Miami Tennis Day 7 Picks 2026 (Monday 23rd March)

The Miami Masters continues at a pace on Monday with the entire WTA Fourth Round scheduled to be played alongside the remaining half of the ATP Third Round matches.

We are reaching the business end of the tournaments at a rapid pace and the upset of Carlos Alcaraz in the Third Round will have opened the door for a surprising player to make it through to the Final here and pick up some very valuable Ranking Points.

For the World Number 1, the early exit offers him a chance to go home and reset ahead of the clay court season beginning in a couple of weeks time, but he will be disappointed.

The WTA event looks largely intact going into the latter stages of that event, and it should mean an interesting end to the first half of the hard court season next weekend.

The Tennis Picks at Miami have bounced back from the poor Indian Wells returns, but there is still a long week of work to get through before the final totals will be placed in the books.

Focus is key and keeping things as tight as possible with the selection criteria.

On Day 7, time has been a factor and so only the selections will be posted below without the full analysis that has accompanied those for much of the 2026 season.

MY PICKS: Ugo Humbert - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Daniil Medvedev - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Jakub Mensik - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

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

Aryna Sabalenka - 5.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Jessica Pegula - 5.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Miami Update: 12-5, + 6.67 Units (16 Units Staked, + 41.69% Yield)

Indian Wells Tennis Day 7 Picks 2026 (Tuesday 10th March)

It has been an inconsistent opening week as the Tennis Picks have taken one step forwards and then two steps back, but that is just the nature of the Tour at times.

There have been moments when it has looked like there has been some momentum behind the selections, but Madison Keys failed to build on a 6-2 first set in losing her match on Monday evening and that meant another 2-2 day.

Tuesday looks a much more difficult day with the matches being competitively priced, but there are two more Picks from the day, which can be read below.

Felix Auger Aliassime - 1.5 games v Arthur Fils: Don't expect this to be a match filled with rallies considering the serving powers of both Arthur Fils and Felix Auger Aliassime.

That proved to be the difference in favour of Felix Auger Aliassime when he beat the Frenchman in Montpellier last month, although that was also a match played on an indoor hard court. Playing in outdoor conditions is always going to be a little different and especially in a tournament like the one held in Indian Wells where it can be that much more challenging, although Auger Aliassime is playing with enough confidence to back up that previous win over this opponent.

In that Quarter Final match last month, Felix Auger Aliassime dominated behind serve and it ended up putting pressure on Arthur Fils to respond.

Felix Auger Aliassime won 90% of service points played compared with Arthur Fils at 58% and the higher Ranked player will be confident in having the edge again.

Things will feel a little different as that event in Montpellier was the first Arthur Fils was competing in this season, but he has since reached the Final of an ATP 500 event held in Doha and the World Number 32 has impressed in his two wins in Indian Wells.

Confidence can be such a big factor and Arthur Fils is playing with a lot of that right now- his serve is still an important weapon and Fils is also showing plenty of athleticism around the court on his return, although that aspect of his tennis going to be severely tested by Felix Auger Aliassime.

The first month of the season was massively disappointing for Felix Auger Aliassime and included a First Round loss in Melbourne, but he has been flying since then.

Winning the title in Montpellier was followed by a run to the Final in Rotterdam and Semi Final in Dubai and the Canadian has been serving very well.

However, that has always been a strength of the Auger Aliassime game and it is the 18% Break percentage that actually stands out the most- he has not always been the best return player on the hard courts, but Felix Auger Aliassime is applying pressure on that side of the net and it may be a key reason that he can edge past Arthur Fils and most likely in straight sets.

He has needed to go three sets in both wins in Indian Wells, but there has been little wrong with the serve and Felix Auger Aliassime has continued to find the Breaks that he has needed and he can do something similar in this Fourth Round match up.

Jannik Sinner - 5.5 games v Joao Fonseca: There are some huge expectations on the shoulders of 19 year old Brazilian Joao Fonseca, but that has perhaps contributed to the player struggling to have the kind of impact people may have wanted to see from him.

Third Round runs at the French Open and Wimbledon helped push him close to the top 20 of the World Rankings at the end of the 2025 season, but Joao Fonseca arrived at Indian Wells as the World Number 35.

The numbers being produced over the last twelve months overall have been very solid and shows the growing presence around this player, but there has been little hard court action taken in this season.

With that said, Joao Fonseca has done very well to win three matches here and move through to this big Fourth Round match.

Joao Fonseca showed tremendous character to do just enough to edge past Karen Khachanov in the Second Round, but was so much more impressive in crushing Tommy Paul for the loss of five games last time out. In that win, Fonseca backed up his serve by keeping the home player under pressure on the return, but everyone around the teenager will be reminding him of the step up in level he will be facing in the Fourth Round.

That is because the Brazilian will be playing the World Number 2 and one of the top hard court players in the world in Jannik Sinner.

The latter has only played a couple of tournaments so far this season and will have been disappointed to have lost in the Semi Final at the Australian Open and the Quarter Final in Doha. That doesn't mean the Jannik Sinner numbers have dipped with him continuing to produce at an exceptionally high level on the hard courts, but he will be looking to build up some momentum.

Over the next couple of months, Sinner has little to defend in terms of Ranking Points and will be expecting to push up a lot closer to Carlos Alcaraz, but he will also want to win some titles and look to get something positive going ahead of the clay court season.

Jannik Sinner has looked a man on a mission with his two very convincing wins to open his time at Indian Wells and he did reach the Semi Final in his last appearance at this tournament two years ago.

He will certainly feel he serves well enough to contain much of the threat that will be posed by the youngster on the other side of the net, and Jannik Sinner exerts plenty of pressure on the return.

It means Joao Fonseca will have to serve really well to keep this one competitive and there are still levels for the Brazilian to develop to really get into a position to compete with the top two players on the Tour.

There is little doubt that Fonseca can have successes for a while, but maintaining the level needed to beat Jannik Sinner is going to be very difficult to achieve. One of the sets will be competitive, but it also would not be a big surprise if there is a period when the World Number 2 is able to string the games together and that can push Jannik Sinner into a position to cover the wide line set for the match.

MY PICKS: Felix Auger Aliassime - 1.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (1 Unit)

Jannik Sinner - 5.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Indian Wells Update: 7-9, - 3.20 Units (16 Units Staked, - 20% Yield)

Australian Open Tennis Day 7 Picks 2026 (Saturday 24th January)

If it wasn't for a couple of late selections just missing the cover at the end of Day 6, it could have been a truly special day for the Tennis Picks made.

Earlier in the day, Daniil Medvedev had come through in five sets and still managed to cover a big spread, so there was some fortune attached, but unfortunately Tommy Paul was not able to complete a big win that he was on course to achieving when Alejandro Davidovich Fokina withdrew after winning two games in two sets.

The Aryna Sabalenka pick looked unlikely to win very early on as she got herself into a trickier match than it should have been, but overall you can never complain when adding more positive numbers to the totals.

On Saturday there is a heatwave set to hit Melbourne, one that has seen the organisers make a decision to move the starting time to an hour earlier than normal so they can get players on and off the court and leave the middle of the day as empty as possible.

It could mean a late night developing as the Third Round comes to a conclusion, but the safety of the participants and the fans has to be high on the list of priorities and the decision made by the Australian Open to try and get matches through before the hottest part of the day is the right one.

Heat is a factor that can change the outlook of any match as we simply don't know how all players will react to what are usually tough conditions in Melbourne.

This has not been the case so far at the tournament, but also means the incoming heatwave is going to have a serious impact and fatiguing issues can take hold.

Hopefully the players picked can find a way to keep battling through those tough moments.

Day 7 is not nearly as loaded with selections as the previous day, but there remain some solid plays on the card and those can be read below.

There is still some consisderable work to get through if this 2026 season is going to have the strong platform that has been set, especially with the second week yet to get underway at the opening Grand Slam of the season.

Taylor Fritz - 6.5 games v Stan Wawrinka: A little over a decade ago, the top of the ATP Tour was dominated by the 'Big Four', which then included Andy Murray alongside the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

That era is now known as the 'Big Three' with Federer, Nadal and Djokovic separating from the pack, but another player who had every right to be spoken alongside the very best on the Tour at that time is Stan Wawrinka.

He may not have reached the Semi Final at Wimbledon, but Wawrinka won Grand Slam titles at the other three Majors, including at the 2014 Australian Open. He reached the Semi Final on two other occasions in Melbourne, but the former World Number 3 is two months from celebrating his 41st birthday and Stan Wawrinka has announced he will retire at the end of the 2026 season.

With that in mind, Wawrinka was awarded a Wild Card into the main draw at the Australian Open on his retirement tour, but it is clear that the Swiss player is not ready to go quietly.

He came through in four sets in the First Round and then needed to go the full five sets and spend over four and a half hours on the court to win in the Second Round. Neither match was against an opponent Ranked higher than Number 92 and even a day of rest may not be enough for a 40 year old body to recover as it once did.

So not only does Stan Wawrinka have to overcome fatigue and physical ailments in the Third Round, but he is also taking on World Number 9 Taylor Fritz who has made comfortable progression through the first couple of Rounds here.

Taylor Fritz does not have the same storied history at Grand Slam level compared with his veteran opponent, but the American is expected to have a lot more to give and he should be able to wear down the much older opponent.

He has reached the Quarter Final in Melbourne before, but the overall record at the Australian Open is disappointing for Taylor Fritz considering his qualities on the hard courts. One of the main reasons has been a relatively poor return game, but this match up may not be where that aspect of his tennis is exposed, especially if Wawrinka is struggling with his fitness.

Taylor Fritz should be able to contain much of the threat from the other side of the court behind his serve and it should be noted that the return numbers are significantly better against lower Ranked opponents.

Over the last twelve months, the American has suffered a couple of disappointing defeats on the hard courts, but in the main he has tended to get the better of those he will be expected to beat.

You would think twice about this spread if it was a First Round match, but Stan Wawrinka has already invested so much into the tournament that you have to feel he is worn down and cannot keep up on the scoreboard.

He will not want his last memory of playing on the courts in Melbourne to be a retirement mid-match so you have to believe Stan Wawrinka will bite down and try and finish the contest, even if he is hurting and the last set could be where Taylor Fritz can pull away for the win and cover.

Over the last year, Stan Wawrinka has only played four matches against top 50 Ranked opponents on this surface and he has lost each one, while the service numbers have been severely impacted in those defeats. Even a relatively limited return player like Taylor Fritz should be able to get himself into rallies to wear down the veteran and come through with a solid win.

Jakub Mensik - 1.5 sets v Ethan Quinn: Two young players meet in the Australian Open Third Round on Day 7 of the tournament, but there is no doubting that Jakub Mensik is significantly further along in his development than Ethan Quinn.

This is made simple by the difference in World Ranking- the 20 year old Mensik is the World Number 17 and has won a title in Auckland this season, while his opponent is 21 and the World Number 80 who has failed to Qualify in Brisbane before an opening Round defeat in Adelaide.

However, they are in the same position on Saturday in this Third Round match with the opportunity to reach the second week of a Grand Slam a big boost to the career, especially at this early stage for both.

Neither has yet to play in double digit main draws at Grand Slam level and so there is some pressure on both with the chance to reach the Fourth Round for the first time. In reality both are going to feel this is a winnable match, although the stronger claims are certainly on the side of the higher Ranked player.

After coming through in a fifth set decider in the First Round, Jakub Mensik looked very comfortable in the Second Round.

He will have noted the relative ease in which Ethan Quinn has progressed, including in an upset over Hubert Hurkacz in the Second Round, but Mensik will believe his serve gives him a big edge in this contest.

The serve is going to be important on both sides of the net, but Ethan Quinn has struggled to impose that shot on top 50 Ranked opponents on this surface over the last twelve months. He has been in good form in this tournament with some suggesting conditions are quick in Melbourne, but Quinn will need to bridge a gap to a player that has very strong serving numbers on the hard courts in 2025.

Jakub Mensik is young though and he was upset in the Second Round at the US Open by a player Ranked way outside the top 100.

On that day he failed to deal with the pressurised moments when the big points came around, but Mensik will take plenty of confidence from the fact he beat Ethan Quinn twice last year and once on the hard courts.

In those two meetings, Jakub Mensik won 65% of service points played compared with Ethan Quinn's 57% mark and that led to a significant advantage of games being held. The hard court meeting in Cincinnati saw Jakub Mensik avoid giving up a single Break Point and you just have to favour the player from Czechia to come through at clutch times in this contest.

There is so much more to come from Ethan Quinn, which makes him dangerous, but at this current stage of their respective developments, Jakub Mensik can come through in three or four sets.

Casper Ruud - 1.5 sets v Marin Cilic: All credit should be given to another veteran continuing to fight his way through the Tour after Marin Cilic made it through to the Third Round at the 2026 Australian Open.

He was a very solid winner in the Second Round when set as the underdog, but Marin Cilic may need to find another gear if he is going to beat a top 20 Ranked opponent and earn a spot in the second week of the tournament.

The serve remains a big weapon for Marin Cilic, although it is a weapon that becomes harder and harder to impose on the better quality of opponent he faces. While his overall numbers in 2025 on the hard courts saw the Croatian hold 85% of service games played, those numbers dip over the last twelve months to 81% when only factoring in matches played against top 20 Ranked opponents.

However, it is the struggles on the return in those six matches that have really caught the eye and makes this a challenging Third Round match for the 37 year old.

Casper Ruud has played in three Grand Slam Finals, including at the 2022 US Open, but his performances at the Australian Open and US Open tournaments since then have been disappointing. The World Number 13 has only reached the second week at either of the Grand Slam tournaments played on hard courts once since reaching the Final in New York City and that despite his overall numbers on the surface improving in the last couple of years.

Two straight sets wins in Melbourne will have given Ruud confidence and his serve is a big weapon on this surface.

He does have one eye on news from back home where his wife is expecting to give birth at any time and Casper Ruud has stated that he will withdraw from the tournament if that happens over the next few days. This has not been a distraction though and instead the Norwegian is using it as motivation, much like Andy Murray once did, which makes Casper Ruud dangerous.

Unlike the very top names on the Tour, Casper Ruud can be guilty of losing in an upset or two and that has happened on the hard courts over the last twelve months, albeit not all that often.

He was beaten by an opponent Ranked outside the top 100 at the US Open a few months ago, but Ruud has won nine of ten matches against players outside of the top 50 on this surface since then. That includes a comfortable win in the First Round and Casper Ruud is expected to get the better of Marin Cilic on Saturday.

In four previous matches on the Tour, Casper Ruud has beaten the veteran each time, including on the hard courts of Stockholm in October.

The scoreline looks competitive, but Casper Ruud dominated the serving numbers and that has been the case in all four meetings against Marin Cilic.

You can never dismiss the veteran from giving the World Number 13 something to think about as a former Finalist in Melbourne, but Casper Ruud should have enough to avoid dropping two or more sets as he progresses to the Fourth Round here for just the second time in his career.

Karen Khachanov - 5.5 games v Luciano Darderi: The Italian has moved up into the top 30 of the World Rankings and that is partly down to a couple of solid, if unspectacular runs at the last couple of Grand Slam tournaments.

In the main, Luciano Darderi has built his World Ranking on strong clay court results, but it has been a tougher task on the hard courts.

Last year he finished with a 6-15 record on this surface, but Luciano Darderi did reach the Third Round at the US Open and he has done the same at the Australian Open, which suggests he may be getting to grips on how to produce on the hard courts.

However, it remains hard to ignore the fact that Darderi has a 9-29 record on the hard courts prior to his two wins in Melbourne.

Fans of the Italian will state that he is 2-4 when facing top 50 Ranked opponents on the hard courts over the last twelve months and Luciano Darderi may feel he can play with more freedom when having 'nothing to lose'. Despite the record, the numbers have not been very favourable though and Darderi is going to be an underdog when facing top 20 Ranked Karen Khachanov, who is very happy when playing on this surface.

The 29 year old may have needed five sets to come through his opening match in Melbourne, but Karen Khachanov had been handed a tough draw. There was little concern in the Second Round win and that should mean Khachanov has plenty in the tank as he prepares to reach the second week in Melbourne for the third time in four years.

His serve is always going to be a potent weapon for Karen Khachanov and he will need to serve well if he is going to win this match.

Karen Khachanov has been on the Tour for some time, but he should be comfortable with his ability on the surface against someone who is still getting to complete grips with top quality tennis on the hard courts.

The Russian has produced decent numbers when not facing top 20 Ranked opponents, and winning 68% of service points in those matches on the hard courts and backing that up with breaks in 25% of return games played gives Karen Khachanov a significant edge.

It is perhaps a surprise that Karen Khachanov has been asked to cover a larger spread than the one he was faced in the Second Round, but the strength of that win is a contributory factor.

However, the underlying feeling is that Khachanov has the hard court know-how to find a way to cover even if he needs four sets to win the match.

Naomi Osaka - 5.5 games v Maddison Inglis: This is not the first time that Australian Maddison Inglis has made it through to the Third Round of her home Grand Slam, but in 2022 she was awarded a Wild Card into the tournament.

Four years later, Maddison Inglis entered the Qualifying Rounds for the Australian Open, as has been the case in each of the last three seasons.

The last couple of years have ended in the final Round of Qualifying, but Inglis battled through to the main draw at this event and has continued to dig in to earn another run to the Third Round. This is going to help improve the World Ranking, which currently sits at Number 168, and the Australian has already beaten four players Ranked higher than herself to reach the Third Round.

However, none of the wins have been against anyone Ranked higher than Number 48 and this time Maddison Inglis is taking on a two time former Champion of this event.

Naomi Osaka has not been at her best in the first couple of Rounds, but she has found a way to move through the draw and that is an improvement on some of the early results she had when returning to the Tour. There is certainly more belief within the World Number 17, although Osaka may have to have found a way to ignore the criticisms that have been aimed at her for some of the on-court behaviour in the win over Sorana Cirstea.

She has apologised for what some believed to be gamesmanship and the challenge for Naomi Osaka is remaining focused and not worrying too much about what others may think.

This challenge only increases considering this is likely to be a match played in an atmosphere where the home player is going to be loudly backed by the crowd.

If she can lock in, Naomi Osaka should have too much for an opponent who had a career 1-11 record against top 50 Ranked opponents on the hard courts before beating Laura Siegemund in the Second Round.

In eight of those eleven defeats, Maddison Inglis would not have won enough games to get within the spread set for this Third Round match.

Naomi Osaka does need to improve if she is going to have a serious impact at the business end of this tournament, but her current level is expected to be too much for the Australian.

Over the last twelve months, Osaka has won six of seven hard court matches played against opponents Ranked outside the top 100 and four of those would have seen her cover the spread like this one.

The reality is that Naomi Osaka's level should be too much for a veteran in Maddison Inglis who will be well supported, but who has to find a number of gears to remain competitive.

MY PICKS: Taylor Fritz - 6.5 Games @ 1.80 Coral (2 Units)

Jakub Mensik - 1.5 Sets @ 1.72 Coral (2 Units)

Casper Ruud - 1.5 Sets @ 1.75 Coral (2 Units)

Karen Khachanov - 5.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Naomi Osaka - 5.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365

Elise Mertens - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Linda Noskova - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Ben Shelton - 1.5 Sets @ 1.50 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Australian Open Update: 23-10, + 17.36 Units (66 Units Staked, + 26.30% Yield)

ATP Finals Day 7 Tennis Picks 2025 (Saturday 15th November)

There have been a couple of really disappointing performances from players who will be expecting to challenge for Grand Slam titles in 2026 and that has led to a couple of surprising names being able to make it through to the last four at the ATP Finals.

Most fans will still be expecting to see the top two players in the world compete for yet another title, but Alex De Minaur and Felix Auger-Aliassime are going to have something to say about that.

Jannik Sinner - 5.5 games v Alex De Minaur: This Semi Final was set before the final Group matches were played on Friday, but it is Alex De Minaur who will have been able to earn a day of rest between matches.

After losing his opening two matches in the tournament, Alex De Minaur's hopes of progressing into the Semi Final was hanging by a thread going into Day 5 in Turin. He had no choice but to win in straight sets in his final match, but De Minaur still had to wait and hope Carlos Alcaraz would beat Lorenzo Musetti before knowing he would be tasked with heading out and playing again.

Alex De Minaur has to take encouragement out of the fact that his performances have improved in each of the three matches played- after losing in straight sets to Carlos Alcaraz, De Minaur had a chance to serve out the match against Lorenzo Musetti before losing in three sets and then ultimately beat Taylor Fritz in straight sets to move through the Group.

Serving well is going to be really important against the World Number 2 and that has been something that has been challenging for Alex De Minaur when facing Jannik Sinner in the past.

It has also been the reason Alex De Minaur has lost all twelve matches played against the Italian.

All but one of those defeats have been on the hard courts, including in all three matches in 2025 and Jannik Sinner has won seven of the eight sets played between the players. Two of those wins earned by Jannik Sinner have been since the US Open and there is a massive advantage in favour of the higher Ranked player that is almost impossible to ignore.

Jannik Sinner has won 69% of the points played behind his serve compared with Alex De Minaur's 56% mark... This has led to Sinner holding in 91% of service games played compared with De Minaur doing the same in 63% of his own service games and these are big edges in favour of Jannik Sinner.

He was given a bit of an examination by Ben Shelton in the final Group match, but Jannik Sinner was largely in control and did not have to spend any additional time on the court.

This should all mean that the Italian is ready to reach another Final here in Turin and the World Number 2 may be able to do that in some style.

Carlos Alcaraz - 3.5 games v Felix Auger-Aliassime: After losing to Jannik Sinner and looking like he was suffering with some sort of calf injury, Felix Auger-Aliassime has performed really well to win back to back Group matches.

The battling display against Ben Shelton deserves a lot more respect than the win over Alexander Zverev merely because the American pushed Felix Auger-Aliassime really hard. This may have cracked lesser players, but the Canadian has continued producing at key times in the second half of the season and Auger-Aliassime is going to head into 2026 with a lot of confidence.

Everything in this Semi Final is about the Felix Auger-Aliassime serve as he bids to upset the World Number 1.

It has been a big weapon in the wins over Ben Shelton and Alexander Zverev, but Felix Auger-Aliassime struggled to impose himself on Jannik Sinner in the opening Group match. He may have learned from that, but Auger-Aliassime has not faced Carlos Alcaraz in sixteen months and the Spaniard is playing at a really solid level himself to secure that position heading into the 2026 season.

Three matches played and three wins on the board has given Carlos Alcaraz momentum as he looks to go forward and win the ATP Finals for the first time to continue to add to his increasing trophy collection.

Despite already being through to the Semi Final, Carlos Alcaraz produced his best performance in the tournament in the win over Lorenzo Musetti on Thursday. That will further the momentum he has built up in the tournament and Alcaraz has to be pretty confident that much of this match will be played on his racquet, even when facing a very good server like Felix Auger-Aliassime.

There are just more ways for Carlos Alcaraz to win the match.

Covering the spread will not be easy and the World Number 1 may need to break serve at least three times to do that, but he has reached that total in all three of the matches played this week. The performance in the win over Taylor Fritz will give Carlos Alcaraz the confidence to deal with the World Number 8 and he has won each of the last four matches between the players.

We have seen Felix Auger-Aliassime produce high quality tennis when he has momentum and built up confidence- he is dangerous here having done that in back to back wins to join Jannik Sinner in the last four, but Carlos Alcaraz is a big challenge for the Canadian and that may show up on the final scoreboard.

MY PICKS: Jannik Sinner - 5.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Carlos Alcaraz - 3.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

ATP Finals: 7-4, + 1.28 Units (11 Units Staked, + 11.64% Yield)

WTA Finals Day 7 Tennis Picks 2025 (Friday 7th November)

There are two days left at the WTA Finals in Riyadh and four of the eight Singles players have been eliminated.

The final four all have their strengths and this is a good opportunity for someone to lay down a marker ahead of the Australian Open considering the lack of competitive tennis that is likely to be played by the very best players between now and Melbourne in mid-January.

The two Group Winners are favourites in the Semi Final, and they look most likely to come through, but nothing is ever that easy on the WTA Tour and both Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka are going to have to be wary of the challenges that Jessica Pegula and Amanda Anisimova will present.

Elena Rybakina - 2.5 games v Jessica Pegula: The World Number 5 would have gone into her final Group match knowing a win would put her in a good position to reach the Semi Final here in Riyadh. However, Jessica Pegula may also have put herself under some pressure to win in straight sets to take away any drama while watching the other match and credit has to be given to the American for the strong win she put together.

Moving through to the WTA Finals last four as Runner Up means a Semi Final clash against Elena Rybakina who has looked like the player that won the title at Wimbledon back in 2022.

Six months later she reached the Australian Open Final, but you would perhaps be a little disappointed in not seeing Elena Rybakina compete at the business end of more Grand Slams since winning Wimbledon. Most would have anticipated her adding to that title, but she has failed to make the Quarter Final in any of the last five Grand Slams played and some of that has been down to off court issues.

Those look to be clearing up, even if some remain concerned about Rybakina's relationship with Coach Stefano Vukov.

The World Number 6 enjoyed a decent Asian swing to earn her spot in the WTA Finals and Elena Rybakina has won all three Group matches thanks to her immense serving.

Elena Rybakina has won at least 70% of service points played in each of the three matches here in Riyadh and that has put a lot of scoreboard pressure on her opponents. She has only dropped serve twice, which is no surprise considering how dominant Rybakina has been behind her opening delivery, and that has allowed the World Number 6 to play with some aggression on the return.

It is going to be challenging for Jessica Pegula to find her way into the return games, although she will take some heart from the way she returned against Aryna Sabalenka in the Group Stage. She managed to break serve four times against the World Number 1, although Jessica Pegula was kept under immense pressure on her own serve and that is expected to be the case here.

These two players met after the US Open in the Billy Jean King Cup and Elena Rybakina was the much stronger server in a straight sets win over Jessica Pegula.

The last time they met at the WTA Finals was at the end of the 2022 season and it was Pegula who got the better of that one, but you have to give Elena Rybakina the edge on the form produced this week.

Jessica Pegula controlled the match against Jasmine Paolini, but has won less than 60% of service points played against Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka and the likely service disparity between these two Semi Finalists is going to give the lower Ranked player the edge.

Aryna Sabalenka - 3.5 games v Amanda Anisimova: The initial big breakthrough on the WTA Tour came back in 2019 when Amanda Anisimova was 17 years old and she reached the French Open Semi Final.

At the 2019 Australian Open, Amanda Anisimova upset Aryna Sabalenka and she won the first four meetings between the players and all while being Ranked outside the top 30.

After taking some time away from the Tour to just unburden herself, Amanda Anisimova has returned with real ambitions to fulfil the obvious potential she had shown in her development and early years as a professional. Reaching back to back Grand Slam Finals will give the American something to build upon in 2026 and Amanda Anisimova is playing with confidence having beaten Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek in her last two Group matches here to reach the Semi Final in her maiden appearance at the WTA Finals.

One of the wins on the way to reached the Wimbledon Final was against Aryna Sabalenka, but the World Number 1 earned revenge over Amanda Anisimova by beating her in the US Open Final in September.

Aryna Sabalenka also beat Anisimova in the French Open Fourth Round and she has now won four of the last six matches against the World Number 4.

The Belarusian has won all three matches at the WTA Finals, but it still feels like there is room for improvement in her level of performance.

She has served herself out of some tough situations, but Aryna Sabalenka will want to just get a bit more out of that shot to try and keep herself out of pressurised situations. Completely erasing those against someone like Amanda Anisimova is not likely, but Sabalenka has to take some heart out of the way Elena Rybakina got the better of this opponent in the Group Stage and feel she can at least reach a similar level.

Amanda Anisimova has been improving her serving numbers in each of the matches played in the tournament, which is perhaps partly down to becoming accustomed to the conditions.

However, it is the World Number 1 who has had the superior consistency on the return and that was the case when these two players met in the US Open Final.

There is so much to like about the Amanda Anisimova game and a slight improvement in 2026 will lead to Grand Slam titles on her current trajectory.

She has beaten Sabalenka in a big moment at Wimbledon, but the top Seed has won at two other Grand Slam events and that win over Anisimova in New York City could be repeated here. That was a close match and Aryna Sabalenka had to dig deep when broken after serving for the set, but it was won under indoor conditions and the World Number 1 can move into the Final here with a win and a cover of the handicap mark set.

MY PICKS: Elena Rybakina - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Aryna Sabalenka - 3.5 Games @ 1.90 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

WTA Finals: 6-5, + 0.21 Units (11 Units Staked, + 1.91% Yield)

US Open Tennis Day 7 Picks 2025 (Saturday 30th August)

It has not been a good day for American tennis, at least on the men's side of the tournament, with the likes of Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe exiting the US Open before the second week is set to begin.

The Third Round at the final Grand Slam of the season is scheduled to be concluded on Saturday and there are some potentially big matches coming up.

As the tournament progresses and with the majority of the top names still going strong at the event, the matches that will matter most to the fans should be taking place more frequently. There are one or two portions of the draw that have begun to look wide open for a surprise name to have a very big impact at this Grand Slam, but the top contenders are still flying and it is hard to look past someone familiar picking up both Singles titles.

Alexander Zverev - 1.5 sets v Felix Auger-Aliassime: Some very late drama was attached to the win over Jacob Fearnley when the underdog decided to produce tennis of a ridiculous level, but Alexander Zverev was never in any danger of being pushed too much further.

The 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win has continued comfortable passage through the US Open draw and it is clear that Alexander Zverev is pretty happy for most people to talk about the 'big two'.

The World Number 3 is a former Finalist here and has done the same in Melbourne and Paris and so Alexander Zverev has to be confident in his ability to beat anyone and everyone he faces.

Next up is a match against Felix Auger-Aliassime who has yet to drop a set at the US Open and who has been playing some of his best hard court tennis of recent years over the course of the season. However, the Canadian did blow a two set lead in being dumped out of the Second Round at the Australian Open, while Auger-Aliassime has lost his last four hard court matches when facing a top 20 Ranked opponent.

Felix Auger-Aliassime certainly serves well enough to offer some resistance and he has had competitive matches when facing the best players, at least in the main. He was crushed by Jannik Sinner at the Cincinnati Masters, but that feels like an exception to the rule so Alexander Zverev will have to be very focused in what looks a quality match.

The German has been much more solid in the bigger matches compared with Felix Auger-Aliassime, while Alexander Zverev will hold the mental advantage.

The sole Grand Slam match between these players was won by Felix Auger-Aliassime at Wimbledon in 2021, but Alexander Zverev has won three of the four matches played against one another since then.

He has also won four of the five hard court matches, including a crushing win at the Miami Masters in 2024.

This should be more competitive than that match, but it is Alexander Zverev who looks more capable of coming out on top at key moments and the expectation is that he will progress in either three or, more likely, four sets.

Alex De Minuar - 7.5 games v Daniel Altmaier: After going 2-1 down in sets and losing serve very early in the fourth set, Daniel Altmaier could have easily begun to think about his exit plans from New York City.

Instead he battled back to win that set and then came through a really tough fifth set to upset Stefanos Tsitsipas and earn himself another match at the US Open.

He is also playing in the Doubles in this final Grand Slam of 2025, but the real challenge for Daniel Altmaier is going to be recovery. For the second match in a row, he has spent well over four hours on the court and that is going to accumulate within the body.

Making matters worse is the opponent.

Alex De Minaur has the movement and the defensive skills to really punish any fatigue that Daniel Altmaier is going to be feeling and this is going to make those hours spent on the court hurt for the underdog.

The World Number 8 won the title in Washington in the build up to this Grand Slam and he has been very comfortable through the first couple of Rounds.

Over the course of the season, Alex De Minaur has shown improvement in both service and returning numbers on the hard courts and he did reach the Quarter Final in his home Grand Slam before running into Jannik Sinner. The very top players look like they will have too many weapons for the top Australian player, but Alex De Minaur is very comfortable when facing opponents he is expected to beat as highlighted by the 24-4 record against players Ranked outside the top 20 on this surface in 2025.

One of those victories was against Daniel Altmaier on the indoor hard courts of Rotterdam back in February and it was a strong win for the favourite.

Alex De Minaur dropped just five games in getting past this opponent on that day and you have to believe he can pull away from Daniel Altmaier in the second and third set once tiredness and the scoreboard really turn against the World Number 56.

Andrey Rublev - 6.5 games v Coleman Wong: The last twelve to eighteen months have been quite difficult for Andrey Rublev as he looks to avoid wasting unnecessary energy on the courts.

Most of that was through open frustration and he has admitted that it had been holding him back.

Consistency had seen Andrey Rublev reach six of seven Grand Slam Quarter Finals between May 2022 and January 2024, but he has now failed to progress beyond the Fourth Round in six straight Majors. With that in mind, the Quarter Final runs in Toronto and Cincinnati will have given the World Number 15 some confidence and he has looked pretty solid in the tournament so far.

The draw has opened up a little bit and Andrey Rublev next faces Coleman Wong who is the World Number 173.

Credit has to be given to Coleman Wong for coming through the Qualifiers and then upsetting Aleksander Kovacevic and Adam Walton. He has played a lot of tennis over the last week, but winning will have given him a lift, although Wong will be well aware that this is a big leap in level compared with the opponents he has beaten in the run to the Third Round.

The Coleman Wong serve could be a key weapon for him, but he has struggled when facing the top 100 Ranked opponents faced on the hard courts.

Focus will be key for Andrey Rublev.

If he can just not allow himself to become overly frustrated, Andrey Rublev should have the majority of Break Point chances in this match and it could lead to a routine win.

This has sometimes been Andrey Rublev's downfall, but he has looked better all around over the last month on the North American hard courts. He should have enough quality on the court to eventually break down and wear down this opponent and reach the Fourth Round for the sixth time in nine main draw appearances in New York City.

Naomi Osaka - 4.5 games v Daria Kasatkina: This has been a really productive month of tennis for Naomi Osaka and she is a very dangerous player in the women's draw at the US Open.

A two time former Champion here, Naomi Osaka's game is perfectly suited to the hard courts.

However, her return to the Tour has perhaps not been as smooth as hoped because Naomi Osaka has sometimes struggled to deal with expectation that will have been heaped on her shoulders. Everyone knows the level that Osaka can produce and the pressure has been on to reach that once again, which has perhaps contributed to some of the inconsistent results.

Things look a bit different right now and Naomi Osaka's confidence looks in a good place.

She will tested by Daria Kasatkina who has been a solid hard court player this season, but one who has struggled to get over the line in recent matches.

Two wins in New York City will have given her some confidence and Daria Kasatkina reached the Fourth Round at the Australian Open so is clearly happy playing on the hard courts.

However, this is a match that feels like it will be played on the Naomi Osaka racquet- if she serves well, Osaka should find plenty of short runs to attack, while the heavier groundstrokes could see her push Daria Kasatkina onto the back foot.

In their two previous meetings on the Tour, Naomi Osaka has dominated the outcome and that includes on the clay courts in Rome 2024. That may be a surface on which Daria Kasatkina would have felt she could compete best with this powerful opponent, but that was not the case and her own serve has vulnerabilities that Naomi Osaka can exploit in this Third Round match.

Coco Gauff - 5.5 games v Magdalena Frech: The first couple of wins at the US Open have not been as straight-forward as Coco Gauff would have hoped and she was in an emotional mood in the Second Round.

The former Champion in New York City, Coco Gaiff perhaps feels more pressure to impress the home fans and that was perhaps part of the reason she was feeling how she was the last time out.

She has faced a couple of awkward opponents, but Coco Gauff has to be more comfortable facing Magdalena Frech considering the two victories and manner of those against this opponent.

The World Number 33 had lost three hard court matches in a row before the two victories at the US Open, but Magdalena Frech has played really well here. The two wins have to give her confidence, although it should be stated that the draw has been a decent one for the Seeded player and this is a considerably tougher test.

Magdalena Frech will be hoping that Coco Gauff has something of an off day, but the reality is that the American is the better player and should be much more comfortable on this surface.

The match up has been one that Coco Gauff has enjoyed previously and it should mean this is one of the more routine wins in the Third Round.

Amanda Anisimova - 4.5 games v Jaqueline Cristian: Beating one American player may have upset the home crowd, but Jaqueline Cristian was doing the same in the Second Round.

Now she takes aim at a third American player in a row, although Cristian will be very much aware that Amanda Anisimova is the best of the three home hopes that she will have faced in the US Open.

The run to the Third Round has been a little surprising when you think Jaqueline Cristian had lost three hard court matches in a row, including early defeats in Cincinnati and Monterrey. All three of those defeats were in routine fashion and it could be a difficult challenge containing someone like Amanda Anisimova who is very keen to build on reaching the Wimbledon Final.

The defeat in the Final would have stung, but Amanda Anisimova is very confident on the hard courts and has looked good in the first two Rounds in New York City.

In matches against top 20 Ranked opponents on the hard courts, Cristian has really struggled to have much of an impact.

Amanda Anisimova has not been a dominant player, even if she has racked up the wins to move into the top 10 of the World Rankings.

There is definitely some room for improvement in the hard court numbers, although the confidence looks to be flowing through the American right now. She has picked up two very solid wins at Flushing Meadows and Amanda Anisimova has all of the qualities to secure another one, while doing just enough to cover the line that has been set for the match.

MY PICKS: Alexander Zverev - 1.5 Sets @ 1.61 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Alex De Minaur - 7.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Andrey Rublev - 6.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Naomi Osaka - 4.5 Games @ 1.75 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Coco Gauff - 5.5 Games @ 1.80 William Hill (2 Units)

Amanda Anisimova - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

US Open Update: 15-9, + 6.44 Units (47 Units Staked, + 13.70% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 7 Picks 2025 (Saturday 31st May)

As mentioned previously, there are not likely to be any Picks from the French Open after a frustrating first week and it feels like that was a good decision after the results on Friday.

The two selections below is where I would target if I was still placing any units down, but it may be best to fade them on current form.

Alexander Bublik - 5.5 games v Henrique Rocha: Both of these players were perhaps thinking about their scheduling following the French Open when trailing Seeded players 2-0 in sets in the Second Round. To further that potential loss of focus is the fact that they had won a combined seven games across those four sets and there would not have been too many 'in play' backers of either Alexander Bublik or Henrique Rocha.

That has to be especially the case for Henrique Rocha, who had to battle through three Qualifiers to make the main draw in Paris but who had won just two of nine clay court matches prior to entering that Qualifying draw for the French Open. Only two of those matches had been played against top 100 Ranked opponents, which ended in relatively comfortable defeats, and the Portuguese player was in a desperate position in the last Round.

As stated, it has felt like a tournament in which really strange results have been occurring throughout the first week and Henrique Rocha's win in the Second Round has to be right up there with the strangest- he had shown nothing prior to the tournament to suggest he would be that competitive and then losing 6/2, 6/1 against a top 20 Seed should have ended all beiief.

With nothing to lose Henrique Rocha is potentially dangerous, but Alexander Bublik will be feeling confident after recovering to upset Alex De Minaur in the last Round.

He is an erratic player, which makes it hard to trust Alexander Bublik, and his form over the last twelve months has been pretty poor, which has resulted in the World Ranking dropping 45 places.

However, Alexander Bublik has at least shown some clay court form prior to the French Open- he reached the Fourth Round in Madrid and won a Challenger event, which were against opponents who are all Ranked higher than Henrique Rocha, at least prior to this event.

It would not be a major surprise if this does go at least four sets, but Alexander Bublik should still have the qualities to exert his strengths over Henrique Rocha and that can show up on the scoreboard. The tournament has been a funny one with not all numbers being backed up by the final tally on the board, but Bublik looks capable of moving into the second week behind a strong looking win.

Jack Draper - 1.5 sets v Joao Fonseca: There is a lot of hype around Joao Fonseca and there is little doubt that he is going to be a star on the Tour if he can steer clear of injuries and maintain his current progressive trajectory.

However, this is still early in his career and Joao Fonseca finished his preparation for the French Open with three straight losses on the clay courts. That has not stopped the layers asking for the Brazilian to perhaps cover lines higher than he should and they refuse to underestimate a player that will receive plenty of backing.

It can lead to some funny prices around Joao Fonseca matches and Jack Draper is capable of getting the better of this opponent for a second time this season.

A Final in Madrid and Quarter Final in Rome underlines the ability of Jack Draper on the clay and he had positive numbers last year too, despite the win-loss record being against him. The improvements being made by Draper has seen him become a real threat on all surfaces and the victory over Gael Monfils in the Second Round should be a reminder that he can come through hostile environments to win matches.

The fans are likely going to be behind the youngster making headlines, but Joao Fonseca has not been playing at his very best level on the clay in the lead to the French Open. Beating Hubert Hurkacz in the First Round is a positive performance and result, but Fonseca made hard work of the Second Round when set as a big favourite and he is still a work in progress when it comes to fulfilling all of the obvious potential he has.

Jack Draper has the edge in the serving and returning numbers on the clay courts, and that win in Indian Wells in March should give him confidence against this teenager. He might drop a set, but Draper should be strong enough to still get the better of Joao Fonseca and he can come through in four sets on his way to the second week at the second Grand Slam of the 2025 season.

MY PICKS: Alexander Bublik - 5.5 Games

Jack Draper - 1.5 Sets

Australian Open Tennis Day 7 Picks 2025 (Saturday 18th January)

The tournament keeps rolling ahead and there were some fabulous matches played on Day 6, which only bodes well for the rest of the Australian Open.

We have already seen some top Fourth Round matches put together, but the second week lineup is yet to be completed and that is the focus for Day 7 at the tournament.

A 2-2 record for the Tennis Picks was a little disappointing on Friday, but it could have been worse and the five selections from the matches to take place on Saturday can be read below.

Madison Keys - 3.5 games v Danielle Collins: A really good story usually revolves around a hero and a villain and both are needed.

There is little doubt that the villain in this Third Round match is going to be Danielle Collins after her Second Round celebrations angered an entire nation. Beating a home Qualifier is one thing, but Collins made sure she let the crowd know exactly what she thought of them and you just know those in attendance will be fired up to give some back.

It doesn't help that a popular and easy to like Madison Keys is standing on the other side of the net and the lower Ranked of the two American players begins as the favourite.

Madison Keys has always had the game to challenge for a Grand Slam title, but the mentality has perhaps not been as strong as needed to really get over the line. 2024 was also a tough year for Keys, on the court anyway, but the early form in 2025 is very positive and the World Number 14 has won nine of the ten matches played, including winning the title in Auckland.

Even the sole defeat to Clara Tauson has been franked considering how tough the latter played Aryna Sabalenka here in Melbourne and so Madison Keys will come into the match filled with confidence.

In saying that, Madison Keys might be the first to admit that she has not found her best level in her first two wins in this tournament and she is going to have to step up her tennis when facing Danielle Collins, the World Number 11.

Postponing her planned retirement, Danielle Collins arrives in Melbourne having as a former Australian Open Finalist.

She reached the Final in 2022, but the last two appearances at the Australian Open have been disappointing and Collins has made heavy work of beating two players Ranked well outside the top 100. The serve is not working quite as well as Danielle Collins would hope and that has put pressure on her return, which can be a problem for this American player on the hard courts.

The two players know each other well, which should just help settle any nerves, and knowing what to expect from the other side of the court makes planning that much easier.

Both will be relying on the serve to set up the whole direction of the match, but Madison Keys looks to have a slight advantage in her current level behind that shot.

She has also won the last two professional matches between herself and Danielle Collins and both of those victories have been in dominant fashion. A fast start could really help Madison Keys with the crowd likely to get on top of Danielle Collins and make things uncomfortable as they can be on the court and it could end up seeing the World Number 11 just fall away, allowing Madison Keys to win and cover the line set for this Third Round match.

Iga Swiatek - 5.5 games v Emma Raducanu: The popularity she enjoys amongst the tennis fanbase has certainly helped Iga Swiatek move past a controversial one month suspension for failing a drugs test. The authorities accepted it was an accidental failure, but many of the players around the World Number 2 have voiced their criticism as to what they feel is lenient punishment and arguably a lot less than so many others have had to face.

Some even believe it is Iga Swiatek's status as one of the top female players in the world that has almost forced the authorities to want to sweep things under the carpet, much like the criticism the ATP have faced for their handling of Jannik Sinner's case.

That is actually being challenged by those who conduct the testing, but Iga Swiatek's case sounds like it has been decided, even if some are very disappointed by the outcome.

The Number 2 Seed at the Australian Open is the dominant player on the clay courts, but Iga Swiatek has only ever made one Semi Final in Melbourne. She is clearly capable of performing very well on the hard courts having won the US Open and she has won hard court titles at the Masters level, but Iga Swiatek will know her overall Grand Slam record outside of the French Open needs to be improved.

Iga Swiatek's hard court numbers certainly suggest she has been underachieving at the two Slams played on the surface and the Pole has made another strong start on the surface. A defeat to Coco Gauff at the United Cup is the sole defeat Iga Swiatek has faced this season and her two wins in Melbourne have been solid enough to put her in a deserved favouritism spot for this Third Round match.

Another US Open Champion is standing in the way, but suffice to say Emma Raducanu has not been able to reach those heights again as injury and a loss of form has held her back. The British player had climbed up to World Number 10 eleven months after winning the US Open as a Qualifier, but Emma Raducanu has fallen to 61 in the years since and really struggled for a consistent impact on the Tour.

Underlining the statement is the fact that this is only the second time Emma Raducanu has made the Third Round of a Grand Slam since her shocking success in New York City and she has made the second week just once.

That was at Wimbledon in July 2024, but this is the first time Emma Raducanu will be playing in the Third Round at either the US Open or Australian Open since winning the former in September 2021.

Returning has been the key to her two wins in Melbourne this week, but Raducanu has been struggling with her serve and it is going to be very tough to contain the Number 2 Seed in the draw. She may feel she can return well enough to challenge Iga Swiatek, but failing to protect her own serve will keep the pressure on the lower Ranked player and this has all of the makings of a relatively serene win for the Polish player.

Fending off a host of Break Points helped Emma Raducanu to a competitive straight sets loss to Iga Swiatek on the clay courts of Stuttgart last year, but the last two meetings have seen the higher Ranked player dominate the returning numbers. Emma Raducanu is going to have to save a lot of Break Points to keep this one competitive and the likelihood is that Iga Swiatek will wear her down thanks to her consistency and that may see her pull away for a comfortable scoreboard victory.

Beatriz Haddad Maia v Veronika Kudermetova: Three losses to open 2025 and then dropping the first set at the Australian Open may have left World Number 17 Beatriz Haddad Maia in a vulnerable position as she looked to avoid an early exit.

She rallied against Julia Riera and has now won four sets in a row to rebuild some confidence.

Strong performances at the US Open warm up events and then a Quarter Final run at the Grand Slam would have bolstered Beatriz Haddad Maia and she won the title in Seoul. This made her start to the 2025 season feel disappointing, but the left hander is back on track and has been a solid hard court players in recent seasons.

In the Third Round Beatriz Haddad Maia faces the improving Veronika Kudermetova, a player who had been in the top ten of the World Rankings not so long ago, but who has had a difficult twelve months on the Tour.

Entering the tournament as the World Number 75 may have allowed Veronika Kudermetova to play without a sense of expectation, especially after a relatively mixed build up to the Australian Open. A solid First Round win has been followed by an upset of Katie Boulter, a Seeded player, in the Second Round and so there will be some renewed confidence in her play.

In 2022, Veronika Kudermetova had a very solid year on the hard courts, but she has lost some of her consistency over the last couple of years. It has really been evident when Kudermetova has played against top 50 Ranked opponents on the hard courts and over the last twelve months she has a 5-9 record in that setting and that dips to 1-3 whn only considering matches against top 20 Ranked opponents.

More worrying in this match up is that two of those defeats have been to Beatriz Haddad Maia at the back end of the 2024 season during the hard court swing through Asia.

In those matches in Seoul and Wuhan, it is the World Number 17 who has won all four sets competed and Beatriz Haddad Maia has been able to win 50% of the points played on the Veronika Kudermetova serve. Getting close to that mark again will give the southpaw a huge advantage and likely keep the lower Ranked player under the pump.

Backing it to secure the victories was the Beatriz Haddad Maia serve and she was broken 4 times in those two matches compared with the 9 Break Points converted herself.

A poor start to 2025 prior to the Australian Open may be raising some doubts, but this looks a spot where Beatriz Haddad Maia can be picked to get the better of this 'pick 'em' contest.

MY PICKS: Madison Keys - 3.5 Games @ 1.75 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Iga Swiatek - 5.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet365 (2 Units)

Beatriz Haddad Maia @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Eva Lys @ 1.66 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Jannik Sinner - 8.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Australian Open Update: 13-6, + 7.80 Units (35 Units Staked, + 22.29% Yield)

US Open Tennis Day 7 Picks 2024 (Sunday 1st September)

The Carlos Alcaraz loss in the Second Round was a big upset, but the men's draw lost Novak Djokovic the next day and it really feels like the US Open is a wide open tournament.

With Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev on a collision course as soon as the Quarter Final, the rest of those making it through to the second week have to feel a big opportunity has presented itself with the defeats suffered by two of the top three players in the World Rankings.

It also means we have now reached another year without a men's Champion defending their title at the US Open with the last being Roger Federer all the way back in 2008.

The hope really springs for the likes of Grigor Dimitrov and Alexander Zverev in the bottom half of the draw, but others like Casper Ruud, Andrey Rublev and home hope Frances Tiafoe will have their supporters.

And Alexei Popyrin might be trying to back up an upset, but he is the Canadian Masters Champion and looks to be playing about as well as he ever has.

Usually it has been the women's draws that have tended to lose big name Seeds before the second week of Grand Slams, but the top names are still working their way towards the title. As we reach the Fourth Round, things can change very quickly and there are some good looking matches heading out onto the court on Day 7 at the tournament.

Aryna Sabalenka - 5.5 games v Elise Mertens: There have been some major upsets in the men's tournament, but the top of the women's market has been largely unaffected by any upsets so far at the US Open. The only one missing is Elena Rybakina, but she pulled out with an injury prior to her Third Round match.

The two time Australian Open Champion, Aryna Sabalenka, has made it through to the Fourth Round at the US Open again and she continues to look like the player to beat. However, there are going to be some mental obstacles to overcome for Sabalenka who has suffered some heartbreaking losses at the business end of the US Open throughout her career.

Back to back Semi Final exits was followed by reaching the Final twelve months ago and Aryna Sabalenka will feel she had her chances to win that match too.

She has largely been comfortable through the first three Rounds and it is not a bad thing that Aryna Sabalenka had to overcome some resistance in the Third Round. A confident player, Sabalenka has found her very best form on the hard courts and a huge game all around makes her very tough to stop.

Elise Mertens can tell you all about that having struggled to compete with the big hitting World Number 2 and the former World Number 12 is really going to have to step up her level if she is going to give Sabalenka something to think about.

A lot of the successes that Mertens has on the Tour is down to her return game, but this is a serve that has troubled her regularly. While she won the first hard court match against Sabalenka, Elise Mertens has now lost five in a row to this opponent on this surface and the most recent matches have seen her blown away as the Belgian has struggled to make much of an impact on the return.

Failing to do that means Mertens is under pressure when it comes to her own serve, which can be vulnerable, and an aggressive Aryna Sabalenka is not likely to allow her opponent to settle into those games. Too many second serves will be exploited, and it is no surprise that Aryna Sabalenka has broken the Mertens serve at least four times in each of the last five hard court matches against one another.

Earlier in her career, Aryna Sabalenka was perhaps not as convincing at protecting serve against someone like Mertens who will be looking to get as many balls back into play. However, in the last three matches on the hard courts, Sabalenka has only dropped serve four times combined against this opponent and that has allowed her to dominate on the scoreboard.

A solid three wins will give Elise Mertens confidence, but this has been a tough match up for her and Aryna Sabalenka may be able to move through the gears to produce a strong win.

Coco Gauff - 2.5 games v Emma Navarro: A rematch of a meeting at Wimbledon, you can see how much Emma Navarro has improved and how much more respected she is by the prices.

At Wimbledon, Coco Gauff was a huge favourite, but it was Emma Navarro who came through with the victory as she upset her compatriot. It was a deserved win and it will give Navarro a lot of credit when these two players meet in the Fourth Round at the US Open.

The build up to the US Open has been more positive for Emma Navarro compared with Coco Gauff, but it is the higher Ranked player who is the defending Champion. And despite both players being from the United States, it is almost certain that Coco Gauff will be the fan favourite having won in New York City and just having a higher profile all around.

She has yet to really show her best in the tournament, but Coco Gauff has played at a consistent level and that will give her belief as she looks for revenge for the defeat at Wimbledon. Character was shown in coming from behind to beat Elina Svitolina in the last Round and that should certainly bolster the mood in what has been an underwhelming season by the high standards that Gauff has set.

Emma Navarro was also able to get the best of a Ukrainian in the Third Round, but her win was much tighter and she was perhaps a little fortunate when all was said and done. Winning breeds momentum though and Navarro may feel she has the consistency of tennis that can cause problems for Coco Gauff, who has been a lot more up and down with her level of performances over the last few months.

However, the motivation of earning a touch of revenge for the defeat at Wimbledon should inspire Coco Gauff. She might have made her breakthrough on the Tour in SW19 in London, but Gauff is a much more effective grass court player than a hard court one, even if this has not been the season the World Number 3 would have been expecting.

The men's draw have suffered some big upsets with two of the top three Seeds eliminated before the second week of the tournament, but Coco Gauff has the qualities to avoid the same.

Take nothing away from Emma Navarro and that win at Wimbledon will certainly means she is going to have plenty of belief in this match, but her serve can be vulnerable at times. She is 5-5 against top 20 Ranked players on the hard courts, which is not a bad record, but the Navarro numbers have dipped significantly in those matches and the conditions in New York City may favour Coco Gauff, especially with the memories of her win here twelve months ago.

The match should be a really good one, but Coco Gauff should be able to cover this handicap mark even if she needs to win a deciding set.

Brandon Nakashima-Alexander Zverev over 36.5 games: There were plenty of knowledgable people speaking about the potential of Brandon Nakashima and he looked to be heading towards the top 20 of the World Rankings two years ago. He actually won the Next Gen World Tour Finals at the end of 2022, but injury has just stalled the career.

However, Brandon Nakashima has enjoyed a solid summer hard court series in the build towards the US Open, although Andrey Rublev ended his run at both Masters events played.

Some might have had their confidence dented, but not Nakashima who has won three matches here and two of those have been against top 20 Ranked opponents. The American has seen off Holger Rune and Lorenzo Musetti, but the challenges continue to get tougher for Brandon Nakashima in what has become a very open bottom half of the men's draw.

Novak Djokovic's departure has opened things up for every player in this half of the draw, but it is a player like Alexander Zverev that will move into favouritism to reach the Final. He did that at the US Open before and was a French Open Finalist earlier this season, but the added pressure is going to be a factor for Alexander Zverev to deal with.

Alexander Zverev has dropped a couple of sets, but he has been largely comfortable in his three wins in the main draw. The last match was a tough one for Zverev, but he showed resiliency after the difficult first couple of sets and eventually rolled through to the second week of the US Open.

Both players have to rely on their serve to set up the rest of their tennis and both Nakashima and Zverev will know that they have to improve on the Third Round showings. Easing through those service games will allow the player to just show some aggressive intent on the return and try and keep the other under pressure and the conditions are going to be favourable for servers.

The German has won their two previous matches, which have both been in Grand Slams, including once at the US Open. The meeting in New York City was in 2020 when Brandon Nakashima was the World Number 223, but he pushed the then World Number 7 Alexander Zverev before fading.

A much stronger Nakashima should be able to keep this one very competitive and there is an opportunity for the upset.

In reality Alexander Zverev should have enough to beat Brandon Nakashima- the feeling is that he will have to come through some difficult moments though and this could be another competitive Grand Slam match played between the two. Both should be good enough to at least win a set and that should set the match on the way to surpassing this total games line.

MY PICKS: Aryna Sabalenka - 5.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet365 (2 Units)

Coco Gauff - 2.5 Games @ 1.61 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Brandon Nakashima-Alexander Zverev Over 36.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

US Open Update: 17-12, + 4.84 Units (58 Units Staked, + 8.34% Yield)