Indian Wells Tennis Day 12 Picks 2026 (Sunday 15th March)

It did prove to be a difficult tournament to turn around after the two ATP Semi Finals were split 1-1, but that does not mean we move past the last day of the Indian Wells Masters.

The two Finals are both scheduled to be played on the day and both look like they could be very enjoyable for the neutrals tuning in.

A repeat of the Women's Australian Open Final and a Men's Final featuring two of the very best hard court players in the world can only be a positive and my thoughts can be read below.

Aryna Sabalenka - 1.5 games v Elena Rybakina: A repeat of the Australian Open Final will be played in the Indian Wells Final and both Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina have put together strong runs here.

Out of the two players, Aryna Sabalenka has been producing the higher level of tennis, but she has also struggled to get the better of this opponent.

In the last nine hard court matches between the pair, it is Elena Rybakina who has won seven times including in Melbourne in January. They met three times on the hard courts in 2025 and Rybakina won two of those, while the sole meeting in Indian Wells was also won in the Final by the World Number 3 in 2023.

All of that will give her a lot of confidence, but Aryna Sabalenka will feel she was very unfortunate to lose the Australian Open Final and the performances so far in the Indian Wells conditions will give her confidence in turning that form around. She has found it very difficult to read the Rybakina serve, but it was the World Number 1 who had more Break Points in the defeat in Melbourne and that is another reason Sabalenka can believe she has the game to get the better of this rival.

Aryna Sabalenka has been the much stronger server so far this week and she can certainly contain much of the threat from the World Number 3, although there is always that mental pressure to deal with.

That comes from the fact she has lost so many recent matches against Elena Rybakina, but the latter has not been nearly as impressive as the top Seed. That is not to say that Elena Rybakina has played poorly, but the wins have been in more competitive matches, even if that can sometimes be a help rather than a hindrance.

Both players should produce some good tennis in this Final, but the narrow edge is rightly with Aryna Sabalenka and she may just pick up a big title that gives her momentum to carry into the clay court season after a stop in Miami later this month.

Jannik Sinner - 4.5 games v Daniil Medvedev: The win over Carlos Alcaraz will have given Daniil Medvedev a huge amount of confidence and has also maintained what has been a really strong run of form being produced by the World Number 11.

He now takes aim at winning back to back titles and arguably the biggest one anyone can win outside of the Grand Slams when competing for the Indian Wells trophy.

Daniil Medvedev served really well in the Semi Final win and he is going to have to do the same if he is going to put together a rare tournament in which a player beats the top two players in the world in back to back matches.

Beating Carlos Alcaraz means Daniil Medvedev is more than capable of winning this Final, but there will be a lot of respect for the way Jannik Sinner is playing and the World Number 2 produced a dominant win over Alexander Zverev in the Semi Final.

No one is going to be surprised to read that Jannik Sinner has been serving well, but it is the aggressive performance on the return that has proved to be the key to the Italian reaching his first Final of the 2026 season. This week Sinner has broken in almost 40% of return games played and dealing with the very solid Alexander Zverev serve will mean he is not intimidated by what Daniil Medvedev can produce.

Jannik Sinner began his career by losing the first six matches against Daniil Medvedev, but he has now won eight of the last nine matches, including the last three in a row.

Eight wins in a row have been produced on the hard courts and Jannik Sinner would have covered what looks like a big line in the last four hard court matches played in a best of three set format.

During this eight match winning run on the hard courts, Jannik Sinner has held 90% of his service games compared with Daniil Medvedev's 75% mark and that is a significant difference.

Respect has to be given to Daniil Medvedev for the current level being produced, but it is still a little short of the standard being set by Jannik Sinner and the latter can win the Indian Wells title with a solid looking success on the scoreboard.

MY PICKS: Aryna Sabalenka - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 William Hill (1 Unit)

Jannik Sinner - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 William Hill (1 Unit)

Indian Wells Update: 12-14, - 3.98 Units (26 Units Staked, - 15.31% Yield)

Australian Open Tennis Day 12 Picks 2026 (Thursday 29th January)

The opening Grand Slam of the 2026 season has now reached the last four days and that means the spotlight will shine on the Singles tournaments on different days.

On Thursday and Saturday it will be the leading ladies who take centre stage with the two Semi Finals played on the Night Session before the Saturday showpiece Final.

On Friday and Sunday it will be the turn of the men and it may take a brave person to back against seeing the Carlos Alcaraz vs Jannik Sinner Grand Slam Final for the fourth Major in a row. Players like Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic will be hoping experience can give them an edge, but it is a big ask and the two leading male player on the Tour continue to dominate.

Before all of that we get into the women's Semi Final matches and both offer some intrigue.

Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina know what it takes to get over the line, but Jessica Pegula is a former US Open Finalist and Elina Svitolina will feel that she has already overachieved since returning to the Tour. Of course the latter is being fuelled further by off court events taking place back in her homeland and that is going to be the backdrop to her Semi Final with the World Number 1, while also meaning the latter will be playing with plenty of motivation of her own knowing how some of her peers feel about her presence on the Tour.

The second Semi Final should be another fun match between Pegula and Rybakina and my Picks from both last four matches can be read below.

Aryna Sabalenka - 4.5 games v Elina Svitolina: You cannot ignore the political backdrop to this Australian Open Semi Final when Aryna Sabalenka takes on Elina Svitolina. It has been a tournament filled with questions being asked of the American players about political upheaval taking place back in the United States, while a different Ukrainian player made headlines early at the Australian Open when criticising some of the top Russian and Belarusian athletes on the Tour.

There is not going to be a handshake before or after this match, but both Aryna Sabalenka and Elina Svitolina will be very respectful of what the other brings on the court. Added motivation cannot be ignored on both sides of the net and it is going to be very important for the two competitors to keep a lid on the emotions if they are going to find a way to compete in the Final of the opening Grand Slam of the season.

While impossible to ignore issues off of the court, the focus here has to be on how the two have matched up with each other.

Both have to be credited for maintaining unbeaten runs through the opening month of the season which has led to each winning a title, while the performances within the Australian Open have also been impressive.

Aryna Sabalenka has beaten a couple of young, developing stars of the WTA Tour in the last two Rounds, but Elina Svitolina will be the highest Ranked player she will have faced in Melbourne this year. Previously that match would have been against World Number 16 Victoria Mboko, but inexperience would still have been. factor in that Fourth Round match and now Sabalenka is facing someone returning to the top 10 of the World Rankings and who has plenty of Grand Slam experience.

Not only that, but Elina Svitolina is much more battle-hardened having beaten three players Ranked inside the top 22, while also having back to back top 10 wins. Those last two victories over Mirra Andreeva and Coco Gauff came in matches when Elina Svitolina did not drop a set and she produced some high quality tennis to make sure neither Andreeva nor Gauff could get a foothold into those matches.

There is still a mental obstacle to overcome as Elina Svitolina has not reached a Grand Slam Final before, but the run to the Semi Final here means her record in Majors is as successful post-motherhood as it was before she took her leave of absence from the Tour.

This is the first Grand Slam Semi Final since Elina Svitolina's surprising run at Wimbledon 2023, while the style of play has changed with the 31 year old looking to be more aggressive in her tennis. This has been evident here in Melbourne with Svitolina using the serve very well, especially when it comes to protecting the second serve, and Svitolina has really had a lot of success on the return.

She may have played some high Ranked opponents, but that has not stopped Svitolina from winning 52% of return points played, while she has broken at least four times in every match at Melbourne Park.

Of course it has to be noted that this time Elina Svitolina will be facing one of the best servers on the WTA Tour in Aryna Sabalenka and the World Number 1 has been particularly effective at winning a few more points behind the second serve. She may also feel there is room for improvement on the points won behind the first serve, but Aryna Sabalenka looks to be peaking at the right time.

Much like her opponent, Aryna Sabalenka's control of the serve has allowed her to play with aggression on the return and she has also been very effective at winning those points to keep the pressure on the opponent.

It does feel like this Semi Final will come down to which of the two players is most effective at looking after the second serve.

In recent meetings between the players, it is Aryna Sabalenka who has just been able to play the bigger points more effectively and her power has been telling on the return.

The majority of the previous matches have been on the clay courts, which is a surface on which Elina Svitolina may feel she can cause more problems for the World Number 1.

In two previous hard court matches, Aryna Sabalenka's first serve has made the difference, including in the first of those when the younger player was much lower in the World Rankings. The hard court match in Cincinnati in August 2024 was dominated by Sabalenka and the feeling is that she has the serving prowess to avoid the kind of capitulation suffered by Coco Gauff in the Quarter Final.

The blueprint to attack the Elina Svitolina serve has been shown in the Round earlier by Mirra Andreeva and you just have to believe that Aryna Sabalenka's comfort on the Melbourne hard courts eventually see her pull away for a solid win and a place in the Australian Open Final for a fourth year in a row.

Elena Rybakina Over 3.5 Breaks of Serve and 5+ Aces v Jessica Pegula: Both Jessica Pegula and Elena Rybakina came through Quarter Finals in impressive fashion and that makes for a good looking Semi Final between players who have been amongst the best on the Tour for some time.

Both have played Grand Slam Finals, but it is Elena Rybakina who has gotten over the line when winning the title at Wimbledon.

Elena Rybakina also reached the Final right here in Melbourne six months after winning the title at SW19, but she came up short against Aryna Sabalenka in 2023. Since that defeat, her best Grand Slam runs have been at Wimbledon where she has reached the Quarter Final and Semi Final and, somewhat more surprisingly, at the French Open where Elena Rybakina has played in another Quarter Final.

However, despite the very strong hard court numbers over the last couple of seasons, Elena Rybakina has struggled to make the second week at either of the two Slams played on that surface until this strong opening to the 2026 season.

Jessica Pegula had also reached a ceiling in her Grand Slam performances, but broke through to reach the Final at the US Open in 2024 and was a Semi Finalist in New York City back in September. Before 2024, Pegula had played in and been beaten in five Grand Slam Quarter Final matches, which includes in three straight years at the Australian Open.

There had also been signs that this was a player who was becoming a declining force, but the World Number 6 has really impressed in her run to the Semi Final in Australia over the last few days. She has beaten the defending Champion and Jessica Pegula came through a tight second set to beat Amanda Anisimova, who had reached the last two Grand Slam Finals, while also maintaining a run of having yet to drop a set in the tournament.

Her opponent has also come through in straight sets throughout the tournament and overcame a slow start to motor past Iga Swiatek in the Quarter Final, which will have given Elena Rybakina a real boost in confidence.

The serve is proving to be a monster weapon for Rybakina and she has really gotten in to a nice rhythm behind that shot in the last two Rounds as the competition has increased.

It is going to need to be working as well to keep a lid on Jessica Pegula, but Elena Rybakina has to be confident having beaten the American twice on the hard courts in 2025. Both of those wins saw Elena Rybakina have a real edge on the serve and that is likely going to be a key factor in the outcome of this Semi Final, although Jessica Pegula's mental strength can not be dismissed.

The American has been the stronger return player in the tournament, but that has to be expected.

It is the Elena Rybakina second serve that can become a key in making sure that the Kazakhstan representative is not being pushed back early in rallies and she will certainly feel she has the easy power to come through this match.

You have to expect Elena Rybakina's serve to rack up the Ace count in this match- she has been flowing nicely in the last two Rounds and managed to put up 24 Aces in the two wins over Jessica Pegula last year with at least 9 in both wins.

Elena Rybakina also broke at least four times in both matches and she has the capabilities of hitting those marks again.

As mentioned, Rybakina has been finding some stellar rhythm on the serve and Madison Keys managed 4 Aces in her defeat to Jessica Pegula, while the World Number 5 has broken at least four times in each of the last four wins in the tournament.

You have to respect Jessica Pegula's capabilities of digging in and finding a way to turn points and games, which makes the spread dangerous, but putting the Ace count and Breaks of Serve together gives us an odds against quote for Elena Rybakina, who looks the stronger player overall.

MY PICKS: Aryna Sabalenka - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Coral (2 Units)

Elena Rybakina Over 3.5 Breaks of Serve & 5+ Aces @ 2.20 Bet365 (2 Units)

Australian Open Update: 33-22, + 8.48 Units (114 Units Staked, + 7.44% Yield)

US Open Tennis Day 12 Picks 2025 (Thursday 4th September)

The last four days of the US Open begin with the spotlight on the final four women with both Semi Final matches scheduled for the night session.

They will then have a day of rest before the Final on Saturday and it will be the men who play the two Semi Final matches on Friday before the last Grand Slam of the season is completed at the end of the weekend.

Aryna Sabalenka - 4.5 games v Jessica Pegula: Twelve months ago, Aryna Sabalenka vs Jessica Pegula was the US Open Final and they meet again in New York City, albeit a Round earlier than in 2024.

Out of the two players, Jessica Pegula has been more impressive in her run to the Semi Final, but this has been a tough match up for in recent meetings against the World Number 1 and that is hard to ignore.

The Final was a tight, competitive battle ending 7-5, 7-5, but Aryna Sabalenka was a more comfortable winner in the Miami Final earlier this year. She dominated the number of Break Points created in that latter Final and the top Seed is very comfortable in New York City, even if the fans are likely to be firmly behind the American player.

Jessica Pegula has been serving very well in her run to the Semi Final and that is going to be important for her in this match.

She has to try and keep the pressure on Aryna Sabalenka and not be forced into a position where the World Number 4 has to attack what is a big serve.

The expectation is that Jessica Pegula will have some returning success considering the slightly underwhelming performances we have seen from Aryna Sabalenka in this tournament. Having a walkover in the Quarter Final may mean Sabalenka needs a bit more time to just settle down, and the feeling is that the first set is going to be another tight, competitive battle and four of the last five sets played between these two players have all ended 7-5.

However, it should be noted that Aryna Sabalenka has won all of those sets and she can do the same here, while then taking a similar route to the title win in Miami to cover this big mark.

Naomi Osaka-Amanda Anisimova over 21.5 games: There is so much to admire about the performances of both Naomi Osaka and Amanda Anisimova during this US Open and the winner is going to be very deserving of a place in the Final on Saturday.

After reaching the Wimbledon Final, Amanda Anisimova has to be given credit for backing that up and having such a strong run at her home Grand Slam tournament.

She was crushed without a winning a game in that Wimbledon Final, but Amanda Anisimova my have exorcised any demons by getting revenge on Iga Swiatek in the Quarter Final in New York City. The World Number 9 has long been seen as a player with a huge amount of potential, and Anisimova is now making sure she is fulfilling some of that through her performances at the Majors.

Naomi Osaka is a two time former Australian Open and US Open Champion and is looking to complete a 100% conversion of rate at Major tournaments when reaching the Quarter Final- she has won all of the Grand Slams in which she has reached the last eight and Osaka will certainly feel good about moving through the Quarter Final without needing a deciding set.

Both of these players are serving effectively and that is going to be key to the outcome of this Semi Final.

It does feel like Naomi Osaka has a very slight edge when it comes to the serve and that may ultimately prove to be the difference in this match up.

Dismissing the chances of Amanda Anisimova will be a mistake, especially with the confidence she would have picked up in London and backed up here in New York City.

However, the American is going to have to serve really well to keep the pressure on Naomi Osaka, a player who has been playing with a lot of confidence of her own following the run to the Montreal Final last month.

It would not be a huge surprise if this is a match that needs at least one tie-breaker and there is every chance that both players can find a hot streak within a set to push this into a decider. The lean may be with Naomi Osaka, but the overriding feeling is that this could be a match that surpasses the total line set.

MY PICKS: Aryna Sabalenka - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 William Hill (2 Units)

Naomi Osaka-Amanda Anisimova Over 21.5 Games @ 1.72 William Hill (2 Units)

US Open Update: 24-16, + 7.86 Units (79 Units Staked, + 9.95% Yield)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 12 Picks 2025 (Friday 11th July)

The Ladies Final has been set and you could argue that both Finalists are something of a surprise- Amanda Anisimova has shown some form on the grass this summer, as has Iga Swiatek, but neither has had a big impact at Wimbledon before and the winner is set to become the latest 'surprising' Champion here.

Before that, we have two huge Men's Semi Finals featuring three of the top four players and the seven time Champion Novak Djokovic.

No matter which permutation we get for the Final, it should bring together a really positive end to the third Grand Slam of the season and the attention will soon turn to the hard courts.

We do have some clay court events and some early hard court tournaments beginning right after Wimbledon concludes in what is a relentless Tour, but the majority of the biggest names will be thinking about the Masters events in Canada and Cincinnati before the US Open gets underway next month.

However, the focus for those left playing on the grass is picking up a Major trophy this weekend and you can read my thoughts on the two Semi Final matches taking place on Friday below this.

Carlos Alcaraz - 5.5 games v Taylor Fritz: Tennis fans, especially fans of the Men's game, will feel a new era is being ushered in, although one where the young players are still growing.

You cannot dismiss the Grand Slam titles that have already been won by Carlos Alcaraz and he is the two time defending Champion at Wimbledon, but comparing his run in 2025 compared with the way dominant Champions like Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer would move through the draws is night and day.

Yes, he keeps winning and that has to be respected- nineteen wins in a row have been produced at Wimbledon and there is a growing aura around Carlos Alcaraz, which makes it tough to face him. However, the likes of Fabio Fognini, Jan-Lennard Struff and Andrey Rublev have taken sets from the World Number 2 and the Spaniard was under a bit of pressure when playing at Queen's Club, although ultimately winning the title.

The manner of the win over Cameron Norrie will certainly have the Alcaraz fans feeling much better about their man and he is deserving of being a strong favourite even when taking on a very comfortable grass court player in Taylor Fritz. Titles have been won on the surface and the American has reached the Wimbledon Semi Final for the first time, although, much like Carlos Alcaraz, it has been far from a straight-forward pathway through the draw.

In some ways Taylor Fritz was fortunate to come through in four sets against Karen Khachanov in the Quarter Final and there is a lot of pressure on the World Number 5 to make sure he is serving at his very best. Anything less would see him in a tough position trying to win rallies against someone who is superior on the ground, and the match up has proven to be a difficult one for Taylor Fritz in the past.

This is the first meeting on grass, but Carlos Alcaraz holds two hard court wins over the American and neither was very competitive with Taylor Fritz restricted to winning 59% of points behind serve. Obviously that is a number that will need to be improved dramatically if Taylor Fritz is going to threaten the upset, but there is also the pressure of knowing how important it is to get plenty of first serves in play.

In the two meetings on the Tour, the Fritz second serve has been attacked relentlessly by Carlos Alcaraz, while the defending Champion has been picking up his own level behind the serve in the last two Rounds.

The Semi Final is going to be much more competitive than the Carlos Alcaraz Quarter Final win over Cameron Norrie, but there is this feeling that the defending Champion will begin to pull away from his opponent again.

He has not been at his best in this tournament, but Taylor Fritz has had plenty of moments where he has been struggling and Carlos Alcaraz can beat him for a third straight time, while also reaching the Wimbledon Final for a third year in a row.

Jannik Sinner - 1.5 sets v Novak Djokovic: An injury scare during the Fourth Round 'win' over Grigor Dimitrov had some wondering if Jannik Sinner would play in the Quarter Final, but he did and he was a strong winner over Ben Shelton.

The Italian has been given a second chance in the tournament having looked all but out against Grigor Dimitrov with the World Number 1 trailing 2-0 in sets and struggling to really get to grips with what the veteran was producing. A really unfortunate pectoral injury saw Dimitrov forced to pull out of that match and there is every reason to believe Jannik Sinner is even more dangerous than usual if he feels he is playing with 'house money'.

A four set was produced by Novak Djokovic in his own Quarter Final, but it was a tougher than expected match against Flavio Cobolli and a slip in what proved to be the last game of the match has raised some doubt about the seven time Champion's health.

It would be a surprise if Novak Djokovic is not able to go on Friday, but he will need to be at full health as he looks to secure yet another Wimbledon Final spot. Winning a 25th Grand Slam is the goal for Djokovic and he remains one of the top grass court players in the world, but Carlos Alcaraz has beaten him twice in a row at Wimbledon and the former World Number 1 has lost his last four matches against Jannik Sinner.

None of those have been on the grass, but the Italian crushed Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open in 2024 and that court is the one where the latter is at his very best. Last month Jannik Sinner secured a straight sets win over Novak Djokovic at the French Open to reach the Final and the mental edge may just be with the current World Number 1.

Of course Sinner has not had the same type of success on the grass compared with Novak Djokovic and was beaten by the latter in 2022 and 2023 right here at Wimbledon. However, the second of those defeats felt very unfortunate for Sinner who had played well, but could not take his Break Point chances compared with a clinical Novak Djokovic and that ultimately cost him the match.

Both will appreciate the importance of serving well in this match, but it has felt like Sinner has been a touch more consistent in this part of his tennis.

Novak Djokovic has to take encouragement from the stronger return numbers he has put on the board at the tournament, but that is also partly down to the match ups he has faced and getting into the Jannik Sinner serve is a completely different test, even for the best return player of all time.

In the recent head to head, Novak Djokovic has really had a tough time dealing with the power and ability to back up the serve that Jannik Sinner has been able to produce. The scoreboard pressure has made it tough on the veteran and it is going to take something pretty special for Novak Djokovic to win this match.

The Sinner elbow issue has to be watched in what could be a longer, drawn out match compared with the big hitting power battle he had with Ben Shelton. However, Jannik Sinner's movement and heavy ball gives him the edge and the feeling is that he will find a way to win this one in three or, most likely, four sets.

MY PICKS: Carlos Alcaraz - 5.5 Games @ 1.91 William Hill (2 Units)

Jannik Sinner - 1.5 Sets @ 1.83 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Wimbledon Update: 4-3, + 0.86 Units (14 Units Staked, + 6.14% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 12 Picks 2025 (Thursday 5th June)

The Grand Slam events can see players create some magical stories, but the Lois Boisson one at Roland Garros is historic.

Emma Raducanu's success at the US Open in 2021 was an incredible story with the Qualifier coming through and winning the tournament, but it can be argued that Boisson's run is even more impressive.

For the first time in this event, Lois Boisson will be playing on consecutive days and it will be interesting to see how she continues to handle the increasing pressure, although the soon to be top 70 Ranked player may feel she has 'nothing to lose'.

It is the women Semi Final matches that will take centre stage in Paris on Day 12 of the tournament and both are going to be intriguing matches.

My thoughts on those matches can be read below as the first of the two Singles Finals at the French Open are set by the end of Thursday's action.

Iga Swiatek v Aryna Sabalenka: The only disappointment some tennis fans may feel is that this is a Semi Final rather than the Final when the World Number 1 takes on the three time defending French Open Champion.

For the first time in a long time, Iga Swiatek entered the tournament here in Paris with plenty of doubters around her after a mixed clay court season. Her World Ranking is in danger of suffering another drop and only holding onto her crown as the Queen of Clay would see Swiatek end the tournament as a top four Ranked player.

It has been tough.

However, Iga Swiatek has looked pretty comfortable back on the red dirt in the French capital and it has felt like her Fourth Round win over Elena Rybakina has just reminded the Pole about her own abilities. Winning that in the manner she did will have provided Iga Swiatek with a shot of confidence and belief and this is a Semi Final she can win.

Opposing Aryna Sabalenka is dangerous with the World Number 1 looking capable of winning Grand Slam titles on any surface, but who has yet to actually prove that by doing so at either the French Open or Wimbledon. That means there is still something to show as far as the Belarusian is concerned and this match up has still been a tough one for Aryna Sabalenka.

She did snap a three match losing run to Iga Swiatek by beating her in Cincinnati last year, but this is going to be played on the clay and Aryna Sabalenka has only won one of the previous six against the Pole on this surface.

Last year they had a very close match in Madrid that was won by Iga Swiatek and that was followed by a more comfortable win for the dominant clay courter in Rome.

There are more doubts around this Semi Final simply because of the form that both were showing prior to the start of the French Open, but the runs produced by both at the tournament suggests there is not much between them now.

Aryna Sabalenka has to take a huge amount from the Fourth Round performance of Elena Rybakina and that is going to be the blueprint she looks to follow. If she can just maintain that for a little longer than Rybakina did, Aryna Sabalenka could win this match, but we have seen the World Number 1 come up short at around this stage of multiple Grand Slams previously.

Ultimately she is going to have to break through some of the aura that Iga Swiatek has continued to hold on the clay courts and it can be tough for Aryna Sabalenka to do that.

The last couple of Rounds have been a bit more stressful for Aryna Sabalenka, even if she is still playing at a strong level, but this is a significant test for her. She will have to serve well and there is little doubt that Iga Swiatek is playing better than expected when this tournament began.

When all is said and done, it is difficult to see Iga Swiatek as the underdog in the Semi Final and it may be the defending Champion's serve that proves to be slightly more effective on the day.

Lois Boisson + 5.5 games v Coco Gauff: On paper you have to feel that there can only be one winner, but tennis in Paris is played on clay and Lois Boisson is riding a momentum that could be very, very difficult to stop.

She will soon be entering the top 70 of the World Rankings, but there had been nothing to suggest the French Wild Card was going to be having a tournament like this one when the French Open began. Inexperience should have been a factor and that is before considering the time Lois Boisson had to spend away from the court after the ACL injury suffered last year, but momentum and confidence is firmly with the 22 year old.

The win over Mirra Andreeva will have given her a huge amount of belief and this is the second top ten Ranked player that Lois Boisson has beaten at this tournament as she takes aim at the third.

The crowd certainly helped as Mirra Andreeva lost her way and reminded everyone that she is still a teenager, no matter how much talent she possesses.

Whether the same mental breakdown can be expected from an experienced player like Coco Gauff is a question to be answered and this could yet be a decisive factor.

In recent years, Gauff has spoken about the positive support she has received in Paris and she has clearly enjoyed playing here with the crowd getting behind her. However, she will not have experienced an atmosphere like the one that is expected for this Semi Final as she takes on a home player with the fans hoping for the first French Champion in Paris since Mary Pierce in 2000.

With a serve that is still looking vulnerable, Coco Gauff is going to have to deal with the cheers after Double Faults and missed first serves and that can wear down even the most experienced of players.

The World Number 2 showed her resiliency to come through in three sets her Quarter Final against Madison Keys and Coco Gauff is returning well enough to believe she can overcome shaky service games. She will likely put Lois Boisson under more consistent pressure than Mirra Andreeva was able to do and Gauff is also a strong defensive player who can make the less experienced player have to hit one more shot than she may expect.

Ultimately we should see the higher Ranked player come through, but it is unlikely that Lois Boisson will go quietly and the layers are putting a lot more respect on her in this Semi Final. That is highlighted by the handicap being below the mark set, by some layers, for Boisson's matches against Andreeva and Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff can be considered a stronger clay court player than both at this stage of their respective careers.

However, it is the vulnerable serve that may end up making this a very competitive Semi Final and Coco Gauff is going to have to get through some emotions if she is able to reach another French Open Final.

MY PICKS: Iga Swiatek

Lois Boisson + 5.5 Games

Australian Open Tennis Day 12 Picks 2025 (Thursday 23rd January)

If I am being honest, I am not a big fan of the technology that has infiltrated sport, especially in football where so many subjective decisions are causing controversy.

However, there are certain elements where technology can play an important role- offside is slightly controversial with the line drawing, but goal-line technology is making things much clearer and that is a positive intervention.

With that in mind, it is quite staggering that tennis players are expected to make snap shot calls over things like a double bounce- when the lines were being called by umpires, players were still given a bit of time to determine whether they wanted to challenge calls, but those are much easier to see for a player compared with the number of bounces a ball has taken when it is a bang-bang call.

The reality is that on Day 11 of the Australian Open it was not a bang-bang call when Emma Navarro's drop-shot clearly landed for a second time significantly before Iga Swiatek was able to get to it and the entire Stadium could see what had happened immediately.

However, Emma Navarro was not able to really stop the point where she is expected to and ultimately it has proven to be a controversial moment that will have authorities changing the way they expect the technology to be used.

The match would have still likely landed in Iga Swiatek's direction, but it was a poor look for a sport in a Quarter Final setting and that will be talked about until the Semi Final matches begin on Day 12.

Both Tennis Picks came through on Day 11 and that has moved the number back in a positive direction after a 1-2 record on Day 10.

It has been a really strong tournament and with six matches left it feels more comfortable to say that- however, the focus is to go 6-0 rather than 0-6 over the coming days to give the 2025 year an early boost.

Aryna Sabalenka - 4.5 games v Paula Badosa: In April 2022, Paula Badosa was the World Number 2 and looking like a player ready to challenge the very best for the very biggest prizes in the sport.

Injury pushed Paula Badosa not only down the World Rankings to the point that she was entering the Australian Open in 2024 as the World Number 100, but it also pushed the Spaniard to the brink of retirement.

The last twelve months might have felt like the last roll of the dice for Paula Badosa and any setbacks might have meant retirement was the only real solution to her issues.

Thankfully she has not only largely avoided problems, but Paula Badosa has gradually approached the kind of tennis that took her to World Number 2 in the first place. She reached the US Open Quarter Final in September, only the second time she had made it that far at a Grand Slam event, but Paula Badosa has surpassed that here in Melbourne after the deserved upset of Coco Gauff on Day 10.

Improvements on the court means Paula Badosa entered the tournament as the World Number 12 and she is expected to be back inside the top ten when the new Rankings are released on Monday.

This is a big match for Paula Badosa and she will be hoping that facing a friendly face in Aryna Sabalenka, a good friend off the court, will help ease the tension.

The two time defending Champion came through a tough Quarter Final against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and that will have given Aryna Sabalenka a bit more belief as she looks to win another Grand Slam title Down Under. Her overall performance in Melbourne has perhaps not reached her top level, but that could be a positive for Aryna Sabalenka as she looks to peak in the coming days and try and win the title on Saturday.

We know there is better to come from the Sabalenka first serve and that is going to be important in this Semi Final, especially if Paula Badosa continues to serve as well as she has.

The most impressive part of Paula Badosa's serving has to be how well she has managed the second serve and she beat an erratic and inconsistent Coco Gauff impressively. There is an expectation that Aryna Sabalenka will offer more of a threat on the return with this aspect of her tennis being key to her run to the Semi Final, while the experience edge cannot be ignored.

Aryna Sabalenka is leading the head to head thanks to five straight wins over Paula Badosa, including all three played in 2024.

They did play out a competitive match in Stuttgart on the clay, which was prematurely ended when Paula Badosa had to withdraw in the third set, but the other two matches on the hard courts of Miami and clay courts of Roland Garros were both won comfortably enough by the Belarusian.

Paula Badosa has a big game and can be very dangerous, but it is an unfamiliar moment for her and that could just see nerves play a part.

Prior to her successes in Australia, Aryna Sabalenka had some of those difficult learning moments in the big Grand Slam matches and she may just have the power and authority on this court to dish out a painful lesson to a good friend.

Iga Swiatek - 5.5 games v Madison Keys: The chances of the Quarter Final moving in a different direction are pretty slim, but Iga Swiatek's win over Emma Navarro had a huge controversial moment in the second set when a clear 'double bounce' was missed by the umpire.

Without an immediate stop of the point, Emma Navarro was not able to review, while Iga Swiatek has had to face some criticism for not showing some sportsmanship to offer the point to her opponent.

It was at a big moment with Navarro looking to move ahead in the second set, but she failed to win another game and Iga Swiatek continues to play at a very high level.

Five wins have been produced at Melbourne Park and the numbers are really impressive, and that means Madison Keys has a huge challenge in front of her as she bids to return to a Grand Slam Final.

The last American female player left in the draw, Madison Keys has played the big points really well in her run to the Semi Final. She has dropped sets in three of the five matches won at the Australian Open, including in the Fourth Round and Quarter Final wins, but credit has to be given to Madison Keys for overcoming tough situations.

Without a doubt she is going to have to pick up her level and Madison Keys is going to have to serve at her very best if she is going to beat Iga Swiatek playing at her current level.

She has being protecting the serve well enough, but Madison Keys is only winning 40% of return points in this tournament and that makes it very difficult to believe in her chances of securing the upset. The fact Keys is now playing an opponent who has just SIX Break Points in five matches won at the Australian Open means the American is likely going to be under significant scoreboard pressure.

Iga Swiatek has not been broken in her last four matches and a dominant first serve has kept her on top of opponents and broken their spirit.

And of course you cannot ignore the fact that the World Number 2 has won 55% of the return points played at the Australian Open, which means Madison Keys is going to have to get plenty of first serves in play and try and move into a position to play first strike tennis. This is going to be very challenging for her and the feeling is that Iga Swiatek will control the tempo of this match and break down Keys physically and mentally during the time spent on the court.

The head to head does not make very good reading for Madison Keys, although both matches played against Iga Swiatek in 2024 were on the clay courts and ended in routine wins for the Polish player as expected.

In two previous hard court matches, both players have won once with the most recent being a Madison Keys win in Cincinnati in August 2022. However, the form of the two players leading into this Semi Final suggests Iga Swiatek is going to avenge that defeat and her return is capable of putting Madison Keys under the kind of pressure that eventually leads to a routine win for the higher Ranked player.

MY PICKS: Aryna Sabalenka - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Iga Swiatek - 5.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet365 (2 Units)

Australian Open Update: 26-10, + 21.40 Units (69 Units Staked, + 31.01% Yield)

US Open Tennis Day 12 Picks 2024 (Friday 6th September)

The women's Final was set on Thursday and it is now the turn of the men.

There is no doubt it has been a positive tournament for the home fans with an American player set to compete in both Finals to be played this weekend, although the name of the men's Finalist will be determined on Day 12 at the tournament.

Taylor Fritz - 1.5 sets v Frances Tiafoe: The hard court form of both of these players entering the US Open was far from ideal and expectations for Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe were perhaps not as high as could be.

Both Americans have really performed well in the tournament though and the winner will be the first men's player from the United States to reach a Grand Slam Final since 2009.

It has been a period with the US players have come back to the fore, but they have struggled to get over the line and that carrot is going perhaps play a part in the match. Both are going to be given exceptional support from the New York City crowd and this has the makings of a fascinating match.

Frances Tiafoe showed he was perhaps returning to something like his best in the warm up events for the US Open- he has certainly had the weaker year overall compared with Taylor Fritz, but a run to the Semi Final in Washington and then the Final in Cincinnati will have given Tiafoe a boost in confidence.

He has not shied away from suggesting that his level has seen him lose matches to opponents he feels should not beat him, but this is another tough step for Frances Tiafoe.

We know Taylor Fritz has not played that well on the hard courts since winning the title in Delray Beach, but he did have a solid showing at Wimbledon and his level at the US Open has been impressive. With the likes of Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz out of the draw, there is little doubt that both Fritz and Tiafoe have to feel a big opportunity has been presented to win a maiden Grand Slam.

The mental edge has to be with Taylor Fritz who has won his last six matches against Frances Tiafoe since dropping the first against his compatriot. The last match was in 2023, but the wins include at the Australian Open and a Masters event in Miami and the feeling is that Fritz is playing at a level that should give him the edge in this match.

Of course much is going to come down to which of these players handles the occasion the best- neither have been used to reaching this stage of the Grand Slam events, but even less so facing an opponent they will feel they can beat rather than a Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer.

This will play a part, but Fritz has really strong numbers against Frances Tiafoe with holds in 85% of service games played compared with 74% for the latter.

Neither is particularly known for their returning qualities, but Taylor Fritz has been producing the bigger serving in this tournament with at least 70% of service points won in each of the five matches played. It means he has only dropped serve on five occasions in the run to the final four, while the Tiafoe serve has been broken ten times.

Frances Tiafoe has found a few more breaks of serve, which have covered those dropped games, but it will be much tougher to recover breaks against someone serving as well as Taylor Fritz has been over this fortnight.

The fans should enjoy the match knowing a home player is going to be representing in the men's Final on Sunday, but the feeling is that Taylor Fritz can continue his dominance of Frances Tiafoe with a strong win.

Jannik Sinner-Jack Draper over 35.5 games: The controversy of the two failed tests that Jannik Sinner was ultimately absolved of any wrong-doing without facing any suspension continues to cast a cloud over the US Open. The World Number 1 is doing his best to let his tennis speak for him, but this is a situation that the sport would have loved to have avoided and commentators and fans will have questions.

His tennis has been very good in the main and Jannik Sinner beat Daniil Medvedev in the Quarter Final to eliminate the only other men's player left that is a previous Grand Slam Champion. It means the Italian is the big favourite to go on and lift this hard court Slam title having already done the same at the Australian Open and there is little doubt his confidence is high.

Ignoring the outside noise has been a huge factor and Jannik Sinner won the Cincinnati Masters title in prepartion for the US Open before embarking on this run to the Semi Final. Big serving has allowed Sinner to take a few more risks when it comes to the return of serve and that is going to be important as he gets set to face a young British player who has really made big headlines back home.

Jack Draper has long been though of as the natural successor to Andy Murray, but even his own team have to be a little surprised by what he has achieved here in New York City. The draw has opened up for him with the very early defeat suffered by Carlos Alcaraz, but Draper still had to take the opportunity and he has yet to drop a set in the tournament after crushing Alex De Minaur in the Quarter Final.

The advantage of having a huge lefty serve has really been put to good use and Draper has only dropped serve three times in the tournament. Being able to roll through service games has allowed the British player to just be a bit more aggressive on the return and ultimately he has worn down the opponents faced during this tournament.

His run to the Semi Final means Jack Draper will be moving into the top 20 of the World Rankings for the first time, but winning this title would take him to the brink of of cracking the top 10. The one previous meeting with Jannik Sinner ended in a straight sets win on the grass courts of Queen's Club back in 2021 when there was 286 Ranking places between the players as Draper secured the upset.

Both are much improved these days and the serving capabilities of both suggests this will be a tighter and more competitive match than the layers may think. The total games line looks very low with that in mind and you would think it will be comfortably surpassed if both players win a set, which they are more than capable of doing in this Semi Final.

Jack Draper did have the need to call out for some medical assistance in his Quarter Final win, but that did not seem to hamper him and the day of rest between matches will do him good. Winning this Semi Final may be a step too far at this stage of his career, but Draper can build his experience level by challenging the World Number 1 in what should be a very good Semi Final.

MY PICKS: Taylor Fritz - 1.5 Sets @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Jannik Sinner-Jack Draper Over 35.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

US Open Update: 26-17, + 10.24 Units (86 Units Staked, + 11.91% Yield)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 12 Picks 2024 (Friday 12th July)

With the Ladies Final set for Saturday, attention will turn to the Men's Semi Final matches on Day 12 of Wimbledon.

Three of the top five players are involved, while Lorenzo Musetti is looking to really make a massive statement by reaching his first Grand Slam Final in what has been a very good month of tennis for him.

He is the surprise of the Men's tournament, but Musetti is hoping to join his compatriot Matteo Berrettini in reaching a Wimbledon Final, while the bigger task is to try and become the second Italian to win a Grand Slam this season after Jannik Sinner was able to do that in Australia.

Beating Novak Djokovic is still the ultimate challenge in a best of five set format, while the other Semi Final between Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev is a repeat of a Semi Final played at Wimbledon last year.

Novak Djokovic - 6.5 games v Lorenzo Musetti: Italian Tennis has been experiencing a real boost over the last few years with some big names on the ATP Tour. Jasmine Paolini is making an impact on the WTA Tour and now Lorenzo Musetti is once again sharing some of the limelight of Jannik Sinner by returning to the top 20 in the World Rankings and gearing up for his first Grand Slam Semi Final.

He came through a battle in the Quarter Final against Taylor Fritz, but that win has continued what has been a fine month of grass court tennis.

Lorenzo Musetti is still only 22 years old and so it is perhaps no surprise that there has been a slight stagnation to the development on the Tour. Thirteen months ago he reached a career high World Ranking, but it has not been the easiest year on the Tour and that is why he had slipped out of the top 20.

Poor Grand Slam results have not helped, but Musetti has taken the form from reaching the Queen's Club Final and brought that with him on the short journey to Wimbledon. Overall the performances have been impressive, but the Italian has also had to show his battling qualities with a couple of five set wins and also being able to recover when behind.

All of that is likely going to be tested by Novak Djokovic who will be keenly listening out for boos instead of Muus from the Centre Court crowd.

The seven time Wimbledon Championc continues to feel that crowds are not offering the respect that he deserves, although there remains a real feeling that Novak Djokovic is just trying to fuel his motivation even further. Being given a Bye to the Quarter Final might feel like a bonus for Djokovic, who had come into the Wimbledon tournament with fitness doubts, and having three full days of recovery between matches within a Grand Slam tournament is a huge boost for his chances of matching Roger Federer's eight wins in SW19.

Things have not gone completely his way at Wimbledon, but Novak Djokovic's dominant win over Holger Rune in the Fourth Round suggests he is rounding into form. No one is going to question the grass court pedigree of the former World Number 1 and Novak Djokovic deserves to be a relatively strong favourite in this Semi Final.

However, the Serb is not going to take anything for granted against a player who has twice been one set away from beating him at a Grand Slam.

Both of those matches were at Roland Garros in 2021, when Lorenzo Musetti really announced himself to a wider audience while leading Novak Djokovic 2-0, and earlier this year when Musetti lost the first set, but won two in a row in the Third Round.

Novak Djokovic was able to turn both matches around and he will also note that those were played on clay, the favoured surface of Lorenzo Musetti.

Two previous hard court matches have both ended in favour of Djokovic with some relative comfort attached and even the slightly slower grass court of Centre Court is unlikely to change things too much. It is the first time Lorenzo Musetti will be playing on the main court of Wimbledon, although handling the occasion is something he has the temperament to do.

The bigger question is having the tennis to beat Novak Djokovic and that seems unlikely right now, even after an impressive win over Taylor Fritz in the Quarter Final.

There is just so much more solidness about Novak Djokovic's all around game compared with Fritz and that is likely to show up. The favourite has the better serving consisteny and Novak Djokovic is just as capable of exerting returning pressures like Lorenzo Musetti.

In their previous matches, there has been a clear edge in favour of Novak Djokovic when it comes to holding serve and he may just wear down the younger player and cover what is a big handicap mark all things considered.

Carlos Alcaraz - 4.5 games v Daniil Medvedev: The grass courts have frustrated Daniil Medvedev at times and he is still mostly in love with the hard courts, but his recent runs at Wimbledon may just have shown the World Number 5 how capable he is on this surface.

In reality Daniil Medvedev is a pretty solid player on all surfaces and it would be a real shame for him and his brand of tennis if he is not able to add to the US Open he won in 2021.

There is no doubt that he has had his chances- Daniil Medvedev should have won the very next Grand Slam at the Australian Open- and a consistent performer on the Tour has now reached the Semi Final in four of the last five Slams played. He was leading by two sets again in the Final at the Australian Open earlier this year before coming up short and so Daniil Medvedev may still feel he has something to prove.

That defeat came against Jannik Sinner, but it was Medvedev who beat the Italian in the Quarter Final here, although the challenges do not get any easier.

Next up is the defending Champion and Carlos Alcaraz continues to show that he can battle through difficult moments on his way to his successes. Winning the French Open-Wimbledon double has proven to be a huge challenge throughout the years, but Carlos Alcaraz is playing with a real determination and will to win and this is a match up that will not concern him.

It has not been the most convincing of runs and the Spaniard has dropped one set in each of his last two wins, while needing to come through in five sets in the Third Round against Frances Tiafoe. The level did increase as he overwhelmed Queen's Champion Tommy Paul in the Quarter Final after a slow start and that kind of performance will give Carlos Alcaraz full belief that he can go on and win the title here again.

The serve is not working quite as well as it was twelve months ago and that will need to be improved if Carlos Alcaraz is going to defend his title. Each of his last three opponents have been able to fashion at least ten Break Points and giving up that many chances is always going to be dangerous, even if Carlos Alcaraz has the returning ability to make up for that.

He will know that a poor serving day could lead to problems, as it did when losing to Danill Medvedev at the US Open last year as the defending Champion.

In saying that, it is a match that has been the exception in recent meetings between Medvedev and Alcaraz and that gives the latter a significant mental edge.

Last year it was Carlos Alcaraz who beat Daniil Medvedev in pretty routine fashion in the Wimbledon Semi Final and he has also won two matches against this opponent since the US Open defeat. This means Alcaraz has won four of the last five against Daniil Medvedev and so the onus really is on the underdog to change things around.

He put in a lot to beat Jannik Sinner in the Quarter Final, although fatigue is not expected to be an issue with that match being played on Tuesday and this Semi Final taking place on a Friday.

Back in 2021, Daniil Medvedev did beat Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon in a big straight sets victory, but things have changed between the players since then. On that day, Medvedev broke the Alcaraz serve seven times, but he has managed to do that just six times combined in the next five matches played and this feels like a match that is very much going to be played on the Alcaraz racquet.

There is room for improvement for Carlos Alcaraz, but the comfort within this match up should help in encouraging that and he can win and cover over the course of this contest.

MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic - 6.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Carlos Alcaraz - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Wimbledon Update: 19-20, - 6.62 Units (78 Units Staked, - 8.49% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 12 Picks 2024 (Thursday 6th June)

There is also the scenario where upsets can turn a tennis draw lopsided and that is something that UEFA may come to understand in the years ahead with their new Knock Out format in the Champions League.

Two upsets on Wednesday has certainly given the end of the Women's French Open that kind of feeling with the first Semi Final likely to send a very strong favourite into Saturday's Final.

Both Jasmine Paolini and Mirra Andreeva have to be given a lot of credit for the runs made, but the winner of Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff is likely going to be adding another Grand Slam to their collection and that may just build further pressure on that Semi Final.

Those two players go up first before the second Semi Finalists both look for a major early achievement in their careers. It should be a good day of tennis for the fans before we get to find out which two players compete for the second Grand Slam of the 2024 season.

Iga Swiatek - 5.5 games v Coco Gauff: This is a match up between two of the top three players on the WTA Tour, but the spread is heavily skewed in favour of the World Number 1.

That isn't a massive surprise with this Grand Slam Semi Final being played on the clay courts in Paris, but there is also the match up problem overall for Coco Gauff who has lost ten of her eleven previous matches against Iga Swiatek.

The one win was on a fast court in Cincinnati, but Iga Swiatek got the better of Gauff in a couple of other hard court matches after that and the World Number 1 has won all four previous clay court matches against the American.

The most recent was in Rome in the build up to this French Open and Swiatek was a more comfortable winner than the final 6-4, 6-3 scoreline might have suggested.

It underlines the huge challenge that Coco Gauff faces- her best efforts have led to very one-sided defeats on this surface, while the overall record suggests Iga Swiatek has the perfect blend of attack and defence to give the World Number 3 fits on the court.

Eight of the previous eleven matches competed between these two players would have seen Iga Swiatek cover this line and she is playing at a remarkably high level since the almost upset Second Round win over Naomi Osaka.

Iga Swiatek's real edge is that she is able to control her points behind serve much more effectively than Coco Gauff and that is likely going to be shown up in this Semi Final.

The American does enjoy the clay courts and she is playing well, but that is not enough to compete with Iga Swiatek alone- Coco Gauff is going to have to find something special to find an upset, but it is unlikely and the expected outcome is a routine win for the favourite to lift the trophy for a third time in a row.

Jasmine Paolini-Mirra Andreeva Over 8.5 Match Breaks: The overwhelming feeling was that we were on a collision course between all of the top four players in the World Rankings when it came to the Semi Finals at Roland Garros in 2024. The World Number 1 and World Number 3 cemented their places to face off against one another on Tuesday, but Wednesday proved to be much different.

First up Elena Rybakina was upset by Jasmine Paolini and then an out of sorts Aryna Sabalenka was beaten by teenage prodigy Mirra Andreeva in the second Quarter Final.

So to say this is an unexpected Semi Final is putting it lightly.

However, both Paolini and Andreeva have to be given a lot of credit for the path they have cut through the draw and both are deserving of their place in the final four. Jasmine Paolini has impressed by showing grit and determination to work her way into the top 10 of the World Rankings, while Mirra Andreeva has heaps of potential and seems capable of fulfilling that very quickly.

Tension will be high in this second Semi Final on Thursday and that is not going to be a surprise.

New emotions will have to be contained with the two players a win away from reaching a maiden Grand Slam Final and the only hope is that both are able to free up and play the kind of tennis they have produced in Paris over the last couple of weeks.

Both of these players are comfortable on the red dirt and the return games have been very impressive and that is the main reason this feels like a match that will produce at least nine breaks of serve. Four of the five matches played by Jasmine Paolini has seen that mark surpassed, although it is only the case in two of the five matches played by Mirra Andreeva.

These two met in Madrid and shared out eleven breaks of serve that day in what was a two set win for the younger player and you do have to appreciate how well both Paolini and Andreeva have been returning in this event.

Mirra Andreeva does have the edge when it comes to the serve and that may ultimately be the reason she is able to reach what should be the first of many Grand Slam Finals, but the 17 year old will have to overcome some nerves. The Italian across the net will fight until the match is over and so this could be a back and forth Semi Final with a huge number of breaks of serve for both players.

MY PICKS: Iga Swiatek - 5.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Jasmine Paolini-Mirra Andreeva Over 8.5 Match Breaks @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

French Open Update: 19-7, + 15.52 Units (52 Units Staked, + 29.85% Yield)

Australian Open Tennis Day 12 Picks 2024 (Thursday 25th January)

There have been some remarkable results throughout the fortnight at the Australian Open, but plenty of really good tennis too.

On Day 11 we were treated to a couple of top class men's Quarter Final matches, while also seeing a women's Semi Final line up completed which would have had been predicted by very few people before the tournament began.

No one will doubt the run Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka have had and the winner of that Semi Final is expected to be a strong favourite in the Final.

But how many would have had Qinwen Zheng and Dayana Yastremska coming out of the top half as the other Finalist? At least Zheng reached the US Open Quarter Final and has long been talked about as having massive potential, but Dayana Yastremska's run has really come as a surprise.

She is a former World Number 21, but Yastremska was forced to come through the Qualifiers this year- she had not been past the First Round of a Grand Slam since returning from the ban she had been given after an adverse drugs test. It is a Semi Final that could be nervy for both players and may really come down to which of the two are serving better on the day, although the winner will be an underdog on Saturday in the Final.

Both women's Semi Finals are set to be played on Day 12 at the Australian Open as the tournament winds down and you can read my Picks below.

Coco Gauff-Aryna Sabalenka over 21.5 games: It almost feels like the women's draw should have been re-Seeded considering the amount of upsets we have seen throughout the Australian Open. And so while the top half of the draw is going to give us a first time Grand Slam Finalist, the bottom half has put together a Semi Final between the two players who won their maiden major in 2023.

The Australian Open crown is being defended by Aryna Sabalenka, but Coco Gauff won the US Open by coming from behind to beat the World Number 2 in the Final.

It is perhaps a mental edge the American can take into this Semi Final having struggled in her Quarter Final win over Marta Kostyuk. Prior to that Coco Gauff had been in imperious form on the hard courts, but there were some nerves and the power of her opponent certainly gave Gauff plenty to think about.

Now she has to take on arguably the most powerful player on the WTA Tour and one who has been dominating all that have stood in front of her in Melbourne. There has been little drama for Aryna Sabalenka, but most will feel that there is a massive obstacle for her to overcome if she is going to win a second Grand Slam title at the Australian Open.

In a warm up event to the tournament, Aryna Sabalenka crushed all opponents before running into Elena Rybakina in the Final and winning just three games. There is no doubting the quality of her front-running, but Sabalenka has yet to show she can handle someone coming at her and Coco Gauff has a history of doing that in their head to head match ups.

Coco Gauff has the head to head advantage on the hard courts with a 3-2 lead over Aryna Sabalenka, but nothing has come easy and four of the previous five matches between these two on this surface have needed a deciding set.

The 'easiest' win came for Sabalenka in Indian Wells in March 2023, but the rest of the matches have been massively competitive and the numbers have backed that up.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Aryna Sabalenka has tended to have more Break Points than Coco Gauff, but the latter has tended to play those big moments a little more efficiently. That has given her the chance to have the lead in the head to head on the hard courts and it is going to be a huge part of this match.

Aryna Sabalenka's level in this tournament has been historically strong and she is certainly capable of blowing past Coco Gauff as she did in Indian Wells. However, the feeling is that Gauff will grow having come through a tough test in the Quarter Final and showed her Champions mentality, while we have yet to see Aryna Sabalenka need to overcome difficult moments.

There is likely to be a number of close games in the match and both players are Grand Slam Champions now- there will be some nerves knowing the winner is going to be a big favourite in the Women's Final on Saturday and that may mean some twists and turns in a match up that has produced them regularly in the past.

Three sets were needed in the US Open Final and this is another match between these two Slam Champions that could need a deciding set.

Dayana Yastremska + 3.5 games v Qinwen Zheng: The top four names on the WTA Tour have been in and around the business end of the Grand Slam tournaments over the last twelve months, but the women's draws continue to throw up new names making strong runs.

The 2024 Australian Open has proven to be no different and the top half of the draw has really seen a surprising Semi Final match up being set.

Both Dayana Yastremska and Qinwen Zheng were able to win their Quarter Final matches on Day 11 of the tournament and that has meant not having a day of rest to appreciate what they have done. Facing one another will certainly build some tension as both players will look at this Semi Final as a very winnable one, while nerves ahead of the biggest match of their careers is going to be understandable.

It is slightly problematic that Qinwen Zheng played in the second Quarter Final and that she had an hour extra on the court, but it was not such an intense match that she can use that as an excuse if Zheng is unable to make the Final. There has been plenty of positive talk around this player over the last eighteen months to believe Qinwen Zheng had the qualities to win a Grand Slam title, but it has perhaps come a little quicker than anticipated.

That won't matter and it does feel like Zheng is building momentum.

After three less than ideal performances, Qinwen Zheng has certainly picked up her level in her last two wins in the tournament, which will give her confidence. At the same time you cannot argue that the draw was anything but kind to the soon to be top 10 Ranked player and Zheng has not had to beat anyone Ranked higher than Number 54.

Coming into the tournament, Dayana Yastremska was struggling down at World Number 93 and had to come through the Qualifiers, but she will be back inside the top 30 at the end of the Australian Open. The Ukrainian is certainly playing much higher than the current Ranking number next to her name and Yastremska is likely taking inspiration from Emma Raducanu who won the US Open as a Qualifier in 2021.

That run truly came out of left field, but Dayana Yastremska is a former World Number 21 and is hitting the ball very big at the moment. The fact is all of her wins in the main draw at the Australian Open have been against top 50 Ranked opponents and so her numbers look pretty impressive with that in mind.

Both of these girls have served very well and that has allowed them to dictate the tempo of their matches.

Out of the two, Qinwen Zheng has been getting a bit more out of the first serve and is a big ace hitter, but she is also only getting 53% of her first serves in play. Allowing Dayana Yastremska to see a lot of second serves will be a problem considering the Ukrainian has been winning more points on the return compared with Zheng, while she has also had a bit more protection of the second serve.

Nerves are the big 'x factor' that really cannot be determined, but Qinwen Zheng did reach the US Open Quarter Final in September and that may help her.

However, Dayana Yastremska has played with a real freedom and having a bit more time to prepare for the match could be the key to keeping this one close and competitive. It has been a long tournament for the Qualifier and conditions will be different in the evening compared with the Quarter Final being played in the day, but Yastremska looks more tested and that may be the big advantage she has over Qinwen Zheng, who is facing a significantly tougher test than at any other time in Melbourne this week.

MY PICKS: Coco Gauff-Aryna Sabalenka Over 21.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Dayana Yastremska + 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Australian Open Update: 21-46, - 55.20 Units (134 Units Staked, - 41.19% Yield)