years ago Ritchie Edhouse won the European Championship as a massive outsider and he has worked his way through Qualifying for a couple of the upcoming European Tour events.

Much more solid form has been produced at the Players Championship floor events and Edhouse can win this one as the slight favourite.

Luke Woodhouse to win & most 180s v Carl Sneyd: If he continues to develop as he has been, Luke Woodhouse is going to fancy winning a big title some time over the next ten months.

He had a strong 2025 and Luke Woodhouse has been producing plenty of wins on the floor.

The higher Ranked player is also a big maximum hitter, although he will have to have some respect for Carl Sneyd who has Qualified for the Poland Darts Open.

Carl Sneyd won his Tour card at Q-School, which is a tough field to negotiate, and he has shown his capabilities with a decent showing at Players Championship 2.

Early losses in Players Championship 3 and 4 this week and in European Tour 4 Qualifying will have dented some confidence and Luke Woodhouse may need around three maximums in any winning effort to get this double over the line.

Niels Zonneveld & Dave Chisnell double: Both of the favourites have been showing decent form on the floor and they may be able to work their way through to the Second Round at the Poland Darts Open.

Niels Zonneveld is facing a host Qualifier and should have a considerable edge in scoring.

It was a difficult 2025 for Dave Chisnell, but he has won seven matches across the last three Players Championships on the floor and that has to have given him some confidence. He has also had plenty of experience in these European Tour events and Chisnell is well liked in the tournaments played, which can aid him.

He is facing Darryl Pilgrim who had a really good Players Championship 3, but who has just suffered with some inconsistency around that.

Failing to Qualify for European Tour 3 and 4 this past week will also have been a potential dent in confidence for Darryl Pilgrim and he will need to find another level to beat Dave Chisnell, even if the latter is not at his peak level.

Wessel Nijman to win & most 180s v Thomas Lovely: The most consistent player on the floor early in the 2026 season is Wessel Nijman and the Dutchman will be hoping he can take that form onto the bigger events being played.

It did not quite happen for him at the World Masters, but Nijman should be able to get off to a strong start against Thomas Lovely in the Poland Darts Open.

Wessel Nijman beat him twice on the floor last year and Thomas Lovely has been struggling for some consistency, while unlikely to match the scoring power that the favourite can bring into this First Round match.

Krzysztof Ratajski & Joe Cullen double: Two relatively strong favourites should be able to get past a couple of Qualifiers in this First Round match.

Joe Cullen is facing a home Qualifier and has been playing well enough on the floor to believe he should have too much for Krzysztof Kciuk who did enough, but did not overly impress in his three wins.

We have seen Cullen struggle for consistency, but he has a 7-4 record in Players Championship games and there is a level he can find that should be too much for the home player.

Earlier in the Evening Session, Krzysztof Ratajski should be able to overcome Mickey Mansell for the second time this week.

With the home crowd behind the top Polish player on the Tour, Ratajski should be able to back up the victory in Players Championship 3 when he beat Mansell 6-2 and had a huge advantage in the three dart average.

MY PICKS: Ritchie Edhouse @ 1.95 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Luke Woodhouse & Most 180s @ 1.95 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Niels Zonneveld & Dave Chisnell @ 2.15 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Wessel Nijman & Most 180s @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Krzysztof Ratajski & Joe Cullen @ 2.02 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Darts 2026: 8-14, - 4.05 Units (21 Units Staked, - 19.29% Yield)

Australian Open Day 1 Tennis Picks 2026 (Sunday 18th January)

It had been a couple of tough years for the Tennis Picks, but 2025 finished with a solid return and that is something that we will be looking to replicate over the coming eleven months.

The Tour calendar does open with some warm up events in anticipation of the first Grand Slam of the season, but is the Australian Open that most players will be focusing on as they return from the relatively short off-season.

Some players are demanding a change in the overall calendar, but the huge sums picked up to play exhibition events are perhaps meaning there is little sympathy for them- the 'Battle of the Sexes' last month was one that did not captivate quite as much as the participants and organisers would have hoped.

That is not to say there is no room for creative thinking and all credit has to be given to the Australian Open for putting together the concept of the 'One Point Slam', which involved top pros as well as amateur competitors.

Having an amateur win will have gained plenty of headlines and follows the US Open creating a new Mixed Doubles event days before the main Grand Slam got underway.

Bringing in new eyes is a big motivator for any sport and so events like those at those two Grand Slam events have to be respected and the guess is that the French Open and Wimbledon may end up putting their creative teams together to think of a way for further revenue to be created.

New ideas will be discussed, but the Grand Slam tournaments are likely going to be dominated by very familiar names.

After combining to take all four Slams home last season, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are clear favourites in the men's tournament in Melbourne.

The Italian has been the more dominant on the hard courts, but it was Alcaraz who won the US Open.

However, Jannik Sinner is the favourite at Melbourne Park and that is because he is the two time defending Champion.

A potential Third Round match with Joao Fonseca will certainly grab the headlines, but it does feel like men's tennis is lacking a bit of depth with the top two players clear of the rest.

They have faced off in Paris, London and New York City for the biggest prizes and another in Melbourne looks most likely, even if the Australian Open is historically a Grand Slam that throws up plenty of upsets and surprising contenders.

Last season it was Aryna Sabalenka looking for a third straight Australian Open success, but she was upset in the Final and 2025 was a slightly disappointing year for the World Number 1.

She did win the US Open to avoid a year without a Grand Slam being secured, but I think Sabalenka expects more and she will be there or thereabout as usual.

The women's tournaments remain wide open though and a player has not won consecutive Grand Slam titles since the Australian Open in 2021, which may be a trend that means people look elsewhere for a Champion.

Elena Rybakina ended last year in strong form and is very comfortable on the hard courts, but you would consider the first three Grand Slam Champions of last season as upset winners.

Madison Keys is the defending Champion, but she looks unlikely to repeat as Champion, and you can make the case for a number of players to have strong runs.

After the draw was made, it is perhaps surprising that Aryna Sabalenka has hardened as favourite with some dangerous players around her quarter. However, if she can get past a couple of those players with 'potential', Sablenka's business end of the tournament looks much better in the top half compared with whoever is going to come out of the bottom half of the draw.

It feels like a matter of time before Mirra Andreeva makes a big breakthrough by winning a Grand Slam, but her draw looks awkward, while the likes of Iga Swiatek, Amanda Anisimova and Elena Rybakina may have to come through multiple tests, as well as each other, and then hope to have something left in the tank if they are able to reach the Final in two weeks time.

Things can change very quickly with an upset or two littered through the draw, and the women's events have thrown up plenty of those, but you can understand the position of the layers by placing Aryna Sabalenka as the favourtie.

The Australian Open is another Grand Slam that begins on Sunday with the First Round split over the first three days of the tournament.

Opening selections from Day 1 can be read below as the first Grand Slam of the season gets underway in much warmer and sunnier conditions than we are experiencing in the United Kingdom.

Elina Svitolina - 5.5 games v Cristina Bucsa: Throughout her career, Elina Svitolina has been a serial Quarter Finalist at Grand Slam events with a couple of Semi Final runs sprinkled in.

Last year was the third time she has reached the Quarter Final here in Melbourne, but that is where the Svitolina runs have tended to come to a conclusion. The World Number 12 has not been beaten in the First Round at the Australian Open since her debut campaign and Elina Svitolina will enter the 2026 tournament with the confidence of having won a title already in the preparation event in Auckland.

This should give Svitolina the confidence to beat Cristina Bucsa, even if the latter has just entered the top 50 in the Rankings for the first time in her career.

After battling past her opening opponent in Brisbane, Cristina Bucsa was crushed by the current World Number 1 and that means she is just 4-9 in matches against top 50 Ranked opponents on the hard courts over the last twelve months. An upset over Elise Mertens at the US Open has to be respected, but in those nine defeats, five have been suffered by a margin that would see Bucsa fail to cover this spread.

Much of this First Round match could come down to the Elina Svitolina second serve- if she can avoid giving away too many of those or if she can protect it a little better, it should mean Svitolina is in control of this match.

You do have to note that Elina Svitolina is not someone who avoids upsets as regularly as some of the top names on the WTA Tour, but she is 10-5 on the hard courts over the last twelve months when facing players outside of the top 20 in the World Rankings.

Two of those defeats have been to former Grand Slam Champions making their way back onto the Tour, but overall the numbers suggest the Ukrainian does protect her second serve well enough to beat a player like Cristina Bucsa.

The Bucsa second serve has proven to be very vulnerable against the better players on the Tour over the last twelve months and that may see Svitolina surpass this big spread.

Maria Sakkari - 4.5 games v Leolia Jeanjean: The first thing you have to state is that Maria Sakkari is unlikely to get back to the level that once took her to two Grand Slam Semi Finals.

That was back in 2021 and Sakkari enters the 2026 Australian Open as the World Number 52 at 30 years old.

She finished last year with a losing record on the hard courts and has opened 2026 with a 2-2 record, which suggests Maria Sakkari is not going to have a long journey in Melbourne.

However, she is going to be well backed by the crowd and has been given a very strong scheduling spot to underline the kind of support she is expected to receive.

It also helps that the First Round draw has seen Sakkari drawn to face Leolia Jeanjean who has lost both matches played this year and is now 2-11 in hard court matches against top 100 Ranked opponents over the last twelve months.

The Frenchwoman has really struggled with her return of serve in those matches and that has to give Maria Sakkari an edge, even if the Greek player is not the most trustworthy player on the Tour as the form has dipped significantly from her best.

In the last twelve months, Maria Sakkari is 9-4 on the hard courts when facing players Ranked lower than herself and there should still be enough in the tank to secure relatively safe passage through this First Round match.

The last time these players met in 2022 was on a grass court, but it was a match that Maria Sakkari won with a little room to spare and that may be the case again in the First Round of the Australian Open in January 2026.

Sebastian Korda - 1.5 sets v Michael Zheng: Over the last several years, there have been a number of players who have successfully chosen to play the North American College circuit before moving onto the Tour. Instead of starting very young and potentially burning out, those players have tended to be a bit more mature and able to handle the next step, while also getting plenty of competitive tennis under their belts.

Michael Zheng looks to be the latest to come through that route and has won three Qualifiers to take his place in the main draw at the opening Grand Slam of the season.

He was beaten in the Qualifiers for the US Open back in August, but Michael Zheng has won multiple titles on the Challenger circuit in 2025, while also reaching Finals in others.

That all means Michael Zheng will be entering the tournament at a career high World Ranking mark and could soon be progressing that further.

His opponent in the First Round should be familiar to Zheng and Sebastian Korda is likely to be well aware of the talent that is standing on the other side of the net.

Eighteen months ago, Sebastian Korda was firmly inside the top 20 of the World Rankings, but he enters the Australian Open as the World Number 51 as injury and a loss of form has just slowed the momentum. There is clearly a very good player here, but Korda has yet to put it all together as effectively as he would have liked and that means he has only reached the second week of a Grand Slam three times with one of those ending in a Quarter Final appearance.

That final eight appearance was right here in Melbourne three years ago, but it has been a disappointing time for Sebastian Korda for much of the time since and especially when it comes to the Grand Slam events.

He has tended to be a consistent player on the hard courts, but there is room for improvement on the return of serve, which would also spark a bit of momentum in his tennis.

In the last twelve months, Sebastian Korda has an 11-3 record on the hard courts when facing an opponent outside of the top 50 and you have to believe that at this stage of his career that he still has the edge over a very strong College player, but one that is yet to face a player of the quality of Korda on the professional Tour.

Michael Zheng may win a set, but you have to believe Sebastian Korda has enough about him to secure passage in four sets at least.

Frances Tiafoe - 4.5 games v Jason Kubler: It may feel like he has been around on the Tour forever, but Frances Tiafoe is 'only' turning 28 years old later this month and you have to feel there is still more to come from the American. He has slipped back to World Number 31 ahead of this tournament having failed to reach the Fourth Round in three of the four Grand Slam events played in 2025 and so the American can turn things back around with some strong efforts at the top tournaments.

In reality it has long felt like Frances Tiafoe has not really pushed onto the next level and hsi numbers have been steady, rather than spectacular.

There are 'x factors' that have helped him overcome some of those numbers and win the tight matches, but that somewhat deserted him in 2025 when finishing with a really disappointing 14-14 record on the hard courts.

One of the reasons for that record is the drop in the service numbers and Frances Tiafoe will know there is room for improvement.

He will need to handle the crowd in this opening match at the Australian Open against an Australian Qualifier and Jason Kubler is very comfortable on the hard courts, which makes him potentially dangerous.

Three wins on the board will mean Jason Kubler has a lot of confidence ahead of the main draw beginning and he only dropped a single set.

However, this is just the fifth match he will have had on the hard courts against a top 100 Ranked opponent over the last twelve months and you cannot dismiss the step up against a former top ten Ranked opponent.

Jason Kubler can return well enough to hurt Frances Tiafoe, especially with the service issues the American had in 2025, but this has been a tough match up for him in the past and the home hope may struggle to stick with the current World Number 31 in a best of five set format.

They have not faced one another since 2023, but Frances Tiafoe has won all three pro matches between these two players.

In the two previous hard court matches, Frances Tiafoe has proven to be the much more effective server and you have to feel that is going to be the outcome of this one.

Even if he drops a set, Frances Tiafoe may still have enough to eventually overcome this spread line set and he can be backed to do that this Sunday.

Alexander Zverev - 5.5 games v Gabriel Diallo: It would be harsh to suggest the window has closed for Alexander Zverev in his bid to win a maiden Grand Slam title, but the World Number 3 feels like he is a big step behind the top two players in the world.

Plenty of Semi Final runs and a few Final appearances scattered in would represent a hugely successful season for some, but Alexander Zverev has long been spoken about a potential Major winner and has come up short. That includes twelve months ago here in Melbourne when he was beaten in straight sets by Jannik Sinner in the Final, and Zverev will be very disappointed that the rest of 2025 ended with just one more Major Quarter Final run.

Some thoughts will already have turned to the potential showdowns with Carlos Alcaraz and/or Jannik Sinner, but Alexander Zverev has to make sure he does not overlook any opponent.

First up is a match against Gabriel Diallo, who is the World Number 41 and represents about as stiff a challenge as any Seeded player could have had in the opening Round.

A few months ago Gabriel Diallo would have been close to being a Seeded player, but his form has dropped off and he is 1-2 on the hard courts to open this season.

The serve is going to be the key for the Canadian- he will need to serve well and see if he can put some pressure on Alexander Zverev, although the problem for Gabriel Diallo is that he does not have the most productive of return games on this surface.

It has built up some pressure on Gabriel Diallo when facing top 50 Ranked opponents on the hard courts over the last twelve months and contributed to the 4-11 record.

This becomes 0-8 when only considering matches against top 20 Ranked opponents and Gabriel Diallo has held 71% of service games played in those and broken in just shy of 10% of return games. As you can imagine, that has led to some very one-sided defeats and Gabriel Diallo will have to begin fast to build confidence in his bid to at least give Alexander Zverev something to think about.

Alexander Zverev has won eighteen of the last twenty hard court matches against players Ranked outside of the top 20 and he has held 91% of service games played in those twenty matches.

It has allowed the World Number 3 to play with a bit more aggression on the return and the feeling is that he can find the breaks of serve to clear this spread after perhaps needing to come through some early difficulties.

Francisco Cerundolo - 1.5 sets v Zhizhen Zhang: He is still Ranked in the top 20, but it feels like Francisco Cerundolo has struggled to find the consistency to really kick on.

He is a solid hard court player and there is plenty of talent that means Francisco Cerundolo can be a threat when bringing his best on the court. The numbers are nothing to write home about on this surface and the World Number 20 is at his best on the clay courts, but he has not been beaten in the First Round at the Australian Open in the three previous main draw appearances.

The draw looks to be a kind one on paper.

Zhizhen Zhang was the World Number 31 as recently as July 2024, but injury has been a large part of this player's career and it means he enters the Australian Open mired well outside the top 300.

He has lost four of six matches played since returning to the Tour after the US Open and Zhang was second best in a loss to Felix Auger-Aliassime in the United Cup in the build up to the tournament.

Much like his opponent, Zhizhen Zhang has not really been able to put some consistency into his hard court performances and you do have to wonder if he can stay with Francisco Cerundolo under the Grand Slam format.

Zhizhen Zhang may feel his opponent produces enough inconsistency to earn a set, but anything more would be a surprise and the higher Ranked player should do enough to clear this set handicap.

MY PICKS: Elina Svitolina - 5.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet365 (2 Units)

Maria Sakkari - 4.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet365 (2 Units)

Sebastian Korda - 1.5 Sets @ 1.61 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Frances Tiafoe - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Alexander Zverev - 5.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Francisco Cerundolo - 1.5 Sets @ 1.80 Coral (2 Units)

ATP Finals Day 1 Tennis Picks 2025 (Sunday 9th November)

It was no surprise that Novak Djokovic took part in the ATP Athens event, which concluded on Saturday, especially with the connections he has to the new event.

He went on and won the title, which would have meant Lorenzo Musetti missed out on playing in the ATP Finals in Turin, but it was later announced that Djokovic will not take part.

This has pushed the Italian into the main draw, but the absence of Novak Djokovic is a blow to the tournament, even if he would have been third favourite behind the two top players in the Rankings. The Serb is clearly thinking ahead to January and being ready to compete as well as he can at his favourite Grand Slam, where Djokovic is perhaps most likely to win another major.

Eight players will still be playing in Turin with a big title on the line, although it would take a brave person to pick anything other than another Carlos Alcaraz vs Jannik Sinner Final in a hard court event.

Roger Federer suggested organisers are making conditions uniform enough to ensure both Alcaraz and Sinner have the best chance to continue to reach Finals and win big titles, and everything suggests both will be playing in the Final next weekend.

The WTA Finals began slowly for the Picks, but Elena Rybakina's win in the Final meant a winning week.

Backing that up in the last tournament of 2025 would confirm a winning season and that is the focus in the days ahead.

With the last place at the tournament only confirmed on Saturday, it means both each Group will have one match played on Sunday and Monday respectively before the tournament perhaps moves into a more usual format.

The ATP Finals begin on Sunday and the opening two selections can be read below.

Carlos Alcaraz - 3.5 games v Alex De Minaur: The Davis Cup is the official end of the 2025 ATP season, but this is the last big Singles event of the year before players can take some time away from the sport and just reset.

Winning the ATP Finals is a big achievement and Carlos Alcaraz will be looking to add this trophy to his growing Grand Slam collection.

He won two of the four Grand Slams played in 2025, but twelve months ago the Spaniard failed to get out of the Group Stage at this event. This time Carlos Alcaraz will likely end the year as the World Number 1 as long as he makes it through to the Semi Final, although the ambitions will be much greater than merely getting through to the Knock Out Rounds.

The opening match will be a test, but Carlos Alcaraz has won another title since the US Open success and he has had another strong year on the hard courts.

First up is another match against Alex De Minaur, which will be the third time the two players have faced off in 2025 and Carlos Alcaraz has won all four previous matches between the players. When they met on an indoor hard court back in February, Carlos Alcaraz did need to come through in three sets and that will give Alex De Minaur some confidence.

The Australian will have been disappointed with the defeat at the US Open in the Quarter Final, especially considering how close that match had been, but that has not prevented Alex De Minaur from putting together a solid Asian swing. It means Alex De Minaur is the World Number 7 and he has reached the business end of a number of tournaments in what has been a solid year on this surface.

Over the course of the year, Alex De Minaur has shown an improved serve and that has made things easier for him.

However, the test for De Minaur is trying to impose himself a little more when it comes to facing the very best players on the Tour.

He has a 1-6 record on the hard courts against top ten Ranked opponents this year and his service numbers have dipped significantly in those matches. In those seven matches, Alex De Minaur has won around 10% fewer service points and that means holding in 70% of games played, which is always going to be something that puts him under significant pressure against the very best opponents.

It is a pressure that has meant only breaking in 14% of return games and so the edge has to be with the current World Number 1 to make a strong start to the tournament.

Despite the head to head record, this has been a match up that has caused Carlos Alcaraz some problems and that will have to be respected.

The Spaniard will be well aware of that too, but he should have enough to just about cover this line, even in a competitive outing.

Alexander Zverev - 1.5 games v Ben Shelton: Being in the same Group as Jannik Sinner means this opens as a pivotal match in the section when Alexander Zverev faces Ben Shelton.

Both players have not played as well as they would have liked when facing top ten Ranked opponents on the hard courts this season and that is something that will need to change significantly in 2026 if Alexander Zverev and Ben Shelton have real ambitions of winning a Grand Slam title. The tennis draw format means the likelihood is that they would have to beat both Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz if they were to win a Grand Slam title and they both had runs ended by the Italian at the Australian Open.

They will have to face Jannik Sinner later in the Group, but the focus here will be on one another Alexander Zverev has found a way to get the better of Ben Shelton in meetings on the Tour.

All four have been won by the World Number 3 and Alexander Zverev has beaten Ben Shelton on all three surfaces in 2025.

This has to give him confidence, although facing the Shelton serve on an indoor hard court is going to be a huge challenge for every opponent that steps across the net from the American in Turin.

An injury forced Ben Shelton out of the US Open, which hurt massively, and the worry for his fans is that he has not shown a lot of form since then.

Early losses in Shanghai, Basel and Paris means Ben Shelton comes into this one with little match time and confidence and he may struggle to stick with Alexander Zverev at key moments.

Alexander Zverev reached the Final in Vienna and the Semi Final in Paris and he should be able to largely handle the potential scoreboard pressure with his own serve being very effective. The numbers have not been quite as strong as 2024 in the hard court matches played over the last eleven months, but Alexander Zverev will be confident he can contain the Ben Shelton return having held almost 98% of service games played against this opponent.

Tie-breakers are likely going to be needed, but Alexander Zverev should have enough to earn a victory to cover this handicap line set.

He is a two time previous winner at the ATP Finals, including the first played here in Turin and Alexander Zverev can maintain his edge over Ben Shelton.

MY PICKS: Carlos Alcaraz - 3.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (1 Unit)

Alexander Zverev - 1.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

2025 Season: 161-133, + 12.01 Units (390 Units Staked, + 3.08% Yield)

WTA Finals Day 1 Tennis Picks 2025 (Saturday 1st November)

The Asian Swing on the Tennis Tour after the US Open has been seen as a good time for a number of players to take a break and perhaps even call time on the 2025 season.

For a long time there have been complaints about the calendar and whether the players have enough time to reset, while the off-season has never really been considered long enough as an opportunity to bring in proper recovery methods.

In a sport like Tennis, the World Rankings are formed around the biggest events, and that does make it difficult to find the moments to take time away from the Tour.

And that is why there has long been chatter about significant changes to be made to the structure of the Tour.

As we reach the end of the 2025 season, the players have once again asked the Grand Slam tournaments to come to the table and to speak about how much of the financial gains those events are making are then going to be given back to the players. This looks to be a story that will run and run through to the new season, although the sympathy of some of the fans may have lessened when noting that some of the top names are happy to play in non-Ranking events during the course of the season for huge sums of money.

Having an additional compulsory Masters event added to the calendar in Saudi Arabia also makes it difficult to really understand the point of view of the players, although it is clearly a complicated issue that does need some resolving.

Mentioning the new Masters event in Saudi Arabia leads onto the WTA Finals which will be played in Riyadh for a second year in a row.

The top eight women players are heading over for the event and Coco Gauff is the defending Champion, although the likes of Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek will be confident in challenging the American.

All three players won Grand Slam events, as did Madison Keys, and this is a tournament that could offer a late boost in confidence that could be very valuable to the winner when the Australian Open comes around in a little over two months time.

The Finals are played in Group format and so it is a rare event in which an opening loss is not the end of the tournament as is the case for 99% of events on the Tour.

The season numbers had a slight improvement made to them at the conclusion of the US Open, but there are still two more events to get through before the final tally is set.

2024 was an awful year for the Tennis Picks, but this one has been better and the task is to complete on a positive run before the break through to the Australian Open in January.

The opening Picks can be read below and any sign-ups needed at Bet365, Bovada or Bodog can be followed from the links provided.

Madison Keys + 4.5 games v Iga Swiatek: These are two of the more surprising Grand Slam Winners of recent times as they prepare to open the WTA Finals in Riyadh.

Madison Keys winning the Australian Open was an upset, but the American fully deserved her success with wins over four players Ranked inside the top 11 and including wins over both the World Number 1 and World Number 2. The margins might have been tight and she has had over a month away from the Tour since losing in the First Round at the US Open, but Madison Keys insists that it has given her the time to refresh.

It has been a long time since Madison Keys last played at the WTA Finals and she will be opening up against Iga Swiatek who surprisingly won the title at Wimbledon having come up short at the other Slams.

The World Number 2 has had another very good year on the hard courts, but the last few tournaments on the surface have not seen Iga Swiatek at her absolute best. Despite that, Swiatek has won a title in Seoul, although the Quarter Final defeats in New York City and Wuhan have also been alongside a Last 16 defeat in Beijing.

The recent losses to Emma Navarro and Jasmine Paolini were in very disappointing performances and Madison Keys has the serving power to keep herself in this opening match.

Madison Keys has not really been able to sustain the form that took her to the Australian Open title- she had room for improvement from the level that was shown in Melbourne, but it has been a steady rather than spectacular year.

It has meant not having much of an impact in hard court tournaments entered since becoming a Grand Slam Champion and Madison Keys reached the Semi Final in Indian Wells and Quarter Final in Montreal, but had lost early in Miami, Cincinnati and New York City.

The American has won the last two hard court matches played against Iga Swiatek, which includes in the Australian Open Semi Final. She also pushed the World Number 2 in a defeat on the clay courts favoured by Swiatek at the Madrid Masters and Madison Keys should enjoy the indoor conditions at the WTA Finals.

The World Number 7 is going to have to serve well and she is going to have to find her rhythm quickly, but Madison Keys has enjoyed this match up on the faster surfaces and she can give Iga Swiatek something to think about.

This feels like Madison Keys is being given perhaps a game too many on the handicap and especially if the underdog can find her comfort on the court reasonably quickly.

Last year Iga Swiatek was upset in the Group Stage of the WTA Finals and she may have to battle to earn an opening win in 2025, which makes the games being given to Madison Keys look too many here.

Amanda Anisimova-Elena Rybakina over 21.5 games: 2025 will be a year in which Amanda Anisimova will look back fondly and perhaps point to the last six months as being the moment when she transitioned from a player with huge potential to joining the elite on the Tour.

This is the debut at the WTA Finals for the 24 year old American, but Amanda Anisimova reached the Final at Wimbledon and at the US Open.

All credit has to be given to Amanda Anisimova for recovering from failing to win a game in the Wimbledon Final to rally and go again in New York City. A title has been earned in Beijing during the Asian swing and a strong first serve is backed up by some aggressive groundstrokes, which should make Anisimova dangerous on the indoor hard courts.

First up is a Group Stage match against Elena Rybakina who was the last of the eight Singles players to take her place at the WTA Finals- the World Number 6 won the title in Ningbo and managed to win another couple of matches in Tokyo to earn her spot in Riyadh and Elena Rybakina withdrew from the tournament in the Japanese capital once that place was secured.

A back injury was the reason given and so there are going to be some concerns about her fitness, while Elena Rybakina is only 2-4 in the last two years in the WTA Finals.

She has a big serve, which will always give Elena Rybakina a chance, although there does need to be a little bit of improvement on the return of serve if she is going to earn another Grand Slam title to add to the Wimbledon title won previously.

One of the big disappointments for Elena Rybakina in 2025 has to be the lack of a real Grand Slam run and that does mean she can improve her World Ranking over the coming twelve months. There is a lot to like about her tennis, but she has lost some matches from winning positions and nothing will come easy for Rybakina against the elite of the WTA Tour.

Picking a winner is tough and the layers are finding it hard to separate two big hitting, aggressive players in the first meeting against one another.

The serve could be a dominant weapon for both players and there is every chance that this is a match that will surpass the total games line set.

It is possible for that to happen in a straight sets win for either player, but both are capable of 'getting hot' for a stretch of games that could see each win a set. A three match would see the two players combining for enough games to cover this line barring something really crazy going on with the scoreboard.

MY PICKS: Madison Keys + 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Amanda Anisimova-Elena Rybakina Over 21.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

2025 Season: 153-127, + 10.60 Units (376 Units Staked, + 2.82% Yield)

US Open Tennis Day 1 Picks 2025 (Sunday 24th August)

The final Grand Slam of the season has joined the Australian Open and French Open by pushing Day 1 forward into a Sunday start and there are some big stars heading out onto the courts at Flushing Meadows.

The Men's tournament is going to be dominated by Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz if the last few months is anything to go by- they had a premature ending to the Final at Cincinnati last week, but Sinner should be over his illness and not many would back against the top two players in the world facing off in a third Grand Slam Final in succession.

Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev look to be the biggest threats to the top two players, but the US Open has regularly thrown up plenty of upsets and that is what some people will be hoping.

For the home fans the focus will be on Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz and both of those players should really enjoy the conditions in New York City.

The women's events continue to look wide open, although Iga Swiatek has pushed her claims forward following the win at the Cincinnati Masters.

After a poor start to the seas, at least by her own standards, Swiatek winning Wimbledon has just raised the confidence and she is a former winner here in New York City.

There are plenty of other players who will be confident of success, including defending Champion Aryna Sabalenka, but the World Number 1 has not found her best tennis when it has mattered most in the Grand Slams in 2025.

Madison Keys was a surprising winner in Melbourne and Coco Gauff got over the line in Paris, while Amanda Anisimova vs Iga Swiatek would not have been on too many tip sheets as the Wimbledon Final, and this could be the draw that sees plenty of upsets, which opens up the bracket for some new names to reach the business end of the tournament.

Novak Djokovic - 6.5 games v Learner Tien: At this stage of his career, Novak Djokovic is only preparing himself to be at his best when the Grand Slam tournaments come around. With that in mind, it is perhaps no surprise that the former World Number 1 has not been in action since his defeat in the Wimbledon Semi Final.

He has actually been beaten in the Semi Final in each of the Grand Slams played this season and Novak Djokovic has admitted that sliding to World Number 7 in the Rankings makes it very hard for his 38 year old body to navigate the latter stages of a Major. Now he has to likely beat both Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz to get his hands on another big trophy, and Novak Djokovic looks to be in the tougher half of the draw overall at the US Open in 2025.

However, the 2023 US Open is the last Grand Slam won by Novak Djokovic and he has been Champion in New York City on four occasions and reached the Final here ten times.

It is clear to Novak Djokovic and his team that he needs to find a way to make 'easier' work of the early Rounds at these Slams if he is going to have the energy to compete with young, hungry, talented players at the business end of the tournaments.

Novak Djokovic dropped three sets in five matches at Wimbledon before the loss to Sinner and that extra time on the court can be an issue. He will be hoping for a smoother start to this event and Djokovic remains one of the top hard court players in the world, while he did beat Carlos Alcaraz in the Quarter Final at the Australian Open to show it can be done.

The New York City crowd have had a history of getting under the skin of players and Novak Djokovic may have to find a way to keep them quiet when going up against Learner Tien of the United States under the lights.

Learner Tien is an improving player on the Tour and has cracked the top 50 of the World Rankings for the first time, although he would have hoped for a more comfortable opening match. He has lost in the First Round in each of the last three seasons at the US Open, but Learner Tien announced himself on the Tour by coming through the Qualifiers and reaching the Fourth Round at the Australian Open In January.

That included an upset win over Daniil Medvedev, although Learner Tien is still trying to figure out how to compete against the top players consistently.

While Novak Djokovic has been resting and preparing, Learner Tien has put up plenty of wins in his time in Washington, Toronto and Cincinnati. An upset over Andrey Rublev in Washington deserves respect, although the Russian earned revenge in Cincinnati, and it should be noted that Learner Tien is 7-9 on the hard courts when facing higher Ranked players.

Three of those wins were at the Australian Open and this is going to be a tough test for the teenager.

The performances in the defeats to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Alex Michelsen and Andrey Rublev in the build up to the US Open have been pretty one-sided on the scoreboard and the feeling is that this could trend that way too. It may take Novak Djokovic a bit of time to get used to the serve and the style, but the veteran has seen it all on the Tour and his returning skills should come to the fore, even on the traditionally quicker US Open hard courts.

Novak Djokovic is trying to work out how to beat the top two players in the world consistently, but he is still very good and can ease through the opening Round after a competitive first set is played.

Taylor Fritz to Win 3-0 v Emilio Nava: Reaching the US Open Final in 2024 will have given Taylor Fritz a lot of belief in his capabilities and the World Number 4 is going to arrive in New York City with a lot of confidence.

He reached the Wimbledon Semi Final last month and Taylor Fritz has enjoyed the tournaments back on the hard courts in the build up to the US Open. The only disappointment may be that Fritz has not picked up a title having reached the Quarter Final in Washington and Semi Final in Toronto, but the tennis under the legs could be important when playing at the final Grand Slam of the season.

It is no surprise that Taylor Fritz is a consistent player on the hard courts considering his World Ranking and having grown up on the surface.

His serve is a big weapon and that is going to be the key to whether Taylor Fritz can go one step further than last year.

Being one of the faces of the tournament for the home fans, Taylor Fritz has been scheduled to play on Sunday when the US Open begins.

The opponent in the First Round will be familiar to Taylor Fritz and Emilio Nava will feel like he has nothing to lose.

He is heading into the tournament at a peak World Ranking just outside of the top 100, but the American underdog will have plenty of support in this one. Credit has to be given to Emilio Nava for Qualifying for both Masters events played on the hard courts this month and for winning main draw matches to push his World Ranking very close to breaking into the top 100, although the run in Cincinnati was ended by Taylor Fritz.

Earlier this season, Emilio Nava has taken sets against Andrey Rublev and Karen Khachanov and so he deserves plenty of respect in this opening match. The latter of those matches was in Toronto in the lead up to the US Open, although Nava was well beaten by the end, and the lower Ranked player has a serve that can be effective on the hard courts.

If he serves at his best, Emilio Nava could find a way to win a set against Taylor Fritz for the first time having lost in straight sets in Miami in March 2023 and earlier this month in Cincinnati. He will take encouragement from the fact he won 68% of the points played behind serve when taking on Taylor Fritz in Cincinnati, although the World Number 4 did find a way to break serve twice.

Taylor Fritz certainly feels like the player who can get more out of the return in this contest and that should mean he is able to win the big points when they are needed.

The US Open does have a habit of throwing up plenty of surprises, but it would be a monster upset if Taylor Fritz is beaten on Sunday.

In reality the expectation is that Taylor Fritz can probably find the breaks of serve needed to win a couple of the sets without the tie-breaker, but he can also come through one of those on his way to a straight sets win. In his last ten wins at the US Open, seven have been in straight sets, while Taylor Fritz won his opening two matches in Melbourne back in January without dropping a set too.

Considering the challenges ahead, Taylor Fritz will not want to overwork early and he can focus for long enough in each set played to secure a relatively comfortable passage into the Second Round.

McCartney Kessler - 2.5 games v Magda Linette: There are just two places between these players in the World Rankings, but that can make all of the difference and it is the reason McCartney Kessler is Seeded at the US Open and Magda Linette is not.

Both are inside the top 40 in the World Rankings and McCartney Kessler is going to need all of the support from the crowd at her home Grand Slam.

Some credit has to be given to Kessler for picking up enough Ranking points to be in her current position considering she has not really had any impact at Grand Slam level previously. She did reach the Australian Open Second Round in 2024, but the remainder of her appearances have all ended with First Round losses and that includes twice in a row in New York City.

It is going to mean having to deal with some of the pressure that comes with having multiple early losses on the record, but McCartney Kessler looks an improving player. Like many other American players of recent years that have made their way onto the Tour, Kessler has come through the University route and it has hardened her as a player, which has reaped some reward on the Tour.

A First Round match against Magda Linette is going to be a test, but this is also a tough spot for the veteran who has racked up the opening Round defeats in recent Majors. In January 2023, Magda Linette reached the Australian Open Semi Final, but in the next ten Grand Slams, eight have ended in First Round losses and Linette has not been beyond the Third Round.

Magda Linette has won one of her last six matches at the US Open and she won three and lost three of the hard court matches played in Washington, Montreal and Cincinnati in the lead up to the US Open.

Over the last couple of years, the World Number 36 has been a little inconsistent on the hard courts and the numbers have dipped considerably when facing opponents Ranked inside the top 50.

It is the returning side of her tennis on the hard courts which has let Magda Linette down and that was the case when these two players met in Brisbane to open this season.

McCartney Kessler has been the superior return player overall and that is expected to be the key factor in this First Round match. The American crowd can also help her push through as she looks for a first win at the US Open, which is going to feel like a big achievement.

There is no doubt that Magda Linette is a very capable performer and she can cause problems for the home player, but McCartney Kessler can win the key points to secure a place in the next Round with a cover of this handicap mark set.

Emma Raducanu - 5.5 games v Ena Shibahara: Four years ago, Emma Raducanu shocked the tennis world by coming through the US Open Qualifiers and going on to win the title in New York City.

Her career has not really taken off as may have been expected, but there are signs that Raducanu is getting closer to her best tennis after some solid results in the preparation events.

She takes on a Qualifier on Day 1 at the US Open and Emma Raducanu is a considerable favourite against Ena Shibahara, the World Number 130 who has won three Qualifiers without dropping a set. That includes an upset of a top 100 Ranked player in those Qualifying Rounds and will give Ena Shibahara some real confidence, even if the draw is a tough one in the First Round.

Emma Raducanu will feel a touch disappointed to have not earned a Seeding, but she is not in a bad part of the draw and can open up with a strong win.

That was the case when she beat this opponent on the grass courts in 2024 and the British player has a 6-2 record on the hard courts when facing an opponent Ranked lower than herself.

In five of those victories, Emma Raducanu would have covered the handicap line where it has been set for this First Round match and she can be backed to do that in her opening match at the US Open.

MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic - 6.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Taylor Fritz to Win 3-0 @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)

McCartney Kessler - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Emma Raducanu - 5.5 Games @ 2.00 William Hill (2 Units)

2025 Season: 127-107, + 7.70 Units (285 Units Staked, + 2.70% Yield)