Paris Olympics Tennis Day 9 Pick 2024 (Sunday 4th August)

So it was Qinwen Zheng who picked up the Gold Medal with a relatively routine win over Donna Vekic and it will be interesting to see how her career develops from here.

A Runner Up at the Australian Open, it has not been the best few months for Zheng but the victory in Paris, which includes the upset of Iga Swiatek, will certainly have her feeling very positive about her game.

However, like many of the recent Grand Slam events, expect to see a lot of surprising results throughout the US Open when that tournament begins later this month and negotiating the draw will be a tough task for every player in the event.

Before attention fully turns to the hard court season, the men's Gold Medal match is set to be played on Sunday and it is between two players who will be favourites to win the next Grand Slam.

There is a feeling this could be a real changing of the guard moment in the sport, but Novak Djokovic will have a lot to say about that as the Paris Olympics are concluded for the tennis players who have been taking part.

Carlos Alcaraz - 3.5 games v Novak Djokovic: No one can forget the way Carlos Alcaraz cramped up after taking the second set against Novak Djokovic in the French Open Semi Final in 2023- all of the momentum was with him at that time, but the young Spaniard was perhaps a bit too inexperienced and amped up in facing arguably the best player of all time and feeling like he was going to be in a position to win that match.

The character of Carlos Alcaraz cannot be questioned though and a month later he was beating Novak Djokovic in the Final at Wimbledon in a five set classic.

However, Novak Djokovic has not won 24 Grand Slam titles for no reason and got the better of Carlos Alcaraz in the next two meetings in 2023.

Things seem to have swung back in favour of Alcaraz though and the dismantling straight sets win over Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon Final last month makes the Spaniard the favourite to win the Gold Medal. He added the Wimbledon title to a maiden French Open title won in June and Carlos Alcaraz has to be considered the player to beat at the US Open which begins later this month.

He crushed Felix Auger-Aliassime in the Semi Final and there remain some doubts about the Novak Djokovic knee, which forced the former World Number 1 to change his tactics and approach to a match with Alcaraz in the Wimbledon Final. Shortening the points, or at least trying to shorten the points, is still possible on a grass court, but that is much more difficult on the clay and Carlos Alcaraz will certainly feel he can outlast Djokovic if the knee is still causing problems.

Novak Djokovic is definitely feeling some kind of impact on his service performance with this lingering issue and that is a concern when facing someone like Carlos Alcaraz who will look to put the pressure on immediately. The Serb was broken five times by Alcaraz in the Wimbledon Final, while Djokovic has dropped serve at least twice in three of his last four matches in this tournament.

Both Stefanos Tsitsipas and Lorenzo Musetti will know they missed opportunities to really put Novak Djokovic under pressure, but Carlos Alcaraz may have a different mindset compared with those players. Unlike them, Alcaraz knows he has beaten Novak Djokovic on the biggest stages and the defending French Open Champion is going to be tough to knock off here.

It certainly helps Carlos Alcaraz that he is making the most out of his serve, even on the clay, and that may keep Novak Djokovic under some pressure.

You can never rule out Novak Djokovic and the motivation is going to be at a super high level with this being his last chance to win Olympic Gold and effectively win everything you can on the tennis courts. It may even be argued that winning this Medal would have felt more important than winning an eighth Wimbledon title, but motivation alone is not going to get this done and it would be unwise to underestimate Carlos Alcaraz and his own ambitions considering what he has already achieved in his very young career.

That victory at Wimbledon last month will certainly help the mental edge lean towards Carlos Alcaraz and he can underline his place as the top men's player on the Tour by taking a third big title in succession with another strong victory over a perhaps less than 100% Novak Djokovic.

MY PICK: Carlos Alcaraz - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Paris Olympics Update: 8-10, - 6.76 Units (36 Units Staked, - 18.78% Yield)

Paris Olympics Tennis Day 8 Picks 2024 (Saturday 3rd August)

The men's Gold Medal match is the one that the fans would have all hoped for at the Paris Olympic Games, but the Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz hype will just have to slow down for a while.

Iga Swiatek has won the Bronze Medal, but the women's Gold Medal match is set for Saturday and we are going to have another surprising winner regardless of the outcome. This has been a feature of women's tennis in recent years, while especially being the case at the recent Olympic Games, and the entire draw will feel there is an opportunity to win a big title when they head to New York City for the US Open.

Qinwen Zheng - 3.5 games v Donna Vekic: Winning a Grand Slam remains the ultimate prize for any player on the Tour, but the opportunity to win a Gold Medal is one that many would like to have.

It is Qinwen Zheng and Donna Vekic who have that chance on Saturday having made their way through the Paris Olympics draw and both have been playing with plenty of confidence over the last month.

Last month Donna Vekic reached the Semi Final at Wimbledon before losing a tough battle against Jasmine Paolini, but all credit has to be given to the Croatian for the performances so far this week. The clay courts are the weakest surface on which Vekic will perform and she had a losing record on the surface for the second season in a row prior to her run in Paris.

Donna Vekic did reach the Third Round at the French Open, but had only won one match in her three tournaments in Stuttgart, Madrid and Rome and she would have been a big price to reach the Gold Medal match at this event.

Qinwen Zheng also had a disappointing run at the French Open, but she won a clay court title in Palermo in July between Wimbledon and the Olympic Games. This means she has a 22-8 record on the clay over the last two seasons before arriving in Paris and winning five matches here, including the upset of Iga Swiatek in the Semi Final.

There have been some rough moments for both players- Zheng was very close to losing to Emma Navarro and Angelique Kerber, while Donna Vekic was incredibly fortunate to beat Marta Kostyuk in the Quarter Final. Those will not be a major concern going into the Gold Medal match, especially with a day of rest for the players between the Semi Final and this one.

Out of the two players, Qinwen Zheng has the clay court pedigree to take home the Gold Medal, while she also went one better than Donna Vekic as the Australian Open Finalist earlier this season before losing to Aryna Sabalenka. That should help in trying to handle the nerves and the pressure of the occasion, while the Zheng serve has perhaps been operating in a stronger fashion than the Croatian's.

This could make the difference in the Gold Medal match and Qinwen Zheng can back up the most recent meeting between the players which was won in three sets on a hard court in October 2023. On the clay, you would have to favour Qinwen Zheng a little bit more and she can find a way to win the match and cover this mark, especially with Donna Vekic perhaps not as accustomed to the conditions in the middle of the day as her opponent.

MY PICKS: Qinwen Zheng - 3.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Paris Olympics Update: 7-10, - 8.50 Units (34 Units Staked, - 25% Yield)

Olympic Tennis Day 9 Picks 2021 (August 1st)

The Tokyo Olympics are concluded for the Tennis tournament on Sunday with the Men's Gold Medal match and I do think it has the potential of being a good one.

Karen Khachanov + 3.5 games v Alexander Zverev: The Gold Medal has been decided in the Women's event and the Bronze Medal in both the Women's and Men's event was also played on Saturday. That leaves the Sunday clear for the Men's Gold Medal match between Alexander Zverev and Karen Khachanov as they look to secure the biggest title of their careers which could spark more to come at Grand Slam level.

The challenge in the Grand Slams is different in the best of five set format, but this Gold Medal match has changed format back into the best of the three set format. That should aid both Alexander Zverev and Karen Khachanov, although the pressure of winning a major title is something they will be relatively unfamiliar with.

Alexander Zverev has experienced playing in a US Open Final and that should help him massively in the Gold Medal match. He did blow a strong opportunity to win that Slam last year, but the German is coming off a confidence boosting win over the World Number 1 and he is going to head into the Final as a significant favourite.

The tournament has been a really strong one for Alexander Zverev and that will further the belief in the player that he can win this Gold Medal and perhaps use it to spark further success on the Tour. Alexander Zverev's serve is a big weapon, but the conditions have suited him in Tokyo when it comes to the return and that makes him very dangerous.

However, I don't think you can draw a line through the chances of Karen Khachanov who had a very strong win in the Semi Final and looks to be at home in the conditions himself. He has spent longer on the court than Alexander Zverev, but Karen Khachanov has had a couple of days off and the comfortable win in the Semi Final will have given him ample time to refresh and get ready for the biggest match of his career.

Like Zverev, Karen Khachanov has been really strong behind his serve and I think that gives him a chance of the upset. The Russian has also been impressive on the return and his head to head with Alexander Zverev will certainly offer further encouragement.

It has been a couple of years since these players last met on the professional Tour, but Karen Khachanov has won the last two matches to pull himself back to 2-2 against Alexander Zverev. Both those wins have come on a faster hard court than the one that they will be playing on in Tokyo, but they are two wins that will give Karen Khachanov a lot of belief in his ability to knock off the favourite.

Over their three previous hard court matches, Karen Khachanov has held in 88% of service games played against Alexander Zverev compared with the 64% mark of the latter. Karen Khachanov has dominated the break points created in the last two matches between the pair and I do think the Russian can be backed with a start to at least keep this one close.

I think he can take a set which would give him the chance of the cover and Karen Khachanov is worth siding with in this Gold Medal match before all the players move across to North America for preparation towards the US Open.

MY PICKS: Karen Khachanov + 3.5 Games @ 1.85 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Olympic Game: 25-18, + 4.06 Units (88 Units Staked, + 4.61% Yield)

Olympic Tennis Day 8 Picks 2021 (July 31st)

The Tokyo Olympics are down to the Medal matches for those taking part in the Tennis event and the majority of the players involved have likely began their move across to North America where the build up to the US Open has begun.

Most won't likely take part in events listed to begin over the next few days, but Rafael Nadal is back as he travels to Washington for the first time.

Those are the 'weakest' events left before the run to the US Open with back to back Masters events in Canada and Cincinnati played back to back in the middle of August. We should begin to get some insight into how the US Open may shake out, but for now the focus is on the Olympics and handing out the Medals across the next two days.

Elena Rybakina - 1.5 games v Elina Svitolina: The Bronze Medal match in the Women's Tennis Olympic tournament will be played before the Gold Medal match and it is a strange situation for the players competing. Every other tournament they would have played would have been over as soon as the Semi Final match points went against them, but Elena Rybakina and Elina Svitolina have to return to the court two days after those defeats to play this Bronze Medal match.

The mindset can be quite difficult to determine when you think of the normality of the situation for the players off a defeat. Elena Rybakina has to be feeling the Semi Final loss a little more than Elina Svitolina because the Kazakhstan player may believe that one or two points cost her the match in a very close encounter. The Elina Svitolina defeat was much more straight-forward and I do wonder if the early exploits in the tournament have caught up with a player who may not have spent as much time on the court as she would have liked in the lead up to the Olympic Games.

Elina Svitolina has only recently married Gael Monfils and that may have taken her focus from the tennis so the run in Tokyo is something of a surprise. Even more so when you think of the inconsistent performances Svitolina has produced over the last twelve months and she has not really played at a very high level in the tournament, but has managed to get through to the Bronze Medal match by playing the big points better than her opponents have been able to do.

I do think she is going to have to improve dramatically from the Semi Final level if she is going to beat Elena Rybakina who had breezed through her first four matches before losing a break advantage in the final set of her Semi Final defeat to Belinda Bencic. The Rybakina serve has been a big weapon for her throughout this tournament and she has found a consistency on the return of serve which may just give the younger player an edge as she looks to Medal.

Elina Svitolina's serve is much more erratic and I do think it is a vulnerable part of her game which has prevented her kicking on and winning a Grand Slam. While she has won four matches here, the Ukrainian has not really been dominant on the return of serve either and I do think Elena Rybakina will get the better of her as long as the almost three hour Semi Final has not taken too much from her mentally and emotionally.

Before that match, Elena Rybakina has not really spent a lot of time on the court compared with Elina Svitolina who had multiple matches being played that lasted more than two hours on the court. She looked a little drained in the Semi Final defeat to Marketa Vondrousova and Elena Rybakina beat Elina Svitolina last month on a grass court when her serve was the key difference.

The hard court numbers produced by both players have been very similar over the last twelve months, but Elena Rybakina has been performing at a much better level in this tournament and I think she can conclude it with a Bronze Medal.

Marketa Vondrousova - 1.5 games v Belinda Bencic: Over the last three years it has become clear that there isn't a dominant player on the WTA Tour and that has meant the big tournaments have been much more open for all who take part. It has led to a number of first time Grand Slam Champions and the Olympic Games five years ago saw Monica Puig win a Gold Medal.

Naomi Osaka was the favourite to win the Gold Medal this time around along with World Number 1 Ashleigh Barty, but both exited the tournament relatively early. Even then, you would be hard pressed to find too many people who would have tipped up Marketa Vondrousova versus Belinda Bencic in the Gold Medal match and this is easily going to be the biggest tournament won by either of these players.

It does mean there will be a new kind of pressure to deal with, but Marketa Vondrousova may be slightly better placed to deal with that. The Czech youngster reached the French Open Final in 2019 and so will know what it takes to perform in an environment like this one which may be a slight edge over Belinda Bencic who has not been beyond the Fourth Round at three of the four Grand Slams played and her best effort being one Semi Final run at the US Open a little under two years ago.

There is little doubt that Marketa Vondrousova has played the stronger tennis to this point of the tournament too after a difficult opening match. She has taken full advantage of using a Protected Ranking to enter the draw when her current World Ranking would not have been good enough to represent a loaded Czech Republic team, and Marketa Vondrousova's numbers have seen her consistently out-perform Belinda Bencic.

The Swiss player came through an incredibly tough Semi Final against Elena Rybakina, but Belinda Bencic was a little fortunate on the day having produced fewer break points than her opponent. It was a really long match too and you do have to wonder if that has sapped some of the energy she is going to need to challenge Marketa Vondrousova who has won their sole previous match, also on a hard court.

It was a victory in a tough three setter, but Marketa Vondrousova earned three times as many break points as Belinda Bencic and she has won more than 50% of return points in each of her last four matches. That is incredibly dangerous for Belinda Bencic who gave up 16 break points in her Semi Final win over Elena Rybakina and who has been struggling to earn easy service games in her last three matches.

Belinda Bencic is capable in her return game, but it has been a relative weakness in her performances on the hard courts in recent seasons. I think that will be the case in this Gold Medal match and I think Marketa Vondrousova will have enough to come through with the victory and the cover of this handicap mark.

Pablo Carreno Busta + 5.5 games v Novak Djokovic: In normal circumstances, Novak Djokovic will be a player who doesn't spend a lot of time playing Doubles Tennis alongside his Singles commitments and certainly not at a major event. However, a proud Serb wanted to represent his nation to the fullest of his abilities at the Olympic Games and that has meant Novak Djokovic took part in the Mixed Doubles as well as the Singles tournament in Tokyo.

Some of that may have caught up with him as he was beaten in three sets in the Semi Final of the Singles tournament and later followed up with a straight sets defeat in the Mixed Doubles.

The dream of a Golden Slam have thus ended in the defeat to Alexander Zverev and now Novak Djokovic will instead be contesting the Bronze Medal match for the third time. He won that Medal in 2008 and was then beaten to finish without a Medal in London in 2012, while Novak Djokovic will also be dealing with the disappointment of losing his opportunity to win a Gold Medal.

It may not be his last chance to do that, but in three years time you would expect Novak Djokovic to not be as strong as he is right now. With the best opportunity now behind him, I do wonder what kind of motivation Novak Djokovic can have in this Bronze Medal match after looking completely exhausted by the end of his match with Alexander Zverev.

That has to be encouraging for Pablo Carreno Busta after the Spaniard was convincingly beaten in the first Semi Final against Karen Khachanov despite going into the match as the favourite. Winning a Medal would be a major achievement for Carreno Busta so I expect him to come out with a little more energy than Novak Djokovic, while Pablo Carreno Busta has to think about trying to extend the rallies and see whether a tired World Number 1 can really find the extra energy needed to win a Medal that he would not have been targeting before the tournament began.

Novak Djokovic is clearly the better hard court player and he has had the better tournament all around compared with Pablo Carreno Busta. The latter may need something like a repeat of their famous match at the US Open last year when Novak Djokovic was Defaulted after knocking a ball to the back of the court which hit a Line Judge.

However, I do think Novak Djokovic may be more focused on the other Bronze Medal match he is competing in on Saturday. Winning in the Mixed Doubles as a part of a team will be more appealing to a player that has a Singles Bronze Medal at home already and that should give Pablo Carreno Busta a chance for the upset.

Overall it certainly makes it feel like the underdog can keep this close with the amount of games being given to him. Novak Djokovic may still dig in and show his class in the victory, but I can see him coasting at times to preserve some energy and it may give Pablo Carreno Busta an opportunity to at least keep things close on the scoreboard.

MY PICKS: Elena Rybakina - 1.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Marketa Vondrousova - 1.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Pablo Carreno Busta - 5.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Olympic Games: 23-17, + 2.96 Units (82 Units Staked, + 3.61% Yield)

Olympic Tennis Picks 2016 (August 14th)

The Medal matches in the men's tournament at the Olympic Games in Rio take place on Sunday with the Bronze Medal match followed by the Gold Medal match this afternoon.

We also have the beginning of the Cincinnati Masters on Sunday with that being the last major tournament before the US Open begins on Monday 29th August, although it is an event that will miss Novak Djokovic.

The rest of the top players are in the draw which should make it a very good one, but it is going to be a rude awakening for some of the players that have been playing in the Olympics as the Cincinnati courts will play a lot faster than the ones in Rio. That is going to take some adjustment going forward for those players, which might make the early Rounds a little difficult to make picks from, but hopefully I can make the right choices to keep the momentum behind the picks.


It has been difficult over the last couple of days as the picks have gone 3-6, but the overall weekly record has been strong. That is keeping the positive trend going since Wimbledon and I am looking to end the Olympic Games with a couple of wins to put the exclamation point on a successful week.


Rafael Nadal - 1.5 games v Kei Nishikori: The player trying to get over the bigger disappointment in this Bronze Medal match has to be Rafael Nadal who was beaten in a final set tie-breaker on Saturday. That came after taking the first set against Juan Martin Del Potro, but I am wondering what kind of physical state Kei Nishikori is in after a pretty tame Semi Final performance after a really difficult Quarter Final against Gael Monfils.

It is Nadal who has managed to get the better of Nishikori in their previous matches with nine wins from ten matches between them. That includes two wins in 2016 with one of those coming on the hard courts in Indian Wells as the underdog and I think he does hold the slight edge in this one.

I would always consider Nadal the superior player when it comes to natural fitness, but he is coming off a long lay-off which has to be a concern. Nadal might already have achieved his goals in Rio having won the Gold Medal in the Doubles tournament, but he doesn't strike me as someone who plays any tennis match without putting in every ounce of effort he has in his body and I think that will give him a slight edge in this one.

Nishikori is a tough competitor but he is more likely to have a few physical issues after a long week in Brazil and I think Nadal can win this one in three sets as he comes through 63, 36, 64.


Juan Martin Del Potro-Andy Murray over 36.5 games: Andy Murray has made plenty of history for British tennis having broken the curse of winning Grand Slams as a male player as well as the long wait for a Wimbledon Champion. However he now has the chance to make overall tennis history by becoming the first player to win two Gold Medals at the Olympic Games in the Singles tournament.

That would be an incredible achievement for a player who looks capable of finishing the year as the World Number 1 as he will go into the US Open as arguably the favourite to win. There might not be any Ranking points at stake, but Murray will be desperate to improve his legacy with another Gold Medal, although a rejuvenated Juan Martin Del Potro will hope to add Gold Medal to the Bronze Medal he won in London four years ago.

The run has been a memorable one for Del Potro having beaten World Number 1 Novak Djokovic and then beating Rafael Nadal in the Semi Final. This is maybe a bigger test for Del Potro because the question is can he cover the obvious weaknesses at the backhand wing for long enough to bring that powerhouse forehand in play? Secondly, can that forehand puncture the Murray defences on a court that has played slowly this week?

Murray will also earn cheaper points off the serve than Djokovic and Nadal and I think he is the more likely winner. However Murray hasn't always been at his best this week himself and is dealing with the pressure of making history and I do think Del Potro can at least take a set. Backing the games to be covered in this one looks the best option for the Gold Medal game.

MY PICKS: Rafael Nadal - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Juan Martin Del Potro-Andy Murray Over 36.5 Games @ 1.83 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Olympic Games Update: 26-19, + 7.68 Units (88 Units Staked, + 8.73% Yield)

Olympic Tennis Picks 2016 (August 13th)

A poor start to Friday ended with a couple of winners to at least limit the loss that was made, the first loss of the week at the Olympic Games.

Due to the rain on Wednesday, Saturday is going to be busier than expected with both men's Semi Finals to be played and the two Medal matches in the women's draw.

The Gold Medal will be contested by Angelique Kerber and Monica Puig after both won their Semi Final matches on Friday, while both men's Semi Finals look very interesting as Kei Nishikori takes on Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal takes on Juan Martin Del Potro.


It should be a fun day and I am hoping to get back to winning ways on Saturday with the picks. I will put those up once the full markets are up for all of the matches.


Kei Nishikori + 3.5 games v Andy Murray: From a physical perspective it can be difficult to trust Kei Nishikori when it comes to the business end of these big tournaments. He had a very, very tough Quarter Final win over Gael Monfils yesterday and had to invest the emotional effort to come from match points down in the final set tie-breaker to move past the Frenchman.

This has to be a concern going into the Semi Final on Saturday, but I still think Nishikori can make it a competitive match against Andy Murray who has come through two tough matches to make it back to the Semi Final of the Olympic Games. Both times Murray looked on the brink of being knocked out so he would have invested plenty emotionally too, but the Brit has won big tournaments and that know-how could be huge for him.

That is likely to give Murray the mental edge in this contest and could be the key to him getting past Nishikori who also has the issue of trying to hold serve against one of the best returners on the Tour. The Nishikori serve is not the best anyway and Murray should create his chances, but Murray has also not been serving as well as he could in the last couple of Rounds and that might give Nishikori his chances too.

It is Murray who has the edge when it comes to the head to head, but these players had a really tight Davis Cup match earlier this season. Nishikori's one win came indoors at the O2 Arena, but Murray dominated the Japanese player last year at the Canadian Masters, and I think he is most likely to be contesting the Gold Medal match on Sunday. However I think Nishikori can make this competitive in the form he has displayed over the last three weeks and I will back him to get within this number.


Rafael Nadal - 1.5 games v Juan Martin Del Potro: Both men's Semi Finals at the Olympic Games look like they will be very enjoyable to watch, but I think I might be looking forward to the second one more than the first. The first Semi Final might involve two top ten players, but the recoveries of Rafael Nadal and Juan Martin Del Potro from injuries to reach this Semi Final has to be admired.

I am not sure what either player expected from the Olympic Games, but Nadal has already won a Gold Medal having done that in the men's Doubles on Friday.

The key battle in this Semi Final is going to be the Nadal forehand going into the Del Potro backhand and how much the Argentinian can get out of that shot. His forehand has been firing but Del Potro is still not completely happy with his backhand after wrist issues and that means employing a lot of slices which will give the Spaniard a chance to dictate those rallies where he can attack the backhand as soon as possible.

The edge in serving has to go to Del Potro, but I do think Nadal will make enough balls back in play to force his opponent to dig in to win points. I can't see this being anything but another tight match between two players who have played competitive matches through their careers against each other and it was Del Potro who won their last match back in Shanghai in 2013.

That is a long time between matches and I think Nadal might have the slight edge on this court. It will be tight but I think the Spaniard will have a chance of earning a second Gold Medal at this Olympic Games by winning this one in three competitive sets.


Petra Kvitova + 2.5 games v Madison Keys: Both Madison Keys and Petra Kvitova had tough Semi Final losses, but the Olympic Games presents them a chance to at least play for a Bronze Medal rather than going home as is the norm on the Tour. Both will have suffered mentally through the night as they would be thinking about the chances they had in the Semi Final losses that they let slip.

It was Kvitova going into the third set with the momentum behind her in her defeat to Monica Puig but too many mistakes in that final set allowed her opponent to get through. On the other hand, Madison Keys had many break point chances through her match with Angelique Kerber but ultimately failed to break from the ten chances created and I do think she might be suffering slightly more having had less time to prepare for the Bronze Medal match.

There should be plenty of firepower on display as both players will look to a big serve and heavy forehand to set up their play and I think it will be a tight match. Previous meetings haven't suggested that with three of the four matches ending in straight sets, but I think there is plenty on the line which might produce nervous moments.

Keys has been in the better form so I am not surprised that she is favoured to win, but the underdog has won the previous three matches between these players. She won their match this season in straight sets, but I think she might have had the more difficult loss of the two yesterday. I wouldn't be surprised if we see three sets in this one but I am going to take the games being given to Kvitova and will be looking for a performance without the host of unforced errors she made on Friday.


Angelique Kerber - 4.5 games v Monica Puig: It was an impressive win from under the cosh for Monica Puig in the Semi Final which guarantees her a Silver Medal at the Olympic Games. This is going to be a big challenge for her though as she faces Angelique Kerber who has the confidence of two Grand Slam Finals, one Grand Slam title win, behind her.

It is also a different style of match for Monica Puig than what she has faced so far this week as she faces the best mover she has seen so far. This is a player that will use the power Puig produces and make her play an extra ball throughout the match and Puig cannot rely on the mistakes that Kvitova gifted to her in their Semi Final on Friday.

The Kerber serve won't produce as many cheap points as the likes of Kvitova and Garbine Muguruza can, but Puig will have to return just as well as Kerber is likely to get the better of the extended rallies. And I do think Kerber's serve is a little under-rated as she protects it well especially when getting the first serve in play which is going to give her a real opportunity in this one when coupled with one of the better returning games on the WTA Tour.

I also think there were times that Puig looked tired on Friday and Kerber might have a little extra in the tank which can help her add the Gold Medal to the Australian Open title with a 64, 63 win.

MY PICKS: Kei Nishikori + 3.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet365 (2 Units)
Rafael Nadal - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Petra Kvitova + 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Angelique Kerber - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Olympic Games Update: 25-15, + 12.02 Units (80 Units Staked, + 15.03% Yield)

Tennis Recap July 28-August 5 (London Olympics and Washington)

The Olympic Games are over, as far as the tennis players are concerned anyway, and everyone will be moving to Canada in preparation for the US Open which will be beginning in a little over three weeks from today.

Below I have a few thoughts from the tournaments played this week and I will update the profit/loss from the week and overall for the season.


Congratulations to Andy Murray, but did anyone else feel the two players would have swapped the Finals from here and Wimbledon earlier this month?: It was the biggest win in Andy Murray's career in terms of the appeal the Olympics have, but it is funny to think he will win less Ranking points than if he wins in Toronto at the Masters event next week.


I was glad to see Murray get the first 'big' title of his career and we could see him move on to bigger and better things from here, but I'll speak more about that below.


I couldn't help but wonder, while watching the Final, that I was sure that both players would perhaps have swapped winning at Wimbledon and the Olympics so Murray took home the Grand Slam title and Roger Federer took the Olympic Gold.


However, that was before I heard the Federer interview when he suggested he was disappointed but just happy to have a singles Medal to go along with the Doubles Gold he picked up four years ago and I think he is the less likely of the two that would have swapped the occasion.

In saying that, Federer could have really joined an elite number of players that have won the 'Golden Slam' and it perhaps leaves his place in history under threat from Rafael Nadal if the Spaniard can pick up a few more Grand Slam titles on his bad knees.




What now for Andy Murray?: Andy Murray has the Gold Medal and there is a genuine chance that his belief has now built to such a level that he could win at the US Open in the final Grand Slam of the season.


Murray always felt the atmosphere at Flushing Meadows plus the choice of court would suit his game the best and now he has proven he can beat one of the big three in a best of five set match when it really matters.


I hope this has given him the belief that he can kick on and win his maiden Grand Slam title, while the US Open could represent his best chance to do so.


Rafael Nadal is still to return from injury, Novak Djokovic looks exhausted and Roger Federer is turning 31 and is also in need of a rest.


My concern still comes up in whether Murray can continuously produce when the matches are best of five from the First Round rather than best of three before the Final, but he is playing probably the best tennis of all the players on Tour at this moment.


The draw, as ever, will be all important, but his belief will not be higher and Murray looks the man to beat at this moment.




Is there anyone that can come close to matching Serena Williams in the Women's game?: Serena Williams looked unplayable on the way to winning the Gold Medal in London and completing her own Golden Slam and she has now won all three tournaments she has competed in since being beaten in the French Open First Round.


No player is even close to the form shown by Williams in the last six weeks or so and her swatting of Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova, the current World Number 1 and 3, shows that the 'real' Number 1 remains the American.


Right now, I wouldn't back anyone else to take the US Open title in the Women's game and it is going to take a really special effort to beat Williams. She is serving wonderfully well, hitting powerful groundstrokes all over the court and has the swagger of someone who knows she is going to win.




Juan Martin Del Potro may be back: I love the way Juan Martin Del Potro plays the game of tennis and also the way he is very humble in victory and gracious in defeat.


In 2009, it looked like he was ready to make a real splash on the Main Tour as he reached the Semi Final at the French Open, won the US Open and was the Runner Up in the End of Year Championships... And then he was hit with a wrist injury.


He returned to full health in January 2011, but I have been holding off on believing he was truly back- even last month at Wimbledon I wasn't sure he was going to get to the Quarter Final and I began to worry that he may never return to the form he had displayed three years ago.


How happy am I to think I may just have been wrong to worry?! Del Potro finished with the Bronze Medal here but he pushed Roger Federer all the way in the Semi Final (and may just have taken out everything from the Swiss man in the process) and then beat Novak Djokovic to pick up the Medal.


He was serving exceptionally well in the last two matches, but it was the heaviness and accuracy of his groundstrokes that really impressed me. He also showed the lack of fear that has made him the only winner of a Grand Slam outside of the top three in the last 30 Grand Slam events and I think Del Potro could be the biggest danger at the US Open where he has history.


If the draw is right, Del Potro may just be able to repeat his feat from 2009, although the best of five format can be a lot trickier to negotiate.




Daily Picks Final: 10-10, + 0.32 Units (39 Units Staked)


Outright Picks: - 0.80 Units (12 Units Staked)


Overall Weekly Final: - 0.48 Units (51 Units Staked)


Season 2012: + 58.85 Units (705 Units Staked, 8.35% Yield)


Season 2011: + 82.02 Units

Tennis Picks August 5th (London Olympics Day 9 and Washington)

There was absolutely no surprise in my mind when Serena Williams beat Maria Sharapova to take home the Gold Medal along with the Wimbledon title and she must now be the huge favourite to win the final Grand Slam of the year at the US Open.

I was surprised that Williams was able to win so comfortably as Sharapova was blown off the court and I do think Williams is the real Number 1 in Women's tennis. I don't think she will be able to take that Ranking spot any time before the US Open, but at least Williams' ranking means the top players won't have to face her before the Semi Finals at the earliest unlike twelve months ago when she came in as a dangerous floater in the draw.

The other big news in the tennis World is the fact that Roger Federer has pulled out of the Masters tournament in Toronto which begins on Monday- that means there is a chance that he may drop the World Number 1 Ranking, but it is unlikely and he should be back in action at Cincinnati. Federer stated too much tennis on the schedule, including the London Olympics, and I don't think it is a massive surprise to the organisers in Toronto that this has happened as they had already made changes to the tournament to ensure the top 16 all receive First Round byes.

Rafael Nadal is another player that won't be at the event having pulled out with the injury that saw him miss the Olympic Games- that is more worrying as I am beginning to have real doubts about whether the Spaniard plays in the final Grand Slam of the season at Flushing Meadows and perhaps will then think about shutting down for the rest of the season including missing the End of Year Championships in London.

Nadal is in real danger of dropping further in the Rankings with Andy Murray playing as well as anyone at the moment and fears are once again prominent that his knees just won't cope with the demands of top level tennis unless he makes serious changes to the way he works his schedule during the clay court swing.

I guess we can only sit and wait on the Spaniard at the moment and see whether he takes his place in the draw in Cincinnati which will begin a week on Monday and is the last real chance for the top players to get some hard court practice ahead of the US Open.


Novak Djokovic - 3.5 games v Juan Martin Del Potro: I might be missing the point here, but Juan Martin Del Potro has to be mentally and physically exhausted after his exploits in the Semi Final and I think that will cost him his chance of winning a Medal from this Olympic Games.

Del Potro put in so much in his loss to Roger Federer which lasted well over four hours that it is hard to see how he will have the energy in this one against a player in Novak Djokovic that he trails 1-4 in the head to head.

Granted Del Potro won their last meeting when Djokovic was forced to retire with an injury in a Davis Cup tie just days after winning the US Open title last year, but the Serb had lost just one of the eleven previous sets they had competed against one another.

I will say that Djokovic has not played that well this week and has not looked himself since losing at the French Open while the whole of 2012 has been tough to replicate the form he showed last year. However, I just think he is the fresher of the two players and Djokovic will be desperate for a Medal for his country and I think he is going to be a little too good for Del Potro in this one.


MY PICK: Novak Djokovic - 3.5 games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)


Weekly Update: 10-9, + 2.32 Units (37 Units Staked)

Tennis Picks August 4th (London Olympics Day 8 Picks and Washington)

There are just a couple of days left at the London Olympics for these tennis stars and on Saturday we get the Women's Medals settled with two matches.

None of the players will have much time to enjoy their achievements this week as they head to Montreal for a tournament beginning on Monday in preparation for the US Open which will be beginning at the end of the month.


Victoria Azarenka - 4.5 games v Maria Kirilenko: There wasn't a lot Victoria Azarenka could do against the form Serena Williams displayed in the Semi Final on Friday, but I expect her to end her tournament with a Bronze Medal consolation (she is also going well in the Mixed Doubles where a Gold Medal is a distinct possibility).

Maria Kirilenko is not an easy test on the grass courts, but she too was dismantled in her Semi Final and I think she may find it tough against someone like Azarenka who is normally very consistent.

I think Azarenka has the edge in the rallies and she has the consistency to break down the Kirilenko game. It is no surprise that Azarenka has won the last two matches between the two, even if they were back in 2010, and I think the Belarusian has improved as a player since then and is going to record another win in this one.

This could be tight when it comes to covering this spread, but I wouldn't be surprised if Azarenka is a 6-4, 6-2 winner and takes the Bronze Medal.


Maria Sharapova + 4.5 games v Serena Williams: I already backed Serena Williams to win this tournament in the outright market and I think the American has shown too much over the course of the week to miss out on the Gold Medal now.

In saying that, I still think this spread looks slightly high in a match where we could potentially see a deciding set as well as the chance of a tie-break. Maria Sharapova has also been playing well this week and won't want to roll over as Williams' other opponents have and she can serve well enough to at least keep the score respectable.

However, Serena has a dominating record against Sharapova, winning 8 of their 10 matches including a thumping win in Madrid earlier this season which is the last of a run of 7 consecutive wins against the Russian.

In fact, Williams would have covered this spread in 5 of their last 6 matches, the exception coming on the grass courts here at Wimbledon in 2010 when she won 7-6, 6-4.

That means they are 1-1 on the grass courts in their career, with Williams failing to cover the spread in both of those and I wouldn't be surprised if Serena is a 6-3, 7-6 winner in the Final to take home the Gold Medal and make herself the big favourite to win the final Grand Slam of the season at Flushing Meadows.


MY PICKS: Victoria Azarenka - 4.5 games @ 1.86 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Maria Sharapova + 4.5 games @ 2.20 Paddy Power (2 Units)


Weekly Update: 9-8, + 2.60 Units (33 Units Staked)