US Open Day 6 Tennis Picks 2026 (Friday 4th September)

The US Open continues into the Third Round over the next couple of days and the tournament is back on track after the rain delays earlier in the week.

Another potentially wet week is coming up, but two courts with a roof should make sure the tournament is completed on time and without too much impact on the schedule of the Singles players hoping to pick up titles next weekend.

Frances Tiafoe - 1.5 sets v Valentin Vacherot: Despite two 2026 Grand Slam Champions still being involved in the draw at the US Open, there is still a feeling that the Men's tournament remains wide open.

Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev will be the favourites with the layers, but a number of players have to be competing in New York City filled with belief that they can become a Major Champion.

Both of those players mentioned will receive plenty of support, but the American audience is always ready to get behind the home players and Frances Tiafoe is about as popular as any of his compatriots. The World Number 12 reached the Final at the Cincinnati Masters and has managed to come through the opening two Rounds at the US Open by winning some key points at critical times.

He will appreciate winning the Second Round match in straight sets having needed all five sets to come through the opening match and Frances Tiafoe is comfortable in this setting where his best Grand Slam results have been produced. Two Semi Final runs and a Quarter Final in between will give Frances Tiafoe plenty of confidence even if his 2025 US Open ended at this Third Round stage.

Frances Tiafoe will grind for everything he earns and he will need to dig in against Valentin Vacherot who has produced some solid hard court numbers in the previous two years.

Injury has been a factor in the slight slide out of the top 20 in the World Rankings, but Valentin Vacherot has won a couple of matches at the US Open to pick up some vital Ranking Points ahead of a big defence of the Shanghai Masters title won last year. This run has been relatively unexpected considering Vacherot had lost his opening match at both Montreal and Cincinnati and he is going to have to find a way to get himself into return games to see if he can put pressure on the home player.

Valentin Vacherot's two wins in this tournament have been against players Ranked 84 and 73 and this is a big step up compared to that level of opponent.

He has a serve that can cause problems for any opponent as everyone found out in Shanghai last year, but Frances Tiafoe can battle and dig and eventually he should have enough to move through in three or four sets in this Third Round match.

Jiri Lehecka - 1.5 sets v Stefanos Tsitsipas: Earlier this season, Jiri Lehecka reached the Miami Masters Final, but he has not had a lot of consistent success on the hard courts in 2026. Even in the build up to the US Open, Jiri Lehecka reached the Fourth Round in Montreal and was beaten in the Third Round in Cincinnati, but the World Number 19 has won his two matches in New York City without being pushed too hard.

With that said, Jiri Lehecka will know that the next opponent may be Ranked outside of the top 50, but one who has reached the Semi Final on three different occasions at the Australian Open.

Unfortunately for Stefanos Tsitsipas, his hard court Grand Slam level at the US Open is considerably poorer than the one he has managed to put together in Melbourne, and reaching the Third Round is as good as it has gotten in New York City.

He is back in the Third Round after an upset over Arthur Fils and then being able to back that up by beating Lloyd Harris in the Second Round. Stefanos Tsitsipas is another who had been struggling for consistent form in the build up to the US Open, although his issues have been season-long which has contributed to the slip down the World Rankings.

Both Jiri Lehecka and Stefanos Tsitsipas are going to be well aware that they need to serve well in this match- this has been the basis of any hard court success they have had this season.

However, the key to the outcome of this match is whether Stefanos Tsitsipas can maintain a solid return game, which has been a struggle all year. The win over Arthur Fils will give him confidence, but Tsitsipas has only broken in 13% of return games played against top 50 Ranked opponents on the hard courts before this tournament began.

Jiri Lehecka has an aggressive return game and he should have the edge on the return, while the last two meetings between these two players were back in 2024 when Stefanos Tsitsipas was Ranked considerably higher.

Those Rankings have flipped now and Jiri Lehecka will take confidence from having won the previous two matches against Stefanos Tsitsipas and doing so in pretty dominant style.

Pressure will have ramped up with a place in the second week on the line, but Jiri Lehecka can find a way to edge through some tight sets and eventually move into the Fourth Round with a win in three or four sets.

Carlos Alcaraz - 7.5 games v Yibing Wu: It is never going to be easy facing someone who has such a big game as Jaime Faria and Yibing Wu will know exactly how Carlos Alcaraz was feeling seeing as he lost a Second Qualifying Round match against Faria at the Cincinnati Masters.

The defending Champion took a bit of time to find his feet, but he cruised through the next three sets having dropped the opener and Carlos Alcaraz looks about as good as could be hoped after the long layoff from the Tour.

He will also be pretty happy that this little section of the draw has opened up and Carlos Alcaraz is going to be a big favourite to win this Third Round match. Playing at a high level at a Grand Slam event is something we have become very accustomed to seeing from the Spaniard and he has won the last two hard court Majors and that will give Alcaraz real aura any time he steps onto the court.

Yibing Wu has won back to back matches in straight sets, which will have given him a huge amount of confidence, although he will note that this is a significantly tougher challenge than those faced in the previous two Rounds. Neither opponent beaten has been Ranked inside the top 70, although both above Wu himself, and now the World Number 113 has to step up and take on a multiple time Slam Winner.

He had shown little form ahead of the US Open with a Second Round run in a Challenger event and then failing to Qualify for the Cincinnati Masters. An opening Round defeat in Winston Salem has just underlined where Yibing Wu is with his tennis and it is going to take a special effort to keep this one competitive.

Some heart can be taken from the fact that Yibing Wu pushed Carlos Alcaraz when they met at the Shanghai Masters in 2024, but there will be a different intensity about meeting the World Number 3 in a Grand Slam event.

Yibing Wu has struggled to earn breaks of serve when facing some of the top players on the Tour on the hard courts and his own serve. has not been nearly as effective as he would have hoped.

Over this format, you have to believe Carlos Alcaraz can turn the screw as he has been able to do in the Second Round and he may just find the breaks needed to secure a cover of this handicap mark set.

MY PICKS: Frances Tiafoe - 1.5 Sets @ 2.10 William Hill (2 Units)

Jiri Lehecka - 1.5 Sets @ 2.00 William Hill (2 Units)

Carlos Alcaraz - 7.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (2 Units)

Alexander Bublik-Tommy Paul Over 39.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Elina Svitolina - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Karolina Muchova - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Diana Shnaider - 2.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (2 Units)

US Open Update: 14-7, + 8.76 Units (42 Units Staked, + 20.86% Yield)

World Matchplay Darts Day 6 Picks 2026 (Thursday 23rd July)

You can only hope that Cameron Menzies has not suffered a serious illness after he was forced to withdraw from his Second Round match after just three Legs had been completed.

He looked fine after taking the lead with a winning double in the third Leg, but suddenly had a bout of dizziness on the stage and it was soon announced that Menzies was not going to be able to continue.

Ross Smith moves through, but the thoughts of all of the peers would have been with Cameron Menzies who had produced a big win in the First Round and who has been in decent form over the last few weeks as he finally looked to be fulfilling some of the potential.

The show had to go on at the World Matchplay and the Quarter Final line up has been set.

The top half of the draw will be in action on Thursday with the format now expanded to a best of thirty-one contest and that also means a slightly later start to the session. It will then be the turn of the bottom half on Friday before the Semi Final and Final is completed over the course of the weekend.

After this weekend is completed, the PDC Tour moves into a slight hiatus- there are two Players Championship events to be played next week, but then the World Series takes over with back to back Masters events Down Under in Australia and New Zealand in consecutive weeks.

Once again a couple of Players Championship tournaments will be played before the next European Tour event at the Hungarian Darts Trophy at the end of August.

It should mean all eight players left in the World Matchplay can be completely focused on the task in front of them and that is winning one of the big Majors on the Tour and we should have a decent four days of Darts left in Blackpool.

Gary Anderson - 2.5 legs v Dirk van Duijvenbode: All credit has to be given to Dirk van Duijvenbode for the way he handled the pressure as Michael van Gerwen pushed him into extra Legs for a second match in a row.

Once again Dirk van Duijvenbode found a way, much as he did in the First Round against Chris Dobey, and this is a player who has found plenty of heavy scoring.

This makes him dangerous, while van Duijvenbode is also hitting his doubles at a decent rate.

However, Dirk van Duijvenbode will be aware that he may need to be even better if he is going to upset Gary Anderson who has been far too good for Ryan Joyce and Jonny Clayton.

Gary Anderson has not been at his absolute best, but he has been piling up big scores and has looked very comfortable when it comes to finishing off Legs and The Flying Scotsman remains a very strong player. The question is how will his darts hold up the longer he has to stay on the stage and this is a best of thirty-one Quarter Final, but Anderson has not had as many dips as Dirk van Duijvenbode and that can ultimately make the difference in the match.

When they met at the UK Open, Gary Anderson was a little too strong for Dirk van Duijvenbode and that may be the case when they meet in Blackpool in a big Quarter Final.

Luke Littler over 11.5 180s v Josh Rock: The layers are not anticipating a lot of resistance from Josh Rock in this World Matchplay Quarter Final, but that does feel like it is a little harsh on the Northern Irishman.

He has not hit the heights of 2025, but Josh Rock has given Luke Littler something to think about in meetings in 2026 and that has to give him some encouragment.

Of course it should be stated that not many are going to be able to live with the standards Luke Littler has produced in the first two Rounds as he looks to defend the title won last year. Nathan Aspinall averaged over 100 and yet it never felt like he was going to beat Luke Littler, who averaged over 113 to follow up his First Round 109+ average.

The World Number 1 can blitz past any opponent that stands in front of him and there is the feeling that there will be at least one session that ends in a whitewash and Luke Littler should be good enough to move into the Semi Final again.

That means getting to at least sixteen Legs and Luke Littler has been absolutely spot on his rhythm when it comes to attacking the treble 20- backing that up is the fact he hit one nine darter and missed a double for a second in his Second Round win.

Luke Littler has won twenty-one Legs in this tournament and he has thrown twenty-one maximums, while he had nine in twenty Legs when these two met at the UK Open earlier this year.

The top Seed has looked so much more comfortable here though and Littler can produce at least twelve maximums in this Quarter Final contest.

MY PICKS: Gary Anderson - 2.5 Legs @ 1.72 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Luke Littler Over 11.5 180s @ 2.10 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

World Matchplay: 9-12, - 1.90 Units (21 Units Staked, - 9.05% Yield)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 6 Picks 2026 (Saturday 4th July)

The second week of the 2026 Wimbledon tournament will be put together by the end of play on Saturday and once again there are some decent matches heading out onto the courts.

However, it has also been noted by those paying the big entry prices for Centre Court that there is an element of disappointment with the matches scheduled and there will always be frustration when you consider the pricing structure at this Grand Slam event.

Despite those criticisms, it should be a good day of action as the Third Round is concluded.

Alex De Minaur - 6.5 games v Zachary Svajda: Seven times Alex De Minaur has played in a Grand Slam Quarter Final and he is yet to breakthrough and reach a maiden Semi Final, but he may not have a better chance than at Wimbledon in 2026.

Like many players out of Australia, Alex De Minaur is comfortable on the grass courts and his Quarter of the 2026 draw has already lost the one and only player Ranked higher than himself. Of course that does increase the pressure on a player, especially one that has been desperate to make that breakthrough at Grand Slam level, but Alex De Minaur has strolled through the opening two matches at the tournament and will be earning plenty of support from those in the crowd who will be aware of his connections with British player Katie Boulter.

The first set of the tournament was a tough one, but the scheduling may be to blame after Alex De Minaur entered the court moments after Boulter had been beaten.

However, he has not looked back since that moment and all six sets that have been played in this Grand Slam have been won, while the last five of those have been in largely controlled manner.

Next up is the World Number 66 in Zachary Svajda who reached a career best World Ranking mark after the French Open was completed, but who is still learning his trade on the grass. The American had played five grass court matches in warm up tournaments before Wimbledon begun, but Zachary Svajda had lost three of those in straight sets and there would have not been a huge amount of expectation on his shoulders.

That being said, credit has to be given to Zachary Svajda who upset Kamil Majchrzak in the Second Round having rallied from 2-1 behind in sets to win. It will certainly help that the Second Round win did not hit three hours on the clock so there is no concern about the fitness levels after playing all five sets in this format, but this is another step up in level and that is the bigger test for the lower Ranked player.

Zachary Svajda did win the ATP title in Newport, which is played on the grass in the week after Wimbledon, and he had success at Challenger level last year on this surface, but he did not beat anyone Ranked higher than Number 96 in 2025.

His wins in this tournament are more impressive, but it should be noted that Zachary Svajda has struggled in the step up and that could be the case against a confident grass court player in Alex De Minaur.

The form ahead of this Grand Slam was strong enough to retain confidence in the World Number 6 and Alex De Minaur may be able to extend enough rallies to wear down Zachary Svajda over the course of a couple of hours, which should lead to a cover of this Handicap mark set.

Grigor Dimitrov-Matteo Berrettini over 41.5 games: Two veterans of the Tour are looking for one more big run at Wimbledon and time is perhaps running out for both Grigor Dimitrov and Matteo Berrettini.

Injuries have been a big factor in closing the window, but both are prying it open in 2026 and these two are a former Semi Finalist (Dimitrov) and former Finalist (Berrettini) at Wimbledon and that has to be respected. Grass remains one of the outliers in terms of surface compared with the hard courts and clay courts and this is a Grand Slam that always feels like a limited number of potential winners when the tournament begins.

Both Grigor Dimitrov and Matteo Berrettini will believe they are potential winners, even if there are a few names that will be higher on the list. They have both eliminated top 20 Seeds in the Second Round to open up this section and there is no doubt that Grigor Dimitrov and Matteo Berrettini have the confident serving that could take them very deep into this event, especially from the open looking bottom half of the draw.

Serving well is key to the outcome of this good looking Third Round match.

Neither player is the most convincing returner on the Tour, but that does place extra pressure on making sure the serving deliveries are up to full standard and it was the key when Matteo Berrettini last played, and beat, Grigor Dimitrov on the Tour on the hard courts of Vienna back in 2019.

Plenty has changed for both players since then, but the serve remains a key element to the tennis being played and that is expected to be the case on Saturday.

Grigor Dimitrov has only dropped one set in the tournament, while Matteo Berrettini has needed four sets in both the First and Second Round wins.

The expectation here is that we will need tie-breakers to separate them in at least two of the sets that will be needed to be played, while the two players are operating at a level where they will believe they can edge past the other. If there was a gun to the head to pick a winner, the lean would have to be with Matteo Berrettini and that serve, but Grigor Dimitrov is more than capable of rolling through the service games too and any four set match would likely give them enough room to surpass this total games line, while a fifth set should see the total fly past the number that has been set.

Alexander Zverev - 6.5 games v Marcos Giron: After battling through the First Round, Alexander Zverev made much more comfortable work of the Second Round victory over Valentin Royer and the confidence is clearly soaring. Winning his first Grand Slam title will have done Alexander Zverev the world of good and he stated that there is a possibility for him to win Wimbledon, which should not be a surprise for the Number 2 Seed and a player on the other side of the draw to main rivals Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic.

Overlooking any opponent and thinking about the Final would be a mistake, but Alexander Zverev is going to be pretty happy with this Third Round match.

His opponent is 32 year old American Marcos Giron who was once the World Number 37, but who has dropped down to World Number 92 right now. The two wins in this draw will have just reversed that trend, but there is no doubt that Marcos Giron may have seen that his best tennis behind him, while he has lost all four previous matches against Alexander Zverev, including a big loss in Halle on the grass courts just thirteen months ago.

These two have also met at Wimbledon two years ago in the Second Round and Alexander Zverev won very convincingly in that one too and so he will be feeling pretty confident about his chances of progressing.

Marcos Giron had a 3-5 record on the grass courts before Wimbledon began, but he has placed two solid victories on the board and that has to be respected. He also held 84% of service games played in those warm up tournaments, but there is a pressure on the 32 year old to not only serve well, but find a way to threaten the Alexander Zverev serve which has been operating at a high level in recent weeks.

In Halle last month, Alexander Zverev was winning 76% of his service points played, although he is another player that has not always gotten to grips with the return of serve on this surface. That was evident in the win over Alexander Blockx in the First Round, but the Number 2 Seed looked much more comfortable in the Second Round and the head to head with Marcos Giron simply cannot be ignored.

Not only has Alexander Zverev broken in 38% of return games against Marcos Giron overall, but that number is stunningly up at 50% in the two grass court matches, which underlines the one sided nature of the final scoreboard.

While it is unlikely to be as easy as that again, Alexander Zverev does have all of the qualities needed to make sure he makes serene progress into the second week at this Grand Slam and he can cover this Handicap that has been set for the Third Round match.

MY PICKS: Alex De Minaur - 6.5 Games @ 1.95 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Grigor Dimitrov-Matteo Berrettini Over 41.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Alexander Zverev - 6.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Zizou Bergs-Arthur Fery Over 39.5 Games @ 2.00 William Hill (2 Units)

Emma Navarro @ 2.10 William Hill (2 Units)

Elena Rybakina - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Wimbledon Update: 26-23, - 5.58 Units (96 Units Staked, - 5.81% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 6 Picks 2026 (Friday 29th May)

It felt unlikely that a higher Seed than Elena Rybakina would drop out of the French Open before the end of the first week, but the incredibly hot conditions ended up being a huge factor in Jannik Sinner's demise at the tournament.

At 6-3, 6-2, 5-1, the top Seed looked to be making routine progress into the Third Round.

Suddenly the heat got on top of him as Jannik Sinner mentioned feeling dizzy and sick and he then lost 18 of the next 20 games to be dumped out of a tournament in which he was a clear favourite after Carlos Alcaraz was unable to travel to Paris.

At the start of the tournament, it felt like the Women's Tournament was wide open, but the Men's now feels the exact same way.

Alexander Zverev will be favourite, but there is going to be a huge amount of pressure on all those competing knowing the opportunity that has come up and the bottom half of the draw looks much tougher to negotiate than the top.

The remaining ten days at this event are going to be fascinating.

It was not a very good day at all for the Tennis Picks- a couple were simply poor selections, while one retirement and a player losing their way in the second set after taking the opener contributed to a poor day in the office.

Overall the French Open remains in a positive position, but Friday is about bouncing back as the Third Round gets underway.

Rafael Jodar - 5.5 games v Alex Michelsen: The inspiration of Rafael Nadal means the top Spanish players are no longer considered clay court specialists, but capable of performing on all surfaces on the Tour.

Carlos Alcaraz has taken up the baton from Nadal, but he is missing at the French Open in 2026 and the Spanish media will be very much focusing on Rafael Jodar, the teenager who has enjoyed a really strong clay court season in the build up to Roland Garros.

It has been such a strong build up that Rafael Jodar has moved from World Number 89 in early April to one of the Seeding positions at the French Open. He is very confident on the hard courts too, but the clay is where he has made his move on the Tour and Rafael Jodar has to believe that the minimum expectation at this Grand Slam is reaching the Quarter Final.

Some will think that is overconfidence from someone who is playing in just his second Grand Slam tournament, but Rafael Jodar won a title in Marrakech before reaching the Semi Final in Barcelona and the Quarter Final at back to back ATP 1000 events in Madrid and Rome.

Suffice to say, he is feeling pretty good about his tennis and Rafael Jodar has dropped a single set through the first two Rounds.

There is an argument to be made that Rafael Jodar made life a little more difficult in the Second Round than he perhaps should have, but winning breeds confidence and no one should be surprised that he has been set as a big favourite in this Third Round match.

All credit has to be given to Alex Michelsen for finding his way through to the Third Round and the American could soon return to being a Seed at Grand Slam events having reached World Number 30 back in July last year. These days he is the World Number 42, which makes Michelsen one of those awkward early Round opponents that Seeds could run into, but he is at his most vulnerable on the clay courts.

The two wins at the French Open have been against the World Number 88 in the First Round and then the World Number 148 in the Second Round and the early loss for Taylor Fritz has opened things up for Alex Michelsen. Prior to the French Open, Alex Michelsen had compiled a 4-6 record on the clay courts and a player who is reliant on his serve finds it hard to deal with a 72% hold rate on the red dirt.

He wants to be aggressive, but that is not the right way to approach clay court tennis and it has put Alex Michelsen under pressure to deliver on the return, which is still a developing part of his game.

This is expected to play out in this Third Round match in Paris on Friday and Rafael Jodar should have a bit too much know-how on this surface for Alex Michelsen.

Rafael Jodar is 16-1 when facing opponents outside of the top 20 in the World Rankings on the clay courts this season- in the fifteen matches played before the French Open, Rafael Jodar has held 86% of service games in that situation and broken in 37% of return games and that is a level that should break down Alex Michelsen in this best of five set format and give the Spaniard every opportunity of covering a wide spread.

Alex De Minaur - 5.5 games v Jakub Mensik: These two players had extremely different experiences in the French Open Second Round and it is Alex De Minaur who HAS to be in better shape going into the Third Round.

The Australian received a Walkover into the Third Round, while opponent Jakub Mensik had to battle for twenty minutes shy of five hours to eventually prevail in five sets... That alone would not be an issue this early into a Grand Slam tournament, but Jakub Mensik was playing in incredibly hot conditions and had to be taken off in a wheelchair at the conclusion of the match.

Earlier in the week, Casper Ruud came through a five setter and won his next match having described himself as a 'zombie' on the court in what have been crazy conditions in Paris. At 20 years old, Jakub Mensik is likely to have pretty good recovery and he has admitted that he felt much better having spent some time off of a court that had almost no shade from the blistering heat of Wednesday.

On Friday it is expected to still be very humid in Paris, but overcast conditions may help- the sun beating down on anybody makes a big difference and so Jakub Mensik is going to feel he is ready to compete.

A bigger challenge is the opponent who reached the Semi Final in Hamburg and Alex De Minaur made pretty comfortable work of Toby Samuel in his sole match at the French Open. The Australian is unsurprisingly happier on the faster surfaces of the Tour, but over the last couple of years, Alex De Minaur has shown he can battle on the clay and his speed and effort around the courts will make it tough for any opponent to break him down.

Prior to the French Open, Jakub Mensik was only holding a 3-3 record on the clay in the lead up to the second Grand Slam of the season. The World Number 27 does bring a dangerous serve into play, but you do have to wonder if there is not going to be some impact on his ability to show patience that may be needed to break down Alex De Minaur.

Jakub Mensik is much happier on the hard courts, but he has lost all five previous matches against Alex De Minaur and all of that surface, which should aid his game more than the clay courts.

They have played nine completed sets against one another and Alex De Minaur has won eight of those, including a straight sets win at the United Cup leading up to the Australian Open earlier this season.

A statistic that is almost certainly going to end in this Third Round match is the fact that Alex De Minaur has NEVER been broken by Jakub Mensik- on a clay court, that is close to impossible to happen again.

However, it does tell you that the match up is pretty good in favour of the higher Ranked player and Alex De Minaur has also broken in 26% of return games played and on faster surfaces. Any time the World Number 7 sees the second serve, Alex De Minaur is going to feel he can win the rallies and the extra strength he should have in this Third Round match is likely going to be a critical factor as he looks to move past Jakub Mensik in a good looking contest.

MY PICKS: Rafael Jodar - 5.5 Games @ 1.60 William Hill (2 Units)

Alex De Minaur - 5.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Andrey Rublev - 1.5 Sets @ 1.66 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Karen Khachanov - 1.5 Sets @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Belinda Bencic - 4.5 Games @ 2.05 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Sorana Cirstea - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

French Open Update: 11-7, + 3.80 Units (34 Units Staked, + 11.18% Yield)

Miami Tennis Day 6 Picks 2026 (Sunday 22nd March)

The conditions have meant a lot of tennis has been loaded into the last couple of days at the Miami Open, but the tournament should feel like it is back on track.

We have another relatively busy schedule, but there is only one selection that has come to the fore and that can be read below.

Arthur Fils - 1.5 games v Stefanos Tsitsipas: These two players have met four times on the Tour and it is Arthur Fils who has managed to work his way past Stefanos Tsitsipas each time- one of those wins was when the latter had to retire very early in the match, but the other three victories have been completed with a Match Point converted and that will give Fils plenty of confidence.

The first two wins were secured on the hard courts, although the last of those matches was at the back end of the 2024 season.

However, it was a time when Stefanos Tsitsipas was the higher Ranked player and at a time when Arthur Fils was still building his way up the World Rankings.

The last twelve months have been very difficult for Stefanos Tsitsipas and he entered the Miami Masters the World Number 51 and had lost three matches in a row. He has won consecutive matches in this tournament, which is only the second time Tsitsipas has managed that in a main Tour event in 2026, while he should take confidence from the Second Round victory over Alex De Minaur.

That has been a match up that has been heavily in Stefanos Tsitsipas' favour and so there is a different mental challenge ahead of this Third Round match.

Arthur Fils has been in fine form since returning from an injury that forced him to miss the Australian Open.

The Frenchman has reached the Final in Doha and the Quarter Final last week in Indian Wells and Arthur Fils will be looking for a confidence boosting run ahead of the clay court season when there is pressure on his shoulders as the leading home player going into the French Open. With that said, it is important to make sure he is pushing into the Seeding positions for the second Grand Slam of the season and a couple more wins in Miami will build up some momentum to push deeper into the top 32.

Out of the two players, Arthur Fils does have a considerable edge on the return of serve and that could be the difference maker on the day.

That was the case in the two hard court wins the 21 year old has had over Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2024 and the confidence of the younger player is at a pretty good level.

Stefanos Tsitsipas is more than capable of producing some very good tennis on this surface, but Arthur Fils may just edge him out.

MY PICKS: Arthur Fils - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Miami Update: 11-5, + 5.87 Units (15 Units Staked, + 39.13% Yield)

Indian Wells Tennis Day 6 Picks 2026 (Monday 9th March)

The opening five days at the Indian Wells tournament have been disappointing for the Tennis Picks, but it is still early and the opportunity remains to turn things around and get this event back on track.

Things could have been worse, but they certainly could be a lot better and there are a few more selections from Day 6 with the Third Round set to be completed.

A bit of fortune at key times would be nice, but this is just one of those moments on a long Tour when things are not quite going to plan and that is just something we have to navigate, while also remembering it has been a positive start to the 2026 season to back up the winning 2025 campaign.

Novak Djokovic - 4.5 games v Aleksandar Kovacevic: The crowd is likely going to give Aleksandar Kovacevic some decent support at Indian Wells, but Novak Djokovic is a legend and there will be plenty backing him to make the Fourth Round.

This is the first tournament taken in by Novak Djokovic since coming up short at the Australian Open Final and the win in the Second Round means he is already putting some World Ranking Points in the bank.

These days Novak Djokovic is unconcerned about his Ranking with the focus being on winning another Major, but staying in the top four would mean avoiding having to face the likes of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz before the Semi Final at any Grand Slam coming up. He knows how tough it will be to beat both players, but facing them in the Semi Final and Final is better than having to use up too much energy early in a Slam and Novak Djokovic will be confident in his chances at the remaining three Majors.

Motivation for other tournaments is harder to find, but Novak Djokovic should have enough quality to get past the World Number 72 who has a 5-9 record on the hard courts over the last twelve months when facing top 50 Ranked opponents.

When he finds a rhythm, the serve can be a big weapon for Kovacevic, but he has struggled on the return of serve and that has kept him under pressure.

Novak Djokovic can exert that pressure on this opponent and he remains a solid return player on the surface, even if the former World Number 1 is not at the level he once was.

He did drop a set in the Second Round, but this may end up being a more routine win for the Serb as he progresses into the Fourth Round at Indian Wells.

Madison Keys - 3.5 games v Sonay Kartal: She has had a mixed time at Indian Wells, but Madison Keys reached the Semi Final here twelve months ago and looked in decent form on her return to the Tour.

This is the first tournament that Madison Keys has played since the defence of her Australian Open crown ended in the Fourth Round in Melbourne.

There is room for improvement on the Second Round win over Diane Parry, but Madison Keys showed enough on the return of serve to be feeling pretty good about her latest run in Indian Wells. She did need to save eight Break Points to avoid being dragged into a real battle, but Keys did what was needed and is rightly favoured in this Third Round match on Monday.

Sonay Kartal has once again reached the Third Round in Indian Wells, but she would be dropping in the World Ranking if she is not able to at least match the performance of 2025 when she made it through to the Fourth Round.

Saving Match Points to beat Emma Navarro will have given the British player a lot of confidence and Sonay Kartal has reached a couple of Quarter Finals on the hard courts this season. The Middle East swung began well, but Kartal has just had issues with her consistency and she had lost four in a row against top 50 Ranked opponents on the surface before beating Navarro in the Second Round.

Over the last twelve months, Madison Keys has won twelve of fourteen hard court matches against opponents Ranked outside of the top 20.

She has also beaten Sonay Kartal on the grass courts of Wimbledon, although that was in a match played in 2023 and the World Number 54 is a much more experienced player now.

That should mean Kartal is able to have some successes, but she has struggled with the return of serve against the higher Ranked players faced this year and Madison Keys may do just enough to clear this handicap line.

MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Madison Keys - 3.5 Games @ 1.95 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Belinda Bencic @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Elina Svitolina - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Indian Wells Update: 5-7, - 2.94 Units (12 Units Staked, - 24.50% Yield)

Australian Open Tennis Day 6 Picks 2026 (Friday 23rd January)

The opening two Rounds at the Australian Open could not have worked out much better for the Tennis Picks made, but this is not the time to take anything for granted.

Things could quickly look very different with the Day 6 schedule looking loaded with options, but the selection process has been working well.

As is always going to be the case in a sport with the finest of fine margins, a bit of luck has been needed to help produce the strong numbers opening up the 2026 season.

Hopefully that fortune is not going to desert the Picks with more than a week yet to be played in Melbourne as the Third Round gets underway on Friday.

In the main, the top names have moved through the draw, but Belinda Bencic was upset on Day 5 and there will be plenty of players heading towards the second week believing they could do the same against higher Ranked opponents.

Carlos Alcaraz - 9.5 games v Corentin Moutet: The top two players on the ATP Tour look clear of the World Number 3 and beyond and so it is no surprise that Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are asked to cover some very big lines early in the Grand Slam events.

It is tough to do that, especially at the lines set for those players, but this one has come in slightly as we move into the Third Round.

In the previous two Rounds, Carlos Alcaraz has dismissed the World Number 81 and 102, but this time the competition is expected to be more challenging when taking on Corentin Moutet, the current World Number 37. A strong run through the first quarter of the season would put the Frenchman in a position to be Seeded when the French Open comes around in May, and he will be trending back towards the top 30 of the World Rankings at the end of this tournament.

Of course, upsetting the World Number 1 and top Seed in the tournament would really open things up for Moutet and everyone in the top half of the draw,  but that feels like a tall task.

As much as you do want to give credit to Moutet for getting everything out of his career, this is a big talent gap to bridge and it is hard to imagine the lower Ranked player having the weapons needed to upset Carlos Alcaraz.

He plays with style and flair, as many would expect from a French player, but Corentin Moutet has a vulnerable serve and that will put a lot of pressure on him throughout this contest. It feels important to note that Moutet has played five top 20 Ranked opponents in Grand Slams on the hard courts, but he has lost every one of those matches and struggled to have a telling impact on the serve.

In 2025, Corentin Moutet won around 61% of service points played in hard court matches, but he will not have come up against someone of the quality of Carlos Alcaraz too many times.

When only considering matches against top 20 Ranked opponents on the hard courts over the last twelve months, Corentin Moutet's service percentage points won dips to 57% and this should be a relatively comfortable match up for the top Seed.

We have yet to really see Carlos Alcaraz anywhere near his best and all eyes have been on the Spaniard to see how he has reacted to an unexpected decision to part ways with Coach Juan Carlos Ferrero. The reality is that the Spaniard has not really been forced to work too hard and he has won by eight game margins in both of the opening matches played in Melbourne without having to break much of a sweat.

This has been the weakest of the Grand Slams for Carlos Alcaraz so far in his career, which may also be a factor with early nerves, but the two wins should begin to build momentum.

As long as he continues to serve as well as he has, Carlos Alcaraz should be able to keep a lid on the threat from the other side of the court.

In his career, Carlos Alcaraz is 32-2 in Grand Slam matches on the hard courts against players Ranked outside of the top 20 and his numbers have been really impressive. This feels like an opportunity to produce his best effort in Melbourne in 2026 and Carlos Alcaraz may have the return game to cover this big line.

Alex De Minaur - 5.5 games v Frances Tiafoe: The key to having continued success at Grand Slam level events is getting through the early Rounds without wasting energy, especially on the men's side of the tournament in the best of five set format.

Both of these players have been able to do that ahead of what is expected to be a prime time Third Round match, although Frances Tiafoe made slightly more awkward work of his Second Round match than was needed. Coming through in four sets is still important and he only spent a little more than three hours on the court, even if Tiafoe was looking a little fatigued at times.

That is far from ideal if there is any lingering fitness issues ahead of a match against Alex De Minaur, who also needed four sets to come through the Second Round match, but who was cruising at the end.

The home fans are going to be right behind their man and Alex De Minaur is very sure of his fitness and ability to stay out on the court for as long as needed. His style also works well against Frances Tiafoe with De Minaur capable of getting his opponent to have to dig in and win rallies multiple times in order to earn a single point.

It can be frustrating, while Alex De Minaur is continuing his development in order to challenge the very best players on the Tour.

Ultimately it has meant coming up short at the Quarter Final Round when it comes to the Grand Slams, but Alex De Minaur has been consistent enough to reach the last eight in five of the last seven Grand Slam events played. Twelve months ago he made the Quarter Final at the Australian Open for the first time and De Minaur is very comfortable on this surface.

The serve has improved and Alex De Minaur has made full use of that shot when not facing top 20 Ranked opponents on the hard courts over the last twelve months. This now backs up his strong return game and De Minaur could give Frances Tiafoe plenty of problems, much as he has in the past meetings on the Tour.

The American will have to serve well and then hope he can build up some scoreboard pressure- Frances Tiafoe has struggled for consistency behind that shot, which has contributed to slip in the World Ranking, while that has also meant more pressure on his own serve.

Over the last year, Frances Tiafoe is also 1-7 when facing top 20 Ranked opponents on the hard courts and he has won less than 60% of his service points played in those matches. The return has remained steady compared with his overall numbers, even against the top players, but it is very hard to continue to have to break serve to merely stick with those names and this could be a problem again.

It says something that Tiafoe has only held 69% of service games played against Alex De Minaur compared with a 83% mark for the latter in the head to head.

Unsurprisingly it has led to the Australian winning four of the five previous matches between the players, including Alex De Minaur beating Frances Tiafoe at the US Open in four sets in 2018.

They did meet in a keenly contested match in Canada on the hard courts back in August, but Alex De Minaur found the breaks of serve needed and the feeling is that he can cover this spread even if dropping a set.

Learner Tien - 1.5 sets v Nuno Borges: Earlier this month, 20 year old American Learner Tien entered the top 30 in the World Rankings for the first time and that has meant a Seeding for the Australian Open.

Credit has to be given to him for backing that up by reaching the Third Round in Melbourne and the draw has opened up to give Learner Tien the chance of reaching the second week here. He did that on debut twelve months ago when making it through to the Fourth Round, but the next three Grand Slam events did not go nearly as well, which means Tien is in a position to take a big jump in the World Rankings over the next eleven months.

Learnier Tien did not have a lot of success in the warm up event for the Australian Open, but he is very comfortable on the hard courts and the ones here in Melbourne seem to really suit.

After needing five sets to beat a veteran compatriot in the First Round, Learner Tien was a much more dominant winner in the Second Round and that should mean the youngster has plenty in the tank.

However, he will need to be on his game considering the next opponent is the reason this portion of the draw has opened up.

Nuno Borges upset Felix Auger-Aliassime in five sets in the First Round and he backed that up by beating a home favourite in the Second. Eighteen months ago, Nuno Borges was a top 30 Ranked player and he has been a solid hard court player and one that can spring a surprise if being overlooked.

The numbers have not really been much to write home about over the last couple of years on the hard courts and Nuno Borges has a 40-34 win-loss record. He was just 3-2 in warm up events in anticipation of the Australian Open, but Borges will have taken confidence from the wins he has produced here.

A challenge for Nuno Borges is to be more competitive against a top 50 Ranked opponent on this surface and he is just 2-11 in hard court matches against such opponents over the last twelve months. He has not been able to get much out of his return game in those matches and the World Number 46 has simply not handled the pressure on the serve when having little impact on the other side of the net.

One of those losses was in straight sets to Learner Tien at the Paris Masters.

That is an indoor hard court event, but Tien will have taken a lot of confidence from the way he was able to contain Nuno Borges behind the serve and that could be the case again on Friday in this Third Round meeting.

The best Grand Slam runs that Nuno Borges has put together have been at the Australian Open and he did take a set from Carlos Alcaraz twelve months ago.

This has to be respected, but Learner Tien is an improving player on the Tour and should have enough to reach the second week behind a three or four set win.

Daniil Medvedev - 5.5 games v Fabian Marozsan: Winning a second Grand Slam title is the motivation that gets Daniil Medvedev out of bed every morning and he will feel that he should have been able to add to the 2021 US Open title by winning at least once in Melbourne.

Between 2021 and 2024, Daniil Medvedev reached the Final at the Australian Open in three out of four events run and he will have nightmares about the 2022 Final. He had led by two sets and a break against Rafael Nadal and had all of the momentum, but somehow things were allowed to slip away and Daniil Medvedev had to settle for a Runner Up trophy.

The World Number 12 has had his most success on the hard courts at Grand Slam level, but twelve months ago he was upset in the Second Round in Melbourne.

Little did Daniil Medvedev know that it would have been his best Grand Slam result of the year having been ousted in the First Round in Paris, London and New York City and so his two wins in the 2026 Australian Open have given him some confidence. These wins arrive after opening the season by capturing the title in Brisbane and so there is a real belief in the Medvedev game, even if he can still have those lapses of concentration that lead to dropped sets.

Only two sets have been dropped in seven wins to open 2026 and so Daniil Medvedev will go into this Third Round match as a strong favourite.

However, he will not be able to overlook Fabian Marozsan who has solid hard court numbers and who reached the Semi Final in Auckland in the build up to the opening Grand Slam of the season. Like his opponent, Marozsan has only dropped a single set in his run to the Third Round, but over the last twelve months, he has lost six of seven hard court matches played against top 20 Ranked opponents.

In those matches, Fabian Marozsan has struggled to make much of an impact on the return of serve and that has put some pressure on his own delivery. He has held 77% of service games played against some of the best players on the Tour, but that is not quite good enough and especially not in a best of five set format with more time afforded to the top players to 'get a read' on the serve.

Making it more challenging for the underdog is that he is facing Daniil Medvedev for the third time in the last eighteen months and both previous matches have been on hard courts.

They had a more competitive meeting at the US Open in 2024 than the final scoreline would suggest, but Daniil Medvedev was much more dominant when facing Fabian Marozsan in Almaty in October.

The higher Ranked player has held 83% of service games played in the two previous matches, but Daniil Medvedev has broken in 44% of return games and that is a considerable edge.

A poor year on the hard courts were littered with some disappointing defeats as far as Daniil Medvedev was concerned in 2025, but his numbers remained strong against opponents Ranked outside of the top 20. With the insight into the underdog's game in this one, Daniil Medvedev is expected to find a way to power through to the second week of the tournament and get his Ranking moving back towards the top 10 where he feels he belongs.

Aryna Sabalenka - 6.5 games v Anastasia Potapova: Comments made by a debutant from the Ukraine have made a big impact at the Australian Open after criticisms aimed at the Belarusian and Russian players that are being allowed to continue to take part on the Tour.

The focus was made on some of the leading players on both the WTA and ATP Tours, but Aryna Sabalenka was particularly targeted for criticism and is perhaps going to be overshadowing the rest of the tournament.

The World Number 1 has tried not to get too involved in the back and forth with another player, but Aryna Sabalenka is likely going to be asked about an issue she would have hoped she has been addressing time and time again. While the war continues in Eastern Europe, it is impossible for people to completely ignore the matter, but Sabalenka and the Tours would have hoped their decisions made a couple of years ago would have at least closed some of the debate.

For now the World Number 1 has to try and focus on the court and she has been THE dominant player on the hard courts in recent Grand Slams- Aryna Sabalenka had won twice in a row in Melbourne before losing in the Final twelve months ago, but she made it consecutive successes in New York City in September 2025 having lost the Final in 2023.

She has moved through the first couple of Rounds with ease and Aryna Sabalenka is likely to be much more comfortable facing Anastasia Potapova in the Third Round, rather than Emma Raducanu.

In two previous matches on the Tour, Aryna Sabalenka has crushed this opponent and the likelihood is that the top Seed is going to have too much firepower again.

Anastasia Potapova is the World Number 55 and is a solid hard court performer, although she will need to be a lot better than solid if she is going to even give Aryna Sabalenka something to think about.

She has particularly struggled when facing top 20 Ranked players on the hard courts and the power of the opponent is likely going to lead to another relatively straight-forward win.

The spread is one that can quickly go wrong when backing the favourite, but Aryna Sabalenka has dominated behind serve in the two clay court matches against Anastasia Potapova and will be expecting to get even more from that shot on this surface.

Add in the number of breaks produced in those two wins and Sabalenka looks on course for another appearance in the second week in Melbourne behind a strong win.

Karolina Muchova - 4.5 games v Magda Linette: There are a couple of players on the WTA Tour who have gotten close to winning a Major, but who have to believe that time may be running out of they are going to finally pick up a Grand Slam title.

One of those is the World Number 19 Karolina Muchova, but she fought her way through the Second Round and that may give her confidence to have another deep run.

She has previously been a Quarter Finalist at all four Grand Slams and has reached the Semi Final at both the Australian Open and US Open. In 2023, Karolina Muchova came up short in the French Open Final, but this is a player that can produce on all surfaces and her record in Melbourne will be a source of disappointment.

In the last three seasons, Karolina Muchova has twice made the US Open Semi Final and once the Quarter Final, but a couple of Second Round exits have been the best results at the Australian Open. In fact, prior to this season, Muchova had won just two matches in Melbourne since making the Semi Final in 2021, but she has doubled that in 2026 and the Czech player is a strong favourite in this Third Round contest.

Next up is Magda Linette who has only been beyond the Third Round once in her career at Grand Slam level.

It will help the confidence that her best result was right here at the Australian Open when Linette had a stunning run to the Semi Final, but the 33 year old had a poor year on the hard courts in 2025.

Upsetting Emma Navarro has gotten her Australian Open run going, and there has to be some respect for the fact that Magda Linette has tended to produce her best tennis against the better opponents she has faced over the last twelve months, The 4-3 record against top 20 Ranked opponents on the hard courts deserves plenty of plaudits, but the World Number 50 has been operating on fine margins in those matches and the sub-40% number of points won on the return against those top players is a concern.

Over the last twelve months, Karolina Muchova has shown plenty of confidence behind the serve and she should be the stronger return player in this match.

Three wins in a row against Magda Linette on the Tour suggests the higher Ranked player matches up pretty well with this opponent and the dominant scores in those three wins adds to that belief.

The most recent meeting was in June 2024 on the grass courts and Karolina Muchova showed off her superior return player in that match.

We could see something similar here with Muchova moving onto the second week in Melbourne for just the second time in her career.

MY PICKS: Carlos Alcaraz - 9.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Alex De Minaur - 5.5 Games @ 1.61 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Learner Tien - 1.5 Sets @ 1.85 William Hill (2 Units)

Daniil Medvedev - 5.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Aryna Sabalenka - 6.5 Games @ 1.91 William Hill (2 Units)

Karolina Muchova - 4.5 Games @ 1.75 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Elina Svitolina - 2.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Mirra Andreeva - 5.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Tommy Paul - 1.5 Sets @ 1.95 Coral (2 Units)

Alexander Bublik - 4.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet365 (2 Units)

Australian Open Update: 17-7, + 14.48 Units (48 Units Staked, + 30.17% Yield)

WTA Finals Day 6 Tennis Picks 2025 (Thursday 6th November)

You are going to have some serious mathematicians working on the potential permutations out of this final Group at the WTA Finals.

We know Jasmine Paolini is out of contention, but Jessica Pegula is going to need the Italian to at least take part in the match.

Otherwise things will be looking a little concerning for Pegula with the likelihood being she will be awarded the winning points, but will not be able to add anything to the set percentage and game percentage tie-breakers that could be needed.

It is almost certain that Jessica Pegula will be looking to match the dominant wins that both Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka have had over Jasmine Paolini and she will be looking to do that in straight sets.

Three players are chasing the Semi Final spots in the Group and it is Aryna Sabalenka who will be most certain of her own outcome- if she wins, she goes through as Winner.

Coco Gauff will go through with another straight sets win, regardless of how Jessica Pegula performs in her match, while a straights set win for both American players would see both through at the expense of Aryna Sabalenka.

Things get messy if Jessica Pegula beats Jasmine Paolini in straight sets and Coco Gauff can beat Aryna Sabalenka in three sets- all three players would then be looked at 5-3 in terms of sets won and lost and we will have to get down to the games won.

None of the three players fighting it out for a place in the Semi Final will likely be thinking about anything more than simply winning this match and moving through. It will be the players that can perhaps deal with that best who will move onto the last four in this end of year tournament and should make for fascinating viewing on Day 6 in Riyadh.

Jessica Pegula - 3.5 games v Jasmine Paolini: The first Group played out in pretty standard fashion with Elena Rybakina winning all three matches and the last match in the Group deciding who will move through to the Semi Final.

Things are a lot different in the second Group though and there are some permutations to work through to determine who will go through to the last four in the final Singles event of the season.

For Jessica Pegula, the only ambition on Thursday is going to be to win her match in straight sets as both Aryna Sablenka and Coco Gauff have managed to do against Jasmine Paolini. A strong win would be ideal to build up her set percentage win and games percentage win, which could still be a tiebreaker that will need to be used to determine the two players moving through.

Winning in three sets would mean Pegula is watching the other match in the Group and needing Coco Gauff to lose and so the World Number 5 has to be focused on her own match. Ultimately the key for Jessica Pegula is to win in straight sets and then hope there is either a straight sets winner in the other match in the Group or that Aryna Sabalenka wins in three sets.

These two players met back in September after the US Open had been completed and it was Jasmine Paolini who came through in straight sets at the Billy Jean King Cup. That was a win on the hard courts, but the Italian is clearly playing through an illness or an injury and that has seen her lose four of the five matches played at the WTA Finals in both Singles and Doubles tournaments.

This all means Jasmine Paolini has already been eliminated from both tournaments and her form in the two Singles losses suggests the long season has caught up with her. Having to deal with an illness or injury doesn't help and Jasmine Paolini may struggle to keep herself focused and motivated within this Group match.

The handicap mark has moved out another game compared with the one that Coco Gauff had to overcome in the middle of this Group, but Jessica Pegula can get the better of the line.

Perhaps the biggest concern for Pegula and the prospects of progressing is if Paolini withdraws before this match is played and that will impact how her game percentage and set percentage will look at the end of the Group Stage. With one player withdrawn already and with one of the two 'alternates' already out of action, it would mean Jessica Pegula is given the points but would only have a chance of moving into the Semi Final if Coco Gauff is beaten in the other match.

Aryna Sabalenka-Coco Gauff over 21.5 games: By the time this final Group match at the WTA Finals heads to the court, the permutations for both Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff will be clearer as both look to move through to the Semi Final in Riyadh.

Things are pretty clear for Aryna Sabalenka if she wins- she will top the Group and move through and the defending Champion Coco Gauff will be left working things out depending how the other match in the Group has gone.

Most will have expected Jessica Pegula to have already beaten Jasmine Paolini and that would mean the defending Champion is eliminated with a loss.

Assuming Pegula has won, Coco Gauff will be well aware that she needs to beat her old rival Aryna Sabalenka and there are more maths to do about the number of sets and potentially number of games she will need to win.

By the time these two head to the court, the first result will be known and you have to believe both players are preparing to win and not worrying about 'doing enough' to be on the right side of the tie-breakers.

There is a real rivalry between Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka and the head to head is now 6-5 in favour of the American who upset the World Number 1 in the French Open Final back in June. Coco Gauff has also beaten Sabalenka in the US Open Final previously and got the better of this opponent in the last four of the WTA Finals here in Riyadh last season and none of this will have escaped Aryna Sabalenka's attention.

Tennis is a game determined by inches and there really has not been a lot between these two players in the numbers and the records- they are 4-4 in eight previous hard court meetings and they have played one another six times in the Semi Final or Final of events and those have also been split 3-3.

Rarely have matches been straight-forward and it should be noted that the last six matches between the pair would have covered the total games line set for this Group match. In fact nine of the last eleven have seen Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff combine for at least 22 games played and the performances at the WTA Finals over the last few days suggest we could need a decider in this one.

However, the players match up well enough to remain competitive even in straight sets losses and and the last three straight sets outcomes in matches between Gauff and Sabalenka have also ended with at least 22 games played.

There is a small chance that the first match could determine how this second Group match is played once the players understand what they need to do, but these two always want to get one over the other. It should mean the focus is on simply winning and it could be a fascinating meeting again with both the World Number 1 and World Number 3 perhaps using the match as a chance to 'lay down a marker' ahead of the Australian Open in January.

MY PICKS: Jessica Pegula - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Aryna Sabalenka-Coco Gauff Over 21.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (1 Unit)

WTA Finals: 5-4, + 0.49 Units (9 Units Staked, + 5.44% Yield)

US Open Tennis Day 6 Picks 2025 (Friday 29th August)

I've been on the right side of some of the fortune through the first four days of the tournament, but Day 5 proved to be very frusrtrating.

Make no mistake, the totals are in a good position through the opening two Rounds of the US Open, and most would have signed up to be in this position going into the middle weekend at this Grand Slam.

However, that does not mean you cannot be frustrated by some of the manner that Picks went down on Thursday.

Easily the most irritating was Alexander Zverev's failure to cover, despite moving into a 6-4, 6-4, 5-1 lead in his match.

At that point Jacob Fearnley decided he would just hit and hope and managed to save multiple Match Points across two service games, while breaking in the most ridiculous of manners in between and he scrambled across the line by one game.

Karen Khachanov and Tommy Paul both won the opening two sets and were in a position to cover, but it was the first signs of what can happen at the US Open when they were both were pulled into a fifth set and the former was beaten outright.

Momentum shifting at a crucial time also happened in the Stefanos Tsitsipas loss- he dropped the first set, but then took two in a row and secured an opening game break in the fourth set, but also lost all focus.

Let's be honest, on another day all five selections would have been returning as winners, and so to see four drop is highly irritating.

One positive is that the read on those matches was largely right and it took something a little unexpected for the momentum to turn within those contests.

As mentioned, it has still been a very positive start to the tournament and that has to be remembered.

You always need a bit of luck and hopefully Day 5 proves to be the low point of the fortnight.

Ben Shelton - 5.5 games v Adrian Mannarino: After some of the performances on the North American hard courts this summer and having a temperament that is extremely well suited to the biggest events, Ben Shelton is going to be a very tough player to beat at the US Open. He won the Canadian Masters and Ben Shelton has impressed through the first two Rounds of the tournament and he has to be considered a pretty healthy favourite to get past veteran Adrian Mannarino.

The respectful conduct during the win over Pablo Carreno Busta is going to serve Ben Shelton well in this Third Round match.

All credit has to be given the World Number 6 for the attitude- he was a pretty comfortable winner against the veteran, but made sure he paid full respect to a former two time US Open Semi Finalist. That attitude helps make sure a player is not taking anything for granted and Shelton will need to do the same against Adrian Mannarino who has found some solid form over the last month.

Comfortable progress has been made at the US Open and Adrian Mannarino gave Jannik Sinner something to think about in a competitive defeat in Cincinnati. There had been little sign of this kind of success prior to the North American hard court swing and Mannarino will feel he has nothing to lose.

The Frenchman also holds a win over Ben Shelton at the Australian Open in 2024 in a five setter and so care will have to be taken by the home favourite.

Ben Shelton has looked very comfortable on this surface all season thanks to a booming serve, but he will also believe that he can get more joy out of the return after recent results.

One of those was a dominant win over Adrian Mannarino in Toronto on his way to the title when Ben Shelton created 8 Break Points and managed to convert three of them.

This is a potentially awkward line if Adrian Mannarino is playing at his best, but Ben Shelton is going to dictate the tempo of the match. With the New York City crowd firmly behind him, Shelton should be able to come through this match in three or four sets and that should be good enough to put him in a position to cover this handicap line too.

Carlos Alcaraz - 8.5 games v Luciano Darderi: In terms of the World Rankings, this is the toughest kind of match that Carlos Alcaraz could face in the Third Round against an Unseeded player in the draw.

However, Luciano Darderi is up to World Number 34 in the World Rankings thanks to some really strong results on the clay courts.

It has been much tougher for the Italian when playing on the hard courts- he had lost seven of nine matches played on the surface in 2025, although there will be some confidence coming from the fact he has won twice in the US Open main draw.

The problem for Luciano Darderi is that he has not faced much competition with both wins being against players Ranked outside the top 100 and this is a significantly tougher test as compatriot Mattia Bellucci found out in the Second Round.

Carlos Alcaraz was also a pretty strong winner in the First Round after putting Reilly Opelka to the sword in straight sets.

The World Number 2 will have seen the form that Jannik Sinner has been displaying early in the US Open tournament and Carlos Alcaraz will want to make a statement of his own.

He should pretty comfortable in the match up against an opponent who has struggled to find his rhythm on the return of serve on the hard courts, but who has also only been winning 60% of points behind serve. That has given opponents the chance to put Luciano Darderi under pressure and it has led to some pretty comprehensive defeats on the hard courts over the course of the year.

Luciano Darderi's numbers on the hard courts when facing top 100 Ranked opponents are really concerning and he could be the latest Italian that falls by the wayside without putting in much of a dent in the Carlos Alcaraz push towards the Final.

The line is bigger than the Third Round and that will partly be down to the very impressive win that Carlos Alcaraz produced against Mattia Bellucci.

It doesn't take much for things to go wrong for a favourite with a line like this one, but Carlos Alcaraz is trying to turn the talk from his new hairstyle to the tennis being produced and another impressive performance is expected from the Number 2 Seed in New York City.

Frances Tiafoe - 1.5 sets v Jan-Lennard Struff: Early losses in Toronto and Cancun pushed Jan-Lennard Struff's losing run to eight matches on the hard courts and the World Number 144 entered the US Open with very little expectation.

He dropped one set in winning three Qualifiers and Jan-Lennard Struff deserves a lot of credit for backing up those victories to secure two more in the main draw.

The Second Round upset of Holger Rune in five sets will have given the 35 year old a huge amount of confidence in what has been a tough year on this surface. He will have benefited from playing that match in an emotional atmosphere and Struff will also benefit from a day of rest after spending well over three hours on the court in that upset of Rune.

It is never easy to back up those results and Jan-Lennard Struff is going to be facing Frances Tiafoe and the home crowd in this Third Round match.

The World Number 17 has had an inconsistent twelve months, while suffering two Second Round losses at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. Frances Tiafoe has reached the Quarter Final at the French Open and he will have been excited about coming into the final Grand Slam where he has had his best career results in the Majors by some distance.

He is looking to reach the Quarter Final for the fourth year in a row in New York City and Frances Tiafoe has reached the Semi Final in 2022 and 2024.

Frances Tiafoe has only dropped a single set in two matches in the US Open and he will certainly feel there is more room for improvement as he looks to peak towards the end of the tournament.

Previous matches between the players have been very competitive and it is Jan-Lennard Struff who holds the Grand Slam win over Frances Tiafoe, which came at the French Open in 2020. When that match was played, the German was significantly higher in the World Rankings compared with Frances Tiafoe and that switch around should show up on the scoreboard in this Third Round contest.

Every set is expected to be competitive, but Frances Tiafoe can find a way to win key points and move through to yet another Fourth Round in New York City without needing a decider.

Elena Rybakina - 2.5 games v Emma Raducanu: Two former Grand Slam Champions are facing off in this big Third Round match at the US Open and the winner will have a lot of belief in finishing up this tournament with the trophy in hand.

Emma Raducanu has done that before back in 2021 when she ran through the Qualifying and main draw in New York City without dropping a set. Many of her supporters feel the level being produced in the lead up to the 2025 US Open is the best and most consistent that Emma Raducanu has produced since unexpectedly winning the title here.

However, Emma Raducanu has put together a 3-3 record when facing top 50 Ranked players in Washington, Montreal and Cincinnati, although the loss at the last of those events was a positive one all things considered. She had pushed Aryna Sabalenka all the way in that defeat, but Raducanu was well beaten by Amanda Anisimova in Montreal and she is facing another big serving, hard hitting opponent.

Elena Rybakina has reached the Semi Final in both Montreal and Cincinnati, but she has failed to produce her best tennis in those moments.

This is a very big match for Rybakina, but she has produced some solid results on the hard courts throughout this season and will feel she has the power to hit through Emma Raducanu.

The British player has a 1-4 record on the hard courts when facing top ten Ranked opponents this season.

She has had some competitive matches, but Emma Raducanu has lost three of those five matches pretty comfortably. This is a Grand Slam where the memories have been positive thanks to that Championship in 2021, but Raducanu had not won matches in New York City until this tournament and it feels like Elena Rybakina might just have too much firepower for the former Champion in what could be the match of the day.

MY PICKS: Ben Shelton - 5.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Carlos Alcaraz - 8.5 Games @ 1.80 William Hill (2 Units)

Frances Tiafoe - 1.5 Sets @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Elena Ryabkina - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)

US Open Update: 13-8, + 5.24 Units (41 Units Staked, + 12.78% Yield)