Tennis Picks 2026 (Thursday 19th February)

We are moving into the business end of the tournaments that have been scheduled for this week and more retirements in Dubai will lead to more questions.

The final eight names in the WTA 1000 event are surprising in the main, and the Quarter Final matches look tough to call.

You can say the same for the Quarter Finals in Doha with one selection made from that tournament and one from the remaining Second Round matches scheduled in Delray Beach.

Any selections from the ATP Rio tournament will be added to this thread and the weekly totals will also be updated once the full results from Wednesday are in.

Carlos Alcaraz - 5.5 games v Karen Khachanov: The World Number 1 has not been at his very best in the ATP Doha tournament, but Carlos Alcaraz will be comfortable with the level he has been producing to move through to the Quarter Final.

He arrived after completing the career Grand Slam with the title at the Australian Open, but credit has to be given to Alcaraz for stating there is still more development to improve his tennis.

It is a desire that could see Carlos Alcaraz competing for Grand Slam titles for many years to come and he will be seen as the player to beat at the remaining Slams to be played in 2026.

Strong numbers have been produced on the hard courts since the start of the 2024 season and Carlos Alcaraz is developing the serve, which is going to make it even easier for him to put opponents under pressure. It has been a strong weapon for him over the last couple of years, but the early signs are that Alcaraz is going to have an even better serve in 2026 and that will allow him to play with some real aggression on the return.

He will be challenged in this Quarter Final by a big hitting, aggressive player in Karen Khachanov who gave Carlos Alcaraz all he could handle in a tight defeat at the Rome Masters on the clay last season.

The World Number 17 has needed to go the full three sets in both opening wins in Doha, but he will be glad the conditions will offer his first serve some support. That is going to be vital for Karen Khachanov to see if he can keep Carlos Alcaraz under considerable pressure and look for that to dictate how the Spaniard responds.

However, Karen Khachanov will also be aware that he cannot afford to allow too many looks at his second serve against a return player like Carlos Alcaraz who will be looking to control rallies from the opening shot played.

Karen Khachanov is not having nearly as much success as Carlos Alcaraz when it comes to the return game and that will put more pressure on his serve. He has held almost 90% of service games played on the hard courts this season, which will give Khachanov real belief, but the highest Ranked opponent faced in 2026 is the World Number 25 and this is a considerably tougher test against the Australian Open Champion.

In the previous five matches on the Tour, Carlos Alcaraz has a huge edge in terms of Breaks of serve put together and the Spaniard may be able to push through and find the Breaks needed to cover this relatively big line.

Taylor Fritz - 3.5 games v Rafael Jodar: The 19 year old Spaniard is going to be improving his World Ranking again at the end of the tournament in Delray Beach, but he will be looking to crack the top 100 for the first time.

Rafael Jodar will need an upset over the top Seed in the tournament and that may be asking too much of him at this stage of the career.

The numbers produced over the last twelve months on the hard courts are impressive- Jodar has won 77% of the matches played with over fifty wins produced, while he has held 81% of service games played and broken in 32% of return games.

However, those numbers have largely been built on dominating lower Ranked opponents and Rafael Jodar is 2-2 over the last twelve months against top 100 Ranked players on the hard courts. His serve has been attacked relentlessly by the better players on the Tour and Taylor Fritz can certainly put the youngster under pressure, even with a limited return game.

Taylor Fritz is very comfortable on the hard courts and he reached the Final last week in Dallas.

In the limited amount of matches played on the hard courts in 2026, Taylor Fritz has not been nearly as strong on the return of serve as he has been in previous years. He will want to seen that improved ahead of the tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami, while Taylor Fritz will not have faced too many players as inexperienced as the one in front of him in this Second Round match.

There is every reason to believe that Taylor Fritz will be helped by the opponent he is facing on Thursday and the American may do enough to find the Breaks needed to cover this spread. 

MY PICKS: Carlos Alcaraz - 5.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Taylor Fritz - 3.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 6-8, - 3.03 Units (14 Units Staked, - 21.64% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2014 (February 19th)

After a pretty successful Monday, Tuesday proved to be more of a mixed bag with a couple of the picks getting close, but not quite getting over the line in to the winner's enclosure. Those could have made it a strong day, but you can't win them all and it was still a positive enough start to the week with the hope that John Isner can comfortably come through his First Round match that is yet to be played at the time of writing.

With a little more luck, this week could still go the same way as last week and continue the upward trend as we continue with a lot more tennis to be played on Wednesday.


Agnieszka Radwanska - 4.5 games v Flavia Pennetta: This should be the kind of match up that is to Agnieszka Radwanska's liking as she is playing an opponent that doesn't usually have the consistency to hit through her nor the power to make Radwanska feel uncomfortable on the court.

Flavia Pennetta has come through the qualifiers to make the main draw in Dubai and was a straight sets winner in the First Round, but she has also struggled in the past when coming up against Radwanska.

That includes a straight sets loss at the Hopman Cup to open this season and the last four matches between the players have not been competitive. I think this one will be a little closer, but Radwanska should be able to frustrate her opponent and extract the errors that will help her come through with a 63, 64 win.


Caroline Wozniacki - 3.5 games v Annika Beck: Caroline Wozniacki would have covered the spread yesterday if she had taken one of the first three match points that came her way, but I was still very impressed with the way the Dane recovered from one set down to beat Sabine Lisicki fairly comfortably.

She was serving well and showed some power off the ground and I think that will give her a good chance to beat Annika Beck in this Second Round match.

As well as Beck did herself to recover from a set down to beat Samantha Stosur in the last Round, she was helped massively by the complete drop in form during the second set from the Australian and I think Wozniacki is going to show more consistency than Stosur did.

Wozniacki should be able to force errors from the Beck game and as long as she continues serving as she was on Tuesday, she should be able to come through 64, 63.


Venus Williams v Ana Ivanovic: I think I have to have a small interest in Venus Williams to win this Second Round match against Ana Ivanovic despite the latter finding a three set win over the former World Number 1 in the Final at Auckland earlier this season.

As well as Ivanovic has played at times this season, she has sometimes found it tough to back up big wins and was forced to dig very deep in beating Angelique Kerber on Tuesday after saving match points.

The day off between her match may give Venus Williams the edge when it comes to fitness and fatigue and she has played well at moments through 2014, even if the consistency has fallen off. That is one element that puts me off backing Williams for more than the minimum stake, but I do think the underdog has enough bite to take a chunk out of Ivanovic in the match.

It will likely go to three sets, but Venus Williams may have a little more in the tank in this match and come through.


Lucie Safarova + 3.5 games v Jelena Jankovic: Over the last ten days, Lucie Safarova has really picked up her serving and that could give her a chance to knock off Jelena Jankovic in this match, although I am just more interested in her making it a competitive match.

With the serving in a place it is, this match has the hallmarks of a three setter and their past meetings have an indication that they are a little more closely matched.

I think Jankovic's game is a little more solid as she relies more on her defence than Safarova who can also have a few issues with fatigue, but the power is more likely to come from the Czech side of the net and that should pose some problems itself.

The one aspect of the WTA that can frustrate is when players seemingly collapse within sets and that is a concern for Safarova if she is beaten 62 in one set, but I think she is capable of at least taking one herself and that should be enough to keep this a competitive match.


Feliciano Lopez - 3.5 games v Adrian Mannarino: He had to come from a set behind to beat Sam Querrey in the First Round, but that may have opened the door for Feliciano Lopez to go deep in to the tournament at Delray Beach.

The warmer conditions during the day should also help Lopez with the big serve and the ability to close points out at the net and I think the pressure will eventually tell on his opponent Adrian Mannarino.

I am not always impressed with Lopez' ability to return serve as the slice isn't always effective, but the scoreboard pressure coupled with the fact that Mannarino can lose concentration means I believe the Spaniard will find a way to earn the break points and close this match.

The match has all the makings of a 64, 64 win for Lopez as he moves through to the Quarter Finals.


Tommy Haas - 3.5 games v Steve Johnson: Tommy Haas disposed of one American in the First Round, but I expect a lot more competition for him in this match after losing just three games in the win over Wayne Odesnik.

This time he faces Steve Johnson who won a Challenger in Dallas a couple of weeks ago and has come through the qualifiers to reach this stage of the tournament so confidence has to be in a good place.

When I have watched Johnson play, I have seen a player with decent ability, but one whose concentration is perhaps not at the level to see off someone as good as Haas. He will have some success because he does hit a heavy ball and the confidence, as I said, should be high after a run of wins behind him.

However, I do think Haas has too much know-how and will come through 64, 64.

MY PICKS: Agnieszka Radwanska - 4.5 Games @ 1.73 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Caroline Wozniacki - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Venus Williams @ 2.25 Pinnacle (1 Unit)
Lucie Safarova + 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Feliciano Lopez - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Tommy Haas - 3.5 Games @ 1.85 Pinnacle (2 Units)

Tennis Picks 2014 (February 18th)

Monday is usually a quiet day in terms of tournament matches, but Tuesday is when a there is a lot of action to get through the day and it will all begin early in Dubai and go through to Delray Beach deep into the evening.


Samantha Stosur - 3.5 games v Annika Beck: Samantha Stosur is turning 30 at the end of next month and that usually signals a downward trend in a player's performance, especially on the WTA Tour. Over the last twelve months, Stosur has been dropping down the Rankings and seems to be losing more matches that she isn't expected to in that time.

That means the layers are beginning to take fewer chances with her opponents and the prices have become more reasonable on Stosur who has been over-rated somewhat in recent months.

The first serve is still effective, but the second is becoming more attackable, but I am not sure Annika Beck is yet in a position to take advantage of those issues. Coming through the qualifiers would give Beck a good idea of the conditions she will be facing, while she has just celebrated her 20th birthday in the last couple of days after a decent performance in Doha last week too.

However, Beck is still looking to find her consistency on the Tour and I think that is where Stosur should still have a little too much in her locker and come through 64, 64.


Caroline Wozniacki - 2.5 games v Sabine Lisicki: It has been a disappointing start to the season for Sabine Lisicki as she had to withdraw from Doha, the second tournament already in 2014 that she has to be withdraw from.

Now she faces an opponent that can frustrate her in Caroline Wozniacki, even if the Dane has shown little to suggest she will get back up the Rankings following her drop in the last eighteen months. Wozniacki lost a close match last week against Yanina Wickmayer, but she had her chances in that match and has the game that can give her the edge in this one.

The power will definitely come from the Lisicki side of the court, but she can be inconsistent at times and can go through poor runs of form that sees her drop a number of games in succession fairly rapidly.

I am also aware that Wozniacki's serve is not really something you can rely upon so she may lose a couple of breaks of serve at times, but I think she finds a way to come through this match 64, 64.


Angelique Kerber v Ana Ivanovic: Ana Ivanovic made a fast start to 2014 with a title win in Auckland and reaching the Quarter Final at the Australian Open where she did beat Serena Williams. However, I think a slight niggle affected her game in the loss to Eugenie Bouchard in that Quarter Final and she was a disappointing early loser in Doha last week.

Ivanovic didn't serve well in either match last week and she will have to do better against a player like Angelique Kerber who was still full of smiles and positive feeling despite losing in the Final at Doha on Sunday.

For most of the week, Kerber had been serving well and that may prove to be the difference between the two players in this match. Even the long week under her belt isn't enough to put me off Kerber as she has also won the last two matches against Ivanovic and I think she are more doubts about the latter's form.

It's a tough First Round match and hard to separate the two players on a level playing field, but I think Kerber has been serving better of the two players and will use that to win this match.


Leonardo Mayer - 2.5 games v Albert Ramos: Both Leonardo Mayer and Albert Ramos are comfortable on the clay courts, but it is the former that is showing off the better form in recent weeks and I think he can progress in this First Round match.

Albert Ramos at least put a couple of wins in the bank last week in Buenos Aires which will help his confidence, but Leonard Mayer has reached a Final in the last couple of weeks and it is only Fabio Fognini that has proved too good for him.

Wins over the likes of Tommy Robredo will give Mayer the belief that he can have another decent week in what is always important tournaments for the players who want to move up the Rankings. There will be breaks of serve, but Mayer looks the one that has more form and won the last meeting between these players comfortably last summer.


David Ferrer - 4.5 games v Jeremy Chardy: He had lost seven Finals in a row, but David Ferrer snapped the run by taking the title for the third time in Buenos Aires and that should give him a shot of belief that could see him go all the way through the draw this week.

To win the event in Rio de Janeiro will mean beating Rafael Nadal, but Ferrer is probably the only player in the draw that will really believe he can do that, and I am expecting a good start from him against a dangerous First Round opponent.

Jeremy Chardy is probably more effective on the hard courts, but he is also fairly accomplished as a clay court player in these types of events.

However, I think Ferrer has the consistency to extract errors and that should be where the difference in the outcome is made... I will look for Ferrer to come through a tight first set 75 and then pull away for a 63 second set and a straight sets win.


Kevin Anderson - 3.5 games v Tim Smyczek: A long lay off since the Australian Open is probably the biggest concern for Kevin Anderson in this First Round match against an opponent he has seen off three times before and all with some comfort.

You know what you are going to get from someone like Anderson- he will like to dictate things behind his big serve and use the pressure of holding serve to put his opponent under the cosh and I think that is where he will dominate this match.

Tim Smyczek's best performances remain on the Challenger Tour and he was a comfortable loser against Michael Russell last week.

He was also beaten here in Delray Beach by Anderson twelve months ago and I can see a similar 63, 64 scoreline this time around too.


John Isner - 3.5 games v Michael Russell: Another big server that has had to have some time off is John Isner who was suffering with ankle troubles and is making his first appearance since the Australian Open.

Isner has dominated Michael Russell in the past and the only issue to figure is whether he is ready to return to the court. He has played well on the American hard courts in the past and does have a title under his belt from Auckland, while Isner's serve is always the big leveller even when he is not entirely on form.

There is no doubt that Russell also can't have a lot left in the tank for the Tour and he is coming off a strong week in Memphis which may have taken away some energy for the tournament this week. He hadn't had a lot of success in 2014 before last week and I think the pressure generated by the Isner serve will prove to be the difference.

The first set may be a tight one, but Isner should be too good and come through 76, 63.

MY PICKS: Samantha Stosur - 3.5 Games @ 1.85 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Caroline Wozniacki - 2.5 Games @ 1.73 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Angelique Kerber @ 1.92 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Leonardo Mayer - 2.5 Games @ 1.92 Bet Victor (2 Units)
David Ferrer - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Kevin Anderson - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Pinnacle (2 Units)
John Isner - 3.5 Games @ 2.05 Pinnacle (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 3-0, + 5.34 Units (5 Units Staked, + 106.8% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2014 (February 17th)

Ivo Karlovic couldn't quite complete the title win in Memphis last week, but his run to the Final meant the outright picks produced a profit for the week and has helped the season statistics get back into the black. This week we have another four stops on the Tour and I have outright picks which can be read here.

As always, Monday tends to be a quieter day with a lot of the tournaments completing their qualifying rounds and that is the case in Dubai and Marseille to the extent that I couldn't find picks from either of those tournaments that I was comfortable with.

However, the tournament in Rio de Janeiro is getting straight into the action with the qualifiers concluded over the weekend and I hope I can set up a strong week with the following picks from the two tournaments taking place in North and South America.


Facundo Bagnis v Joao Souza: This is a First Round match between the qualifier from Argentina, Facundo Bagnis, and the home Wild Card hope, Joao Souza, but I have a feeling that the fans may be disappointed with the outcome of the match.

Neither of the players can say they have a lot of experience in playing at the top level of the ATP Tour, but both have had considerable success in the Challenger level so this may end up being decided by which of the two can control their emotions and nerves with more effect.

I think Bagnis does have a couple of things in his favour which surprises me that he has been left as the underdog in this match- the first of those is the fact he has beaten Souza in 4 straight matches, all on the clay courts, including their sole meeting in 2013; the second is he has come through the qualifiers which gives him an edge when it comes to the conditions at this new tournament.

Playing at home may inspire Souza enough to see off these two advantages for Bagnis, but I think the latter may also be able to use the two advantages to settle down a little easier in the match. It will only be a small interest, but I like the underdog in the match.


Federico Delbonis - 3.5 games v Guilherme Clezar: Another player that has been given a Wild Card because he is a home hope is Guilherme Clezar, but I think it is going to be a big ask for him to beat Federico Delbonis who generally plays at a higher level.

There is no doubt that Clezar has a decent record at the Challenger level, but Delbonis has started producing more consistently in the main ATP tournaments, especially on the clay courts. However, Delbonis has suffered a couple of disappointing losses the last couple of weeks and I do wonder if that will play a part mentally on a young player with setbacks in the manner they have arrived.

The Argentine does have a decent serve which will at least set up his points, but Delbonis might have a slight mental block getting over the line and will be disappointed his last two defeats have come despite winning the first set of the match.

Playing at home may also give Clezar the feeling of nothing to lose from the match, but I think Delbonis will prove a little too good and come through 63, 76.


Feliciano Lopez v Sam Querrey: This has all the makings of a quality First Round match and really feels like the winner of the match could easily go all the way to the Final at Delray Beach this week.

If you like big serving tennis, this is the kind of match for you and chances will likely be limited in both directions to earn crucial breaks of serve, but I don't think the layers have got the right favourite in place unless there is an injury for Feliciano Lopez that is not common knowledge.

Lopez was beaten by Ivo Karlovic last week, but the big Croatian has been in decent form, while Sam Querrey has found a way to lose matches he has no right to be doing. The first of those was in the Davis Cup against James Ward when he inexplicably collapsed, while the loss to Alex Bogomolov last week in Memphis would have been another disappointment after Querrey won the first set.

That lack of confidence makes him an uneasy favourite as far as I am concerned and I was surprised that the layers think he is more likely to win the match. Lopez has a decent serve that can keep the pressure on Querrey and the big advantage will be the lefty going into the weaker backhand wing of the American.

It will likely be a tight match, but a couple of recent collapses from Querrey makes me wonder about his state of mind and I like Lopez to come through.

MY PICKS: Facunda Bagnis @ 2.14 Pinnacle (1 Unit)
Federico Delbonis - 3.5 Games @ 1.85 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Feliciano Lopez @ 2.25 Pinnacle (2 Units)

Tennis Outright Picks 2014 (February 17-23)

It was only this time last week that I was saying a long tennis season will have the ups and downs that comes with making picks after a tough week of the Tour... That has swung the other way this week with plenty of profits to speak of that was concluded with a profit showing for the season.

I had a couple of tough days during the week, but a strong run in the last three days as well as Ivo Karlovic reaching the Final in Memphis helped end the week with a lot of positives to take forward.


This week the Tour has moved on to stops in Dubai (WTA), Marseille (ATP), Delray Beach (ATP) and Rio de Janeiro (ATP)... The tournament in Dubai has most of the big names in the women's game in action, but most of the top men's players are not competing this week although Rafael Nadal is back on the court after his Australian Open Final defeat.

Hopefully I can find a couple of players that can provide deep runs in those tournaments following Karlovic's success last week and help set out another good week.


ATP Marseille
There are two top ten players in the Rankings that will be playing in Marseille and both Frenchmen, Richard Gasquet and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, will feel they have an excellent chance to win the title.

It is Tsonga who is favoured to win the tournament after the draw was made and you can't argue too much with that assessment as he is in the weaker half of the draw. He is also the defending Champion in Marseille after being forced to save a match point in his three set win over Tomas Berdych twelve months ago and I do think there is every chance he can retain the title this week.

Tsonga was beaten in the Second Round last week in Rotterdam by the in-form Marin Cilic so there is nothing to really worry about in terms of current form, while none of the other seeded players in his half of the draw can say they are in anything resembling good form.

One of the more dangerous players in his half could be Michael Llodra, a player that has usually reserved his best tennis for the indoor hard court events held in France. However, Llodra is another player that hasn't really had any form to speak of to open 2014 and that alone would make it a big surprise if he was to trouble Tsonga if the two players meet in the Semi Final.

I will put a couple of units on Tsonga to retain his title, but I think it may also be worth going against Richard Gasquet as the Number 1 seed who has struggled in Marseille in the past. While Gasquet should be able to move through to the Semi Final without too many issues, Ernests Gulbis could be a huge threat in that Round if he is still serving as effectively as he did for much of last week.

Gulbis has a bye in the First Round and he will be confident of seeing off Roberto Bautista-Agut in a potential Second Round match having dismissed the Spaniard on the indoor hard courts of St Petersburg at the end of last season.

The Latvian played with a bit of swagger last week and won a title on the indoor hard courts at the end of last season so I think he could be worth an interest at each-way to come through the tournament.


ATP Delray Beach
This draw looks incredibly bottom heavy in Delray Beach this week and it is that half of the draw that is going to provide the winner of the event as far as I am concerned. There is plenty of good form here with the likes of Marin Cilic and Kei Nishikori both having won titles in the last couple of weeks, but that amount of tennis can also catch up on players.

The one player that may be able to take advantage of that is the returning John Isner who has been troubled by an ankle injury to open 2014, but has already won one title at Auckland.

Isner has seemingly been given a decent draw to get his teeth into the tournament and I would think he would be too good for Vasek Pospisil in a Quarter Final, even if the Canadian has the better head to head record of the two players.

However, Isner has perhaps been a little unfortunate in the losses and I would like the American to level up their personal series and perhaps prove a little too fresh for either Nishikori or Cilic in the Semi Final.

A small interest on Isner each-way looks a decent price for the week if he is back to health, especially as he can shed some rust early in the tournament before the bigger challenges coming up.

The seeds in the top half all have to prove that they are capable of better after indifferent starts to the new season, while the likes of Tommy Haas is coming across from Europe and has been inconsistent at best. Feliciano Lopez, Kevin Anderson and Lleyton Hewitt all will have some support, but I will just stick with Isner from this tournament.

MY PICKS: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga @ 2.63 Coral (2 Units)
Ernests Gulbis @ 7.00 Bet Victor (1 Unit E/W)
John Isner @ 7.50 Stan James (1 Unit E/W)

Weekly Picks: 14-7, + 16.60 Units (67 Units Staked, + 24.78% Yield)
Outright Picks: 1-2, + 1 Unit (6 Unit Stakeds, + 16.67% Yield)

Season 2014: + 6.47 Units (251 Units Staked, + 2.51% Yield)

Season 2013: + 21.74 Units (1251.5 Units Staked, + 1.73% Yield)
Season 2012: + 49.21 Units (855 Units Staked, + 5.76% Yield)
Season 2011: + 82.02 Units

Tennis Picks (March 2nd)

We have reached the business end of the tournaments for this week as players begin to turn their attentions to the first Masters event of the season at Indian Wells. That is a joint-tournament held by the ATP and the WTA Tours as the next two events are held in North America at Indian Wells and Miami.

Yesterday it was looking like being a frustrating day all in all as Novak Djokovic served for the match, and covering the spread, but failed to see it out and ended up falling under the spread by half a game. It then felt a little bit worse watching Tommy Haas take a 4-0 lead, miss break points for 5-1 and only take the first set on the tie-break.

Haas won the final set of his match 6-1, but lost the second set 6-2 meaning he was another player that fell under the spread from a big winning position.

However, things changed at Acapulco as David Ferrer lost the second set on a tie-break but beat Fabio Fognini 6-1 in the third to just get on the right side of a cover, while both Sara Errani and Nicolas Almagro covered in their matches.

All that means that the week is currently in a small profit and should come close to making it three straight winning weeks with a touch of luck in the final couple of days. The only outright pick I made at the start of the week was David Ferrer to win in Acapulco and he has made it through to the Final. However, I do think Rafael Nadal has been playing the better tennis of the two even if I'll let the Ferrer unit ride in the match.


John Isner - 3.5 games v Edouard Roger-Vasselin: I am surprised that Edouard Roger-Vasselin has reached the Semi Final here at Delray Beach, although he hasn't faced anyone as good as John Isner so far this week and this is where the Frenchman's tournament is likely to end.

John Isner missed the Australian Open through injury this season and he is clearly just getting back to his peak game after a couple of rather disappointing weeks on the indoor hard courts. However, he has played well this week to come through the first three Rounds and his performances have arguably been getting better.

He does have a lot of points to defend in Indian Wells next week after reaching the Final there last season, but that isn't the concern as Isner looks to get some sort of form back and I think his serve is going to cause Roger-Vasselin some real problems.

Isner should have chances to break the Roger-Vasselin serve in each set and it is also entirely possible he could take one set in a tie-break and then grab a couple of breaks of serve once his opponent thinks he has a big mountain to climb. Personally I would guess that Isner has a break more in each set to record a 6-4, 6-4 win in this Semi Final.


MY PICKS: John Isner - 3.5 Games @ 2.05 Pinnacle (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 11-10-1, + 2.60 Units (42 Units Staked, + 6.19% Yield)

Tennis Picks (March 1st)

It is Semi Final time at most of the tournaments taking place this week and these will be the picks I am going with on this day.


Novak Djokovic - 4.5 games v Juan Martin Del Potro: I wouldn't normally start a pick with this sentence but Juan Martin Del Potro would absolutely cover this spread if he was serving to the peak of his power.

When Del Potro is on fire with his serve, it can be very difficult for opponent's to break, especially in a case like this when they may have to break serve three times to cover the spread if Del Potro is serving first.

However, I do feel there have been signs this week that all is not well with the Argentinian and he has had to fight his way through a couple of really tough occasions, most notably against Marcos Baghdatis in the First Round. Now he faces Novak Djokovic, the best returner in the Men's game at this moment in time, and I think Del Potro could be forced under pressure in the match.

That has been the case in their three most recent meetings since the Olympics as Djokovic has made enough effective returns to force Del Potro to beat him in rallies and the World Number 1 has been a little too good for him. The added issue of a slight wrist injury for Del Potro makes his task that much harder and I think Djokovic will be able to come through with a 7-5, 6-3 win.


Roger Federer to win 2-1 v Tomas Berdych: It is funny to think that Tomas Berdych has a 4-3 head to head lead over Roger Federer in the last 7 matches they have played and I don't think too many people would know that as these two meet for the first time since the US Open Quarter Final won by Berdych last season.

Berdych is certainly playing well enough to beat Federer again, especially as I am not 100% convinced with the way the latter has been playing, but it is a big task in Dubai which is essentially Federer's second home. However, the Czech player certainly has the power and consistency to trouble Federer big time in this one.

I very much did consider a small interest in Berdych, but Federer's record in Dubai is tough to ignore and I can see him just about getting through. However, it is unlikely to be in straight sets as Berdych has only been beaten in straights by Federer in 1 of their previous 8 matches and that was on an indoor hard court in Paris, probably Federer's favourite conditions these days.

This match is outdoor and I do think Berdych is capable of taking at least a set, but I do think Federer will ultimately prevail in what should be a fascinating second Semi Final.


Ernests Gulbis - 4.5 games v Daniel Munoz-De La Nava: Both of these players have had to come through the qualifiers and have done very well to reach the Quarter Finals.

Ernests Gulbis has knocked off two Americans on his way and he certainly looks capable of big things this week, as I mentioned in my outright picks earlier this week. He is a former winner at Delray Beach and I think he will be a little too good for Daniel Munoz-De La Nava in this one.

My biggest issue with Gulbis this week is his service, which hasn't been as effective as it was in the last couple of weeks on the indoor hard courts in Europe. That means he will give Munoz-De La Nava a chance. The Spaniard already has a couple of very good looking wins from his time this week, but he generally plays the majority of his tennis on the Challenger Tour.

I expect Gulbis to have chances and he has a good chance of recording a 6-3, 6-4 win as long as he can get his serve firing a little better.


Tommy Haas - 3.5 games v Ivan Dodig: Tommy Haas played some very good tennis in his win over Denis Istomin and I think he will be following that up with another in this match against Ivan Dodig.

I was impressed that Haas was so comfortable on serve and also the amount of chances he created on the Istomin serve. The German should be able to do the same against Ivan Dodig, a player that is very capable behind serve but is also guilty of throwing in a bad couple of games in each set.

The spread looked a little low to me and does take into account that Dodig has had a couple of days rest between matches as Haas' match was delayed due to the rain.

Yesterday, Haas missed a lot of break point chances and I don't think he can afford to do that again. However, the North American hard courts suit Haas just fine and I think he'll be able to grab a break of serve more than Dodig in each set and come through with 6-4, 6-4 win.


David Ferrer - 6.5 games v Fabio Fognini: This is a very high spread for a player to cover, but David Ferrer has the warrior's mentality of fighting for every ball which will make life very tough for Fabio Fognini.

The Italian is a hard player to get a read on as he can suddenly start popping winners all over the place and playing some real consistent tennis, but too often he can also 'tank' away a set when he thinks he is reserving energy.

It is the latter issue that should cost him the cover in this one as David Ferrer has every chance of recording a 6-1 or 6-2 set and that should set him on the way. They actually met last week in Buenos Aires in what was a comfortable win for Ferrer.

This should be closer, but I still think Ferrer will wear down Fognini mentally and force the Italian to go for too much and end up a 6-2, 6-3 winner.


Nicolas Almagro + 4.5 games v Rafael Nadal: Rafael Nadal has proclaimed that he is getting 'better and better' with each passing match here in Acapulco and that the last three wins he has had here are the best he has felt and played since returning from injury.

That doesn't bode well for Nicolas Almagro who has lost all 8 matches on the professional Tour against Nadal including 6 on clay. However, this is the best chance he'll have to reverse that form and pull out the surprise win, although I am keeping the games on my side in this one.

Almagro has been serving well this week and that is what may just keep him in the match and possibly spring the surprise. While Nadal has won comfortably this week, he is still not at 100% so there should be chances for Almagro on his serve too and I do think this will be much closer than the layers clearly do.

Generally, Nadal has dismissed the Almagro challenge on the clay courts with no problem, but I do think this will be close and perhaps similar to their French Open meeting in 2010 which finished 7-6, 7-6, 6-4 to Nadal.


Sara Errani - 5.5 games v Alize Cornet: Sara Errani is the defending Champion here in Acapulco and I think she is going to be able to take advantage of Alize Cornet who needed over 3 and a half hours to get through her Quarter Final match. That match finished late into the Acapulco night and I think Cornet could suffer a bit of hangover in this one.

The fact is that Errani is consistent enough to take Cornet into the deep water in this one and the variation used by the Italian can also be mentally draining at times. When your legs are feeling heavy, the last thing a player needs is to face someone that will stay out there all day long and that is the big problem for Cornet in this one.

Errani beat Cornet 6-3, 6-2 on a hard court last season and won 61% of the points against the Cornet serve. With all the physical and mental effort put into the Quarter Final, I think Errani will come close to matching that score.


MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Roger Federer to win 2-1 in sets @ 4.33 William Hill (1 Unit)
Ernests Gulbis - 4.5 Games @ 2.05 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Tommy Haas - 3.5 Games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)
David Ferrer - 6.5 Games @ 1.95 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Nicolas Almagro + 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Sara Errani - 5.5 Games @ 1.83 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 7-7-1, - 0.06 Units (29 Units Staked, 0% Yield)

Tennis Picks (February 28th)

It has been a tough week so far with a lot of matches looking like they may go the way I expected before unexpectedly turning in another manner.

After the last three weeks, I can't really complain too much and just look to see how the week goes on.

Ivo Karlovic v Edouard Roger-Vasselin: This has been set as a pick 'em contest in Delray Beach, but I think the big-serving Croatian will be a little too solid for Edouard Roger-Vasselin and should be able to come through in two tough sets.

Ivo Karlovic isn't even the player of a couple of years ago let alone one at his peak, but his serve is still capable of putting the pressure on any opponent he faces, especially those ranked outside of the top 30 of the Men's game. That is the case in this one and there should also be no issues of fatigue for Karlovic as he was able to get through the First Round on a retirement.

It was only around 4-5 months ago that these players last met and Karlovic won through in straight sets, albeit on an indoor hard court, but he did enjoy a fair bit of success on the Roger-Vasselin serve to think he can make hay in this one too.

Tie-breaks will likely be the order of the day, but a 7-6, 7-5 win for Karlovic looks the call.

Tommy Haas - 1.5 games v Denis Istomin: I think the extra day of rest my just favour the veteran Tommy Haas in this one and give him the chance to progress to another Quarter Final here and for the first time since winning this tournament in 2006.

Last week it was an illness that forced Haas out of Memphis and he should be fully fit now. He is also facing Denis Istomin, a tough competitor but one that has played a lot of tennis over the last three weeks.

Istomin did win the only previous match between these players, but I think Haas can get a measure of revenge as he seems to have been on the ball with the way his tennis was going. Haas has always enjoyed playing on the hard courts of North America too and I think he'll just be too good for Istomin in this one.

Roger Federer - 4.5 games v Nikolay Davydenko: I don't know what exactly is up with Roger Federer, but he hasn't looked like he has been enjoying much of his tennis in the last couple of tournaments and I am beginning to wonder if he is carrying a slight niggle that he doesn't want to reveal.

This tournament and the one in Indian Wells will be the last we see of Federer for around six weeks as he is going to get ready for the clay court season and perhaps adding to his one French Open trophy. This match will also give us a lot more answers as to how the former World Number 1 is really feeling...

Federer has dominated Nikolay Davydenko throughout their career meetings and he was also a comfortable winner at the Australian Open against the Russian. While Davydenko is certainly playing as well as at any time over the last three years, he can still throw in the odd really poor match and he is also susceptible to being broken by an aggressive player like Federer who can expose Davydenko's defence.

I definitely think Federer will get chances to break serve and as long as he doesn't throw away his own games as he did against Julien Benneteau in Rotterdam recently, I do think Federer is capable of recording a straight-forward 6-3, 6-4 win with a break in each set.

Rafael Nadal - 6.5 games v Leonardo Mayer: It does look a lot of games to be giving away again, but Rafael Nadal is still a level above the likes of Leonardo Mayer who could easily be intimidated in facing one of the best clay court players of all time.

Winning the event in Brazil a couple of weeks ago will have given Nadal some of the aura back that was lost in his injury absence, especially to the players like Mayer that are much more accustomed to playing on the Challenger Tour.

Mayer hasn't played much tennis this season and so he doesn't seem battle-hardened to take on a Nadal, while the ease in which Filippo Volandri dismissed him has to be a big concern.

I expect Nadal will create a lot of pressure on the Argentinian in this one and it is tough to see him winning many more games than his compatriot Martin Alund who took just 4 off Nadal yesterday.

As long as the knee hasn't had an adverse reaction overnight, Nadal to match his 6-2, 6-2 win over Mayer from the Miami Masters last year looks the call.

MY PICKS: Ivo Karlovic @ 1.90 Pinnacle (2 Units)

Tommy Haas - 1.5 Games @ 2.00 Pinnacle (2 Units)

Roger Federer - 4.5 Games @ 1.85 Pinnacle (2 Units)

Rafael Nadal - 6.5 Games @ 1.80 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 4-6-1, - 3.36 Units (21 Units Staked, - 16% Yield)

Tennis Picks (February 26th)

The Monday of a new tournament week is always a tough one to find a number of selections because there really isn't a lot of First Round matches going on with qualifiers to be completed in some cases.

The picks went 1-1 yesterday and the luck pretty much evened itself out over the course of both matches. Roger Federer could easily have failed to cover after losing the first set, but a bagel in the second helped him on the way.

On the other hand, Alejandro Falla missed a lot of break points and couldn't save any in his defeat to Xavier Malisse which was much closer than the 6-3, 6-3 score indicated.


Juan Martin Del Potro - 4.5 games v Marcos Baghdatis: I really had to think about this match- I might give Juan Martin Del Potro the definite edge, but Marcos Baghdatis is certainly a very capable player on his day and can cause plenty of problems for anybody when he feels he is on his game.

I just feel that Del Potro has enough in the groundstoke battle to think he will earn some chances on the Baghdatis serve, especially considering that the Cypriot usually gets a low percentage of his first serves in play.

With a look at a lot of second serves, I am of the belief that Del Potro will be able to get involved in rallies and I think he combination of consistency and big hitting from the back of the court will give him the edge in this one.

With Del Potro having had a week to rest following his win in Rotterdam, I think the Argentine can come out and put together a solid performance that should lead to a 6-4, 6-3 win in this one.


Michael Llodra + 3.5 games v Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: It is going to be interesting to see how Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is feeling after taking part in a tough Final in Marseille on Sunday night as he had to come from a set behind to beat Tomas Berdych.

This is an important tournament for the players so I don't think motivation will be a problem for Tsonga as he takes on his compatriot. However, Michael Llodra does have the game that can be awkward for opponents if they are feeling a little mentally fatigued as Llodra will continue charging the net and force his opponent to hit passing shot after passing shot.

It can be a little mentally draining having to do that for an hour and a half and it may be tough for Tsonga to get through this match easily, although I was hoping the layers would have given one more game in favour of Llodra in this one.

Tsonga did beat Llodra fairly comfortably at the Australian Open earlier this season, but the other 2 completed matches were both tight affairs, while they have played once in Dubai when the first set went to a tie-break before Llodra had to retire.

Hopefully we will see a good serving day for Llodra and it is possible he loses in two tight sets, but manages to cover the spread.


Denis Istomin - 3 games v Benjamin Becker: The spread on this match looks a little low to me and that could be down to the fact that Denis Istomin was a Semi Finalist in Memphis last week and may be a little fatigued for this match.

However, I think Istomin has been playing well enough to pick up his second win over Benjamin Becker this season and I do believe he can put enough pressure on the German to see him crack at least a couple of times on serve.

I will admit that Istomin isn't the most consistent player on the Tour, but I do think he has the more upside between these two players and I can see him coming through with a 6-3, 7-6 win or perhaps even slightly easier than that. I thought he would be a 4.5 game favourite, so getting Istomin to cover 3 games should be within his capabilities.


Tommy Haas - 3.5 games v Igor Sijsling: Tommy Haas had to retire from Memphis last week, but it seems that could have been down to fatigue as he cited an illness and I expect him to be something like what he produced at San Jose when he reached the Final.

Haas is a veteran of the Tour and would have had an even more successful career if it wasn't for injuries plaguing him. However, his motivation remains high as he said he wants his kids to see him play and remember him as a tennis player and the German is certainly still very capable on his day against any opponent.

I expect Haas will be too strong for Igor Sijsling even though the Dutchman showed some good temperament in a close loss against Marin Cilic last week. However, that was a standout performance in what has been a disappointing season for Sijsling so far and I do think he will find it tough against Haas. They have already met once this season in what was a routine win for Haas on the hard courts in New Zealand and I expect he will frank that form with another win as long as he is fully recovered from his San Jose exploits.


Stanislas Wawrinka - 4.5 games v Fabio Fognini: Stanislas Wawrinka is coming off an impressive showing in Buenos Aires last week where he was a little unfortunate to lose in three sets in the Final against David Ferrer and I think he will be ready for this week.

Last season he managed back to back Semi Finals in Buenos Aires and Acapulco so I am not expecting fatigue to be an issue. I also like the match up for Wawrinka here as he faces Fabio Fognini, a player that can use plenty of variation but one who has to work for every point he wins.

The Italian just doesn't have the serve that can cause a lot of damage and that means opponents do force a number of break points against him and I expect Wawrinka to be able to create opportunities in this one.

Current form is also on the Swiss side of the court in this one and I do think Wawrinka can record a 6-4, 6-3 win in this one.


MY PICKS: Juan Martin Del Potro - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet 365 (2 Units)
Michael Llodra + 3.5 Games @ 2.10 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Denis Istomin - 3 Games @ 1.95 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Tommy Haas - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet 365 (2 Units)
Stanislas Wawrinka - 4.5 Games @ 2.05 Pinnacle (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 1-1, + 0 Units (4 Units Staked, + 0% Yield)

Tennis Outright Picks (February 25-March 3)

This is the final week of tournaments before the first Masters events of the season which take place at Indian Wells and Miami back to back.

However, that doesn't mean that this week is one where the biggest names in the game will be resting, particularly when it comes to the ATP. The tournaments in Dubai and Acapulco are both considered ATP 500 events so it is no surprise to see all the players in the top eight, bar Andy Murray in action across those two tournaments.

It is the tournament in Dubai that will get most of the attention with both Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer in action and it was interesting to hear Federer talking about his up coming schedule- he has admitted that he will play here and Indian Wells, but will then take a month of to spend time with his family and may not take part in the early clay court season either.

I don't know what to make of that except the fact that Federer is taking even more care of his fitness these days and is perhaps thinking about getting into shape for a big assault on the three remaining Grand Slam tournaments this season. It also makes sense for Federer to spend more time with his family after putting in a big effort to reach the World Number 1 Ranking last season, but that could also see him lose his World Number 2 spot in the near future as he does have a fair few points to defend in the next three weeks.


Last week proved to be a very good week for the tennis picks with the daily picks working out to big profits and it all wrapped up very well on Sunday as both Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and David Ferrer won their respective tournaments in Marseille and Buenos Aires.

Tsonga was very fortunate to win as he was a set down and somehow managed to take the second set despite winning just 4 points off the Tomas Berdych serve and that gave the Frenchman the momentum to win his first tournament of the season. David Ferrer also needed three sets to once again win in Buenos Aires and pick up his second title of the season so it was a very good week with all things considered.


ATP Acapulco
This is another tournament where the main headline will be Rafael Nadal, but I also feel this is the first tournament he has entered since his return where there are some serious tests ahead of him.

It is funny to see, but Nadal is actually the Number 2 seed here in Mexico so heads up the bottom half of the draw. I expect Nadal to come through to the Semi Final with relative ease, but he then will likely face either Horacio Zeballos or Nicolas Almagro.

Zeballos beat Nadal in the Final at Vina Del Mar in the first tournament that Nadal played on his comeback, but I wouldn't expect him to repeat that feat as he has been struggling for form since that tournament win and I don't think he makes the Semi Final.

On the other hand, Nicolas Almagro has shown plenty of form in the last couple of clay courts events and certainly has the game to cause Nadal some level of problems, especially if the knee is not feeling great at the moment. This represents the best chance for Almagro to get the better of Nadal and he has at least made the last couple of matches against him closer, although I don't fully know if he has the 'mentality' to beat Nadal.

While I am not sure about Almagro, David Ferrer is the Number 1 seed here and the defending Champion and he certainly won't be worried about seeing Nadal in the draw. Ferrer may not have beaten Nadal on a clay court before, but he has the consistency to cause plenty of problems and the draw has been fairly kind to him.

Ferrer is likely to have a tough Semi Final against Stanislas Wawrinka, the player he beat last week in Buenos Aires to take the title home, and I do think the Number 1 Spaniard, at the moment at least, could upset Nadal and take the title home here again.


I haven't made any picks from Dubai or from the other tournaments for a couple of reasons. I do like Novak Djokovic's chances of winning in Dubai, but he looked a little short to me although I don't think there is another player in the draw that I would prefer as an alternative.

Over in Delray Beach, it looks like an extremely open draw and I also believe that if Ernests Gulbis qualifies, he would prove to be extremely dangerous to either half of the draw. That uncertainty makes me a little wary of picking anyone to win that event.

Over in Brazil and Malaysia, the WTA has two short priced favourites to win those respective tournaments, two players that I can't really look beyond. Therefore, it'll just be the one pick this week.


MY PICKS: David Ferrer @ 3.75 Coral (1 Unit)


Daily Picks: 16-9, + 13.84 Units (49 Units Staked, + 28.24% Yield)
Outright Picks: 2-1, + 5.70 Units (4 Units Staked, + 142.5% Yield)


Season 2013: + 36.47 Units (249 Units Staked, + 14.65% Yield)

Season 2012: + 49.21 Units (855 Units Staked, 5.76% Yield)
Season 2011: + 82.02 Units

Tennis Picks (February 25th)

It is the start of a new week and hopefully that means we will see a continuation of the last couple of weeks when there has been a lot of success following the disappointing Australian Open. With some big names in action, it should be another fun week, although it will once again be one where matches are ranging across the time zones.

I only have the one outright pick this week from the tournaments taking place which can be seen here

The Monday in a new tournament is usually a quieter day as a lot of the tournaments will finish their qualifying Round on this day, but these are my picks from the day.


Roger Federer - 6.5 games v Malek Jaziri: This is a slight risk considering Roger Federer is giving up a lot of games and hasn't started 2013 in the same manner he started 2012, but I do think the former World Number 1 will have too much for his Tunisian opponent who is down at Number 130 in the World Rankings.

It is hard to get a real grip on how someone like Malek Jaziri will react to being up against someone of the stature of Federer- will this inspire him to play his best tennis of his career to make a match of things or will he freeze up a little and allow Federer to dominate from the beginning and be defeated fairly comfortably?

The issue I have for Jaziri is that he hasn't had much success outside of the Challenger events and it'll be tough for him against an opponent that will want to erase the memories of his last performance against Julien Benneteau in Rotterdam.

I expect Federer to come out firing and I imagine he may come through with a 6-1, 6-4 win in this one.


Alejandro Falla v Xavier Malisse: This is one of the pick 'em contests at Delray Beach today and I do believe that the Colombian should be able to come through against Xavier Malisse.

I like the way Malisse plays tennis, but he is clearly a player on the slide and although he holds a win over Alejandro Falla here in Delray Beach, I do think Falla is slightly better at this point of their careers.

Falla isn't the most consistent player in the ATP so this is no gimme at all, but I do think he can have just enough about him to see off Malisse, a player that was forced to retire with a lower back injury last week in Memphis which could affect his service if he is not back to full fitness. Malisse has said he is not feeling so bad and should be fine here, but I think Falla can pressure him enough to take the win, even if it takes three sets to get it.


MY PICKS: Roger Federer - 6.5 Games @ 2.00 Sky Bet (2 Units)
Alejandro Falla @ 2.00 Pinnacle (2 Units)

Tennis Picks March 3rd

It looked like I was going to suffer a devastating day yesterday as the first three picks I made all lost, some unfortunately, others heavily.

Fortunately, Fernando Verdasco continued his hot week and brought in some profits for the third day in a row, and then Kevin Anderson fought back from a set down to take out Andy Roddick. Those two wins means it was only a slight loss on the day and maintaining profit for the week.

We will have a slight break after today as Indian Wells gets up and running with qualifiers during the week- I won't make picks at that stage, but the actual tournament begins next Saturday so I should have an outright preview of both Men's and Women's events before then and once the draw is out.

Roger Federer v Andy Murray: The Dubai Final takes place today and I am going to back the former World Number 1 to get the better of Britain's Andy Murray.

Murray actually has a winning record over Federer, leading the head to head 9-6, which includes a 6-3 lead on outdoor hard courts.

However, they have not played much recently, with only one meeting all of last season on the indoor courts at the ATP World Championships in London (Federer won 6-4, 6-2).

I like Federer today as he has definite course and distance form being a four time winner in Dubai, and I think he has been serving very well all week. That may just give him the edge in this contest although Murray is an effective returner of serve.

Murray was very efficient yesterday against Djokovic and will need to serve as well as that if he is to win this game. However, he can be a bit up and down as we have seen all week and a serving display similar to the ones against Michael Berrer and Tomas Berdych may give Federer too many chances and allow him to pick up his 5th Dubai title and close the gap to Nadal and Djokovic at the top of the Men's Rankings.

David Ferrer - 3.5 games v Fernando Verdasco: As well as Fernando Verdasco has done this week, I think it will come to an end without a title as he faces the dogged David Ferrer in what is likely to be a mental and physical battle for Verdasco.

I remember a few years ago, Verdasco really had the Indian sign over Ferrer despite being much lower in the Rankings for much of that time. Verdasco won 6 of the first 9 meetings between the compatriots and regularly upset the odds in doing so, winning 3 of those matches as a big underdog.

However, things have begun to change now and Ferrer is the winner of 3 of their last 4 matches- I think Ferrer has a lot more belief in his game against his fellow Spaniards in the last few seasons than he did earlier in his career when he would regularly state how his fellow players were much more talented than he was.

Ferrer has quietly gone about his business this week as he looks to secure back to back titles on the clay courts of South America and I think he will force Verdasco to play one too many shots to win points, something I think the latter will struggle to do with consistency.

It might be a close set to start, but I think Ferrer will mentally break down Verdasco by pressuring him to get closer and closer to the lines and that should allow him to win through while covering the spread.

Dudi Sela-Marinko Matosevic Over 22.5 Games: Both players surprised me by winning their Quarter Finals matches yesterday and I think we are going to get a tight game between them tonight, especially judging from their previous meetings.

Dudi Sela holds the 3-0 head to head lead, but all three matches have had to go the distance, while we have seen tie-breaks having to settle a couple of the sets they have competed in.

They also met here last season with Sela coming back from a set deficit to win that match, although all the sets were fairly comprehensive.

It is a slight risk as I am likely going to need this going the distance again to get the cover, but they have shown that they are both capable of winning sets against one another and so the Over looks a decent shout.


MY PICKS: Roger Federer @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)
David Ferrer - 3.5 games @ 1.90 188Bet (2 Units)
Dudi Sela-Marinko Matosevic Over 22.5 games @ 1.92 188Bet (2 Units)


Weekly Update: 8-6, + 4.36 Units (28 Units Staked)

Tennis Picks March 2nd

I was asked by a twitter follower why I don't really back the big 4 from Men's tennis in the handicap markets- I do pick them, but rarely in all honesty as the handicaps are usually skewed in favour of their opponents.

This week we have had Andy Murray, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic all playing in Dubai but they have gone a combined 3-6 in their matches on the handicap market. Now I didn't have much faith in backing the likes of Stebe, Stakhovsky, Berrer or Chiudinelli in their matches against these players, while you also need a bit of luck to cover the big handicaps they have been set.

Roger Federer was a great example today against Mikhail Youzhny- the Swiss player was considered a 5.5 game favourite and had chances to win both sets with a couple of breaks but couldn't quite convert. He had two break point chances at 5-2 in the first set and also had at least another three chances at 4-2 in the second set, where a break in either of those games would have seen him cover... Instead, Youzhny just held on and lost in a comfortable straight sets, but covered the spread by half a game.

The picks from yesterday all went very well, with all three winning and that has moved me back into a decent position for the week. I was in a similar spot this time last week, so I want to be careful and try to avoid giving back the profit I have made.

Roger Federer - 3.5 games v Juan Martin Del Potro: Now I know everything I said above, but I like Roger Federer in this match up against the Argentine who is still not at the level of 2009 when he was pushing Federer all the way in their matches.

In the last six months, Federer has met Del Potro three times and won on all three occasions as well as winning all 7 sets they have competed against one another.

None of these sets have gone to a tie-break and I think Federer has enough in his return game to find a way to break Del Potro in each set and that should be enough for him to cover this spread.

I still feel Del Potro has a mental hurdle to overcome against the top 4 players, and he has played a lot of tennis lately. It could be tough for the Argentine to get back up if Federer lands a couple of heavy shots early in the contest, with the match possibly having a similar feel to when they met in the Final in Rotterdam.

Ernests Gulbis - 3.5 games v Marinko Matosevic: I really liked what I heard from Ernests Gulbis following his three set win over Steve Darcis in the last Round as it seems like things have finally clicked for him mentally in relation to what he wants from his tennis career.

Gulbis admitted he has only a couple years left to really begin making an impact on the Tour else it will be too late for him and he also feels it is illness and injuries that have prevented him doing so in the last seven months.

The Latvian has been playing well so far in the tournament and he clearly enjoys playing on what looks like a quick court at an event he has won in the past, while it is his most impressive performance since winning in Los Angeles last Summer.

Marinko Matosevic will not be an easy player to play as he should be full of confidence after coming through Qualifying here following winning a Challenger event back in Australia before that. However, I expect him to come under pressure from the Gulbis service games and I think the talented Latvian is going to come through in straight sets here, hopefully with a break in each set.

Fernando Verdasco v Stanislas Wawrinka: Did anyone else watch Fernando Verdasco's win over Nicolas Almagro yesterday? The Spaniard played some of his finest tennis for almost two sets before nerves got the better of him as he served for the match, even missing a match point. However, I was impressed with his fight in the tie-break to come from 2-5 down and win 5 points in a row to take the match.

There are still some doubts about his overall form, but I think Verdasco is having a big week and I want to stay with him having backed him in the last two Rounds.

His opponent, Stanislas Wawrinka, is no mug on the clay courts, but I think the Spaniard is playing at a decent level right now and could take this match. Wawrinka is capable of pressing the Verdasco serve, but is also liable to throwing in a bad service game per set and that could allow Verdasco to move through to his first Final since Estoril last year in April.

Kevin Anderson v Andy Roddick: This is a risky proposition, but I am taking the underdog as I want to fade Andy Roddick in this one.

Roddick admitted he is feeling a little better about his game, but he is still a little loose on his own service games and that is not the way you want to be against an opponent that is capable of holding serve for fun if on point.

I think this week has been about building a bit of confidence up for Roddick, something he has achieved, as well as bringing his physical well-being up a level before the big events at Indian Wells and Miami in the next month.

I don't think Roddick WANTS to lose, but I can see him falling away if Anderson can get his nose in front by winning the first set.

Anderson had a decent win over Xavier Malisse last night, but did have a hard time in a couple of service games. However, I don't think Roddick returns serve as well as Malisse does when he is up against the biggest servers on Tour, and I think the pressure could tell on the American.

Anderson also won the last meeting between the two having lost the previous two matches, and I am going to back him to level the head to head here.

Philipp Kohlschreiber - 4.5 games v Dudi Sela: I think Philipp Kohlschreiber is playing like he really feels he can win this tournament at Delray Beach and I am going to back him to prove a point by dispatching Dudi Sela in relative comfort.

Sela has had a decent week so far, but Kohlschreiber represents a step up in level and the Israeli player had not been in great form before this week.

Sela also has a hit and miss serve that can really let him down and I would not be overly surprised if he was to drop serve a couple of times in one of the two sets.

Kohlschreiber has won their only previous meeting for the loss of just two games and while I don't think it will be that easy, I think the German has been playing well enough to suggest he gets through with a break in each set.


MY PICKS: Roger Federer - 3.5 games @ 2.00 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Ernests Gulbis - 3.5 games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Fernando Verdasco @ 1.85 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Kevin Anderson @ 2.30 Sporting Bet (2 Units)
Philipp Kohlschreiber - 4.5 games @ 2.05 Bet Victor (2 Units)


Weekly Update: 6-3, + 6.06 Units (18 Units Staked)

Tennis Picks March 1st

Seriously, can someone tell me where the first two months of 2012 have gone? It feels like only yesterday that the Australian Open was about to start and now we are close to the first two Masters Events of the season at Indian Wells and Miami.

Before we know it, it will be June with my attention being divided by the Euro 2012 tournament as well as Wimbledon, with work suffering in the process... I really think we should be given a month of during big football tournaments, or maybe given early leave considering the matches are going to start at 4pm British time.

I have already slyly booked off the Monday of the England-France game without most people realising that is the day of the game (insert evil laugh), but I need more so I can at least get my tennis sorted too.


Yesterday was a much better day as two of the three picks were winners, pulling me back up for the week although still in the negative. For the second day in a row, I have avoided the early matches in Dubai although I had come very close to backing Tomas Berdych to beat Andy Murray. Fortunately I avoided that as Berdych did not play well at all this week and it was his service struggles against Benjamin Becker and Lukas Lacko that put me off in the end.

Hopefully that is a good sign and means I will be careful enough to avoid a losing day.

Xavier Malisse-Kevin Anderson Over 22.5 games: Now I have picked this as the courts seem to be playing very fast at Delray Beach at the moment and I feel we may see a couple of tie-breakers between these two players.

Xavier Malisse has been out of form at the beginning of 2012 but he earned his first win of the season last week in Memphis against Andy Roddick, and he has progressed past the First Round here.

Kevin Anderson won't make it easy to break his serve on this quicker court, but we will also need a little bit of luck as we need at least two tight sets if the match is not extended to three sets. The match has all the making of being a tight one, so the 1.95 on offer looks tempting enough.


Juan Martin Del Potro - 1.5 games v Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: I am going to back the Argentine to back up his win over the Frenchman from last week in Marseille and move through to yet another contest against Roger Federer this season.

Juan Martin Del Potro has been playing very well this season as he looks to rediscover his 2009 form that took him to the US Open title. Another confidence boosting win against a player in the Top Ten can only aid his progress as well as building on that title from Marseille last week.

Only Roger Federer and Marcos Baghdatis have beaten him this season, while I think Jo-Wilfried Tsonga goes on too many walkabouts mentally in his matches. I think the Frenchman is more likely to throw in a bad service game and that could be the difference between the two.

I have taken the handicap in the belief that I don't think Tsonga will win a set with a couple of breaks of serve so the handicap should be covered as long as Del Potro wins.

Fernando Verdasco v Nicolas Almagro: There is no need to call the men in white coats just yet, but I am going to back Fernando Verdasco for the second day in a row, this time as the underdog.

I think it is highly unlikely that Verdasco will return to the consistency he seemed to have found back in 2009, but I think he could surprise his higher ranked compatriot who may just be getting a little tired having played for close to three weeks without a break and with a lot of travelling involved.

Nicolas Almagro has already had a couple of tough three setters here in Mexico this week and I think this may just be a step too far against a player that still has the capabilities of taking the racquet out of an opponents hands when he is in form.

After a couple of wins already this week, I guess Verdasco will feel a little better about his game as well as the fact he has won 4 of the 6 meetings against Almagro. The last time they met was around 6 months ago on the clay courts in Switzerland, with Verdasco winning in three tough sets.


MY PICKS: Xavier Malisse-Kevin Anderson Over 22.5 Games @ 1.95 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Juan Martin Del Potro - 1.5 Games @ 1.95 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Fernando Verdasco @ 2.25 Ladbrokes (2 Units)


Weekly Update: 3-3, - 0.24 Units (12 Units Staked)

Tennis Picks February 29th

I decided to give Dubai a steer clear today as I think a lot of the spreads have been put up a little high, while I also didn't exactly trust the 'weaker' opponents that the likes of Andy Murray, Tomas Berdych and Novak Djokovic were due to play.

Others like Roger Federer and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga are playing opponents that will either crumble or serve out of their skins and it is just too much of a risk to take either way.

Yesterday was a poor day as the picks went 1-2, but hopefully things will not be as grim as that today.

Ernests Gulbis - 2.5 games v Steve Darcis: Steve Darcis produced a big surprise yesterday as he beat Victor Troicki, and the Belgian is having a couple of productive weeks on the United States hard courts.

However, I am backing the enigmatic Ernests Gulbis to progress through to the Quarter Final after he looked impressive yesterday. Gulbis also has course and distance form as a former winner at Delray Beach and I have a feeling this is going to be one of his 'big' weeks, ones that come around far too infrequently for someone with the talent this player possesses.

The courts look to be playing pretty fast and that should suit the big groundstrokes and serve that Gulbis likes to dictate play with and I will back him to come through in straight sets.

Nicolas Almagro - 4.5 games v Benoit Paire: Surely the run of matches that Nicolas Almagro has been forced to play will come back and get the better of him sooner rather than later, but I still think he is going to be too strong for Benoit Paire.

While I do think Almagro has played a lot of tennis by winning in Brazil two weeks ago, and then finishing runner up in Argentina last week, he has form for doing this before. Just last season, Almagro won the first two events back to back before reaching the Final here during this South American clay court swing so I will keep faith in him to produce here.

Benoit Paire has shown signs that he can at least progress from his position of World Number 99, but I think his clay court pedigree does not extend to beating someone of the capabilities of Almagro just yet. Paire also has the habit of playing a couple of poor service games per set, and that could be enough to see the Spaniard complete the cover.

Fernando Verdasco v Juan Ignacio Chela: I have avoided backing Fernando Verdasco for the best part of 12 months now as he seems to have reverted to his pre-2009 form when he was a player capable of producing some exceptional tennis, but one that seemed to check out of matches and lose serve at will.

However, I think the layers are under-estimating his chances of beating Juan Ignacio Chela for the 5th time in 6 meetings here. Chela is predominantly a clay court player these days, but he is coming towards the end of his career and is a player that struggles for consistency.

Verdasco has won 3 of their last 4 meetings on a clay court, but I wouldn't be surprised if this one goes the distance. However, I still think the Spaniard is capable of producing enough against a player that could throw in a bunch of errors at any time and I do think he will win this match.


MY PICKS: Ernests Gulbis - 2.5 games @ 2.05 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Nicolas Almagro - 4.5 games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Fernando Verdasco @ 1.83 Unibet (2 Units)


Weekly Update: 1-2, - 2 Units (6 Units Staked)

Tennis Picks February 28th

I had a pretty average week last week in all honesty as too many picks fell by the wayside- That meant I decided to take a couple of days to myself to re-evaluate the picks I made and whether I could have done something better myself.

I was a little unfortunate in some ways, but in others I just made bad picks and it is good to have a couple of days to recharge the batteries.

I also decided not to make any outright picks this week as I think the tournaments are all a little tough to call, while Acapulco didn't release their draw until late yesterday evening.

That also means a lot of the layers are taking their time getting their full markets up for the matches in play so picks will be out as soon as all the markets are in play.

We have a full schedule in Dubai tomorrow, while both Acapulco and Delray Beach will release their markets later on. I will update my Twitter page whenever I make new picks and will post a link to this thread.

Ivan Ljubicic win 2-0 in sets v Flavio Cipolla: Ivan Ljubicic is coming to the end of a decent career, but I still think he is going to be too strong for the Italian whose best performances are usually on the slower clay courts.

The Dubai courts will play fairly fast during the day and that should only aid Ljubicic's serve and I think he will do enough in each set to take this match in straights.

Cipolla is always liable to throwing in a bad service game, while Ljubicic beat him on his home court in Rome last year in fairly standard fashion.

Nicolas Mahut-Feliciano Lopez Over 23 total games: These two players are both very good servers and not so good at returning so we could see a couple of sets going deep, either reaching a tie-break or coming close to reaching a tie-break.

It is also worth noting that their last 3 matches against one another have gone the distance, with the last 2 matches seeing at least 2 tie-breaks played.

I have a feeling this will go all the way too and I can't pick a winner so taking this at odds against looks reasonable.

Jeremy Chardy - 3.5 games v Rui Machado: Jeremy Chardy failed to qualify for the event in Argentina last week, but he had been in good form during this South American clay court swing and I think his serve is going to make it a little easier for him tonight than Rui Machado.

Chardy has the ability to get through his service games with a little bit of comfort when his serve is on form, and he should be in much better heart than his opponent that has lost all 5 matches he has played so far this season.

Machado's best record is on the Challenger Tour and I think he will have a harder time holding on to serve and Chardy should be able to come through with a break in each set.


MY PICKS: Ivan Ljubicic win 2-0 in sets @ 2.38 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Nicolas Mahut-Feliciano Lopez Over 23 Total Games @ 2.10 188Bet (2 Units)
Jeremy Chardy - 3.5 games @ 2.00 10Bet (2 Units)


Weekly Picks: 10-12, - 4.7 Units (45 Units Staked)


Season 2012: + 14.05 Units (184 Units Staked, + 7.64%)
Season 2011: + 82.02 Units