European Tour 9- Slovak Darts Open Day 1 Picks 2026 (Friday 19th June)

This is the time of the Tour when there is an opportunity for Darts players to earn themselves a bit of rest with one European Tour event to be played in a three week gap between Players Championship tournaments.

The very top names will be heading to the United States for a Masters event next weekend, but the European Tour will feature plenty of the leading names and a number of others chasing spots in the next big Ranking event at the World Matchplay.

Another European Tour event will take place in three weeks time, but it is the Slovak Darts Open and the next two Players Championship tournaments played early next month that will determine the thirty-two names competing for the 2026 World Matchplay title.

That event will begin on the same weekend as the World Cup Final and there are a number of players competing this weekend who will be looking for strong runs as they cling onto one of the Qualifying spots for the next big Ranking event on the calendar.

There are some pretty solid players taking part on Day 1 of European Tour 9 as the First Round is scheduled to be played across two Sessions and then the Seeds will get involved in the action on Saturday across another two Sessions.

Both Luke Humphries and Luke Littler are skipping the event after winning the World Cup of Darts last Sunday, but a number of Premier League players are competing and this should be another good weekend of action for the fans to enjoy.

Karel Sedlacek - 1.5 legs v Tyler Thorpe: After helping Czechia reach the Knock Out Stage of the World Cup of Darts last weekend, Karel Sedlaceck had a decent run at Players Championship 21 earlier this week.

His numbers were solid in both Players Championship floor events played on Tuesday and Wednesday, and Karel Sedlacek is a much more experienced player at the European Tour level compared with his opponent.

Tyler Thorpe has flashed his potential this season, but he has struggled to get over the line and another couple of early defeats on the floor cannot be helping.

Credit has to be given to him for battling through the Qualifiers to earn a place in Slovakia, but Tyler Thorpe will need to be better if he is going to beat Evil Charlie in the First Round.

On current form, Karel Sedlacek should have enough to come through without the need for a deciding Leg.

Andrew Gilding to win & over 1.5 180s v Mervyn King: Two veterans meet for a second time in the space of a few days after Andrew Gilding won the last four Legs to get the better of Mervyn King in the Players Championship on Tuesday.

Goldfinger will recognise that he will need to be better if he is going to have a more comfortable day in the office, but he will also be well aware that Mervyn King continues ot be very dangerous on his day.

The latter has put together a solid amount of wins over the last month, although King did not need to be at full tilt to come through Qualifiers for European Tour 9.

Both players are capable of throwing some high quality darts, but Andrew Gilding is capable of maintaining his level for longer and he can produce a couple of maximums in any winning effort.

Kevin Doets - 2.5 legs v Owen Bates: This is a spread that leaves little room for error, but Kevin Doets continues to operate with real confidence and that should be enough to get through this First Round match.

He is most definitely on a trajectory to earn a Seed at these European Tour events in the near future and Kevin Doets is 8th on the one year Ranking list to show the kind of improvement he continues to make.

Owen Bates has lost eight of his last ten matches, although the three Qualifying wins should be something that gives him belief. One of those came against former World Champion Michael Smith, but Bates has struggled in the main this season and the inexperience of this kind of stage could work against him.

As long as Kevin Doets remains focused and can maintain intensity, he should be able to win this one and clear the awkward handicap number for a best of eleven Leg match.

Kim Huybrechts to win & over 1.5 180s v Keane Barry: Time is running out for players to earn a spot in the World Matchplay and this is a big First Round with that in mind.

Out of the two players, Kim Huybrechts is in a closer spot to pick up a spot in Blackpool next month.

He began this season wondering whether he would return to the kind of form that hae has previously produced, but Kim Huybrechts has shown there is still plenty left in the tank. Of course it is going to be difficult to get right in amongst the elite, but he will believe he is one of the best 32 players on the Tour and the recent results would back Huybrechts up.

Keane Barry needs three very big runs to earn his own spot in the World Matchplay, but it has been a tough month for the World Number 56 and that may show up here.

The heavier scoring can come from Kim Huybrechts and that may put him in a position to win a match where he places a couple of maximums on the board.

MY PICKS: Karel Sedlacek - 1.5 Legs @ 1.66 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Andrew Gilding to Win & Over 1.5 180s @ 1.95 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Kevin Doets - 2.5 Legs @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Kim Huybrechts to Win & Over 1.5 180s @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Darts 2026: 84-109, - 11.26 Units (190 Units Staked, - 5.93% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2025 (Thursday 19th June)

The majority of the selections made this week have followed the numbers- Joao Fonseca was a touch unfortunate, but Emma Navarro struggled for much of the defeat to Paula Badosa and that was reflected in the final score.

Jack Draper's failure to cover is the exception.

He had four Break Point chances in the first set, but failed to convert and was punished by dropping serve to lose that set 6-3... Even after winning the second set 6-2, Draper could not find a way to cover the handicap mark and it was a match where, once again, the dominant Break Point opportunities did not result in a successful outcome.

At least Alexander Zverev came through his First Round match, even if it was a disappointing day overall.

On Thursday the Quarter Final lineup will be completed at the four tournaments being played this week and so there are plenty of matches to get through with the remainder of the Second Round all to be played.

However, it looks like the research can only identify three selections- one from Nottingham, Halle and Queen's- that can be read below.

Carlos Alcaraz - 5.5 games v Jaume Munar: Back to back Wimbledon titles have been secured and there are no real concerns about the ability of Carlos Alcaraz when it comes to performing on this surface.

He is also a former Champion at Queen's Club in West London and so there were real reasons to consider withdrawing from the tournament and just using a couple of exhibition events to warm up for Wimbledon.

The main reason was recovering from the emotional and physical success in Paris earlier this month- Carlos Alcaraz defended the French Open title by coming from 2-0 down in sets to defeat Jannik Sinner and there was no doubt how much energy that was needed to do that in the manner it happened.

Eventually the decision was made to play at Queen's again, and Carlos Alcaraz made a comfortable start to the tournament with a routine straight sets win over Adam Walton. The scoreboard suggested a close match, but the World Number 2 was in complete control of the contest and he can build on that.

Carlos Alcaraz faces a compatriot in the Second Round and Jaume Munar is one of those Spanish players that has struggled to have an impact on the grass.

Jaume Munar came through the First Round when Jordan Thompson had to withdraw from the match after a single set was completed, but prior to the event, the World Number 59 had a career record of 3-13 when playing on this surface. Suffice to say it is a time of the season when Jaume Munar is not at his best and it will be tough for him to challenge someone of the confidence and quality of Carlos Alcaraz.

It would be a big challenge even on Munar's favoured clay courts, but on this surface it should be a bigger edge with Carlos Alcaraz, who should feel relatively comfortable in the match up.

He should be able to get into the rallies on the return and that should see Carlos Alcaraz exert his qualities over Jaume Munar- as long as Alcaraz serves as well as he can, he should have enough about him to earn the breaks of serve needed to cover what is a pretty big line for a best of three set match on the grass.

Andrey Rublev - 3.5 games v Tomas Martin Etcheverry: Last year was a disappointment for Andrey Rublev as far as the grass courts were concerned, but he was a very confident winner in the First Round. This is a player who has performed pretty well on the grass courts in the past and that crushing win over Sebastian Ofner will only have given Rublev some belief in what has been an inconsistent season.

He is next up against Tomas Martin Etcheverry in Halle and the World Number 63 is not someone who has a lot of grass court experience or success to call upon. His First Round win over Pedro Martinez, another Spaniard who prefers not to play on this surface, saw Tomas Martin Etcheverry improve his career record to 4-9 on the grass, but Andrey Rublev had double that number of wins in just the 2023 season alone.

An early loss in Hertogenbosch backs up the issues that Tomas Martin Etcheverry has had on the grass, but there has to be some respect for a player who gets plenty out of his serve.

On a surface like this one, serving well can keep a player in any match being played and Martin Etcheverry will certainly look to see how Andrey Rublev handles his own frustrations if the lower Ranked player is able to keep the service games ticking over.

A loss of focus when things are not going his way have held Andrey Rublev back, but he has shown enough patience on a surface like this one to produce some solid returning numbers. The way he dealt with the Sebastian Ofner serve bodes well for Rublev, especially if he can continue to serve at the level he was showing in the First Round.

When these two met on the hard courts in Canada last summer in the build up to the US Open, Andrey Rublev did display that patience to come through a tough first set before moving clear in the second. He may need something similar in this match in Halle, but Andrey Rublev can eventually make his superior grass court qualities display that on the final scoreboard.

Sonay Kartal + 3.5 games v Katie Boulter: All credit has to be given to Sonay Kartal for the year she has put together, which means coming into this tournament as the World Number 50, her career best World Ranking mark. It also means direct entry into the main draw at Wimbledon, where she reached the Third Round last year and the 23 year old will feel there is more to come.

She will certainly want to get up to the kind of level that Katie Boulter has reached as the two British players prepare to face off in the Second Round in Nottingham.

Losing to Amanda Anisimova at Queen's last week will have been a blow for Sonay Kartal, although the form of the American cannot be dismissed. In the same tournament Katie Boulter was not able to build on taking the opening set against Diana Shnaider, but the World Number 39 looked pretty comfortable in her opening win here in Nottingham.

Both are pretty comfortable on the grass courts, which is no surprise, but it has been mentioned before that Katie Boulter has struggled for big wins on the surface.

That is not the case for Sonay Kartal, who beat the World Number 16 last week and who upset a couple of top 50 Ranked players in her run at Wimbledon last year.

Their sole previous match up on the Tour ended in a three set win for Katie Boulter on the grass courts of Surbiton a couple of years ago, but Sonay Kartal was much lower in the World Rankings on that occasion. There is not so much between them now and Sonay Kartal has the grass court qualities to at least keep this one competitive with the games being given to her.

MY PICKS: Carlos Alcaraz - 5.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Andrey Rublev - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 William Hill (1 Unit)

Sonay Kartal + 3.5 Games @ 1.80 William Hill (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 5-3, + 1.04 Units (8 Units Staked, + 13% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2022 (June 19th)

A wet day in Birmingham means both Semi Finals and Final at that tournament will be played on the same day, but the other events have all managed to get through their Saturday schedules.

We have all of the Finals scheduled for Sunday on the same day the last events before Wimbledon are set to begin. I won't have any Picks from the First Round matches that will get those events underway on Sunday as first I concentrate on ending this week with something of a flourish.

Daniil Medvedev-Hubert Hurkacz over 23.5 games: Despite the ban that is going to prevent Daniil Medvedev from playing at Wimbledon, the current World Number 1 has continued to shine on the grass courts. He will be playing in his second Final on the surface in two weeks and will also be competing in Mallorca to make sure the Ranking points are put in the bank before the move onto the hard courts in the build towards the US Open.

I would not be surprised if Daniil Medvedev decides to play a tournament or two in July to make sure he doesn't lose any match sharpness before looking to defend the Grand Slam title he won last season. For now his main focus is making sure he continues to perform at a high level on the grass courts, although Daniil Medvedev will also be looking to be much more competitive than he was in the upset loss last week in Hertogenbosch.

This has not always been the best match up for Daniil Medvedev having split four matches with Hubert Hurtkacz over the last twelve months. The first one of those was played between these two in an epic match at Wimbledon that lasted five sets and there really has not been much between two solid servers.

It has been a strong week for Hubert Hurkacz who has upset Felix Auger-Aliassime in the Quarter Final and then come from behind to beat Nick Kyrgios in the Semi Final. The character and mental strength shown by Hubert Hurkacz to win the match against the Australian without breaking serve once is going to be a huge factor in how far he can go at Wimbledon again, and I do think he has the serving power to keep this one competitive even in a two set loss.

Both of these players have produced very strong serving numbers in their run to the Halle Final and that is backed up by the fact that Daniil Medvedev has held 97% of his service games and Hubert Hurkacz has held 94% of his . You can't ignore the fact that Medvedev has faced a lot more break points than Hubert Hurkacz, but he has played the big points well and has held 88% of his service games played in the four matches against this opponent.

Daniil Medvedev has a huge advantage when it comes to the returning numbers in Halle this week, but Hubert Hurkacz is confident with his serve and has held 90% of his service games against the World Number 1. I do think there will be at least one tie-breaker needed in this one and the matches have been competitive enough to see three of the four needing a deciding set to determine the winner.

That is a real possibility in this Final and I do think both can be confident in the serving they have been producing for this match to go pretty long and cover this total set.

MY PICKS: Daniil Medvedev-Hubert Hurkacz Over 23.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Matteo Berrettini - 3.5 Games @ 1.70 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 26-25, - 4.04 Units (106 Units Staked, - 3.81% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2019 (June 19th)

It was a wet day in London on Tuesday which means the entire Queens schedule had to be postponed- that also means we are in for a very busy couple of days at that tournament with the majority of the First Round to be played on Wednesday and the entire Second Round likely set for Thursday.

They will need some luck because the weather on Wednesday is pretty wet again, although it should be clearer in the afternoon and an actual opportunity to see some competitive tennis for those attending the West London venue.

Thankfully there was plenty of tennis to enjoy from Halle, Birmingham and Mallorca with only the second of those three events not quite getting through the schedule as they would have hoped. However all three are pretty much right on schedule going into the middle of the week compared to the mess that Nottingham had to deal with last week when the rain played havoc on their tournament.


Tuesday was a really strong day for the Tennis Picks that were completed as those finished with a 7-1 record. The four selections from Queens didn't get out on court and there was one selection from Birmingham which will have to wait until Wednesday.

After seeing Anastasija Sevastova somehow fail to cover in a match she had been the stronger player and having found five breaks of serve, Tuesday soon picked up with five winners coming Halle. I had some fortune to get a winner with Naomi Osaka, but that made up for the lack of luck with the Sevastova pick and all in all I can't complain with the direction this week is moving in.

However it is not the time to get carried away with only two days of the latest tournaments in the books and with plenty of tennis still to come. A good start is only a start as we move into the first of the Second Round matches.

I have left the Tennis Picks from Tuesday in the 'Featured Post' spot on the blog so you can see the selections from the First Round matches that have been carried over until Wednesday. You can also read the post with those Picks from Queens here.


Below you can read some of my thoughts from the Picks from Wednesday. One match did appeal on the numbers, but I don't trust one of the players involved so have decided to skip it. There are still plenty of other matches that fit the criteria I have set out as I look for another positive day to add to the numbers produced so far this week.

You can read the weekly totals below the Picks.


Jan-Lennard Struff v Karen Khachanov: The Second Round begins in Halle on Wednesday and the one match that really takes the eye is this pick 'em between Jan-Lennard Struff and Karen Khachanov.

In recent years Khachanov has had some very strong runs in Halle and I have to respect that, but his numbers have not been as impressive as the results would suggest. On the other hand Struff has not had a great time on the grass courts, but he is coming into this Second Round match having shown some decent form in the last couple of weeks.

The Struff serve has always been a weapon for the German who is also going to enjoy home support for a second week in a row having made it as far as the Stuttgart Semi Final last week. It is clear he has picked up some confidence as he dominated Laslo Djere in the First Round in Halle and Struff has a serve which should set him up in a good position in this match having held 96% of service games on the grass over the last ten days.

The key to the success Struff has had is the way he has been returning and I think that is aided by how well he has been serving. The German has broken in 20% of return games played in his five matches on the grass which is a significant improvement on the last couple of years on the surface, although the worry is how long he can maintain the standards he has been setting.

As I have mentioned, Karen Khachanov has enjoyed his visits to Halle and there is no doubt that players can get very comfortable when returning to venues where they've had multiple successful runs. After a strong showing at the French Open, Khachanov is trying to build some momentum, but he has been a mixed bag in his two grass court matches and will need some improvement to challenge Struff.

The Russian is only holding in 80% of the service games he has played on the grass, but the bigger worry has to be the lack of traction Khachanov has had on the return. That can make the difference in a match against an opponent he has struggled to break in their two previous meetings, albeit the last of those coming in March 2016.

I do believe Struff's going to be the more confident player on the return on this one and that doubled up when you think of how well he has been serving over the last couple of weeks. If he can keep that going on Wednesday, I would not be surprised to see Struff win this match as the underdog.


Jelena Ostapenko + 4.5 games v Johanna Konta: The grass court portion of the Tour is around a month long in length and it is no surprise that is something of a specialist surface to play on. There are some top names that struggle at this time of the year, but others come alive and one of those is Johanna Konta.

The expectation on Konta may have increased from the even the very high position they begin at when it comes to tournaments being played in the United Kingdom. The Brit has been a regular name in the second week of Wimbledon and Konta has had some stunning wins on the grass, while she is coming in off a a run to the French Open Semi Final on what many perceive to be her weakest surface.

It does mean big things are expected of Konta over the next four weeks and her strong win over Anett Kontaveit in the First Round in Birmingham underlines how at home she feels on this surface. Now she is a big favourite to dismiss the challenge of 2017 French Open Champion Jelena Ostapenko who has been struggling for her form over the last twelve months and slipped into a position where she will not be Seeded at Grand Slams.

The Latvian had a very easy win in the First Round when she was actually set as the underdog, while I think she might be a touch under-rated in this one as a pretty competent grass court player. Last year she actually finished with more grass court wins than Konta and her numbers were slightly superior and I do think she has the capabilities of making life very difficult for her opponent.

Johanna Konta has gotten the better of Jelena Ostapenko more often than not, including a win on the grass, but the matches have been competitive for the most part. I will need Ostapenko to get more out of her serve than she has been able to do, but if she can get a high percentage of first serves in play she is going to be able to pressure Konta and I think this could be one too many games to be given as a start.

I am not opposing Konta easily considering the form she is in and the manner of her win in the First Round. She has been more consistent than Ostapenko on the grass courts and gets plenty out of her serve which makes it a situation where the British Number 1 could use that superior shot to put Ostapenko under pressure.

However I think Ostapenko has returned the Konta serve well enough to trust her to keep this competitive and taking the games is the play.


Petra Martic - 3.5 games v Margarita Gasparyan: At 28 years old Petra Martic is playing the best tennis of her career having reached a career best Ranking following her run to the Quarter Final at the French Open. Injuries have been an issue for her in her career, but Martic looks healthy and capable of breaking into the top 20 of the World Rankings sooner rather than later.

A strong run in Birmingham will help her cause and the Croatian is the favourite to get past Margarita Gasparyan who has not been convincing in compiling a 2-1 record on the grass over the last ten days.

Petra Martic served well enough to get through her First Round match in what was her first appearance on the grass in 2019. The serve will remain an important shot for Martic over the next four weeks as we conclude the grass court part of the 2019 season and it is a shot that can put pressure on most players out there.

There is a need to improve her returns on the grass if Martic is going to have a serious impact at Wimbledon, but she has shown she can perform on the surface in the past and I think she is going to be a tough out for most players out there. Next to try will be Margarita Gasparyan who upset Elina Svitolina in the First Round with a three set win over the Ukrainian, but she may need to be even better if she is going to win as an underdog for the second time in Birmingham.

Like Petra Martic, Margarita Gasparyan can use her serve to good effect on the grass, but she is under a bit more pressure to find first serves. Her second serve has not been as strong as Martic's, while the Russian has long be suffering to get to grips with the return of serve on the grass.

I think that is going to be the difference maker between the players on the day with Martic perhaps able to get out of a couple of sticky situations on the serve that Gasparyan is unable to do. If the latter is able to get a lot of first serves in play she will be much tougher to deal with, but I fear for the second serve and I think that is where Martic will be able to take control of this match.

The number can be a complicated one to cover if Gasparyan is serving to the top of her game, but I think Martic may have enough to get this done with a break more in each set of a straight sets win.

MY PICKS: Jan-Lennard Struff @ 2.00 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Jelena Ostapenko + 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Petra Martic - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)
Barbora Strycova @ 2.25 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Alison Van Uytvanck - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Sofia Kenin - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Anastasija Sevastova - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 12-4, + 13.98 Units (32 Units Staked, + 43.69% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2018 (June 19th)

After a positive week I didn't want a poor start to this new week and I have been fortunate enough to avoid that.

Monday proved to be a very effective day with the Picks making a strong start and on Tuesday I am looking to keep the momentum going.

This has been a busy evening, notably with England beginning their World Cup campaign, and so I will simply put down my Tuesday Picks below as the First Round is completed across the four tournaments being played.

MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Sporting Bet (2 Units)
Tomas Berdych - 3.5 Games @ 2.10 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Nick Kyrgios - 3.5 Games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Lucas Pouille - 2.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Matthew Ebden - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Boyle Sports (2 Units)
Andreas Seppi - 1.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (2 Units)
Maria Sakkari + 3.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (2 Units)
Petra Kvitova - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Boyle Sports (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 5-2, + 5 Units (14 Units Staked, + 35.71% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2017 (June 19th)

When you consider the preparation for Wimbledon, this always feels like the big week for players as the top names on both Tours tend to come out for the events in London, Halle, Birmingham and Mallorca.

Most will then take the week prior to Wimbledon as one where they can play some exhibition events on the grass, but the competitive action is left to those lower down the World Rankings.

Wimbledon is not too far away now and there has to be some concerns for Angelique Kerber fans that the German will not be able to be passed fit in time to take part. Kerber has pulled out of Birmingham this week with the hamstring issue that has been bothering her for a number of weeks and her participation at SW19 has to be called into doubt.


It was a solid, if not spectacular, week for the tennis picks last week, but a decent enough opening for the grass court events.

There will be plenty of big matches this week through the four events and hopefully another solid week to keep the momentum going towards Wimbledon.

First Round matches start at the four events on Monday.


Philipp Kohlschreiber - 4.5 games v Joao Sousa: One of those players that has definitely regressed on the Tour but who perhaps is not always priced up as such is Philipp Kohlschreiber. That is the case for the veteran German on most surfaces, but he remains one of the better grass court players out there and this surface continues to bamboozle many on the Tour who would love to skip through this month of the Tour.

While Joao Sousa may not dislike the green stuff as some out there, he is clearly not at his best on a surface where his defensive skills are much harder to control. As someone who has grown up on the clay, Sousa doesn't get the slide nor the lower bouncing ball that can be elements of playing on a grass court.

Sousa is also just 3-9 over his last twelve matches since reaching the Semi Final in Sao Paulo which includes a poorer than expected clay court season, and that is going to have dented some confidence.

There have been a couple of solid grass court runs which means Sousa should be afforded some respect, but there have been a lot more early exits than strong runs over the last couple of years. Since reaching the Semi Final in Hertogenbosch, Sousa is just 4-8 on the grass courts and three of those wins came at Wimbledon last year.

Kohlschreiber played well enough last week in Stuttgart and tends to do the same in Halle at this time of the season. I do think Sousa can serve better than expected at times and he does have a 2-0 lead over the German on the head to head, but I think Kohlschreiber can get the better of him on this surface. I will look for Kohlschreiber to find a break more in each set to earn his 6-3, 6-4 win in this First Round match.


Gael Monfils - 1.5 games v Richard Gasquet: Injuries have curtailed the amount of tennis that Gael Monfils has been able to play on the grass courts in recent seasons. Monfils will return to Halle having been forced to miss the warm up events for Wimbledon last season and Monfils has had just one grass court match since Wimbledon 2015.

Usually you could perhaps argue that the superior player on this surface is Richard Gasquet, but I am not sure the Frenchman is feeling up to full health. The faster surface should mean Gasquet is able to look after his back problem a little more than the clay, but someone like Monfils is capable of forcing his compatriot to play plenty of low balls which has to be a concern for Gasquet.

Another would be the early exits Gasquet has suffered at Queens in the last couple of appearances here. A change in venue for his warm up to Wimbledon may help, but I do think Gasquet could potentially need some time to find his feet on the grass despite being a former Wimbledon Semi Finalist.

He doesn't have a great recent record in his first match on the grass in recent years and I think Monfils can serve big enough on the surface to put himself in a strong position. It will be an interesting First Round match as we get a chance to see how both players are feeling in an injury hit 2017, but I do give Monfils enough of an edge to wish to back him to win and cover what looks a small enough number on the handicap.


Jo-Wilfried Tsonga - 3.5 games v Adrian Mannarino: No one will be more disappointed with their French Open than Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, but he is coming into what should be a month where he is at his most dangerous. Tsonga's game has always been ideal for the grass and he has proved that with some big runs at Wimbledon and big wins there over the years.

It does feel that Tsonga has not come into this time of the season at full health for some time and a deeper look at his results shows this is the first pre-Wimbledon tournament he has taken in on the grass since visiting Queens in 2014. Over the years Tsonga has had some good results here, but also some very surprising early exits and this First Round match is a potentially dangerous one.

I said last week that Adrian Mannarino is better on the grass courts than you would think despite what looks like a below average serve. Coming from the lefty, Mannarino is able to back it up and he will give Tsonga some problems if the latter is not fully at the races.

However you would think the Tsonga serve is going to be the potent weapon on the court and that should give him every chance to take a few swings against the Mannarino one. If he can see a few second serves, Tsonga is capable of putting the pressure on his compatriot and trying to break down his game as Alexander Zverev did last week in Hertogenbosch.

Mannarino did beat Tsonga on the clay earlier this season, but I will look for the latter to make enough quality returns to come away with a 6-3, 7-6 win in this First Round match.


Barbora Strycova - 4.5 games v Yulia Putintseva: There is always going to be limited data from the grass court tournaments compared with the hard court and clay court events which are played throughout the year.

Barbora Strycova had a mainly forgettable clay court season, but she has played well on the grass courts in her career. That is especially the case here in Birmingham where Strycova has a 11-3 record in her last three appearances and was the Finalist last season.

In saying that, this is still a lot of games to cover for a player who has the tendency to produce some sloppy service games which can give opponents a chance to steal sets and games. That could be a real problem against a player like Yulia Putintseva who does a lot of defensive work around the court and looks to extract errors from others.

However Putintseva has had very limited success on the grass courts and I think she finds it much harder to keep defending on the low bouncing courts with too many of those shots heading upwards and being able to be put away and penetrate her defences. She has lost her first match on the grass by comfortable margins in each of the last three years that she has played on the surface (2013, 2015, 2016).

There will be breaks of serve and there will be some swings in the momentum just simply because of the way Strycova and Putintseva play. However I am looking for the superior grass court experience to show up at a tournament where Strycova has had success in the past and I will look for the Czech player to progress with a 6-4, 6-3 win.


Heather Watson + 4.5 games v Elina Svitolina: I have mentioned a few times over the years that Heather Watson has to be one of the most overrated players in the United Kingdom simply because she is British and talked up too much. That has quietened since the emergence of Johanna Konta who is a genuine contender at big events these days while Watson has slipped outside the top 100 of the World Rankings.

I have nothing against Watson personally, because she comes across as a really nice person, but generally she is overrated and that is especially the case around the grass court season. That might not be the case in the opening Round in Birmingham though.

Watson is rightly the underdog against the Number 2 Seeded Elina Svitolina who is having the kind of consistent season which will see her contend for the World Number 1 position on the WTA Tour thanks to the likes of Serena Williams and Angelique Kerber having their own issues to deal with.

However Svitolina has had her troubles on the grass court and I am going to look for Watson to try and expose those. Svitolina is just 4-10 as a pro on the grass and one of those losses did come against Watson, although I am not expecting the latter to be able to replicate that.

Instead I am looking for Watson to just force a competitive match out of Svitolina and perhaps even steal a set which gives her every chance to cover with this number. In all of Svitolina's previous experience on the grass, she has only covered this number twice and and five of the ten losses have come when favoured.

Watson was demolished by Alison Riske last week in Nottingham, but I will look for her to have enough to challenge Svitolina who hasn't quite got to grips with this surface.

MY PICKS: Philipp Kohlschreiber - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Gael Monfils - 1.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (2 Units)
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga - 3.5 Games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Barbora Strycova - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Heather Watson + 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Season 2017: - 15.04 Units (1104 Units Staked, - 1.36% Yield)

Season 2016: - 5.64 Units (2013 Units Staked, - 0.00% 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

Tennis Picks 2016 (June 19th)

This has been a terrible week for the tennis picks, but I have to question whether I've had much luck when clear opportunities are missed by the players I have backed.

Roger Federer might been beaten in his Semi Final with Alexander Zverev, but he had break points in the first and third game of the final set and taking one of those might have changed the entire finish of the match.

Even more frustrating was Coco Vandeweghe getting into a 62, 21 position with the break and later missing a 62, 33, 15-40 position to really take the match by the scruff of the neck.

Frustrating times to say the least.


Andy Murray - 2.5 games v Milos Raonic: There has never been a five time winner of the event held at Queens club in West London, but Andy Murray is on the brink of making history. He is once again in the Final of an event he has used to prepare for Wimbledon since turning professional and Andy Murray is the favourite to beat Milos Raonic who is playing in his first Final here.

On the face of things you would think Raonic would be perfectly suited to grass and he is a former Wimbledon Semi Finalist. However the reality has been a player that has struggled for consistency on the grass and bringing in John McEnroe to his team should have its benefits going forward.

The Canadian has a huge serve which can make him very difficult to play against on a surface like grass, but he isn't always at his best trying to follow that up. Now he will also be facing a player that is an exceptional returner of serve and who will make Raonic earn some of the games that he would usually come through with a number of unreturned serves or producing aces.

It can build pressure and frustrate Raonic and I think Murray will be too good in this one as he beats the Canadian for a fifth time in a row.

MY PICKS: Andy Murray - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Sky Bet (2 Units)

NBA Finals Picks 2016 (June 2-19)

NBA Finals 2016: Golden State Warriors vs Cleveland Cavaliers

When the Play Offs began around six weeks ago, the feeling that we were going to see a repeat of the NBA Finals of 2015 were even stronger than at the start of the season. Back in September most would have called for the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers to meet in the Finals once again and both teams come into this series with full belief they are better than the editions of last season.

I think there is a real argument for both Golden State and Cleveland to win the NBA Championship, but my overall feeling at the beginning of this series is that the Warriors have a little too much and will win in six games.

I am looking forward to this series over the next couple of weeks with Game 1 beginning on Thursday 2nd June at The Oracle Arena.

Thursday 2nd June

Cleveland Cavaliers @ Golden State Warriors Game 1 Pick: It took the Golden State Warriors six games to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals last season, but both teams have changed since that series. While the Cleveland Cavaliers were battering their way through the Eastern Conference, the Golden State Warriors might be more battle hardened after coming back from 3-1 down to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals.

That win over the Thunder is the biggest obstacle that the Golden State Warriors have faced in two seasons, but they showed why they were considered the favourites to retain their title at the beginning of the season. The Warriors have plenty of shooting at their disposal and it is tough to win four out of seven against them, although it will be interesting to see if there is an emotional fatigue from that series.

We will find out in Game 1 of the NBA Finals as the Cleveland Cavaliers have had a few more days to rest up after disposing of the Toronto Raptors in six games. The two defeats on the road in that series might be a concern for Cleveland, but they are far healthier than last season when they pushed Golden State to six games and that should lead to a few people thinking they can earn revenge for that loss.

This time LeBron James will have both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love to help him try to bring the title back to Cleveland, while Channing Frye has been huge off the bench. Cleveland are also under new guidance with Tyronn Lue facing Golden State as Head Coach for the first time and he has promised to push the pace while the Cavaliers have some of the best three point shooting in the Play Offs.

That will be matched by Golden State who are the team who are not just defending Champions, but the team with 73 regular season wins behind them. The NBA Championship will validate them as potentially the best team of all time and both Steph Curry and Klay Thompson have been shooting lights out from the field, especially from three point range.

Three point shooting will be key for both teams, but I think the edge here is the Golden State Defensive performances. The first game of the series has every chance of being a low scoring one as Cleveland and Golden State focus on making sure they lock down Defensively and my lean is towards backing the under total points.

We have seen the under go 7-3-1 in the last eleven games between these teams and it is also 4-1-1 in the last six in Golden State. With the rest between games, it might take a little time for the shooters to get going in this one and this total might be slightly on the high side.


Sunday 5th June
The first Game of the NBA Finals was played only a couple of days ago, but it seems the world is a lot sadder of a place after the news came through that Muhammad Ali had passed away aged 74.

This is a man that was far more than a boxer and who was a huge inspiration for every black athlete that has come through since Ali ruled the world in the late 70's including so many who now play in the NBA.

While Ali's passing has dominated everyone's thoughts, the NBA Finals will go on as Game 2 is set to go at The Oracle Arena on Sunday.

Cleveland Cavaliers @ Golden State Warriors Game 2 Pick: The rivalry between Steph Curry and LeBron James is beginning to pick up and it is fitting that such a word like 'legacy' is being used regularly.

Legacy.

Game 2 is being played a day after 'The Greatest' legacy was ended and LeBron James is more than a little aware that his place in history could be decided by the rest of this series. If the Cavaliers are to lose, James will fall to 2-5 in NBA Finals and there is a feeling that Curry will become the bridge from Michael Jordan to Kobe Bryant to this generation.

Curry will have a big claim if he moves to 2-0 in NBA Finals and both times those wins came against LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers. It would put the Golden State Warriors into 'dynasty' potential as they would go into the next NBA season as the favourites to win their third title in a row and all of this is overshadowing this series with so much on the line.

The Cleveland Cavaliers will be looking to make some adjustments from Game 1 which basically is improving the bench play and also looking to reduce turnovers. LeBron James had decent numbers, but both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love have room for improvement, while the vaunted three point shooting of the Play Offs was not quite up to the level required.

I do think the Warriors Defensive schemes are under-rated, but Cleveland also put up too many misses in the paint which they will expect to drop.

One thing Golden State will be looking to do is to open the shooting lanes for Curry and Klay Thompson who didn't have the biggest lines in Game 1. Both were being hassled as they were in the Oklahoma City series, but they showed they can get loose and Cleveland have to be aware of that while also trying to slow down a bench that produced 45 points for the Warriors.

The rebounding edge has to be won by Cleveland again if they are going to have a chance to square this series before heading home, while they need to play consistent Defense to keep Golden State from getting away from them.

It is tough to pick a winner between these teams on the spread because I am expecting a desperate Cleveland team to come out, but can't ignore how good Golden State are and how well they seem to match up with the Cavaliers.

Instead I will go back to the over/under market and look for another game that fails to get over the total points expected by the layers. The 'under' play is now 8-3-1 in the last twelve overall between these teams and also 5-1-1 in the last seven played in The Oracle Arena. The layers have trimmed the points from Game 1, but I still believe the Defensive schemes can slow the Offenses just enough to stay under this total.


Wednesday 8th June
The Cleveland Cavaliers have taken a verbal hammering in the press and by the fans after another disappointing showing in their Game 2 loss to the Golden State Warriors.

Some are calling for a sweep and others have said no matter what happens in Game 3 and 4, which are playing in Cleveland, that the Warriors are too good for Cleveland.

Golden State Warriors @ Cleveland Cavaliers Game 3 Pick: Back to back losses would be one thing, but the way the Golden State Warriors blew out the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2 is a big concern for this NBA Finals. Many are off the Cleveland bandwagon after their cruise through the Eastern Conference Finals and the fans have to hope the three days between games can change the momentum of this series.

The Warriors are simply doing everything better than the Cavaliers when you break down the stats from the first two games. This is without Steph Curry and Klay Thompson firing to the level they did in the final three games against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but other players are finding the space to exploit.

Draymond Green had a big Game 2 and the bench continues to show the depth that helped them put away Cleveland in Game 1. In Game 2 it was much more to do with the starters dominating Cleveland with a 20-2 run in the middle of the Second Quarter seeing them move clear of the Cavs and never looking back as the role players got a chance to play through the Fourth Quarter.

Pushing the pace hasn't worked for Cleveland and they have to make the adjustments before this series is beyond their reach if it isn't already. The speed is actually helping Golden State who are faster and able to transition much better, while Cleveland will likely be missing Kevin Love for Game 3 as he continues in the concussion protocol.

LeBron James has not reached the level of the series last year and he has had little help around him. Kyrie Irving is not being efficient enough with his play while JR Smith and Channing Frye have not got the three point shot dropping as they had in the post-season before the Finals.

Some of that is down to the Golden State Defense, but the missed shots that Cleveland have had has knocked their own confidence.

Being back at home might change that even without Love in the line up for the Cavaliers. However I can't back this desperate team because Golden State have looked better all around and I wouldn't be at all surprised if they win Game 3 and perhaps even close the Finals later this week.

I still like the under play in this series though. The layers have chopped the points by around 5 points from Game 1, but the under has hit in both opening games and moved to 9-3-1 in the last thirteen games between Golden State and Cleveland. This is hard to ignore as Defensively the two teams can slow down the Offenses enough as they have shown and I will back the under play for a third time in the series.


Friday 10th June
There has been plenty of people trying to dissect the Golden State Warriors performance in Game 3 and the focus has shifted from LeBron James to Steph Curry as the MVP that is failing to produce the goods.

The Warriors were not happy with the way they played in Game 3, while Cleveland will be looking for more of the same so they can send the series back to The Oracle Arena with the NBA Finals tied at 2-2.

Golden State Warriors @ Cleveland Cavaliers Game 4 Pick: It hasn't been too often that a team that has won the most games in NBA history in the regular season will be described as being 'soft' but that was the word bandied around by many after the Golden State Warriors were blown out in Game 3. It wasn't from the media either, but the management and playing staff all used that adjective when talking about Game 3 and you have to think a bigger effort will be made from the off.

Let's face it, the Cleveland Cavaliers bull-rushed Golden State early in both halves which made this a blow out and they looked a much better team without Kevin Love. That's no criticism of Love as a player, but this series looks like one where his biggest impact may come off the bench assuming he passes the concussion protocol in time for Game 4.

With only the two days between games this time, it would be a surprise if Love is rushed back considering how well Cleveland played without him.

There will be adjustments though and I can't see Golden State coming out as cold on both ends of the floor as they were in Game 3. Only once this season has this team suffered back to back losses and that was in the Western Conference Finals against Oklahoma City, but generally they have bounced back with the win.

Steph Curry and Klay Thompson have to get going Offensively to open up the spacing for the other players on the team, while the bench production is still a strength for Golden State. And you have to think a much more physical team will come out in Game 4 to try and knock Cleveland out of their rhythm.

This also looks to be a big ask for Kyrie Irving to produce the same level that he was able to in Game 3 when he came out and was hot from the field. While I like Irving as a player, finding his rhythm shooting the ball has been difficult for him against Golden State and I think Game 3 might have been an exception to prove the rule.

It is clear the public have jumped on the Cleveland bandwagon with most of the action going on the home team and the spread is leaning more towards the Cavaliers than it did in Game 3. I just don't think they match up that well with Golden State and it is hard to ignore the fact that the Warriors had won seven in a row before the loss last time out.

In my opinion there is much more room for improvement from Golden State than there is for Cleveland the Warriors were close at times to making Game 3 a lot more competitive than it ended up being. They have to come out better in both halves as they can't afford to be down by nineteen points after the First Quarter as they were in Game 3 but this is a team that has proven they can react to adversity all through the season.

I love LeBron James and would love to see him win a title again- while my heart is pulling for him, my head says that the Warriors were just caught out in Game 3 and I expect a big reaction from them. I will take Golden State with the points.


Monday 13th June
Cleveland Cavaliers @ Golden State Warriors Game 5 Pick: The series looks just about over after the Golden State Warriors put away Cleveland in Game 4 to take a 3-1 series lead. No team has ever lost that lead in the NBA Finals and the Golden State Warriors, who have the most single season wins in League history, are very unlikely to let this slip.

The big news going into Game 5 was the suspension of Draymond Green for hitting LeBron James in the crown jewels. That has seen the layers shrink the spread for Game 5 but I am not sure it is enough for the Cavaliers to cover, especially if Game 4 was an indication of Steph Curry coming back to the fore.

Of course Green is a big miss for the Warriors, but this is a team that certainly has the 'next man up' mentality that makes them a great Champion. Who steps in is less clear, but the Warriors will feel a deep bench will allow them to make the rotations to make up for the absence of one of their better players in the series.

Green has been hitting his shots when the 'Splash Brothers' have been locked down but someone else might take over that part of the game when getting the open looks Green has been in the series.

For Cleveland it is all about trying to rally one last time but they look a team that knew the game was up in Game 4. Bringing it back home for Game 6 would be a big achievement considering they have been blown out here twice in the series, but it is difficult to see how they do that.

I expect they will have their moments, but Golden State look like they have bolted the stable and barring a mammoth game from James, this should be the NBA Finals closed on Monday. The spread looks tempting to back Golden State to cover and I think they will do that with some big plays in the Fourth Quarter providing the knock out blow to the Cavaliers and ending a great season for the Warriors where they have re-written the history books.


Thursday 16th June
Golden State Warriors @ Cleveland Cavaliers Game 6 Pick: Game 5 will go down in the history books thanks to the performances LeBron James and Kyrie Irving put together to help the Cleveland Cavaliers extend this series. The Cavaliers will need more of the same if they are going to upset the Golden State Warriors and get this series back for a Game 7 in California.

Actually I am a little surprised that it won't actually be an upset as the Cleveland Cavaliers are the favourites in Game 6. They are at home and are coming off a fantastic performance, but the Golden State Warriors don't do too many back to back losses and they do have Draymond Green back from suspension.

Andrew Bogut's injury is a blow as I am not sure Golden State will be able to have the success on the boards without him, but the feeling is that Cleveland will need another special performance to keep this series going. That is hard to really get a feel for because Game 5 was so historic in the way James and Irving played and I think Golden State will be much better in Game 6 having closed out the 2015 NBA Finals in the same Arena.

Green's return will bring in more energy and there were other factors in Game 5 that are going to be hard to imagine happening in Game 6. The Warriors struggled mightily from the three point range in the second half, while Kyrie Irving was making every shot that he was taking despite being under intense pressure from the Defensive shape in front of him.

Will both those separate issues happen again? It is hard to imagine and both need to happen for the Golden State Warriors to fall into a 3-3 spot in my opinion.

Losing Bogut is a problem, but there is more depth that the Warriors can rely upon rather than the Cavaliers, and I expect a much more focused performance. I will take the points in this one and look for Golden State to keep this very close throughout and perhaps make a few more shots at the end of the Fourth Quarter to win this Game 6.


Sunday 19th June
If you had told me on June 11th that this series would need every game that had been set to decide it, I would have thought you were mad. The Golden State Warriors looked in a position that Cleveland would have found impossible to peg back, but the Cavaliers have done that and now look to close out what would be a remarkable NBA Finals win.

Cleveland Cavaliers @ Golden State Warriors Game 7 Pick: After looking by far the strongest team in the series after four games, the Golden State Warriors have blown two opportunities to win back to back titles. Some of that is down to their own issues, but they also didn't account for LeBron James taking over the series in the manner he has, while also receiving able support from Kyrie Irving.

LeBron James has been immense and helping Cleveland win this series will put him right alongside Michael Jordan in the talk of being the best player of all time. It would definitely put him on the Mount Rushmore of the NBA and the way James has played in the last two games makes him a real threat to back to back titles for the Golden State Warriors.

It is a big issue that Andre Iguodala might be limited in the way he can perform in this one, although he will suit up for Game 7. His Defensive prowess has given James problems in the past, but not being at 100% would be a big blow for the Warriors in the form LeBron is currently producing.

Losing rim protector Andrew Bogut has proved a bigger deal than most would have imagined while Harrison Barnes is not hitting his shots. Steph Curry will play despite some calls for a suspension after he was thrown out of Game 6 for throwing away his mouthpiece which ended up hitting a fan at courtside.

The momentum is behind Cleveland and the question is for the Golden State Warriors to answer if they can battle back and win this series. The Warriors are playing at home where they are very difficult to beat and it also has to be remembered that Steve Kerr has not lost three games in a row as Head Coach of Golden State which perhaps has me leaning towards the Warriors.

But how can you ignore how well Cleveland have played in Game 5 and Game 6 while facing elimination? With LeBron James looking to prove he is still the face of the NBA and the support he is getting that was missing last year and you begin to feel the long wait for a title in Cleveland could be coming to an end.

It could be a perfect storm coming together for the Cavaliers as they face a banged up team but the key will be to keep the three point shooting of the Warriors in check. They have managed that in the last two games and keeping their cool might lead the Cavaliers to the title they want so desperately.

This looks like it will be really close so I can only think of taking the points and backing the Cavaliers to keep this one close.

MY PICKS: 02/06 Golden State-Cleveland Under 210.5 Total Points @ 1.91 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
05/06 Golden State-Cleveland Under 208.5 Total Points @ 1.95 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
08/06 Cleveland-Golden State Under 205.5 Total Points @ 1.95 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
10/06 Golden State Warriors + 2 Points @ 1.91 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
13/06 Golden State Warriors - 5.5 Points @ 1.95 Paddy Power (1 Unit)
16/06 Golden State Warriors + 2.5 Points @ 1.91 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
19/05 Cleveland Cavaliers + 5 Points @ 1.91 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)

NBA Finals Update: 4-3, + 0.68 Units

Tennis Picks 2015 (June 19th)

It was one of those days that I haven't had for a while, but every pick went down the toilet on Thursday, some in more unfortunate ways than others to put it frankly.

There were some bad picks, but bad luck on top of that just ruined what had looked to be a really poor week anyway.


We have reached the Quarter Final stage at the various tournaments being played on grass this week, but I am not sure the organisers of the event in Queens aren't quietly disappointed that their draw has been decimated. Instead of Andy Murray v Grigor Dimitrov and Stan Wawrinka v Rafael Nadal we get to see Murray take on Gilles Muller and Guillermo Garcia-Lopez take on Kevin Anderson.

That is obviously no disrespect to the players taking the places of those Seeded to get to this stage, but when Queens are charging the prices that they are, they have to feel they need to offer the best possible product on the court. I'm not sure the draw this week has provided that for much of the week, but Queens remains a top grass court tournament and I think players will prepare for its new slot in the calendar better next year than they perhaps did this season.


There are still some big names out there with the likes of Murray, Milos Raonic, Roger Federer, Kei Nishikori, Tomas Berdych, Simona Halep, Carla Suarez Navarro and Angelique Kerber all top ten players in the World Rankings who are still in action as the Quarter Finals are all played on Friday.

It looks like the weather won't be a factor on Friday, although London and Birmingham are supposed to be very cloudy compared to the recent days at those events. It is supposed to rain in the afternoon in Halle, but they have a roof at that tournament which means the tennis won't be disrupted and can remain on schedule.


Milos Raonic - 2.5 games v Gilles Simon: I was a little unsure as to how Milos Raonic would react to his lay off from the Tour, but he has looked comfortable for the most part in London this week. The first match against James Ward saw him struggling for a set and a half, but Raonic looked very good against Richard Gasquet who is a very good grass court player.

Now he takes on another Frenchman as Gilles Simon stands in the way of a Semi Final appearance in his second grass court tournament in a row following his Wimbledon exploits last year. As I said earlier in the week, I am not convinced Raonic is that comfortable on grass, but the wins over Ward and Gasquet are strong wins to give him confidence.

With the serve working effectively, Raonic can keep Simon under scoreboard pressure and he will always get some kind of chance to break serve with the way Simon plays. The movement is an issue as Simon looks to get as many balls back in play as possible which can lead to mistakes from Raonic, but the power of the Canadian will pose plenty of problems for Simon if he is being allowed to tee off on his shots.

Thanasi Kokkinakis made a lot of mistakes in his defeat to Simon earlier this week, but Raonic looks more capable of turning those chances into break points and breaking through with a 64, 75 kind of win.


Andy Murray - 3.5 games v Gilles Muller: It was a surprising win for Gilles Muller over Grigor Dimitrov, one that I wasn't expecting him to produce and I do think it may say more about where Dimitrov is with his game at this moment in time than Muller. Take nothing away from the quality of serving that Muller produced in the win over Dimitrov, but Andy Murray's anticipation on the return is far better than the Bulgarian and I expect the British Number 1 to put more pressure on Muller than Dimitrov did.

Murray will change his position slightly, is happy to bounce on a serve once he gets a read on it and has the fortune of playing a lefty on Thursday which should prepare him for what he will see. Beating Fernando Verdasco might not have the same impact as a few years ago, but Murray had to come through some tough moments which will prepare him effectively for the bigger prizes coming up.

He will have to serve well to stop Muller getting any encouragement to cause another shock, while Murray's second serve looks a shot that Muller will look to aggressively attack. I think Murray will be smart enough to perhaps take something off the first serve and hurt Muller that way rather than allowing him to see too many second serves, but that has been the biggest issue for the Number 1 Seed this week.

Of course Muller could serve exceptionally well and prevent Murray from getting any joy in this match, but I think Murray has the return game to force some chances in this Quarter Final. I think he will be smarter than Dimitrov on the return when it comes to the big points by using his slice and variation to give Muller something else to think about and will break him down at least once in each set. That should be enough for Murray to record yet another 64, 75 win this week.


Tomas Berdych - 2.5 games v Ivo Karlovic: It is something of a surprise that Tomas Berdych still has a losing record against Ivo Karlovic heading into their eighth meeting, but I can imagine the big serve Karlovic possesses ends up frustrating Berdych.

The grass courts should be the kind of surface that Karlovic loves to perform on and he has had a couple of solid wins under his belt this week. If he serves as well as he can, Berdych seems to feel the pressure of trying to stay ahead of Karlovic on the scoreboard which leads to mistakes that he simply should not be making against a limited returner.

It isn't like Karlovic is a huge player off the ground in the extended rallies, but he is capable of slicing the ball very deep into the court and attacking the net. His frame means it is hard to pass Karlovic once he gets up there, but Berdych has also played well this week and looks set to equal up their head to head.

Berdych has to accept that there will be games when he is unable to get into the Karlovic service, but he has shown he has the range to get enough balls back to force rallies which he should mean more often than not. If he can come through what is likely to be a first set tie-breaker, Berdych can win this 76, 64 and move into the Semi Final.


Roger Federer - 4.5 games v Florian Mayer: I am not sure what was wrong with Roger Federer in his Second Round win over Ernests Gulbis, but I have rarely seen him so vocal and frustrated in a match he was comfortably WINNING!

He was making some poor mistakes which Federer will know he needs to clean up if he is going to win the tournament in Halle as well as going deep into the draw at Wimbledon, but it was a fairly strong performance all in all. He will be tested by Florian Mayer in this Quarter Final, although the German has not played a lot of tennis of late and who hasn't been serving as well as he would like heading into a match of this size.

They have played some close matches in the past, the last two in particularly being very competitive including here in Halle in 2012, but Mayer's recent return from injury might play against him.

Mayer does have a lot of variation which makes him a threat on grass, while he is also very comfortable at the net and this could be an old fashioned match as Federer will also like to put things away at the net. I would be concerned with the amount of chances Steve Johnson fashioned on the Mayer serve in the last match if I was in the team of the latter and he was also given a bagel by Jan-Lennard Struff in the First Round.

I have mentioned that Federer has been a little loose on the break point chances that have come his way and he played the big points a little poorly against Gulbis. He'll have to tighten up on that, but Mayer's lack of match fitness might be an issue too far for him against an opponent of this quality and Federer can come through 63, 64.


Sabine Lisicki - 4.5 games v Daniela Hantuchova: Daniela Hantuchova has always been very comfortable on the grass courts and she has produced some of her best performances on this surface in her career. However, it does feel like the career his winding down these days for the Slovakian and she is taking on an opponent in Sabine Lisicki who is very comfortable on the grass too.

The grass just seems to match up very well for what Lisicki tries to do on the court and I am going to back her despite her failure to cover the spread on Thursday. One poor service game and an inability to convert a 0-40 situation on the Magdalena Rybarikova serve in the second set meant Lisicki had to settle for a 76, 64 scoreline, rather than the 64, 63 or 76, 62 score it looked like she should have earned.

It has been a very good week for Hantuchova who had come into the tournament having lost 8/9 matches, but this is clearly the biggest test she would have faced in Birmingham. Her serving was just good enough to beat Michelle Larcher De Brito in the Third Round, but Hantuchova did give her opponent a chance to get into those service games and Lisicki is capable of punishing her.

As long as Lisicki doesn't miss the chances that do come her way as she did in her own Third Round match, I think she wins this 64, 63.

MY PICKS: Milos Raonic - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Andy Murray - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Tomas Berdych - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Sky Bet (2 Units)
Roger Federer - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Sabine Lisicki - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 8-13, - 10.96 Units (42 Units Staked, - 26.10% Yield)