Wimbledon Tennis Day 12 Picks 2025 (Friday 11th July)

The Ladies Final has been set and you could argue that both Finalists are something of a surprise- Amanda Anisimova has shown some form on the grass this summer, as has Iga Swiatek, but neither has had a big impact at Wimbledon before and the winner is set to become the latest 'surprising' Champion here.

Before that, we have two huge Men's Semi Finals featuring three of the top four players and the seven time Champion Novak Djokovic.

No matter which permutation we get for the Final, it should bring together a really positive end to the third Grand Slam of the season and the attention will soon turn to the hard courts.

We do have some clay court events and some early hard court tournaments beginning right after Wimbledon concludes in what is a relentless Tour, but the majority of the biggest names will be thinking about the Masters events in Canada and Cincinnati before the US Open gets underway next month.

However, the focus for those left playing on the grass is picking up a Major trophy this weekend and you can read my thoughts on the two Semi Final matches taking place on Friday below this.

Carlos Alcaraz - 5.5 games v Taylor Fritz: Tennis fans, especially fans of the Men's game, will feel a new era is being ushered in, although one where the young players are still growing.

You cannot dismiss the Grand Slam titles that have already been won by Carlos Alcaraz and he is the two time defending Champion at Wimbledon, but comparing his run in 2025 compared with the way dominant Champions like Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer would move through the draws is night and day.

Yes, he keeps winning and that has to be respected- nineteen wins in a row have been produced at Wimbledon and there is a growing aura around Carlos Alcaraz, which makes it tough to face him. However, the likes of Fabio Fognini, Jan-Lennard Struff and Andrey Rublev have taken sets from the World Number 2 and the Spaniard was under a bit of pressure when playing at Queen's Club, although ultimately winning the title.

The manner of the win over Cameron Norrie will certainly have the Alcaraz fans feeling much better about their man and he is deserving of being a strong favourite even when taking on a very comfortable grass court player in Taylor Fritz. Titles have been won on the surface and the American has reached the Wimbledon Semi Final for the first time, although, much like Carlos Alcaraz, it has been far from a straight-forward pathway through the draw.

In some ways Taylor Fritz was fortunate to come through in four sets against Karen Khachanov in the Quarter Final and there is a lot of pressure on the World Number 5 to make sure he is serving at his very best. Anything less would see him in a tough position trying to win rallies against someone who is superior on the ground, and the match up has proven to be a difficult one for Taylor Fritz in the past.

This is the first meeting on grass, but Carlos Alcaraz holds two hard court wins over the American and neither was very competitive with Taylor Fritz restricted to winning 59% of points behind serve. Obviously that is a number that will need to be improved dramatically if Taylor Fritz is going to threaten the upset, but there is also the pressure of knowing how important it is to get plenty of first serves in play.

In the two meetings on the Tour, the Fritz second serve has been attacked relentlessly by Carlos Alcaraz, while the defending Champion has been picking up his own level behind the serve in the last two Rounds.

The Semi Final is going to be much more competitive than the Carlos Alcaraz Quarter Final win over Cameron Norrie, but there is this feeling that the defending Champion will begin to pull away from his opponent again.

He has not been at his best in this tournament, but Taylor Fritz has had plenty of moments where he has been struggling and Carlos Alcaraz can beat him for a third straight time, while also reaching the Wimbledon Final for a third year in a row.

Jannik Sinner - 1.5 sets v Novak Djokovic: An injury scare during the Fourth Round 'win' over Grigor Dimitrov had some wondering if Jannik Sinner would play in the Quarter Final, but he did and he was a strong winner over Ben Shelton.

The Italian has been given a second chance in the tournament having looked all but out against Grigor Dimitrov with the World Number 1 trailing 2-0 in sets and struggling to really get to grips with what the veteran was producing. A really unfortunate pectoral injury saw Dimitrov forced to pull out of that match and there is every reason to believe Jannik Sinner is even more dangerous than usual if he feels he is playing with 'house money'.

A four set was produced by Novak Djokovic in his own Quarter Final, but it was a tougher than expected match against Flavio Cobolli and a slip in what proved to be the last game of the match has raised some doubt about the seven time Champion's health.

It would be a surprise if Novak Djokovic is not able to go on Friday, but he will need to be at full health as he looks to secure yet another Wimbledon Final spot. Winning a 25th Grand Slam is the goal for Djokovic and he remains one of the top grass court players in the world, but Carlos Alcaraz has beaten him twice in a row at Wimbledon and the former World Number 1 has lost his last four matches against Jannik Sinner.

None of those have been on the grass, but the Italian crushed Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open in 2024 and that court is the one where the latter is at his very best. Last month Jannik Sinner secured a straight sets win over Novak Djokovic at the French Open to reach the Final and the mental edge may just be with the current World Number 1.

Of course Sinner has not had the same type of success on the grass compared with Novak Djokovic and was beaten by the latter in 2022 and 2023 right here at Wimbledon. However, the second of those defeats felt very unfortunate for Sinner who had played well, but could not take his Break Point chances compared with a clinical Novak Djokovic and that ultimately cost him the match.

Both will appreciate the importance of serving well in this match, but it has felt like Sinner has been a touch more consistent in this part of his tennis.

Novak Djokovic has to take encouragement from the stronger return numbers he has put on the board at the tournament, but that is also partly down to the match ups he has faced and getting into the Jannik Sinner serve is a completely different test, even for the best return player of all time.

In the recent head to head, Novak Djokovic has really had a tough time dealing with the power and ability to back up the serve that Jannik Sinner has been able to produce. The scoreboard pressure has made it tough on the veteran and it is going to take something pretty special for Novak Djokovic to win this match.

The Sinner elbow issue has to be watched in what could be a longer, drawn out match compared with the big hitting power battle he had with Ben Shelton. However, Jannik Sinner's movement and heavy ball gives him the edge and the feeling is that he will find a way to win this one in three or, most likely, four sets.

MY PICKS: Carlos Alcaraz - 5.5 Games @ 1.91 William Hill (2 Units)

Jannik Sinner - 1.5 Sets @ 1.83 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Wimbledon Update: 4-3, + 0.86 Units (14 Units Staked, + 6.14% Yield)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 11 Picks 2024 (Thursday 11th July)

It is Semi Final day on Thursday with both Ladies last four matches played on the same day.

The tournament has reached the business end and the third Grand Slam of the season is ready to be handed out.

Jasmine Paolini - 2.5 games v Donna Vekic: Despite having a longer career in the limelight, Donna Vekic is going to be the more inexperienced player in this surprising Wimbledon Semi Final from the bottom half of the Ladies tournament.

With a career best World Ranking of Number 19, Donna Vekic has perhaps not reached the kind of level that most tipped for her when she broke through onto the WTA Tour. She is only 28 years old now, but Donna Vekic played in the US Open Qualifiers all the way back in 2012 and her first main draw match at a Grand Slam a few months later at the Australian Open in 2013.

Injuries haven't always helped, but Vekic has perhaps struggled mentally when she has put decent runs together at the biggest events. The Croatian has made it through to her first Grand Slam Semi Final this week having previously reached just a couple of Quarter Finals, while it is quite amazing to note that Donna Vekic has never made the Quarter Final in any of the WTA 1000 events that are played throughout the year.

Her opponent in this Semi Final is a late bloomer on the Tour, but Jasmine Paolini is going to be playing with the confidence of a player that reached the French Open Final last month. Some fortune has been behind this run, most notably in her Fourth Round win over Madison Keys who picked up an injury while leading 5-2 in the third set, but Jasmine Paolini showed her class by completely dominating Emma Navarro in the Quarter Final.

This is a different kind of challenge against a player like Donna Vekic who can serve big and put some huge groundstrokes together- it will be a similar kind of match as the one that Paolini faced against Madison Keys.

Just like Keys, Donna Vekic can go through moments where the radar is out of sync leading to unforced errors and she will know that Jasmine Paolini is likely going to bring a consistent brand of tennis to the court.

You also have to factor in the amount of time Vekic has spent on the court in the last few days with each of the last three matches needing three sets and two of them being played into a third hour.

Jasmine Paolini has won two of the three previous matches between the players and both wins have been on a hard court, which should give her a solid mental edge. The most recent match between the players came last year in Canada and Paolini edged a tight first set before pulling away and there is a feeling that something similar may happen in this Semi Final.

There will be tension in the air considering how much is on the line, but Jasmine Paolini's confidence is at a super-high level right now and that is important. We saw moments in the Quarter Final win over Lulu Sun that Donna Vekic is still prone to feeling that pressure and Paolini's recent French Open run might just stand her in good stead as she looks to make it through to back to back Grand Slam Finals.

Barbora Krejcikova + 4.5 games v Elena Rybakina: The two previous meetings have both ended in Barbora Krejcikova wins over Elena Rybakina, so that will help, but it is still a big ask to beat the 2022 Wimbledon Champion on Centre Court in the 2024 Semi Finals.

She snapped a losing run to get the better of Jelena Ostapenko in the Quarter Final and Barbora Krejcikova was able to serve very efficiently. This has been an aspect of her tennis that has improved after the struggles of the first couple of Rounds and it is vital for the former French Open Champion to make sure she looks after this side of her game.

In the first two Rounds, Barbora Krejcikova was winning fewer than 60% of her service points and she was very fortunate to get through those two matches.

Since then, Krejcikova has won at least 70% of her service points in each of the three matches played at Wimbledon and she has faced just eight Break Points in those three wins compared with twenty-two in the first two matches combined.

Serving well is one thing, but keeping Elena Rybakina on the back-foot is key.

We have seen the former Champion growing in matches as she has been allowed to really push through her groundstrokes on the return and Elena Rybakina has been freed up by her own big serve.

Trying to get enough of those serves back into play will be a significant challenge for Barbora Krejcikova who did have some struggles getting into the Jelena Ostapenko games in the Quarter Final. Unlike the Latvian, Elena Rybakina is not as wasteful with some of her rally balls and will not give away some of the games in a manner that Ostapenko can be prone to do.

Elena Rybakina is really looking after her serve in this tournament and that is why she is a clear favourite to win the Wimbledon title for a second time in three years. Even in the two losses to this opponent, Elena Rybakina has not had too many issues when it comes to the serve and that is likely going to be key for her again.

There is also the additional factor of Barbora Krejcikova playing in the Ladies Doubles this week as well as the Singles, and that has meant playing twice on Wednesday, just twenty-four hours before this big Semi Final.

We do know that Barbora Krejcikova is used to playing both Singles and Doubles in a Grand Slam tournament so it should not be a major problem, but this is already a tough match for her. It would be a surprise if Krejcikova is able to go all the way and earn the upset, but she should be competitive enough and the Czech player is perhaps being a little underrated in this Semi Final.

MY PICKS: Jasmine Paolini - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Barbora Krejcikova + 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Wimbledon Update: 18-19, - 6.62 Units (74 Units Staked, - 8.95% Yield)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 9 Picks 2023 (July 11th)

It has been an irritating couple of days for the Tennis Picks, but we have to remain confident that a strong end to Wimbledon will produce positive numbers.

The final eight names in both the Gentlemen's and Ladies draws have been confirmed on Monday evening and the pre-tournament favourites are all still very much in contetion.

Novak Djokovic remains the player to beat in the men's draw, but Carlos Alcaraz has looked strong this week and there are some fascinating names still left in the tournament. It is good to see the likes of Holger Rune cracking through the door at another Grand Slam event, while Jannik Sinner will still feel he owes Djokovic having blown a two sets lead over the seven time Wimbledon Champion here twelve months ago.

There is no doubting the importance of seeing the new 'Big Three' on the WTA Tour all making it through to the Quarter Final and I do think those players are going to lead the women's side of the sport into a new era. Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka have all looked capable of winning the title here this week and the World Number 1 may benefit from being in one half of the draw, while Rybakina and Sabalenka remain on course for a huge Semi Final showdown.

Having three players begin to compete in Finals and Semi Finals regularly will only build the profile of the WTA Tour who have been looking for consistent rivalries at the top of the game.

Once you have those, you will have fans wanting to see those top names much as they have in the men's game and we will have little reason to wonder if organisers are going to be willing to schedule the top women's players in the prime time slots at the biggest events.

Jessica Pegula - 1.5 games v Marketa Vondrousova: Neither of these players could really point out a lot of good form on the grass courts before Wimbledon 2023 and so it will feel like a surprise to see Jessica Pegula and Marketa Vondrousova in this Quarter Final.

The First Round win was tough, but Jessica Pegula has raised her level in the last three victories in SW19 and will be more comfortable on the show courts compared with Marketa Vondrousova.

However, the left hander from the Czech Republic has arguably won the tougher matches with victories over solid grass court players in Veronika Kudermetova and Donna Vekic. Even the come from behind over compatriot Marie Bouzkova is a solid won considering the latter has enjoyed success on the grass courts at Wimbledon before and so Marketa Vondrousova needs to be given a lot of respect.

The Fourth Round win was tough, but Marketa Vondrousova had been in fine form through the first three Rounds and had been serving incredibly well. She enjoyed a couple of very good wins in the warm up events prior to the third Grand Slam beginning and Vondrousova will feel her serve can cause a lot of problems for the higher Ranked player.

Serving well has also been key for Jessica Pegula and both players have dropped serve seven times across their four wins. One difference could be that Jessica Pegula has been a touch more consistent in her return numbers on the grass courts compared with Marketa Vondrousova, who has had a strong week in that regards, but a week that is much stronger than we have become accustomed to seeing from her on this surface.

The ability to play defence may just give Jessica Pegula a narrow edge, although she has some mental demons to exorcise having never been beyond the Quarter Final at a Grand Slam.

Her five previous Quarter Final matches have largely seen Pegula lose without much of a fight and Marketa Vondrousova is a former Grand Slam Finalist so may have the edge in terms of controlling nerves. However, it has been a few years since Vondrousova made that Final in Paris, and this is the best run she has had since the French Open in 2021.

Much will depend on how well Jessica Pegula can serve- if she can control this part of her tennis, the American can set a new career mark in reaching a first Slam Semi Final. It would not be a major surprise if we need a third set decider considering both players will be expected to have some nerves to deal with, but Jessica Pegula has found a strong level in the last three wins and she has had the deeper grass court success and that can show up here.

Iga Swiatek - 5.5 games v Elina Svitolina: Prior to her run at the French Open, Elina Svitolina had shown some solid clay court form by winning a title in Strasbourg and that makes her successes at Wimbledon even more surprising than what we saw in Paris. In that tournament she was pretty well beaten by Aryna Sabalenka in the Quarter Final and Elina Svitolina will be an underdog against one of the 'Big Three' on the WTA Tour in this Quarter Final.

She would have fancied her chances of upsetting Aryna Sabalenka, who is not at her best on the clay, and Elina Svitolina will feel the same when facing Iga Swiatek on the grass courts.

The World Number 1 was pushed to her absolute limit in her Fourth Round win over Belinda Bencic and most will have noted that Iga Swiatek is already enjoying her best run at Wimbledon and she is facing an opponent that has previously reached the Semi Final at SW19. This will have raised some expectation of an upset, but Elina Svitolina is not exactly someone that has had a lot of success at the tournament in the past.

In fact she has only been beyond the Second Round once outside of that Semi Final run and a heavy loss in a warm up tournament on the grass meant there was very little expectation for the veteran player returning to the Tour.

Elina Svitolina has played well this week and the serve has been an important weapon for her- it has allowed the Ukrainian to do enough on the return to come through matches, but Svitolina has been tested and the players she has beaten are considerably below the level that Iga Swiatek has been able to show.

Even in the warm up event, Iga Swiatek won three matches in dominant fashion and she has been very strong in her wins at Wimbledon before the tight victory over Belinda Bencic. Beating someone who is very effective on the grass will have given Swiatek a lot of belief and she will have noted the breaks of serve that Victoria Azarenka was able to produce against the Elina Svitolina serve.

Iga Swiatek is more consistent than Victoria Azarenka at this stage of their respective careers and the World Number 1 has a stronger serve that will be more difficult for Elina Svitolina to attack.

A lot of emotion and effort was put into the Fourth Round win by Elina Svitolina on Saturday too and it may be that she does not have enough tennis in the legs to recover and beat someone as good as Iga Swiatek.

The top Seed has won five of the six Grand Slam Quarter Final matches she has played and Iga Swiatek would have covered this line in three of those five wins. If she can come out fast and quieten some of the crowd, Iga Swiatek is playing well enough on the grass courts to make this match a lot more comfortable than the Fourth Round win over Belinda Bencic turned out to be.

Jannik Sinner - 6.5 games v Roman Safiullin: A couple of top 30 wins has helped Roman Safiullin through to the Wimbledon Quarter Final and he is arguably the most unexpected player left in the last eight of either the Gentlemen's and Ladies' draw at the tournament.

At the start of the tournament, Roman Safiullin would have had little expectation on his shoulders as the World Number 92, especially as someone who had an 8-11 record against top 100 Ranked opponents. The serve has been a big weapon for the Russian and he has dropped it just twice in his last two wins at Wimbledon to make easy progress into the Quarter Final.

However, earlier in the tournament Roman Safiullin saw his serve broken four times in both the First and Second Round matches and now he has to step up and take on a very confident youngster.

Last year Jannik Sinner reached the Wimbledon Quarter Final and led Novak Djokovic 2-0 in sets and he has clearly enjoyed playing on the grass again. The Italian is looking to reach a Grand Slam Semi Final for the first time so will be feeling some pressure, but Jannik Sinner has made comfortable progress in the tournament thanks to a dominant serve of his own.

This is going to be a key shot for Jannik Sinner, while there will be a real feeling that the World Number 8 has a real edge when it comes to the return of the two players competing in this Quarter Final.

It proved to be the case in a straight sets win over Roman Safiullin in their sole previous meeting, which came on a hard court in 2022, while the limited grass court successes of the lower Ranked player makes it difficult to believe he can maintain the current levels.

You have to always respect a player in the form that Roman Safiullin has shown in this tournament, but he is going to have to find another level to stick with Jannik Sinner. The latter had a closer than expected Fourth Round win, but that was down to some wastefulness when it came to converting the Break Points, but in the main Jannik Sinner has been in strong form with his tennis and should be happy enough with the match up.

If Roman Safiullin drops his level slightly on the return, Jannik Sinner is more than capable of taking advantage of any slip and he can move through to the Semi Final at a Grand Slam for the first time in his career.

Novak Djokovic - 6.5 games v Andrey Rublev: While the rest of his half of the Wimbledon draw were able to complete Fourth Round matches on Sunday as scheduled, Novak Djokovic was forced to return on Monday to complete his win over Hubert Hurkacz. He led 2-0 in sets when the match was prematurely ended on Sunday, and Novak Djokovic had to play a couple of sets to earn his place in the Quarter Final.

He has a little over twenty-four hours to prepare for the next match at Wimbledon, but Novak Djokovic should not be using any potential fatigue as an excuse. The Fourth Round match was not a taxing one despite the sets needing tie-breakers or late breaks of serve to be decided and the limited rallies played means the World Number 2 should have plenty left in the tank.

Novak Djokovic might have dropped a set for the first time this week, but he has been in fine form at Wimbledon as he looks for a fifth consecutive title to match Roger Federer's mark of eight titles won at this Grand Slam. It has been ten years since he was last beaten on Centre Court and Novak Djokovic is likely to be much happier with the kind of rhythm he is expected to get out of this match compared with the last one.

He won't be taking anything for granted against Andrey Rublev who has reached the Quarter Final at all four Grand Slam events after rallying to beat Alexander Bublik in five sets in the Fourth Round. It is the eighth Quarter Final that Rublev will be playing at a Grand Slam, but he has yet to make it through to the Semi Final and will likely have very similar thoughts about facing Novak Djokovic as he did before they faced one another at the Australian Open.

Back in January it did not sound like Andrey Rublev had a lot of confidence in taking on Novak Djokovic on a court he loves in Melbourne, but it is arguably an even tougher test to beat the Serb on Centre Court.

In their match at the Australian Open, Novak Djokovic broke the Rublev serve five times and was able to win 70% of his service points played.

Now Andrey Rublev has to try and find a way to break the Djokovic serve which has been in imperious form at Wimbledon having been broken just twice in his four wins and winning at least 80% of the points played behind serve in each of the last three wins.

The underdog has found a fair few breaks of serve throughout this tournament, but Andrey Rublev has not really faced a server like Novak Djokovic who can back up his second serve effectively. He did not win a lot of points against Alexander Bublik in the Fourth Round having been restricted to 28% of points won on the return, although Andrey Rublev was able to break serve three times in the match.

He is not expected to be given as many free points as Bublik donated and Novak Djokovic will not wilt at the key moments.

Andrey Rublev is going to have to serve well to stay with Novak Djokovic, but this has been a poor match up for him in the past with just 68% of service games ending with a hold.

Novak Djokovic has not returned as well as he would have liked in the tournament, but this might be a comfortable enough match up for him to expect something like his best form. In two of the four wins at Wimbledon, Djokovic has broken at least four times and the head to head with Andrey Rublev suggests the title favourite should have his chances in this Quarter Final.

In the previous seven Grand Slam Quarter Final matches played, Andrey Rublev has only managed to break serve in 4% of return games played and he may find Novak Djokovic putting him under pressure in this one. While this is a big handicap mark, the defending Champion is capable of finding those breaks of serve to move into a position to cover and just make sure something is kept in reserve for the Semi Final on Friday.

MY PICKS: Jessica Pegula - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Iga Swiatek - 5.5 Games @ 1.95 Coral (2 Units)

Jannik Sinner - 6.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Novak Djokovic - 6.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Wimbledon Update: 51-49, - 7.66 Units (200 Units Staked, - 3.83% Yield)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 13 Picks 2021- Gentlemen's Final (July 11th)

The Ladies Final has largely disappointed over the last several years at Wimbledon, but that was not the case on Saturday as Ashleigh Barty came through in three sets against Karolina Pliskova.

Nerves hurt Pliskova and I do wonder if they will play a part for Matteo Berrettini as he gets set to play his first ever Grand Slam Final. He is facing an experienced opponent in Novak Djokovic who is clearly the best player in the world, but the Men's Final has proven to be very entertaining in recent times and the hope is that there will be another one on Sunday.

Personally I am not quite so sure as you will be able to read below.

Novak Djokovic - 5.5 games v Matteo Berrettini: The 2021 Wimbledon Men's Final will be competed by one player with a vast amount of experience and one looking to win his maiden Grand Slam title.

Novak Djokovic is unsurprisingly the favourite having won his last twenty matches at Wimbledon, but Matteo Berrettini will arrive in the Final with a heap of confidence behind him having won the Queens title before Wimbledon began. He has been largely untroubled in the tournament so far too, but Novak Djokovic can say the same and he has won the last two Grand Slam tournaments that have been played and is looking to match his great rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal at twenty Majors won.

That will place some pressure on Djokovic's shoulders, but he is vastly experienced and showed in his Semi Final win that he is able to play the big points really well against the upstarts of the Tour who are looking to take their place amongst the elite. The win over Denis Shapovalov should really work out well for Novak Djokovic as he will have felt some of the pace that is going to be coming out of the Matteo Berrettini racquet, while his previous head to head wins over the Italian will only add to the confidence the World Number 1 is usually going to feel.

The serve is going to be a key weapon for both players, but you really have to believe that Matteo Berrettini will need the first serve to be working from the off to have a chance. It has been a potent weapon for him throughout the tournament, but Matteo Berrettini may be the first to admit that he has not played a return player of the quality of Novak Djokovic and he was challenged by Felix Auger-Aliassime in the Quarter Final before finally edging past the young Canadian.

Novak Djokovic has been serving incredibly well in the tournament himself and it is an underrated part of his game on the faster surfaces. I expect it will be a serve that makes it tough for Matteo Berrettini to get into the return games as often as he did in other matches at Wimbledon, while the pressure coming from the Novak Djokovic return is likely going to wear on an inexperienced, younger player.

Matteo Berrettini has been incredibly difficult to break on the grass and that is not a massive surprise when you think of the huge first serve he possesses that can get him out of troubling moments. However, he has been broken in 33% of his service games played against Novak Djokovic and I do think that the return of serve is going to be the key to the outcome of the match with a significant edge being given to the World Number 1.

While Novak Djokovic has had some successes getting into the Matteo Berrettini service games, the Italian has broken just once in six sets competed against Djokovic.

This is a big spread for Novak Djokovic to cover if Matteo Berrettini is serving at the absolute top of his game, but I think anything less than that will see enough returns being made to wear down the younger player. Italy will be looking for a double in London on Sunday, but I think Novak Djokovic will have too much and force fans to hope for better later in the day.

MY PICK: Novak Djokovic - 5.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Wimbledon Update: 62-51, + 8.68 Units (226 Units Staked, + 3.84% Yield)

Weekend Football Picks and Fantasy Football 2020 (July 11-13)

There are a number of managers who have voiced their concerns with the amount of football the players are being asked to play in a short span of time.

We may hear more of those complaints in the months ahead when you think of the narrow window in which the 2020/21 season has to be played so it doesn't impact the Euro 2020 tournament which has been pushed back twelve months. UEFA have not really helped by maintaining their early Nations League windows and the Champions League/Europa League Group Stage is going to be played in a little under two months to put pressure on the big Leagues around the continent.

Those are issues that have been kicked down the road by the top Divisions who are all expected to get back underway in early September after the first Nations League matches have been played. We should begin to hear more about the plans and the schedule fairly shortly as we enter the final four League games of the 2019/20 season in the Premier League.


Results this past week look to have been devastating for the likes of Bournemouth and Aston Villa who both failed to win home games while Watford secured a vital three points. Four games are left to complete for all the sides looking to avoid relegation and the 3 point gap between Bournemouth and Watford already looks a big one that is going to be very difficult to bridge at this stage of the season.

Ultimately there is no momentum behind any of the clubs in the bottom three which suggests they are going to turn things around, although another weekend of Premier League games could quickly change the landscape.


The top four battle looks much more likely to go down to the wire, although it does now feel it is between three teams to earn two places. Chelsea, Leicester City and Manchester United will all have a keen eye on the decision made on Manchester City's appeal against their European ban which will be announced on Monday as that may open up 5th place for a Champions League berth, but all things being equal it does feel like the Leicester City versus Manchester United game on July 26th could be vital.


We also had the draws for the Champions League and Europa League which shows the path teams will have to run if they are going to win those tournaments which are completed next month.

Manchester United have to be happy with the Quarter Final draw, but then likely will face either Sevilla or Wolves in the Semi Final and that makes for a difficult road. It is especially hard to negotiate in single Leg ties which is how those competitions are going to be completed, although on current form you do have to make Manchester United favourites to win in Germany.

The Champions League draw looks to have created a very strong half of the draw as Manchester City, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus and Bayern Munich remain in one half. Picking someone to earn their way through that is not going to be easy, while the big winners on Friday might be Paris Saint-Germain who look to be in the easier section.

However, Paris Saint-Germain have not played a competitive fixture since March and they have a habit of failing from positions of strength and I would not rule out Atletico Madrid from battling their way through to the Final.

Those are issues for the next few weeks though as domestic Leagues are completed first, while the FA Cup Final is also set to be completed in the week before those European competitions resume.


Another round of Premier League games are to be played this weekend from Saturday through to Monday evening and you can read my thoughts on those below. Following that I will go into the latest GameWeek of the Fantasy Premier League game after a relatively disappointing week.


Norwich City v West Ham United Pick: Over the last three Premier League games, West Ham United have created enough chances to win all three but have returned 4 points from a possible 9. While some will be disappointed, David Moyes will also know those are valuable points at this stage of the season which have just eased relegation concerns.

Depending on the Bournemouth and Aston Villa results on Thursday, that gap may either feel like a chasm or a logjam by the time this fixture is due to kick off on Saturday. If one, or both clubs have won, West Ham United will feel the breath on the back of their necks and there will be a lot of pressure on the players to produce a result against a team that is almost certainly going to be relegated.

West Ham United have to concentrate on their own issues and they have been playing well enough to expose any defensive vulnerabilities Norwich City have. The home team have not defended well enough to keep teams out as they have struggled with the balance between attack and defence, while Norwich City never seem too far away from making a real mistake that costs them a goal.

The Hammers have pace in forward areas that will be very threatening on the counter attack, but their own defensive problems are clear to see. West Ham United have not had a single clean sheet in their last 15 games in all competitions and Norwich City should have nothing to lose.

That attitude saw them lead at Watford and pose problems for another struggling team, but it is hard to ignore the failure to score in 3 home Premier League games since the resumption of play. At this stage you would think they have nothing to lose, but playing without the fans has been difficult for Norwich City who must feel they would have had a much greater motivation to push on with the backing from the stands.

Norwich City have to throw some caution to the wind and I do think they will have some opportunities in this one. Unfortunately I don't think they can keep West Ham United out at the other end and this could be a fixture in which goals are produced.

West Ham United look plenty short to win here considering their own away form, but I think they can edge a high-scoring game and that will put them in a very strong position to avoid relegation.


Watford v Newcastle United Pick: This has the look of a fascinating Premier League game where all of the pressure is on Watford to earn the points to keep them safe before having to face Manchester City and Arsenal in their final two League games.

The extent of that pressure will depend on whether Bournemouth and/or Aston Villa have won their games to be played on Thursday, but Nigel Pearson will know his team have some confidence from the 2-1 win over Norwich City behind them.

Now they go again at home against a Newcastle United team fresh off their 5-0 hammering at the hands of Manchester City. I am not going to read too much into that game as Steve Bruce has his team playing very well before that and he did rest some key names from the start that will likely take part in this fixture.

The attitude of the manager has seen Newcastle United produce some very attacking performances since the resumption of the Premier League and that does make them dangerous. They have pace in the wide areas and will likely employ two up front which proved to be very important in their 1-4 win at Bournemouth earlier this month.

Newcastle United will certainly feel there are gaps to exploit in the Watford defence who have conceded in all 3 games at Vicarage Road played in the last month. Even Norwich City were creating chances here and might have gotten more out of the game on a different day and I do think The Magpies will really challenge Watford.

The new attacking intent has left Newcastle United more vulnerable at the back though and they have conceded at least two goals in 3 of their last 4 games in all competitions. Granted two of those fixtures were against the powerful Manchester City squad, but Bournemouth scored against them and West Ham United managed two goals which can't be ignored.

I do think both teams will have chances in this one as Watford look to score in their sixth consecutive home Premier League game. They are not defending well enough to keep out Newcastle United in all honesty and so an attacking game could be in prospect with at least three goals shared out.

It is a vital game for Watford and they might not push too many forward if they are level and neither Bournemouth nor Aston Villa have won on Thursday evening, but for seventy minutes I expect to see attacking enterprise on display and that may lead to at least three goals being shared out.


Liverpool v Burnley Pick: You can't help but credit Burnley for the way they have continued to overachieve under Sean Dyche and I think the club would be very foolish to allow the manager to walk away.

It's one thing if Dyche is offered the chance to progress his career at a 'bigger' club, but another altogether if there has been a falling out between the manager and the directors which leads him to take a break from football.

Burnley players have shown their support for Sean Dyche by producing a 4 game unbeaten run and winning 3 of those with a single goal being enough to secure those victories. They are not creating a host of chances in games, but Burnley are solid and they use set pieces to challenge any team they face and you can't help but respect a club that have won 4 of their last 6 away Premier League games.

There is no doubt that Liverpool will need to be focused and energetic if they are going to win this fixture. Since winning the title the performances have lacked a little intensity and Liverpool have been somewhat fortunate to beat Aston Villa and Brighton in their last two games.

However it is no surprise that a talented attacking team have found the right passes at the right time to win matches and I do think Liverpool will find a way to break down a Burnley team who have earned clean sheets in games where opponents will feel they have missed big chances.

That was the case in both away wins at Crystal Palace and West Ham United and I do think Burnley will do very well to keep Liverpool out. There is motivation to break the record points total which should keep Liverpool going and Sadio Mane was rested on Wednesday until coming on late in the game so should be fresh.

Liverpool have earned back to back clean sheets at home since the resumption of the Premier League and I think they will likely win this one with a clean sheet.


Sheffield United v Chelsea Pick: The most immediate reaction I have to seeing the prices for this weekend's game at Bramall Lane is that Chelsea are far too short to secure the win.

Outside of the top two, I don't think any team deserves to be odds on to beat Sheffield United here and especially not in the form that The Blades have displayed in the last week.

The home team may not score the amount of goals that their play has deserved, but they work hard and are a threat from set pieces. There is quality in the final third and putting these together I simply don't believe this Chelsea defence can keep a clean sheet.

They were being rocked by Crystal Palace on Tuesday and needed a huge slice of fortune to come away with a 2-3 win and Chelsea have kept a single clean sheet in their last 10 away games in all competitions. Sheffield United have scored in 10 of their last 11 at home and beat Tottenham Hotspur and Wolves in consecutive games here so I have to say backing the home team with a start doesn't look the worst play.

It would need a Chelsea win by two or more goals to see the stake lost, but only 1 of their last 15 away games has ended with such a scoreline. Sheffield United should score here which makes it more difficult to believe Chelsea will run past them, but I also have to respect the amount of chances and goals Frank Lampard's team produce on their travels.

As strong as Sheffield United's defensive record has been, they are not a team who have shut down opponents and I do think Chelsea will have chances here. The 1-1 might suit the home team a little more than the visitors, but I don't think either team will sit back and accept that result and so the selection is going to be looking for goals.

Four goals were shared out when these teams met at Stamford Bridge and I do think there is enough evidence from their recent home/away games respectively which suggests we will see chances and goals in this one. The last 5 Chelsea away Premier League games have ended with three or more goals shared out and I do think both hitting the net is a real likelihood which may lead to at least three goals produced in this one too.

I would not be surprised if Sheffield United edge to the points, but my gut feeling is that this game ends 2-1 either way.


Brighton v Manchester City Pick: The last Premier League game on Saturday evening may mean slightly more to Brighton than Manchester City for their long-term ambitions, but both clubs look relatively secure in their current positions.

Of course it has been a disappointing season for Manchester City which will only be improved if they can win the Champions League next month. Pep Guardiola wants his team to go into those fixtures with a FA Cup success behind them and he will want a strong end to the Premier League season to build the momentum and confidence.

In a really surprising turn of events, Manchester City were beaten 1-0 at Southampton last weekend and have lost 3 Premier League away games in a row. Actually they have lost more away games than any other team in the current top eight in the Premier League and that is terrible stat for a team who had earned 198 points across two previous seasons.

They were unlucky at Southampton when bad finishing coupled with an inspired Alex McCarthy cost them. You have to believe Manchester City won't be as poor in the final third again and they are facing a Brighton team who have looked to play their football under Graham Potter.

Brighton look like they are going to have enough to avoid relegation at the end of this campaign and they were very impressive in their 1-3 defeat to Liverpool despite the defeat. The team created chances and wanted to play on the front foot, but that should leave spaces for Manchester City to exploit in this one.

The Seagulls have conceded three times in back to back home games against Manchester United and Liverpool and their defending has simply not been good enough in those games. I do think they will have some success going forward as they did in their fixture against Liverpool, especially as Manchester City have not defended very well for much of the season, but that may still not be enough for Brighton to secure a result here.

Both Manchester City visits here have ended with comfortable wins for Pep Guardiola's men and I think they are likely to put another one on the board on Saturday.


Wolves v Everton Pick: Neither Wolves nor Everton are in the kind of form they would want to be as they go into their final four games in the Premier League season, but home advantage could be key to the outcome of this one.

In their 2 home games played since the resumption of play, Wolves have defended well enough and created chances to win the fixtures. They would have been very disappointed with their 0-2 defeat to Arsenal last week, but Wolves had their opportunities and I do think they can bounce back and produce better in this one.

I think the chance of getting into the Champions League through their Premier League form might have been lost after back to back losses, but that may free Wolves up who will be targeting a return to the Europa League at the least. The players might be able to play with a bit more freedom this week and Wolves have been a team who can be very tough to play here.

They are facing an Everton team who drew with Southampton on Thursday, but that means they have had a day less to prepare for this one. Everton have not looked as strong in the final third as they would have liked in their last 4 Premier League games and Everton have looked vulnerable at the back which is an area that Wolves will try and exploit.

Everton do have a decent record at Molineux and they did beat Wolves at home earlier this season. However I do think the players are struggling a little bit at the moment and I can see Wolves being stubborn defensively and do just enough to earn the victory.

Adama Traore's potential absence would be a blow, but there is more quality in the Wolves ranks than we have seen of late. I expect Nuno Espirito Santo can help the team return to form and Wolves do put enough quality together in the final third which can see them narrowly get past Everton in this one.

It won't be easy for Wolves unless they can find a slightly more cutting edge in the attacking areas, but they may be helped by Everton's recent form and the extra day of recovery could be crucial for them.


Aston Villa v Crystal Palace Pick: A controversial moment allowed Manchester United to take the lead at Villa Park on Thursday and from there the home team were never really able to get back into the match. An eventual 0-3 defeat has pushed Aston Villa closer to the Championship and they are in a very difficult position going into the final four games.

There is already a 4 point gap between Aston Villa and the likes of West Ham United and Watford, but that could have been extended by the time this game kicks off. Both of those teams have matches where they are favoured to win on Saturday and bridging 7 points with just four games left to play would be too much for Aston Villa.

The results in those two Premier League fixtures could have a huge impact on the way Aston Villa approach this one- the players might be feeling sorry for themselves if they feel that avoiding relegation is now beyond them and it wouldn't have been very easy against Crystal Palace anyway.

Roy Hodgson's men may have lost 4 Premier League games in a row, but they pushed Chelsea all the way in their 2-3 defeat on Tuesday and having the additional time to rest and prepare for this game should benefit Crystal Palace.

In general this is a team that does make life difficult for opponents despite the recent heavy losses at Liverpool and Leicester City. However, Crystal Palace can also lack some quality in the final third and I do think there is a chance that the players may keep something in reserve for their upcoming game against Manchester United having put so much into their fixture with Chelsea.

There is a chance that Aston Villa have to take risks which leaves them exposed to Crystal Palace, but I do think the struggles both have had in the final third could be the most likely outcome of the match. One of the teams failing to find the net is where I think this fixture will go, although maybe think about backing Crystal Palace to earn a positive result if both West Ham United and Watford have earned points on Saturday to extend the gap to Aston Villa.


Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal Pick: The second and final North London derby of the 2019/20 season will be played on Sunday and both Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal will be searching for the points that takes them nearer to at least a Europa League spot for next season.

Both are still mathematically involved in the top four race, but neither team has shown the consistent form to get back into the Champions League.

Pride will also be on the line as the winning team will be in pole position to at least finish highest in North London, but this has been an underwhelming season for both Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal who have changed managers within the campaign.

Tottenham Hotspur are off a miserable goalless draw with Bournemouth on Thursday and they are facing a rival who last played on Tuesday so should have a physical edge. That won't cut it as an excuse for Spurs fans if they are beaten on Sunday and Jose Mourinho has to produce a big reaction from his players who are struggling to create solid chances.

At least Tottenham Hotspur have won their last 2 games here and back to back clean sheets in those victories will give the team something to build upon. They have kept clean sheets in 3 of their last 4 overall and Tottenham Hotspur have the experience to at least keep some control of an Arsenal team who have clinical strikers but who do not create a lot of chances.

Mikel Arteta has made his team a little more stubborn and he is coaching up the defenders to at least make things harder for teams to break them down. They have given up limited chances in their last 4 Premier League games and in that time Arsenal have only conceded the single goal.

Last week they won at Wolves who had been flying before that result and games between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal hosted by Spurs have tended to be tighter affairs in recent years.

The last 3 Premier League games hosted by Tottenham Hotspur have featured two or fewer goals shared out, and the way these two attacks and defences have been playing I do think it is entirely plausible that we will see another tight game on Sunday.

Neither will want to give too much away and the lack of real chances being created by either team has to be a concern for those searching for entertainment. An early goal could change the whole feeling around the fixture, but both Spurs and Arsenal have been playing with enough discipline at the back to restrict the other and I do think fewer than three goals will be scored.


Bournemouth v Leicester City Pick: Thursday night saw Tottenham Hotspur produce a miserable performance on the south coast, but Eddie Howe's Bournemouth were not able to convert some good chances and had to settle for a goalless draw.

In normal times that would not be seen as a negative result, but Bournemouth are in a fight for survival and it is wins, not draws, which are going to give them any chance of avoiding the drop. The poor form has stretched back a number of months and seen Bournemouth take 2 points from a possible 27 in the Premier League, although they did snap a run of consecutive losses here by earning the draw with Spurs.

Both West Ham United and Watford play on Saturday and the gap to Bournemouth could easily be 6 points by the end of those fixtures. That will mean Bournemouth have to take some real chances knowing they are effectively 7 points behind with their poor goal difference in play.

Regardless of the results their relegation rivals earn this weekend, Eddie Howe will know his team have to get forward and win this game. They should have chances against this Leicester City team, but I do worry about Bournemouth having a lot less time to prepare for this game than their top four chasing visitors.

Leicester City have earned 4 points from the last week thanks to a home win over Crystal Palace and a draw at Arsenal, but Brendan Rodgers knows his team need to start putting consistent wins on the board. Four wins from four remaining Premier League games will be enough to secure Champions League Football next season, but it is a big ask of a Leicester City team who have struggled for consistency in recent months.

They have not won any of their last 6 away games and Leicester City haven't scored more than a single goal in their last 8 on their travels in all competitions. Leicester City should have more opportunities in this one considering Bournemouth's situation and poor defensive record, and the feeling is that this is going to be a lot more attacking game from both sides than the one we saw on Thursday when Tottenham Hotspur visited here.

Both teams may feel they need to take risks to earn the three points and I do think both will have their chances to score. The 1-1 wouldn't do a lot for either team, but I will look for the chances being created by both teams to lead to goals and feel there will be three or more scored here.


Manchester United v Southampton Pick: Playing last in the latest round of Premier League fixtures does mean there could be some pressure on Manchester United to respond to results that Chelsea and Leicester City achieve over the weekend, but this is a team playing with confidence.

You can't underestimate the fact that Manchester United have become the first team to win four Premier League games in a row by three or more goal margins since this League was formed in 1992. That is an impressive mark for a team who have dismissed Sheffield United, Brighton, Bournemouth and Aston Villa since the restart of the Division.

Manchester United will look to get on the front foot early in this one when they take on an in-form Southampton team at Old Trafford on Monday Night Football.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has admitted this is not going to be an easy game and Southampton will play with plenty of confidence of their own. They have actually won more away games than Manchester United this season which should not be ignored and only some early missed chances prevented Southampton from making it 3 away wins in a row in the Premier League when drawing 1-1 at Goodison Park on Thursday.

The Saints have created chances and will be encouraged by the success Bournemouth had here last weekend. Southampton have also scored at Tottenham Hotspur (two games), Manchester City (two games), Wolves, Arsenal, Chelsea and Leicester City this season so they won't be concerned by having to do that at Old Trafford.

At the same time it has to be noted that Southampton have conceded at least twice at Tottenham Hotspur (two games), Manchester City (two games), Arsenal and Liverpool and so the feeling is that this could be an attacking game with both teams having chances to find the net.

Both teams have hit the net when Manchester United and Southampton have met 3 times since Ralph Hasenhuttl has taken over as manager of the latter. Last season at Old Trafford a late goal helped Manchester United edge out Southampton 3-2 here, but games between these clubs have been competitive in recent seasons and this could be another one.

Manchester United and Southampton are both in decent form and I do think confidence will be flowing in both dressing rooms ahead of this fixture. I do think it will be a good, entertaining game, but Manchester United may edge out Southampton in a high-scoring fixture.

Keeping the big wins coming might be more difficult for Manchester United in the form that Southampton are showing, but I do think the home team can earn the three points.

MY PICKS: Norwich City-West Ham United Over 2.5 Goals
Watford-Newcastle United Over 2.5 Goals
Liverpool Win to Nil
Sheffield United-Chelsea Over 2.5 Goals
Manchester City - 1.5 Asian Handicap
Wolves - 0.25 Asian Handicap
Aston Villa-Crystal Palace Both Teams to Score NO
Tottenham Hotspur-Arsenal Under 2.5 Goals
Bournemouth-Leicester City Over 2.5 Goals
Manchester United to Win & Over 2 Total Goals

Fantasy Football GameWeek 35+

There are only four rounds of the Premier League and thus the Fantasy Football game being run to play and I am off a disappointing week.

My failures have been clear and something that I want to improve next season- but I am on course for another 2000 points plus finish, although I can't afford to allow my judgement to be clouded by potential in the coming campaign.

In the main I have been happy enough with my selections, and I do think I can go with the same squad this week and look to make changes in GW 36+. Keeping two transfers for that GameWeek looks the best approach as I want to give some underperforming players the chance to redeem themselves in good looking fixtures this week.

My Free Hit chip is going to be used in GW38+ this season in which I will load up on attacking players in what is traditionally a high-scoring weekend. Things may be different this season as it will effectively be another 'pre-season' fixture for some teams who will be preparing for the 2020/21 campaign and the short turnaround between seasons.

However I do think it is the best time to use the Chip in lieu of the DGWs I had been preparing for before the pandemic changed everything for everyone.

This week the team looks like this:

Alisson (Liverpool v Burnley)

Virgil Van Dijk (Liverpool v Burnley)

Harry Maguire (Man United v Southampton)

Willy Boly (Wolves v Everton)

Kevin De Bruyne (Man City v Brighton)

Bruno Fernandes (Man United v Southampton)

Anthony Martial (Man United v Southampton)

Michail Antonio (West Ham United v Norwich City)

Christian Pulisic (Chelsea v Sheffield United)

Roberto Firmino (Liverpool v Burnley)

Raul Jimenez (Wolves v Everton)

Bench: Emiliano Martinez, Dwight Gayle, James Justin, Federico Fernandez

Wimbledon Tennis Day 10 Picks 2019 (July 11th)

The men's tournament has been something of a disappointment so far at Wimbledon in 2019 as we have not really seen too many of the real epic matches that you come to expect at the Grand Slams.

While there have been some five setters, the four Semi Finalists have made serene progress through to the Semi Final, although the one positive is that we are now in a position to see three top matches on that side of the tournament.

Rafael Nadal versus Roger Federer will take the headlines, and rightly so, but I also think the Novak Djokovic versus Roberto Bautista Agut match has some interest around it when you think how matches between those two have gone in 2019.

I will get back to the men's tennis in the thread for the Friday Semi Final matches, but this one is going to concentrate on the two Ladies Semi Finals which are being played on Thursday. The tournament feels like it is still wide open for all four players involved, but the experience and the comfort on the grass of Serena Williams makes it difficult to back against her.

Both Elina Svitolina and Simona Halep may feel they will not have a better chance of reaching the Final at SW19 than the opportunity in front of them and with Williams not looking completely at ease the winner of that Semi Final will head into the Final with some real belief.

Barbora Strycova has nothing to lose after contemplating retirement and overachieving to reach the Semi Final, but it will be interesting to see how she deals with a new exposure on what looks a very interesting Thursday on Centre Court.


The Tennis Picks went 6-2 in the Quarter Final Round and have improved the totals from the tournament which I have updated below.

You can also read my selections from the two women's Semi Finals being played on Thursday.


Elina Svitolina-Simona Halep over 21.5 games: When you look at the form that Elina Svitolina and Simona Halep have produced at Wimbledon over the last couple of weeks as well as the last few years on the grass then you can completely understand the position the layers have taken by making the Romanian the favourite.

She is a healthy favourite too and I do think Simona Halep has every chance to reach the Final here for the first time. This is already the best run Halep has put together at Wimbledon and she is a player that may only have one Grand Slam to her name, but who has been in multiple Semi Final and Finals at this level which should see her handle the pressure of the occasion.

The same can't be said for Elina Svitolina who has also seen Wimbledon as the worst of the four majors for her personally. With that in mind it is a huge surprise that the Ukrainian has finally made a Semi Final at a Grand Slam at SW19 and it will be interesting to see if that frees her up considering some of the collapses she has had late in the majors in the past.

One of the more memorable ones came at the French Open in 2017 when Svitolina was a set and 5-1 up against Simona Halep before collapsing to a three set defeat. That is always a fear around the Svitolina game that she will be overcome by nerves and produce a really low level of performance which can see opponent's take advantage and end up pulling away for a big win.

Since that Quarter Final loss, Elina Svitolina has been able to get the better of Halep. She had won three matches in a row against Halep before losing to her in three sets earlier this year on the hard courts of Doha, and Svitolina's numbers in those matches have seen her dominate the former World Number 1.

However in this tournament it is Simona Halep who looks to be playing at a higher level and I do think that will see her come through the match. I don't think it will be an easy match for her though and I do think the head to head is relevant enough to believe Svitolina will be competitive enough to help this Semi Final surpass the total games line.

The Elina Svitolina serve has not been in good form in the tournament and I do think Halep is going to have a lot of success there. However, the Ukrainian has been returning effectively and she has had enough joy facing the Halep serve to believe that both players will be capable of taking a set in this match. That should be enough to set them up for a potential cover of the total games line and even a tight two setter will give this selection every chance of being the right one.

Simona Halep is the better grass court player, but Elina Svitolina's confidence should be in a good place after finally breaking through the Quarter Final barrier at a Grand Slam. Hopefully this will be the first of two good Semi Final matches played on Thursday.


Serena Williams - 4.5 games v Barbora Strycova: A first Grand Slam Semi Final is a huge achievement for any player, but one that is 33 years old and contemplating retirement has to be given all the more credit. Barbora Strycova has become the oldest female player to reach a Grand Slam Semi Final and the Czech player feels she has nothing to lose in this match where she is a significant underdog.

It is a position she has enjoyed on her run to the Semi Final with upset wins over the likes of Elise Mertens and Johanna Konta and Strycova's slicing and dicing game could be one that troubles Serena Williams too. Much is going to depend on how well Strycova can serve and how quickly she can get to the net and force Serena Williams to find passing shots.

The game is a similar one to the Alison Riske blueprint which caused so many problems for Williams in the Quarter Final. Even then the American dug down deep to win the match in a deciding set and she is clearly very confident with Serena Williams admitting this is about as good as she has felt at any time on the Tour in 2019.

All of the pressure is on Williams who is trying to tie Margaret Court's twenty-four Grand Slams and as the clear favourite to win the title on Saturday afternoon. For the most part the serve has been working to keep Williams in front of opponents, but she will need to be much better on that side of her game on Thursday compared to where she was against Riske on Tuesday.

In the Quarter Final Williams only won 59% of points behind serve which is considerably down on the rest of the tournament. While Strycova has struggled on her return on the grass ahead of Wimbledon beginning, the Czech player has been in good form at the tournament and in their previous head to heads Strycova has been able to get into the Williams service games with some real success.

The problem for Strycova has been the fact that Williams has won more points on her serve than she has herself in each of their three previous matches. That last of those was back in January 2017 so may not be relevant to this match, but I do think Williams is someone who has the power to keep Strycova from closing the net if she is timing her returns.

Barbora Strycova has been serving very well through the five Rounds played at Wimbledon, but Williams has picked up her level on the return in the last two Rounds. That has to be a worry for the underdog who also has to make sure she can control her nerves and remember that all of the pressure is on the former World Number 1.

It might be the key reason that Serena Williams is able to win this match and I think she can be backed to cover this handicap mark. She would not have covered this line in her Australian Open win over Barbora Strycova in January 2017, but I do think Williams is returning well enough to find the breaks of serve to do that here.

I am expecting one of the sets to be very competitive, but I also think Serena Williams will be able to secure another with a wide margin between the two players. That may be enough to help the former World Number 1 reach yet another Wimbledon Final and also cover the handicap mark in this Semi Final.

MY PICKS: Elina Svitolina-Simona Halep Over 21.5 Games @ 1.90 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Serena Williams - 4.5 Games @ 1.85 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Wimbledon Update: 53-38, + 22.94 Units (182 Units Staked, + 12.60% Yield)