Tennis Picks 2026 (Tuesday 24th February)

The Tennis Tour continues this week with the ATP 500 events being the big tournaments to be played, while the WTA Tour turns its attentions to the upcoming Indian Wells Masters.

The majority of the top names will be finally earning some rest after the controversial swing through the Middle East, and the same will apply in the main for the top names on the ATP Tour. None of these events are mandatory for the latter, while that is not the case for those on the WTA Tour and that is something that will need to be addressed.

On Tuesday, any selections from the ATP Acapulco event will be added to this thread and the season total will also be updated.

Daniil Medvedev - 4.5 games v Juncheng Shang: This is the second time during the Middle East swing that these two players are facing off and Daniil Medvedev is expected to frank his win over Juncheng Shang.

The Australian Open run ended very disappointingly and Medvedev has struggled for some consistency since then.

He has now lost three of the last four matches played, but the exception is the win over Juncheng Shang in Doha and Daniil Medvedev is still playing at a level that should be too good for the World Number 262.

Injuries have contributed to that World Ranking mark for a 21 year old who was as high as World Number 47 less than eighteen months ago. Juncheng Shang has a 3-3 record on the hard courts at the start of the 2026 season, but the losses have all been pretty comfortable and that means the numbers being produced are not very impressive.

Juncheng Shang does have a serve that can cause problems, but he has only been breaking in 14% of return games played, which has put pressure to serve well. He was not able to impose that shot on Daniil Medvedev in Doha with the second serve in particular being a shot that was attacked by the higher Ranked player and that saw Shang broken three times.

The Daniil Medvedev serve is not as potent a weapon as you would expect for a former Grand Slam Champion, but the World Number 11 has long been someone who can rattle opponents with his return of serve. This year Medvedev has been breaking in 31% of return games played and he will have learned plenty about the opponent when beating him pretty convincingly in Doha.

It may not be quite as wide as that win last week, but Daniil Medvedev can be backed to cover the same line that was presented to him in the other tournament taking place on this Middle East swing.

Jakub Mensik-Hubert Hurkacz over 0.5 Tie-Breakers: When they met at the Australian Open in January 2024, Jakub Mensik was an 18 year old trying to make an impact on the Tour, while Hubert Hurkacz was a top ten Ranked player.

The match lasted five sets before Hurkacz was able to pull through and the big Pole earned another win over Jakub Mensik last year on the clay courts of Rome.

That time it was Jakub Mensik who was Ranked higher than Hubert Hurkacz, but a bigger gap has developed between the players ahead of this latest match up in Dubai.

Only ten places separated them in May 2025, but now Mensik is on the edge of cracking the top ten of the World Rankings, while Hubert Hurkacz has slipped out of the top 50 as injuries and a loss of form have become contributing factors.

Hubert Hurkacz won four matches at the United Cup in the build up to the Australian Open, but has lost every match played since winning a First Round contest in Melbourne. The serve continues to be a huge weapon, but Hurkacz has been struggling on the return and that has led to a number of disappointing results at tournaments that have been played.

Jakub Mensik had been playing well in Melbourne, but was forced to give Novak Djokovic a walkover as he was not fit enough to take his place on the court. That has been one of the disappointing aspects of his career so far with injuries needing to be overcome, but Mensik has shown plenty of mental resolve and he bounced back to reach the Semi Final in Doha last week.

He has already won a title on the hard courts and Jakub Mensik will be confident enough in his serve, even if the numbers are a little below expectations- he has won 65% of service points played, but that has only led to 81% of service holds as he has perhaps struggled to win the big points.

However, the likelihood is that Mensik is not going to be facing a lot of Break Points in this one as long as he serves as he has been, while his own return is not expected to have the same impact against a server as effective as his opponent.

The younger player should eventually prevail, but it could be similar to the Doha Semi Final where you have to believe the servers can do just enough to force at least one Tie-Breaker.

In the two previous matches which have had eight sets played, three have needed Tie-Breakers and Jakub Mensik was not broken in the match on a clay court last year. In that one he took one Break Point, but a faster surface should suit both when it comes to the serving power and it would be a surprise if at least one of the sets is not decided by a first to seven point situation.

MY PICKS: Daniil Medvedev - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Jakub Mensik-Hubert Hurkacz Over 0.5 Tie-Breakers @ 1.53 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Tennis Picks 2025 (Monday 24th February)

The two successful Tennis Picks on Saturday ensured the last week has finished with a slight profit and keeps the season totals in a positive position.

The two WTA 1000 events in Doha and Dubai have just closed out this side of the Tour as far as February is concerned with the top players focusing on Indian Wells and Miami coming up in March.

However, the ATP do have 500 events in Acapulco and Dubai to be played and those will be the focus for the Tennis Picks this week.

Acapulco is six hours behind the United Kingdom and that means any Picks from that tournament will have to be added to the daily threads. Any selections from Dubai will open things up and there are two on Monday when the First Round gets underway on Monday in what is going to be another tournament that ends with a Saturday Final.

Daniel Evans + 4.5 games v Karen Khachanov: Injury and a loss of form has seen Daneil Evans drop down to World Number 167, although the British player has to be grateful for being given a Wild Card into the main draw at the ATP 500 event in Dubai.

Wins have not been easy to find on the Challenger circuit so this is going to be a tough First Round match for Daniel Evans, despite the strong record against Karen Khachanov.

The World Number 21 cannot really point to any solid form of his own- Karen Khachanov won a couple of matches at the Australian Open, but has suffered opening defeats at the other four events in which he has played, including early last week in Doha.

That was a defeat to Daniil Medvedev, but the other three defeats suffered this season have not been against players that are Ranked inside the top 42.

Karen Khachanov is still serving well, but the return has dipped considerably in the early part of the season and that is going to offer some comfort to Daniel Evans as he steps back up to face this kind of level of opponent.

A lack of confidence has to be a factor that potentially works against Daniel Evans, but that head to head mentioned will help.

In their five previous meetings, it is Daniel Evans that has won all five and that includes beating Karen Khachanov at the US Open just a few months ago. That means even as the form has dipped, Evans has still found a way to beat the Russian and this makes the games being given to him to start this match feel very appealing to get on our side.

Daniel Evans has found a way to impact the Karen Khachanov serve and that will be important to his chances in this match.

Maintaining the winning run will be difficult, but Daniel Evans can certainly do enough to keep this one competitive enough.

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 1.5 games v Lorenzo Sonego: The defeat in Doha last week will have really hurt Stefanos Tsistipas.

His opponent looked to be struggling to move, but Tsitsipas was not able to win a final set tie-breaker and it has just left the World Number 11 struggling to find the consistency he would like. Winning matches and putting the solid results together can rebuild the confidence, and that is the task for Stefanos Tsitsipas over the next month and before the clay court season gets underway.

Playing in the ATP 500 event in Dubai means the tough challenges had to be expected pretty early on, and that is the case for Stefanos Tsitsipas who has been handed Lorenzo Sonego as a First Round opponent.

The Italian had a solid run at the Australian Open when reaching the Quarter Final, but he has not been playing a lot of tennis this month.

Lorenzo Sonego will be confident in his serving, and that has been the key for his successes and something he will use to try and build pressure on his opponent.

However, the main reason Sonego has not really kicked further ahead in the World Rankings is the weak returning numbers. He has yet to crack the top 20 in the World Rankings in his career and will head to Dubai as the World Number 36, which is largely down to the poorer return numbers.

He can pick up some momentum with a solid run in Dubai, but that will also mean beating Stefanos Tsitsipas for the first time.

It has been a couple of years since the two players last met on the Tour, but Stefanos Tsitsipas has won all three pro matches against Lorenzo Sonego. Those wins have been behind stronger serving numbers and the Greek player may just have the edge in this match, especially with his already being in the Middle East and Stefanos Tsitsipas can do enough to move through to the Second Round with a cover of this line set.

MY PICKS: Daniel Evans + 4.5 Games @ 1.66 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 1.5 Games @ 1.72 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

2025 Season: 43-28, + 15.33 Units (109 Units Staked, + 14.06% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2024 (Saturday 24th February)

We are down to the last couple of days of the latest week on the ATP/WTA Tour, although three of the four events that have been focused on are actually coming to a close on Saturday rather than Sunday.

The Finals in Dubai, Doha and Los Cabos are all scheduled for Saturday- the former two events are played in the Middle East where Finals tend to be concluded on the Saturday, while Los Cabos have organised a way for their players reaching the business end of the tournament to have a bit of recovery time if they are going to be playing at any of the big ATP 500 events that are set for next week before attention turns to Indian Wells and Miami.

Any selections from the two tournaments in Central and South America will be added when the Quarter Finals and Semi Finals are concluded, while there won't be a selection from the ATP Doha Final.

The lean is with Karen Khachanov there, but Jakub Mensik has overcome the odds and the numbers and is playing with a real belief that could be tough to shake off.

Instead the sole Pick so far is from the surprising WTA Final in Dubai as the focus begins to shift towards a new week once this one hopefully comes to a positive conclusion.

Anna Kalinskaya - 3.5 games v Jasmine Paolini: Wins over three top 10 Ranked opponents has pushed Anna Kalinskaya into the biggest match of her career and a real opportunity to back up her run at the Australian Open.

A new career high World Ranking awaits when those are published on Monday morning, but a place inside the top 20 will be secured if Anna Kalinskaya can win the WTA 1000 event in Dubai.

Her opponent is also something of a surprise considering this is one of the top events outside of the Grand Slam events that players on the WTA Tour will play. Jasmine Paolini has perhaps not had as tough a run as Anna Kalinskaya, who has beaten the World Number 9, Number 3 and Number 1 in consecutive Rounds, but the Italian has made her way through the draw against three players who are Ranked higher than herself.

Benefiting from Elena Rybakina's withdrawal ahead of the Quarter Final match will have helped, but it has been a solid year so far for Jasmine Paolini who has cracked the top 20 of the World Rankings.

There is no doubting the level being produced by Jasmine Paolini, but she is going to be facing an opponent who is getting plenty of joy out of her first serve and who has been playing elite tennis from the baseline. Any player that can rally with Iga Swiatek and begin to overpower the World Number 1 has to be given plenty of respect.

Anna Kalinskaya also has a slight mental edge having crushed Jasmine Paolini at the Australian Open last month.

She served with real intensity in that Fourth Round match and the conditions in Dubai are clearly favouring the big hitting produced by the Russian who had to come through the Qualifiers to even make the main draw.

That does mean she has played a lot of tennis this week, but Anna Kalinskaya will have a couple of weeks off after this match and she can put her all into it.

Jasmine Paolini will not roll over and has shown some quality form to reach the Final herself, but she is not quite playing as well as Anna Kalinskaya who has been producing her results against some of the very best players on the Tour. Emotionally this is a step down with the expectation on Kalinskaya's shoulders after being the underdog in the last couple of Rounds, but she has shown she can handle those in the earlier Rounds and can be backed to win the biggest title of her career.

MY PICKS: Anna Kalinskaya - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Week Update: 18-13, + 5.50 Units (62 Units Staked, + 8.87% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2024- Edgar Berlanga vs Paddy McCrory (February 24th)

It might not be a weekend for the casual Boxing fan, but a big event in Japan and the chance for a fighter to cement himself as a real contender in the Super Middleweight Division should make for good viewing.

March looks like it will begin with a quality Featherweight World Title bout for a vacant Belt and the month will be concluded by PBC's first card being shown on Amazon.

We also have the big crossover fight between Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou in between and a few domestic level cards that will be of interest as some of the winners look to press forward towards the World level.

Another solid return from a weekend of Boxing action has just pushed the numbers into a decent position as we get ready to conclude the first two months of the 2024 season.

It could have been better, but it could have been a lot worse and that is important.

Being in front is clearly better than being behind and another strong weekend will put an exclamation point on the first couple of months of the year.

Edgar Berlanga vs Paddy McCrory

There is still a lot of uncertainty about who Canelo Alvarez will pick for his May showcase fight and Edgar Berlanga's promoter Eddie Hearn is hoping his man can produce a massive highlight reel kind of victory that will be followed by a callout of the Mexican.

Sixteen straight wins and all of those inside the First Round built the reputation and the hype around Edgar Berlanga, but the last five victories have all been on the cards.

Like many will state, the feeling is that the Rounds Edgar Berlanga has banked in recent bouts will have grown him as a fighter.

He is showing the power remains, but Berlanga will be looking to make a bigger statement when facing Paddy McCrory.

Any unbeaten opponent has to be respected, and Paddy McCrory is going to know this is a big opportunity for him to gatecrash the top of the Division.

At 35 years old, time is not really on Paddy McCrory's side and this is a considerable step up compared with his usual level of opponent. The expectation is that he will not be hard to find in the ring, but that should only play to Edgar Berlanga's advantage and this looks to be the kind of opponent that can have the favourite looking very good and pressing fans to push for Berlanga to be involved in big fights going forward.

There has been talk about the Paddy McCrory power and he has Stoppages in half of the eighteen wins secured in his unbeaten pro career, but this is a considerable step up from his usual level of opponent. He has spoken about not having the same opportunities as others so this should be a big effort from the underdog, but it may also mean being forced to go out on his shield.

It has been a while, but Edgar Berlanga can finally earn his first Stoppage win since July 2020.

The fighter most may be looking forward to seeing on the undercard is Andy Cruz and he should be able to showcase his talent again. The expectation has to be that he will be fast tracked towards a World Title so look for him to step up competition after this third professional bout with his promoter already calling for an early meeting with Keyshawn Davis.

We also have Shakhram Giyasov looking to keep pushing up the World Rankings in the Welterweight Division.

Terence Crawford still holds the Division together, but is expected to move up in weight class after beating Errol Spence Jr and that will mean a number of World Titles are vacated with Giyasov right up amongst the elite left behind.

Fighting for a potentially vacant WBO World Title or for the full WBA World Title are options that will open up for Shakhram Giyasov and he can make a big statement to others in the Division.

Pablo Cesar Cano will be coming up in weight for this challenge and the veteran will be looking to use all of his experience to test his unbeaten opponent.

However, early Stoppage defeats in recent fights at the weight class below is a concern and this could be another for the Mexican to absorb.

There is a very good card taking place in Japan with a number of the home fighters looking to continue pushing their reputation.

Junto Nakatani is looking to become a three weight World Champion and he is a strong favourite to beat Alexandro Santiago who holds the WBO Bantamweight World Title.

This is a proper test for the home fighter and Santiago has to be respected for beating Nonito Donaire last time out to take the World Title from the future Hall of Fame fighter.

I do think Nakatani will have enough to win, but it will be a good watch to see whether the power has carried up to this weight class. The most likely outcome is a win on the cards, but it will be a watching brief.

Naoya Inoue's brother is also in action on the undercard and Takuma Inoue can just edge the decision to retain his WBA Bantamweight World Title. Perhaps this will lead to a huge Unification in Japan against Junto Nakatani if both are successful, although there is a natural rivalry between Jason Moloney and Nakatani if both are holding World Titles by the end of the first half of the season.

Kosei Tanaka can also win on the loaded card that takes place on Saturday morning for those of us in the United Kingdom.

MY PICKS: Edgar Berlanga to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 2.37 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Shakhram Giyasov to Win Between 1-6 @ 2.87 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Boxing 2024: 10-13, + 9.31 Units (36 Units Staked, + 25.86% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2021 (February 24th)

With the Tour moving on to four different spots around the globe, it does feel like we are moving into a more natural progression having not heard of quarantine procedures at those events and with the Golden Swing and indoor hard court tournaments in Europe looking like they will go as planned.

We will also see the big events that are held in the Middle East get going with both the WTA and ATP Tours having stops in Qatar and Dubai over the next month. Those events have taken over the empty slot left over by the Indian Wells Masters tournament, but Miami is still going ahead with some fans in attendance and that should clear the way for the European clay court events in the lead up to the French Open which begins in late May.

The uncertainty does mean players will pick and choose their events in the lead to the Miami Masters, but that is always the case and some big names have been committed to tournaments over the next month. Both WTA events being played in Qatar and Dubai in back to back weeks look loaded with many of the top ten on the players list, while Roger Federer is also due to return to the courts in the coming weeks having committed to playing in the two ATP events scheduled to be played in Qatar and Dubai too.

There are some major Ranking points that are on offer before we go into the first Masters event of the 2021 season and ahead of the build up to the next Grand Slam of the season. It should motivate players who won't have to go through the same as they did in Australia and I think the vaccine rollout will certainly see the Tour restored to further normality the longer the year goes.

It is my hope that Wimbledon will have some fans able to attend too and I would certainly hope to be in a position where I could attend if tickets are re-released. That is something that will be clearer when the current United Kingdom lockdown plan develops over the coming weeks and months, but there is an all around more positive feel which has to be expanded to all aspects of our usual lives.

Naomi Osaka and Novak Djokovic won the Australian Open Women's and Men's titles respectively and I think it would be a bigger surprise if we don't see both in the Winner's enclosure again in a Grand Slam at some point in 2021.

The former looks to be the best hard court player in the world as far as the WTA goes, but Naomi Osaka will have something to prove when the Tour moves onto the clay and grass courts over the next several months, I would consider her to be amongst the favourites in terms of names, but that is the layers not taking chances and my personal Rankings will have Naomi Osaka some way down at both the French Open and Wimbledon.

She could change my mind with strong runs in the lead up events and benefiting from a kind draw, but I think Osaka will be a strong favourite at the US Open rather than at the next two Slams. That will open the door for other players to take home big titles and I do think the Women's draws have a sense of fascination about them being as open as they are.

It is not really the case in the Men's side of the draw despite the obvious improvements some of the younger players have made. At the moment you would have to say Novak Djokovic is favourite to win at Wimbledon and the US Open, while Rafael Nadal can win another French Open and will be hard to oppose, and that only raises thoughts about which of the 'Big Three' will go down as the Greatest of All Time.

At this stage I would be surprised if Roger Federer finishes with the most Grand Slams on the Men's side and I do think both Djokovic and Nadal won't just be targeting an ending to their career with the most Men's Singles Grand Slam titles, but will also believe they can overtake Margaret Court for the overall record.

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are both on 20 Grand Slam titles and Novak Djokovic is trailing them by two at 18, but both the Spaniard and the World Number 1 will feel they have more left in the tank. Both are looking more than capable of being at the business end of every Slam they play in at the moment and even the improvement shown by the likes of Dominic Thiem, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev hasn't quite closed the gap.

In a best of five set match both Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will feel very good about their chances of beating those youngsters that are leading the new challengers and it honestly would not be a surprise if the end of 2021 sees Nadal moving to 21 Grand Slam titles and Djokovic holding 20.

I can only imagine what may have been for the 'Big Three' if they had played in an era without the other two, but I also think Men's Tennis has become such an attraction because of the battles between the top names. They may easily go down as the top three Men's players of all time even if they were to end their careers today, but the worry for the next crop of stars is the motivation, the fire and, most importantly, the quality of the Big Three has shown little sign of slippage.

There is no doubting how much I have enjoyed the return of Tennis with three Grand Slams played over the last six months, but the Australian Open was a more joyous occasion if only because we finally had some fans back in attendance.

The less said about the spectator who decided she would swear at Rafael Nadal the better, but the crowd for the Dominic Thiem win over Nicolas Kyrgios really added to the match. My only regret is that the fans were not able to witness Stefanos Tsitsipas' comeback against Nadal in the Quarter Final with the last four days not as topsy-turvy as some of those last eight matches were.

Ashleigh Barty could have done with the support in her own Quarter Final defeat, but it is encouraging to see fans back and I am looking forward to a time when fuller crowds will return.

It wasn't quite the tournament I would have wanted for the Tennis Picks, but Novak Djokovic's title win at least meant the Outright Picks returned a profit. The daily Picks were less successful at the end, but the Australian Open and US Opens tend to be my weaker events.

That's no excuse and the focus over the next month is getting this season back into the black after a relatively slow start. Last season we didn't have the same kind of clay court season as a normal Tour season brings, but I am looking forward to having some momentum to go into that part of the year.

The Tuesday Tennis Picks could have had a better start with one close defeat, one winner and one comfortable loss. It is early in a new week though and I have time to get things turned around, although I am also looking at making some small adjustments to get back to some consistency.

MY PICKS: Soon Woo Kwon - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Sebastian Korda - 2.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Jannik Sinner - 3.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet365 (2 Units)

Season 2021: - 7.80 Units (195.5 Units Staked, - 3.99% Yield)

Weekly Update: 1-2, - 2.34 Units (6 Units Staked, - 39% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2018- Callum Smith vs Nieky Holzken (February 24th)

The World Boxing Super Series has been a revelation in the sport and the announcement for at least two more weight classes beginning their own eight man tournament is going to made in the weeks after the two Finals of the Super-Middleweight and Cruiserweight brackets have been completed.

The tournament has captured the imagination of the fans where the Super Six World Boxing Classic didn't although I think the injuries throughout the latter tournament really didn't help matters.

So far the World Boxing Super Series has avoided the big injuries, but that has not been the case in the last few days. George Groves suffered a dislocated shoulder in his win over Chris Eubank Jr which has put his participation in the scheduled June 2nd Final in doubt, while Juergen Braehmer had to remove himself from his Semi Final against Callum Smith with an illness.

It makes me wonder if Braehmar is perhaps considering the possibility of replacing Groves in the Final if the latter is injured and so didn't want to take any chances this week, but that has a hint of conspiracy around it and instead I have to take things at face value.

It's a difficult spot for Smith who travelled to Germany for this Semi Final and now takes on a substitute who only came in earlier this week. Difficult, but a fight I would still expect Smith to win.

Also on Saturday there is another Frank Warren bill being headlined by the likes of Anthony Yarde and Daniel Dubois as they continue their pro education. Both are expected to remain active in 2018 and win dominantly as they have so far in their careers.


Last weekend was a big night of boxing in Manchester and the headline bout between George Groves and Chris Eubank Jr did capture the imagination of the British fight fans.

In hindsight it is an even bigger surprise to me that Eubank Jr went in as the favourite than it was prior to the bout, although his performance earned my respect. Some of the boxing was pretty poor, but Eubank Jr showed incredible toughness and didn't give up which has to be respected no matter what you think of the man.

Like many others, I do think Eubank Jr is not fulfilling his potential by failing to use the tried and tested method of having a real trainer guiding him. Whether he changes or not is a question to be answered, but I struggle to see him beating the really big names either at Middleweight or Super-Middleweight barring some big changes.

Heart can get you so far as he has shown... But the next step needs to be more carefully laid out and Eubank Jr has some big decisions to make.

And no, I would not consider him for the Final if Groves is unable to go.


Over in the States there was more controversial scoring in Texas which saw Victor Ortiz somehow earn a draw with Devon Alexander (and prevented me going 4-0 with my picks last weekend). On another card Danny Garcia also returned with a punishing KO of faded Brandon Rios which has put Garcia in line to have another crack against Keith Thurman, although any rematch won't be scheduled until much later this year if not early 2019.

Anthony Yarde vs Tony Averlant

After the excitement of the Manchester Arena last weekend, this weekend is something of the calm before the storm ahead of a huge night of Boxing next weekend when Kell Brook, Jermall Charlo, Josh Taylor and Andre Dirrell's rematch with Jose Uzcategui all take place before the Deontay Wilder Heavyweight Defence against Luis Ortiz.

Some of the next generation of British talent do get a chance to showcase their talent this week and I am expecting comfortable nights for Daniel Dubois and Anthony Yarde.

This does feel like a keep busy kind of fight for Yarde and I am looking forward to the time when Frank Warren perhaps decides to step things up for him. There is a decent British domestic scene in which he can get involved although whether the British Title route is one Warren is plotting is not very clear.

Instead there has been talk of lining up something like a World Title eliminator or an actual Title shot later in the year, but this is a deep and stacked Division at the World level. Yarde will see more of that next week in New York City where two of the very best are involved in a couple of World Title fights, but for now it is just about getting things done, learning and staying active.

Tony Averlant doesn't provide too much of a threat for Yarde, but he may last a little longer than he did against Juergen Braehmer when stopped in the Second Round back in 2013.

The Frenchman has been durable enough to give Yarde some Rounds having only been stopped twice in nine defeats, but I do think the Yarde power will end up telling and eventually Averlant will be punished sufficiently for the referee to perhaps step in.

While I can see Averlant lasting a little longer than he did with Braehmer, I can't see him going longer than Nikola Sjekola who had never before been stopped before Yarde got him out of there in the Fourth Round. Sjekola had gone the distance with the likes of Callum Smith, Tyron Zeuge and Robert Stieglitz prior to that and I think it does highlight the kind of power Yarde has.

Having a small interest in this one to finish in either the Third or Fourth Round, which are the Rounds in which three of the last four Yarde fights have been concluded, is where I will go with this one.

Callum Smith vs Nieky Holzken

Having an opponent pull out just days before you are due to fight them has to be very, very difficult for Callum Smith to deal with, but the focus on reaching the Super-Middleweight World Boxing Super Series Final set to go at the O2 Arena in London has to offer plenty of motivation for the Liverpudlian.

The problem is that Smith has obviously been preparing for a completely different fighter in Juergen Braehmer who is vastly more experienced than the substitute Nieky Holzen and also fights in a southpaw stance.

There isn't a lot that Smith knows about Holzen and even the wider boxing fan will know there is a significant step up for the Dutchman. He is clearly tough having had success in other combat fields in his career, but this really is a sink or swim situation for Holzen having been thrown into the deep end of this Semi Final.

I like Callum Smith.

He is someone I have believed is capable of going all the way to World Title honours where some of his brothers have just failed to get to. However Callum has long been considered the best of the Smith fighting brothers from Liverpool and many have tipped him up to win this Super-Middleweight tournament.

Smith had a tough night against Erik Skoglund in the Quarter Final, but he was a handy winner and I think the Swede was just a legitimately tough fighter. Even then Smith put him down and the power should see him take out Holzen in this one too.

It may take a little bit of time as Smith perhaps waits to see what kind of fighter is in front of him. He may decide to fight behind the jab being the considerably bigger man in the ring and I think Smith will need to weather an early storm from Holzen who perhaps comes out swinging in a bid to surprise his opponent.

I'd expect Smith to have taken full control of this fight by the middle Rounds though and that is when the I think he will be able to put some of his punches together and find a stoppage. Weathering the early storm and start to time his punches should see the first Four Rounds enter the books, but backing Smith to get this done sometime from the Fifth Round to the Eighth Round looks a good place to be.

MY PICKS: Anthony Yarde Round 3-4 @ 4.00 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
Callum Smith Round 5-8 @ 2.87 Boyle Sports (1 Unit)

Boxing Picks 2018: 7-3, + 12.28 Units (18 Units Staked, + 68.22% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2018 (February 24th)

The last two weeks have been very, very good for the Tennis Picks and that run continued on Friday with four winners from the five completed matches.

Not to sound greedy, but it could easily have been a clean sweep after Garbine Muguruza twice led in the second set by a break, served for the match and missed match points in the tie-breaker before going down in three sets to Daria Kasatkina.

All three picks made from Delray Beach came back as winners though to keep the winners coming and it definitely feels good knowing that I wasn't going mad with the research for the Tennis Picks earlier this season.

It is a long season though with twists and turns and I just have to look for the positives to last longer than the negatives to ensure a winning season can be put into the books.


Elina Svitolina - 4.5 games v Daria Kasatkina: I might have had a very strong week, but a couple of my losing picks have been opposing Daria Kasatkina, although I am a sucker for punishment and will her oppose her in the Dubai Final too.

To be fair to me, Kasatkina was a set and a break down against Johanna Konta before turning that match around and then saved multiple match points in the second set of her eventual three set win over Garbine Muguruza in the Semi Final.

Now she will have to dig deep again to beat someone like Elina Svitolina who has been producing a higher level of tennis so far this week. Svitolina hasn't really had a lot of ups and downs either with her return being very effective in her three wins, while she has been good enough behind serve.

There is perhaps more to come from the serve, but it does feel like Svitolina will be able to create plenty of break point opportunities against the Kasatkina serve. The latter has had difficulty protecting that side of things and has been very much reliant on a strong return of her own, but she is not playing as well as Svitolina on the raw numbers.

Kasatkina is still dangerous as she will be playing with the confidence of recovering difficult positions already this week. However I think Svitolina's stronger serve and better return numbers will pay off and she can win the Dubai Final with a 6-3, 6-4 scoreline to retain the title she won last year.

MY PICKS: Elina Svitolina - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 22-7, + 25.28 Units (58 Units Staked, + 43.59% Yield)

Weekend Football Picks 2018 (February 24-25)

The Premier League is back after a two week 'break' for those teams who were not involved in European action or the FA Cup Fifth Round last weekend.

For the top teams it remains a busy time, but for others it has been a chance to perhaps get some things straightened to make sure all of the goals for the 2017/18 season can be achieved.


The European Champions League Last 16 First Leg ties were all completed during the week and you can begin to see the Quarter Final of that competition develop.

It would be a massive surprise if Manchester City, Liverpool and Bayern Munich don't make it through with four and five goal leads from their First Leg ties. Then you would say Tottenham Hotspur and Barcelona have a slight advantage thanks to away scoring draws, and Manchester United have an even narrower advantage over Sevilla.

Both the Shakhtar-Roma and PSG-Real Madrid ties look finely balanced with the two home teams in the Second Leg behind, but with one away goal under their belt.

Things are certainly heating up nicely in the Champions League with the Quarter Final draw just three weeks away.


It is another big round of fixtures in the Premier League this weekend with huge implications in the race for the top four spots and also the relegation battle. Points rather than performances are most important at this time of the season, although it is also when you can begin to take note of those teams who are picking up some momentum and close to a positive run of form compared with others who begin to feel sorry for themselves in whatever situation they find themselves.

The first domestic silverware of the season is also up for grabs on Sunday in another big weekend of Football.


Leicester City v Stoke City Pick: The opening game in the Premier League comes from the King Power Stadium this weekend and the television cameras will bring the game to a wider audience. It is a big game for Stoke City who are trying to desperately stay in touch with the teams above them and give themselves a chance to escape relegation to the Championship.

The last set of Premier League games could not have gone much worse for Stoke City- they missed a last minute penalty to record a win over Brighton and then saw relegation rivals Newcastle United, Huddersfield Town and Swansea City all record big home wins.

There is still only 2 points between Stoke City in 19th place and and Crystal Palace in 15th, but games like this one have to be circled by Paul Lambert as ones where Stoke City have to win. The next two weekends are huge for Stoke City with a trip to Southampton up next, but there may be some confidence coming in with some improved performances under Paul Lambert.

I am sure Stoke City would have preferred this visit to Leicester City later in the season when the home team may have lost a bit of focus with other things on their mind. However this is a tough time to visit a team who have played well at home in recent weeks with 4 wins from 5 games at the King Power Stadium and a Leicester City team who are still very much focused on a top seven finish in the Premier League.

Visits to Leicester City have been tough for Stoke City with back to back losses here without scoring a goal. I do think Stoke City have shown a little more attacking intent under Lambert's guidance, but defensively they have remained a work in progress and Leicester City should feel they can take advantage of that.

Games between these teams in the last couple of years have been high-scoring, although mainly at the Bet365 Stadium. I think there will be chances for both teams in this one with the edge going to Leicester City, although they look plenty short to win this fixture having drawn 1-1 with Swansea City in their last League game here.

Stoke City have conceded at least twice in 7 of their last 9 away games in all competitions, but they have also scored in 8 of their last 11 on their travels. This has the makings of a game that could feature at least three goals in the live early Saturday afternoon slot and I think both teams can score at least once in this one.

The 1-1 is a concern, but Stoke City will look for a win here and Leicester City have been playing well enough at home to expect to win too. That should mean the teams are not looking to settle for a point and I will back three or more goals to be shared out on Saturday.


Bournemouth v Newcastle United Pick: These two teams had contrasting results when they last played a competitive game thirteen days ago with Bournemouth being crushed at Huddersfield Town and Newcastle United stunning Manchester United at St James' Park.

Eddie Howe will be expecting to see a big reaction from his Bournemouth players who had been in fine form in the Premier League prior to that loss at the John Smith's Stadium. The Cherries had won 3 of 4 Premier League games prior to that defeat and this is a team who have won their last 3 League games at the Vitality Stadium so you can understand why they go into this fixture as the favourite.

However you have to respect a Newcastle United team who have been in decent shape away from home in recent weeks. They have lost 3 of their last 7 away Premier League games, but all of those came at one of the teams in the top six.

In that same run of 7 games, Newcastle United have earned draws at West Brom and Crystal Palace while winning at West Ham United and Stoke City so they clearly can thrive when playing the lesser lights in the Premier League.

Keeping clean sheets has been a problem for Newcastle United though, which is a surprise considering Rafa Benitez is in charge, and Bournemouth have scored at least twice in their last 4 home games in the League. On the other side of the field, Newcastle United have scored in 7 of their last 8 away League games and face a Bournemouth team who have conceded in 7 straight home League games.

The 1-1 is a distinct possibility in this fixture, but I think the teams can combine for another goal, at least, and that looks a big price with the layers pricing up three or more goals at odds against. Games between Bournemouth and Newcastle United have been tight in the last three years including a 0-1 win for The Cherries earlier this season, but recent performances from both teams suggest this will buck that trend.

7 of the last 8 Bournemouth home League games have seen three or more goals shared out, while 5 of the last 8 Newcastle United away games have done the same. With both teams desperate for the three points I can see an attacking game develop on Saturday, although I do have a slight concern they could settle for a 1-1 if that score is on the board with 10 minutes remaining.

Even then, I think the odds against quote for three or more goals is too big to ignore and I will back goals in this Premier League game.


Brighton v Swansea City Pick: The FA Cup Quarter Final draw has paired Brighton with Manchester United and that will have raised some memories of the 1983 FA Cup Final that Brighton competed in against Manchester United. That came in the same season that Brighton were relegated from the top flight of English Football and Chris Hughton has made it clear the Cup run comes secondary to Premier League survival.

Winning a third home game in all competitions would give Brighton a huge shot in avoiding relegation to the Premier League and there is no doubting the importance of this fixture for both clubs involved.

Brighton have shown decent form at home, but will want to turn a few of the draws into wins. However they have been difficult to beat here with their 3 League losses coming against sides in the top four of the Premier League table and now face a Swansea City team who have toughened up in recent weeks.

The majority of the big Swansea City results have come at the Liberty Stadium though and they have drawn 5 away games in a row. 3 of those have come against lower League opposition so Brighton have to feel they have started producing the goals at home which can help them win this fixture.

It does feel like this will be a close game and a single goal could easily be enough to earn the three points. Both teams have had some confidence boosting results of late, but I think home advantage could be key for Brighton and they can narrowly get past their visitors.

Of course you have to respect the results Swansea City have earned in recent weeks as they have grown full of belief under Carlos Carvalhal. They are also unbeaten in 10 games in all competitions, but Swansea City don't score a lot of away goals and I think that is a reason Brighton can do enough to win this one with decent defensive performances at the Amex Stadium.

I will back Brighton on the Asian Handicap which at least returns half the stake in the event of a draw, which is a possibility in a fixture between two teams with little between them. However I do think Brighton have been creating enough chances in recent weeks to earn the victory and I will back them on the Asian Handicap to do that.


Liverpool v West Ham United Pick: A stunning Champions League performance in Portugal has put Liverpool almost certainly through to the Quarter Final of that competition, but Jurgen Klopp's aim is to make sure they are playing in it again next season. The most favourable way of doing that is by finishing in the top four of the Premier League and this is a big game for Liverpool.

Most will be expecting them to be far too strong for West Ham United and that will be a big result for Liverpool on the same weekend that two of the other three contenders for the top four positions play each other at Old Trafford.

Either Manchester United or Chelsea are going to be dropping points so it is imperative for Liverpool to win this game and earn an advantage for the top four positions behind Manchester City.

The home team should be too good for West Ham United, although too many draws at Anfield has been a concern for Liverpool this season. All but one of those draws has come against teams in the top half of the table though so the expectation will be that Liverpool can beat a West Ham United team who haven't been in the best form of late.

David Moyes will have been pleased with the 2-0 win over Watford though and he is also going to have a couple of key players return to the squad which is very important at this critical stage of the season. You know he will have been working on West Ham United to be well disciplined in this one and try and make life as difficult for Liverpool as possible and Moyes has overseen some solid results for West Ham United.

His side were narrowly beaten at Manchester City and earned a draw at Wembley Stadium against Tottenham Hotspur and I do think they are getting a generous start on the Asian Handicap in this one. A two goal loss would return the stake and anything better than that would be a winner for West Ham United who will close space and try and hurt Liverpool on the counter attack.

Liverpool are a team who can blow opponents away, which makes it dangerous to oppose them, but West Ham United have a decent recent record at Anfield. Coupled with those tough performances at the Etihad Stadium and Wembley Stadium and having had two weeks to work on a defensive shape, I am going to take West Ham United with the start on the Asian Handicap in this one.

Recent results have not been very good for David Moyes' men, but they have a couple of key performers back and I think they are worth taking with the start.


West Brom v Huddersfield Town Pick: Taxi-gate should be behind West Brom now, but Alan Pardew will only believe that is the case if his players can turn some of their recent performances in positive results in the Premier League.

With the other clubs around the relegation zone all finding some big wins in recent weeks, West Brom have been on a poor run of defeats which has left them looking like they have been cut off at the bottom of the table. The next few weeks are key for West Brom as they face a number of their relegation rivals beginning with this game at The Hawthorns on Saturday when they host Huddersfield Town.

Anything less than a win would likely be curtains for West Brom as far as being a Premier League club goes, but this is the kind of fixture I think they can win.

As well as Huddersfield Town have played this season, they have struggled for goals away from home and they are not the same team away from the John Smith's Stadium. In recent weeks they have lost at Leicester City and Stoke City, although David Wagner will believe his side are full of confidence after hammering Bournemouth 4-1 at home in their last League game.

Unfortunately for Wagner, he will need to see a much better defensive performance than Huddersfield Town have produced in recent weeks if they are going to earn a result here. They should give West Brom chances and the home team have had plenty of opportunities in recent games which have been squandered.

The poor finishing is a concern for Alan Pardew and the fans as West Brom have created the chances to earn better results than they have in recent weeks. The home form has been poor which is also a negative against them, but I think West Brom have been close to earning a big result and I like their chances to earn that this weekend.

It will likely be a close and tough fought battle, but I am going to back West Brom to earn the three points. The Huddersfield Town struggles in the final third have seen them score 7 of their 8 away Premier League goals in 2 of their 13 away League games and I think West Brom can do enough at both ends of the field to win this one against a team that have struggled for clean sheets of late.


Watford v Everton Pick: The second live televised game from the Premier League comes from Vicarage Road this weekend and both Watford and Everton should be able to play with relative freedom for the neutrals tuning in.

Both Javi Gracia and Sam Allardyce are perhaps known for their defensive organisation more than their attacking intent, but both have good players in the final third who will feel they can get the better of their opposition.

Scoring goals has been something of a problem for Watford, but the majority of those issues have come away from home. At Vicarage Road they have scored at least twice in 4 of their last 5 games in all competitions, while Watford have not had a clean sheet in 7 home games in the Premier League.

That should mean there are some chances at both ends especially with Everton having a few problems defensively that Sam Allardyce has yet to resolve. It is something of a surprise that Everton have not had a clean sheet in any of their last 8 games in all competitions, but they have managed to score in 3 of their last 4 away games.

It feels like both teams will be able to get on the scoreboard in this one, which has happened in 4 of the 5 games between Watford and Everton since The Hornets returned to the top flight. 3 of those 5 games have featured three or more goals and I think the performances of both of these teams in recent weeks suggests this could be another game that goes in that direction.

There has been two weeks to work on defensive organisation for both teams, but I still anticipate there will be enough chances for both teams to help combine for three or more goals here. The odds against quotes certainly look too big for that to happen and I will take on the layers in this market.


Crystal Palace v Tottenham Hotspur Pick: This game has been moved forward by a day because of Tottenham Hotspur's need for a FA Cup Fifth Round Replay to try and see off Rochdale from League One.

The attention will be completely on an important Premier League game as Tottenham Hotspur look to maintain their push for a top four finish on the same day Chelsea and Manchester United meet at Old Trafford. Taking advantage of one of their top four rivals dropping points is very important, but Tottenham Hotspur have not been able to find wins away from home in recent weeks.

They have drawn their last 5 away games including at Newport County and Rochdale and that has to encourage Crystal Palace even though Roy Hodgson is dealing with a long injury list.

Crystal Palace have been strong at home, but missing the likes of Wilfried Zaha is a huge blow for Hodgson as his team are still trying to produce a gap between themselves and the bottom three. Depending on results on Saturday, Crystal Palace could even find themselves in the bottom three by the time this game kicks off and they will need to show their toughness at Selhurst Park in this one.

The Eagles have created chances at this ground and I expect they can pose a few problems for a Tottenham Hotspur team who have not had too many clean sheets on their travels in recent weeks. However this Tottenham Hotspur team are playing with the confidence to think they can hurt Crystal Palace when going forward and both teams will feel they can play a part in this one.

The layers are full of belief that there will be goals in this fixture, but they have underestimated the chances of both teams to be involved in the scoring. The last 5 Tottenham Hotspur away games have seen both teams score and Crystal Palace have scored in 10 of their last 11 home games with only a missed penalty against Manchester City providing the exception.

Even without Zaha I think Crystal Palace can have joy going forward, but 2 clean sheets in 10 home games suggests Tottenham Hotspur will also have success. Backing both teams to score at just under odds against looks the play this weekend.


Manchester United v Chelsea Pick: The television cameras will be fully focused on the sideline and hoping to see something between Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte who are meeting for the first time since a very personal spat played out in the media in January.

While there is clearly going to be some lingering tension from some of the words spoken by both men, both Mourinho and Conte will recognise the importance of getting their tactics right in this huge Premier League game with top four implications.

Tactically both managers were almost perfect in Champions League action during the week although Conte was unfortunate to see his Chelsea team fail to beat Barcelona at Stamford Bridge. Manchester United were less keen to get on the front foot in their draw in Sevilla but will be more satisfied with the draw that gives them the slight advantage when it comes to the Second Leg next month.

I fully expect this Premier League game to be a bit of a chess game between two managers who are very good at setting up their teams to be difficult to beat. It is no surprise that games between Manchester United and Chelsea over the last eighteen months with Mourinho and Conte at the helm have been mainly tight affairs.

There is the 4-0 win for Chelsea to consider, but the next three games between these clubs have provided four goals in total and I am not sure there will be a lot in this one either.

Manchester United have played low-scoring home games against Tottenham Hotspur (twice), Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea in the Premier League since Mourinho took over. Only once have Manchester United scored more than one goal in those home games, while they only scored once each time in their two home games against Manchester City in that time too.

Chelsea did have high-scoring games at Arsenal twice this season in the Premier League and League Cup and they also combined for three goals at Wembley Stadium against Tottenham Hotspur. However those games against Mourinho and Manchester United stand out as the exception with Conte looking to match him tactically and I can see both teams trying to contain the other before trying to work their own attacks into the equation.

I imagine Mourinho will look to stop Eden Hazard from having a big impact in the game like he did in the Manchester United home win over Chelsea last season. On the other side I think Conte will play a false nine as he did against Barcelona and try and use the speed of three attacking forwards in Willian, Hazard and Pedro to hit Manchester United on the counter attack.

An early goal could change the entire approach of the game as it did when Chelsea beat Manchester United 4-0 at Stamford Bridge last season. However the more likely situation is both teams looking to avoid making a mistake and making life as difficult for their opponents in this match and so the under 2.5 goals looks the obvious play.

The layers recognise that with that market very short in the prices, but they may be taking a chance by offering odds against that one, or both, of these teams fails to score. All four games between Chelsea and Manchester United in the last eighteen months have seen one of the teams fail to score, while a deeper look shows 9 of the last 12 between these clubs have seen that market hit.

I hope to see better from Manchester United as an attacking threat in this one, but I won't be surprised if one or both of these teams fails to score in a tactical game. One goal may be enough for someone to secure a vital three points and I will take the odds against quotes for one of the teams to fail to score here.


Arsenal v Manchester City Pick: Arsene Wenger and Pep Guardiola will familiarise themselves with one another over the next few days as Arsenal get set to take on Manchester City in the League Cup Final and then the Premier League at the Emirates Stadium.

First up is the League Cup Final at Wembley Stadium where Arsenal have a strong recent record in Cup competitions including beating Manchester City 2-1 after extra time in the FA Cup Semi Final last season.

This looks a different Manchester City team though and it is going to take a huge effort and perhaps a sprinkling of luck for Arsenal to prevent the first piece of silverware heading back to the North West on Sunday evening.

Manchester City should be eager to come out and make up for the 1-0 loss at Wigan Athletic on Monday night in the FA Cup which has ended all hopes of the Quadruple. A treble of trophies is still on for Guardiola, but the pressure is on Manchester City to add something to the Premier League title they have had in their grasp for weeks.

Guardiola will urge his players not to panic though and Manchester City will believe imposing their style of football on this fixture will likely result in a victory for them. They will look to dominate the ball and try and work around an Arsenal defence that never seems too far away from a collapse, even if they have produced some big performances at times this season.

Generally Arsenal have struggled at the back, particularly away from the Emirates Stadium, and Manchester City certainly have the team to punish them. With an almost full squad to choose from and plenty of rest in the legs, Manchester City will be expected to break down Arsenal, but I am not anticipating a one sided game in this Final.

There is still some genuine quality that Arsenal can call upon in the attacking third and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has to believe he can use his speed to terrify the Manchester City backline. Mistakes are being made by Manchester City, and they are being punished every time they do make one, while Arsenal will look to be very direct on the counter attack with some classy passers who can open things up for shots on goal.

I don't think it should surprise anyone that Arsenal have scored in 11 games in a row against Manchester City and they have scored twice inside 90 minutes in 7 of those games. Wenger is not likely to want his side to sit back and try and soak up pressure, but will demand they break with pace and try and get after the Manchester City back line and I think that could pay off for them with one or two goals.

Defensively it is hard to see Arsenal keep Manchester City out and I think the latter will have a positive reaction to losing at the DW Stadium on Monday night. There is plenty of attacking talent on show and I am not surprised that half of the 4 games played between these teams since Guardiola has taken over have resulted in at least four goals shared out.

I am anticipating another high-scoring game here with both teams likely to score and the possibility for spaces to open up in the last half an hour. With the way both managers tend to approach their football, I wouldn't think either team is going to want to sit back and wait for things to happen and a positive League Cup Final could see four goals hit between these teams.

The edge has to be given to Manchester City on their season's work, but Arsenal won't roll over here and there are some questions for Manchester City to answer after surprisingly exiting the FA Cup. Arsenal's recent record at Wembley Stadium makes them dangerous to oppose here too, so I will simply look for four or more goals to be scored in the Final.

MY PICKS: Leicester City-Stoke City Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.92 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Bournemouth v Newcastle United Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Brighton - 0.25 Asian Handicap @ 1.81 Bet Victor (2 Units)
West Ham United + 2 Asian Handicap @ 1.85 Bet Victor (2 Units)
West Brom @ 2.05 William Hill (2 Units)
Watford-Everton Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.10 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Crystal Palace-Tottenham Hotspur Both Teams to Score @ 1.91 Bet365 (2 Units)
Manchester United-Chelsea Both Teams NOT to Score @ 2.05 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Arsenal-Manchester City Over 3.5 Goals @ 2.15 Ladbrokes (2 Units)