US Open Day 5 Tennis Picks 2026 (Thursday 3rd September)

After moving a double break ahead in the deciding set and then missing multiple Match Points at 5-3, Elina Svitolina ultimately secured a 6-2, 6-7, 6-4 win, which meant missing the cover by a single game.

The reality is that she should have covered and that would have made it eight selections and eight winners.

But most would take 7-1 and that is certainly the case here.

It all means the opening four days of the US Open could not have gone much better, but it is only the opening four days.

At Grand Slams earlier this season, strong starts were not maintained as effectively as hoped and building on this foundation is the challenge over the remainder of this tournament.

Most of the big names continue to make relatively comfortable progress through the opening Rounds in New York City, although dumb questions from journalists continues to be a huge feature of the sport. While you do get some awkward exchanges in other sports, it seems particularly common in tennis pressers at Grand Slams and that was the case for the likes of Rafael Jodar and Aryna Sabalenka on Wednesday.

The latter looked incredibly frustrated with the way questions were framed before being posed to her and Aryna Sabalenka had every right to voice that frustration.

At least her tennis on the court is producing as she would like, but there are plenty of challengers scattered in this tournament and many players are going to feel they have the qualities needed to be picking up the Championship trophy in a little over a week from now.

Hopefully by that time, the US Open Picks will be in a really strong position to add a positive number to the season totals as well.

Felix Auger Aliassime - 1.5 sets v Karen Khachanov: As the World Number 4 and 2025 US Open Semi Finalist, Felix Auger Aliassime has to arrive in New York City filled with real confidence about what can be achieved here.

However, so much of his game is about the mental attitude being right and Felix Auger Aliassime has been critical of himself for some of the Grand Slam exits suffered and the manner of those exits. There is going to be extra pressure put on himself by himself, but Auger Aliassime has had limited competitive tennis in the lead up to the US Open and needed four sets to get past the World Number 85 in the First Round.

There may have been a hope that Felix Auger Aliassime could work his way into this Grand Slam, but that is not going to be the case in the Second Round when going up against Karen Khachanov.

The 30 year is the World Number 50 entering the US Open, but Karen Khachanov has reached the Semi Final at both the Australian and US Open previously, while he has a couple of Quarter Final appearances at both the French Open and Wimbledon. Any player with that kind of experience has to be given a lot of respect, but Karen Khachanov has been struggling for any form on the hard courts leading up to New York City.

Karen Khachanov had lost all three hard court matches since Wimbledon and he had won a single set in that time, but he dropped just four games in winning his First Round match.

Over the course of this season, Karen Khachanov is just 1-6 in hard court matches against top 50 Ranked opponents and it is the 10% of return games ending in breaks of serve which have proved to be really problematic. It is going to be a big ask to improve on that markedly against a server like Felix Auger Aliassime and the Canadian has shown he has the tennis that gives him every chance of winning this match.

They are 2-2 in the head to head with Karen Khachanov winning the most recent on the grass courts of Halle in 2025, but Felix Auger Aliassime can get revenge on these hard courts and especially on the form the two have produced on the surface this year.

The most recent hard court meeting was won by Felix Auger Aliassime, albeit back in 2021, but the younger man has been the superior player in each of the last three matches against Karen Khachanov and can work his way to a three or four set win.

Lorenzo Musetti - 8.5 games v Dane Sweeny: This is a very wide spread for any Grand Slam contest, but Lorenzo Musetti came through an awkward First Round match in impressive fashion and can continue his path at the US Open.

After missing some time on the Tour, Lorenzo Musetti returned in the build up to the US Open and reached the Quarter Final in both Washington and Cincinnati. The three losses this summer have been against Rafael Jodar (twice) and Frances Tiafoe, but Lorenzo Musetti has won plenty of matches as well and he should be very happy with this Second Round match up.

Dane Sweeny has to be credited for reaching his career best World Ranking mark at the end of July and he is set for a new career best following this tournament, although the Australian has not cracked the top 100 just yet. He is making use of the Wild Card, but benefited from a draw pairing him with Corentin Moutet in the First Round who has been seriously struggling with an injury and perhaps only arrived in New York City with the prize money on offer a real factor.

Prior to that, Dane Sweeny had been just 1-3 in hard court matches against top 100 Ranked opponents this year and his numbers have been a disappointment. Not only is he holding in just 65% of service games played, but Sweeny has struggled to have much of an impact on the return and he is going up against a very solid competitor in Lorenzo Musetti.

The Italian has put together an 8-1 record on the hard courts against opponents Ranked outside the top 50 and Lorenzo Musetti has held in 84% of his service games played in those matches. That alone would not be enough to put such a record together, but Lorenzo Musetti has also broken in 32% of return games played in those nine matches and he is expected to have too much all around know-how for a young player still developing his tennis at a lower level than the one he is facing on Thursday.

Despite all of that, you do have to respect the wide handicap mark set and Lorenzo Musetti is going to need to make a fast start to put himself in a spot to cover.

Confidence can be taken from how Lorenzo Musetti was performing in the matches he would have expected to win in Montreal and Cincinnati over the last month and the World Number 14 can win a set with a couple of breaks of serve to put him on the way to a cover.

MY PICKS: Felix Auger Aliassime - 1.5 Sets @ 1.72 William Hill (2 Units)

Lorenzo Musetti - 8.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Naomi Osaka - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Maria Sakkari - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Elise Mertens - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet365 (2 Units)

Iva Jovic - 5.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Alex De Minaur - 1.5 Sets @ 1.66 William Hill (2 Units)

US Open Update: 12-2, + 15.34 Units (28 Units Staked, + 54.79% Yield)

World Matchplay Darts Day 5 Picks 2026 (Wednesday 22nd July)

As soon as the draw was made for the World Matchplay, the expectation of the fans would have been that there were going to be high quality matches right from the opening day in Blackpool.

No one has been let down by what we have been watching over the first four days and Day 5 is set to complete the Quarter Final lineup after what looks to be another good looking session.

Luke Humphries losing in the First Round has opened up this half of the draw, but that may also mean players have to deal with the extra pressure that comes when an opportunity has opened up.

It really could come down to which of the players handles that best to take their place in the Sunday Final, but there are going to be challenges that have to be overcome over the next few days beginning with the Second Round opponent that will have to be beaten.

Ross Smith to win & over 5.5 180s v Cameron Menzies: You cannot blame Cameron Menzies for the emotional reaction after beating Luke Humphries in the First Round and especially not when you consider he reeled in the 'big fish' to secure the 10-7 win.

It was a really strong performance from Cameron Menzies and credit has to be given to him for holding off a strong rally that Luke Humphries had put together. The mental side of the sport has always been one that Menzies has struggled to deal with and so it will be a huge boost in confidence for him and his supporters that he was able to handle all that was thrown at him by the World Number 2.

Backing up the victory is going to be challenging regardless of who the opponent would be, but but backing it up against Ross Smith may be extra challenging.

Not only has Ross Smith beaten Cameron Menzies three times on the European Tour this season, but each of those wins have become easier and easier for the higher Ranked player.

The last of those ended in a 7-0 whitewash, but Ross Smith will be expecting more from the opponent in this one.

While that is a fair point, it also should be said that Ross Smith was in really good form in the First Round even if he was not very happy with his own performance. Big scoring was backed up by big finishing and Smudger may have a little too much of both for Cameron Menzies to handle.

Ross Smith was finding the big trebles regularly in the First Round and he can reach at least six maximums in winning this Second Round match.

Gian van Veen 2+ 100+ checkouts v Wessel Nijman: Gian van Veen is the higher Ranked of these compatriots, but Wessel Nijman comes into this match as the favourite and that is largely down to the kind of darts he has been playing all year.

He is now up to World Number 14 and Wessel Nijman has moved past Danny Noppert as the next Dutchman that is likely going to be invited into the Premier League.

Winning a big tournament may push his credentials forward and Wessel Nijman has to handle the pressure of expectation with many likely tipping him to come out of the bottom half of the draw that is missing Luke Humphries.

He will not want to take anything for granted against Gian van Veen, although the latter will be aware that his level needs to be raised.

Where Gian van Veen can make the difference is with his finishing and putting the late Leg combinations together has been a strength of the World Number 3. He had three 100+ Checkouts in the First Round and needed a couple more to beat Wessel Nijman on the European Tour back in February.

Since then, Wessel Nijman has beaten Gian van Veen and he is the right player being favoured, but the latter is someone who can produce a couple of big finishes to turn the momentum back in his own favour.

Gian van Veen may need those finishers in his bid for an upset and he looks capable of hitting at least two 100+ Checkouts in this Second Round match.

Rob Cross v Gerwyn Price: Two former World Champions meet for a place in the World Matchplay Quarter Final and you have to believe the underdog can give you a real run for your money.

Rob Cross has lifted his level over the last two months and that has enabled him to force his way into this tournament when it looked like the former Champion in Blackpool was going to miss out completely.

In the time since Cross won here, Gerwyn Price has reached the Final and he remains a Premier League player where the Englishman is not.

However, Price has not been playing much in recent weeks and that looked clear as he struggled against Martin Schindler in the First Round before the latter lost his way. Unlike Schindler, Rob Cross is playing with a lot more confidence and unlikely to let The Ice Man off the hook, although the expectation is that Gerwyn Price has to be much better than he was on Monday.

Matches between these players have been pretty competitive, but it has been over a year since they last faced each other.

On current form the edge has to be with Rob Cross and he can find a way to win this one, although nothing ever comes easy against someone like Gerwyn Price, who should be better with a win under the belt.

James Wade-Ryan Searle over 17.5 legs & over 8.5 180s: The final Second Round match features two players who are very capable performers on the stage and it should be a close contest between James Wade and Ryan Searle.

James Wade is a former World Matchplay Champion and reached the Final here twelve months ago so clearly enjoys the format. He was a very good winner in the First Round and showcased strong scoring with his usual composed finishing and Wade will certainly feel he can match the run from 2025 out of this bottom half of the draw.

The Quarter Final is as far as Ryan Searle has reached at the World Matchplay, but he was a World Championship Semi Finalist in the last edition of that tournament and that has to be respected.

Throughout this season, Ryan Searle has played at a steady level and his own win in the First Round deserves respect having held off all that William O'Connor was throwing at him.

Ryan Searle is every bit as capable of James Wade in throwing decent scores, but also finishing well, and this best of twenty-one leg Second Round match should see both players win at least seven Legs.

Both are perhaps underrated maximum hitters, which is reflected by the total for the match, and the longer this one is able to go, the more likely James Wade and Ryan Searle will combine for at least nine 180s as well.

In the First Round, Ryan Searle only had three maximums, but had racked up plenty of other big scores, while James Wade produced seven. Those came in sixteen and seventeen Legs respectively and this is a Second Round match that may need at least a couple more Legs to decide a winner, which should aid the two players in combining to surpass this maximum line.

MY PICKS: Ross Smith to Win & Over 5.5 180s @ 2.30 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Gian van Veen 2+ 100+ Checkouts @ 2.50 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Rob Cross @ 2.25 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

James Wade-Ryan Searle Over 17.5 Legs & Over 8.5 180s @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

World Matchplay: 8-10, - 1.40 Units (18 Units Staked, - 7.78% Yield)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 5 Picks 2026 (Friday 3rd July)

The opening three days of the 2026 Wimbledon tournament were difficult for the Picks, but the Day 4 selections provided something of a bounce back, although with plenty of work still to do.

Two Rounds have been completed and the test for the players is going to increase significantly over the coming days as the heat begins to pick up in London and that means those who have been involved in tough opening matches could be lacking some energy.

Focus is going to be key as the tournament concludes the first week of the tournament over the next two days- Middle Sunday is no longer a tradition here so the Fourth Round will begin on that day rather than the Manic Monday that used to be arguably the best day in the sport.

Most of the top names have managed to work their way through the opening couple of matches, but the level of competition will ramp up from the Third Round.

There are some good matches scheduled on Friday when the Third Round begins, but we are now down to using four courts as the number of Singles matches are reduced across both Men's and Women's tournaments.

Hopefully that also means the momentum from Day 4 can kick the Tennis Picks forward on Day 5 when it all goes again.

Joao Fonseca - 1.5 sets v Roman Safiullon: The first big breakthrough at Grand Slam level was made at the last Major when Joao Fonseca reached the French Open Quarter Final and he is one win away from reaching the second week at Wimbledon for the first time. The teenager has a big reputation, but it should be remembered he is relatively inexperienced, despite being high enough in the World Rankings to earn a Seed, and Joao Fonseca is continuing to learn a little more with each tournament played.

He does not have an extensive resume on the grass courts, but Joao Fonseca has made casual work of the first two opponents in the draw and has yet to drop a set. The wins over Roberto Bautista Agut and Jesper de Jong both deserve respect for the manner in which they were put together, while Joao Fonseca has already matched the run to the Third Round here that was achieved last year.

Taking advantage of the draw was key for Joao Fonseca was beaten in the Third Round by a Qualifier Ranked outside of the top 100, but one who had been much higher in the Rankings previously before injuries saw Nicolas Jarry drop down.

A similar challenge has cropped up for Joao Fonseca in 2026 as he takes on a Qualifier in Roman Safiullon who is the World Number 132, but who had been inside the top 40 in January 2024.

Five sets had been needed for Roman Safiullon to come through the Third Qualifying Round and he has needed four hours in each of the opening two wins in the main draw, which have both ended in final set tie-breakers. One of those was an upset over Andrey Rublev, but it should be noted the amount of work that Roman Safiullon has had to put into the tournament already and you do have to wonder if he will have the energy required to see off a talent like Fonseca.

Roman Safiullon has always served pretty well on the grass, but the return game has held him back and that is going to be an issue in a match like this one.

The heat is picking up in London, which brings another challenge for the lower Ranked player to face having invested so much to reach the Third Round of this Grand Slam.

Joao Fonseca should have plenty of respect for the upset that Roman Safiullon has already had in the draw to knock out one Seed, but the former should be much fitter when this Third Round match gets underway and that should see the teenager find a way to get through without the need for Roman Safiullon to be involved in another final set decider.

Hubert Hurkacz-Tommy Paul over 40.5 games: Barring a change in mind regarding his retirement, the answer to who beat Roger Federer in his final Grand Slam match will be Hubert Hurkacz, who upset the dominant Wimbledon Champion in a match right here in SW19 in 2021.

Hubert Hurkacz reached the Semi Final that year where he was beaten by Matteo Berrettini, but he was surprisingly beaten early in 2022 and 2024 and the best run the Pole has had at Wimbledon since 2021 is a single appearance in the Fourth Round. For a player with the serve that he possesses, Hubert Hurkacz will feel he should have had more success at Wimbledon and he remains dangerous.

Injuries have meant Hubert Hurkacz entered the main draw as the World Number 96 and so the two wins on the board feel important to just reverse a trend that saw him slipping out of the top 100. That would have meant having to go through Qualifiers for the biggest events on the Tour and it may have been a challenge for a 29 year old to want to dig in and go again.

Hubert Hurkacz has beaten both Casper Ruud and Sebastian Ofner without dropping a set, but he will be the first to admit that this Third Round match represents a significant step up in class.

In warm up events, Hubert Hurkacz was beaten in the First Round in Hertogenbosch and Second Round in Halle and now has to take on the Queen's Club Runner Up in Tommy Paul.

The American comes into the Wimbledon tournament as the Number 21 Seed, but Tommy Paul has not really ripped things up in SW19 as you may have thought. He does have one Quarter Final under his belt, but Paul won Queen's Club last year and was beaten in the Second Round at Wimbledon a couple of weeks later and so there will be a feeling that he has not achieved as much as he perhaps should have in this Grand Slam.

Tommy Paul is another player who has yet to drop a set in the tournament and he is a win or two away from cracking back into the top 20 of the World Rankings and having a real lift ahead of the US Open, which begins in late August. Much like Hubert Hurkacz, the Tommy Paul numbers show a player who has long been comfortable on the grass courts and so this has the makings of a competitive match.

Whoever serves closest to their best will win and conditions in London should see both rolling through those service games against largely limited returners.

Out of the two, the clear edge is with Tommy Paul as far as the returning goes, but Hubert Hurkacz will feel he can get into tie-breakers and then it just takes one or two good returns to win a set.

In the previous matches on the Tour against one another, Tommy Paul has shown that superior returning to hold a 3-1 advantage, although the two hard court matches have been split (the other two have been on clay). They are meeting for the first time on the grass, but the feeling is that Tommy Paul is playing at a higher level and should eventually come through.

However, Hubert Hurkacz can use the hotter conditions to make sure he is serving with effectiveness to at least win a set and there is every chance the players can combine for enough service games to eventually surpass this total line set.

Daniil Medvedev - 5.5 games v Jan-Lennard Struff: Playing back to back five setters with the last of those carrying into another day is far from ideal for 36 year old Jan-Lennard Struff and he is going to have to find some serious energy ahead of this Third Round match. The only positive is that he will not have been taxed in many long rallies in a Second Round match that featured well over 80 Aces between himself and Brandon Nakashima, but that does mean having to battle through some tough moments that can both tax a player mentally and physically.

Jan-Lennard Struff will use all of his experience to try and prepare for this Third Round match as well as he can, while he is well aware of the qualities of Daniil Medvedev, which should mean plenty of clarity as to what he must do to make this competitive.

Serving well is the absolute key and it has been the Struff serve that has helped him move through the opening two Rounds in the main draw. It is a weapon that can make things that much easier for the German, but Jan-Lennard Struff has twice tried to take down Daniil Medvedev at Wimbledon before and lost in very similar fashions both times.

In 2021, Jan-Lennard Struff had beaten Daniil Medvedev on the grass courts of Halle, but lost in the First Round at Wimbledon to the same opponent after being outplayed in the first two sets, rallied to win the third set 6-4 and then losing in a fourth set tie-breaker.

That players met at Wimbledon again in 2024, but this time in the Third Round, and Daniil Medvedev outplayed Jan-Lennard Struff in the opening two sets, dropped the third 6-4, and then came through in a fourth set tie-breaker.

Daniil Medvedev recorded two wins over Jan-Lennard Struff on the hard courts in 2025 and in the career meetings, it has been the former who has tended to get a much better read on the return of serve and that has ultimately led to a lot more wins than defeats.

In this tournament, Daniil Medvedev has played one sloppy set, but largely been in control of both matches and he is quietly going about his business. A couple of decent, if unspectacular, runs in warm up events will have just reminded Daniil Medvedev of his ability to compete on the grass courts and he should have much more energy for much longer compared with the World Number 74.

Serving well will just keep the pressure on Jan-Lennard Struff and Daniil Medvedev may do enough to cover this handicap mark as he would have done with the scoreline produced in the two wins over this opponent at this Grand Slam event. It may take a bit of time to really take control if Jan-Lennard Struff is able to come out with some energy, but Daniil Medvedev looks to be playing at a level that can continue his dominance of this opponent.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina - 5.5 games v Marton Fucsovics: Winning the Boys Title at Wimbledon does not always mean that those names will go onto the senior Tour and have the same success at this Grand Slam in the Men's event.

For every Pat Cash, Stefan Edberg and Roger Federer, there are a host of names who have won the Boys Title without having a big impact at the main Wimbledon tournament.

Two of those former Boys Champions are facing one another in the Third Round in 2026 and it is a big match for both Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Marton Fucsovics- between these players, there has only been one previous appearance in the second week at Wimbledon and that was in 2021 when Marton Fucsovics went on to reach the Quarter Final.

The record here will disappointment both players, but it does feel like Fucsovics has missed his opportunities to better that Quarter Final run, while Alejandro Davidovich Fokina arrived at Wimbledon as a grass court title winner in Mallorca. It is a reminder of his ability on the surface and the Spaniard has made easy work of the first two matches as he has pushed through without dropping a set.

Marton Fucsovics had little success in warm up tournaments for Wimbledon, but he has benefited form injury issues for his previous two opponents to reach the Third Round again. His First Round match only made it through four games of the second set, while Learner Tien was having a host of issues in the Second Round as he fell in four sets and that does mean there is a bit more uncertainty surrounding the current level being produced by Marton Fucsovics.

He is going to need to find another level to beat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina who will feel that the Marton Fucsovics serve is vulnerable having allowed 18 Break Point chances in the win over Learner Tien. A healthier Tien might have won that match and Davidovich Fokina is unlikely to let Marton Fucsovics off the hook in this Third Round match.

Pressure can do a funny thing to players and there is pressure on Alejandro Davidovich Fokina who has only reached the Quarter Final at Grand Slam level once before and who has not made the second week in 17 of the last 19 Majors he has competed in. The World Number 23 will expect to win this match and so will have to deal with the emotions around it, but Davidovich Fokina can do what is required to eventually pull through and cover this potentially awkward looking line on the way into the Fourth Round.

MY PICKS: Joao Fonseca - 1.5 Sets @ 1.70 William Hill (2 Units)

Hubert Hurkacz-Tommy Paul Over 40.5 Games @ 1.85 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Daniil Medvedev - 5.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina - 5.5 Games @ 1.95 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Jessica Pegula - 5.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Naomi Osaka - 4.5 Games @ 1.70 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Coco Gauff - 5.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Karolina Muchova - 5.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

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

Wimbledon Update: 21-19, - 5.92 Units (78 Units Staked, - 7.59% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 5 Picks 2026 (Thursday 28th May)

On the 6th April 2014, the Undertaker's winning streak at Wrestlemania was ended by Brock Lesnar.

I could understand how he may have felt after seeing the very strong winning run to open the French Open ended when Andrey Rublev failed to cover in his Second Round win, despite winning the first set 6-1.

Fun aside, it was never going to be a tournament when every selection was going to return a winner, but putting another positive day on the board is not a bad thing.

Continuing to build on the early numbers is the key and this remains very early at the French Open.

Thursday looks a tougher day, but there are a number of selections that made appeal, which can be read below.

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 1.5 sets v Matteo Arnaldi: A retirement helped Stefanos Tsitsipas through to the Second Round without being pushed in the soaring Paris heat and he could make use of that to beat Matteo Arnaldi at the French Open for a second time in three years.

Two years ago, Stefanos Tsitsipas came through a couple of awkward sets before pulling away from the Italian in a Fourth Round match here in Paris.

While he is still the higher Ranked player in 2026, both players have slipped considerably from where they stood when facing off in that Fourth Round match in 2024.

Stefanos Tsitsipas was a top ten Ranked player, while Matteo Arnaldi was the World Number 35 and only just outside of the Seeded positions... Now they are the World Number 79 and 104 respectively and both players are in need of a big run to just rebuild their position and restore some lost confidence.

In the build up to the French Open, neither player impressed- Matteo Arnaldi did win a decent Challenger event that had a number of quality players in the field, but he has struggled in main Tour matches, while the same can be said for Stefanos Tsitsipas and the underlying numbers back that up for both players.

Matteo Arnaldi did take a set from Rafael Jodar in Rome, but he was the weaker player on the day and you cannot ignore the fact he spent over four hours on the court for his First Round upset of Tallon Griekspoor.

He will take huge encouragement from the performance, but in sapping heat, that time on the court could be the difference if Stefanos Tsitsipas can offer little to his opponent.

The former World Number 3 has struggled to turn the screw on opponents on the clay courts, which should be the favoured surface for Stefanos Tsitsipas, but he may have just enough to edge through in four sets.

Flavio Cobolli - 5.5 games v Yibing Wu: After making short work of his compatriot in the First Round, Flavio Cobolli is hoping to make use of his Number 10 Seeding and push for his best run at the French Open.

Flavio Cobolli reached the First Round in his first appearance in the main draw at the French Open and has followed up with a Second Round and then Third Round run at this Grand Slam event. Last year he reached the Wimbledon Quarter Final, which came as a surprise, but the minimum expectation here in Paris is making it through to the second week.

In reality, the draw could not have worked out much better for Flavio Cobolli, but the Italian had struggled for consistency in the build up to the French Open. Early losses in Rome and Hamburg will have felt like a blow, but Flavio Cobolli is a very comfortable performer on the clay and had previously reached the Final in Munich and Quarter Final in Madrid.

There is room for improvement- Flavio Cobolli has struggled on his return and that cannot continue if the World Number 14 is going to have the kind of run he expects from himself.

This French Open Second Round sees Cobolli facing Yibing Wu, who also came through in straight sets in the First Round, but who is a player that has struggled on the clay courts before this season.

Injuries have been a main factor in the career of Yibing Wu and it is the reason he is clinging onto a top 100 Ranking, although the win over Marcos Giron earlier this week is a boost.

Yibing Wu won a clay court tournament held in Sarasota, but that was at a much lower level than the kind of opponent he is facing in the Second Round at Roland Garros. Since then, Yibing Wu failed to Qualify for Madrid and reached a Quarter Final at another Challenger event, while his career has not been one to write home about when it comes to clay court tennis.

Serving well will give Yibing Wu a chance, especially when you consider the inconsistent returning performances of Flavio Cobolli this season, but the latter has to have the edge.

It could be a competitive match throughout with little between them in the sets, but you have to give the Seeded player the edge with the Cobolli experience on the clay courts an important factor. Flavio Cobolli will also believe he is the superior server and that may just put enough pressure on Yibing Wu to give up enough Break Points to give the former an opportunity to progress with a cover of this spread.

Anna Kalinskaya - 4.5 games v Alina Korneeva: There are almost ten years between these two compatriots who meet in the French Open Second Round and it is Anna Kalinskaya, the 27 year old, who will enter the match as the Seeded player.

However, there is a huge amount of hope around 18 year old Alina Korneeva, who played against Mirra Andreeva in the Junior ranks, although Korneeva has yet to make the same kind of impact on the main Tour.

In 2023, it was Alina Korneeva who won the Girl's titles at the Australian Open and French Open and she was the Junior World Number 1. The win in Australia came against Mirra Andreeva, but the progress on the Tour has been slower and there have been a number of 'firsts' achieved by Alina Korneeva over the last month.

She played in the main draw at a WTA 1000 event for the first time and Alina Korneeva has won three Qualifiers to take her place in the French Open main draw for the first time. A win in the First Round has only given 'mini Sharapova' a real boost in confidence, although Alina Korneeva and her team will know that this is a stiffer test for the youngster.

Alina Korneeva has dropped a single set in her run at Roland Garros and winning the Junior title on these courts can only give the teenager belief in her tennis. There has not been a lot of experience of facing top 100 Ranked opponents on the clay in the build up to this Grand Slam, but Korneeva upset the World Number 38 in the First Round.

You have to believe that Anna Kalinskaya will know plenty about the young Russian players making their way on the Tour and the same applies with Alina Korneeva.

While earning a Seed in the main draw, Anna Kalinskaya has been a mixed bag on the clay courts this season and her opening Round win against Lois Boisson, a Semi Finalist last year, will have done her the world of good. Anna Kalinskaya will feel her own experiences will stand her in good stead, while the serving edge has to be with the older player who may be able to earn a few more cheaper points.

That is welcome on any day, but it could be hugely important in very hot conditions at the French Open and Anna Kalinskaya has produced some solid clay court wins in Charleston and Rome in the lead up to the French Open.

Out of all the defeats suffered, the early defeat in Madrid probably stings Kalinskaya the most, but she may be able to wear down Alina Korneeva in this one.

A competitive opening set would surprise no one, but at that stage, Anna Kalinskaya should take control against a player still learning her trade at this level.

Covering will not be easy, but in five wins on the clay courts this season, Anna Kalinskaya would have covered this mark four times and she can in a victory in the Second Round.

Amanda Anisimova - 5.5 games v Julia Grabher: Reaching the Final at Wimbledon and the US Open is obviously going to give any player a huge amount of confidence, but that also brings pressure and Amanda Anisimova has a lot of Ranking Points to defend in the second half of the season. That makes her recent injury a blow, but the World Number 6 feels like the wrist is about as healthy as it can be and Amanda Anisimova blew past her First Round opponent for the loss of four games.

Missing the entirety of the clay court season is far from ideal for a player who reached the Semi Final in Paris back in 2019, but Amanda Anisimova eased concerns about the injury and admitted that she was just being cautious to ensure she could compete at the French Open.

The early stages of the First Round win did see Amanda Anisimova struggle to find her feet, but she was rolling by the end of the contest and now faces another player Ranked outside of the top 100 in the Second Round on Thursday.

The 29 year old Julia Grabher is the World Number 121 and she is almost three years removed from her best ever career mark of just outside the top 50, which was set in June 2023.

Beating a Qualifier in the First Round will have given Julia Grabher some important Ranking Points, but it should be noted that she has only played two top 100 Ranked opponents this season the clay courts and lost both. In reality, Grabher was not very competitive in either of those defeats in Linz and Madrid and that has been the case in recent seasons on this surface as she has suffered nine losses in her last eleven clay court matches against top 100 Ranked opponents.

Those have come across a three year period and Julia Grabher is going to need to serve well to contain an aggressive Amanda Anisimova who will want to get on top of rallies.

Pressure is likely to be ramped up if Julia Grabher cannot improve her returning level against the better players on the Tour and this could be a French Open Second Round match that plays out very similarly for Amanda Anisimova as the First Round match did.

Namely that means it could be competitive early as Amanda Anisimova grows into the contest, but by the end the American should be clearly demonstrating she is the better player.

Amanda Anisimova has little in terms of clay court action this season, but she was very good last year and the opening Round win should give her the confidence to cover in the Second Round against another opponent Anisimova has the power to overwhelm.

MY PICKS: Stefanos Tsitsipas - 1.5 Sets @ 2.00 William Hill (2 Units)

Flavio Cobolli - 5.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Anna Kalinskaya - 4.5 Games @ 2.05 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Amanda Anisimova - 5.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Daria Kasatkina - 5.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet365 (2 Units)

Oleksandra Oliynykova - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

French Open Update: 10-2, + 12.06 Units (24 Units Staked, + 50.25% Yield)

Miami Tennis Day 5 Picks 2026 (Saturday 21st March)

It was a busy day at the Miami Open on Day 4 of the main draw tournament, but the weather has yet to play ball and a delay in the morning has meant the event is not quite back on track.

Most are forecasting an improvement in the conditions for the next few days and that should ensure this event is ready to be completed as planned at the end of next week.

Once again, any selections from Day 5 of the tournament will be added to this thread once the full markets are put together, but there are still some early options, which can be read below.

Mirra Andreeva - 5.5 games v Marie Bouzkova: There has been some teenage angst in some of the recent performances, but Mirra Andreeva was able to hold herself together after dropping the second set in her Second Round win. The box has asked for some calmness, but it has been a tough period for the World Number 10, despite the huge amount of wins and quality of performance she is still producing.

Emotions got the better of Mirra Andreeva at the end of her defeat at Indian Wells, but that has become far too common a sight on a tennis court in 2026.

At her best, the 18 year old is still someone who can beat the very best on the Tour, but Mirra Andreeva has found it tough to put it all together at the business end of events in 2026. The second serve has been a bit of an issue, but the first serve is steady and still an important weapon, while Andreeva has shown a bit more on the return.

The numbers have looked impressive when it comes to facing opponents Ranked outside of the top 20 on the hard courts in 2026 and Mirra Andreeva has regularly found herself getting the better of Marie Bouzkova, which has to help settle the higher Ranked player.

All three previous meetings on the Tour have been won by Mirra Andreeva in straight sets and she has been a very strong winner in the two hard court matches against this opponent.

Marie Bouzkova is very experienced on the Tour and is still Ranked inside a Seeded spot, while her Second Round win here will have just handed her a few more Ranking Points. The 6-8 record on the hard courts may not have gotten much attention, but Marie Bouzkova has picked enough wins to be pushing back towards a her career best World Ranking mark of Number 24 and an upset on Saturday could really help.

However, it should be noted that Bouzkova has built her early hard court record on beating those she would expect and she has lost her last four matches when facing someone Ranked higher than herself. Those have all been one-sided defeats to players Ranked Number 22 or higher and the Czech player has struggled to protect serve and offered little resistance on the return in those contests.

At the moment it can be tough to trust Mirra Andreeva with the youngster seemingly losing focus and belief pretty quickly, but she has not suffered too many upsets before the early loss in Indian Wells and she can come through this one with an impressive win.

Alexandra Eala - 1.5 games v Magda Linette: Being a left-handed player that once played in the Rafael Nadal Academy will always earn some attention, but Alexandra Eala is also the leading figure of Filipino tennis and that has meant big crowd support wherever she has played.

The 20 year old has used that effectively and is now at a career high World Number 29 in the Rankings, although Alexandra Eala is under some pressure to avoid a big drop.

The reason for that is the then-teenager reached the Semi Final in Miami twelve months ago and defending those is always going to be challenging for a player who had to beat three top ten Seeds to reach the final four. Alexandra Eala is Seeded here this year, which meant beginning in the Second Round, but she will have to string the wins together and may benefit from Iga Swiatek's upset loss.

Instead of the World Number 2, Alexandra Eala is facing Magda Linette in the Third Round and this is an opponent she has already beaten once on the hard courts in 2026.

That victory was earned in pretty routine fashion in Auckland in the build up to the Australian Open, but Eala will do well to remember that a veteran like Magda Linette will have taken plenty to work on out of that defeat.

There hasn't been much from the tennis played in 2026 to believe Linette was going to upset her compatriot in the Second Round and the real challenge for the World Number 50 is building on that victory, although like her opponent in this match, Magda Linette has a strong run to defend.

Twelve months ago she reached the Quarter Final in Miami and that means this is a big match for both players.

Magda Linette's hard court numbers have remained average, which has been the case for the last couple of seasons prior to 2026.

Credit has to be given to the veteran that she has not slipped massively when playing those Ranked higher than herself and that is down to the experience that she possesses. Magda Linette certainly can pose problems for her opponent, and she is the kind of steady force that will exploit any nerves or tension that Alexandra Eala may be feeling.

However, that win in Auckland will give Alexandra Eala that feeling of confidence that may just see her come through this Third Round match.

Alex Michelsen - 1.5 games v Cameron Norrie: These two players met twice last year on the hard courts and those matches were split one win each.

However, Alex Michelsen had clearly been the stronger player in both matches in Dallas and Delray Beach and was unfortunate to lose the first of those before beating Cameron Norrie the following week.

Both have produced similar levels on the hard courts in 2026 and there is likely to be little between them here.

A difference between the players is that Alex Michelsen has been slightly stronger behind the serve and Cameron Norrie has been a bit more effective returning.

Both played well in Indian Wells, but the head to head suggests the younger player deserves to be favourite and Alex Michelsen can do just enough to show that on the scoreboard.

Andrey Rublev - 2.5 games v Alejandro Tabilo: There is nothing wrong with Alejandro Tabilo on a hard court and his numbers are consistent, even if they are not spectacular.

The 28 year old is clearly more comfortable on the clay courts and has had mixed results on this surface in 2026, but he has been given plenty of respect from the layers in this Second Round match.

It has come as a surprise- yes, Andrey Rublev was beaten early in Indian Wells, but the World Number 16 has reached the Semi Final at three different hard court events this season.

Prior to the defeat in the Californian desert, Andrey Rublev had enjoyed the Middle East swing and he should still have some real confidence, even if he has not enjoyed playing in Miami in recent times.

The numbers have been pretty strong in 2026 and Rublev holds a hard court win over Alejandro Tabilo.

This should help him in getting back to winning ways in Miami and the Andrey Rublev serve, which is being held in 87% of games played, may just keep the pressure on his Chilean opponent.

Alejandro Tabilo is a lefty and his serve can be a big weapon on the hard courts, but Andrey Rublev looks a game or two light in the handicap market for this Second Round match and can be backed to cover.

MY PICKS: Mirra Andreeva - 5.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (1 Unit)

Alexandra Eala - 1.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Alex Michelsen - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 William Hill (1 Unit)

Andrey Rublev - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Karolina Muchova - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Miami Update: 8-2, + 5.41 Units (10 Units Staked, + 54.10% Yield)

Indian Wells Tennis Day 5 Picks 2026 (Sunday 8th March)

The time change in the United States means we are going to be seeing the Indian Wells tournament beginning an hour earlier in the United Kingdom than the opening four days at the event.

Fans of US Sport have to enjoy this brief period when the Eastern Time Zone is only four hours behind London time, especially as the UK clocks will not change for a couple of weeks.

It won't make picking winners any easier as the tournament moves into the Third Round, but there are four selections from the schedule with stronger matches now beginning to take place- this remains a big tournament with many considering that 'fifth Major', and having deep runs here is important for those looking to build their Ranking Points and improve potential Seeding spots for the clay court and grass court seasons soon coming up.

The Tennis Picks have been very mixed in the early part of the tournament, but there is plenty of time to get things back on track over the coming days.

Alexander Zverev - 3.5 games v Brandon Nakashima: Only one tournament has been played by Alexander Zverev since he was beaten in the Australian Open Semi Final and he barely made an impact in Acapulco.

You have to believe that Zverev is now at an age and a stage of his career where the Majors take on a lot more focus compared with the rest of the tournaments on the Tour, but he will still want to build some momentum ahead of the run into the clay court season. Two North American hard court events give him an opportunity, but Alexander Zverev knows that this is a potentially awkward Second Round match.

A win over Matteo Berrettini and in the fashion it was produced will certainly help Alexander Zverev settle into this tournament, but there will be ample respect for the opponent.

The World Number 30 reached the Semi Final in Acapulco last week, and Brandon Nakashima has come through a Second Round match without suffering too much.

He also reached the Final in a warm up tournament ahead of the Australian Open, although Nakashima will be very disappointed with his effort in Melbourne.

Brandon Nakashima has held 90% of his service games played on the hard courts this season, but that number has dipped to 80% when facing top 20 Ranked opponents. There has also been a vulnerability about his return performances, and that has really be exploited by the top players, which will give Alexander Zverev confidence.

Adding to that is the fact that Zverev has won all five previous matches against Brandon Nakashima and there has been a big advantage in favour of the German when it comes to the serving numbers.

Three of those wins have been on hard courts where Brandon Nakashima has held 71% of service games played compared with Alexander Zverev's 97% mark.

Even on a slower hard court, Alexander Zverev has the edge and he may do just enough to find the Breaks of serve needed to push clear of this handicap spread.

There have been a couple of disappointing losses on the Alexander Zverev ledger this year, but his numbers continue to be very strong on the hard courts.

Alexander Zverev has not always enjoyed his time in 'Tennis Paradise', but he should be unperturbed by the match up and that should help the World Number 4 settle for a solid win on the scoreboard.

Jakub Mensik - 1.5 games v Alejandro Davidovich Fokina: Both of these players are very comfortable on the hard courts and that makes this a fascinating Third Round match.

There are similarities with the level of performance that Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Jakub Mensik have produced on the hard courts, although the latter has surprisingly been the more effective return player.

This should be a key factor on the courts at Indian Wells and Jakub Mensik has been playing with real confidence even as he has taken on some of the stronger players on the Tour.

Unlike the 20 year old, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has had his problems when he has faced top 50 Ranked opponents on the hard courts. His service numbers have not been impacted too much in those matches, but the Spaniard has really had his problems when it comes to the return of serve and that could be a difference between the players in this Third Round contest.

You cannot overlook the match up here though- Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has won the last four between the players and three of those have been on the hard courts. The Spaniard dominated when the players met at the Canadian Masters in August in the lead up to the US Open, while he came from 2-0 down to beat Mensik at the Australian Open last year, and those have to be considered ahead of this Third Round match.

That does raise a couple of doubts, but the younger player still has room to grow and he may just have enough out of his return game to edge past Davidovich Fokina.

In the hard court matches, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has had a slight edge in terms of points won behind serve, but six months on from the last meeting, Jakub Mensik may just turn things around to a level where he can edge to the win.

MY PICKS: Alexander Zverev - 3.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Jakub Mensik - 1.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Amanda Anisimova - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Coco Gauff - 5.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Indian Wells Update: 4-5, - 1.85 Units (9 Units Staked, - 20.56% Yield)

Australian Open Tennis Day 5 Picks 2026 (Thursday 22nd January)

Six selections were made on Day 4 of the Australian Open and five of them returned as winners.

This can only be seen as a positive, but there is still a touch of frustration that Alexander Zverev was not able to make it a clean sweep having broken in the fourth set and twice had 15-40 positions on the Alexandre Muller serve.

Most irritating is that at least one of those Break/Match Points were saved through sheer luck on the part of the Frenchman, but Zverev will just be glad to be through and it would have stung much more if four of the other five selections had already returned on the wrong side.

Two strong days in four have really helped the Tennis Pick numbers, but this is a tournament that still has plenty of days remaining and nothing is decided about the final outcome after four of the fifteen days have been completed.

Day 5 is looking like being the busiest of the tournament so far with seven selections set to go and those can be seen below.

Ben Shelton - 6.5 games v Dane Sweeny: Losing confidence on a tennis court can see a career spiral and that is certainly what happened to Dane Sweeny.

The 24 year old Australian had slipped well outside the top 500 and that has meant scrambling and fighting to get back into a position, such as the one he enjoyed on Tuesday when upsetting veteran Gael Monfils in the First Round at his home Grand Slam.

This is the first time Dane Sweeny has won a main draw match at a Grand Slam, while credit has to be given to the player for first battling through Qualifying.

Winning matches has rebuilt the confidence, even if those were mainly on the lower circuit compared with the ATP Tour, and Dane Sweeny is going to be playing with a new career-high World Ranking at the end of this tournament. This should help in his bid to perhaps earn the right to play in bigger events, which in turn will help Sweeny improve the Ranking further, and there is nothing to lose ahead of this very tough Second Round match.

His opponent has played thirteen Grand Slam tournaments and Ben Shelton has made the Quarter Final four times, while two of the three previous appearances at the Australian Open have been very productive. On debut Shelton made the Quarter Final in 2023 and he was a Semi Finalist twelve months ago, while the American is looking a little better on the court having struggled for form after being forced to retire mid-match at the US Open back in September.

You know what to expect from Shelton- he has a monster serve and he will be looking to use that shot to keep the pressure on his inexperienced opponent, especially having seen Reilly Opelka do that against Dane Sweeny to very good effect earlier this month.

However, taking the next step in his career and winning a Major will depend on whether Ben Shelton can improve what is a vulnerable return game.

This is the kind of match in which Ben Shelton can perhaps exert his dominance a little more having broken in 30% of return games when playing those Ranked outside the top 100 compared with his overall 18% mark.

Dane Sweeny gave up 8 Break Points in the defeat to Reilly Opelka in a best of three set format and he may struggle to contain Ben Shelton, who will appreciate the atmosphere that will likely be generated by the home crowd.

A solid First Round win is expected to be backed up by Ben Shelton and he may just have too much know-how for the home player as he makes his way through to the Third Round.

Denis Shapovalov - 1.5 sets v Marin Cilic: Two former top ten Ranked players meet in the Second Round at the Australian Open after coming through opening matches with something to spare.

These days Denis Shapovalov is trying his best to get back into the top 20, while the veteran Marin Cilic is 37 years old and the World Number 70.

Marin Cilic is also a former US Open Champion and a beaten Finalist both at Wimbledon and right here at the Australian Open. He has reached the Fourth Round three times since the Final, but Marin Cilic has been dealing with injury in the latter part of his career and he had missed two of the last three Australian Open tournaments and had suffered a First Round defeat in the other.

He did not drop a game in the first two sets against Daniel Altmaier, but Marin Cilic has to expect this to be a much tougher match.

Prior to that victory, Marin Cilic had played ten matches against top 50 Ranked opponents on the hard courts over the last twelve months and had been beaten eight times. His numbers remain poor against the better players on the Tour, especially on this surface, and that is going to be a tough bridge to gap, even against someone who has been a little inconsistent as Denis Shapovalov has been.

The main reason Denis Shapovalov has been able to avoid slipping too far behind the top 20 in the World Rankings has been a solid year on the hard courts.

One of the main areas of improvement that were needed was on the return of serve and he showed some of that last season, while Denis Shapovalov has also made sure he has not been beaten too many times in matches that he should win.

In the last twelve months, the Canadian has won seventeen of twenty hard court matches played against opponents Ranked outside the top 50- his return numbers have been impressive in those matches and that may be the difference for Denis Shapovalov against this veteran.

They have not faced one another since August 2020 on the hard courts, but Denis Shapovalov won the last three between himself and Marin Cilic on this surface. He will have plenty of respect for the opponent standing across the net, but Shapovalov should be the stronger player at this stage of the respective careers and can find the tennis needed to secure passage in three or four sets.

Karen Khachanov - 4.5 games v Nishesh Basavareddy: This is a repeat of a First Round match from the US Open in August 2025 and it would be a surprise if Karen Khachanov is not able to frank that victory with another over Qualifier Nishesh Basavareddy.

The latter has already been a part of a viral moment at the 2026 Australian Open- during Qualifiers, his opponent celebrated after reaching 7 points in a final set tie-breaker, but had forgotten that it was a 'Super Tie-Breaker' and first to reach 10 points.

It clearly inspired Nishesh Basavareddy who fought back for the victory and made the 'choke' celebration when the win was confirmed.

Coming through three Qualifying matches will have given the 20 year old American a lot of confidence and he then spent over four hours on the court to get the better of his First Round opponent. That was a victory over an Australian, which will also have given Basavareddy confidence, but none of the opponents beaten in Melbourne have been Ranked inside the top 100 and this time the American faces the World Number 18.

There was nothing wrong with the numbers being produced by Karen Khachanov on the hard courts in 2025, but the 15-15 record was disappointing.

He has not been beaten before the Third Round at the Australian Open since 2018 and Karen Khachanov has previously reached the Semi Final at this opening Grand Slam.

Karen Khachanov has lost his last two matches on the hard courts when facing someone Ranked outside the top 100, but the last twelve months has seen him win many of those matches in confident style.

When he played Nishesh Basavareddy in New York City, Karen Khachanov was winning around 10% more points behind serve compared with his younger opponent and he has to believe he still has the power to dominate at times.

There is a big gap to bridge and Nishesh Basavareddy lost all five matches on the hard courts against top 50 Ranked opponents over the last twelve months- in those, Basavareddy has held just 56% of service games played, while also struggling on the return, and you have to think that Karen Khachanov will eventually wear down the younger player in this best of five set format.

Jessica Pegula - 4.5 games v McCartney Kessler: Her family own the Buffalo Bills and some are wondering if that team have had their Super Bowl window close after the latest Playoff defeat- the question for Jessica Pegula is whether she can at least keep her Grand Slam window open a little longer at almost 32 years old.

The American is still the World Number 6, but it does feel like the WTA Tour has at least one or two players that will have too much for Jessica Pegula at the business end of the biggest events over the next few months.

A Semi Final run in the warm up to the Australian Open will have given Pegula some confidence and she was a strong winner in the First Round. It is important to keep something in the tank for later in the event and Jessica Pegula will feel pretty confident with the match up that has been presented to her in the next Round.

McCartney Kessler is a potentially dangerous opponent, and she is very comfortable on the hard courts, but she was beaten pretty comfortably against Madison Keys in the warm up to the Australian Open.

However, Kessler has shown that she can compete with the very best players on the Tour on the hard courts with her 4-6 record against top 20 players over the last twelve months to be respected. Six months ago she reached the top 30 for the first time and McCartney Kessler has a serve that can put opponents under significant pressure when she is feeling at her best.

There is room for improvement on the return of serve, and this Jessica Pegula serve is an underrated part of her game.

When these two players met in the Austin Final in February 2025, Jessica Pegula showed she had a bit more from her serve compared with McCartney Kessler and that may be the case when they meet again in Melbourne.

At 26 years old, it does feel like there is more to come from McCartney Kessler who has win overs Coco Gauff and Mirra Andreeva on the hard courts in 2025. That will earn her plenty of respect, but Pegula should have the experience to ride out some of the tougher moments within the match and ultimately come through with a solid win on the scoreboard.

MY PICKS: Ben Shelton - 6.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet365 (2 Units)

Denis Shapovalov - 1.5 Sets @ 2.30 Coral (2 Units)

Karen Khachanov - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet365 (2 Units)

Jessica Pegula - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Coral (2 Units)

Belinda Bencic - 5.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet365 (2 Units)

Anna Kalinskaya - 5.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Amanda Anisimova - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Coral (2 Units)

Australian Open Update: 12-5, + 10.48 Units (34 Units Staked, + 30.82% Yield)

US Open Tennis Day 5 Picks 2025 (Thursday 28th August)

The withdrawal of Jack Draper has removed a genuine contender to win the US Open, but in the main the draw has avoided the big upsets that have come to be associated with the final Grand Slam of the season.

Most are building up nicely towards the second week, although there continue to be some concerns around Novak Djokovic who dropped a set in the Second Round before rallying. Even at 100%, you would make Djokovic third favourite behind the top two in the World Rankings, but if he is limited, it makes it almost impossible to believe that arguably the greatest player of all time will have enough to beat a number of the best players to earn a twenty-fifth Grand Slam title.

We move onto Day 5 at the tournament and that is the conclusion of the Second Round.

After the disappointment of Day 3, the Tennis Picks bounced back with five winners from seven selections made on Day 4 and that has pushed the totals up again.

The next set of selections are focusing on the men's tournament and those can be read below.

Tommy Paul - 5.5 games v Nuno Borges: It is easy to fly under the radar a little bit as an American player when you know the headlines are being made by the likes of Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton and Coco Gauff, but Tommy Paul is the World Number 14 and has shown plenty of his own ability on the Tour.

He has made the Quarter Final in Melbourne, Paris and London in his career and went a step further at the Australian Open in 2023.

However, Tommy Paul will be well aware that to get real notice in his home country that he has to have a big impact at the US Open and he has yet to progress past the Fourth Round here. In each of the last two seasons, Tommy Paul's run in New York City has ended in that Round, but having others take the early headlines does allow him to perform without the same sort of pressure that the 'bigger' names will have to deal with.

He only played in Cincinnati in preparation for the US Open and Tommy Paul won one match and lost another, but he was a strong winner in the First Round under the lights.

Next up is a match against Nuno Borges who has proven to be a stubborn player to beat, but one that has struggled for consistency in recent times.

Despite that, Nuno Borges does come into the US Open as the World Number 41 and so this is a tough Second Round match considering a few more wins might have seen the Portuguese player Seeded at the tournament. However, Nuno Borges failed to put significant runs together during this latest hard court swing and had lost three matches ina. row in Toronto, Cincinnati and Winston Salem before comfortably dismissing Brandon Holt in the First Round.

Nuno Borges has a 2-5 record on the hard courts when facing a player Ranked higher than himself in 2025, but he did take a set from Carlos Alcaraz at the Australian Open. He has tended to serve well enough to build some scoreboard pressure, but this is a match up that should very much favour Tommy Paul as long as he can retaun focus on his own serve.

Over the course of the year, Tommy Paul has been getting a bit more out of his serve compared with this opponent, but the real difference is how they have performed on the return of serve. This is a crucial factor in favour of the home player and Tommy Paul may have enough in his overall tennis to earn a win and a cover of this handicap line.

Lorenzo Musetti - 6.5 games v David Goffin: He will turn 35 years old later in the year and there has to bea huge amount of respect for the career that David Goffin has forged for himself, even if it feels like he is very much coming to the end of that.

A former top ten Ranked player, David Goffin enters the US Open as the World Number 80.

He reached four Grand Slam Quarter Finals during his career, but it cannot be ignored that the last of those was in July 2022 and the best Slam performance since then is reaching the Third Round. At his best, David Goffin's movement was a real challenge for opponents, but that also meant his best was on the other surfaces rather than the hard courts and the Belgian has yet to make it to a Quarter Final in New York City.

Very little form was shown ahead of the US Open- David Goffin played four tournaments and was beaten in the opening match each time, while losses to the likes of Sebastian Baez and Pedro Martinez on this surface will have really hurt. The numbers have been pretty poor this season as far as the hard courts go and David Goffin may find it tough to stick with Lorenzo Musetti.

The Italian is the World Number 10, although the match up with David Goffin is not one that will overwhelm the veteran.

Long rallies are to be expected, but Lorenzo Musetti's freshness is crucial and he has previously beaten David Goffin in New York City. That was back in 2022 and there is no doubt that Musetti has improved, while Goffin has declined, since they last played one another here.

Last year, David Goffin did beat Lorenzo Musetti at the Shanghai Masters so he cannot be dismissed, although it is the higher Ranked player who is getting a bit more out of his serve and is the superior return player at this stage of their careers.

Lorenzo Musetti came through an awkward First Round match in impressive fashion, although he has yet to really show his best in the Grand Slams played in Australian and the United States. This may change over the course of this tournament and the expectation out of this match is that Musetti can rack up the breaks of serve which eventually will pull him past what is a big line on paper.

David Goffin has played some of his best tennis on the hard courts in 2025 when facing the best- he pushed Carlos Alcaraz very hard at the Indian Wells Masters in March- but the form this summer has been very disappointing and that may show up on the scoreboard of this Second Round match.

Alexander Zverev - 6.5 games v Jacob Fearnley: 2025 will have felt like the first real tear on the Tour as far as Jacob Fearnley is concerned, despite the huge leap in the World Rankings made in 2024.

However, that was a time when the British player was really fighting it through a lower level than the main Tour and this is the first year that Jacob Fearnley has been Ranked high enough to earn direct entry into the Grand Slam events. He has taken advatnage by reaching the Third Round at the Australian Open and Jacob Fearnley also won matches at the French Open.

Like many American players, Jacob Fearnley has taken the College route into the pro Tour and was playing with the TCU Horned Frogs to build up his experience. That should mean he is pretty accustomed to the North American hard courts and getting the better of a veteran in the First Round will certainly provide confidence.

The New York City crowd can get a little rowdy, especially late into the evening, and so Jacob Fearnley has done really well to get the better of Roberto Bautista Agut.

He had not shown a lot of form in the lead up to the US Open though and Fearnley will be wella ware of the kind of challenges he will face in this Second Round match.

It was Alexander Zverev who beat Jacob Fearnley at the Australian Open in January and the World Number 3 was also a convincing winner over this opponent at the Miami Masters.

Semi Final runs at both Masters events in Canada and Cincinnati in preparation for the US Open shows that Alexander Zverev's game is in good shape and he is a former Finalist at the US Open. In fact this remains the Major he came closest to winning in his career and the German is very comfortable in the conditions at Flushing Meadows, which makes him a strong favourite in this match.

The overall hard court numbers have been impressive as far as Alexander Zverev is concerned and he can only take further confidence from the way he has dealt with Jacob Fearnley in the two hard court meetings in 2025. There has been a big difference in the quality of serving taken onto the court and Alexander Zverev should be able to maintain the momentum behind the returning numbers in the head to head.

Jacob Fearnley will want to show how much he has learned from the two losses to this opponent, but he will need to find a significant improvement in level. That seems unlikely and the World Number 3 can earn the breaks of serve to move into a position to put a dominant win on the scoreboard.

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 1.5 sets v Daniel Altmaier: The fourth set was harder than it needed to be when Stefanos Tsitsipas missed six opportunities to move a double-break clear, and then dropped serve immediately. It meant having to come through a tie-breaker, but that may actually benefit a player who has been short of confidence and just act as a reminder of the talent he does possess.

The World Ranking has been trending south, but Stefanos Tsitsipas has a chance to turn things around having been beaten in the First Round at the US Open last year.

There are still some doubts about Stefanos Tsitsipas and where his confidence is right now, but he should have all of the qualities needed to beat Daniel Altmaier in this Second Round match.

The World Number 56 had been showing little form in the lead up to the US Open and had won two and lost five of the matches played across five different tournaments. With that in mind, not many would have picked Daniel Altmaier to even make it through to the Second Round and so credit has to be given to him for winning in five sets having dug deep for almost five hours on the court.

One day of rest should be enough for Daniel Altmaier to recover, but there is no doubt that he is going to have left something out on the court in the First Round.

He serves well enough to at least give a limited returner like Stefanos Tsitsipas something to think about, but, just like the First Round opponent faced by the Greek player, you do have to wonder if Daniel Altmaier's return game is good enough. In 2025 on this surface, Altmaier is winning just 35% of return points played, and he may struggled to get much joy out of the serve he is facing on Day 5 at the US Open.

That was the case in their sole previous meeting at the French Open in 2024 and the faster surfaces at the US Open are not expected to make things any easier for the lower Ranked player.

Like in the First Round, the expectation is that Stefanos Tsitsipas' serve is the difference maker between the players and a potentially fatigued opponent may struggle to win more than a set.

Karen Khachanov - 5.5 games v Kamil Majchrzak: This is a selection where the hope was that a market would be released to back Karen Khachanov to win by either three or four sets.

Instead the layers seem to be on top of the dominance that Karen Khachanov has enjoyed against this opponent and he should have enough tools to win this one convincingly too.

Karen Khachanov has beaten Kamil Majchrzak at both the French Open and Wimbledon in the past with the latter win coming in the tournament last month.

The service numbers in the four meetings on the Tour are heavily skewed in favour of the World Number 9, while the performances in the lead up to the US Open have also impressed. There is no doubt that Karen Khachanov is playing with a lot of confidence right now and that will make it very tough on Kamil Majchrzak to turn things around in the head to head.

Kamil Majchrzak has had some successes on the hard courts this year, but those have largely been at Challenger level and this is only the third match against a top 100 Ranked opponent on the surface in 2025. He is 1-1 in those previous matches with both being played in Winston Salem last week, but this is a big step up and Majchrzak has not enjoyed the match up.

He should be able to serve well enough to be competitive in a set, but Karen Khachanov will be confident he can deal with what's coming and the top ten Ranked player can find a way to grind down this opponent and move clear of the handicap line.

MY PICKS: Tommy Paul - 5.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Lorenzo Musetti - 6.5 Games @ 1.70 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Alexander Zverev - 6.5 Games @ 1.72 William Hill (2 Units)

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 1.5 Sets @ 1.66 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Karen Khachanov - 5.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (2 Units)

US Open Update: 12-4, + 11.84 Units (31 Units Staked, + 38.19% Yield)