Australian Open Tennis Day 10 Picks 2026 (Tuesday 27th January)

Taking a quick glance at the Quarter Final lineup at the Australian Open will make any Tennis fan pretty excited about the potential for some brilliant matches to conclude the opening Grand Slam of the season.

Top names, some new faces and conditions that offer plenty of challenges should make for some solid tennis and an opening of what could be a really good season on the Tour.

The last couple of days have been tougher for the Tennis Picks, which is never a positive, but hopefully that momentum can swing back on Day 10 and start a strong end to the tournament.

Carlos Alcaraz - 5.5 games v Alex De Minaur: A thumping win over Alexander Bublik has sent a statement out to the rest of the field that Alex De Minaur is determined to end Australia's sixty year wait to have a Men's Champion at their own Grand Slam. There hasn't even been an Australian Men's Finalist since Lleyton Hewitt did that in 2005 and was beaten in four sets by Marat Safin, and Hewitt has been helping Alex De Minaur with any advice he needs.

Before all of that, De Minaur has other milestones to reach- he has never reached any Grand Slam Semi Final and breaking that duck at the Australian Open will mean so much to him.

The level being produced in the tournament has to be hugely encouraging for his fans, but Alex De Minaur has long been developing his game to try and see if that can bridge the gap to the top two players in the world.

In this Quarter Final, the World Number 6 has an opportunity to show how much he has learned when he takes on the top Seed and a player in Carlos Alcaraz who has shown little sign of losing his appetite for more and more Grand Slam successes.

The World Number 1 won the titles in Paris and New York City, but he has never been past the Quarter Final at the Australian Open as Carlos Alcaraz continues to chase a record of becoming the youngest player to ever complete the career Grand Slam.

In each of the last two years, Carlos Alcaraz has fallen at this stage of the Australian Open in four set defeats to Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic- the loss twelve months ago to the Serb will have really hurt considering Djokovic had displayed signs of battling through an injury and was forced to withdraw after a single set of the Semi Final.

All of that is forgotten though considering the successes Carlos Alcaraz has had in the months since that defeat and his hard court pedigree makes him very dangerous.

The numbers may not be as strong as Alex De Minaur's in the four wins produced, but Carlos Alcaraz is very comfortable and still looks like he may have gears to go through.

He will also have no real concerns about a match up against a player he has beaten in all five meetings on the pro Tour, even if there will be plenty of respect for the way Alex De Minaur has been extracting everything from his potential.

Carlos Alcaraz won both hard court meetings, which both took place on indoor courts in 2025, and he was able to break serve four times in each, while dropping serve twice.

As well as the home favourite has been serving this week, Alex De Minaur will recognise that the return player in front of him is more dangerous than most and that is going to be a factor. The pressure only builds when you think of how well Carlos Alcaraz has been serving and an entertaining match should eventually end with the top Seed moving through with enough breaks of serve to cover this spread, even if he is to drop a set.

Alexander Zverev - 1.5 sets v Learner Tien: Both of these players really impressed in comprehensive Fourth Round matches and they should enter this Quarter Final with a lot of confidence.

The experience edge is most definitely on the side of Alexander Zverev, but Learner Tien is growing on the Tour every passing week and is set for another push up the World Rankings. Last year he made the Fourth Round here, but the destruction of three time former Finalist in Melbourne, Daniil Medvedev, has moved the 20 year old American into his first ever Quarter Final at Grand Slam level.

There are going to be nerves on both sides with the feeling that this is a good opportunity for both and these two players split two matches last year.

It was Learner Tien who won the sole hard court match, but Alexander Zverev beat the American at the French Open on a surface that the World Number 3 is going to be more comfortable than the youngster.

The hard courts are a different story and Learner Tien will have taken a lot of confidence from the manner of the victory over Daniil Medvedev.

There have been a couple of matches where the edges have been much tighter between Learner Tien and opponents he has beaten on his way to the Quarter Final, but overall he has looked good in the conditions. The serve is becoming a bit more consistent with 84% of the games played ending in a hold, and that has really allowed Learner Tien to take a grip of return games, where he has a lot of strengths.

Getting the ball back into play and then outworking opponents is the plan and Tien is comfortable with his defensive capabilities on a court.

Of course he will be dealing with a big Alexander Zverev serve and facing an opponent who feels he is as healthy as he has been since reaching the Final in Melbourne twelve months ago. There will be some pressure on Zverev to try and avoid a long match ahead of what could be a Semi Final against the top Seed, but he will also want to avoid being too aggressive and handing the errors over that Learner Tien will want to feast upon.

Alexander Zverev has been serving very big in the tournament with 72% of service points won and 90% of service games ending in a hold.

Some have criticised the World Number 3 for sometimes being a little passive on the court, but he has been returning with real authority in the run to the Quarter Final and that may be key to the outcome of this match.

The younger player is breaking new ground in Melbourne, but it may still be a little too much inexperience to deal with the occasion and that can help Alexander Zverev to come through in four sets.

Aryna Sabalenka - 5.5 games v Iva Jovic: For the thirteenth Grand Slam event in succession, Aryna Sabalenka has worked her way through to the Quarter Final, while she remains on course to compete for the title at the Australian Open for the fourth year in a row.

The top Seed did have an awkward Third Round win, but Aryna Sabalenka was able to control young upstart Victoria Mboko in the Fourth Round, although after blowing a lead in the second set and having to win the match on the Breaker to avoid having to go the distance.

In the main Aryna Sabalenka has to be very happy with the victory over Mboko, who looks like she is going to be competing at the very top of the WTA Tour in years to come.

Now the World Number 1 takes aim at another rising star on the Tour when taking on 18 year old Iva Jovic in the Quarter Final.

There has been plenty of noise about the potential of the 18 year old American, and the rise in the World Rankings over the last twelve months would have caught the eye. Iva Jovic entered the Australian Open as the World Number 27, meaning she was Seeded in the draw, but she is on course for a top 20 Ranking at the end of the event and there is even an opportunity to win the Grand Slam title and finish as a top 10 Ranked player.

All of those positives are almost certainly going to come for Iva Jovic, but the Auckland Finalist will also know that this is a big step in level of opponent. She has upset Jasmine Paolini in the Third Round in Melbourne, but Aryna Sabalenka has proven to be a consistent force on the WTA Tour and remains the favourite to win this title for a third time in four years.

The younger player has been serving very well in the tournament, but it should be noted that outside of the win over Jasmine Paolini, Iva Jovic has not had to face anyone higher than World Number 94 in other three wins. That has contributed to the stronger serving numbers, but anything that is not hitting the right marks in this one will be attacked by Sabalenka, who has been putting a lot of pressure right from the opening return of serve.

Iva Jovic has decent numbers on the return against top 50 Ranked opponents over the last twelve months, but that has slightly dipped against top 20 opponents.

The real issue is that the teenager has not faced Aryna Sabalenka and the power that will be felt from the other side of the court and it took Victoria Mboko a bit of time to become accustomed to that. However, she had been blown away in one set in that Fourth Round loss and Aryna Sabalenka feels capable of covering this spread, even if the match is plenty competitive at times.

MY PICKS: Carlos Alcaraz - 5.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Alexander Zverev - 1.5 Sets @ 1.91 Coral (2 Units)

Aryna Sabalenka - 5.5 Games @ 1.95 Coral (2 Units)

Australian Open Update: 30-19, + 9.44 Units (100 Units Staked, + 9.44% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2024- Jaime Munguia vs John Ryder (January 27th)

The last Boxing Picks were made a couple of weeks ago when Artur Beterbiev did a rock solid job of crushing Callum Smith.

There was plenty of whinging and insinuations from fighters after the fact, but those cannot be taken seriously. I mean the same people moaning won't say anything about Conor Benn failing multiple tests (Artur Beterbiev did not fail a test) nor will say mention 39 year old Natasha Jonas arguably producing her best career performances as she has aged.

With that in mind it just comes across being really bitter about a fighter who has beaten all 20 opponents inside the distance and especially as so many saw some signs of decline in his win over Anthony Yarde.

The reality is that Callum Smith is not as good as they thought.

We have also had news of the next big crossover fight in Saudi Arabia when Anthony Joshua faces Francis Ngannou, although the latter may have shown off enough Boxing ability in his loss to Tyson Fury to make that interesting. That is set for March 8th, but it is the chief support bout between Zhilei Zhang vs Joseph Parker after both beat a couple of big name Heavyweights in 2023.

The winner of that one will certainly lead the line for any vacant World Title fight that comes up after the Undisputed Fight in February, which is expected to lead to a fracturing of the four Belts soon after.

An introduction to a new Undisputed Belt that will be given to the winner feels like an open move from the Saudi Arabian authorities to take over the sport as they mentioned it can be defended even when all other Belts have had to be given away.

I have a strong feeling that it will be a Belt that will always have to be defended in Saudi Arabia and soon may be the one that most fans focus on when it comes to determining the best fighter in a weight class.

And once you have that, you have a grip of the sport.

It may be a personal opinion, but after seeing what happened in Golf, it is a genuine way the control of the sport can be shifted to Saudi Arabia. The suggestion is that the Dmitry Bivol vs Artur Beterbiev Undisputed Light Heavyweight bout will also be held in Saudi Arabia in June and if there is another new Belt given to that Winner, then you can see the plan formulating to control the biggest events and keep them within the country.

The positive for fans is that the big fights are being made, although the atmosphere at these events have been really below par.

Next step is to get more fans travelling to the events, but that still feels a little bit away and conditioning fans, journalists and broadcasters to accept the biggest fights will be in Saudi Arabia looks the first port of call. We are already someway down that path, and plenty more big events are lined up.

This weekend the big cards are in the United Kingdom and United States- the main focus is the bout that could provide Canelo Alvarez with his next challenger. There are just three weeks to go before the Undisputed Heavyweight Fight, but a couple of solid events to come before that and we should soon be given some official announcements for events to take place in the first half of the Boxing season.

Jaime Munguia vs John Ryder

There was plenty of controversy attached to John Ryder's loss to Callum Smith in 2019 and the Londoner will feel that he should have been a World Champion.

He followed up with four solid wins, including against Daniel Jacobs and Zach Parker, and that gave John Ryder an opportunity to take on Canelo Alvarez.

A Points Decision defeat will not have whet too many appetites for any rematch, although Ryder came out of the bout with credit having got up from a Fifth Round Knock Down. The Gorilla has been given another chance to impress when travelling to Phoenix, but John Ryder knows that his time at the top may be over if he is not able to win this bout.

The favourite is unbeaten Jaime Munguia, a fighter who has had forty-two wins on the record, but who has not been pushed as far forward in his career as many would have hoped. The wins are against opponents who will not really leap off the resume, but Munguia did earn a win over Sergey Derevyanchenko in his one outing in 2023 and that is a solid win over a veteran.

A Twelfth Round Knock Down proved to be the key for Jaime Munguia and this has the hallmarks of being a very entertaining fight. The Mexican throws a lot of leather, but John Ryder is not known for taking a backward step and it would be a massive surprise if this one does not catch fire.

You have to give Jaime Munguia the edge when it comes to output, even if the fighter still looks flawed deep into his career. The problem here is that John Ryder may not have the pop to really give Munguia a reason to stop coming forward and he took plenty of shots against Canelo Alvarez, which may have taken something away from the British fighter.

He will leave it all on the line and that should mean we get plenty of action, but Jaime Munguia should still be the fresher fighter.

John Ryder has shown he is a warrior with some top performances, but it did feel like Canelo was breaking him down.

Someone like Jaime Munguia might be much rawer than Canelo, but he is a bigger fighter and may punch that little bit harder. This is an opportunity for the Mexican to show he deserves a shot at his compatriot next, but the backing wil come if he can go a little better than Canelo.

It was a dominant win on the cards for Canelo Alvarez and Jaime Munguia is unlikely to replicate that with his style- however, Stopping Ryder will be making a big noise in the sport and he certainly has the volume and intensity to force a referee to jump in.

John Ryder himself won't want to go anywhere, but it felt Canelo Alvarez was a couple of punches away from closing the show. With a bigger man in front of him this time, Ryder may just be struggling to keep Munguia contained down the stretch.

Earlier in the night, DAZN will be broadcasting a card from Belfast which will feature some up and coming fighters.

Paddy Donovan has impressed early in his career and he will be facing a veteran from Argentina who has yet to be Stopped. However, Donovan has shown he carries power and he may be able to get the job done in the second half of the fight.

The same can be said for Cheavon Clarke against Tommy McCarthy, who has been beaten by Stoppage twice in his last four fights. Both have been in the second half of those contests against Chris Billam-Smith and Michal Cieslak, the latter just a couple of months ago, and Cheavon Clarke has shown he carries power late into a fight.

He is a big Welterweight and so it is perhaps not a surprise that Lewis Crocker has missed his mark and unable to win a vacant Title this weekend. Size should be a factor when he takes on Jose Felix, who upset Gary Cully in May 2023, but who is also moving up a couple of Divisions and who has not operated in this weight class before.

This looks to be another bout that could end in the second half of the contest as Crocker looks to at least make a statement even after missing the chance to win a Title.

MY PICKS: Jaime Munguia to Win Between 7-12 @ 6.50 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Paddy Donovan to Win Between 6-10 @ 3.50 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Cheavon Clarke to Win Between 6-10 @ 2.87 Coral (1 Unit)

Lewis Crocker to Win Between 6-10 @ 3.25 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Boxing 2024: 2-2, + 1.06 Units (7 Units Staked, + 15.14% Yield)

Australian Open Tennis Day 14 Pick- Women's Final (Saturday 27th January)

The men's Semi Finals brung the drama in different ways on Friday.

The first of those saw Jannik Sinner crush Novak Djokovic and it was a remarkable performance from the Italian. He did not face a single Break Point and was unfortunate to not win in straight sets, but it was a very impressive performance and Sinner may just be ready to win a Grand Slam title and fulfil all of the potential he has shown.

The second Semi Final was a classic- Alexander Zverev is going to be feeling absolutely sick that he failed to get the job done against Daniil Medvedev having led 2-0 in sets.

He had chances, but Zverev played the big points so poorly in the last three sets, while there isn't much he could have done about the mishit that ended up giving Medvedev Set Point in the Fourth Set rather than the German reaching Match Point. On a number of occasions Alexander Zverev was two points away from really being in control of the Semi Final, but it is the 5-4 lead in the Fourth Set Tie-Breaker with two serves to come, which will really hurt him.

Day 14 is reserved for the Women's Final and it features the defending Champion and a young player looking to become the latest surprising Grand Slam Champion.

My thoughts on that match can be read below.

Aryna Sabalenka - 5.5 games v Qinwen Zheng: Ten years after Li Na won the Australian Open, another player from China will be looking to pick up the title in Melbourne. This time it is Qinwen Zheng, who has idolised Li Na, and who booked her place in the Final behind a strong Semi Final victory over Qualifier Dayana Yastremska.

A tough win was secured in the Third Round in a Super Tie-Breaker, but Qinwen Zheng has been relatively untroubled since then. Early nerves perhaps contributed to a slow start in the Semi Final, but Qinwen Zheng deserved her victory in the end as she now takes aim at her maiden Grand Slam title.

In her way is a mighty challenge.

Aryna Sabalenka has yet to drop a set at the Australian Open and the defending Champion is clearly enjoying her time in Melbourne. She admitted as much after earning a bit of revenge against Coco Gauff, the player who beat Sabalenka in the US Open Final, and the level of performance produce by the Belarusian certainly makes her a strong favourite to win another title here.

The serve has been a huge weapon for Aryna Sabalenka throughout this tournament and her controlled aggression on the return has put players under a lot of pressure. If she serves as well as she has been, Sabalenka will be very difficult to contain and the World Number 2 has shown she can be very hard to peg back once she picks up some momentum.

Two top 11 Ranked players have been beaten in the last two Rounds and that will only further the belief in the Sabalenka camp.

We know that Dayana Yastremska is going to be inside the top 30 at the end of this tournament, but Qinwen Zheng could not have handpicked a better run to the Final. None of the players she has beaten have been Ranked inside the top 50 of the World Rankings before the Australian Open began and there is no doubting that this is a huge step up in class against a Grand Slam Champion.

Qinwen Zheng will be confident in her first serve having won almost 79% of points behind that shot in this tournament, although again you have to note that the level of opponent has not really been that high. Over the last twelve months, that number slips to 68% when only considering Zheng's matches against top 10 Ranked players on the hard courts, while the World Number 15 is just 1-4 against top 5 Ranked opponents in that time.

She would not have covered with this number of games in any of those losses to Iga Swiatek (twice), Elena Rybakina or against Aryna Sabalenka, who crushed Qinwen Zheng for the loss of just five games at the US Open last September.

A problem for Zheng is that she has struggled on the return when facing top 10 Ranked players on the hard courts and now has to face arguably the best serve on the WTA Tour.

None of Aryna Sabalenka's opponents in Melbourne have been able to win more than 66% of first serve points against her and the likelihood is that the World Number 2 is going to be seeing a lot of second serves. You cannot take anything away from the run the underdog has had in the Australian Open, but she has only gotten 53% of first serves in play and that likely means having to deal with a lot of pressure from the Sabalenka aggression against the second serve.

On the other side of the court, Aryna Sabalenka gets plenty of first serves in play and she has been very strong at protecting the second serve. That serve proved to be key in New York City where Qinwen Zheng was not able to earn a single Break Point and this really feels like a match that the defending Champion can win.

Aryna Sabalenka showed some real mental strength to come through some rocky moments in the Semi Final and that should set her up very well.

Of course she will have to handle the occasion and the pressure, but nothing in Melbourne suggests Aryna Sabalenka is going to falter now and she can pull away for a very strong win and a second Grand Slam title.

MY PICK: Aryna Sabalenka - 5.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet365 (2 Units)

Australian Open Update: 22-49, - 59.54 Units (142 Units Staked, - 41.93% Yield)

Australian Open Tennis Day 12 Picks 2023 (January 27th)

The first Grand Slam Final of the season has been set and it should be a big hitting, winner filled encounter when Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka meet on Saturday.

Before that, we have to put together the men's Final with the two Semi Final matches scheduled to be played on Rod Laver Arena on Friday. The first of those is effectively going to be played in the 'day' session and that might mean the winner is less accustomed to the kind of conditions they are going to see on Sunday, but I don't think it will make a massive difference in the market if Novak Djokovic wins the second Semi Final.

In that case you have to believe the nine time Australian Open Champion is going to be a significant favourite to another in Melbourne regardless of who he faces.

Late breaks proved to just turn the tide on some of the inconsistent fortune that has impacted the Tennis Picks over the last week.

In the Day 11 Semi Final matches, both Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka were able to turn the screw and deservedly cover as big favourites. That has ensured a winning tournament for the Tennis Picks, but I still need to finish with a flourish to put some strong numbers in the book in January.

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 1.5 sets v Karen Khachanov: It might have been a tough, battling Quarter Final win for Stefanos Tsitsipas, but one of the top players on the ATP Tour showed the confidence and focus to dismiss Jiri Lehecka in straight sets just two days after needing five sets to beat Jannik Sinner.

The recovery to beat Sinner having dropped the third and fourth sets will have given Stefanos Tsitsipas full belief in his ability to win a maiden Grand Slam title, a win that could spark the career. The longer you have to wait for it, the harder it becomes, but winning a first major could push Tsitsipas onto very good things, especially as he would also end the tournament as the new World Number 1.

It is very important for Stefanos Tsitsipas to make hay in the first half of the year where his best Grand Slam results have tended to be at the Australian Open and French Open. He has yet to reach the Final in Melbourne, but Tsitsipas will be playing in his fourth Semi Final here, while he has made one Final at Roland Garros and reached another Semi Final there.

Compare that to Wimbledon and the US Open where the World Number 4 has only reached the SECOND WEEK once in his career and you have to think Stefanos Tsitsipas needs some momentum to take into those later Slams. Winning a first Slam would be the exact momentum to push a player forward and Stefanos Tsitsipas has played really well this month and carried that through to his performances in Melbourne.

Karen Khachanov has to be hugely respected as he has made back to back Grand Slam Semi Finals, although he was well beaten by Casper Ruud at the US Open in September. He had not been beyond the Third Round at the Australian Open before this season and he has taken full advantage of what has been a relatively kind draw so far at the tournament, although Karen Khachanov will be the first to admit how much higher his level is going to have to be to win this one and reach his first Grand Slam Final.

Both of these players are serving really well and that is going to be key to the outcome of the Semi Final- Karen Khachanov has the edge on the returning numbers this week, but these players have tended to have similar numbers on that side of their tennis on the hard courts over a much longer sample size.

Over the last twelve months on this surface, Karen Khachanov has broken in 22% of return games compared with Stefanos Tsitsipas' 19% mark, and both have seen those dip significantly when facing top 20 Ranked opponents on the surface. The difference is that Stefanos Tsitsipas has kept his serving numbers at a strong level against the better players on the Tour, while Karen Khachanov's dip from an overall 83% hold mark to 75%.

Stefanos Tsitsipas should also hold the mental edge having won all five previous matches against the Russian and only dropped two sets in that time. The last win was on a clay court, but Tsitsipas is 4-0 against Karen Khachanov on the hard courts and the former has held 89% of his service games compared with 72% for Khachanov.

I expect the superior server to be Stefanos Tsitsipas in this Semi Final and it should help him lay the foundation for a place in his first Australian Open Final. He can win this in three or four sets and make sure he is as fresh as possible for what is likely to be a big physical and mental challenge on Sunday.

Novak Djokovic - 8.5 games v Tommy Paul: All credit has to be given to Tommy Paul for forcing his way into the last four at the Australian Open, but it is going to take a monumental effort for the American to become the first men's player from that nation to win a Grand Slam title since 2003. He is not only going to be an underdog in this Semi Final, but Tommy Paul would likely start the Final as the underdog too, regardless of who makes it through the other Semi Final.

In reality, Tommy Paul cannot look beyond the player he is facing on Friday.

The nine time Australian Open Champion continues to fend off questions about his health following a second dominant win in a row after Novak Djokovic crushed Andrey Rublev in the Quarter Final. There has been some suggestion that he is overplaying the significance of the hamstring injury he is clearly carrying, but Djokovic's team have batted them away and the Serb is very focused on winning a tenth Grand Slam here having not been beaten in Australia since 2018 (at least not on a tennis court rather than a court of justice).

His numbers have been really, really strong in the tournament and Novak Djokovic continues to serve at a very high level. This has made things a little easier for the former World Number 1 and he has held 95% of the service games played in Melbourne, which is the same mark he carried from the Adelaide tournament won in warm up for the first Grand Slam of the season.

The serve has always been underrated and most will focus on the exceptional return play that is associated with Novak Djokovic. The stop-start nature of his 2022 campaign may have contributed to the slightly declined return numbers, but Novak Djokovic has returned with authority in Australia over the last month and is breaking in 32% of return games played. Even more impressive, Novak Djokovic has upped that mark to 42% at the Australian Open and it will be a part of his game that puts an immense amount of pressure on Tommy Paul.

The American's own serve has been a huge part of his success at Melbourne Park and Tommy Paul has held 89% of the service games played, although that is a mark considerably higher than he has managed over the last few years. Maintaining that level is not really expected week after week on the Tour, but Paul has to try and find a way to produce two more matches where he can hit his marks on the court.

Over the last twelve months, serving well enough against the top 20 Ranked player on the hard courts has been difficult for Tommy Paul and he has held 77% of those game in that time. It is still a decent enough mark, but you have to imagine Novak Djokovic is going to exert plenty of pressure on him on a court where the former World Number 1 arguably feels his most comfortable on the Tour.

A question for Tommy Paul will be whether he can return well enough to make up for his serve being attacked more than he has been used to in this tournament. He has broken in 29% of return games played at the Australian Open, but that is significantly higher than his mark for the last twelve months, while those numbers have dipped to 21% when only considering hard court matches against top 20 Ranked players.

You can't take away from his successes at this tournament, but Tommy Paul has benefited from a kind draw which has seen him beat one player Ranked inside the top 30 and none inside the top 20. There have been some solid wins at the event, which has to be respected, but this is a considerable level up and I think Novak Djokovic will ultimately wear down his inexperienced opponent and come through with a big win and a cover of this line.

MY PICKS: Stefanos Tsitsipas - 1.5 Sets @ 1.80 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Novak Djokovic - 8.5 Games @ 2.00 Coral (2 Units)

Australian Open Update: 41-30, + 10.48 Units (138 Units Staked, + 7.59% Yield)

Australian Open Tennis Day 11 Picks 2022 (January 27th)

The Grand Slams all try and have unique approaches to the way they organise their tournaments.

Wimbledon has long had 'Middle Sunday' free from play and that has meant they have had the best single day of tennis you will see when the entire Fourth Round is played on Manic Monday. This tradition will end in 2022 as they look to become a Slam much more in line with the others.

The French Open will still be the only Grand Slam that will begin play on Sunday, but they have added a Night Session alongside the Australian Open and US Open to maximise profits. A not so impressive move is having two separate sessions for the Men's Semi Final.

For a long time the US Open put together 'Super Saturday'- it was a day when the Women's Final and two Men's Semi Final matches were played, but the second of the Men's Semi Final winners were long seen as being unfortunate to not have any time to prepare for the Sunday Final and it meant a change in the format.

This year the Australian Open will be changing- the Women's Semi Finals are both played on Thursday in the Night Session and both Men's Semi Final matches have been scheduled to be played on Friday. In previous years one of the Semi Finals were played on Thursday along with the Women's Semi Finals and that gave the winner a slight edge when it came to preparation for the Final.

The hope is that this will make the field a little more level and it is also gives the Ladies a chance to take the full limelight at the business end of the Australian Open.

Ashleigh Barty - 4.5 games v Madison Keys: If she is feeling the pressure, the tennis being produced by Ashleigh Barty is covering up any tension as she moves a step closer to becoming the first Australian to win the home Grand Slam since Christine O'Neil in 1978.

You couldn't even say that Ashleigh Barty started slowly in her Quarter Final win over Jessica Pegula, but the first five games were about as competitive as the match got as she rolled past her opponent in straight sets. Once again a player failed to win games against the World Number 1 and I do think Ashleigh Barty is looking the clear favourite to win the title here.

In saying that, Madison Keys may be the biggest threat left to Ashleigh Barty in the draw and that is the Semi Final opponent she is going to be facing on Thursday. The American has admitted that 2021 was a very difficult year for her, but Madison Keys was ready to give her team all the credit for helping her overcome some of the burden and allow her to play some of her best tennis this month.

Her numbers were really poor on the hard courts in 2021, but Madison Keys has opened the 2022 season with an 11-1 record and won a title in preparing for the Australian Open. She has dropped a single set at Melbourne Park and the crushing wins over Paula Badosa and Barbora Krejcikova are very impressive, although Madison Keys may feel she is going to have to be even better when facing the home favourite.

It can be argued that Ashleigh Barty has taken over from Naomi Osaka as the best player in the world on this surface and winning the Grand Slam will mean she holds two of the four. That will underline her position as the Number 1 Ranked player and I do think Ashleigh Barty is performing at a level that will be very difficult to contain.

Madison Keys has really been returning very well at the Australian Open, and her service numbers have been very strong, but both are not quite to where Ashleigh Barty has been at. And as well as Madison Keys has been playing, I expect Barty to put her under a lot more pressure than anyone else she has faced at the Australian Open.

You can't ignore the fact that Ashleigh Barty has enjoyed a pretty kind draw to the Semi Final, but her results have backed up how 'easy' she has found things. I can't rule out the fact that the Madison Keys serve could take the racquet out of the hands of the favourite, but Ashleigh Barty is a confident player and her variety may also give her an edge in this Semi Final.

It is the American who won the first meeting between the players back in 2017, but Ashleigh Barty won the last two, although both of those came in 2019. In those wins, Ashleigh Barty had a real edge on the return and I think she is going to have too much for Madison Keys in this match, even if the underdog will try and ease some pressure on herself by feeling she has already overachieved by reaching the Semi Final.

I am expecting a big-hitting match, but the steadiness and quality of Ashleigh Barty should be enough to see her book her place in the Australian Open Final on Saturday.

Danielle Collins v Iga Swiatek: The two contrasting manners of the Quarter Final wins may not mean a lot if these players were to have a day off between matches as they do through much of the Grand Slam.

However, the second Women's Semi Final is between two players who have played on Day 10 and are asked to be back out on court on Day 11 of the tournament. Danielle Collins made short work of Alize Cornet, but Iga Swiatek needed more than three hours to beat Kaia Kanepi and you have to believe that is a factor.

It is the second match in a row that the Polish player has needed to come from a set down and you have to wonder if the accumulated fatigue will wear her down. Iga Swiatek has also been trending in the wrong direction when it comes to her performances at the Australian Open with the numbers being a touch worse in each passing Round of the tournament.

She did play the big points pretty well in her win over Kaia Kanepi, but it was a tense match and I do wonder if Iga Swiatek is going to be able to cope with the pressure that will be exerted from the other side of the net. While Danielle Collins is known for being an emotional player, I think she is someone who has utter belief in her own game and the serve has proven to be a big weapon for her.

Moving through the Quarter Final without using too much physical or mental energy is really important at this stage of any Grand Slam tournament and I do think her numbers on return have been impressive enough to believe the American can reach her first Grand Slam Final. Surprise winners have been part of the Women's game in recent Slams and Danielle Collins may feel she can add her name to the list, although it will be a test for Collins having to deal with a new experience.

Danielle Collins looks to be in a more consistent place with her tennis and I think that is going to be the key in this second Semi Final. She looks a good shot as the outsider in this match and especially if Iga Swiatek has been worn down mentally and physically from the matches played on Day 10.

MY PICKS: Ashleigh Barty - 4.5 Games @ 1.85 Coral (2 Units)

Danielle Collins @ 2.40 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Australian Open Tennis Day 14 Picks 2019- Men's Final (January 27th)

The Women's Final on Saturday was a really good watch and I have little doubt that the Men's Final to be played on Sunday is going to be the same when Novak Djokovic takes on Rafael Nadal.

Before I get onto that Final, I have to say all credit to Naomi Osaka for the way she was able to battle through the emotions of dropping the second set to win the title and back to back Grand Slam titles.

It is the first time since Wimbledon 2015 that a player on the WTA Tour has managed to win back to back Grand Slam titles when Serena Williams was able to do it, while Osaka became the first player since Jennifer Capriati in 2001 to win back to back Grand Slams for her first two major titles.

For me Naomi Osaka is the most deserving World Number 1 since Angelique Kerber hit that level in 2016 and I do think she is going to go into a number of tournaments amongst the favourites to win it. Ultimately the women's game still feels pretty open that no one should be a clear favourite, but Osaka's mental strength and pure talent will mean she should go close at Wimbledon and the US Open.

Petra Kvitova had a wonderful tournament too and she should be very proud of the tennis she put together. Even during her peak times Kvitova could be a little erratic with her play as she will always want to be attacking and finding the consistency to perform that kind of high risk tennis is never going to be easy.

If she can put some tournaments together to back up the Australian Open, I think Petra Kvitova may just go into Wimbledon as the player to beat while I would expect her to challenge the likes of Osaka at the US Open too.

We do have a couple of big hard court tournaments to come in the next two months, but the shift will soon be on to the clay courts and the build towards the French Open. The clay courts are still quite a specialised surface for players to produce their best so the likes of Kvitova and Osaka could be vulnerable on the clay where they have yet to play their best tennis.

It is something the layers don't always recognise immediately, but that is for another day and there are still hard court tournaments to come when I would expect the two Grand Slam Finalists to next be out on the court.

While we all were excited to see the new faces in the Men's Semi Finals a few days ago, in reality the Final that everyone would have wanted is waiting for us and I am looking forward to it.

I will have a short breakdown of the match below and how I feel this one will go in what has been a very strong start to the 2019 season for both players as they look to set a marker for the rest of the year.

Rafael Nadal v Novak Djokovic: The World Number 1 and the World Number 2 meeting in the first Grand Slam of the 2019 season suggests this could be another special year for both Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal as long as they can remain healthy.

Last season they took home three of the four Grand Slam titles and I really don't think it would be a big surprise if these two didn't let anyone else get a look in during the 2019 season. Health will be a big test for both Djokovic and Nadal, but right now they are the clear one and two in the world and this should make for a very good Final.

Despite leading the way, Djokovic and Nadal only met twice in 2018 with the epic Semi Final win for the Serb at Wimbledon the big match that perhaps really gave him the belief that he can return to the very pinnacle of the men's game. He went on to win that title and the one at the US Open, but I would suggest that Rafael Nadal is playing at a higher level going into this Final.

Both players have produced some incredible serving numbers, while Novak Djokovic has the slight edge on the return, although those have been boosted by the last couple of Rounds. The Djokovic return is going to be a huge key to this match as Rafael Nadal faces him down with his new service motion which has generated a 97.5% hold record at the Australian Open and which has not been broken since the First Round.

It will be interesting to know what Nadal will do if the new serve is being put under pressure like Djokovic can do to the very best servers on the Tour. The Spaniard will have to stick to his game plan and make sure he doesn't lose heart, but the confidence is high and his hold percentage is a number of points higher than Djokovic's who has also been holding serve very well at over 90% for the tournament.

The Nadal return numbers are not quite as good as Djokovic's but they are far from poor and if there are lingering concerns about the back issue the World Number 1 had against Daniil Medvedev it could be a real problem for him.

You can't ignore the head to head on the hard courts which has seen Djokovic lead 18-7 against Nadal and he has won the last seven matches against him on this surface. In fact it is 14-0 in sets to Djokovic on the hard courts, although the last matches came in 2016 when the Serb was someway ahead of Nadal in levels of performance.

Things are much closer now and I do think Nadal may be playing the slightly better tennis over the last two weeks which could give him the edge. This is a court on which Novak Djokovic has had considerable success and the factors of the head to head on the hard courts and the returning numbers produced will see many stick with the World Number 1.

Prior to the tournament I thought Djokovic was the favourite to win his third Grand Slam in a row, but Rafael Nadal looks to be the one at a slightly higher peak going into the Final. Even factoring in those aspects that point towards Djokovic, I think Nadal is at a level that will be tough to top.

The last time Nadal beat Djokovic on the hard courts was in the US Open Final in 2013 and I think the Spaniard may just edge him out in another Grand Slam Final on this surface.

At critical times the Nadal serve may just hold up better than Djokovic's and I think he wins this Final.

This is one to enjoy though and so, while this is my selection, it will be a no unit pick as I sit with a morning cuppa and look forward to seeing the two best players in the world go at it hammer and tongs.

MY PICKS: Rafael Nadal @ 2.15 Bet365 (0 Units)

Australian Open 2019: 59-44, + 21.99 Units (203 Units Staked, + 10.83% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2018- Oleksandr Usyk vs Mairis Breidis (January 27th)

I mentioned last week ahead of Errol Spence Jr's first defence of his IBF Welterweight Title that there has been some excellent fights already signed off in the first half of the 2018 year.

Showtime came out with an event to highlight some of the fights they have arranged earlier this week and adding Erislandy Lara versus Jarrett Hurd and Adonis Stevenson vs Badou Jack to an already loaded calendar is only good news for the Boxing fans around the world.


This weekend is no different with the start of the World Boxing Super Series Semi Final fights which take place over the next month. The two Cruiserweight Semi Finals are up over the next two weekends before attention turns back to the Super-Middleweight Semi Finals and a tournament that has got the fans salivating has produced four top Semi Final bouts.

That ahead of the two Finals which are set for May to continue the trend for big time Boxing fights in 2018.

Oleksandr Usyk vs Mairis Breidis

Some are suggesting this Cruiserweight Semi Final is effectively the Final with the winner likely to go forward as a big favourite to win the tournament in May.

In saying that, Oleksandr Usyk is a very big favourite to see off Mairis Breidis despite having to travel to the unbeaten Latvian's home for this fight.

Both fighters are unbeaten and bring a belt into this unification which looks like it has the makings of a really good fight, but the edge has rightly been given to Olympic Gold Medalist Usyk. He looks to be the superior boxer and has the size and awkwardness of being a southpaw to give Breidis some tough looks and I am expecting the Ukrainian to be able to pick off his opponent.

The superior boxing is a big advantage when you think of this match up and I also think Usyk may carry a little more power than Breidis despite the latter being a big hitter himself. I mean you can't ignore the fact that Breidis knocked out Manuel Charr who has recovered to win the WBA Heavyweight Title since then and that shows the Latvian is able to produce the goods.

However their mutual opponent in Marco Huck saw Breidis beat him in a Unanimous Decision a few months before Usky was able to stop the German in the World Boxing Super Series Quarter Final. It is Usky who also holds the higher KO percentage and I do think he will be able to load up and produce some punishing shots in this one once he has Breidis perhaps feeling sorry for himself after being out-boxed.

Both men have spoken about making a statement, and you can understand why with the other Finalist also going to be an unbeaten Cruiserweight Champion. For Usky this tournament is a chance to announce himself to a wider audience before looking to make the move up to Heavyweight which is almost certainly to come if the Ukrainian can Unify the Cruiserweight belts.

Breidis will be dangerous early in the fight and I think Usyk will look to out-box the home hope and frustrate him. The Ukrainian is the bigger man and should be able to use that to dictate the tempo of the fight, but I also think he will begin to unload his combinations in the second half of the fight once demoralising his opponent.

That is where I think Usyk will be able to either force the referee to step in or the Breidis corner to withdraw their man from taking a lot more punishment. There is power in the Usyk shots to force the stoppage and I think he will be looking to underline his dominance of this fight by making sure he doesn't leave anything to chance by going to the scorecards.

In reality I think the majority of people would expect to see a Usyk Unanimous Decision and there are some suggestions that the former standout amateur will not take risks until he is fully convinced his opponent has lost some belief in the work he is doing. That won't be enough to take into the Heavyweight Ranks although I do note the two previous unbeaten fighter Usyk has taken on have been the two who have avoided the stoppage defeat.

I just don't think Breidis is going to want to run and slowly work to a points defeat. If things are not going his way I think the unbeaten home fighter will take risks and that could see him at the wrong end of something big delivered by Usyk.

The punching power of Breidis has to be respected too, but Usyk can take away his heart in the first half of the fight and I am going to back him to earn a stoppage late on.

MY PICKS: Oleksandr Usyk to Win by KO, TKO or Disqualification @ 3.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Boxing 2018 Update: 2-0, + 4.80 Units (4 Units Staked, + 120% Yield)

Weekend Football Picks 2018 (January 26-28)

It is back to FA Cup action this weekend as the Fourth Round is played and this comes just days before another very important round of Premier League fixtures.

With that in mind you have to be aware of what managers are saying around the Leagues to try and get a feel for the kind of teams they are going to play in the Fourth Round. At this stage it still feels far enough away to think about winning the Cup which means the priority remains with the League at a pivotal time of the season.


One player who could feature is Alexis Sanchez who has signed for Manchester United and is available for all competitions the side are still competing in. I have written a short piece about the new Number 7 at Old Trafford which can be read here.


On Friday the FA Cup Fourth Round fixtures are played and these ties take place over the next three days. Next Tuesday and Wednesday is another full round of Premier League fixtures before another weekend of League action at the beginning of February when the attention will soon turn to the resumption of the Champions League.


Yeovil Town v Manchester United Pick: The television cameras will rock up at Huish Park with the hope of seeing one of the biggest upsets in the history of the FA Cup but that does look a tall task for Yeovil Town.

Despite having home advantage, Yeovil Town are a team fighting at the wrong end of the League Two table and there is only so much adrenaline will be able to do for the players. I expect the crowd will try and make this a tough atmosphere for the Manchester United players and rile them into making mistakes, but enough of the Manchester United squad played here in 2015 and so will be familiar enough with what to expect.

The arrival of Alexis Sanchez is expected to give his new team-mates a huge boost in the second half of the season and the FA Cup has proven to be a competition that Jose Mourinho will take seriously. He played a strong team in the home win over Derby County in the Third Round and this will be a starting eleven with a lot of international experience taking to the field at Huish Park.

The same can be said in the League Cup ties Manchester United have played and they should be fairly comfortable in this one. The layers feel the same with the shortened prices on Manchester United to win this one with a clean sheet and asking the away side to cover a pretty big Asian Handicap.

Yeovil Town have played well at home in recent weeks which would make them think they can cause problems for their Premier League visitors.

However there is a real difference in quality between the two clubs and even the changes that Manchester United will make will have a very strong team take to the field. They should be a little better than in January 2015 when Manchester United won 0-2 here and I will back them to go one better and cover this Asian Handicap with Alexis Sanchez perhaps getting on the scoreboard for his new club.


Peterborough United v Leicester City Pick: In the last couple of years there have been a few occasions when a club from League One have upset a Premier League opponent in the FA Cup. Last season Millwall beat Leicester City as one of those upsets and Peterborough United will feel they have been scoring enough goals at home to give their Premier League opponents something to think about.

However I do think the situation is different for Leicester City this time around as they are not facing a relegation battle in the League which is prioritised over the FA Cup. This time Leicester City look like they could easily finish as best of the rest outside of the top six domestically and that means the owners, fans and manager all seem to be on the same page when it comes to wanting a long FA Cup run.

Claude Puel will know how difficult this tie could be having needed a Replay to beat Fleetwood Town in the Third Round. There isn't a lot between Fleetwood Town and Peterborough United so this is another difficult test for Leicester City, but I expect  a strong team to be picked in order to avoid the need for another Replay.

It won't be easy having seen Peterborough United win 1-3 at Villa Park in the Third Round and this is a team who have scored plenty of goals at home in recent games. They will challenge Leicester City, but I think the recent performances from The Foxes should be good enough to weather the storm and take control of the match.

If you consider the team Puel picked for the Third Round Replay at home against Fleetwood Town, I do think he will use the likes of Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy in this Fourth Round tie. The Leicester City defensive performances have been solid enough to think they can restrict Peterborough United to some extent and I would expect the Premier League quality to tell at the end of this one.

Leicester City may have drawn at Fleetwood Town, but I think they will play a stronger team than the one that started at Highbury Stadium in the Third Round. Peterborough United will need to be contained while the fans are loud, but if Leicester City can go in front I would expect them to be very dangerous on the counter attack and to win this game by a couple of goals on the day.


Huddersfield Town v Birmingham City Pick: Both Huddersfield Town and Birmingham City are more concerned with their respective relegation battles in the Premier League and Championship than they are in having a long FA Cup run. This competition can provide some momentum to take into the League, but both teams have important home games on Tuesday which could mean changed line ups in this Fourth Round tie.

David Wagner has already admitted as much in his last press conference as he is expected to give his fringe players an opportunity. Those players did help win 1-2 at Bolton Wanderers in the Third Round and having home advantage against another team struggling in the Championship should give The Terriers more of an edge.

However they have to respect a Birmingham City team who have been improving as they have started picking points in the League. The Blues have lost 1 of their last 5 games in all competitions and they have only lost 1 of their last 5 away games which suggests they can make an impact in this game.

The layers are not expecting too much goalmouth action, but I can see both sets of players trying to show that they are good enough to help these clubs in their League matches too. With the draw the last result either Huddersfield Town or Birmingham City want, I do think an attacking game will develop and I like the chances of both teams scoring at odds against.

That has happened in 4 of the last 6 Huddersfield Town home games, while it also happened when they visited Bolton Wanderers in the Third Round. Both teams have scored in 3 of the last 5 Birmingham City away games too and I will look for both teams to play their part in this one and will back both teams to score.


Millwall v Rochdale Pick: There is still some work to be done for Millwall if they want to avoid a return to League One after earning promotion last season, but they are definitely on the right path to doing that. It is a much better position they occupy compared with Rochdale who are in the bottom four of League One.

However I expect the Rochdale players to get up for this Cup tie with the Fifth Round of the FA Cup in front of them and the chance for a really, really big tie. They won at Doncaster Rovers in the Third Round despite having a poor away record all in all and that could make Rochdale dangerous if Millwall do not take them seriously.

I don't think that will be an issue for Millwall who were playing at the same level as Rochdale last season and played two difficult games against them. That will keep the players focused as Millwall look for another successful FA Cup run having reached the Quarter Final last season before being thumped at Tottenham Hotspur.

Millwall have beaten Barnsley 4-1 here in the FA Cup already this season which means they have won six home ties in the competition since the beginning of last season. The side have also beaten Stevenage Town in the League Cup at the New Den and I think Millwall are going to be too good for a Rochdale team who tend to concede far too many goals away from home.

I fully expect Millwall to take this tie seriously with the hope they can have another strong run in the FA Cup and I will back them to cover the Asian Handicap in a win.


Notts County v Swansea City Pick: With the pressure that comes with trying to stay in the Premier League top flight, there is no doubt the FA Cup can be a distraction for clubs who are focusing on the League. A few of those Premier League clubs are already out of the FA Cup, but Carlos Carvalhal seems like someone who is taking the competition seriously enough.

He had every excuse to pick a weakened team for the Cup tie against Wolves in the Third Round, but Swansea City started recognisable players in both the initial tie and the Replay. Perhaps Carvalhal sees this competition as a chance to keep momentum going after positive results since taking over as manager of Swansea City.

They have won back to back games, but this is a tougher challenge away from the Liberty Stadium where Swansea City have struggled for wins. Swansea City are unbeaten in 3 away games in all competitions and led at Newcastle United before settling for a draw at St James' Park and there is a feeling they have the quality needed to win here.

Notts County will come in with confidence they can knock out a top flight club with home advantage the key. However they have not been in the best of form over the last couple of weeks and I do think it will be tough to bridge the difference in levels between the clubs.

Historically Notts County do have a strong home record against Swansea City, but the latter have really moved forwards as a club since these teams last met in the 2004/05 season. While this could be a close match with Notts County using the fans to produce a big performance, I do think Swansea City are in the better form and also looking like they want to keep things rolling in a positive direction with the teams picked in the FA Cup ties against Wolves.

Notts County have lost their last couple of home games in the League, which is also their priority, and I think that may have dented the belief of the players prior to this Fourth Round tie.

At close to odds against, I will back Swansea City to win here and move through to the Fifth Round of the Cup.


Sheffield United v Preston North End Pick: There is a real hope for both Sheffield United and Preston North End to at least challenge for a Play Off spot in the Championship. That is clearly going to be the priority for the two clubs, but I also have a feeling the FA Cup is important enough to give this Fourth Round tie a proper go.

A chance to get into the Fifth Round and the potential for a huge tie won't be lost on the fans or the players and I think both Sheffield United and Preston North End would love to progress.

I am anticipating team selections to highlight that and this could be a very good game this weekend.

It also could be a tight one with little between the clubs after Sheffield United have slipped back from the early season pace and Preston North End are much improved of late. The latter have proven to be very tough to beat and I think they can at least force a Replay back at Deepdale in this tie.

Sheffield United have only won 1 of their last 6 games at Bramall Lane and their better results have come on their travels including a Third Round win at Ipswich Town. Hosting a team who have not lost any of their last 7 away games is a tough situation for the favourites and I think Preston North End are defensively sound enough to earn a result here.

They are close to odds against with a start on the Asian Handicap which will offer a payout as long as Preston North End do not lose this game. Both are back in League action on Tuesday which may take away some of the focus, but I think Preston North End can be backed here.


Southampton v Watford Pick: Both Southampton and Watford's main concern is going to be to avoid relegation from the Premier League and the FA Cup is someway behind in terms of priority for the two clubs.

In saying that, both Mauricio Pellegrino and Javi Gracia will perhaps be looking at this Fourth Round tie as being able to give their players a confidence shot in the arm ahead of vital Premier League fixtures.

That also means there could be some changes made to the starting elevens although Watford have far fewer options than Southampton. With neither team wanting to add an additional game to the calendar with a draw, I can see both managers looking to play attacking teams in a bid to earn a place in the Fifth Round of the FA Cup without the need for a Replay.

Just a couple of weeks ago Watford and Southampton played out a 2-2 draw at Vicarage Road and games at St Mary's have seen both teams scoring regularly. The last 6 at St Mary's have seen both teams score and these two teams have seen 3 of their last 4 games end with both teams score too.

The 1-1 draw is a concern, but I think the ambitions of both managers to try and win the game the first time around will pay off and produce at least one more goal. Watford have lost their way in recent away games, but I think they can play a part here in a bid to impress their new manager and I will back the two teams to contribute to a high-scoring tie.


Newport County v Tottenham Hotspur Pick: One of the biggest challenges when making picks from the early Rounds of the FA Cup is trying to second guess managers and work out the kind of selections they will go with. I never thought Mauricio Pochettino would play as strong a line up as he did when Tottenham Hotspur beat Wimbledon 3-0 at home in the Third Round and a similar team would be good enough to take care of Newport County.

That is no disrespect to Newport County who have been playing well in League Two and who have won all of their FA Cup ties at Rodney Parade this season. That includes coming from a goal down to beat Leeds United in the Third Round, while this pitch regularly proves to be one of the toughest to play football on which may be a culture shock to Premier League players.

You have to also add in the fact that Tottenham Hotspur are about to enter a pivotal moment in their season with big games ahead. Following this FA Cup Fourth Round tie, Tottenham Hotspur play Manchester United (H), Liverpool (A), Arsenal (H), Juventus (A) and you have to think Pochettino will have those fixtures in mind.

Bringing in the likes of Toby Alderweireld, who is back from injury, Harry Winks, Victor Wanyama and Erik Lamela does give Pochettino the chance to rotate his starters and still have a strong team out there. Last season he was picking strong teams in the competition even when facing the likes of Fulham and Millwall in the FA Cup and I think that makes me lean towards a decent team being picked here despite the fixtures coming up.

Pochettino won't want to see Tottenham Hotspur upset here and he won't want a Replay, while also knowing there are a few days before Manchester United are the visitors to Wembley Stadium. I would expect the starters to get the better of Newport County and I can see Tottenham Hotspur wearing down this opponent over the course of ninety minutes as their superior quality shines through.

Newport County have played well at home and that confidence could see them rattle a few cages in this one. However finding the quality to beat a Premier League club may be beyond a team who have been overachieving at the League Two level.

Over the last couple of years Tottenham Hotspur have beaten Gillingham, Fulham, Millwall and Wimbledon by three or more goals in domestic Cup competitions. Granted three of those games were at home, but they should be good enough to get away from Newport County in this one and I will back the Premier League club to cover the Asian Handicap with the belief that a push is the worst case scenario.


Liverpool v West Brom Pick: The 1-0 defeat at Swansea City summed up the way most feel about Liverpool and the lack of consistency this club seems to offer. One week they can hold their own against what looks to be the best team in England, and on another they are going down to a fairly straight-forward loss to the team at the bottom of the Premier League.

The lack of consistency has contributed to too many draws at Anfield in the Premier League this season and Jurgen Klopp will likely make changes to his starting eleven to freshen things up.

Klopp has already seen West Brom come to Anfield and escape with a 0-0 draw, although it was a very good performance from The Baggies who restricted what the home team offered that day. Alan Pardew has made sure he has organised West Brom to be hard to beat, but they have recently been turning a couple of draws into wins as they continue fighting against relegation in the Premier League.

Pardew didn't make a lot of changes to his starting eleven for the win at Exeter City in the Third Round of the FA Cup, but it is clear that the Premier League is the priority for the club. The Baggies have some tough games ahead and Pardew may decide to keep the key players rested in this one to make sure they are fresh and able to give their all in the League games coming up.

Either way I would expect West Brom to try and defend deep and make life very difficult for Liverpool in this one. The problem is that Liverpool will likely have a big reaction to the loss to Swansea City and being at home means there will be a lot of pressure on the visitors to keep Liverpool at bay.

They have shown they can do that once already, but it is tough to do it twice and especially so if a few changes are made. I think Liverpool will make changes too considering they are back in League action on Tuesday evening at Huddersfield Town, but I am expecting a stronger home team than the one the visitors will bring to this FA Cup Fourth Round tie.

Liverpool have been much stronger defensively at home too and I think they can win this one with a clean sheet. They have hosted 5 teams who are currently in the bottom half of the table of the Premier League and kept clean sheets in 4 of those games and Liverpool can do that here.

One goal may be enough to see Liverpool through and I will back them to win with a clean sheet as they move into the Fifth Round.


Chelsea v Newcastle United Pick: There is a real sense of disappointment around Chelsea after failing to make it to the League Cup Final, but Antonio Conte has to try and rally his players. The heavy January fixture list has taken a toll on some of the players who have shown a little fatigue at times, but they will be asked to carry the load again on Sunday.

I do feel that Chelsea have perhaps been a little unlucky at times too with both Arsenal goals coming in incredibly fortuitous circumstances. A double deflection off two Chelsea players saw the first one hit the net, while the second saw a cross deflect off the heel of Antonio Rudiger and landing squarely in Granit Xhaka's path.

They have had the chances to win a lot more games than they have been of late and I do think Chelsea will play well enough to win a fixture like this one.

I would expect a stronger looking line up for Chelsea than for Newcastle United who have relegation worries to consider when Rafa Benitez picks his side for this one. The Magpies have not been able to bring in the players they feel can help them avoid the drop back into the Championship and the fans continue to be frustrated with the Mike Ashley direction of the club.

Newcastle United have found it difficult to challenge the very best teams in England when they have played away from home at those grounds this season. Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City have all beaten Newcastle United at home and I can see Chelsea managing to do the same again this weekend against what is likely to be a visiting team with a number of changes made.

Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City have all beaten Newcastle United by at least a couple of goals margin and I think Chelsea will be able to do the same here. The home team could have Alvaro Morata back this weekend and could also bring in the likes of Thibaut Courtois, Gary Cahill and Danny Drinkwater to freshen things up.

The injury to Willian is a blow, but Eden Hazard is in form and I think Chelsea will be able to do enough to win this game. I can see Newcastle United being picked off as the game goes on and I will look for The Blues to cover the Asian Handicap.


Cardiff City v Manchester City Pick: There is going to be something of a culture clash on Sunday in the FA Cup Fourth Round as Neil Warnock sets up his Cardiff City team to take on Pep Guardiola's Manchester City. This is the kind of game that will have got Warnock pumped and his team selection in the FA Cup Third Round Replay at Mansfield Town suggests he is very much looking forward to it.

Cardiff City have turned their form around in the last couple of weeks after a really poor run dropped them off the pace at the top of the Championship.

They remain in a position to finish in one of the two automatic promotion spots in the Championship and the Cardiff City fans should make this a great atmosphere on Sunday.

It will be interesting to see how Manchester City line up for this fixture having played a stronger than expected team in the League Cup Semi Final Second Leg at Bristol City. A similar team would be too good for Cardiff City too with the control they are able to exert, but Manchester City are likely to have a few more changes in this one which will give Cardiff City a chance to spring a surprise.

That still looks a long shot though with the way Manchester City have been able to produce results throughout the season. A Fourth Round Replay will be the last thing Pep Guardiola will want, but it is clear he has targeted a sweep of all the trophies Manchester City are playing in and so I imagine the likes of Raheem Sterling, Leroy Sane, Bernardo Silva and Sergio Aguero could be asked to start the tie.

Those players should mean Manchester City are too strong here and I am going to look for them to produce a rare away Asian Handicap cover. They failed to do that on Tuesday in the win at Bristol City, and only 1 of their last 9 away games have ended with Manchester City by winning by more than a single goal margin.

I wouldn't be surprised if Cardiff City play their part in this one, but Manchester City will have the control to win fairly comfortably on the afternoon. A lack of Cardiff City goals in recent games would be a worry though and I will look for Manchester City to be a little more clinical with the chances that come their way on Sunday.

MY PICKS: Manchester United - 2.25 Asian Handicap @ 1.78 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Leicester City - 1 Asian Handicap @ 2.06 Bet365 (2 Units)
Huddersfield Town-Birmingham City Both Teams to Score @ 2.30 Sporting Bet (2 Units)
Millwall - 1 Asian Handicap @ 1.99 Bet365 (2 Units)
Swansea City @ 1.95 William Hill (2 Units)
Preston North End + 0.25 Asian Handicap @ 1.95 Bet365 (2 Units)
Southampton-Watford Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Tottenham Hotspur - 2 Asian Handicap @ 1.90 Bet365 (2 Units)
Liverpool Win to Nil @ 2.10 Boyle Sports (2 Units)
Chelsea - 1.25 Asian Handicap @ 2.07 Bet365 (2 Units)
Manchester City - 1.5 Asian Handicap @ 1.90 Bet Victor (2 Units)