The schedule has been changed by the organisers of the tournament in a manner they feel will best give all the remaining competitors a chance to win the prize.
The bottom half of the Men's draw is playing catch up, and it will still mean playing 3 matches in 3 days if they are to get through to the Final, which has been moved until Monday.
While the schedule change looks reasonable, they have given their sponsors and TV companies a Super Super Saturday as all 4 Semi Finals are scheduled to go on one after the other.
The two Men's Semi Finals take place in the afternoon and the Women have been given the night session to themselves, although personally I would have had the matches start at noon with the Women on first followed by one Men's match and then the last Semi Final played not before 7pm for a night game.
The Women's Final takes place on Sunday and the Men's, as I mentioned, is moved to Monday.
On to the Picks for the final two Quarter Finals:
Andy Murray - 5.5 games vs John Isner: This looks like a dangerous pick considering the way John Isner can serve, but I have a feeling the big man is just about running on fumes and he will be grinded down by Murray and put away in a similar fashion to Australia in 2010.
Isner was struggling against Gilles Simon yesterday, being broken NINE times, and will little rest between matches, I think he is going to struggle big time against a player that will force him to hit a lot of tennis balls.
Murray is also one of the best returners on the tour so we can expect him to start getting a lot of serves back and I think he will then be able to expose the lack of real movement in Isner and come away with a fairly routine win.
Murray has won his 2 previous meetings with Isner, winning all 5 sets- he beat Isner for the loss of just 11 games in Australia in 2010 and also won 6-4, 6-2 at the Hopman Cup earlier this season against the big serving American.
The British Number 1 will not want to spend unnecessary time on court so I expect him to be fully focused. He will break Isner's belief in a tight first set, before coming away with a 7-6, 6-3, 6-4 win.
Rafael Nadal to win 3-1 in sets vs Andy Roddick: Andy Roddick played very well in the sets I saw against David Ferrer yesterday, but this is an altogether different test for a player that has not been in the best of form this season.
Rafael Nadal is clearly keen to keep his time on court to a minimum if his performance in destroying Gilles Muller yesterday is anything to go by. However, he has thrown in a few erratic service games and that may be enough for Roddick to sneak a set, although I can't see him having any more success than that.
Nadal leads 6-3 in the head to head, and has won 4 of the last 5 meetings. However, they have split their last 2 meetings in Miami and at the O2 in London, with both matches going the full distance.
The Spaniard has been fortunate not to drop a set so far at this years US Open, with Gilles Muller, David Nalbandian and Andrey Golubev all having chances to do so. I think Roddick's mental belief will allow him to break that run, but I can't see him going any further as he falls 6-4, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3
MY PICKS: Andy Murray - 5.5 games @ 1.83 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Rafael Nadal win 3-1 in sets @ 3.75 Sporting Bet (1 Unit)
US OPEN UPDATE: 26-16, + 27.03 Units
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Showing posts with label John Isner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John Isner. Show all posts
Friday, 9 September 2011
Wednesday, 7 September 2011
US Open Day 10 Picks
Unfortunately it looks like it is going to be a frustrating time for us tennis backers over the next week. Day 9 was cancelled as a whole as the rain showed no signs of abating, and the forecast for the rest of the week does not exactly bode well for the tournament.
I am almost sure the Men's Final will have to be played on a Monday for the 4th year in succession- for the first time in a long time, the US Open is going to be left behind by the other Grand Slams.
This has always been my favourite Grand Slam, but the decision to not create Arthur Ashe Stadium with a roof looks to be a terrible one considering the last few years rain.
Australian and London both have roofs for their main court, while Paris is due to have completed work on a roof by 2014, meaning New York will be the only Grand Slam without the benefit of playing regardless of the weather.
Things are not exactly helped with the decision NOT to put down 'ugly' covers over the courts which could speed up the chances of getting things going quicker than it takes right now.
The forecast for today suggests play will not start on time and the players are likely to be going on and off court for most of the day- the organisers will be desperate for the 4 remaining Men's 4th Round matches to be completed today and also hope at least 2 of the Women's Quarter Finals can be played.
The schedule also looks to be favouring Novak Djokovic, in my opinion, as he is due on 2nd on Arthur Ashe, and there is a good chance he could have booked a Semi Final spot while his rivals wait on their Quarter Final clashes.
Day 10 Picks:
Novak Djokovic - 8.5 games vs Janko Tipsarevic: If this match had occurred earlier in the tournament, I think Tipsarevic could have caused plenty of problems, but he looked to be running out of gas a little in his win over Juan Carlos Ferrero in the last Round.
Tipsarevic is a player capable of pushing the very best players, but there may be a slight lack of belief mentally as he plays his compatriot knowing everything Djokovic has done this year.
I imagine the first set could be close, but I think Djokovic will end up breaking any belief Tipsarevic has by winning that set and then running away with the match.
The World Number 1 will want to get his match completed as quickly as possible so he has additional rest on some of his rivals and I expect he will come through 7-5, 6-3, 6-2.
Roger Federer to win 3-1 in sets vs Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: I still have the belief that Roger Federer is capable of winning a Grand Slam, and this match could be the key to his success this year.
Everyone knows that Tsonga is capable of beating Federer, as he has proven in his last 2 meetings including that fabulous come from behind win at Wimbledon at this very stage.
We have also seen Federer beaten by the bigger hitting players on the tour over the last 18 months, with players like Robin Soderling, Tsonga and Tomas Berdych all recording wins over the former World Number 1.
However, I also know Federer had beaten Tsonga twice this season before the loss at Wimbledon, and that was actually due to a special performance from the Frenchman.
I think Tsonga is still more than capable of hitting through Federer to take a set, but he looked a little out of sorts against Mardy Fish in the last Round and looked certain to exit the tournament before a mental lapse from the American allowed him back in.
The potential for rain delays during their match may also favour Federer as Tsonga could be cooled off by breaks in play.
I feel a Federer win coming, 6-3, 7-6, 4-6, 6-4.
Serena Williams - 6.5 games vs Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova: Serena Williams did not play that well against Ana Ivanovic in the last Round, but was still far too good in a routine win. She admitted she didn't play her best and I expect her to come out firing in this one.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova has proven in the past she can hang with Williams, although that came on a clay court, and I think this match will be very difficult for her. Williams has the better serve, is quicker and has better variation in her shots off the ground.
I expect that to bamboozle the Russian more often than not, and I think Serena will come through 6-3, 6-2.
MY PICKS: Andy Murray - 8.5 games (from Day 9)
John Isner (from Day 9)
David Ferrer to win 3-1 (from Day 9)
Sam Stosur (from Day 9)
Novak Djokovic - 8.5 games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Roger Federer to win 3-1 in sets @ 4.00 Sporting Bet (1 Unit)
Serena Williams - 6.5 games @ 2.00 Sky Bet (2 Units)
US OPEN UPDATE: 22-14, + 20.83 Units
I am almost sure the Men's Final will have to be played on a Monday for the 4th year in succession- for the first time in a long time, the US Open is going to be left behind by the other Grand Slams.
This has always been my favourite Grand Slam, but the decision to not create Arthur Ashe Stadium with a roof looks to be a terrible one considering the last few years rain.
Australian and London both have roofs for their main court, while Paris is due to have completed work on a roof by 2014, meaning New York will be the only Grand Slam without the benefit of playing regardless of the weather.
Things are not exactly helped with the decision NOT to put down 'ugly' covers over the courts which could speed up the chances of getting things going quicker than it takes right now.
The forecast for today suggests play will not start on time and the players are likely to be going on and off court for most of the day- the organisers will be desperate for the 4 remaining Men's 4th Round matches to be completed today and also hope at least 2 of the Women's Quarter Finals can be played.
The schedule also looks to be favouring Novak Djokovic, in my opinion, as he is due on 2nd on Arthur Ashe, and there is a good chance he could have booked a Semi Final spot while his rivals wait on their Quarter Final clashes.
Day 10 Picks:
Novak Djokovic - 8.5 games vs Janko Tipsarevic: If this match had occurred earlier in the tournament, I think Tipsarevic could have caused plenty of problems, but he looked to be running out of gas a little in his win over Juan Carlos Ferrero in the last Round.
Tipsarevic is a player capable of pushing the very best players, but there may be a slight lack of belief mentally as he plays his compatriot knowing everything Djokovic has done this year.
I imagine the first set could be close, but I think Djokovic will end up breaking any belief Tipsarevic has by winning that set and then running away with the match.
The World Number 1 will want to get his match completed as quickly as possible so he has additional rest on some of his rivals and I expect he will come through 7-5, 6-3, 6-2.
Roger Federer to win 3-1 in sets vs Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: I still have the belief that Roger Federer is capable of winning a Grand Slam, and this match could be the key to his success this year.
Everyone knows that Tsonga is capable of beating Federer, as he has proven in his last 2 meetings including that fabulous come from behind win at Wimbledon at this very stage.
We have also seen Federer beaten by the bigger hitting players on the tour over the last 18 months, with players like Robin Soderling, Tsonga and Tomas Berdych all recording wins over the former World Number 1.
However, I also know Federer had beaten Tsonga twice this season before the loss at Wimbledon, and that was actually due to a special performance from the Frenchman.
I think Tsonga is still more than capable of hitting through Federer to take a set, but he looked a little out of sorts against Mardy Fish in the last Round and looked certain to exit the tournament before a mental lapse from the American allowed him back in.
The potential for rain delays during their match may also favour Federer as Tsonga could be cooled off by breaks in play.
I feel a Federer win coming, 6-3, 7-6, 4-6, 6-4.
Serena Williams - 6.5 games vs Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova: Serena Williams did not play that well against Ana Ivanovic in the last Round, but was still far too good in a routine win. She admitted she didn't play her best and I expect her to come out firing in this one.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova has proven in the past she can hang with Williams, although that came on a clay court, and I think this match will be very difficult for her. Williams has the better serve, is quicker and has better variation in her shots off the ground.
I expect that to bamboozle the Russian more often than not, and I think Serena will come through 6-3, 6-2.
MY PICKS: Andy Murray - 8.5 games (from Day 9)
John Isner (from Day 9)
David Ferrer to win 3-1 (from Day 9)
Sam Stosur (from Day 9)
Novak Djokovic - 8.5 games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Roger Federer to win 3-1 in sets @ 4.00 Sporting Bet (1 Unit)
Serena Williams - 6.5 games @ 2.00 Sky Bet (2 Units)
US OPEN UPDATE: 22-14, + 20.83 Units
Tuesday, 6 September 2011
US Open Day 9 Picks
The rain did finally begin falling yesterday, only half an hour after Roger Federer managed to book his place in the Quarter Final, and today's play looks to be affected completely.
According to reports, there will be steady rain the entire day and I think the tournament is in a bit of bother now as the forecast for the next few days does not exactly make me confident.
We have to expect a few stop-start matches with showers expected from tomorrow afternoon all the way through till Sunday.
The conditions could be a little reminiscent of the tournament last year as the wind was picking up too and it might be a physical examination of players, particularly the Men in the bottom half of the draw who are still in the 4th Round.
These are my Day 9 Picks, but don't be surprised if none of them are finished today:
Andy Murray - 8.5 games vs Donald Young: The flashy Donald Young has finally made a real impact at this level, after many years of expectations, but I think he is in for a tough time against Andy Murray, even though he beat the Brit at Indian Wells earlier this year.
Murray played brilliantly against Feliciano Lopez in the last Round and I expect he will end up frustrating Young on his way through to a straight sets win.
Young has the shot making ability to push Murray close for a set, but it is the World Number 4 that has the edge in almost all departments and I expect him to show that.
Murray may be pushed to a 6-4 first set win, but I expect him to get a couple of breaks in the last two sets and come through 6-2, 6-3 to cover the spread.
John Isner vs Gilles Simon: John Isner has enjoyed a wonderful Summer that will see him finally going back up the Rankings. There is no doubt he enjoys the American hard courts the best and I think the additional rest he is likely to get today will serve him well after playing a lot of tennis over the last 6 weeks.
Isner won in Winston Salem the week before the Open began, and he is likely to get plenty more free points on his own serve.
Simon was brilliant in dispatching Juan Martin Del Potro in the last Round, and he will be used to the fact that many serves he will be facing are unreturned, but he will feel confident he can at least trouble Isner.
However, the Frenchman is always liable to throwing in a bad service game in sets and that could cost him a Quarter Final place here as Isner is a wonderful front runner.
Simon is also only 11-12 in tie breaks this season, even including the 2 he won against Del Potro, and Isner may be able to punish him in those considering he is 32-19 in tie breakers this year.
I think the match could go 5 sets, but I think Isner's serve, coupled with the additional rest for his body, will be the last American standing at this years Open.
David Ferrer win 3-1 in sets vs Andy Roddick: This is scheduled to be the first night game and so the atmosphere will be electric IF the weather decides to make a drastic move away from Flushing Meadows.
David Ferrer has far too much consistency for Andy Roddick these days, and it is indicative from the head to head which is led by the Spaniard 5-3. In fact, he has won 4 of the last 5 matches between the players and Ferrer will not feel more pressure from the crowd than when he knocked off Roddick in straight sets in Austin, Texas in July.
Roddick has the edge in terms of serve, but Ferrer is the better returner, is definitely better off the ground on both wings and is faster. The Spaniard is super-consistent and I think he will keep the pressure on Roddick throughout the match.
I think Roddick is capable of pushing the match to 4 sets if he is serving well, especially considering Ferrer can sometimes throw in a poor service game, but once the dust settles, I think Ferrer will have come through, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3.
Samantha Stosur vs Vera Zvonareva: I feel like I am always tipping Sam Stosur to win her matches, mainly because the layers continuously underestimate the gritty Australian, and the fact she keeps winning the picks for me.
Vera Zvonareva was Runner Up here last season, and she is favoured by the layers, but the fact is she is 7-2 down in the head to head with Stosur, losing the last SEVEN meetings.
Stosur has come back from a set down in her 2 wins over Zvonareva this season, and it just seems the added spin she plays with bamboozles the Russian.
I think Stosur is set as a bigger underdog due to the time she has spent on court, but she has shown some really good mental strength to overcome losing the 2nd set in her last 2 matches, and that is a department she holds a real edge over Zvonareva.
It could go 3 again between these two players, but the added rest Stosur is likely to get thanks to the weather could see the Aussie fighting through.
MY PICKS: Andy Murray - 8.5 games @ 2.00 Stan James (2 Units)
John Isner @ 2.00 Pinnacle (2 Units)
David Ferrer to win 3-1 in sets @ 4.33 Sporting Bet (1 Unit)
Sam Stosur @ 2.10 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
US OPEN UPDATE: 22-14, + 20.83 Units
According to reports, there will be steady rain the entire day and I think the tournament is in a bit of bother now as the forecast for the next few days does not exactly make me confident.
We have to expect a few stop-start matches with showers expected from tomorrow afternoon all the way through till Sunday.
The conditions could be a little reminiscent of the tournament last year as the wind was picking up too and it might be a physical examination of players, particularly the Men in the bottom half of the draw who are still in the 4th Round.
These are my Day 9 Picks, but don't be surprised if none of them are finished today:
Andy Murray - 8.5 games vs Donald Young: The flashy Donald Young has finally made a real impact at this level, after many years of expectations, but I think he is in for a tough time against Andy Murray, even though he beat the Brit at Indian Wells earlier this year.
Murray played brilliantly against Feliciano Lopez in the last Round and I expect he will end up frustrating Young on his way through to a straight sets win.
Young has the shot making ability to push Murray close for a set, but it is the World Number 4 that has the edge in almost all departments and I expect him to show that.
Murray may be pushed to a 6-4 first set win, but I expect him to get a couple of breaks in the last two sets and come through 6-2, 6-3 to cover the spread.
John Isner vs Gilles Simon: John Isner has enjoyed a wonderful Summer that will see him finally going back up the Rankings. There is no doubt he enjoys the American hard courts the best and I think the additional rest he is likely to get today will serve him well after playing a lot of tennis over the last 6 weeks.
Isner won in Winston Salem the week before the Open began, and he is likely to get plenty more free points on his own serve.
Simon was brilliant in dispatching Juan Martin Del Potro in the last Round, and he will be used to the fact that many serves he will be facing are unreturned, but he will feel confident he can at least trouble Isner.
However, the Frenchman is always liable to throwing in a bad service game in sets and that could cost him a Quarter Final place here as Isner is a wonderful front runner.
Simon is also only 11-12 in tie breaks this season, even including the 2 he won against Del Potro, and Isner may be able to punish him in those considering he is 32-19 in tie breakers this year.
I think the match could go 5 sets, but I think Isner's serve, coupled with the additional rest for his body, will be the last American standing at this years Open.
David Ferrer win 3-1 in sets vs Andy Roddick: This is scheduled to be the first night game and so the atmosphere will be electric IF the weather decides to make a drastic move away from Flushing Meadows.
David Ferrer has far too much consistency for Andy Roddick these days, and it is indicative from the head to head which is led by the Spaniard 5-3. In fact, he has won 4 of the last 5 matches between the players and Ferrer will not feel more pressure from the crowd than when he knocked off Roddick in straight sets in Austin, Texas in July.
Roddick has the edge in terms of serve, but Ferrer is the better returner, is definitely better off the ground on both wings and is faster. The Spaniard is super-consistent and I think he will keep the pressure on Roddick throughout the match.
I think Roddick is capable of pushing the match to 4 sets if he is serving well, especially considering Ferrer can sometimes throw in a poor service game, but once the dust settles, I think Ferrer will have come through, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3.
Samantha Stosur vs Vera Zvonareva: I feel like I am always tipping Sam Stosur to win her matches, mainly because the layers continuously underestimate the gritty Australian, and the fact she keeps winning the picks for me.
Vera Zvonareva was Runner Up here last season, and she is favoured by the layers, but the fact is she is 7-2 down in the head to head with Stosur, losing the last SEVEN meetings.
Stosur has come back from a set down in her 2 wins over Zvonareva this season, and it just seems the added spin she plays with bamboozles the Russian.
I think Stosur is set as a bigger underdog due to the time she has spent on court, but she has shown some really good mental strength to overcome losing the 2nd set in her last 2 matches, and that is a department she holds a real edge over Zvonareva.
It could go 3 again between these two players, but the added rest Stosur is likely to get thanks to the weather could see the Aussie fighting through.
MY PICKS: Andy Murray - 8.5 games @ 2.00 Stan James (2 Units)
John Isner @ 2.00 Pinnacle (2 Units)
David Ferrer to win 3-1 in sets @ 4.33 Sporting Bet (1 Unit)
Sam Stosur @ 2.10 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
US OPEN UPDATE: 22-14, + 20.83 Units
Wednesday, 31 August 2011
US Open Day 3 Picks
Yesterday looked like it was going to develop into a tough day when Sabine Lisicki won by 6 games (I had picked her - 6.5 games) and David Ferrer won by 7 games (I had picked him - 7.5 games), but fortunately the other 4 picks I made came up trumps and provided further profit to ensure a solid start to the tournament.
We also saw David Ferrer move forward as my pick to win Quarter 4 and also a big outright price, and I was given further confidence by Rafael Nadal's struggles in the night game. The Spaniard may have won in straight sets, but should have lost sets 2 and 3 and I am glad I have backed against him with Andy Murray and Ferrer in this half of the draw.
Serena Williams also underlined the fact she is the favourite in the Women's draw with a commanding win last night. The only problem for Williams is the fact she is seeded low and will face a tough 3rd round match with Victoria Azarenka.
Day 3 is a little fractured due to the Hurricane warnings at the start of the week. Usually we would have seen a couple of Men's 2nd Round matches scheduled on this day, but instead we complete the 1st Round draw and the 2nd Round will begin tomorrow.
That has limited our choices a little, but I think I have found some profitable plays:
Andy Murray - 9.5 games vs Somdev Devvarman: Andy Murray is the last of the big 4 players in the Men's game to play his 1st Round match and also means he will have to win 7 matches in 12 days if he wants to win the tournament.
He plays an opponent that will look to chase down balls all day, but I think that is what will cost him in this match. Somdev Devvarman is essentially Andy Murray without any real weapons to cause an opponent too many problems. The Indian player will win against a lot of players due to their unforced errors, but I expect Murray's consistency will break him down today.
It is a big spread, but I think the way the two players play could see Murray win a set 6-1 and that may be enough to ensure he covers. I expect the British player to be fully focused knowing he needs to spend as little time on court as possible at this stage of the tournament.
John Isner win 3-1 in sets vs Marcos Baghdatis: These two players meet for the 3rd time in a little over a month, and it is John Isner who has won the two previous meetings over the Summer to increase the head to head 3-0 in his favour.
Marcos Baghdatis is not the same player who reached the Australian Open Final in 2005 with his flamboyant style and he is making far too many errors these days. He has a new coach in Miles Maclagen, but it may take some time for their styles to mesh and we may not see a better Baghdatis until the 2012 season.
Isner should win enough free points on his own serve to keep the Cypriot frustrated, although I think the enigmatic Baghdatis will win a set especially with the likelihood of a couple of tie breaks needed to separate the players.
Robin Soderling - 8.5 games vs Louk Sorensen: One Irish player exited the tournament in unfortunate circumstances yesterday, and I feel his compatriot will go the same way tonight although I do have a couple of concerns on Soderling's fitness.
Soderling has not played since winning a tournament in his home country a couple of weeks after Wimbledon because he has had a few wrist issues. He was dominant in that tournament in Bastad, including beat Tomas Berdych for the loss of 1 game, and I think he can be far too strong for Sorensen if he is good to go.
The lack of hard court tennis over the Summer is a concern, but last year he was beaten early in Toronto and Cincinnati before reaching the Quarter Final here.
Sorensen will be nervous as he is playing in only his 2nd Grand Slam after qualifying here. I expect Soderling may start slowly, and then slowly take control of the match and record a 7-5, 6-3, 6-2 win to cover the spread.
Yanina Wickmayer - 4.5 games vs Alla Kudryavtseva: Wickmayer holds a 2-1 head to head record against Kudryavtseva, including a comfortable win here in the 1st Round in 2010.
Wickmayer had a comfortable 1st Round win this year and I think she will be too good for an opponent that has lost 7 of her last 10 matches, failing to win a set in any of those losses and losing comfortably.
The Belgian can be a little hit and miss with her style of play, but her 2 easy wins over Kudryavtseva should stand her in good stead to come through with a 6-2, 6-4 scoreline.
MY PICKS: Andy Murray - 9.5 games @ 2.00 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
John Isner win 3-1 in sets @ 3.75 Bodog (1 Unit)
Robin Soderling - 8.5 games @ 1.80 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Yanina Wickmayer - 4.5 games @ 1.83 Paddy Power (2 Units)
US OPEN UPDATE: 7-2, + 8.88 Units
We also saw David Ferrer move forward as my pick to win Quarter 4 and also a big outright price, and I was given further confidence by Rafael Nadal's struggles in the night game. The Spaniard may have won in straight sets, but should have lost sets 2 and 3 and I am glad I have backed against him with Andy Murray and Ferrer in this half of the draw.
Serena Williams also underlined the fact she is the favourite in the Women's draw with a commanding win last night. The only problem for Williams is the fact she is seeded low and will face a tough 3rd round match with Victoria Azarenka.
Day 3 is a little fractured due to the Hurricane warnings at the start of the week. Usually we would have seen a couple of Men's 2nd Round matches scheduled on this day, but instead we complete the 1st Round draw and the 2nd Round will begin tomorrow.
That has limited our choices a little, but I think I have found some profitable plays:
Andy Murray - 9.5 games vs Somdev Devvarman: Andy Murray is the last of the big 4 players in the Men's game to play his 1st Round match and also means he will have to win 7 matches in 12 days if he wants to win the tournament.
He plays an opponent that will look to chase down balls all day, but I think that is what will cost him in this match. Somdev Devvarman is essentially Andy Murray without any real weapons to cause an opponent too many problems. The Indian player will win against a lot of players due to their unforced errors, but I expect Murray's consistency will break him down today.
It is a big spread, but I think the way the two players play could see Murray win a set 6-1 and that may be enough to ensure he covers. I expect the British player to be fully focused knowing he needs to spend as little time on court as possible at this stage of the tournament.
John Isner win 3-1 in sets vs Marcos Baghdatis: These two players meet for the 3rd time in a little over a month, and it is John Isner who has won the two previous meetings over the Summer to increase the head to head 3-0 in his favour.
Marcos Baghdatis is not the same player who reached the Australian Open Final in 2005 with his flamboyant style and he is making far too many errors these days. He has a new coach in Miles Maclagen, but it may take some time for their styles to mesh and we may not see a better Baghdatis until the 2012 season.
Isner should win enough free points on his own serve to keep the Cypriot frustrated, although I think the enigmatic Baghdatis will win a set especially with the likelihood of a couple of tie breaks needed to separate the players.
Robin Soderling - 8.5 games vs Louk Sorensen: One Irish player exited the tournament in unfortunate circumstances yesterday, and I feel his compatriot will go the same way tonight although I do have a couple of concerns on Soderling's fitness.
Soderling has not played since winning a tournament in his home country a couple of weeks after Wimbledon because he has had a few wrist issues. He was dominant in that tournament in Bastad, including beat Tomas Berdych for the loss of 1 game, and I think he can be far too strong for Sorensen if he is good to go.
The lack of hard court tennis over the Summer is a concern, but last year he was beaten early in Toronto and Cincinnati before reaching the Quarter Final here.
Sorensen will be nervous as he is playing in only his 2nd Grand Slam after qualifying here. I expect Soderling may start slowly, and then slowly take control of the match and record a 7-5, 6-3, 6-2 win to cover the spread.
Yanina Wickmayer - 4.5 games vs Alla Kudryavtseva: Wickmayer holds a 2-1 head to head record against Kudryavtseva, including a comfortable win here in the 1st Round in 2010.
Wickmayer had a comfortable 1st Round win this year and I think she will be too good for an opponent that has lost 7 of her last 10 matches, failing to win a set in any of those losses and losing comfortably.
The Belgian can be a little hit and miss with her style of play, but her 2 easy wins over Kudryavtseva should stand her in good stead to come through with a 6-2, 6-4 scoreline.
MY PICKS: Andy Murray - 9.5 games @ 2.00 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
John Isner win 3-1 in sets @ 3.75 Bodog (1 Unit)
Robin Soderling - 8.5 games @ 1.80 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Yanina Wickmayer - 4.5 games @ 1.83 Paddy Power (2 Units)
US OPEN UPDATE: 7-2, + 8.88 Units
Saturday, 6 August 2011
Tennis Picks August 6th Washington and San Diego
One down, two to go- that is how the outright picks are going as we get down to the Final 4 in both of these tournaments this week.
Marcos Baghdatis was a huge disappointment yesterday as he fell in straight sets to Donald Young. I warned myself that it could be one of those weeks for Young, but did not heed that advice and still fancied Baghdatis to get the job done. He had 3 set points in the 2nd set but failed to convert- more disappointing was the fact he failed to get the ball in play on any of those points before falling in the tie break.
It was more frustrating considering he faced Radek Stepanek in the Semi Final if he had got through and he could have really boosted the coffers as a 19.00 shot outright at the start of the week.
Now we have John Isner and Agnieska Radwanska left in the outright as the tournaments come to a close.
The Picks:
Andrea Petkovic vs Agnieska Radwanska: Anyone who followed my outrights at the start of the week know we will win 4 units if Radwanska makes it through to the Final, but the Polish player had called for a trainer in her last match with Daniela Hantuchova and has since admitted that she considered pulling out of the match.
Petkovic has become a popular figure in the stands as she follows victories with the 'Petko Dance' that became famous when she did it for a joke last year. She has been solid on the hard courts and has had a routine path through to the Semi Final, but generally has faltered when coming up against the better players on the tour with losses to Maria Sharapova, Na Li and Marion Bartoli on the hard courts this year.
Radwanska is a solid hard court player herself and reached the Final here last year so obviously must like the conditions. She came back from a horror start against Daniela Hantuchova in the last Round by overturning a 0-6 first set to win in 3 sets. However, I am still concerned about her shoulder and whether she wants to fight through.
Radwanska also holds a 2-0 head to head over Petkovic, winning both matches on the hard courts of Tokyo in the last 2 seasons. Personally, I thought Radwanska would be the favourite, but the injury has me concerned and I will cover my outright here.
Vera Zvonareva - 3.5 games vs Ana Ivanovic: Ana Ivanovic is apparently still having a little bit of trouble with her wrist, and she now faces a real competitor in the form of Vera Zvonareva.
The Russian is in good form having won a hard court tournament in Azerbaijan a couple of weeks ago and her 3 set win over Sabine Lasicki is impressive, especially the focus she had in the match.
Ivanovic has won through in straight sets in every match this week, but she is still capable of throwing in a stinker and she will be under more pressure against a quality opponent today.
The head to head is 4-4, but it is Zvonareva that has won the last 2 meetings, although they have not played since March 2009. Zvonareva remains the stronger player and I think she will come through with a break in each set to record a straight sets victory.
Gael Monfils vs John Isner: This is another pick for those that followed the outright picks at the start of the week- we took Isner at 10.00 to win the tournament so will be due 4.5 Units if he makes it through to the Final.
I am going to put a couple of units on Monfils here to cover the outright as the Frenchman has played well this week and the lottery of tie breaks is not worth the stress. Whoever wins this match will be the big favourite to win the tournament on Sunday.
As for personal opinion, I think Monfils is overestimated in the match to win, especially the way Isner can serve in tie breaks. If I had no outrights running, I would suggest the value is on the American.
MY PICKS: Andrea Petkovic @ 1.72 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Vera Zvonareva - 3.5 games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Gael Monfils @ 1.66 Pinnacle (2 Units)
WEEKLY UPDATE WASHINGTON/SAN DIEGO: + 0.58 Units
Marcos Baghdatis was a huge disappointment yesterday as he fell in straight sets to Donald Young. I warned myself that it could be one of those weeks for Young, but did not heed that advice and still fancied Baghdatis to get the job done. He had 3 set points in the 2nd set but failed to convert- more disappointing was the fact he failed to get the ball in play on any of those points before falling in the tie break.
It was more frustrating considering he faced Radek Stepanek in the Semi Final if he had got through and he could have really boosted the coffers as a 19.00 shot outright at the start of the week.
Now we have John Isner and Agnieska Radwanska left in the outright as the tournaments come to a close.
The Picks:
Andrea Petkovic vs Agnieska Radwanska: Anyone who followed my outrights at the start of the week know we will win 4 units if Radwanska makes it through to the Final, but the Polish player had called for a trainer in her last match with Daniela Hantuchova and has since admitted that she considered pulling out of the match.
Petkovic has become a popular figure in the stands as she follows victories with the 'Petko Dance' that became famous when she did it for a joke last year. She has been solid on the hard courts and has had a routine path through to the Semi Final, but generally has faltered when coming up against the better players on the tour with losses to Maria Sharapova, Na Li and Marion Bartoli on the hard courts this year.
Radwanska is a solid hard court player herself and reached the Final here last year so obviously must like the conditions. She came back from a horror start against Daniela Hantuchova in the last Round by overturning a 0-6 first set to win in 3 sets. However, I am still concerned about her shoulder and whether she wants to fight through.
Radwanska also holds a 2-0 head to head over Petkovic, winning both matches on the hard courts of Tokyo in the last 2 seasons. Personally, I thought Radwanska would be the favourite, but the injury has me concerned and I will cover my outright here.
Vera Zvonareva - 3.5 games vs Ana Ivanovic: Ana Ivanovic is apparently still having a little bit of trouble with her wrist, and she now faces a real competitor in the form of Vera Zvonareva.
The Russian is in good form having won a hard court tournament in Azerbaijan a couple of weeks ago and her 3 set win over Sabine Lasicki is impressive, especially the focus she had in the match.
Ivanovic has won through in straight sets in every match this week, but she is still capable of throwing in a stinker and she will be under more pressure against a quality opponent today.
The head to head is 4-4, but it is Zvonareva that has won the last 2 meetings, although they have not played since March 2009. Zvonareva remains the stronger player and I think she will come through with a break in each set to record a straight sets victory.
Gael Monfils vs John Isner: This is another pick for those that followed the outright picks at the start of the week- we took Isner at 10.00 to win the tournament so will be due 4.5 Units if he makes it through to the Final.
I am going to put a couple of units on Monfils here to cover the outright as the Frenchman has played well this week and the lottery of tie breaks is not worth the stress. Whoever wins this match will be the big favourite to win the tournament on Sunday.
As for personal opinion, I think Monfils is overestimated in the match to win, especially the way Isner can serve in tie breaks. If I had no outrights running, I would suggest the value is on the American.
MY PICKS: Andrea Petkovic @ 1.72 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Vera Zvonareva - 3.5 games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Gael Monfils @ 1.66 Pinnacle (2 Units)
WEEKLY UPDATE WASHINGTON/SAN DIEGO: + 0.58 Units
Friday, 5 August 2011
Tennis Picks August 5th Washington and San Diego
It was a good day all round yesterday as both picks came in and all the outright picks from this week continued their progress through the draws.
Marcos Baghdatis had to do a bit of double duty yesterday as he finished his 2nd and 3rd Round matches in around 7-8 hours. Both matches went to 3 sets but hopefully he can continue his run in the bottom half of the draw that has really opened up in the last few days.
John Isner is fortunate to still be in this tournament after struggling in his match with James Blake- I have to say it is nice to see Blake playing to a much higher level than this time last year when he was losing to Denis Istomin on the hard courts of Cincinnati with little fight.
Agnieska Radwanska faces a big test in the form of Daniela Hantuchova today, but I am hopeful the Polish player can continue her march to the Final against an opponent she has beaten in 3 of the last 4 matches they have played. Radwanska has looked the more efficient in her matches so far this week and her crushing of Christina McHale looks better considering the American's recent form.
Now on to the Picks:
Marcos Baghdatis - 3.5 games vs Donald Young: This is a pick that is kind of risky considering I already have Baghdatis e/w in the outright market.
However, I feel Baghdatis is the better player of the two and I think he is good enough to come through this match in straight sets. I would like to see the Cypriot serving as he did for the majority of yesterday as that will make life so much easier for him here and he is rightly the favourite to come through.
Donald Young has flattered to deceive for much of his career but is having a decent week- but it has to be said that he has not faced the toughest of opponents this week and this is definitely the biggest challenge Young will face.
It is very possible that Young is having a really high week as recent losses to Alex Bogdanovich and Michael Russell are disappointing, but I think his time in Washington comes to an end tonight.
Victor Troicki vs John Isner: I am going to make this play as I think there is a real chance that Victor Troicki can knock out one of my outright picks in this match.
Isner looked mentally exhausted in his win over Blake yesterday and it was concerning to see his serve as ineffective as it was in the final two sets. Victor Troicki has made serene progress through the draw and holds a 2-0 head to head record over Isner and is definitely capable of winning this match.
We could see a couple of tie breaks and those can be a lottery and so I think a small pick of Troicki to cover the outright pick would be beneficial.
MY PICKS: Marcos Baghdatis - 3.5 games @ 1.91 Sporting Bet (2 Units)
Victor Troicki @ 1.80 Paddy Power (1 Unit)
WEEKLY UPDATE WASHINGTON/SAN DIEGO: + 3.58 Units
Marcos Baghdatis had to do a bit of double duty yesterday as he finished his 2nd and 3rd Round matches in around 7-8 hours. Both matches went to 3 sets but hopefully he can continue his run in the bottom half of the draw that has really opened up in the last few days.
John Isner is fortunate to still be in this tournament after struggling in his match with James Blake- I have to say it is nice to see Blake playing to a much higher level than this time last year when he was losing to Denis Istomin on the hard courts of Cincinnati with little fight.
Agnieska Radwanska faces a big test in the form of Daniela Hantuchova today, but I am hopeful the Polish player can continue her march to the Final against an opponent she has beaten in 3 of the last 4 matches they have played. Radwanska has looked the more efficient in her matches so far this week and her crushing of Christina McHale looks better considering the American's recent form.
Now on to the Picks:
Marcos Baghdatis - 3.5 games vs Donald Young: This is a pick that is kind of risky considering I already have Baghdatis e/w in the outright market.
However, I feel Baghdatis is the better player of the two and I think he is good enough to come through this match in straight sets. I would like to see the Cypriot serving as he did for the majority of yesterday as that will make life so much easier for him here and he is rightly the favourite to come through.
Donald Young has flattered to deceive for much of his career but is having a decent week- but it has to be said that he has not faced the toughest of opponents this week and this is definitely the biggest challenge Young will face.
It is very possible that Young is having a really high week as recent losses to Alex Bogdanovich and Michael Russell are disappointing, but I think his time in Washington comes to an end tonight.
Victor Troicki vs John Isner: I am going to make this play as I think there is a real chance that Victor Troicki can knock out one of my outright picks in this match.
Isner looked mentally exhausted in his win over Blake yesterday and it was concerning to see his serve as ineffective as it was in the final two sets. Victor Troicki has made serene progress through the draw and holds a 2-0 head to head record over Isner and is definitely capable of winning this match.
We could see a couple of tie breaks and those can be a lottery and so I think a small pick of Troicki to cover the outright pick would be beneficial.
MY PICKS: Marcos Baghdatis - 3.5 games @ 1.91 Sporting Bet (2 Units)
Victor Troicki @ 1.80 Paddy Power (1 Unit)
WEEKLY UPDATE WASHINGTON/SAN DIEGO: + 3.58 Units
Thursday, 4 August 2011
Tennis Picks August 4th Washington and San Diego
While it is almost impossible to pick winners every day, nothing hurts more than when a pick looks all set to win their match, but then inexplicably fall apart as the final furlong approaches.
Unfortunately for me, that was the situation yesterday as Sofia Arvidsson won the first 9 games of her match with Alberta Brianti only to be pegged back to lose the 2nd set on a tie break.
To make matters worse, she then served for the match at 5-4 in the final set, only to be broken again and lose on the tie break for a second time.
Those are the kinds of losses that are much harder to take, and led to a bad day overall as Jurgen Melzer pulled out with an injury in his match with Donald Young and Ryan Harrison was comfortably beaten by Victor Troicki.
On a brighter note, the last two days has seen Marcos Baghdatis' section of the draw open up and I really hope he can take advantage of that. Jurgen Melzer, Xavier Malisse and Mardy Fish have all exited the tournament and the 19.00 we backed for Baghdatis to win this tournament at the start of the week is long gone.
Hopefully I will have better luck with the following picks:
Double; Marcos Baghdatis vs Somdev Devvarman and Gael Monfils vs Ryan Sweeting: Marcos Baghdatis will play his match this afternoon with a 1-0 advantage after all the rain yesterday decimated the days play. He was soundly beaten by Devvarman in Indian Wells earlier this season, but he must feel he can go far in a tournament where he has quite a few points to defend from last year after the exits of a number of seeds.
Gael Monfils should have too much class for Ryan Sweeting even if he is not the most reliable player on the tour when it comes to the mental approach of the game. His lack of hard court matches in recent weeks is a concern but he has enough ability to see off Sweeting here.
Double; Radek Stepanek vs Jarkko Nieminen and John Isner vs James Blake: This is a much riskier double, in my opinion anyway, than the double above but I do think both players are able to come through their matches.
Radek Stepanek has an exceptional record against left handers on the tour and it is not different against Nieminen who has beaten the last 3 times they have played.
Stepanek has been impressive in his first 2 matches of the Summer on the hard courts and has generally been the better hard court player of the two. If he continues to serve well, I can see Stepanek coming through in straight sets with a break in each set.
John Isner beat James Blake in a tight battle in Atlanta a couple of weeks ago and I am taking him to confirm that form over the veteran today. Isner's serve can put additional pressure on Blake who is still giving up a few chances on his own servince games and the pressure could eventually tell.
I would not be surprised if we see a couple of tie breaks again tonight, but I think Isner can be good enough, just, to come through.
MY PICKS: Double; Marcos Baghdatis and Gael Monfils @ 2.01 William Hill (2 Units)
Double; Radek Stepanek and John Isner @ 2.53 Sporting Bet (2 Units)
WEEKLY UPDATE WASHINGTON/SAN DIEGO: - 1.5 Units
Sunday, 31 July 2011
Tennis Outright Picks August 1st-7th
The US Open series continues this week with the ATP 500 Event in Washington and the WTA Tour moves to San Diego, while over in Europe the last of the clay events following Wimbledon begins in Austria.
We still await the big players on the ATP tour to make their first appearances in the Summer, but with the Montreal Masters beginning next week, we can be sure their preparations are going strong.
ATP Washington
With most of the top 10 MIA for this tournament, it leaves it wide open for a few players to make a run at a tournament worth quite a few ranking points. The favourite for the tournament is unsurprisingly Mardy Fish, a player that has recently won in Atlanta and is in the Final in Los Angeles tonight.
I won't be backing the Number 1 American this week simply because of the amount of tennis he has played this week and I am not sure if he will even travel the length on the country with bigger fish (pardon the pun) to fry in the next few weeks.
Still, just because I won't be backing Fish this week does not mean I will be finding someone in his section to back instead. The likes of Fernando Verdasco, Nikolay Davydenko and Jarkko Nieminen are all seeded in this section and make their hard court debuts this Summer yet none of those can be trusted on recent form.
One player who may make the most of the Fish half of the draw is the Number 7 seeded Marcos Baghdatis although he is yet another player that has a few question marks surrounding him. Baghdatis was knocked out in his first match last week in LA to Yen-Hsun Lu and has been an early loser in previous matches in the States this season at Miami and Indian Wells.
Baghdatis has course form here in Washington as he finished Runner Up last season and he might be able to make hay if he can get through a potential 2nd Round meeting with Somdev Devvarman, a player that beat Baghdatis in straight sets at Indian Wells.
The route through to the Semi Final would see him face Thomaz Bellucci in the 3rd Round and a potential Quarter Final with either Xavier Malisse or Jurgen Melzer.
On the other half of the draw, there doesn't seem like a lot of choices to be had with the best players all seeming to have been placed in the bottom section.
There we have John Isner, another former player that has reached the Final here in Washington before although he does have a tough looking draw in the early Rounds.
Isner is seeded to avoid Round 1, and then faces a very winnable match. The 3rd Round is where the potential problems arise as he is down to meet either last years Champion, David Nalbandian, or the in-form James Blake. The former will present more problems for Isner with his superior returning game, but has not played any tennis since Wimbledon, while Blake and Isner had a tight match in Atlanta recently that was won by Isner in 3 sets.
It is slightly concerning that Isner had a few issues with his shoulder in Atlanta, but he has had a few days off and will have a couple more before his 2nd Round match.
Overall, this looks like a tough tournament to pick outright, but I will back those two players I have mentioned and hope one of those can give us a run.
WTA San Diego
This is quite a solid field this week fresh off Stanford and there are a number of players that will feel they can have a big week.
The market is being dominated by a few single priced favourites and I am going to pick one of those as an each way shout.
My pick is in what I consider to be the weaker 2nd half of the draw and is going to be Agnieska Radwanska, last years beaten Finalist.
Radwanska is the Number 3 seed here this week and was a Quarter Finalist in Stanford last week before being beaten by Sabine Lisicki in 3 sets.
The Polish player should be able to negotiate the 2nd and 3rd Rounds of the tournament without too many issues before a potential Quarter Final with Daniela Hantuchova- again Radwanska should have the edge over a player she has beaten 3 of the last 4 times they have met and she also holds a win over Hantuchova from this tournament last year.
The potential Semi Final opponent is less clear as that is a tough section to pick from, and whoever she meets could have had to play a lot of tennis up to that point in hot weather.
The other side of the draw provides some big threats in the forms of Vera Zvonareva, a recent winner in Baku, Sabine Lisicki, a Semi Finalist last week in Stanford, and Dominika Cibulkova. All 3 of those players are in a section meaning only 1 will make the Semi Final and it looks like a tough section to predict again.
In saying that, the odds on Zvonareva and Lisicki look plenty short considering their opposition and I would rather be on Radwanska at the same odds in what looks like a clearer path through.
MY OUTRIGHT PICKS: Marcos Baghdatis @ 19.00 Bet365 (1 Unit E/W)
John Isner @ 10.00 Stan James (1 Unit E/W)
Agnieska Radwanska @ 9.00 Stan James (1 Unit E/W)
We still await the big players on the ATP tour to make their first appearances in the Summer, but with the Montreal Masters beginning next week, we can be sure their preparations are going strong.
ATP Washington
With most of the top 10 MIA for this tournament, it leaves it wide open for a few players to make a run at a tournament worth quite a few ranking points. The favourite for the tournament is unsurprisingly Mardy Fish, a player that has recently won in Atlanta and is in the Final in Los Angeles tonight.
I won't be backing the Number 1 American this week simply because of the amount of tennis he has played this week and I am not sure if he will even travel the length on the country with bigger fish (pardon the pun) to fry in the next few weeks.
Still, just because I won't be backing Fish this week does not mean I will be finding someone in his section to back instead. The likes of Fernando Verdasco, Nikolay Davydenko and Jarkko Nieminen are all seeded in this section and make their hard court debuts this Summer yet none of those can be trusted on recent form.
One player who may make the most of the Fish half of the draw is the Number 7 seeded Marcos Baghdatis although he is yet another player that has a few question marks surrounding him. Baghdatis was knocked out in his first match last week in LA to Yen-Hsun Lu and has been an early loser in previous matches in the States this season at Miami and Indian Wells.
Baghdatis has course form here in Washington as he finished Runner Up last season and he might be able to make hay if he can get through a potential 2nd Round meeting with Somdev Devvarman, a player that beat Baghdatis in straight sets at Indian Wells.
The route through to the Semi Final would see him face Thomaz Bellucci in the 3rd Round and a potential Quarter Final with either Xavier Malisse or Jurgen Melzer.
On the other half of the draw, there doesn't seem like a lot of choices to be had with the best players all seeming to have been placed in the bottom section.
There we have John Isner, another former player that has reached the Final here in Washington before although he does have a tough looking draw in the early Rounds.
Isner is seeded to avoid Round 1, and then faces a very winnable match. The 3rd Round is where the potential problems arise as he is down to meet either last years Champion, David Nalbandian, or the in-form James Blake. The former will present more problems for Isner with his superior returning game, but has not played any tennis since Wimbledon, while Blake and Isner had a tight match in Atlanta recently that was won by Isner in 3 sets.
It is slightly concerning that Isner had a few issues with his shoulder in Atlanta, but he has had a few days off and will have a couple more before his 2nd Round match.
Overall, this looks like a tough tournament to pick outright, but I will back those two players I have mentioned and hope one of those can give us a run.
WTA San Diego
This is quite a solid field this week fresh off Stanford and there are a number of players that will feel they can have a big week.
The market is being dominated by a few single priced favourites and I am going to pick one of those as an each way shout.
My pick is in what I consider to be the weaker 2nd half of the draw and is going to be Agnieska Radwanska, last years beaten Finalist.
Radwanska is the Number 3 seed here this week and was a Quarter Finalist in Stanford last week before being beaten by Sabine Lisicki in 3 sets.
The Polish player should be able to negotiate the 2nd and 3rd Rounds of the tournament without too many issues before a potential Quarter Final with Daniela Hantuchova- again Radwanska should have the edge over a player she has beaten 3 of the last 4 times they have met and she also holds a win over Hantuchova from this tournament last year.
The potential Semi Final opponent is less clear as that is a tough section to pick from, and whoever she meets could have had to play a lot of tennis up to that point in hot weather.
The other side of the draw provides some big threats in the forms of Vera Zvonareva, a recent winner in Baku, Sabine Lisicki, a Semi Finalist last week in Stanford, and Dominika Cibulkova. All 3 of those players are in a section meaning only 1 will make the Semi Final and it looks like a tough section to predict again.
In saying that, the odds on Zvonareva and Lisicki look plenty short considering their opposition and I would rather be on Radwanska at the same odds in what looks like a clearer path through.
MY OUTRIGHT PICKS: Marcos Baghdatis @ 19.00 Bet365 (1 Unit E/W)
John Isner @ 10.00 Stan James (1 Unit E/W)
Agnieska Radwanska @ 9.00 Stan James (1 Unit E/W)
Saturday, 23 July 2011
Tennis Picks July 23rd Atlanta Semi Finals
I had a strong day in Atlanta yesterday as all 3 picks came in to push the profits up for the week.
Mardy Fish is now 1 win away from reaching the Final and bringing in part 1 of my outright picks. I had Fish e/w at the start of the week and he is now rightly the favourite to retain his title. Ryan Harrison is no pushover, but I expect the top ranked American to put the rising star in his place here and progress through to the Final.
The other Semi Final is more of a pick 'em than I think many feel it will be. John Isner destroyed Yen-Hsun Lu yesterday, but Gilles Muller is a different sort of threat and one that can surprise the American in front of his local support.
Now on to the Picks:
John Isner-Gilles Muller Over 22.5 games: As I said above, I actually think this is a tougher match for Isner than some may think and I do believe we will see a tight contest between the two. They actually met in the 2nd Round last year here in Atlanta which saw Isner come through in 3 sets (4-6, 7-6, 7-6).
The good thing about this total is the same as yesterdays match between Muller and Kevin Anderson- a 7-6, 6-4 scoreline will cover the spread.
Both men have been serving well and it would not surprise me if this actually goes the distance this afternoon.
Mardy Fish - 4.5 games vs Ryan Harrison: I expect Fish will have too much for Harrison in the course of this game and will be able to power through him after a tight first set.
This can be covered with an early break in both sets as long as Fish is serving first. However, I am picking it because I think Harrison does give up chances on the serve and I can see Fish winning one set with a double break and that should be good enough to see him through.
Fish's overall game should be good enough and he has plenty of motivation knowing he can keep his seeded position high at the US Open with a couple of good performances here in Atlanta and in Los Angeles next week.
MY PICKS: John Isner-Gilles Muller Over 22.5 games @ 1.83 Sporting Bet (2 Units)
Mardy Fish - 4.5 games @ 2.00 Pinnacle (2 Units)
WEEKLY UPDATE: + 13.38 Units (All picks updated)
Mardy Fish is now 1 win away from reaching the Final and bringing in part 1 of my outright picks. I had Fish e/w at the start of the week and he is now rightly the favourite to retain his title. Ryan Harrison is no pushover, but I expect the top ranked American to put the rising star in his place here and progress through to the Final.
The other Semi Final is more of a pick 'em than I think many feel it will be. John Isner destroyed Yen-Hsun Lu yesterday, but Gilles Muller is a different sort of threat and one that can surprise the American in front of his local support.
Now on to the Picks:
John Isner-Gilles Muller Over 22.5 games: As I said above, I actually think this is a tougher match for Isner than some may think and I do believe we will see a tight contest between the two. They actually met in the 2nd Round last year here in Atlanta which saw Isner come through in 3 sets (4-6, 7-6, 7-6).
The good thing about this total is the same as yesterdays match between Muller and Kevin Anderson- a 7-6, 6-4 scoreline will cover the spread.
Both men have been serving well and it would not surprise me if this actually goes the distance this afternoon.
Mardy Fish - 4.5 games vs Ryan Harrison: I expect Fish will have too much for Harrison in the course of this game and will be able to power through him after a tight first set.
This can be covered with an early break in both sets as long as Fish is serving first. However, I am picking it because I think Harrison does give up chances on the serve and I can see Fish winning one set with a double break and that should be good enough to see him through.
Fish's overall game should be good enough and he has plenty of motivation knowing he can keep his seeded position high at the US Open with a couple of good performances here in Atlanta and in Los Angeles next week.
MY PICKS: John Isner-Gilles Muller Over 22.5 games @ 1.83 Sporting Bet (2 Units)
Mardy Fish - 4.5 games @ 2.00 Pinnacle (2 Units)
WEEKLY UPDATE: + 13.38 Units (All picks updated)
Friday, 22 July 2011
Tennis Picks 22nd July ATP Atlanta Quarter Finals
It was not a good day for the picks in Atlanta last night with both Lleyton Hewitt and Xavier Malisse losing matches they should not be. I did take a silver lining from that disappointment though as both of those players were in Mardy Fish's section, my outright pick of the week.
Fish now faces Somdev Devvarman and then the winner of the Ryan Harrison-Rajeev Ram match to reach the Final and I very much expect that to happen.
We have reached the Quarter Finals and it is here that you can really tell a stellar field did not get together as the likes of Yen-Hsun Lu are also still in the tournament.
Thunderstorms are expected today so there could be a couple of rain delays. The other point to mention here is that the matches start at noon local time rather than the 4pm starts they have been having all week.
Now on to the Picks:
Gilles Muller-Kevin Anderson Over 22.5 total games: Both of these guys are reliant on a big serve on which they can build the rest of their game. The best thing about the total games market is this can be covered even if one of the players was to win in straight sets by a scoreline of 7-6, 6-4.
I do expect at least one tie break to be played, as happened in their only previous meeting, and it is also possible that the match could go the distance.
Neither is a great returner, but Anderson has an edge in that department, so Gilles Muller must serve better than he did when defeating Robby Ginepri.
I expect a lot of short points between the two players and I do favour Anderson to eventually come out on top- I just hope its a tough match no matter who wins.
Mardy Fish - 4.5 games vs Somdev Devvarman: I had a couple of concerns about how Mardy Fish would rebound from losing 2 Davis Cup ties in 5 sets last week, but all that was put to rest as he completely dominated Nicolas Mahut last night and it is no surprise to see the American is the favourite to retain his title from last season.
Somdev Devvarman had a real tussle in Round 1 with Ryan Sweeting, but then had a comfortable win over Tatsuma Ito last night. However, this test is a significant raise in level for the Indian player and I feel his serve is too prone to breaking down to have a real impact.
Fish will create a lot of pressure on Devvarman with his strength of shot while the serve is more consistent and has a 2-0 head to head record against his opponent, winning both matches on grass and losing just 6 games in 4 sets.
I would expect the Number 1 seed to come through with a scoreline of 6-4, 6-2 or something similar.
John Isner - 3.5 games vs Yen-Hsun Lu: John Isner looked a little tired in his match with James Blake, something that has to be considered unusual considering he had at least 10 days off since his last match. It may also have been down to the mental pressure of having to hold serve in what was a tough encounter.
This time Isner should be able to see more chances against Yen-Hsun Lu, a player that has taken advantage of a soft section of the draw although has had a bit of trouble in doing so.
Lu is a tough question on his day, but has struggled for form on the main tour all season. He is a decent hard court player but he will be under immense pressure to hold serve if Isner is playing to form.
That could lead to the pressure points and I can see a break in each set for the big American to see him through to the Semi Finals.
MY PICKS: Gilles Muller-Kevin Anderson Over 22.5 total games @ 1.90 Sporting Bet (2 Units)
Mardy Fish - 4.5 games @ 1.90 Bodog (2 Units)
John Isner - 3.5 games @ 1.95 Pinnacle (2 Units)
WEEKLY UPDATE: + 9.88 Units (All picks in from 21st July)
Fish now faces Somdev Devvarman and then the winner of the Ryan Harrison-Rajeev Ram match to reach the Final and I very much expect that to happen.
We have reached the Quarter Finals and it is here that you can really tell a stellar field did not get together as the likes of Yen-Hsun Lu are also still in the tournament.
Thunderstorms are expected today so there could be a couple of rain delays. The other point to mention here is that the matches start at noon local time rather than the 4pm starts they have been having all week.
Now on to the Picks:
Gilles Muller-Kevin Anderson Over 22.5 total games: Both of these guys are reliant on a big serve on which they can build the rest of their game. The best thing about the total games market is this can be covered even if one of the players was to win in straight sets by a scoreline of 7-6, 6-4.
I do expect at least one tie break to be played, as happened in their only previous meeting, and it is also possible that the match could go the distance.
Neither is a great returner, but Anderson has an edge in that department, so Gilles Muller must serve better than he did when defeating Robby Ginepri.
I expect a lot of short points between the two players and I do favour Anderson to eventually come out on top- I just hope its a tough match no matter who wins.
Mardy Fish - 4.5 games vs Somdev Devvarman: I had a couple of concerns about how Mardy Fish would rebound from losing 2 Davis Cup ties in 5 sets last week, but all that was put to rest as he completely dominated Nicolas Mahut last night and it is no surprise to see the American is the favourite to retain his title from last season.
Somdev Devvarman had a real tussle in Round 1 with Ryan Sweeting, but then had a comfortable win over Tatsuma Ito last night. However, this test is a significant raise in level for the Indian player and I feel his serve is too prone to breaking down to have a real impact.
Fish will create a lot of pressure on Devvarman with his strength of shot while the serve is more consistent and has a 2-0 head to head record against his opponent, winning both matches on grass and losing just 6 games in 4 sets.
I would expect the Number 1 seed to come through with a scoreline of 6-4, 6-2 or something similar.
John Isner - 3.5 games vs Yen-Hsun Lu: John Isner looked a little tired in his match with James Blake, something that has to be considered unusual considering he had at least 10 days off since his last match. It may also have been down to the mental pressure of having to hold serve in what was a tough encounter.
This time Isner should be able to see more chances against Yen-Hsun Lu, a player that has taken advantage of a soft section of the draw although has had a bit of trouble in doing so.
Lu is a tough question on his day, but has struggled for form on the main tour all season. He is a decent hard court player but he will be under immense pressure to hold serve if Isner is playing to form.
That could lead to the pressure points and I can see a break in each set for the big American to see him through to the Semi Finals.
MY PICKS: Gilles Muller-Kevin Anderson Over 22.5 total games @ 1.90 Sporting Bet (2 Units)
Mardy Fish - 4.5 games @ 1.90 Bodog (2 Units)
John Isner - 3.5 games @ 1.95 Pinnacle (2 Units)
WEEKLY UPDATE: + 9.88 Units (All picks in from 21st July)
Wednesday, 20 July 2011
Tennis Picks July 20th ATP Atlanta
As I mentioned in my Hamburg post, I have separated the Atlanta picks because the late released schedule and the bookmakers releasing prices later than usual.
Now on to the Picks:
Double; John Isner vs James Blake and Yen-Hsun Lu vs Marinko Matosevic: Both of these players are the favourites to come through their individual matches and should be able to do so.
John Isner will get a lot of support from the locals considering he was a University of Georgia student. He faces a tough match against James Blake, a player that has been playing better of late, but Isner will hold the edge if he can serve well.
That will put pressure on Blake's serve and we saw against Ernests Gulbis in the last Round that he can lose concentration on his own serve.
Isner has not had the best of seasons but will look to move forward during this hard court Summer swing and reached the Final here last year.
Yen-Hsun Lu is a decent hard court player although he has not had a very good season so far. He served well in his win in the 1st Round and a similar performance should be good enough to see off Marinko Matosevic.
Matosevic's win over Igor Kunitsyn in the last Round was his first on the main tour this season after losing 6 straight matches. He does play the majority of his matches on hard courts, but in the lower levels of the tour and could find himself slightly overmatched in this match.
Gilles Muller - 2 games vs Robby Ginepri: Gilles Muller served very well in the last Round when beating Alex Bogomolov and will feel confident he can overturn his 1-2 head to head record against Robby Ginepri, although their last match was in 2005.
Muller's game is perfectly suited to the faster surfaces and he has been playing well of late. The Luxembourg Number 1 is moving up the rankings and a win here could see him take another leap forward. The majority of his matches have been outside of the main tour events but he is 7-3 in main tour level matches this season.
Robby Ginepri has recently returned to competitive tennis and this will only be his 6th match since September 2010. He did beat Tommy Haas in the last Round, but that was a match between two players making comebacks and this is an altogether different test.
Muller should do enough to win this match and I expect to see him move on to the Quarter Finals.
MY PICKS: Double; John Isner and Yen-Hsun Lu @ 2.36 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Gilles Muller - 2 games @ 1.95 Pinnacle (2 Units)
WEEKLY UPDATE: + 1.26 Units (Last updated after all matches completed on 19th July)
Now on to the Picks:
Double; John Isner vs James Blake and Yen-Hsun Lu vs Marinko Matosevic: Both of these players are the favourites to come through their individual matches and should be able to do so.
John Isner will get a lot of support from the locals considering he was a University of Georgia student. He faces a tough match against James Blake, a player that has been playing better of late, but Isner will hold the edge if he can serve well.
That will put pressure on Blake's serve and we saw against Ernests Gulbis in the last Round that he can lose concentration on his own serve.
Isner has not had the best of seasons but will look to move forward during this hard court Summer swing and reached the Final here last year.
Yen-Hsun Lu is a decent hard court player although he has not had a very good season so far. He served well in his win in the 1st Round and a similar performance should be good enough to see off Marinko Matosevic.
Matosevic's win over Igor Kunitsyn in the last Round was his first on the main tour this season after losing 6 straight matches. He does play the majority of his matches on hard courts, but in the lower levels of the tour and could find himself slightly overmatched in this match.
Gilles Muller - 2 games vs Robby Ginepri: Gilles Muller served very well in the last Round when beating Alex Bogomolov and will feel confident he can overturn his 1-2 head to head record against Robby Ginepri, although their last match was in 2005.
Muller's game is perfectly suited to the faster surfaces and he has been playing well of late. The Luxembourg Number 1 is moving up the rankings and a win here could see him take another leap forward. The majority of his matches have been outside of the main tour events but he is 7-3 in main tour level matches this season.
Robby Ginepri has recently returned to competitive tennis and this will only be his 6th match since September 2010. He did beat Tommy Haas in the last Round, but that was a match between two players making comebacks and this is an altogether different test.
Muller should do enough to win this match and I expect to see him move on to the Quarter Finals.
MY PICKS: Double; John Isner and Yen-Hsun Lu @ 2.36 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Gilles Muller - 2 games @ 1.95 Pinnacle (2 Units)
WEEKLY UPDATE: + 1.26 Units (Last updated after all matches completed on 19th July)
Thursday, 7 July 2011
Tennis Picks July 7th- ATP Newport and Davis Cup
The prices are finally out for the matches today and I think there may be a couple of small plays that we can make.
As always, I will update the weekly totals from the daily picks as we go through the week and will then update totals on Sunday evening.
Now on to the picks:
ATP Newport Double: John Isner and Edouard Roger-Vasselin: I am picking these two players to get through to a Semi Final meeting with one another on Saturday.
John Isner meets Alex Bogomolov Jr as he looks to become the first Number 1 seed to win this event and remove the 'Casino Curse'. Isner has all the tools to win a grass court event and has come through the first 2 Rounds without losing a set.
Alex Bogomolov has had 2 tougher matches this week, but his level of competition has not been to the level of Isner's.
Isner also holds a 2-0 head to head record over Bogomolov, including a straight sets win in Miami earlier this season.
Edouard Roger-Vasselin has played some decent tennis this week to come through in straight sets and now faces Tobias Kamke, a player that he has beaten twice before in previous meetings. Roger-Vasselin has had a good time on the grass in recent weeks, but Kamke has not been at his best on the surface.
Kamke has come through in straight sets himself this week, but his wins have been based on winning a couple of tie breaks and he has had a double fault-itis and could find himself in a bit of trouble against an opponent he has not beaten before.
Davis Cup: Juan Monaco win 3-1 in sets: Juan Monaco opens the Davis Cup tie for Argentina against Andrey Golubev of Kazakhstan and he will be expected to come through with a win.
However, both Monaco and Golubev have struggled in recent weeks and so a few nerves could come into play in the match. Golubev has not won a match on clay this season and has lost 14 in a row on all surfaces, while Monaco has lost his last 3 matches.
Monaco's game is also one where losing a set is entirely possible- his serve is a big weakness, while he can blow hot and cold on his groundstrokes.
Golubev has the potential to push the match into a couple of tie breaks and so will have chances to at least take a set.
Monaco has beaten Golubev twice this season on the clay courts, winning 4 sets and losing 1.
MY PICKS: Double- John Isner and Edouard Roger-Vasselin @ 2.34 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
Juan Monaco win 3-1 in sets @ 3.6 Paddy Power (1 Unit)
As always, I will update the weekly totals from the daily picks as we go through the week and will then update totals on Sunday evening.
Now on to the picks:
ATP Newport Double: John Isner and Edouard Roger-Vasselin: I am picking these two players to get through to a Semi Final meeting with one another on Saturday.
John Isner meets Alex Bogomolov Jr as he looks to become the first Number 1 seed to win this event and remove the 'Casino Curse'. Isner has all the tools to win a grass court event and has come through the first 2 Rounds without losing a set.
Alex Bogomolov has had 2 tougher matches this week, but his level of competition has not been to the level of Isner's.
Isner also holds a 2-0 head to head record over Bogomolov, including a straight sets win in Miami earlier this season.
Edouard Roger-Vasselin has played some decent tennis this week to come through in straight sets and now faces Tobias Kamke, a player that he has beaten twice before in previous meetings. Roger-Vasselin has had a good time on the grass in recent weeks, but Kamke has not been at his best on the surface.
Kamke has come through in straight sets himself this week, but his wins have been based on winning a couple of tie breaks and he has had a double fault-itis and could find himself in a bit of trouble against an opponent he has not beaten before.
Davis Cup: Juan Monaco win 3-1 in sets: Juan Monaco opens the Davis Cup tie for Argentina against Andrey Golubev of Kazakhstan and he will be expected to come through with a win.
However, both Monaco and Golubev have struggled in recent weeks and so a few nerves could come into play in the match. Golubev has not won a match on clay this season and has lost 14 in a row on all surfaces, while Monaco has lost his last 3 matches.
Monaco's game is also one where losing a set is entirely possible- his serve is a big weakness, while he can blow hot and cold on his groundstrokes.
Golubev has the potential to push the match into a couple of tie breaks and so will have chances to at least take a set.
Monaco has beaten Golubev twice this season on the clay courts, winning 4 sets and losing 1.
MY PICKS: Double- John Isner and Edouard Roger-Vasselin @ 2.34 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
Juan Monaco win 3-1 in sets @ 3.6 Paddy Power (1 Unit)
Monday, 4 July 2011
Outright Tennis Picks July 4th-10th
The week after a Grand Slam can be disappointing, but it is particularly the case when the Davis Cup is scheduled at the end of the week.
That means almost all of the top ATP players are busy, while most of the big names will not return to action until the US Summer Swing kicks off at the end of the month.
However, we do have a tournament taking place this week, the last grass court event on the main tour this season, as some players decide to play at in Newport.
I don't think I will be making too many picks on the individual days, but I did think I would look at the draw and see if there was an outright price that could interest me.
John Isner is the Number 1 seed after he was given a Wild Card to enter the tournament. He took the place of the reigning Champion, Mardy Fish, who is in action in the Davis Cup tie against Spain and Isner will look to reverse some history.
In the 35 years of this event, the Number 1 seed has NEVER won the tournament- therefore prices of 4.00 look a little short to me.
Previous winners have not exactly been a 'whose who' list of tennis players and so looking beyond the Number 1 seed could pay dividends.
I am also going to rule out the Number 2 seed, Grigor Dimitrov, as it may be hard to repeat his efforts from Wimbledon when he pushed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in 4 tough sets. He is in a tough section of the draw with Ivo Karlovic being a possible 2nd Round opponent.
While I accept this is a tough section, I believe the man to follow for the tournament could come out of this part of the draw... Dudi Sela.
The Israeli player has not really hit the heights that some thought he might when he beat Fernando Gonzalez in a 5 set Davis Cup match, and he has only reached 1 Final in his career and is yet to pick up a title.
However, Sela won a pre-Wimbledon Challenger tournament on the grass courts of Nottingham, beating the likes of Jeremy Chardy and Bernard Tomic along the way.
He had won 16 matches in a row, mainly on the Challenger Tour, before losing to Gilles Simon in the 2nd Round at Wimbledon in 3 tight sets.
Sela begins with a Qualifier before facing the winner of Michael Berrer-Tommy Haas. Usually I would favour Haas to beat Sela, but he has recently returned to the Tour following an injury and Sela may upset the odds in that one.
A potential Quarter Final with Dimitrov would be tough, but Sela has a win over the talented Bulgarian from last season.
If Sela can reach the Semi Final stage, his recent run of wins, even though they were on the Challenger Tour, may give him the mental edge to move on and win the tournament.
OUTRIGHT PICK: Dudi Sela @ 21.0 William Hill (0.5 Units E/W) E/W is top 2 places, 1/2 odds
That means almost all of the top ATP players are busy, while most of the big names will not return to action until the US Summer Swing kicks off at the end of the month.
However, we do have a tournament taking place this week, the last grass court event on the main tour this season, as some players decide to play at in Newport.
I don't think I will be making too many picks on the individual days, but I did think I would look at the draw and see if there was an outright price that could interest me.
John Isner is the Number 1 seed after he was given a Wild Card to enter the tournament. He took the place of the reigning Champion, Mardy Fish, who is in action in the Davis Cup tie against Spain and Isner will look to reverse some history.
In the 35 years of this event, the Number 1 seed has NEVER won the tournament- therefore prices of 4.00 look a little short to me.
Previous winners have not exactly been a 'whose who' list of tennis players and so looking beyond the Number 1 seed could pay dividends.
I am also going to rule out the Number 2 seed, Grigor Dimitrov, as it may be hard to repeat his efforts from Wimbledon when he pushed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in 4 tough sets. He is in a tough section of the draw with Ivo Karlovic being a possible 2nd Round opponent.
While I accept this is a tough section, I believe the man to follow for the tournament could come out of this part of the draw... Dudi Sela.
The Israeli player has not really hit the heights that some thought he might when he beat Fernando Gonzalez in a 5 set Davis Cup match, and he has only reached 1 Final in his career and is yet to pick up a title.
However, Sela won a pre-Wimbledon Challenger tournament on the grass courts of Nottingham, beating the likes of Jeremy Chardy and Bernard Tomic along the way.
He had won 16 matches in a row, mainly on the Challenger Tour, before losing to Gilles Simon in the 2nd Round at Wimbledon in 3 tight sets.
Sela begins with a Qualifier before facing the winner of Michael Berrer-Tommy Haas. Usually I would favour Haas to beat Sela, but he has recently returned to the Tour following an injury and Sela may upset the odds in that one.
A potential Quarter Final with Dimitrov would be tough, but Sela has a win over the talented Bulgarian from last season.
If Sela can reach the Semi Final stage, his recent run of wins, even though they were on the Challenger Tour, may give him the mental edge to move on and win the tournament.
OUTRIGHT PICK: Dudi Sela @ 21.0 William Hill (0.5 Units E/W) E/W is top 2 places, 1/2 odds
Tuesday, 21 June 2011
Wimbledon Day 2 Picks
Well the first day of the tournament did not go to plan after Ekaterina Makarova put pay to my fourfold. To say I was disappointed would be an understatement and once again shows how weak the WTA Tour really is.
This is something that the analysts and experts seem to like to ignore when it comes down to the crunch, but Women's tennis is definitely at a very low point and is possibly in the worst shape I remember. It is hard to envision Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal being universally talked about as Grand Slam Champions if they had taken a year off the tour through injury and barely played a match in that time, something the Ladies Tournament has in the form of Serena Williams this year.
Too many of the players on the WTA Tour go about their business in the same mould- bludgeoning the ball at every opportunity and not really constructing points in the manner they should be. Unsurprisingly, it is the older heads that are expected to dominate the tournament again this year.
The Fernando Verdasco-Radek Stepanek match was postponed until tomorrow thanks to the rain in the afternoon. The weather is expected to be good all day as the tournament organisers look to get back on schedule with a lot of tennis expected all day.
Now on to Day 2 Picks:
Men's Treble: Marcos Baghdatis vs James Blake, Nicolas Almagro vs Jarkko Nieminen and John Isner vs Nicolas Mahut: All 3 of these guys are picked to come out as winners tomorrow for the following reasons.
Marcos Baghdatis has plenty of good form on the grass at Wimbledon in the past and played a solid tournament in Eastbourne last week. He has not really ever reached the level of success people expected after reaching the Australian Open Final, but is a former Quarter Finalist here.
James Blake is not the force he used to be and has spent much of his time on the Challenger Tour this season. The American has also had a hard time at Wimbledon during his peak years and I find it hard to see him winning 3 of 5 sets in this match.
Nicolas Almagro has the tools to be a success on the grass, although he has been a little out of form in recent matches. However, he has a 2-1 head to head over Jarkko Nieminen, a player who is definitely coming to the end of his career. It could be tight, but I think the Spaniard can come through.
John Isner and Nicolas Mahut meet again after their record breaking match a year ago. Isner's serve is a real weapon on this surface, while Mahut is another player on the last stretch of his career. I can see some tie breaks here, but think Isner is better off the ground while his serve is more effective.
Robin Soderling win 3-1 in sets vs Philipp Petzschner: I mentioned Philipp Petzschner as being one of my dark horses before the tournament started this year, but he has been given a really tough draw here. Robin Soderling is another who has all the tools to be a success on the grass courts, although I think Petzschner will make it difficult and steal a set off the Number 5 seed.
They have met once before on grass, Soderling winning 2-1 in sets in Halle, and I think Soderling's game is solid enough to take care of the German with a little blip in between.
Kei Nishikori win vs Lleyton Hewitt: There is still a doubt whether Hewitt will even play after pulling out with an injury at Eastbourne last week. If he does get to play, the veteran will face a tough opponent in the form of Kei Nishikori who is fresh off a Semi Final at Eastbourne.
Hewitt suffered a foot injury, and you can be sure Nishikori will look to make him play all day long and that could be the difference here. Brad Gilbert is Nishikori's coach and will surely have a plan to keep Hewitt moving on that injury.
Women's Treble: Julia Goerges vs Anabel Medina Garrigues, Lucie Safarova vs Lucie Hradecka and Tsvetana Pironkova vs Camila Giorgi: I have picked these three players for the following reasons:
Julia Goerges has been playing very well this year and can take advantage of the faster surface against a player that has not usually enjoyed much success on the grass. Goerges has only played 1 grass court match this year when losing to Ana Ivanovic in Eastbourne, but should have the edge if she can control her service action.
Lucie Safarova has a 1-0 head to head record over Lucie Hradecka and also has the lefty serve that can cause problems on any surface. Safarova also has a big game that can cause damage on the faster surfaces and she should be able to take advantage here.
Tsvetana Pironkova was a Semi Finalist here last year and her odds are clearly bigger because of her bad run of form. However, she pushed Serena Williams last week in Eastbourne and takes the court against an opponent that has yet to play on the main tour in her career. I expect Pironkova to expose these nerves that Camila Giorgi is sure to feel and come through.
MY PICKS: Men's Treble: Marcos Baghdatis, Nicolas Almagro and John Isner @ 3.09 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
Robin Soderling win 3-1 in sets @ 3.5 Paddy Power (1 Unit)
Kei Nishikori @ 2.00 Pinnacle (1 Unit)
Women's Treble: Julia Goerges, Lucie Safarova and Tsvetana Pironkova @ 3.24 BetFred (1 Unit)
Fernando Verdasco - 2.5 games @ 1.90 Pinnacle (2 Units) Still to run from Day 1 Picks
TOURNAMENT UPDATE: - 1 Unit (after Day 1)
This is something that the analysts and experts seem to like to ignore when it comes down to the crunch, but Women's tennis is definitely at a very low point and is possibly in the worst shape I remember. It is hard to envision Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal being universally talked about as Grand Slam Champions if they had taken a year off the tour through injury and barely played a match in that time, something the Ladies Tournament has in the form of Serena Williams this year.
Too many of the players on the WTA Tour go about their business in the same mould- bludgeoning the ball at every opportunity and not really constructing points in the manner they should be. Unsurprisingly, it is the older heads that are expected to dominate the tournament again this year.
The Fernando Verdasco-Radek Stepanek match was postponed until tomorrow thanks to the rain in the afternoon. The weather is expected to be good all day as the tournament organisers look to get back on schedule with a lot of tennis expected all day.
Now on to Day 2 Picks:
Men's Treble: Marcos Baghdatis vs James Blake, Nicolas Almagro vs Jarkko Nieminen and John Isner vs Nicolas Mahut: All 3 of these guys are picked to come out as winners tomorrow for the following reasons.
Marcos Baghdatis has plenty of good form on the grass at Wimbledon in the past and played a solid tournament in Eastbourne last week. He has not really ever reached the level of success people expected after reaching the Australian Open Final, but is a former Quarter Finalist here.
James Blake is not the force he used to be and has spent much of his time on the Challenger Tour this season. The American has also had a hard time at Wimbledon during his peak years and I find it hard to see him winning 3 of 5 sets in this match.
Nicolas Almagro has the tools to be a success on the grass, although he has been a little out of form in recent matches. However, he has a 2-1 head to head over Jarkko Nieminen, a player who is definitely coming to the end of his career. It could be tight, but I think the Spaniard can come through.
John Isner and Nicolas Mahut meet again after their record breaking match a year ago. Isner's serve is a real weapon on this surface, while Mahut is another player on the last stretch of his career. I can see some tie breaks here, but think Isner is better off the ground while his serve is more effective.
Robin Soderling win 3-1 in sets vs Philipp Petzschner: I mentioned Philipp Petzschner as being one of my dark horses before the tournament started this year, but he has been given a really tough draw here. Robin Soderling is another who has all the tools to be a success on the grass courts, although I think Petzschner will make it difficult and steal a set off the Number 5 seed.
They have met once before on grass, Soderling winning 2-1 in sets in Halle, and I think Soderling's game is solid enough to take care of the German with a little blip in between.
Kei Nishikori win vs Lleyton Hewitt: There is still a doubt whether Hewitt will even play after pulling out with an injury at Eastbourne last week. If he does get to play, the veteran will face a tough opponent in the form of Kei Nishikori who is fresh off a Semi Final at Eastbourne.
Hewitt suffered a foot injury, and you can be sure Nishikori will look to make him play all day long and that could be the difference here. Brad Gilbert is Nishikori's coach and will surely have a plan to keep Hewitt moving on that injury.
Women's Treble: Julia Goerges vs Anabel Medina Garrigues, Lucie Safarova vs Lucie Hradecka and Tsvetana Pironkova vs Camila Giorgi: I have picked these three players for the following reasons:
Julia Goerges has been playing very well this year and can take advantage of the faster surface against a player that has not usually enjoyed much success on the grass. Goerges has only played 1 grass court match this year when losing to Ana Ivanovic in Eastbourne, but should have the edge if she can control her service action.
Lucie Safarova has a 1-0 head to head record over Lucie Hradecka and also has the lefty serve that can cause problems on any surface. Safarova also has a big game that can cause damage on the faster surfaces and she should be able to take advantage here.
Tsvetana Pironkova was a Semi Finalist here last year and her odds are clearly bigger because of her bad run of form. However, she pushed Serena Williams last week in Eastbourne and takes the court against an opponent that has yet to play on the main tour in her career. I expect Pironkova to expose these nerves that Camila Giorgi is sure to feel and come through.
MY PICKS: Men's Treble: Marcos Baghdatis, Nicolas Almagro and John Isner @ 3.09 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
Robin Soderling win 3-1 in sets @ 3.5 Paddy Power (1 Unit)
Kei Nishikori @ 2.00 Pinnacle (1 Unit)
Women's Treble: Julia Goerges, Lucie Safarova and Tsvetana Pironkova @ 3.24 BetFred (1 Unit)
Fernando Verdasco - 2.5 games @ 1.90 Pinnacle (2 Units) Still to run from Day 1 Picks
TOURNAMENT UPDATE: - 1 Unit (after Day 1)
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