Boxing Picks 2026- Errol Spence Jr vs Tim Tszyu (Saturday 25th July)

It has been a relatively quiet time for Boxing fans since Jaron Ennis beat Xander Zayas at the end of June, although that is partly down to the fact that promoters would have been keen to avoid clashes with the Football World Cup being hosted in North America.

With that in mind, it is no surprise that some big names are making comebacks on the first weekend since Spain won the World Cup for a second time, while Zuffa Boxing have their latest card taking place on Sunday.

All attention in this thread is on the fights taking place across a number of hours featuring Anthony Joshua and a returning Errol Spence Jr as he goes straight back into the deep end. The former is fighting in Saudi Arabia yet again, while The Truth travels Down Under to take on Tim Tszyu in what feels like a crossroads fight for both in the Middleweight Division.

Three selections returned winners in the last Boxing thread at the end of June, but there are some big nights ahead before the end of the 2026 calendar year and there is still some making up to do in what has been a slow first half of the year for the Picks being made.

Saturday is the start of the second half of the year for the Boxing Picks and building on the momentum from the last night is the ambition.

Errol Spence Jr vs Tim Tszyu

It may have something to do with the fact that I've always been a big Errol Spence Jr fan that this fight is the headline one for the Boxing Picks on Saturday 25th July.

The Truth was last in action three years ago when losing to Terence Crawford and that was a night in which his unbeaten run was ended and the Undisputed Welterweight crown was convincingly taken by Bud. A rematch clause was activated, but allowed to expire, and Crawford went on to dethrone Canelo Alvarez at Super Middleweight before retiring, which underlines the length of time Errol Spence Jr has been out of a ring.

This will be just the fourth fight since 2020 for Errol Spence Jr who had also suffered a significant car accident and retina issues before the defeat to Terence Crawford.

So the big question has to be what has Errol Spence Jr got left in the tank? That can soon be followed by why has the layoff been as long as it has for the Texan who is now 36 years old?

These will be answered on Saturday night with Errol Spence Jr returning to action with a new trainer having criticised previous trainer Derrick James and becoming embroiled in a legal dispute with him. In recent weeks, Derrick James has spoken about the issues Errol Spence Jr had in camp prior to the defeat to Crawford and you do have to wonder if this three year layoff has given Spence Jr time to heal both mentally and physically and whether it has been too long a time spent away from competitive action.

Ring rust is a real issue and it has to be a worry that Errol Spence Jr's team requested this bout to be changed to a Middleweight limit having previously agreed to a 158 pound catchweight.

Suffice to say there are plenty of red flags around the return!

However, at his best, Errol Spence Jr would really fancy doing the job against Tim Tszyu, even as the road fighter, and the style of the Australian is one that would have gelled perfectly for The Truth to expose and exploit.

The problem is we can't really be sure that the best of Spence Jr, or anything close to his former best, is going to be entering the ring and that is where Tim Tszyu could make things very tough.

There is nothing special about what Tszyu is trying to do- he will walk forward, throwing plenty of leather, and he will be looking to out-will his opponent. That has worked against a certain level of opponent, but also saw Tim Tszyu walk into huge shots from Sebastian Fundora and Bakhram Murtazaliev who were both able to close the show before the final bell.

A couple of wins over lesser opponents back home has given Tim Tszyu this opportunity and he has continued to remind anyone that listens that he has yet to lose in Australia.

Much like Errol Spence Jr, Tim Tszyu will know a win offers one more shot at the big time, but a defeat likely ends his time at this kind of level. That puts both men under pressure, but styles make fights and this is a fight that looks like it could catch fire pretty quickly.

Errol Spence Jr is the superior boxer with the better jab and the footwork would have also been to his advantage, at least before this long layoff.

There has been nothing wrong with the Tim Tszyu heart, even taking his defeats into consideration, and he is not going to want to lose in Australia. This could push him to keep getting forward and may eventually lead to a mistake that can be capitalised on by Errol Spence Jr.

At the same time, Tim Tszyu has to be thinking about taking Errol Spence Jr into the second half of the fight and see if there is much left of the former Unified World Champion, especially at a higher weight class and with that time spent away to think about.

It shouldn't take too long for the fight to catch fire, but the first couple of Rounds could be a feeling out process before either is willing to let more go.

Both have shown they can wear down opponents and the Twelve Rounds gives that bit more opportunity to do that and it would not be a big surprise if this contest ends in the second half of the contest, although picking a winner is as tough as the layers think with so much to think about for both fighters.

The chief support is Stephen Fulton versus Luke Wilson after Jermall Charlo was not given a visa to travel to Australia.

This feels like another crossroads bout, but Stephen Fulton is rightly favoured and the layers expect him to win this one on the cards.

However, Luke Wilson will take some confidence from the fact that he has never been beaten at the final bell of any contest with all three defeats ending in Stoppage when he has stepped up his level. Luke Wilson did give Emmanuel Navarrete a scare before losing in the Ninth Round and was then Stopped by Oscar Valdez in the Seventh.

Stephen Fulton has not really shown that kind of power at the world level, but should have enough skills to bounce back from his loss to O'Shaquie Foster.

The American is moving up in weight class again, but the expectation is that he could nick this one narrowly on the Judges' cards... (Since writing this, Fulton has missed weight significantly and the fight has been scrapped- anyone missing weight by a pound can be excused, but this was a bout set for a 130 limit and, even after allowing for 133, Fulton failed to weigh below 139 and that is an utter disgrace).

If things had been different, Callum Peters would have been travelling to Glasgow for the Commonwealth Games, but he has not allowed his disappointment to slow down what is beginning to be an eye-catching start to his professional career.

Fighting an unbeaten southpaw from South America can be dangerous, but Callum Peters can steal some of the limelight on this big show by producing a big performance.

So Tyson Fury was able to win a fight on Friday that did not have a broadcast deal and now the attention turns to Anthony Joshua to try and do his part and make sure the all-British Heavyweight Fight can be set later this year.

Most expect that contest to be announced if AJ can win, although there is also a real feeling that both are well passed their best and this is a bout that should have taken place several years ago.

Anthony Joshua was last seen crushing Jake Paul when finally cornering an opponent that refused to engage and simply run around the ring, but he suffered a devastating personal blow when two of his best friends passed away in a car accident in Nigeria. The former Champion is fortunate he was able to leave the incident with a few bumps and bruises, but the mental impact cannot be assessed and there were suggestions that he may not fight again.

Now the motivation is there to honour his friends and Anthony Joshua is expected to have little issue dismissing Kristian Prenga.

The underdog has a record that looks great on paper, but scratching the surface shows there is little depth to the resume and Prenga is stepping up multiple levels.

At 35 years old and with a perfect record in terms of Stoppages in wins, you have to question why Kristian Prenga has not stepped up to see if he can mix it with better company.

That alone is telling and he should be ripe for Anthony Joshua to produce an impressive Stoppage to give him momentum to take into the bout against Tyson Fury and the expectation is that his opponent may offer the opportunity to close the show pretty early on.

A couple of big names from British Boxing are defending World Titles on the undercard.

Josh Kelly fulfilled his potential by upsetting Bakhram Murtazaliev and picking up the IBF World Title in the Light Middleweight Division. That came back in January, but Kelly has not been able to entice one of the other Champions into the ring with him and instead he will be defending that World Title against unbeaten Caoimhin Agyarko.

The opportunity is one that the Irishman is desperate to take, but Agyarko has had issues with eye swellings in his last couple of fights and only just got the better of Ishmael Davis in September last year.

Caoimhin Agyarko has been out of the ring recovering, but he is unbeaten and steps up to face Josh Kelly filled with confidence.

However, the British fighter has the higher experience and should be the sharper puncher, which could end up reaggravating that previous eye issue.

Stopping fights is not something either is used to, but Josh Kelly could be a big price to get this one done inside the distance and then target the other Champions again.

The expectation is that this will be a competitive World Title fight, but the same cannot be said for Hamzah Sheeraz who is still hoping to be the next ticket drawn in the lottery to fight Canelo Alvarez, assuming the latter wins his next fight.

With that said, the promoters around Sheeraz have been very careful with his match-making and that has allowed the British fighter to produce some highlight reel performances.

It feels like the fortunate draw with Carlos Adames has perhaps spooked the advisors and Hamzah Sheeraz has not exactly been fighting opponents expected to offer a lot of resistance since then. In May he crushed Alem Begic and you do have to wonder what Simon Zachenhuber has done to earn the chance to fight for the WBO World Title in the Super Middleweight Division.

A 29-1 record may suggest something else, but Simon Zachenhuber was beaten in April by Pawel August, who happens to be an unbeaten fighter in a different bout on the undercard, and so little resistance is expected here.

That was a defeat in a Six Rounder and it is simply not possible to believe Zachenhuber is ready for a test like this one- those advising Hamzah Sheeraz may not be ready to see him in with the biggest names in the sport (unless for the kind of money Canelo Alvarez will provide), but he has shown this level of opponent is one that he can blitz through and that is the likely outcome of this World Title defence.

MY PICKS: Errol Spence Jr-Tim Tszyu Fight to Go the Distance- NO @ 1.66 William Hill (2 Units)

Callum Peters to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 1.72 William Hill (2 Units)

Anthony Joshua to Win Between 1-4 @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Josh Kelly to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 6.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Hamzah Sheeraz to Win Between 1-4 @ 1.91 Bet365 (2 Units)

Boxing 2026: 18-31, - 7.56 Units (75 Units Staked, - 10.08% Yield)

World Matchplay Darts Day 8 Picks 2026 (Saturday 25th July)

The absence of Luke Humphries has made the World Matchplay feel like a tournament that Luke Littler is going to win, but credit has to be given to him for the level being produced.

It may have been easy to drop the standard, but Littler is not built like that and his averages have been exceptional throughout the week.

Next up is Dirk van Duijvenbode, but this is a big test for the Dutchman even if he has been playing really well himself.

The second Semi Final was set on Friday when Gian van Veen and Gerwyn Price held off opponents that had fought back towards the end of the last eight matches. These two are familiar with one another through the Premier League meetings, but the winner will know that another mountain stands between them and the title here IF Luke Littler does come through the top half of the draw.

Luke Littler over 11.5 180s & Dirk van Duijvenbode 1+ 100+ checkout: The World Matchplay has felt like a procession for Luke Littler as he continues to produce truly impressive numbers in dismissing all those in front of him.

It says something that the handicap for this Semi Final has been set at 8.5 Legs, but Dirk van Duijvenbode has shown enough this week to offer some resistance.

Wins over Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson will have been in matches where the fans were firmly behind the opponent and so Dirk van Duijvenbode is unlikely to be upset by the atmosphere. Instead the Dutchman has to focus on what he has been doing well this week and that is hitting plenty of big scores and then showing composure when the doubles have needed to be popped off.

Combination finishing has really helped his cause and Dirk van Duijvenbode is likely going to need at least a couple of 100+ checkouts if he is to at least give Luke Littler something to think about.

Four of those big checkouts were needed to see off Gary Anderson and Dirk van Duijvenbode had another against Michael van Gerwen so can secure his part of this selection.

Luke Littler has been crushing the maximums for fun throughout this tournament and he has had thirty-eight in three matches here and can contribute at least thirteen in this Semi Final. The layers are taking no chances compared with the Quarter Final prices for his maximums, but the World Number 1 can put plenty more on the board in this match and it is going to surprise no one to state that this is a Semi Final that Littler should win.

Gerwyn Price to win & both players 1+ 100+ checkout v Gian van Veen: This is going to be the eighth meeting between these players in 2026 and it is Gerwyn Price who leads with five wins from the previous seven matches.

All of those have been in the Premier League under the best of eleven format, but this is a race to seventeen Legs and that should mean a few more twists and turns.

However, the head to head cannot be dismissed and especially not when you consider how the two players have been performing at the World Matchplay.

Gerwyn Price started slowly, but is continuing to improve in each match played and that can only be a positive for him. A similar level to the one that beat Ross Smith would make The Ice Man a solid favourite to win this Semi Final and Price is rightly expected to do that.

He will be looking to come out and play at a similar level, but Gian van Veen is well aware that he needs to be more consistent if he is going to upset the odds again in this tournament.

Credit has to be given to Gian van Veen for the finishing qualities shown, and he will need all of his combination finishing in this one. The big checkouts have been a feature of the wins Gian van Veen has produced in Blackpool and both of these players are more than capable of finding at least one big finish during the course of this Semi Final.

As has been mentioned, Gerwyn Price deserves the edge and he can reach the World Matchplay Final again.

MY PICKS: Luke Littler Over 12.5 180s & Dirk van Duijvenbode 1+ 100+ Checkout @ 2.05 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Gerwyn Price to Win & Both Players 1+ 100+ Checkout @ 1.75 Bet365 (1 Unit)

World Matchplay: 12-13, + 0.55 Units (25 Units Staked, + 2.20% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Saturday 25th July)

The tournaments that are being played this week are being concluded over the weekend before both Tours move onto bigger hard courts events.

That begins the real lead into the US Open, but first we have to complete the events being played this week, although there may not be too many selections from the Semi Final and Finals that will be scheduled.

Barbora Krejcikova - 5.5 games v Lilli Tagger: Eight straight wins have been put on the board by Barbora Krejcikova and she is the favourite to win the title in Prague after picking up the trophy in Athens.

Once again the former French Open and Wimbledon Champion is pushing back towards the top 20 in the World Rankings and Barbora Krejcikova will be looking for one or two more big runs at the Grand Slam events.

She does have a Quarter Final run to defend at the US Open, but Krejcikova has been in dominant form this month on the hard courts and will be heading into August with a lot of confidence.

The expectation is that Barbora Krejcikova will have too much for Lilli Tagger- the World Number 26 has not only been winning matches, but winning convincingly and it may be difficult for the teenager to slow her down.

Lilli Tagger has played well this week, but this is a big step up and she had lost all three matches against top 50 Ranked opponents on the hard courts before the win in the Quarter Final on Friday. That was against another home player, but playing the Number 2 Seed is another challenge and Barbora Krejcikova may be able to maintain her current momentum in what could be another relatively comfortable win.

MY PICKS: Barbora Krejcikova - 5.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 5-5, - 0.88 Units (10 Units Staked, - 8.80% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2023 (July 25th)

A quiet start to the week saw a couple of Picks split with a win and loss apiece, while Mirra Andreeva had a change in opponent.

That did not stop the young player from crushing Dayana Yastremska and Andreeva continues to look like a potential superstar in the making. Her serve will only improve as she gets older, while the return already makes her very dangerous and the overall tennis being produced is very impressive from a 16 year old.

A much busier day is in store on Tuesday when the majority of the First Round matches are scheduled to be played in the five tournament venues hosting tournaments.

My main focus early in the week is the joint ATP and WTA tournament being played in Hamburg, although there is also a selection from the ATP Umag event taking place on the clay courts.

Lorenzo Musetti - 4.5 games v Elias Ymer: Any player coming through the Qualifiers has to be considered dangerous early on in a tournament, even for the top Seeds in the draw.

Lorenzo Musetti has to appreciate the fact that Elias Ymer has won two matches here in straight sets and he has clearly put the defeat to Leo Borg last week in Bastad behind him. Circumstances were not ideal with brother Mikael announcing he had been given an eighteen month suspension on the morning of the Elias Ymer match with Borg, but that was a painful loss all the same against someone Ymer should be beating.

He has looked strong in the Qualifiers, but Elias Ymer will know there is a considerable gap to bridge to the World Number 18 who lost a couple of places after his Semi Final defeat in Bastad last week. The Italian played well in his first two matches, but Musetti still has a tendency to leave players hanging around within matches, while has not always played his best tennis against opponents Ranked outside the top 100.

This season Lorenzo Musetti only holds a 3-4 record in those matches on the clay courts, which is a massive surprise and perhaps suggests he does not focus as he should do. Three of those four losses have been against players who were lowly Ranked earlier in the year, but who are well inside the top 100 now and Musetti was able to win two matches as expected last week before he fell to Casper Ruud in the Semi Final.

His return should be effective against the Elias Ymer serve, which has given up plenty of Break Points in the few matches he has had against top 100 Ranked opponents. The Swede does have a couple of wins on the clay courts in those matches, but was well beaten by Casper Ruud in the First Round of the French Open and Elias Ymer is expected to be put under pressure from the Musetti serve.

Elias Ymer can play well enough to create Break Points of his own, but this should be a match that is played on the Lorenzo Musetti racquet and the Italian can break down the Qualifier and pull away for a strong win.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina - 2.5 games v Pedro Cachin: In general, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has beaten opponents that he would have expected to on the clay courts this season, but he did suffer a disappointing exit in Bastad last week.

The defeat has dropped his mark to 7-2 on the clay against opponents Ranked outside the top 20, although the Spaniard has the chance to make up for that when playing in the First Round in Hamburg.

Overall it has been a tough twelve months for Davidovich Fokina who has lost more matches than he has won, despite some quality performances. Stretching the wins together has been an issue and the Spaniard is close to slipping out of the top 40 in the World Rankings so this is an important tournament for him after reaching the Quarter Final in Hamburg twelve months ago.

His return has not been an issue on the red dirt, but Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has not looked after his serve as well as he would have liked, although the numbers have been stronger when facing those outside of the elite on the Tour. Last week the serve kept Davidovich Fokina under pressure having to facing eight Break Points and he will need to be better when taking on a player who will be feeling really good after a very successful week.

Pedro Cachin is at a new career high World Ranking after winning the title in Gstaad on Sunday, the first ATP Tour title he has won his career.

He has played some solid tennis this season, but the emotion of Sunday could leave Pedro Cachin short both mentally and physically when he heads to the court just a couple of days later. The serve was a big weapon for him and Cachin was good for the Tennis Picks with wins in the Semi Final and Final, but it has to be noted that he has still to show more when facing top 50 Ranked opponents on the clay courts.

Last week he beat Roberto Bautista Agut to move to 3-5 in those matches in 2023, but Pedro Cachin was perhaps a little fortunate to win that tight match. His numbers have been dented in those tougher matches, although I would certainly give him more of a chance in this one if Cachin had not just played a long week with an emotional outcome.

A strong start may see him push through, but Alejandro Davidovich Fokina is good enough to take advantage of any fatigue that may be in play and he can win and cover.

Alexander Zverev - 5.5 games v Alex Molcan: For the third time this season, Alexander Zverev and Alex Molcan are meeting in a clay court match on the Tour.

Alexander Zverev won very comfortably in Paris at the French Open, but he was made to work much harder last week in Bastad and needed all three sets to be played before earning a passage into the Second Round.

Some of that was down to wastefulness on Break Points with Zverev winning just four out of fifteen attempts compared with Alex Molcan's three conversions from six chances. He created a lot of chances to break in Paris too, but Alexander Zverev was much more ruthless on that day, while he also looked after the second serve a lot more effectively too.

Allegations from his personal life cannot be helping Alexander Zverev, but he has played on the Tour with those hovering over this head before and it was not the reason he was outplayed by Andrey Rublev in Bastad. Being back in front of home supporters should at least give Zverev more motivation having reached the Semi Final the last time he played in Hamburg and this is a match where he is expected to have plenty more Break Points.

Alex Molcan is struggling for form, but might have taken some confidence in winning a set against Alexander Zverev last week. He would have hoped for a kinder draw in Hamburg than having to face Zverev again, especially as Molcan has lost three matches in a row on the clay courts and having had a difficult time behind his serve.

He has played the big points well enough to avoid dropping serve at times, but this leads to pressure on his overall tennis and Molcan has been having his struggles on the court.

Maybe he can serve well enough to save another eleven Break Points in this match, but Alexander Zverev should be motivated to have a strong week in Hamburg and he can win this one with the Breaks needed to cover.

Francisco Cerundolo - 2.5 games v Yannick Hanfmann: Last year Francisco Cerundolo won the title in Bastad and reached the Semi Final in Hamburg in consecutive weeks on the clay courts, but his defence of the Bastad title ended in the Semi Final on Saturday.

The performance in the tournament was strong and Cerundolo was very unlucky to lose to Andrey Rublev, the eventual winner, so there is little doubt that this is going to be a confident player arriving in Hamburg.

He is facing one of the home players in the draw in Yannick Hanfmann, but Francisco Cerundolo holds three wins over this opponent on the clay courts since February 2022. One of those came in straight sets at the French Open a couple of months ago and Francisco Cerundolo does look like he will enjoy the match up that Hanfmann brings to him.

In their two matches this year, Francisco Cerundolo has created thirty-three Break Point chances compared with eighteen for Yannick Hanfmann. The favourite will want to win a high percentage of the first serves that go in, but Francisco Cerundolo also has to be confident he can win the rallies that develop from second serves and he can make it four in a row against this opponent.

Yannick Hanfmann has enjoyed a solid year on the clay courts which has helped drag his World Ranking back up to Number 45, which is a career high mark. However, his service numbers have declined significantly when playing top 50 Ranked opponents on the clay courts this year and you have to believe that Francisco Cerundolo has the returning ability to keep the home player under pressure.

Nothing comes easy against Hanfmann, but Francisco Cerundolo has all of the tools in his tennis to keep his run of wins going against the German player.

MY PICKS: Lorenzo Musetti - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina - 2.5 Games @ 1.85 Coral (2 Units)

Alexander Zverev - 5.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Francisco Cerundolo - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Juan Pablo Varillas @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Federico Coria - 1.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Mayar Sherif - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Diana Shnaider - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 1-1, - 0.34 Units (4 Units Staked, - 8.50% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2023- Stephen Fulton vs Naoya Inoue (July 25th)

The month of July is largely seen as the 'off-season' as far as Boxing is concerned, although you will have some cards scattered around the world.

We have seen some of the up and coming talents in the Welterweight Division in tick-along fights, while Maxi Hughes has to still be feeling pretty sick having not had his hand raised against former Undisputed Lightweight Champion George Kambosos Jr this past weekend.

The calm in July since the opening Saturday of the month has all largely down to this last week in the month when two top fights have been scheduled to take place within a few days of one another.

One fight that I'm sure all have been looking forward to comes up on Saturday when Errol Spence Jr and Terence Crawford finally duke it out for all of the marbles in the Welterweight Division. There is a rematch clause in place, but that is likely to be at Light Middleweight and so the entire 147 pound Division is set for a reset with the likes of Jaron Ennis expected to fill in the gaps.

I've long hoped to see Spence Jr and Crawford decide the best Welterweight in the ring and it should be a top fight, but first the attention is on Japan where Naoya Inoue looks to win a World Title in yet another Division.

He became the Undisputed Bantamweight Champion in his last fight, but Inoue has been looking for another challenge and this is a legitimate test for the Japanese Monster when facing Champion Stephen Fulton.

Robeisy Ramirez looks to be the main attraction on the undercard and there has been some talk that he could be a potential opponent for the winner of the main event in the future.

The Boxing Picks have suffered through a really poor first seven months of the season and that is a disappointment after the winning record produced in 2022. There is time to turn things around with a bit more consistency from the results, but it is key to start putting the winners together.

Stephen Fulton vs Naoya Inoue

You can't be anything but impressed with the way Naoya Inoue has dominated opponents in his professional career and he is moving up yet another Division in order to find a challenge.

If you are being picky, you could suggest that Inoue missed out on some huge names in the Super Flyweight Division, but his crushing of opponents at Bantamweight to become the first Undisputed Champion at 118 pounds in fifty years has to be admired.

Now he moves up four more pounds to take on the legitimate King of the Super Bantamweight Division.

Stephen Fulton might 'only' hold two of the four belts at 122 pounds, but his win over Brandon Figueroa is the stand out in the Division, while his 'easy' win over Daniel Roman speaks volumes. He has had over a year out of the ring since beating Roman, but the unbeaten American has shown a lot of confidence by actively pushing for this fight with Inoue and also being willing to travel to Japan to take on the home fighter.

There is no doubt that Fulton is daring to be great and he has plenty of reason to believe he can beat The Monster.

Size is clearly on the side of Fulton, while he is a slick, smooth boxer that has shown he has a number of ways he feels he can win fights. Boxing skills are not in doubt, although he is facing an opponent in Naoya Inoue who is anything but a one trick pony relying on power to overwhelm opponents.

In wins over Paul Butler and Nonito Donaire, Naoya Inoue has shown his own skills in the ring and carrying power in both hands makes him very dangerous. A smart boxer like Inoue will be difficult to deal with if Stephen Fulton chooses to stand and trade with the naturally smaller man in a bid to show he can handle the power, but the Champion is expected to keep Naoya Inoue on the end of the jab and not allow him to set and hit.

As we have seen many times with fights like this, there is a feeling that Naoya Inoue only has to be perfect for a second, while Fulton will have to be switched on for every moment of the likely thirty-six minutes he will spend in the ring. Stephen Fulton can hit hard, but it is unlikely he takes risks to push for a Stoppage unless he has Inoue completely bamboozled, while I also think the home fighter is far more than just a power puncher.

He hits hard, but he is a very good boxer too and that makes this a compelling contest between two quality Champions.

Picking a winner is not easy, but you have to feel that Stephen Fulton is being under-rated at the 3-1 prices being quoted.

You have to hope that Fulton is a little more cautious than he was in the win over Brandon Figueroa as Naoya Inoue is a better boxer and more skilled at finding openings than Figueroa who did push Fulton all the way.

Skills and slickness on the road is not always a good way to get to a Decision, especially against a popular home fighter like Naoya Inoue, but Stephen Fulton has to establish the jab and use his size to keep the distance. If he can do that, I do think he can put together enough Rounds to win the fight and it does feel like Fulton will be motivated by having most believing this is just another notch on the Hall of Fame resume being put together by Naoya Inoue.

It feels important to know that Stephen Fulton wanted this fight and was willing to make concessions like travelling to Japan to get it done- he clearly feels he has the beating of Naoya Inoue and this is a fight that is a lot more competitive than the odds would suggest.

The Monster is a great fighter to watch and he has shown how good he is, but Stephen Fulton's Phili-style can come through and it feels like he can win a razor thin Decision on the road and ultimately get ready for a rematch State-side later this year.

We have Robeisy Ramirez on the undercard and the newly crowned WBO World Champion at Featherweight makes a relatively quick return to the ring.

Losing on his professional debut was unexpected for a two time Olympic Gold Medal winner, but it did not hurt Vasyl Lomachenko who lost his second pro fight, and Ramirez has done the same as the Ukrainian in becoming a World Champion in double quick time.

There has been plenty to like about the Ramirez climb up the Rankings and this feels like a tick-along fight for him after the relative cruise to beat Isaac Dogboe and win the vacant WBO Title in April.

Satoshi Shimizu is also a former Olympian, but at 37 years old it feels like his journey in the professional game is going to be much shorter than most. He was being lined up for a World Title bid when Stopped by Joe Noynay in the Sixth Round in July 2019 and the Japanese boxer has had just three fights since then.

This is an opportunity for him, one that he may not have felt he would have been given if this card was taking place in the United States, rather than Japan.

The home fighter clearly has some pedigree with his amateur career, but Robeisy Ramirez is expected to have control of the fight and should have far too much for Satoshi Shimizu.

Inactivity is a problem for the 37 year old, while he is taking a considerable step up in level and was effectively found out once before when doing that. The Stoppage was against someone in a Division higher than this one, but Ramirez has shown he can go through the gears and get opponents out of there once he has them figured out.

With one more fight expected later this year, Robeisy Ramirez won't want to have to go too long and the feeling is that he can break down Shimizu relatively early.

MY PICKS: Stephen Fulton to Win @ 4.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Robeisy Ramirez Win Between 1-6 @ 4.20 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Boxing 2023: 33-60, - 24.72 Units (175 Units Staked, - 14.13% Yield)

Olympic Tennis Day 2 Picks 2021 (July 25th)

The Tennis continues at the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Felix Auger-Aliassime - 3.5 games v Andy Murray: A strong opening Doubles win will have given Andy Murray a real boost at the Olympic Games in Tokyo as he partnered up with Joe Salisbury to dump the Number 2 Seeds out of the tournament. The British player is also a double defending Gold Medal winner having picked up the top prize in London in 2012 and Rio in 2016, although Andy Murray is some way from the form of five years ago when he finished the year as the World Number 1.

Injuries have prevented Andy Murray from playing on the Tour to the standard he has set in his career, while it has felt like one step forward, two steps backwards as he bids to make a full time return to the Tour. Unsurprisingly the lack of tennis is beginning to impact the World Ranking as the Tour gets set to return to the 12 month Rankings that had been moved aside to cover for the Covid-19 pandemic which began sixteen months ago.

Andy Murray is currently outside the top 100 of the World Rankings and he was questioning his future in the sport after a one-sided Third Round loss at Wimbledon earlier this month. Some of that has been put down to the emotion of losing after a couple of tough wins, but Murray is going to have to raise his level significantly if he is going to take on some of the young guns on the ATP Tour who are beginning to make a big impact.

He faces one of those in the First Round at the Tokyo Olympics as Murray has been paired up to play Felix Auger-Aliassime.

The young Canadian reached the Wimbledon Quarter Final earlier this month and he is beginning to show improvement in a lot of aspects of his tennis which will make Felix Auger-Aliassime a threat as the Tour moves back to the hard courts. Earlier this year, Auger-Aliassime put together some solid results on the hard courts and he is beginning to back up a very good serve with an improved return game that will put Andy Murray under immense pressure in this First Round match.

We all know that Andy Murray is a solid return player, but he lost his two hard court matches against top 100 Ranked opponents pretty handily earlier in 2021. In those two matches, Murray struggled with his return and his own serve has proven to be vulnerable which should give Felix Auger-Aliassime an edge in this match.

There shouldn't be any intimidation on the part of the young Canadian going up against one of the big names of the ATP Tour from recent seasons. These two met at the US Open and Felix Auger-Aliassime crushed Andy Murray in straight sets while not giving up a single break point and working his way into the Murray service games often.

Felix Auger-Aliassime has also beaten Roger Federer on a grass court last month and I think he is going to have too much for Andy Murray as he ends the British player's reign as the current Olympic Champion.

Andrey Rublev - 3.5 games v Kei Nishikori: There are plenty of reasons to be disappointed watching sports without the fans, but for Kei Nishikori it will be a particularly sad moment as he gets set to begin his home Olympic Games in the Tennis event. The year postponement of the Games has at least given Nishikori a chance to get ready to compete, but the veteran former top ten player is not the performer he once was and I think this is a very difficult opening match for him.

With the support from the stands you could have imagined Kei Nishikori producing at a higher level than he has shown in 2021, but the lack of a crowd could make it tough to turn the momentum of a match if it begins to go against him.

Earlier this year, Kei Nishikori had a mixed time on the hard courts and he is coming in off a disappointing showing at Wimbledon which means this is a player who is perhaps not as confident going into the Olympic Games tournament as he would have wanted to be. Kei Nishikori has a 6-7 record on the hard courts in 2021 having missed the 2020 season, while his numbers are inconsistent too which suggests he is going to have to dig very deep to find a way to compete in this First Round match.

In those hard court matches, Kei Nishikori has only held 74% of the service games played, while the return performance has not been enough to make up for a vulnerable serve. Now the home hope is going to be facing Andrey Rublev who has shown consistency across the board in his performances over the last eighteen months and the Russian is also very comfortable playing on the hard courts.

Andrey Rublev feels like he is most comfortable on the hard courts and the level produced in 2021 is highly encouraging. A couple of titles and multiple runs to the Semi Final of other tournaments shows a consistency that might be too much for Kei Nishikori to deal with, while Andrey Rublev has held 88% of his service games played and broken in 28% of return games played.

Three years ago Kei Nishikori did beat Andrey Rublev on a hard court, but much has changed for both of these players since then. Nowadays it is the latter who has become one of the leading players on the ATP Tour and I think Andrey Rublev will get some revenge over Kei Nishikori by dumping him out of his home Olympics.

Karen Khachanov - 3.5 games v Yoshihito Nishioka: There will be plenty of eyes on Japanese Tennis on Day 2 at the Olympic Games Tennis tournament, although the lack of fans does not really help the home players. One of the younger Japanese players will begin their bid to win the Gold Medal on Sunday when Yoshihito Nishioka takes to the court, although we have yet to see the lefty reach the kind of potential that he was once thought to possess.

Injuries have not helped, and over the last twelve months Yoshihito Nishioka has a significant losing record which is likely going to hurt his World Ranking once the Tour moves back into a regular Ranking system. A poor grass court season means confidence is not going to be in the best place for Yoshihito Nishioka going into the Olympic Games and his hard court performances earlier in 2021 does not offer much encouragement either.

Yoshihito Nishioka has a 2-7 record on the hard courts in 2021 and both wins came in the same tournament in Singapore, while the 25 year old has lost his last four hard court matches. The lefty should get more out of his serve, but Nishioka has only held 62% of the service games played on this surface and it has put him under pressure on the return where Yoshihito Nishioka has only managed to break in 19% of return games played.

It is going to be a huge challenge for Yoshihito Nishioka to take on Karen Khachanov fresh off a Quarter Final run at Wimbledon and especially as the latter has produced much stronger form on the hard courts. The Russian may actually feel he has been underperforming over the last twelve months, but the wins at Wimbledon will be a huge boost to the confidence and moving back onto his favourite surface has to be another boost for Khachanov.

Karen Khachanov has dropped out of the top 20 of the World Rankings, but his strong serving should give him a real edge in this match. Where Nishioka has struggled to hold serve, Karen Khachanov has held 87% of the service games played on the hard courts and he also has a slightly higher break percentage on the hard courts compared with his opponent.

Their sole meeting came at the Australian Open in 2019 and Karen Khachanov won in straight sets against Yoshihito Nishioka. The Russian dominated the return numbers on the day and doubled the amount of break points created and I do think Khachanov will be able to dictate the tempo of the match and eventually cover the handicap mark on his way through to the Second Round.

MY PICKS: Felix Auger-Aliassime - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Andrey Rublev - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Karen Khachanov - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Veronika Kerdermetova + 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Unitss)

Ons Jabeur - 5.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Tennis Picks 2019 (July 25th)

This has not been a great week for the Tennis Picks and some of the frustration is down to the poor conversion of break points between the players I've picked and those they are playing.

It was the case on Wednesday as Casper Ruud blew a set and a break lead before going down in three sets. Dominic Thiem then missed his first eight break points before finally converting some and the day was wrapped up by Juan Ignacio Londero missing five break points before dropping the first set in his eventual three set defeat.

This week has thus been one of the worst of the 2019 season, but there are still four days to come before the tournaments are completed in Hamburg, Gstaad, Atlanta, Jurmala and Palermo. If Thursday is a really poor day I am thinking I might put a pin in the week, but I am looking for better results from the three selections made below.


Alexander Zverev - 3.5 games v Federico Delbonis: There were high expectations of Alexander Zverev going into the 2019 season after his success at the ATP Finals last November. Ultimately he has underwhelmed and Zverev was very critical of himself after another early Grand Slam exit at Wimbledon earlier this month.

He is clearly searching for a level of confidence and that has meant Zverev has taken an entry into the Hamburg Open where the ATP are running a 500 level event this week. The home favourite earned a solid win over Nicolas Jarry in the First Round, although that was against an opponent who was winning a title on Sunday and could have been a little fatigued.

In the Second Round Alexander Zverev takes on Federico Delbonis who was a Semi Finalist in Bastad before his run was ended by Jarry and who has followed up with a solid looking win over Marco Cecchinato in the First Round here. It has been a good month for the Argentinian who has won a Challenger title in Perugia before the run in Bastad and who continues to play his best tennis on the clay courts.

A solid month of clay court tennis has seen Federico Delbonis really improve the way he has been returning serve with 44% of points won against an opponent's serve. That has seen the Argentinian break in 36% of return games played and he will feel he can put Alexander Zverev under pressure with what has been a vulnerable confidence in matches over the last few months.

In 2019 Alexander Zverev has seen his numbers drop being serve and return on the clay courts, and that has seen him offer up seven fewer wins this year compared with 2018. He might be able to close that number in what is a relatively weak field for an ATP 500 event, but this is going to be a tough match for Zverev.

These two have some similar numbers which does make it difficult to back Zverev here, but I think a couple of factors could favour him. He should be the fresher player considering how much tennis Delbonis has played over the last few days, while their match at Geneva ahead of the French Open on the clay courts there will stand him in good stead.

Alexander Zverev held 81% of his service games played compared with Federico Delbonis who was at 64% in the same category. There was a marked difference in the percentage of service points won by each player and, while Delbonis is playing with more confidence now, I do think we will see the service edge with the German in this one too.

This is a big spread on the handicap considering how vulnerable Alexander Zverev's confidence seems to be, but I think the home crowd can carry him through this one. Federico Delbonis can cause problems, but I think Zverev is going have a little too much for him and can win and cover here.


Bernard Tomic v Matthew Ebden: Falling out of the top 100 of the World Rankings has not exactly humbled Bernard Tomic who still seems to have a strained relationship with the rest of the world. He is not in the mix when it comes to the Australian Davis Cup team, while Tomic has perhaps been enjoying the spoils of his career rather than looking to really make the most of his potential.

His come from behind win over Frances Tiafoe in the First Round is a big result, but it will be meaningless to Tomic if he is not able to take advantage of opening up the draw. However I have no doubt the fact that Tomic is so erratic day to day that the layers are not convinced he will be able to do that when facing compatriot Matthew Ebden.

The latter was a solid winner in the First Round too, but in general Matthew Ebden has had a difficult time on the hard courts. He only improved to 3-9 on the hard courts with his win over Kamil Majchrzak and Ebden has seen his numbers decline significantly from 2018 to 2019 on this surface.

In those years Matthew Ebden has seen his number of service games held drop from 78% to 73% on the hard courts and that has only made it more difficult to hide the relatively weak return numbers. It will be an issue for him against someone like Bernard Tomic who has been holding 84% of his service games played on the hard courts in 2019 and who continues to be as good as his serve allows him to be.

Bernard Tomic has also been a lot more effective than Matthew Ebden when it comes to the return of serve and I do think he is someone that can be backed at the prices on offer. The 3-0 head to head in favour of Tomic is not entirely relevant as their last match against each other came back in 2014, but compatriots playing each other can produce something of a hierarchal issue for the supposed underdog to overcome.

I do think Matthew Ebden will feel like that even though this is a virtual pick 'em on the day. Backing Bernard Tomic is not an easy decision, but I think he can use the stronger serve to edge out his fellow Australian.


Miomir Kecmanovic v Ugo Humbert: Two very young players on the Tour have begun to make an impact at the main ATP level which has seen Miomir Kecmanovic and Ugo Humbert both reach peak World Rankings going into this tournament in Atlanta. Another strong run will see them improve further and the layers have set this up as a pick 'em with both having very similar numbers for the 2019 season.

These two actually met in Antalya on the grass courts when Kecmanovic managed to beat Humbert in straight sets back in June, but the hard court form also seems to suggest that the young Serbian can be backed here.

Miomir Kecmanovic reached the Quarter Final in Indian Wells earlier this season and, while he has yet to really put together some consistency on the surface, he is someone who has produced some decent numbers. The Serbian has held 85% of the service games he has played on the hard courts at the main ATP Tour level and he has also broken in almost 22% of return games which does make him a credible player on the surface.

Those numbers stay steady on the serve when only considering the Kecmanovic performance against players outside of the top 20 of the World Rankings on this surface. However Kecmanovic will be confident going into this match considering he has upped his return numbers to finding breaks in almost 28% of return games played.

I do have to admit the return numbers are in for a strict test from Ugo Humbert as the young, lefty Frenchman has held 87% of service games played on the hard courts. The serve has been a massive weapon for Humbert who has won 67% of points played on the hard courts in his matches on the main Tour and that is going to give him every chance of trying to build some scoreboard pressure on Kecmanovic.

The issue for Humbert has been trying to get enough out of his own return of serve and against a server like Kecmanovic he can't expect to have a lot of joy. Ugo Humbert has only broken in 13% of return games played on the main Tour, but even adding the Qualifiers and Challenger events in 2019 and he has broken in less than 20% of his return games played on the hard courts.

With similar levels of serving, I do think the Kecmanovic return can give him the edge when it comes to facing someone like Humbert. Both should be confident that the serve can set them up for success, but I favour Kecmanovic to earn the win and place into the Quarter Final.

MY PICKS: Alexander Zverev - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Bernard Tomic @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Miomir Kecmanovic @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 2-5, - 6.36 Units (14 Units Staked, - 45.43% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2018 (July 25th)

Much like last week, it has been a very good start to the week but I am hoping I am able to maintain the success much better than I was able to do a few days ago.

On Wednesday we move into the Second Round of the matches to be played at ATP Atlanta, ATP Gstaad, ATP Hamburg as well as the two WTA events being played this week. My Tennis Picks are focusing on the men's tournaments taking place because of the better fields that have come together, although I imagine the WTA Moscow event will present some opportunities later in the week as the tournament reaches the business end.

Any Picks from Atlanta will be added to this thread at some point on Wednesday, but for now the three selections come from Gstaad and Hamburg.


Fernando Verdasco - 3.5 games v Thiago Monteiro: One of the big concerns for an inconsistent player like Fernando Verdasco has to be the long match he had to come through in the First Round in Hamburg. He spent around 40 minutes longer on the court than his opponent in this Second Round match, although it should be noted that Thiago Monteiro is in the draw as a Lucky Loser having won one and lost one Qualifier to get into the main draw.

The majority of his time is spent on the clay courts which makes Monteiro dangerous, but the best results he has tended to produce on the main Tour have come on the South American clay courts. His win over Gilles Simon in the First Round is a solid one which has to be respected, but Verdasco has already beaten the Brazilian very comfortably in 2018.

Verdasco had a very good win over Dusan Lajovic but his performances are becoming more and more erratic as the veteran reaches the latter stage of his career.

To be fair to Verdasco his numbers have been pretty strong in 2018 on the clay courts and they will certainly give him a chance to beat Monteiro for a second time on this surface. Thiago Monteiro has played well enough on the clay courts, but he has struggled with his return of serve and I think that could be a difference maker if Verdasco is not feeling too much tiredness after a long week in Bastad and a tough First Round match.

The struggles on the return of serve have been particularly evident when Monteiro has played on the main Tour and I do give Verdasco enough of an edge to cover this number. While his return of serve has only produced a 29% break rate in 2018, Verdasco has actually won more points on the return of serve this season than he has in previous years and I think it is the Spaniard who will have the majority of break points in this one.

It is always difficult to know what Verdasco will turn up to the court, but he dominated Monteiro when they met on the clay courts in South America earlier this season. If he serves as he has for much of the season on the clay courts Verdasco can do enough to cover this number in a victory over Monteiro.


Gael Monfils - 2.5 games v Leonardo Mayer: This is actually a pretty big number for Gael Monfils to cover when you think he is playing the defending Champion in Hamburg and has had close matches against Leonardo Mayer in the past.

In fact they played one another on the clay courts earlier this season and Monfils was a narrow winner, while he has also needed three sets to win his First Round match. Compare that to Mayer who has had a day of rest between his First Round match and this one and also was a strong winner in his match against Albert Ramos-Vinolas.

The fact Monfils is 3-0 against Mayer will help the confidence in this one and Mayer has struggled to really put the wins together on the clay courts in 2018. The title win in Hamburg will make Mayer feel better in these surroundings and he will point out the fact that Monfils was perhaps fortunate to beat Marco Cecchinato in the First Round.

The Frenchman has to be very pleased with that win when you think of how well Cecchinato has played on the clay in 2018. However he did win the title in Umag last week which may have meant the Italian was lacking something in the tank to beat Monfils.

The reason I do like Monfils is that he has had plenty of success on the clay courts in the past and the numbers are very similar to what Leonardo Mayer has produced. That is where the head to head could prove to be the difference in the critical moments of this match and I will look for Gael Monfils to end Mayer's defence of the title with a strong looking win.


Roberto Carballes Baena - 1.5 games v Taro Daniel: This looks like it has all the makings of a very close Second Round match with the two players producing very similar numbers on the clay courts.

Both Carballes Baena and Taro Daniel have had good First Round wins too, but the difference could come from a mental point of view. It is the Spaniard who has won all five previous matches between himself and Daniel and all but one of those have been on the clay courts albeit the last of those was a couple of years ago.

There has been an improvement in both players since they last met in 2016 but I am not sure you can completely ignore the fact that Daniel has won just a single set between these players.

In 2018 both have served pretty well and also broke serve at around the same number, although Carballes Baena may just have a slight edge all around. Adding that to the head to head and I think the Spaniard can be backed in what is considered a close match in Gstaad.

It is Taro Daniel who has had the better winning percentage on the clay courts, but I think Carballas Baena is going to be the one moving through to the Quarter Final and I will back him to cover this number.

MY PICKS: Fernando Verdasco - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Boyle Sports (2 Units)
Gael Monfils - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Roberto Carballas Baena - 1.5 Games @ 2.00 Ladbrokes (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 3-1, + 3.08 Units (8 Units Staked, + 38.5% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2017 (July 25th)

It feels like the whole of Europe is having a downturn in weather at this moment in July, although the tournament in Atlanta was another affected by poor weather on Monday.

At least Hamburg has a roof on the main court there, but rain delays have to be expected in the days ahead and I think there is a big chance of seeing players have to complete two matches in a single day to get these events back on track.

There are plenty of tennis matches scheduled for Tuesday as the events play catch up with Monday being severely affected by the rain, but the forecast doesn't make for great reading on the day and it may be another delay-filled day.

While there may be a lot of matches scheduled, for the second day in a row I am making just one pick from the matches to be played, weather permitting.


Caroline Wozniacki - 5.5 games v Pauline Parmentier: The clay courts may be the weakest of the surfaces as far as Caroline Wozniacki is concerned, but I think the Number 1 Seed in Bastad can get her event off to a solid start. This is a big number for Wozniacki to cover considering her clay court performances, but I think she has been able to produce enough solid tennis on the surface in 2017 to win this one.

Her opponent had a good run in Gstaad last week, but Pauline Parmentier has struggled when facing the better players on the Tour. The Frenchwoman is just 4-5 when facing top 100 players on the clay courts in 2017 and she was 5-4 last season and that is all the while Parmentier has only played five matches against players inside the top 50.

Parmentier is just 5-30 against top 20 players in her career and one of the poorer factors has been the return game which can be so important in women's tennis. She is 0-6 against top 20 players over the last two years on any surface and Parmentier has failed to get within this number of games four times in that time.

No one will confuse Wozniacki with someone who possesses a very strong serve, but the former World Number 1 is capable of looking after that enough to win this match. Her own return game is likely to put a lot of pressure on Parmentier and those numbers improve across the board when Wozniacki has taken on players Ranked outside the top 50 on the clay courts this season.

These two haven't met for a while, but Wozniacki recorded two big wins over Parmentier when they have played on the Tour and I will look for her to cover this number.

MY PICKS: Caroline Wozniacki - 5.5 Games @ 1.91 William Hill (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 0-1, - 2 Units (2 Units Staked, - 100% Yield)

Canadian Masters Tennis Picks 2016 (July 25th)

With the Olympic Games putting an additional tournament into the Tennis calendar and many of the top players keen to win the Gold Medal, the Canadian Masters have been moved forward from its usual position on the Tour.

This year it is being played at the end of July rather than in August and a number of the top players have decided they won't take part. That list includes Andy Murray, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams, but it should still be a big week of tennis with the two events in Montreal and Toronto taking centre stage.


On Monday we begin the First Round matches in what is a draw that takes place over seven days.

It is still a big field that has made it into the draw and there are some big Ranking points to be earned which is more important than a Gold Medal for many players on the Tour. Next week we do have some Ranking tournaments taking place alongside the Olympic Games and so the field will again be spread out over a number of venues even if the biggest names will be taking part in Rio de Janeiro.


Grigor Dimitrov - 4.5 games v Yuichi Sugita: It is very difficult to trust Grigor Dimitrov to perform as you would expect when you see the form he has produced over the last two years. His straight sets loss to Daniel Evans last week in Washington was yet another shot to the confidence which has already been severely dented over the last few months.

Despite the disappointing manner of that loss, Dimitrov has played his best tennis on the hard courts and this is a First Round match I fully expect him to win.

Yuichi Sugita is still outside the top 100 in the World Rankings and he is a player that spends almost his entire year off the main Tour. He has only reached a couple of Quarter Finals on the hard courts at the Challenger level and his defeats tend to be a little one sided as he is not blessed with the biggest serve and is forced to work hard for every point he earns in a match.

That can be difficult on the faster surfaces where it can be tough to recover breaks of serve that the Sugita game has to expect to face. I do think Sugita might find himself having some chances to break too with the way Dimitrov's confidence has been reduced, but I have to think the latter is still good enough to win a match like this with room to spare.

I believe Dimitrov can come through a couple of awkward moments to win this match 63, 64 and move into the Second Round in Toronto.


John Isner - 4.5 games v Dudi Sela: The manner in which John Isner was beaten last week in Washington will bother the American who was looking to win the title there as the Number 1 Seed. He will be looking to bounce back in Toronto with a strong run on another North American hard court as he faces Dudi Sela in the First Round.

On first glance this looks a big number for Isner to cover considering his limited return game, especially if Sela is mentally focused when the scoreboard pressure is on him. The one issue for Sela is that his serve can be a weakness and Isner is going to be aggressive and look to swing out on the return of serve, especially on any second serves he sees.

The Isner serve is always going to be a big weapon on the faster surfaces and he has changed his tact by throwing in a serve and volley to disrupt opponents returns. It is a good idea as Isner's volleying isn't too bad and I can see him use a chip and charge on the return to put more pressure on Sela to find the passing shots consistently.

Sela has not been able to take his form on the hard courts at Challenger level onto the main Tour and I am backing Isner to cover this number in a 63, 64 win in the First Round.


Jack Sock - 4.5 games v Denis Kudla: This might be the seventh meeting between two Americans Jack Sock and Denis Kudla, but the former is certainly looking like a player that is moving in a positive direction in the World Rankings. Jack Sock was an unfortunate Quarter Final loser in Washington last week, but he looked much better than Denis Kudla who was beaten by John Millman 75, 60.

Last year Sock and Kudla did split two matches, but I think the confidence levels are much different going into this match. Kudla has failed to win any of his last five matches and he is just 5-9 on the hard courts over 2016 in both main Tour and Challenger events.

Kudla does have a half decent game behind him, but it is one that can quickly fall apart if he is not feeling the ball as well as he can. His serve will give Sock something to work out, but you have to believe the latter is going to be the better player in the rallies and has the forehand to really hurt Kudla.

It has to be a strong serving day from Sock to keep the pressure on Kudla, but he was serving very well in Washington last week and I expect that to continue. The hard courts should be the perfect surface for Sock who can beat his compatriot 64, 63 to move through to the Second Round.


Samantha Stosur - 2.5 games v Heather Watson: This will be the first appearance on the Tour for Heather Watson since she won the Mixed Doubles title at Wimbledon, but it is on the Singles Tour she really wishes to make her mark. Going 1-4 on the grass courts was a really big disappointment for Watson who is significantly behind Johanna Konta in the World Rankings representing Great Britain.

Her World Ranking has dropped to Number 67, but Watson may feel the return to the hard courts will suit her as her best results have come on this surface. She actually has won a title on the hard courts this season and reached the Fourth Round in Miami and the next few weeks could see a significant improvement in her Ranking as Watson has very few points to defend through to the US Open.

Watson may have been hoping for a better draw than facing Samantha Stosur in the First Round in Montreal, a player who reached the Quarter Final in Washington last week before a disappointing loss. However it has to be noted that Stosur has not had the best season on the hard courts and was beaten in her first match in Canada and Cincinnati last year.

She is a former US Open winner though and Stosur's game should be very strong on the hard courts even if her backhand has been a particular weakness. If she can serve well, the Australian will believe she can create chances against the Watson serve which is erratic to say the least. After a tough three sets, I think Stosur can fight back and win this one 46, 63, 64 and move into the next Round.


Monica Puig - 4.5 games v Naomi Broady: There are three British players in the Montreal draw this week after Naomi Broady came through two tough Qualifiers to enter the main draw. Her World Ranking is inside the top 100 now which means she is likely to have an automatic place in the US Open draw next month, but Broady has struggled for consistent results over the last few months.

Braody made a really positive start to the year having reached the Quarter Final in Auckland and later reaching the Semi Final in Kuala Lumper. However she is just 7-12 in matches sine that Semi Final which included Broady going 0-4 on the grass courts last month. Her wins in the Qualifiers will have boosted confidence and Broady can put together some really strong serving which makes her dangerous, but she faces a very tough First Round encounter here against Monica Puig.

There is no doubting that Puig would have been disappointed in her Second Round loss in Washington last week and it has to be said that her game will produce some erratic performances. Puig will look to be very aggressive behind a decent first serve, but that can also mean a lot of unforced errors if she is not quite feeling her 'A' game.

Puig hasn't always produced her best results on the hard courts, but I think her two wins over Broady this year will boost her belief in winning this match. It is a big number if Broady is playing her best, but I think Puig will prove too strong in a 63, 64 win.

MY PICKS: Grigor Dimitrov - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
John Isner - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Jack Sock - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Samantha Stosur - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)
Monica Puig - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Season 2016: - 25.60 Units (1203 Units Staked, - 2.13% Yield)
Season 2015: - 21.81 Units (1812 Units Staked, - 1% Yield)
Season 2014: + 45.05 Units (1586.5 Units Staked, + 2.84% Yield)

Season 2013: + 21.74 Units (1251.5 Units Staked, + 1.73% Yield)

Season 2012: + 49.21 Units (855 Units Staked, + 5.76% Yield)

Season 2011: + 82.02 Units