European Tour 6- Austrian Darts Open Day 3 Picks 2026 (Sunday 10th May)

The wide open Austrian Darts Open concludes on Sunday and the manner of the Wessel Nijman defeat is a reminder of the depth of talent on the Tour.

He has been domnating on the floor all season, but Nijman had no answers for Niko Springer who blitzed past him to set up a big Third Round match with Josh Rock.

And while I have stated that the tournament looks wide open, there are plenty of big names in action on Sunday to suggest a familiar player can come through to pick up the title at the end of the Evening Session.

As has been the case with previous tournaments, any selections from the Quarter Final matches will be added to this thread at the conclusion of the Day Session when the entire Third Round is completed,

Kevin Deots to win & most 180s v Ryan Joyce: Credit has to be given to Relentless for finding enough big scoring and his usual level at the doubles in his upset win on Saturday.

However, he was aided by a poor performance from Mike De Decker and is unlikely to have the same slackness coming out of the darts of Kevin Doets.

The Dutchman is finding some real consistency on the Tour and he should have the edge on the maximums, even if Kevin Doets has not been hitting a lot of them over this weekend. He remains someone who can find a rhythm around the treble 20 bed and Kevin Doets can do what is needed to get the better of a solid competitor.

James Wade v Luke Woodhouse: This looks to be a quality Third Round match, but the slight edge has to be with James Wade, who beat Luke Woodhouse twice on the European Tour last year.

Respect has to be given to Woodhouse for reaching the Players Championship 13 Final last week and he has moved into the top 20 of the World Rankings thanks to a consistently improving twelve months.

The scoring can be strong enough to give the best players a problem, but James Wade remains a player who will stick around and battle and make sure he is in a position to take advantage of any mistakes.

Both Seeded players had strong wins on Saturday and this is likely going to be nip and tuck.

With that in mind, James Wade's temperament may just give him the edge.

Michael van Gerwen to win & over 1.5 180s v Rob Cross: This was a Premier League match twelve months ago and that will make sure Michael van Gerwen is taking nothing for granted.

You can't really do that against a former World Champion anyway and there have been some signs that Rob Cross is picking up his form after dropping out of the top 20 in the World Rankings.

In the last few weeks, Rob Cross has had some decent floor efforts and the European Tour win on Saturday will have done him the world of good.

Another level will have to be found to beat Michael van Gerwen.

The Dutchman has looked like he is getting closer and closer to his best in the Premier League this season and his own Second Round win came through another very impressive showing.

MvG should win and he can add a couple more maximums to his two from yesterday in a victory.

Ross Smith-Martin Schindler over 5.5 180s: When these two players find their rhythm, the maximum hitting can be a joy to watch.

Both Ross Smith and Martin Schindler displayed that part of their darts in Second Round wins and there is every chance that this is a Third Round match that will need at least nine Legs to separate them.

With that much time on the oche, both are capable of contributing to this total line set for the maximums.

A blowout one way or the other would end the chances, but matches between Smith and Schindler have been competitive in recent battles and there is every expectation that will be another with a big Quarter Final berth on the line.

Quarter Finals: The opening Quarter Final looks like it could produce the winner of the tournament, but it is a tough one to call.

The next three have selections from the Austrian Darts Open as it is played to a conclusion this evening.

Rob Cross was excellent in his win over Michael van Gerwen and he can back that up against Andrew Gilding, while adding a couple of maximums.

The same can be produced by Josh Rock in what looks to be another fascinating Quarter Final against Cristo Reyes- the latter deserves so much respect for the standard produced since returning to the Tour and he will push the Premier League participant in this one.

Finally the expectation is that Martin Schindler can get the better of Daryl Gurney at an event the German clearly enjoys.

Maximum hitting has been fuelling the success over this weekend and that can be the case in this last eight clash.

MY PICKS: Kevin Doets to Win & Most 180s @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

James Wade @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Michael van Gerwen to Win & Over 1.5 180s @ 1.95 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Ross Smith-Martin Schindler Over 5.5 180s @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Quarter Final Picks: Rob Cross to Win & Over 1.5 180s @ 2.30 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Josh Rock to Win & Over 1.5 180s @ 1.95 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Martin Schindler to Win & Most 180s @ 3.20 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Austrian Darts Open: 2-7, - 4.58 Units (9 Units Staked, - 50.89% Yield)

European Tour 3- Belgium Darts Open Day 3 Picks 2026 (Sunday 22nd March)

The two Sessions at the Belgium Darts Open see the completion of this latest European Tour event and the second of those is where the Quarter Finals, Semi Finals and Final are all played.

During the Day Session, Luke Littler was beaten and that is going to mean the remaining eight players are filled with extra confidence that they can go on and win the title here.

Niels Zonneveld over 2.5 180s & Danny Noppert over 1.5 180s: The big test for Niels Zonneveld is going to be backing up the upset over Luke Littler from earlier in the day.

He played really well in that Third Round match and has come through a couple of final Leg deciders and Niels Zonneveld has been hitting the maximums for fun.

Danny Noppert is also a big maximum hitter and backing the two players to hit a number of those looks the right way to take this Quarter Final on board.

Jonny Clayton to win & over 2.5 180s v Andy Baetens: The home crowd will be firmly behind Andy Baetens who has had a very strong weekend with upsets loaded up.

He will be looking for another against a Premier League opponent in this Quarter Final having already beaten Stephen Bunting, but Jonny Clayton continues to produce quality darts every time he steps to the oche.

Losing early on Night 7 of the Premier League has not dented the confidence of the leader in the standings, and Jonny Clayton can find a way to get past the home player.

Jonny Clayton can hit plenty of maximums when he gets into a groove and this could be a match that goes nine or more Legs, which should give the Welshman a chance to get up to three maximums hit.

Luke Humphries to win & both over 1.5 180s v Chris Dobey: There are no outright markets set until the Third Round is complete, but Luke Humphries has to feel a big opportunity has opened up to win this title.

Criticism from social media has clearly bothered Luke Humphries this weekend, but he has used that to fuel him and the World Number 2 continues to produce quality darts.

He needs to back those up with doubling to win a big title, but he can get the better of Chris Dobey in what should be a big hitting Quarter Final.

The former Premier League contender is fighting to get back amongst the elite and Chris Dobey can be very strong on his day- he hits plenty of 180s, but he may not have the consistency to keep up with Luke Humphries and the latter can earn a spot in the Semi Final later in the day.

MY PICKS: Niels Zonneveld Over 2.5 180s & Danny Noppert Over 1.5 180s @ 1.86 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Jonny Clayton to Win & Over 2.5 180s @ 2.25 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Luke Humphries to Win & Both Over 1.5 180s @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Belgium Darts Open: 4-4, + 0.57 Units (8 Units Staked, + 7.12% Yield)

Miami Tennis Day 3 Picks 2026 (Thursday 19th March)

Early reports indicated it was going to be a wet start to the Miami Masters, but a complete washout on Day 2 is a real disappointment for the fans.

It all adds up to an extremely busy Thursday when almost the entire First Round of the ATP tournament and the majority of the WTA event have to be completed- some of the Second Round matches that were due to be played on Thursday are scheduled to go out on the new Stadium court, but we are already in catch up mode at the tournament.

The two selections that were made from Day 2 will have to be played on Thursday and there are two more selections below that were originally in the batch of remaining First Round matches due to be played on Day 3.

A few Second Round selections had been identified from the WTA event being played here, but those will be out in the Day 4 thread- with the majority of those matches set to be scheduled for Friday being put together at the end of play on Thursday, further selections will be added to that thread on the day as we also try to keep up with a tournament that would have appreciated having some tennis on Day 2 instead of the complete wipeout of a day.

Marin Cilic - 2.5 games v Alexei Popyrin: He will be turning 38 years old later this year, but Marin Cilic still feels he has enough in the tank to compete at a level that will make him feel satisfied. Early results have been pretty solid in 2026, including reaching a Semi Final in Dallas, but Marin Cilic suffered opening defeats in Delray Beach and Indian Wells.

Instead of taking in a Challenger event last week, Marin Cilic will have headed over to Miami and begun preparation for the next Masters event on the calendar.

The faster surfaces remain his favourite domain and Marin Cilic may be targeting a strong run that can help him move closer to the Seeding positions for the next two Grand Slams on the clay courts and grass courts. You would definitely like his chances of having an impact at Wimbledon, but Marin Cilic is pretty competent on all surfaces and he is rightly set as the favourite for this First Round match.

Alexei Popyrin entered the top 20 of the World Rankings in August 2025 to reach a new career high mark, but his form since then has been disappointing.

Now the Australian will be entering the Miami Masters as the World Number 47 and it is really concerning to see Alexei Popyrin holding a 9-23 record on the hard courts since the beginning of the 2025 season. He is at 2-8 for the 2026 season and that is largely down the pressure that Popyrin has faced on the return with less than 30% of returning points won in those ten matches.

The serve will always be a potentially dangerous weapon, but Alexei Popyrin has not been able to play the big points effectively with the pressure that has been put on him by his own struggles.

Marin Cilic can put pressure on with his own strong serve, while the veteran has also been the much more effective return player in the opening months of the season.

The 2-1 head to head in favour of the Croatian will also help mentally and that includes a very strong win in Miami, albeit back in 2022.

The last meeting came thirteen months ago on the hard courts of Dubai, and Marin Cilic rallied in that one for another victory over Alexei Popyrin and he may have the higher confidence level to come through this First Round match.

Alex Michelsen - 3.5 games v Mattia Bellucci: Any time someone comes through the Qualifiers, they have to be respected and that is certainly the case for Mattia Bellucci who also reached the Final of a Challenger event in between these two big Masters events played in North America.

That run will have given him confidence, although it should also be noted it would have been in a field where players are not quite of the level that he is going to be facing in the main draw.

However, this is a winnable match for the lefty and Mattia Bellucci will have some confidence behind him after a difficult opening to the 2026 season- he will surely be looking forward to the run on the clay courts coming up, but Bellucci has shown he can be competitive on the hard courts.

Over the last twelve months he has tended to struggle against the higher Ranked opponents faced though and that is the situation for the Italian in the Miami First Round.

Alex Michelsen has had some mixed results, but a strong run in Indian Wells will have done him the world of good and he can use the home crowd to push through this opening match.

At 21 years old, Michelsen will know there is room for improvement, but he has a serve that can be effective and his return numbers have been much better when facing those Ranked below him. That is evident over the last twelve months and Alex Michelsen is expected to get the better of Mattia Bellucci having beaten him on the Washington hard courts a little over eighteen months ago.

MY PICKS: Marin Cilic - 2.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Alex Michelsen - 3.5 Games @ 2.25 William Hill (1 Unit)

European 2 Tour- European Darts Trophy Day 3 Picks 2026 (Sunday 15th March)

The absence of the two big names on the Tour have hurt the European Darts Trophy, but not enough to suggest the Third Round does not look like a strong lineup regardless.

With the Rankings used for the European Tour, it is a shame that the likes of Danny Noppert and Gerwyn Price are playing in the Third Round, rather than further down the line towards the business end of the tournament.

The winner of that match is going to be very difficult to beat later in the day, while there are plenty of other players still involved in the draw that will recognise the opportunity in front of them to pick up a big title with both Lukes and Michael van Gerwen out of the tournament. That does mean having to deal with a different kind of pressure with the expectations greater than they perhaps would be if the top two players in the world were also taking part, but it should also mean another good day of darts.

As is the case with the majority of the European Tour events, the Third Round is completed in the Day Session before the Quarter Finals, Semi Finals and Final are played in a busy Evening Session.

Any selections from the Quarter Final matches will be added to this thread on Sunday afternoon.

Jermaine Wattimena v Niels Zonneveld: Backing up a big win over Michael van Gerwen would be tough in most cases, but it is that much more difficult for Niels Zonneveld when facing an opponent who has gotten the better of him in recent matches.

Three matches in 2025 all ended in Jermaine Wattimena wins and this could be another that ends up trending towards the higher Ranked player.

Jermaine Wattimena has not been operating at the same level he ended 2025, but the close win in the Second Round will give him confidence.

A final Leg decider would not be a big surprise, but it is Wattimena who can do enough to reach a Quarter Final on Sunday.

Chris Dobey v Josh Rock: A solid win in the Second Round will have been a boost for Josh Rock, but this has been a tough match up for him.

The power scoring of Chris Dobey makes him very dangerous and there may be a point to be made about losing his Premier League place and having Rock join that elite competition instead.

Chris Dobey did not need that big time scoring to win in the Second Round, which likely means more is to come from him, and he can keep Josh Rock under pressure and test the doubling.

Again, this is likely to be a close match, but Chris Dobey can find a way to move past Josh Rock yet again.

Gian van Veen v Wessel Nijman: He has just hit a poor run of form, but the win in the Second Round and the manner in which Gian van Veen produced that will have done him the world of good.

Losses can feel like they are being strung together when playing in the Premier League, and so it will be important for van Veen to have produced a victory here in Germany.

He does have a tough Third Round match against Wessel Nijman, but there is a pecking order in Dutch darts and Gian van Veen has won the last five between these players.

That includes a win at European Tour 1 in Krakow last month, while Gian van Veen beat Wessel Nijman at the Grand Slam at the end of 2025.

Wessel Nijman is playing well and putting plenty of wins on the board, but he may have to overcome a mental obstacle in this one and that may see him come up short against the World Number 3.

Ross Smith & Dirk van Duijvenbode double: Neither of these players are going to have things all of their own way, but the scoring power of Ross Smith and Dirk van Duijvenbode could be the difference.

They do have challenges- Smith is playing a home player who will be receiving huge support, while van Duijvenbode has to be prepared for the pace, or lack of pace, that Mensur Suljovic will employ to disrupt opponents.

However, the Dutchman has a good recent record against Suljovic and can power past him.

Ross Smith will have plenty of respect for Nico Springer, but Smudger is playing well and can edge through to a Quarter Final here at the expense of the last German left in the tournament.

MY PICKS: Jermaine Wattimena @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Chris Dobey @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Gian van Veen @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Ross Smith & Dirk van Duijvenbode Double @ 2.16 Bet365 (1 Unit)

European Darts Trophy: 2-4, - 2.37 Units (6 Units Staked, - 39.50% Yield)

UK Open Darts Day 3 Picks 2026 (Sunday 8th March)

The 'FA Cup of Darts' is played to a conclusion on Sunday with the Quarter Finals up first in the Day Session and then the Semi Finals and Final all completed later in the Evening Session.

Luke Littler remains in the tournament and that means he remains the big favourite to win the title here for a second year in a row as he continues to dominate the scene.

You would expect Danny Noppert to have something to say about that after beating Luke Humphries in the Sixth Round, but Littler is hard to beat over these longer formats and incredibly hard to beat when he motivates himself to chalk off records.

The remaining six players in the draw will all believe they can go on and win the title- James Wade and Rob Cross are just reminding people of how well they can play, while the two Welshmen taking part in the Premier League, Jonny Clayton and Gerwyn Price, will take huge confidence into the Semi Final by getting the better of the other in the Quarter Final.

Josh Rock will certainly be hoping his run over the last couple of days can inspire a Premier League win on Night 6 of the tournament on Thursday, but all eyes are on Luke Littler and he looks the man to beat.

After a poor Day 1 for the Darts Picks, a strong run on Day 2 has just turned things around.

Quarter Final Picks will be placed here first, and any selections from the Evening Session will be available after the draw has been made later on Sunday afternoon.

Josh Rock - 1.5 legs v Krzysztof Ratajski: We have yet to see Josh Rock win a match in the Premier League, but he had a strong run at the World Masters and has backed that up at the UK Open.

You can never dismiss the ability of Krzysztof Ratajski to cause an upset, but Rocky has found a way past the Polish player in recent head to heads and the performances so far this weekend suggest he can do the same again.

There have been some very good wins produced by Ratajski too, but Josh Rock may just have the slight edge and is capable of coming through with a 10-7 kind of scoreline

James Wade & Rob Cross over 3.5 180s: Two very experienced players face off in the Quarter Final having produced some very strong darts over the last couple of days.

These Ranking events should give James Wade a lot of motivation to remind the PDC that they should have included him in the Premier League this year.

Dominating wins behind big scoring saw Wade come through two matches with the loss of just five Legs on Saturday and he is capable of producing at least four maximums here.

You have to expect Wade to be pushed a bit more by Rob Cross, who has looked close to his best in the Minehead this weekend.

Like his opponent, Rob Cross has found plenty of maximums in his outings and both players hitting at least four looks a big price.

Luke Littler over 6.5 180s v Danny Noppert: He has not always enjoyed the Day Sessions as much as the Evening, but Danny Noppert's win over Luke Humphries should have focused Luke Littler.

There is no doubt that Littler is going to need to produce some strong darts to beat an opponent who felt he did enough to earn a Premier League spot in 2025.

Danny Noppert has refused to allow that disappointment to overshadow his 2026 though and the win over Humphries will have given him plenty of confidence.

It should mean the Dutchman is able to offer some resistance, but Luke Littler showed his scoring power in the win over Gary Anderson in the Sixth Round and he can produce at least seve maximums in this Quarter Final.

Gerwyn Price win & over 8.5 match 180s v Jonny Clayton: A long losing run was snapped by Jonny Clayton when he beat Gerwyn Price in the Premier League a couple of weeks ago, but the latter got back to winning ways against his compatriot in a Player Championship event since then.

You have to believe the Ice Man can continue to get the better of Clayton over this best of nineteen Leg format.

However, the current Premier League leader is producing some really good darts at the moment and he will certainly give Gerwyn Price something to think about.

Both should be able to put together plenty of maximums in a match that may need at least seventeen Legs to decide a winner and the edge has to be with Price to be that winner considering how so many matches between the two Welshmen have gone in recent times.

Gerwyn Price win & over 5.5 180s v James Wade: Both players came through Quarter Final matches in eighteen or more Legs, but Gerwyn Price was much more impressive than James Ward.

Big scoring power overwhelmed compatriot Jonny Clayton in a high level performance and Gerwyn Price is capable of keeping that going in the Semi Final.

He will want to make things a little more straight-forward to keep something in the tank for the Final, but James Ward is unlikely to roll over.

The Machine did have a tough time getting over the line against Rob Cross and it can be tough maintaining a strong level throughout the day- James Ward will believe he can score well enough and has the kind of finishing that will continue to make him dangerous, but Gerwyn Price may have enough to secure the spot in the Final.

If he can power in the maximums as he was doing in the Quarter Final, Price should be able to make this a touch more comfortable.

Luke Littler over 0.5 100+ checkout & over 6.5 180s v Josh Rock: Midway through the Quarter Final, it may have felt like Danny Noppert was going to move into a position to upset the World Number 1.

However, Luke Littler continues to show his superiority over the majority of the Tour when it comes the longer match format and he should be able to get the better of Josh Rock in the Semi Final.

The Northern Irishman will be very aware that he needs to improve his overall level if he is going to beat Luke Littler, but that looks a big ask.

Maximum hitting has not been as prolific as we have come to expect from Luke Littler, but he should have a few more Legs to get his rhythm going, while the combination finishing always gives him a chance to checkout a ton plus finish.

MY PICKS: Josh Rock - 1.5 Legs @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

James Wade & Rob Cross Over 3.5 180s Each @ 2.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Luke Littler Over 6.5 180s @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Gerwyn Price to Win & Over 8.5 Match 180s @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

SEMI FINAL PICKS: Gerwyn Price to Win & Over 5.5 180s @ 2.20 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Luke Littler Over 0.5 100+ Checkout & Over 6.5 180s @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

UK Open Update: 8-8, + 0.88 Units (16 Units Staked, + 5.50% Yield)

Indian Wells Tennis Day 3 Picks 2026 (Friday 6th March)

It has been a conscious decision to make a slower start to the Tennis Picks at Indian Wells and that is partly down to the uncertainty as to how conditions are playing here this year.

The other reason is the continuous rumours of illnesses surging through the field, which is something that slightly concerns me whenever I've seen a price drifting.

Two selections have been made from the opening Second Round matches at the tournament as Day 3 gets underway.

On Thursday, the two selections were split with a win apiece, but that meant the narrowest of positive returns- at the moment the idea is to slowly build into the event, but you just never know when there are multiple matches that hit the criteria being used to move from shortlist to selection.

Victoria Mboko - 5.5 games v Kimberly Birrell: Like many sports, there is always going to be times when you want to identify the next big stars coming through.

Two teenagers are making waves in the top ten of the World Rankings and Victoria Mboko may be feeling most confident.

The 19 year old has reached the Final at a couple of tournaments on the hard courts in 2026, although Victoria Mboko has come up short both times. The latter of those appearances was in the Final of the WTA 1000 event in Doha and Mboko has also reached the Fourth Round at the Australian Open.

Twelve months ago, Victoria Mboko was sitting outside the top 150 in the World Rankings and would have been taking part in tournaments far below this elite level. It means the Canadian has little to defend in terms of Ranking Points until the Tour moves significantly into the clay court season in preparation for the French Open and Victoria Mboko has been playing well enough to believe she can have a strong impact in Indian Wells.

Playing here for the first time will be challenging, but Mboko has to be pretty comfortable with the opponent she is facing in the Second Round.

Kimberly Birrell was a comfortable winner in the First Round and reached the Semi Final in Austin last week, but it has been a real struggle for the World Number 69 when she has stepped up to face some of the top players on the Tour.

Over the last twelve months, Kimberly Birrell has a 4-8 record on the hard courts when facing top 50 Ranked opponents and her numbers have taken a significant dip in those compared with her overall form on the surface.

The first serve has perhaps not had the impact she would have hoped and Kimberly Birrell has struggled on the return, which are both going to pose problems for her in this kind of match.

Both Amanda Anisimova and Elena Rybakina have secured very strong wins over Kimberly Birrell on the hard courts in 2026, while Victoria Mboko beat her for the loss of just three games in the Adelaide Semi Final back in January.

This is the second time Victoria Mboko has beaten Kimberly Birrell on the hard courts over the last seven months and the younger player has been a much more confident server in those head to head matches. When they played in Montreal last August, Mboko wasn't quite as effective on the return, but still won pretty handily and was much improved in that aspect of her tennis when facing the Australian in Adelaide.

You have to expect Kimberly Birrell has picked up some confidence from her performance in Austin and then winning an opening Round match here, which also means being a bit more comfortable in the conditions.

However, not only has she lost all five hard court matches against top 20 Ranked opponents over the last twelve months, but Kimberly Birrell would not have covered this line in four of those defeats and that may be the case again in the Second Round.

Alexandra Eala v Dayana Yastremska: One player who seemingly plays at an unexpected level when she is opposed on these pages, but is so far off it when she is backed, is Dayana Yastremska.

However, she is going to be opposed in this Second Round match at Indian Wells.

A win in the First Round will have made the World Number 52 feel a lot better about her tennis, but she has a 4-7 record prior to Indian Wells on the hard courts. Dayana Yastremska has struggled for any kind of consistency and her numbers on serve and return both back that up.

Draws can slant any record, but it should be noted that Dayana Yastremska is just 4-4 when going into a match as the higher Ranked player- even in those matches, the numbers remain disappointing for a former Australian Open Semi Finalist.

Without a doubt that has to have had an impact on the confidence.

At the moment it does feel like Alexandra Eala is a touch overrated in the main- she has played at Rafael Nadal's Academy, which will generate headlines, and the youngster has put some solid results on the board that means she climbed 100 places in the World Rankings from January 2025 to January 2026.

An early exit at the Australian Open would have hurt considering the support she received, but Alexandra Eala has bounced back with a solid run through the Middle East.

Out of the two players, Alexandra Eala has been putting up some solid hard court numbers and she will have taken confidence from the crushing win produced over Dayana Yastremska on the grass courts of Eastbourne last June.

A slow hard court is a different test, but Alexandra Eala comes into the match having won nine of the thirteen matches played against opponents Ranked outside of the top 20 on the hard courts this season. Her numbers have been very good, and she looks like she can edge past the Ukrainian into the Third Round.

MY PICKS: Victoria Mboko - 5.5 Games @ 2.05 William Hill (1 Unit)

Alexandra Eala @ 1.80 William Hill (1 Unit)

Indian Wells Update: 1-2, - 0.90 Units (3 Units Staked, - 30% Yield)

Winmau World Masters Darts Day 3 Picks 2026 (Saturday 31st January)

If Mike de Dekker had aimed his dart a quarter of an inch to the right, Luke Littler would have been dumped out of the World Masters and the rest of the draw would have really felt a big opportunity had opened up to win the opening Ranking tournament of the 2026 season.

There is an intimidation factor around the World Number 1 for many, while you always feel the longer formats are so much tougher to get the better of Luke Littler.

Most of the big names have made it through to the Second Round and that means there will be plenty of players who will have the belief that they can win the title over the next couple of days. Of course Luke Littler will remain a big favourite until he is out of the event, but we are now moving into the best of seven Set format, although the best of three Legs to win a set means there are chances for upsets with a five or ten minute barrage.

The Second Round is going to be split over two Sessions before the Quarter Final matches are played on Sunday afternoon.

From there, the Semi Final and Final will be scheduled for the Sunday evening as the first Ranking title is handed out and the top eight names will then begin Premier League action next Thursday.

Double- Chris Dobey & Gary Anderson to win: The opening two Second Round matches should see both favourites through after strong performances in the First Round.

Chris Dobey played really well to beat Jermaine Wattimena and averaged just shy of 100.

He is not playing in the Premier League this season, which may not be a bad thing for Dobey, and he should have too much for Damon Heta.

The Australian ended the last calendar year in poor form and did not look himself at the World Championships last month. Getting the better of Michael van Gerwen will give Heta a lot of confidence, but the former did not have his best match and Damo is going to have be a lot better to move into the Quarter Final.

Doubling Chris Dobey with Gary Anderson is the call, even if the latter may still be seething about influencers as he was after his First Round win.

The performance on the oche was nothing to be angry about and Anderson had the better of James Wade when they met on the Tour last season.

You never want to dismiss someone who can dig in like Wade and the First Round performance from a player looking to prove the PDC wrong for leaving him out of the Premier League was very good. Again, James Wade will be under more pressure from the scoring power that Gary Anderson can put together and the former two-time World Champion can edge through.

Gerwyn Price to Win & Over 3.5 180s: Jonny Clayton is the Welsh Number 1 and the Runner Up from twelve months ago at the World Masters, but Gerwyn Price has gotten the better of his mate on the Tour over the last twelve months.

Both produced some very strong darts in the opening Round and there will be no doubt that another strong performance will be needed to move into the Sunday Quarter Final.

Eight straight wins have been produced by Gerwyn Price in this rivalry and he threw four maximums in his First Round win.

Both can be true again in this good looking Second Round match.

Danny Noppert to Win & Over 3.5 180s: He 'only' needed three maximums during the win over Daryl Gurney in the First Round, but Danny Noppert is going to have to win at least a couple more Legs in this and can move that total up to at least four.

He will need them to fend off Stephen Bunting for a second year in a row at the World Masters having beaten him 4-3 in the Quarter Finals twelve months ago.

That was a high quality match and both will be happy enough with the First Round wins on Friday.

Out of the two players, Danny Noppert will perhaps be feeling slightly better with his level and he has been the more consistent player, which can make the difference.

The heavy scoring that can be produced by Stephen Bunting makes him dangerous, but it is the Dutchman who has gotten the better of the recent TV meetings and he can do that again.

Luke Littler to Win & Over 5.5 180s: The power scoring of Ross Smith has to be respected and that has allowed him to push Luke Littler in previous meetings, while the First Round win and the manner he produced it will have given Smith a boost.

He was unexpectedly beaten very early at the World Championships, but Ross Smith is still inside the top 20 of the World Rankings and will be looking for a fast start to 2026.

Of course this is a huge challenge for anyone and Luke Littler was still hitting plenty of maximums even as he looked to be heading out of the tournament on Friday.

There is never really much doubt in his ability to pound the treble 20 and Littler should be able to get up to at least six in this match, which should have at least 10-12 Legs played.

He will need to find those big scores to keep the pressure on a heavy scorer in Ross Smith and Luke Littler should be able to come through in six sets.

MY PICKS: Chris Dobey & Gary Anderson to Win @ 2.25 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Gerwyn Price to Win & Over 3.5 180s @ 2.25 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Danny Noppert to Win & Over 3.5 180s @ 2.50 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Luke Littler to Win & Over 5.5 180s @ 1.95 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

World Masters Update: 2-4, - 0.61 Units (6 Units Staked, - 10.17% Yield)

Australian Open Tennis Day 3 Picks 2026 (Tuesday 20th January)

The First Round is concluded at the Australian Open on Tuesday as Day 3 of the tournament gets underway.

In the main, the top names have managed to get through the opening Round and there will be plenty of tougher obstacles to overcome if they are going to move on and win the Australian Open. Some of the other contenders are going to want to follow suit on Day 3, although it looks another day to pick off some selections.

Monday produced a 1-1 return for the selections made, but that continues a solid start to the opening Grand Slam of the 2026 season.

Three Picks have been made for Day 3 and those can be read below.

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 6.5 games v Shintaro Mochizuki: He is barely holding onto a Seeding at the 2026 Australian Open, but Stefanos Tsitsipas may feel comfortable in the Melbourne surroundings.

He has dropped down to World Number 33, but a couple of withdrawals means he is the Number 31 Seed in the tournament.

However, Stefanos Tsitsipas has reached the Semi Final three times at the Australian Open and has also added an appearance in the Final in another tournament Down Under. This can only give him confidence as he looks to at least surpass the First Round and avoid opening exits in this event for the second season in a row, which would be a big disappointment to the huge amount of fans that come to support Tsitsipas.

Throughout his career, Stefanos Tsitsipas has tended to play his best tennis in the first half of the season and he is hoping that things have settled off the court, which will allow him to play his best on the court. A disappointing loss early in Adelaide will not have overshadowed what has been a solid opening to the month for the former World Number 3 and he is a favourite against this younger opponent.

Shintaro Mochizuki is still outside of the top 100 in the World Rankings and he has struggled for the consistency that will be needed if he is going to surpass his career best mark of World Number 92.

Eight losses in his last nine hard court matches will not have given Mochizuki much confidence and he was beaten in both matches at the United Cup and in Qualifying in Auckland in preparation for this opening Grand Slam.

Over the last twelve months, Shintaro Mochizuki is 1-4 on the hard courts when facing a top 50 Ranked opponent on the hard courts and he has struggled to be competitive in those matches.

One of the defeats was to Stefanos Tsitsipas at the United Cup and that match will just settle any nerves that the Greek player may have otherwise have felt prior to the Australian Open getting underway.

The contest was competitive, but Stefanos Tsitsipas created a lot more Break Points than his opponent and the numbers produced by Shintaro Mochizuki were similar to those he has put together against the better players on the Tour. Those have left the World Number 112 short of the top opponents faced and Stefanos Tsitsipas should earn the breaks he needs to cover a slightly awkward line.

In reality that is largely down to the inconsistency that Tsitsipas has produced as a return player, but he should be confident enough in this match up to earn the four or five breaks that may be needed to cover this mark.

Naomi Osaka - 4.5 games v Antonia Ruzic: The return to the Tour has been pretty challenging for Naomi Osaka, even if the former World Number 1 has shown signs of getting closer to her best tennis.

The run to the US Open Semi Final back in September will have given Naomi Osaka a huge boost- this is her best Grand Slam run since winning the Australian Open in 2021. Prior to becoming a mother for the first time, Naomi Osaka had been the dominant hard court player on the WTA Tour and it is impossible to ignore the fact that she won four Grand Slam titles on the surface.

Two of those were right here in Melbourne, although Naomi Osaka has been beaten in the First Round and Third Round in her last two appearances here.

However, the improvement in the second half of the 2025 season means Naomi Osaka has moved back inside the top 20 of the World Rankings. This is important for Osaka in terms of being able to avoid the top names on the Tour until the Third Round at least and this gives the former World Number 1 an opportunity to build some momentum into the biggest events of the 2026 year over the next eleven months.

For all of the improvement, there is scope for more with Naomi Osaka looking to show a bit more on the return of serve, while she is 1-1 on the hard courts in preparation for this event.

First up for Naomi Osaka is a match up against Antonio Ruzic who is the World Number 71 and who has lost her sole match in the build up to the Australian Open.

The 22 year old has steady numbers when facing players Ranked inside the top 50 over the last twelve months on the hard courts, but she is 0-3 when facing top 20 Ranked opponents. That is the challenge for the younger player and she has not really been able to get into the return games in those matches against the best players on the Tour.

Antonio Ruzic is going to have to serve well to try and build some pressure on Naomi Osaka, but the latter has gotten to grips with facing those she should be beating. Over the last twelve months, Osaka is 8-4 when facing those outside of the top 50 and a couple of those defeats could easily have gone in her way with a bit more fortune at the biggest moments.

Only one of the last seven Grand Slam tournaments have ended in a First Round defeat for Naomi Osaka and she may have just enough in hand to cover this awkward line set for this match.

Sloane Stephens - 3.5 games v Karolina Pliskova: Two former Grand Slam Finalists meet in the First Round at the Australian Open in 2026 and Sloane Stephens and Karolina Pliskova are both Ranked outside of the top 1000.

That is less to do with their talent, but more to do with injuries meaning limited time spent on the court over the last twelve months and so every win in Melbourne will provide a significant boost.

With both turning 33 and 34 respectively in March, you do have to accept that Stephens and Pliskova are in the final stages of what have been strong careers. Sloane Stephens won a Grand Slam title at the US Open, while losing another at the French Open, while Karolina Pliskova reached two Grand Slam Finals without winning a Major.

Of course it is the Czech player who earned the World Number 1 position, while Sloane Stephens is a former World Number 3, and both players are very familiar with one another.

Since returning from a year long lay off, Karolina Pliskova has lost all three matches played on the Tour and is making her debut in 2026. This has to be a potential factor in the match and it is the main reason that Pliskova has been set as the underdog in this contest.

Sloane Stephens also returned in 2025 and failed to win a match before losing early in Auckland, but the American decided to take part in the Qualifiers for the Australian Open rather than looking for a Wild Card. She is a former Semi Finalist at this Grand Slam, but six of the last eight appearances at the Australian Open have ended in a First Round defeat.

Three Qualifying wins will have given Sloane Stephens a real boost and the performances in those matches will also be a real shot of confidence.

It also will help the American that she has won six of the seven matches against Karolina Pliskova on the main Tour and that includes both previous hard court contests.

Neither player is at the level they once were, but Sloane Stephens should be all the better for the tennis that she has gotten under her belt this past week.

Her tennis matches up pretty well with Karolina Pliskova and that may show up on the final scoreboard in this clash of two veterans that once pushed for Grand Slam titles, but are just trying to remain in position to compete on the Tour these days.

MY PICKS: Stefanos Tsitsipas - 6.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Naomi Osaka - 4.5 Games @ 1.70 William Hill (1 Unit)

Sloane Stephens - 3.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (1 Unit)

Australian Open Update: 6-2, + 6.20 Units (16 Units Staked, + 38.75% Yield)

ATP Finals Day 3 Tennis Picks 2025 (Tuesday 11th November)

The ATP Finals will continue on Tuesday and we have two Singles matches scheduled from the same Group, which has not been the case in the opening two days at the event thanks to the last place being fought out as late as Saturday.

You do have to wonder if that effort made by Lorenzo Musetti to merely earn a spot in Turin has sapped him of any remaining energy at the end of a long season, but first the two winners in this Group will face one another with a victory likely going to mean progression into the Semi Final.

Carlos Alcaraz - 3.5 games v Taylor Fritz: Both of these players produced wins in the opening Group matches at the ATP Finals having overcome some nervy moments. Being able to do so should mean both Carlos Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz are a little bit 'freer' as they meet in the second Group matches with the winner set to take their place in the Semi Final of the event.

Two wins is usually enough to progress, but that is not always the case and will be dependent on the other match to be played in the Evening Session.

It is no surprise that the organisers have set this one up for the Day Session and that is to ensure Italian Lorenzo Musetti is given the best chance to rest, recover and be prepared to play. With the last place at the Tour Finals only being confirmed on Saturday, the usual format of the event has not been in place in the Group Stage for those involved in this section and that means Taylor Fritz having to play on back to back days.

Tennis players are used to being in that position so it is not expected to be a big factor in this match and Taylor Fritz also has the confidence of having a win under his belt. Previous experiences at the Tour Finals have been very positive for the American and Fritz will feel his serve gives him a shot against any opponent he faces, even one that has had the better of the head to head like Carlos Alcaraz has had in this case.

Taylor Fritz did beat Carlos Alcaraz for the first time in Laver Cup action after the US Open, but it was back to the norm when they played in the Tokyo Final as the World Number 1 came through in straight sets to win yet another title.

While Carlos Alcaraz has not enjoyed the kind of successes you would expect at the ATP Finals, he is going to feel a lot better after battling through an opening win. The Spaniard is very, very comfortable on the hard courts and Carlos Alcaraz will be confident in the match up, even if Taylor Fritz is capable of frustrating him with the serve.

Whenever these two play one another, there is always going to be a lot of pressure on the Taylor Fritz serve knowing he becomes a bigger and bigger underdog within every point the longer the rally develops.

Carlos Alcaraz has had a big edge in the serving and returning numbers in the head to head and that has led to four wins in five matches played against one another. In three of the four wins, Alcaraz has had at least two more breaks of serve compared with Taylor Fritz and everything is pointing to the top Seed having the edge over the course of this latest match too.

There is room for improvement in the Carlos Alcaraz performance after the one produced to get the better of Alex De Minaur, but he has shown time and again that he has the game plan to make things very difficult for Taylor Fritz. The expectation is of more of the same and the likelihood is that Alcaraz will find two more breaks of serve than the World Number 6 and that should see him through to a cover in another winning effort.

Alex De Minaur - 2.5 games v Lorenzo Musetti: He has won the last three head to head matches against this opponent, including both played in 2025, and that may just give Lorenzo Musetti the belief to push on and win this Group match at the ATP Finals.

Another loss will likely mean elimination for whoever ends up on the wrong side of this match.

Lorenzo Musetti made it really clear how much he wanted to compete at the ATP Finals in Turin and that meant putting in a monumental effort in Athens when reaching the Final played on Saturday. He lost that to Novak Djokovic and needed the withdrawal to take his place at the ATP Finals, and you do have to wonder if there is much left in the tank.

It certainly did not look the case in a relatively straight-forward loss to Taylor Fritz on Monday- Lorenzo Musetti started off pretty well, but he looked more and more tired as the match went on and that was really evident in the service games.

A little more than twenty-four hours rest is not going to make a lot of difference and Musetti is going to need the Italian fans to get firmly behind him, as they did on Monday to their credit. Being an Evening Session match should mean the fans are more 'up' for this match, which can help too, but Lorenzo Musetti has played a lot of tennis since Friday and spent a lot of hours on the court.

All of that is going to be tested by Alex De Minaur who is one of the top defenders on the Tour and who will have last played on Sunday when coming up short against the World Number 1.

Losing both matches to Lorenzo Musetti in 2025 will perhaps be on the mind, but those were defeats on clay courts, while the previous loss in 2024 was on the grass courts. The sole hard court match was played in a very different atmosphere at the Australian Open in January 2022 when Alex De Minaur came through in four sets in an environment where he would have been heavily backed from the stands, the complete opposite to what awaits on Tuesday evening.

The most recent match between the pair in Madrid was dominated by Lorenzo Musetti, but Alex De Minaur will have regrets about the loss in Monte Carlo. In the first three matches between the pair, the Australian had dominated the number of Break Points created and De Minaur may be able to outlast Lorenzo Musetti in this match.

Alex De Minaur will need to serve better than he did in the loss to Carlos Alcaraz, but he can keep his opponent out there for long enough to slow him down. That will then really become evident on the return with De Minaur likely happy to sit in during rallies and just allow Lorenzo Musetti to be worn down and eventually this may lead to a solid enough victory to keep Alex De Minaur alive in the tournament.

The home fans will push Lorenzo Musetti to bring his best throughout, but the feeling is that he has left something in Athens after fighting so hard to merely make the ATP Finals in Turin and that will leave the World Number 9 short of the energy that is going to be needed in this match.

MY PICKS: Carlos Alcaraz - 3.5 Games @ 1.61 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Alex De Minaur - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

ATP Finals: 4-0, + 3.22 Units (4 Units Staked, + 80.50% Yield)

WTA Finals Day 3 Tennis Picks 2025 (Monday 3rd November)

A number of years ago, the ATP Tour tried to create Group formats for some of the tournaments they were using outside of the 500 and upper events.

It never really worked, but it has been a solid format for the end of year Championships.

There is still going to be a strange feeling for some of the players as they prepare to head back onto the court just a couple of days after losing opening matches- both Amanda Anisimova and Madison Keys have not had a lot of experience of playing at the WTA Finals and the two American players are looking to bounce back with a victory that will give them a chance of progressing.

It is the second match scheduled on the day, but first the World Number 2 Iga Swiatek takes on Elena Rybakina in what looks to be a really good match. Both players will have genuine ambitions of winning the title here and picking up late momentum that they hope will carry over to Melbourne in mid-January when the Australian Open gets underway.

Iga Swiatek - 1.5 games v Elena Rybakina: Two wins is usually good enough to earn a spot in the Semi Final at the end of year Championships, but that is not always the case.

However, the winner of this Group match will move into a very strong position after both Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina came through opening matches in straight sets.

Winning this one in straight sets would put that player into a really strong spot and there is a chance that the Semi Final spot will have been secured before they play again on Wednesday. That will be dependent on the other match in the Group, but the focus for both Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina has to be on winning this match and not having to worry too much about other results.

Iga Swiatek goes into this match as favourite, although both players really did impress in the way they were able to win opening matches here in Riyadh.

However, you have to believe the Pole is going to be feeling confident with this match up considering how well she has competed with Elena Rybakina in 2025. All four matches played between the two have ended in wins for Iga Swiatek and three of those wins have been on the hard courts, which is perhaps something of a surprise considering how effective Rybakina can be on this surface.

Both will be keen to impose themselves with the serve, but in the recent matches against one another, it is Iga Swiatek who has been able to get a more out of her delivery. The way she has protected the second serve has been key and allowed the fine margins to lean in her favour and it may be something that is evident when Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina face each other on Monday.

If Elena Rybakina can bring the form she was producing in her opening win into this match then she will be very dangerous.

The problem will be if Iga Swiatek reaches the level she was operating at in the opening win and that would give the World Number 2 the edge to win and cover the handicap mark set.

In the four wins over Rybakina this season, Iga Swiatek would have covered this line three times and she can do the same in Riyadh to all but secure a spot in the WTA Finals last four.

Amanda Anisimova - 3.5 games v Madison Keys: Missing time on the Tour after the US Open was going to make things difficult, but Madison Keys would have expected a lot more from herself in the opening Group match at the WTA Finals. The crushing loss to Iga Swiatek is a disappointment, but the good news is that the WTA Finals are played in a different format and all is not lost just yet.

The pressure is on Madison Keys to bounce back and another defeat is likely to spell elimination.

However, that is a situation that will be cleared up before this second match takes place- a win for Iga Swiatek over Elena Rybakina will mean Madison Keys cannot be definitively eliminated on Monday, although another straight sets loss is going to be hard to overcome.

The same fate awaits Amanda Anisimova after she struggled to stick with Rybakina in her opening Group match.

The difference for the younger of the two American players is that she needs a win from Elena Rybakina earlier in the day if Anisimova is to avoid definite elimination with a second defeat at her maiden WTA Finals event.

It would be a surprise if either player is thinking about another loss and still having ambitions to reach the Semi Final here in Riyadh so the focus has to be on recovering from opening losses. Both Amanda Anisimova and Madison Keys proved to be second best by a significant margin in those losses and so there is a lot of room for improvement, although the edge may have to be given to the former having had a decent Asian swing prior to this event beginning.

You also have to note that Madison Keys has lost all three matches played against top ten Ranked opponents on the hard courts since she won the Australian Open title at the very start of the year. Those defeats have all been pretty one-sided and now Madison Keys will have to take on Amanda Anisimova who has a 5-2 record against the top ten Ranked players she has faced on the hard courts in 2025.

The numbers show that Amanda Anisimova has been able to look after her second serve more effectively than Madison Keys, while she has also been a stronger return player.

Amanda Anisimova will have had a lot of respect for Madison Keys when growing onto the Tour and she will have noted the kind words that Keys had for after taking the time away to get on top of her mental health a couple of years ago. These two will have a lot of time for one another away from the court, and that should see the match played in good spirit.

The edge has to be with the favourite, who should have the stronger rhythm on the court and the match could get away from Madison Keys if she does drop the first set. It may be a situation where getting through to the WTA Semi Finals becomes a secondary ambition compared with preparing to recover and get ready to defend the Australian Open crown won this year and Amanda Anisimova can stay alive in the Group with a quality win.

MY PICKS: Iga Swiatek - 1.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (1 Unit)

Amanda Anisimova - 3.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

WTA Finals: 1-3, - 2 Units (4 Units Staked, - 50% Yield)

US Open Tennis Day 3 Picks 2025 (Tuesday 26th August)

After Karen Khachanov's fightback to win his opening match in four sets and Casper Ruud's relatively comfortable victory of his own, the US Open Tennis Picks could not have begun in any better fashion.

Six Picks, Six Winners.

There is still a lot of work to get through between now and the end of the tournament- we are in Day 3 of 15- but it is a positive start and hopefully one that can be built upon through the remainder of the First Round action.

The biggest story of Day 2 may have been the new haircut that Carlos Alcaraz unveiled, but the World Number 2 will be most pleased with his opening performance. The 2024 US Open was a real disappointment as far as Alcaraz was concerned, but he won the title in Cincinnati and has reached the last two Grand Slam Finals and will be expecting to be involved in the final few days in New York City in 2025.

Upsets have not really been as rife as has been the case in previous years at the final Grand Slam of the season, but we are only just concluding the First Round and there is still a lot of tennis to be played between now and the second week at the tournament.

Gael Monfils v Roman Safiullin: There may not be too many US Open appearances left in the body, but Gael Monfils will arrive in New York City looking to make a positive impact at the 2025 tournament. He is close to dropping out of the top 50 in the World Rankings and the Frenchman is a week out from turning 39 years old, which will have to make people question what kind of motivation is left.

He may have missed some of the Grand Slam tournaments in recent times, but Gael Monfils will be proud of the fact that he has not lost in the opening Round since the 2021 Australian Open. This year he reached the Fourth Round in Melbourne before Second Round losses in both Slams hosted in Paris and London, while Gael Monfils is a three time Quarter Finalist and one time Semi Finalist in New York City.

On only two occasions has Gael Monfils been beaten in the First Round here and one of those was his first ever main draw appearance at the US Open.

However, the form in the build up to the tournament has been far from impressive and Gael Monfils has lost to two players that he would expect to beat on the hard courts. The latter of those defeats was in a competitive showing, but ultimately he was beaten and confidence to have a deep run at the US Open may simply not be there.

In saying that, Gael Monfils has to feel he can get the better of Roman Safiullin, a player who is clinging onto a top 100 Ranking.

The younger man has not exactly been piling up the wins in the US hard court tournaments leading up to the final Grand Slam of the season and he is just 8-11 on the surface in 2025. The real concern for Roman Safiullin is that he has lost eight of nine matches on the hard courts this season when facing an opponent Ranked higher than himself and that includes on all three occasions he has been in that position over the last few weeks.

Roman Safiullin did push Holger Rune in a defeat and that is respectable form, but losing pretty comfortably in matches against Casper Ruud and Christopher O'Connell are perhaps a better indication of where he is at.

He can serve well and that may be a factor in the match, but Gael Monfils could outlast Roman Safiullin in what is expected to be a decent atmosphere with fans getting behind the veteran. That may be enough to push him through and Monfils could be worth backing in this pick 'em First Round match with the experience seeing the Frenchman win some of the big points to secure the victory.

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 1.5 sets v Alexandre Muller: Changes have been made on and off the court as Stefanos Tsitsipas looks to reverse a slide that has him trending to drop out of the top 32 in the World Rankings. That will also mean being Unseeded at Grand Slam events and could soon see Stefanos Tsitsipas struggle to recover to the kind of level that he expects from himself.

In all honesty, it has been a difficult twelve months for the 27 year old and Stefanos Tsitsipas has struggled for any kind of consistency on any surface.

The service numbers have been pretty steady on the hard courts, but there is always pressure on Stefanos Tsitsipas due to a limited return game. In previous years that has perhaps not been developed as it should have been with Tsitsipas perhaps coasting on successes that he has had, but it is coming back to haunt him now and makes it feel that every win has to be something of a grind.

His return numbers on the hard courts have dipped slightly in 2025 compared with 2024 and that has meant putting together a 12-9 record. Early losses in Toronto, Cincinnati and Winston Salem has just added to the frustration and Stefanos Tsitsipas is not expected to be a player that is going to have a huge impact at this Grand Slam.

However, it would be a significant upset if Alexandre Muller is able to get the better of Stefanos Tsitsipas in the First Round.

Alexandre Muller is playing at a peak World Ranking, but he is just 3-4 on the hard courts in the build up to the tournament and he has a serve that can be vulnerable. The World Number 38 is not exactly the strongest of return players himself and so this is a match up that should be pretty comfortable for Stefanos Tsitsipas, even if the latter is not playing near to the level he has reached previously.

These two players have met twice over the last ten months and both have been won by Stefanos Tsitsipas without dropping a set.

In those two matches, Tsitsipas has held 90% of his service games compared with a 67% mark for Alexandre Muller and you have to believe the Greek star can do enough to work his way past this opponent. Recent results are incredibly disappointing, which tempers some of the enthusiasm around the selection, but Stefanos Tsitsipas was competitive enough in a couple of his defeats to believe he can find a way to get through this match in three or four sets.

Naomi Osaka - 5.5 games v Greet Minnen: It made a lot of sense to withdraw from the Cincinnati Masters having reached the Final in Montreal and Naomi Osaka has done enough to be Seeded at the US Open. The former two time Champion in New York City can work her way into the tournament with a Seeding and she is a significant favourite in this First Round match.

There was a lot to like about Naomi Osaka's performances in Montreal, although the body language in the Final once things begun to turn away from her remains a concern.

You have to worry that there is a chance that she will lose heart or focus at key moments in the match and that could see Naomi Osaka in a bit of trouble, but that may be something to watch out for later in the tournament.

Greet Minnen lost both matches in preparation for the US Open and the 28 year old has had a number of early losses on the hard courts in 2025. She has lost all three matches played against top 50 Ranked opponents on the surface and Greet Minnen has not been very competitive in those defeats.

The numbers have been pretty disappointing and it could be tough to deal with Naomi Osaka if the former World Number 1 is close to the form she was showing in Montreal.

Last year, Naomi Osaka crushed Greet Minnen on the clay courts in Madrid, which are some of the faster red dirt tournaments on the calendar. She should be all the happier facing this opponent on the hard courts and Naomi Osaka can find the breaks of serve needed to cover the handicap mark.

MY PICKS: Gael Monfils to Win @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 1.5 Sets @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Naomi Osaka - 5.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (2 Units)

US Open Update: 6-0, + 8.82 Units (12 Units Staked, + 73.50% Yield)

French Open Day 3 Tennis Picks 2025 (Tuesday 27th May)

The first two days at the French Open could not have gone any worse.

The opening two Picks were just poor, but Monday was much more frustrating and could easily have landed 2-1 on another day, rather than the 0-3 humbling faced.

Elena Rybakina was two games away from completing a routine First Round win, but managed to lose serve and ultimately become embroiled in a real battle.

The Iga Swiatek win was close, but she started slowly and dropping serve right at the beginning of the second set made it tough.

And then we come to Naomi Osaka who was two points away from opening up a 3-0 lead in the final set... To compound matters, it was a tale of two shots on the same line that swung the match against the former World Number 1 when Osaka missed to drop serve and, after the changeover, Paula Badosa hit the back end of the line at almost the exact same point to save Break Point.

It is early, but this is a difficult opening and that cannot be ignored.

A bit of fortune will help, but just narrowing the parameters a little may just be the key to moving this tournament back towards a positive position in the first week in the French capital.

Daniil Medvedev - 5.5 games v Cameron Norrie: Three years ago, Cameron Norrie reached the Semi Final at Wimbledon and two months later he was playing at a career high World Ranking of Number 8.

Things have changed considerably for the British player in May 2025 with his World Ranking dipping out of the top 80 and Cameron Norrie has struggled for consistency. However, he is still only 29 years old and Norrie will enter the French Open with a lot more confidence having reached the Geneva Semi Final last week and only being beaten by Novak Djokovic in a deciding set.

He was forced to join the Qualifying Rounds in Barcelona and Rome, while also coming through the Qualifiers in Geneva.

Cameron Norrie should take confidence from that run last week and he has long been a solid, if unspectacular clay court player. Prior to his First Round exit last year, Norrie had reached the Third Round at the French Open in three straight seasons, but he may have wished for an 'easier' First Round opponent.

The World Number 11 stands in the way and Daniil Medvedev has beaten Cameron Norrie in all four previous matches on the Tour, including in Rome earlier this month. The numbers have been heavily weighted in favour of Medvedev in those previous matches and it is going to take a considerable effort from Cameron Norrie to turn that form around.

There was a time when Daniil Medvedev would be considered a vulnerable Seed in the early Rounds of clay court tournaments, but he has been much more comfortable on the surface in recent years. He has reached the Fourth Round in three of the last four years at the French Open and the Medvedev wins on the red dirt in 2025 have all been against opponents Ranked outside of the top 20.

His return has been particularly strong in those matches and the Daniil Medvedev win over Cameron Norrie in Rome can be franked with another solid victory over the British player here.

MY PICKS: Daniil Medvedev - 5.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

French Open Update: 0-5, - 5 Units (5 Units Staked, - 100% Yield)