French Open Tennis Day 9 Picks 2026 (Monday 1st June)

The upsets have continued to spring up over the last couple of days at the French Open and that left both Men's and Women's tournaments with a clear favourite, but with every other player likely to believe they can win the second Grand Slam of the 2026 season.

New Champions in both events will be crowned after Iga Swiatek was beaten on Sunday.

Pressure will begin to play its part, while the conditions in Paris are changing with cooler weather and rainy conditions likely replacing the heatwave that covered the first week of the tournament.

After a couple of difficult days for the Tennis Picks, there was something of a fightback on Sunday and the Day 9 Picks can be read below.

Flavio Cobolli - 7.5 games v Zachary Svajda: Ever since Jannik Sinner has been knocked out of the French Open, the Men's tournament has had a lopsided feel to the bracket and the top half is wide open.

Six of the eight players who reached the Fourth Round of the bottom half of the draw were Seeded players, but only three of the eight in the top half. That does build up some pressure with many players perhaps feeling they will not have a better chance to reach a Grand Slam Final and Flavio Cobolli should be credited for his performance in the Third Round.

Seeing his compatriot dumped out of the draw means Flavio Cobolli has to believe he is the favourite to reach the French Open Final from this half of the draw. That could have made him tense when facing Learner Tien in the Third Round, but Flavio Cobolli rolled past the American and now faces another opponent from that nation.

Learner Tien had shown some positive form prior to the French Open, which means the run from the Seeded player was not that surprising.

That is far from the case for Zachary Svajda, who had previously been beaten in Qualifiers in each of the last two seaosns at the French Open. The World Number 85 also had a 1-5 record on the red dirt in the build up to the second Grand Slam of the season, but Zachary Svajda has enjoyed his time in the main draw and earned a huge upset in the Third Round against Francisco Cerundolo.

After blowing a two set lead, all credit has to be given to Zachary Svajda for rallying in the fifth set decider and it is comfortably the best clay court win he has produced in Paris at this tournament. The previous two wins had been against players that prefer faster surfaces, but Cerundolo is a very effective clay courter and beating him will have given Zachary Svajda a huge amount of confidence.

The 23 year old American is going to be taking a big leap in the World Rankings and setting a new career high, no matter when the tournament ends, and so it is been a productive event for Zachary Svajda.

He will want that to continue, but this is a tough looking match up and Flavio Cobolli should be much fresher of the two players having moved through the opening three Rounds in straight sets.

The first serve is going to be key for Svajda, but you have to believe that Flavio Cobolli is going to have too much knowledge of clay court tennis for the underdog in this Fourth Round clash.

Flavio Cobolli is not the most convincing of return players on the clay courts, which is a potential issue when it comes to this spread, but Zachary Svajda was only holding 65% of service games prior to the unexpected successes he has had in Paris.

He may continue defying his previous form on the clay, but Flavio Cobolli feels the right player to end that run after the crushing win over Learner Tien, while the Italian has a win over Svajda on the hard courts and so should have enough experience to know what to expect from the underdog in this Fourth Round contest.

Frances Tiafoe - 0.5 games v Matteo Arnaldi: The top half of the Men's tournament has offered up big opportunities for every player involved and both Frances Tiafoe and Matteo Arnaldi came through tough five setters to earn their place in the Fourth Round.

That time spent on the court can be very difficult to overcome at the business end of any Grand Slam tournament, while both players also have to deal with much different conditions compared to what has been seen in the first week of the tournament. Heat makes it easier to hit through the clay, but the dampening conditions makes it tougher and that should favour Matteo Arnaldi.

The Italian beat Frances Tiafoe on a clay court in Madrid in April 2025, but that was a very competitive match and it is Tiafoe who had been producing a bit more consistency on the surface prior to the French Open beginning.

Back to back five setters cannot be a good thing for Frances Tiafoe, but he was able to largely cruise through the last two sets in the Third Round, unlike Matteo Arnaldi who had to win a final set Tie-Breaker to earn his place in the second week.

Out of the two players, Matteo Arnaldi can take some confidence from having won a Challenger title on the clay courts in the lead up to the French Open, while he earned a couple of solid wins at the Rome Masters before losing to Rafael Jodar. The three wins at the French Open will show a player in good form and one who is operating with plenty of belief in his own tennis, but the same can be said for Frances Tiafoe who had a 4-3 record on the clay prior to the French Open getting underway.

The two styles are quite different- Frances Tiafoe will be relying on the serve, while Matteo Arnaldi will believe he is the stronger return player. On a clay court, returning may be a big factor in the outcome, especially if the cooler and potentially wetter conditions make the court play slower than we have seen throughout the French Open.

In the two previous matches on the Tour, Frances Tiafoe has been winning more return points of the two players and that may give him the edge in this competitive Fourth Round match.

Aryna Sabalenka - 4.5 games v Naomi Osaka: For the first time in three years, the French Open organisers have scheduled a Women's match for the Night Session on Court Philippe-Chatrier. Plenty have criticised the organisers for failing to use a Women's match in a primetime spot, but the reason that has been given is that there is every chance that those matches will not provide value for money and so a best of five set Men's match has been preferred.

It will put some pressure on the shoulders of Aryna Sabalenka and Naomi Osaka to provide the right amount of entertainment for fans who are paying a premium to attend the Night Session.

However, you have to believe that two multiple time Grand Slam Champions are able to cope with that expectation and this feels like a big Fourth Round match after the Women's tournament saw the likes of Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek join Elena Rybakina in being eliminated before the Quarter Final.

This has hardened Aryna Sabalenka into being favourite to win the title in Paris over the next few days after finishing 2025 as Runner Up at this event.

She has not played a lot of clay court tennis in preparation for the French Open, while an early defeat in Rome will have meant there were some questions for Aryna Sabalenka to answer when she arrived in the French capital. Three straight wins and all in straight sets will have been a good response to any doubters, but Aryna Sabalenka will be aware that this is the toughest test she will have faced at the French Open to this stage of the tournament.

Naomi Osaka has won four Grand Slam titles, but all on the hard courts and the last of those was at the Australian Open in 2021- she has struggled to return to the consistent level she once produced and the Fourth Round run here in Paris is only the second time Naomi Osaka has reached the second week of a Grand Slam tournament since her last Major in January 2021.

Last September, Naomi Osaka reached the US Open Semi Final, but the French Open and Wimbledon have been her poorest Grand Slam events and this is the first time she has reached the business end of either of those tournaments.

The win over Iva Jovic and the manner in which it was produced will have given Naomi Osaka confidence, but this is a tough test for the World Number 16 who has struggled for consistency on the clay courts.

Serving well will give Naomi Osaka a chance, although she will have to get plenty of first serves in play to put Aryna Sabalenka under pressure in what are expected to be warm conditions, but nothing like what has been seen in Paris over the last few days.

Improving the return against the elite players on the Tour is another challenge for Naomi Osaka and Aryna Sabalenka will be confident having beaten her pretty convincingly twice already this season.

One of those wins was on the clay courts of Madrid as Aryna Sabalenka recovered from losing an opening set Tie-Breaker to roll through the next couple of sets.

In the two matches played against one another this season, Aryna Sabalenka has been the much superior server and she is the better clay court player. There will be moments where Naomi Osaka will be able to get on top of the rallies, but the World Number 1 may not have many better chances to win a Grand Slam title in Paris and she can record a confident victory in this big Fourth Round match.

MY PICKS: Flavio Cobolli - 7.5 Games @ 1.91 William Hill (2 Units)

Frances Tiafoe - 0.5 Games @ 1.91 William Hill (2 Units)

Aryna Sabalenka - 4.5 Games @ 1.75 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Maja Chwalinska - 3.5 Games @ 1.95 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Anastasia Potapova - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 William Hill (2 Units)

French Open Update: 20-15, + 2.74 Units (66 Units Staked, + 4.15% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 8 Picks 2025 (Sunday 1st June)

We are into the second week at the French Open and my thoughts on the Day 8 action can be read below.

Amanda Anisimova + 5.5 games v Aryna Sabalenka: The World Number 16 has made it through to the Fourth Round at the French Open as she has been Seeded to do, but there is still so much more to come from Amanda Anisimova. This is her career best World Ranking mark, but the focus is back on the tennis after some personal issues held her back and the American is definitely capable of cracking the top ten.

She is the underdog as expected in this Fourth Round match, but Amanda Anisimova has always given Aryna Sabalenka problems and actually holds a 5-2 head to head advantage. Backing up the match up advantages is the fact that Sabalenka has been Ranked Number 11 or higher in all of their previous matches and Amanda Anisimova's highest Ranking has been Number 32, yet it is the latter who has come out on top more often than not.

Their last meeting was at the Canadian Masters last year and Amanda Anisimova won that, while the former French Open Semi Finalist has also earned a win over Aryna Sabalenka right here in Paris.

She has been playing well through the first week of the tournament, although Amanda Anisimova showed little form in the build to the French Open. Early losses in Madrid and Rome would have hurt, even if the American was hugely competitive in those defeats, and the feeling is that she can push Aryna Sabalenka more than anyone has done previously at the French Open 2025.

The World Number 1 has played every bit like the favourite to win the title, and Aryna Sabalenka will take plenty of confidence from the fact she has dropped just ten games in three wins. However, this is an opponent who has caused Aryna Sabalenka plenty of difficulties in the matches on the Tour and it should be competitive at the very least.

Last year Aryna Sabalenka did crush Amanda Anisimova at the Australian Open, where the World Number 1 has a very strong record in recent years. That was also a Fourth Round match, but one that was played very soon after Anisimova's return to the main Tour as she held a Ranking outside of the top 400.

It is a match that is the outlier in their previous head to heads and the win later in the year in Toronto is just a reminder of how well Amanda Anisimova plays when seeing Aryna Sabalenka across the net.

MY PICKS: Amanda Anisimova + 5.5 Games

Boxing Picks 2024- Queensberry vs Matchroom, Five vs Five (Saturday 1st June)

Five vs Five, Queensberry vs Matchroom

The Saudi money has been rolling into Boxing and these two companies are the biggest beneficiaries so far.

With that in mind, the Saudi officials called for a Frank vs Eddie card to back up the expected main event featuring Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.

Unfortunately another injury suffered by Beterbiev has pushed that Undisputed fight back to later this year, although Bivol will remain on the card. However, that means the Queensberry vs Matchroom bouts are now the headliners and you have to be pleased with the fights we have.

Dmitry Bivol should be a comfortable winner in his bout, but the focus will be on those promotional fights with the winning team picking up a three million dollar bonus.

First up is Willy Hutchinson vs Craig Richards and there has been plenty of needle between the fighters this week.

This is a big step for Willy Hutchinson who has been Stopped dramatically once before, but bounced back in his move back up to Light Heavyweight. However, he has not taken on anyone of the calibre of Craig Richards, who has only come up short against Dmitry Bivol and Joshua Buatsi in recent times having given both plenty to think about.

It is a level that deservedly makes him a favourite, although Richards has been relatively inactive in recent times.

He did return with a Stoppage of Boris Crighton in February and I do think Craig Richards can weather an early storm and potentially finish off Willy Hutchinson late on. Spider has more power than his Stoppage rate would suggest and Hutchinson has yet to show he can step up to this level so another for Craig Richards and adding two points to the Matchroom slate looks the likely outcome.

One of the best looking fights on the card is between Nick Ball and Raymond Ford and it should really be a Unification at Featherweight.

Nick Ball will feel he did enough to beat Rey Vargas in March, while Ford was coming from behind for a late Stoppage win to earn a title of his own.

It is a short turnaround for both, which could be a factor, but this has the makings of a quality contest with the styles likely to gel very well.

My gut feeling is that Nick Ball might be able to drag Raymond Ford into a fight and that could see him edge this one, but the American showed his own grit and character in the win over Otabek Kholmatov.

This is a bout that I am very much looking forward to.

Next up is Queensberry Captain Hamzah Sheeraz with double points on the line for the British Middleweight contender.

As with many of the Saudi cards, Sheeraz is in a tough fight against unbeaten Austin Ammo Williams and both fighters have shown a supreme amount of confidence about their chances of winning. The victorious party will be heading into a likely World Title bout next in one of the most open Middleweight Divisions we have seen in a long time.

There is absolutely no doubt that both fighters are taking a step up against one another and with similar resumes behind them.

Confidence is not lacking, but the Hamzah Sheeraz size and power could be the telling factor.

He is a very good boxer who will use the jab to set things up and the feeling is that Sheeraz will keep that ramrod of a shot going to end up timing Ammo Williams onto something big.

The American will be slick and look to counter and poses a real threat, but Sheeraz has looked really strong at the weight and he can come through with an impressive win.

Daniel Dubois vs Filip Hrgovic does not have the full IBF World Title on the line as expected, but they have been given an Interim Belt which may be upgraded before we get to September 21st when the winner of this one is expected to headline against Anthony Joshua at Wembley Stadium.

At 26 years old, Daniel Dubois has time on his side, but a third loss would hurt.

He is facing an unbeaten, confident Filip Hrgovic who has taken a lot out of sparring beatdowns he used to give a much younger Dubois. The Croatian also feels that Daniel Dubois has shown too much 'quit' and that he will wear him down and break him down mentally and physically.

However, Filip Hrgovic has not really impressed in recent bouts and the win over Mark De Mori means absolutely little in all honesty.

Prior to that he could have lost against Zhilei Zhang and the Points win over Demsey McKean is not going to have impressed too many.

So there is some pressure on El Animal at 31 years old to show that he is ready to move to the next level.

It brings some intrigue, but the feeling is that Filip Hrgovic's ability to take a big shot may prove to be a difference maker.

Riding out what is likely to be an early Daniel Dubois storm, Hrgovic may feel he can get on top of this one and wear down the British fighter when things begin to feel like they are getting away from him. Beating down Jarrell Miller for a late Stoppage will help the Daniel Dubois confidence, but Filip Hrgovic is a different animal, pardon the pun, and may just close the show before the judges scorecards are needed.

The final fight on this card is a crossroads bout in the Heavyweight Division and may end up deciding which of the promotional companies come out on top.

Deontay Wilder is not only the surprise name lining up behind Eddie Hearn, but has been selected as Captain by Matchroom which means double points if he can come out of this one with his hand raised.

The former WBC World Champion looked very different in a comfortable loss to Joseph Parker back in December and admitted he was tentative in letting his hands go. Some believed Wilder had become softer, but the American is adamant he has rediscovered himself as he looks to potentially move into another big fight with Jared Anderson in August.

He is opposed by another of Joseph Parker's recent victims in the form of Zhilei Zhang who managed to show a bit more than Wilder in that defeat. He put Parker down twice, but the near 300 pounder ran out of gas and was beaten on the cards with his lack of activity in the fight proving to be costly.

There is no doubt that Zhang hits plenty hard, but Deontay Wilder has shown an ability to absorb big shots and much will depend on how much he has left in his own tank when it comes to willingness to detonate his right hand.

Big Bang is certainly capable of taking a shot, but you do have to wonder if he will have the same resistance throughout this fight.

We have seen Deontay Wilder carry his power into the late Rounds and it may be as much to do with fatigue as the actual shot that puts Zhang away in this one.

After his last performance, it may be hard to believe in Wilder, but he may just have found something to get back on the horse and looks a big price to stop Zhilei Zhang and push him to the back of a pretty long queue.

MY PICKS: Craig Richards to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 2.75 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Hamzah Sheeraz to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 2.25 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Filip Hrgovic to Win Between 7-12 @ 3.75 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Deontay Wilder to Win by KO/TKO @ 3.25 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Boxing 2024: 22-35, + 15.17 Units (80 Units Staked, + 18.96% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 5 Picks 2023 (June 1st)

I did have Holger Rune down to cover in his Second Round match against Gael Monfils, but the veteran pulled out of the tournament with an injury just a day after his huge fightback against Sebastian Baez.

That can only be good news for Rune backers though with the Dane in the bottom half of the draw and not having to go through what could have been an emotionally draining match against an opponent who would have been firmly backed by the home crowd in the Night Session at Roland Garros. Instead Holger Rune can begin to prepare for his Third Round match and I do think he is going to be very difficult to beat at this tournament.

While he is resting, the remainder of the Second Round is set to be played in warm, windy conditions in Paris on Thursday.

I had a mixed Wednesday with a really poor start to the day looking like it was going to lead to a poor set of results.

Two players won sets 6-1, but failed to cover, and I did think it was going to be tough to come away with a winning return. However, the later matches largely went in my favour and only a poor third set from Andrey Rublev prevented the afternoon sweep from really pushing the numbers into a positive position early in the French Open.

Another really busy day is coming on Thursday with a huge amount of Second Round matches to get through. You can read my selections below as I look for a better return to really get this tournament moving in the direction I want, but we all have to understand it is a process and nothing will come quickly in a sport with such fine margins on any given day.

Casper Ruud - 7.5 games v Giulio Zeppieri: There are some five set matches that are very difficult to overcome in terms of the time and effort spent on the court, but Giulio Zeppieri was on the court for a relatively comfortable three hours seventeen minutes in his First Round win. It is an important one for the young Italian southpaw and one that could take him closer to his career best World Ranking mark, but the Second Round brings a huge step up in class.

The bottom half of the draw has already lost the World Number 2 Daniil Medvedev and both Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz are in the top half so every player in this section has to be feeling like a big opportunity is in front of them. Right at the head of the line will be Casper Ruud who finished Runner Up to Rafael Nadal here twelve months ago and has long been at his very best on the clay courts.

He had a comfortable First Round win over Elias Ymer and Casper Ruud is a big favourite against Giulio Zeppieri who has struggled in his career when facing top 50 Ranked opponents on the clay courts. Credit has to be given to any player who has taken a set from Carlos Alcaraz as Zeppieri did in Umag last July, but the Italian was well beaten by Hubert Hurkacz at the French Open last year and he is not nearly as comfortable on the red dirt as Casper Ruud.

Giulio Zeppieri has a decent serve, but it is not one that is going to be massively concerning to Casper Ruud, even if the lefty approach is one that players have to get used to.

However, Casper Ruud is someone who seems to enjoy playing left handed players and has won thirteen of his last fourteen against southpaws on the clay courts with the exception being the loss to Rafael Nadal in the French Open Final last year. In all fourteen of those matches, Casper Ruud has held 86% of his service games and has broken in just shy of 29% of return games played, while those numbers move up to 89% and 34% when considering opponents that are Ranked outside of the top 50.

It should be noted that this has not been the clay court season that Casper Ruud would have expected from himself, and he has had some disappointing defeats which may play on the mind if this one is close.

That is a concern with a big mark to cover, but I do think Casper Ruud will largely control the match and Giulio Zeppieri is still learning when it comes to playing the very best players on the Tour. The Italian will make a set difficult, and perhaps even two sets, but Casper Ruud can take a significant chunk out of the handicap with one strong set and I do think he will be able to do that.

Giulio Zeppieri has been broken in 26% of the service games played against top 50 Ranked opponents on the clay courts and has broken in 17% of return games. This will be a match where the experience of Ruud should be too much and I expect the Norwegian to continue his path towards the second week in Paris without too many issues.

Alexander Zverev - 6.5 games v Alex Molcan: Anyone who was tuning into the French Open Semi Final between Rafael Nadal and Alexander Zverev twelve months ago would have seen a very closely contested match in which the latter was looking the stronger player as they entered a second set tie-breaker.

You cannot say with any certainty as to how the match was going to play out, but it was sickening to see Alexander Zverev suffer an injury that cost him the remainder of the 2022 season. After a long lay-off, it is no surprise that the former World Number 2 has struggled to just regain his intensity on the court and another drop in the World Ranking is expected at the end of the French Open where he is defending significant points.

However, there have been one or two signs that the German is getting back on the right track and his form on the clay courts has been encouraging over the last couple of months. Of course Alexander Zverev expects to compete with the very best players on the Tour on this surface, but it will take a bit of time before he is winning those matches.

Overcoming the mental demons to win his First Round match in Paris will help and Alexander Zverev is a Seed in Roland Garros which means he can work his way into the tournament. A straight sets win over Lloyd Harris has given Zverev some time to just build a rhythm and it should be noted that Alexander Zverev has a very impressive 9-2 record when facing players Ranked outside of the top 20 on the red dirt this season.

He faces another of those in the Second Round when seeing Alex Molcan across the net and it has been a mixed year on the clay courts for the player who reached the Third Round at Roland Garros last year. In that Round, Alex Molcan was well beaten by Novak Djokovic and he has lost all three matches against top 50 Ranked opponents on the clay courts in 2023 and without being able to get a foothold on the return of serve.

I think that is going to be the case in this Second Round match and that puts pressure on Alex Molcan to serve at a high level to try and remain competitive.

A straight sets win in the First Round will have given Molcan a boost in confidence, but this is a significant step up from Hugo Gaston and even Alexander Zverev in his current form should have too much for the Slovakian.

Iga Swiatek - 7.5 games v Claire Liu: Straight off the bat you have to say this is the kind of handicap mark that would take one or two mistakes from the favourite and become impossible to cover.

Throw in the additional factor of Iga Swiatek only just returning from an injury and it might make one or two nervy about backing her.

That was certainly the case in the First Round when the defending Champion was asked to cover a line which was one game higher than this one and it was far too big for me to consider. Iga Swiatek started slowly, which is perhaps not a surprise after having to retire mid-match in Rome, but by the end of the match the World Number 1 was rolling confidently through to the Second Round.

Now Iga Swiatek faces an opponent in Claire Liu who has not really had a lot of success on the clay courts and certainly not when playing a two time French Open Champion. While Claire Liu did pile up plenty of wins on the red dirt in 2021 and 2022, it should be noted that she is just 8-14 against top 100 Ranked opponents on the surface in her career and 3-6 when only focusing on top 50 Ranked opponents.

Her sole previous match against a top 20 Ranked opponent on a clay court ended in a defeat, while Claire Liu will have to deal with the memory of a painful experience against Iga Swiatek.

Earlier this season they met on the hard courts of Indian Wells, a surface that Claire Liu will enjoy more than the clay courts, and Iga Swiatek lost just a single game.

It is unlikely to be as routine as that, but Swiatek has been able to overwhelm opponents on this surface and the feeling is that she can restrict Liu to four games in this one.

Other Selections: Another busy day is on the cards and I will have a few thoughts on some of the other selections that I have made.

I am not always keen on backing players off the kind of upset that Thiago Seyboth Wild produced in the First Round, but he is a very strong clay court player and I do think he can back that up against the veteran Guido Pella. Both players needed five sets in the First Round, but Pella has been struggling to rediscover the consistency he once had and I do think Seyboth Wild is a progressing player, especially on the clay courts.

My expectation is that the likes of Borna Coric, Francisco Cerundolo and Andrea Vavassori can all progress in three or four sets in their Second Round matches, while Jannik Sinner has all of the qualities to make relatively straight-forward work of a dangerous Daniel Altmaier.

Nicolas Jarry has a poor return game, which makes him vulnerable, but I do think the clay court specialist can get the better of Tommy Paul who has not really been able to string the wins together on this surface.

The WTA matches have been harder to read in the early Rounds of the French Open, well as far as my Picks are concerned anyway, but I do think those I have selected have solid chances of progressing as favourites.

I was very close to adding young star Mirra Andreeva to my selections, but I think Diane Parry can show off her own potential and keep that one competitive in front of her home supporters. In saying that, I do think Andreeva is one of those players that could be a much bigger favourite in matches like this one as she builds her experience in the years ahead.

MY PICKS: Casper Ruud - 7.5 Games @ 1.80 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Alexander Zverev - 6.5 Games @ 1.90 Bet365 (2 Units)

Iga Swiatek - 7.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Andrea Vavassori - 1.5 Sets @ 1.72 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Francisco Cerundolo - 1.5 Sets @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Jannik Sinner - 7.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Borna Coric - 1.5 Sets @ 1.80 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Thiago Seyboth Wild - 1.5 Sets @ 1.72 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Nicolas Jarry - 1.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Madison Keys - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Bianca Andreescu - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)
Lesia Tsurenko - 3.5 Games @ 1.90 Bet365 (2 Units)

Coco Gauff - 5.5 Games @ 1.70 Bet Victor (2 Units)

French Open Update: 12-10, + 0.72 Units (44 Units Staked, + 1.64% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 11 Picks 2022 (June 1st)

I am guaranteed my worst ever result at a Grand Slam tournament for the Tennis Picks, but I just can't get my head around some of the ways things continue to go the opposite way to my predictions.

It has been awful time to be honest and I am glad to see the back of May with the hope that whatever seems to be cursing my fortune moves on to bother somebody else. Bad luck has been a bigger problem than bad picks in this tournament and I am always brutal about how I feel about my selections, but I cannot ignore what seems to be a terrible trend of misfortune.

Anyway, I will have more thoughts on this next week and what my plans are going forward, but for now you can read my thoughts on the matches to be played on Day 11 in Paris.

Of course, I would recommend going the other way on these with the way my luck has been.

Marin Cilic v Andrey Rublev: The conditions in the Night Session have been a source of frustration for the players that have been scheduled to play in that spot, but I am not sure you can blame that on the Daniil Medvedev crushing loss to Marin Cilic in the Fourth Round. The two former US Open Champions were meeting for a fourth time, but it was the veteran in Marin Cilic who enjoyed the session the most and beat Daniil Medvedev for the first time.

A dominant win will have given Marin Cilic plenty of confidence to take into this Quarter Final and I am a little surprised to see him set as the underdog.

All credit has to be given to Andrey Rublev for reaching the Quarter Final in Paris for the second time in three seasons, while he had a solid clay court season going into the French Open. However, he benefited from the injury suffered by Jannik Sinner having been outplayed at the start of the match before the young Italian was barely able to serve thanks to a lingering leg issue that is likely going to keep him out of Wimbledon.

Wins will breed confidence, but Rublev has not been the most convincing at times in this tournament and is likely to be challenged by Marin Cilic who has put together four very solid wins. Like Andrey Rublev, Cilic had played pretty well on the clay courts in the preparation tournaments and he has twice been a Quarter Finalist at the French Open before.

A win on Wednesday will mean Marin Cilic has reached the last four of all four of the Grand Slams that are played and I think he will be confident. His serve has been a potent weapon so far in the tournament and he will feel that it is a shot that can pressure Andrey Rublev who has an aggressive style that is not always best suited to the slower courts.

In the lead up to the French Open, Andrey Rublev has had the very slight edge on the serve compared with Marin Cilic and the former has been serving well himself in this tournament. That is going to give him a chance, but in the last four Rounds, Marin Cilic has had a considerable edge when it comes to the return of serve and I really do think that makes the difference in what could be a close, competitive Quarter Final.

Andrey Rublev has won four of the six previous matches between the pair, but Marin Cilic won the most recent in four sets at the Australian Open. All of the Rublev wins have come on the hard courts, but Marin Cilic won the sole clay match back in 2015, although that was a long time ago and is unlikely to be a factor in the outcome of this one.

However, I do think Marin Cilic is playing strong clay court tennis and his performance in this tournament has been better than Andrey Rublev. I doubt Cilic is as impressive as he was against Daniil Medvedev, but the edge on the return may see him get the better of Andrey Rublev at a second Grand Slam in succession in 2022 and the underdog looks a solid price to back.

Casper Ruud - 1.5 sets v Holger Rune: The bottom half of the draw looked to be wide open in the Men's tournament at the French Open and youngster Holger Rune has really blown things apart with the upset victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Fourth Round. A former Junior Champion at Roland Garros, Holger Rune played really well in the win over the favourite to reach the Final from this half of the draw, but backing that up will be a huge challenge for an inexperienced player.

I say inexperienced, but Holger Rune has won a title on the clay courts in Munich and now holds win over both Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev on the surface. Those are quality victories to have on the resume and Holger Rune may feel there is still plenty of legs for him in this tournament.

Holger Rune has not spent as much time on the court as his opponent despite needing a minute over three hours to win his Fourth Round match and I think there is a youthful exuberance about his tennis that has to be respected. The clay courts are a comfortable surface for him to play on and the Dane has been returning well enough in this tournament to put pressure on his opponent and break down their game.

There is nothing to lose for Holger Rune, but he has to show some mental strength- a first Grand Slam Quarter Final is tough enough to deal with, but also trying to back up a big win at this level has proven to be a tough task for so many players down the years.

At least Holger Rune is facing an opponent in Casper Ruud who is also playing in a maiden Grand Slam Quarter Final.

The Norwegian has long played his best tennis on the clay courts and the draw does feel like it has opened up for him with Tsitsipas being dumped out of the French Open in the last Round. Casper Ruud will have to deal with the additional pressure that comes from expectation, but he has served well enough to believe in his game and I think that will be the key shot in this match.

If Ruud is able to serve well, I do think it will put pressure on the Holger Rune serve and the higher Ranked player can exert his control on the match. Being on the Night Session is perhaps not ideal for Casper Ruud with the serve likely to be affected, but he should be able to get into the Holger Rune serve too and I do think he is currently the superior clay courter of the two, although the 'x factor' is how well Casper Ruud can deal with the greater expectations that may be on his shoulders.

He has also spent plenty of time on the courts in the opening four wins and Casper Ruud has only won a single match in straight sets.

It is a concern, but Casper Ruud should also hold a slight mental edge having beaten Holger Rune in all three previous matches with all of those being played on the clay courts. The two wins in 2021 were very comfortable for Casper Ruud, but their match at the Monte Carlo Masters in April was much more competitive even though the Norwegian was able to come through in straight sets.

Casper Ruud had the slight edge behind serve in that tight two set win, and I think that is going to be the key to the outcome of this one too. He has broken Holger Rune at least four times in all of their three previous matches on the red dirt and I think Ruud is going to have the superior experience to earn a victory in three or four sets.

Daria Kasatkina - 2.5 games v Veronika Kudermetova: The top of the Women's Tour is extremely vulnerable and it has led to plenty of surprise names when it comes to the business end of any tournament played over the last couple of years.

Grand Slams are no different with the best of three set format meaning there isn't a chance for the top names to turn things around as they can on the Men's side of the tournament at this level. Even if there was, the top of the WTA Tour is not loaded with players capable of stringing together wins outside of Iga Swiatek.

For fans it may be a concern, but for players currently performing there has to be a sense of opportunity. Coco Gauff made that clear when she mentioned Emma Raducanu's win at the US Open and how it just underlines the chances for every player in the Grand Slam that they could produce a career-changing win of their own.

Both of these Quarter Finalists have to feel the same with neither Daria Kasatkina nor Veronika Kudermetova being high on anyone's list as a realistic potential winner. That means there will be some tension and nerves to deal with, although Daria Kasatkina did reach the Quarter Final at the French Open and Wimbledon previously.

Those are a couple of experiences that could give Kasatkina the edge over her compatriot, especially as Veronika Kudermetova has never been beyond the Third Round at a Grand Slam, let alone the Fourth Round.

Veronika Kudermetova did reach the Final in Istanbul on the clay, but she had been in poor form going into the French Open. The serve has been important for the higher Ranked Russian of the two, but her numbers have not been overwhelming and it feels like she has won the big points consistently in this tournament.

She won 60% of service points against Madison Keys and 58% against a compromised Paula Badosa, but Veronika Kudermetova will be challenged much more by Daria Kasatkina who has been dominating on that side of the court at the French Open. Even before the tournament, Daria Kasatkina had won 49% of return points played on the clay courts in 2022, and she has matched or better than number in all four of her wins here.

The Daria Kasatkina serve is a weakness and it is a shot that can be attacked by someone as aggressive as Veronika Kudermetova, but you have to feel the former is going to win the rallies once they develop. It means pressure on Kudermetova to try and win points as soon as she can, but that won't be easy against a mover like Kasatkina on this surface and I do think the lower Ranked player is deserving of her spot as the favourite.

In their sole previous match on the hard courts of St Petersburg in 2021, it was Daria Kasatkina who came out on top in a three setter. That is a match that was played on a surface that both have been performing at a similar level on, but this is on the red dirt and that is a surface that should give Daria Kasatkina an edge.

Veronika Kudermetova has had the tougher matches in terms of Rankings, but she benefited from Paula Badosa's injury and this is a much tougher match than even someone like Madison Keys can bring on a clay court. With the numbers being produced in this tournament, Daria Kasatkina has the advantage and I think she can cover this spread even if the match has to go the distance to find a winner.

Iga Swiatek - 5.5 games v Jessica Pegula: A first dropped set in ten matches had people wondering if there was about to be the biggest of upsets in the French Open this season and that despite the huge amount of upsets that have already been seen on the Women's side of the draw.

The rally from Iga Swiatek will stand her in good stead, and most Grand Slam Champions do overcome one or two awkward moments on their way to winning a title. The current World Number 1 also admitted that she needed to give herself a talking to after making some bad decisions on the court and playing some poor tennis at key times in the first set in the Fourth Round, but I also think there was an aspect of playing an opponent for the first time.

It won't be the case in this Quarter Final and Iga Swiatek should be more comfortable with what is going to be coming from the other side of the court.

Much depends on how Swiatek is going to be handling the pressure- unlike the likes of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, Iga Swiatek has only won a single Grand Slam title and she isn't as experienced as some may think with a single Quarter Final and Semi Final at this level since winning the French Open in 2020.

That inexperience has perhaps shown up in back to back Rounds where Iga Swiatek has been far from her best and it is possible that all of the upsets in the Women's tournament have been playing on her mind.

At least in this Quarter Final Iga Swiatek will be going up against an opponent she beat pretty comfortably on a hard court earlier this season. That win over Jessica Pegula came on the latter's favoured surface, but the American has played well on the clay over the last two months and she will feel she has nothing to lose in this Quarter Final which could make her dangerous.

While I have to say that Iga Swiatek's level has dropped considerably in the last two Rounds, she has still been playing really well and Jessica Pegula will have to raise her own level if she is going to make this competitive.

In the last Round Jessica Pegula was fortunate to win the big points to edge past Irina-Camelia Begu, but she did not return as well as she would have liked in that win. I do expect Pegula to get plenty of balls back in play in this Quarter Final, but the key for the underdog is serving at her best to try and keep Iga Swiatek at bay.

When these two met in Miami, Iga Swiatek created sixteen break points and she was able to save four of the seven break points faced. This is the third Quarter Final that Jessica Pegula has played at Grand Slam level, so she has the experience needed, but I am not sure World Number 11 can play the clay court tennis she will need for as long as she needs to keep this competitive.

The World Number 1 has not served as well as she would have liked in the last Round, but she continues to be a very tough opponent to face when it comes to the return of serve and I think that is where Iga Swiatek is able to exert the pressure to pull clear of Jessica Pegula. The level in the last couple of Rounds might be concerning compared to how well we have seen Iga Swiatek play, but it is still a very strong level and she has been in a position of control even when it feels like the matches have been much closer than expected.

Jessica Pegula could make this close if she can attack the Swiatek second serve and get on top of the rallies, but I think that will last a set and eventually the top Seed can pull clear for another solid win on her way through to the Semi Final.

MY PICKS: Marin Cilic @ 2.20 Bet365 (2 Units)

Casper Ruud - 1.5 Sets @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Daria Kasatkina - 2.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Iga Swiatek - 5.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

French Open Update: 47-53, - 20.05 Units (198 Units Staked, - 10.13% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 3 Picks 2021 (June 1st)

The First Round is going to be concluded at the French Open on Tuesday and I have been short of time to write out a fuller thread over the long weekend.

That should change with the Second Round beginning on Wednesday in Paris, but for now I will conclude the First Round with the following selections.

MY PICKS: Albert Ramos-Vinolas - 1.5 Sets @ 2.05 Coral (2 Units)

Facundo Bagnis - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Matteo Berrettini - 8.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Richard Gasquet @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Rafael Nadal - 10.5 Games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Novak Djokovic - 10.5 Games @ 1.80 Paddy Power (2 Units)

French Open Update: 9-6, + 4.36 Units (30 Units Staked, + 14.53% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2019- Anthony Joshua vs Andy Ruiz Jr (June 1st)

The top three Heavyweights in the world continue to be walking paths that don't have them crossing into each other at any time soon and that is even after we get through the first half of the 2019 season.

After Deontay Wilder obliterated Dominic Breazeale in the First Round two weeks ago, the arrival of Luis Ortiz into the ring indicated where the American WBC Champion was perhaps focusing his attention. This week it was confirmed that it will be Wilder-Ortiz II next and with that fight scheduled in September I would assume Wilder is not going to be taking on a third fight in 2019 and is thus out of the picture as far as Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury are concerned.

Anyone who has been reading about the Heavyweights and keeping notes will already be aware that any Wilder-Fury rematch was expected to be left to mature into 2020, while it is clear that Wilder is refusing to dance to the beat provided by Eddie Hearn.

With that in mind Anthony Joshua will be making his US debut this week against Andy Ruiz Jr, not Jarrell Miller, and his own future plans remain clouded. There have been comments made by Joshua suggesting an offer will be made to Tyson Fury, but I think the more realistic path for the Unified Champion is going to be fulfilling a mandatory against Kubrat Pulev later this year. Anthony Joshua hasn't fought three times in the same calendar year since 2016 so any 'Super Fight' involving him also looks set to be missed out on until 2020 too.

Tyson Fury is out later this month and is expected to have three fights in 2019, but I don't really know what to make of him. I like Fury, I always have, but he seems to love calling out the big names but with no real intention to making those fights in 2019 as he is looking to really get his name out there in the US and then go into the mega fights that exist in the Division.

Make no mistake this is a frustration for the fans, but the three paths being treaded by the top three Heavyweight fighters show little sign of actually giving the fans the fights they want.


On Saturday Anthony Joshua will be leading the card at Madison Square Garden and I am sure there will be plenty of eyes on the product even in the United Kingdom. Staying up until the early hours of the morning is not ideal, but the fight being scheduled on the same night as the Champions League Final may bring in more viewers than at other times of the year and Joshua remains popular enough to think many will be buying the fight.

The card might not be the greatest, but I don't think it is going to be putting people off who may have enjoyed a good evening and look to extend that further into the night.


Two weeks ago the Boxing Picks which had begun 2019 with a poor run finally completed the turn around I have been mentioning for a while. Six picks were made and five returned as winners to bring 2019 into a positive number after a winning 2018.

Hopefully that momentum keeps things ticking along this week with the selections from the Anthony Joshua-Andy Ruiz Jr card from New York. June does look to be a busy month with the big UK fight between Josh Warrington and Kid Galahad to come, while Tyson Fury and Gennady Golovkin are both in action too.

Tony Harrison vs Jermell Charlo II is also on the slate for June before a decent looking July keeps things going.

Joshua Buatsi vs Marco Antonio Periban

It really isn't that easy to know how good Joshua Buatsi is until he steps up another level, but I have to say he ticks a lot of boxes. The potentially huge domestic dust up with Anthony Yarde continues to be the fight that people want to see, but it may not be one that is put together until both have reached the conclusion of their path towards becoming World level fighters.

I think Buatsi's team would be keener to push for that fight now, but that is because Yarde is almost at World level already with rumours he is set to take on Sergey Kovalev for the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title.

Instead Buatsi has to keep ticking along and continue his own path up the World Rankings having secured the British Light Heavyweight Title with a Third Round stoppage of Liam Conroy. Prior to that Buatsi had secured three First Round stoppages in a row and I am not sure how much he is going to learn from this fight.

Marco Antonio Periban's toughness can't be ignored considering he has fought Badou Jack to a Draw and been beaten on a Decision by Avni Yildirim. That was his last fight back in March 2017, but Periban was blown away by James DeGale in the Third Round and he has largely campaigned as a Super Middleweight not a Light Heavyweight.

Having the lay off and now facing a puncher in Buatsi should surely lead to an early night for the Brit who will be looking to give America something to remember him by on the undercard of the Anthony Joshua card. A first fight outside of the United Kingdom could mean Joshua Buatsi starts a little slow as he gets to grips with new surroundings, but I think this fight has been picked for him to show he is ready to compete with the top names in a stacked Division and I am going to back Buatsi to get Periban out of there a little quicker than DeGale did in November 2014.

Chris Algieri vs Tommy Coyle

Let me start this by saying if this was a fight between these two in their prime Chris Algieri would be a huge favourite to win it. Over his career he has mixed at a higher level than Tommy Coyle, but there are factors at play which makes it appealing to back the underdog in this one.

This is only going to be the third fight Algieri has had in the three years since he was overwhelmed by Errol Spence Jr. He has put a couple of Decision wins together in November 2018 and January 2019 and is operating at Light Welterweight these days rather than Welterweight.

Back in 2014 Algieri became a Light Welterweight World Champion, but he moved up soon afterwards to take on Manny Pacquiao and has also been in with Amir Khan and Spence Jr. At 35 years old I do think it is tougher to cut the weight to get down to this level and I have no doubt that Tommy Coyle is going to test Algieri to his limits.

With all due respect, Coyle is not the greatest Boxer in the world, but he is game and his style is one that the American audience appreciate. He isn't the hardest hitter, but he will look to wear down the favourite and make him fight every second of every Round and test the wear and tear that Algieri has had in his career.

I can't see a way that Coyle will outbox Algieri, but I do think he can wear him down if he has struggled to make the weight. Not many have been able to stop Algieri, but I do think Coyle can perhaps get the better of someone who may be on the back end of his career and the British fighter is going to go out swinging to get the job done.

Much of this pick is down to the fact that I don't think Algieri is the fighter he once was. He has all the tools to outbox Coyle, but I think the latter is going to get close enough to attack the body and wear him down and I do believe there is a real possibility that he can find a way to put enough punches together to find a stoppage.

Tommy Coyle is a significant underdog and I don't think he can win the fight on the cards. We will soon know how much Chris Algieri feels he has left in the tank, but I am leaning towards less than the layers believe. With a weight cut in place, Coyle should look to work the body and see if he can slow down and hurt the local fighter and stun him in front of his supporters.

Callum Smith vs Hassan N'Dam

After winning the World Boxing Super Series last year, Callum Smith has been out of the ring and it is something of a disappointment that he has not been able to kick on with his career. I would have expected Smith to have been able to have lined up a 'homecoming' at the very least since the win over George Groves in September 2018, but the man figured to be the Number 1 fighter in the Super Middleweight Division is back this Saturday on Anthony Joshua's undercard.

This should not be a difficult night for Smith even if he has to shake out some of the rustiness of being out of the ring for almost nine months. He is facing Hassan N'Dam who has been brought up from Middleweight where he secured a win over Martin Murray at the back end of 2018.

Hassan N'Dam has been down multiple times in the Middleweight Division and he looks to be at a physical disadvantage in this one. Only two fights ago he was being stopped by Ryota Murata who has since been worked out as a pretty one-dimensional fighter, while Peter Quillan and David Lemieux both knocked N'Dam on multiple occasions within their fights.

The Cameroonian has to be respected considering the toughness he has shown in continuing to get up and fight, but Callum Smith is a big man at this weight and those physical advantages will be tough to avoid if N'Dam is hurt or put down.

I do think N'Dam might not have the same resistance as he once did having been involved in some difficult fights and in his last loss he was stopped. I am not disputing how hard Murata can hit, but Smith is a fighter who finds better angles and I think he is a tougher puncher too so I imagine he is able to showcase his ability to the watching American audience.

It might take a couple of Rounds to just loosen up having been out of the ring for as long as he has, but I expect Smith to start breaking N'Dam down in Round Three or Four. By Round Five and Six I think the combinations will be hurting N'Dam who will likely hit the canvas a couple of times before the referee or corner wave it off for a rugged fighter who may not have the same resilience as he once did.

Anthony Joshua vs Andy Ruiz Jr

A ridiculous decision from Jarrell Miller to take multiple PEDs while preparing for his World Heavyweight Title shot meant a change to this card.

The American audience will still get their chance to see Anthony Joshua for the first time, but instead of local hope Miller we are going to see American-Mexican Andy Ruiz Jr get a shot at the Champion.

A fighter with one loss on his record is being built up by Eddie Hearn, but in reality I am not convinced about Ruiz Jr at all. He has fast hands for a Heavyweight, but the physical limitations is going to make it very difficult for him to get close enough to Joshua to actually threaten the Brit.

If Joshua wants to give the fans a show it could be more interesting as it may allow Ruiz Jr to get in and let his hands go, but I think Deontay Wilder's blow out of Dominic Breazeale is going to encourage the Unified Champion to be focused and produce a dominant win.

It might be fun for a couple of Rounds, but I really don't believe Ruiz Jr has enough all round to really give Joshua too many problems. We could see some hands being let go by both, but I expect the imposing Joshua gets the better of the exchanges and this could end up being a shortish night for him.

With rumours that Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder have signed to face each other in early 2020, Anthony Joshua's own future plans might involve a return to the United Kingdom. He can't worry about that at the moment and I expect him to do a very good job on Ruiz Jr as I look for Joshua to win this fight in the first half of the scheduled Twelve Rounds.

MY PICKS: Joshua Buatsi Win Between 1-2 @ 2.37 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Tommy Coyle to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 6.50 Bet Fred (1 Unit)
Callum Smith Win Between 1-6 @ 2.37 Sky Bet (2 Units)
Anthony Joshua Win Between 1-6 @ 1.72 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Boxing 2019: 13-21, + 8.74 Units (54 Units Staked, + 16.19% Yield)

Boxing 2018: + 5.14 Units (159 Units Staked, + 3.23% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 7 Picks 2019 (June 1st)

The French Open continues on Saturday and we move into the remainder of the Third Round with a number of matches still being held over from Friday. It has been a mixed tournament for my Tennis Picks with some late collapses proving costly, but for the most part the big names have managed to work their way into a position to reach the second week.

Hopefully my picks will improve into the business end of the French Open too.


Fabio Fognini v Roberto Bautista Agut: A lingering leg injury was a concern for Fabio Fognini going into the French Open and one that has been threatening to prevent the Italian from having his best showing at a Slam since he reached the Quarter Final in Paris back in 2011. That is the only time Fognini has ever reached the Quarter Final of a Grand Slam, but winning the Monte Carlo Masters has given his supporters belief that at 32 years old he is ready to reach a new career high Ranking.

The Monte Carlo Masters is not a compulsory event like the Madrid and Rome Masters which are also played on the clay, but Fognini impressed with wins over Borna Coric and Rafael Nadal. Even his runs in Madrid and Rome have been ended by quality operators like Dominic Thiem and Stefanos Tsitsipas which suggests Fognini is more than capable of reaching the second week at the French Open and going deep into the draw.

Both of his wins this past week have come in four sets, but Fognini has looked good in both matches and it does ease some of the concerns about his general fitness. The opponents might not have been the best, but his performance in seeing off Federico Delbonis has to be respected even if the Italian will know he is going to have to step up a little more if he is going to reach the second week of the tournament.

In front of him is Roberto Bautista Agut who has crushed two Americans on his way through to the Third Round. He has not been threatened in either match, but Bautista Agut has to be feeling good about his chances despite having a pretty mixed clay court campaign prior to the French Open beginning.

While Fognini's defeats in the last couple of months have come against top 10 Ranked players, Bautista Agut has compiled a 5-5 record on the clay with just a single match agains one of the elite players. The numbers overall are actually quite similar, but Fognini has been very good against players outside of the top 10 of the World Rankings since the start of the Monte Carlo Masters and that may give him a slight edge in this one.

It is Fognini who leads the head to head 7-3 against Bautista Agut and that record is 3-1 on the clay courts. In those matches the Italian has held a narrow edge as far as the service hold percentage is concerned and I do think Fognini can get the better of Bautista Agut in a match that could easily go the distance with plenty of breaks of serve for both players.

Roberto Bautista Agut did beat Fabio Fognini on the hard courts in Miami in March, but I will look for the latter to gain a measure of revenge with a victory in this good looking Third Round match.


Gael Monfils - 7.5 games v Antonie Hoang: One of my key changes made when it comes to making selections on the Tennis over the last couple of years is not getting overly carried away by opposing players who have stunning, unexpected runs in tournaments out of seemingly left field. Antonie Hoang is enjoying something of that kind of run having been given a Wild Card into the French Open and stunning Damir Dzumhur and Fernando Verdasco in back to back matches.

At the moment Hoang is outside of the top 100 of the World Rankings, but this run is going to give him a huge boost. It is surprising when you think Hoang has never played a main Tour match on the clay courts before and especially so when you consider he was just 2-4 in lower level events on the surface in the lead up to the second Grand Slam of the season.

Being in front of home supporters must be a real help to Hoang, but in this Third Round match I imagine the crowd are going to be less boisterous than they would have been in normal circumstances. The fact that Hoang is playing Gael Monfils is a tough position to be in as most of the home crowd will love the veteran who has enjoyed the majority of this success at the Grand Slam level in his home Slam.

Antonie Hoang has already spent almost seven hours on court through the first couple of matches as his serve has not been a dominant weapon for him. He has returned well, but his level prior to the French Open suggests it may be difficult for him to keep that up through another match.

Gael Monfils has not exactly been inspiring on the clay courts prior to this tournament, but his two wins have been very easy so far this week. The time spent of court has not even reached four hours yet and that fitness edge can see him break down Hoang, especially if he continues to return as effectively as he has in the first two Rounds.

The mental edge could also belong to Monfils who Hoang would have watched for many years now as he built his way onto the professional circuit. This is a large number of games if Monfils is perhaps not playing up to the level he has produced so far at the French Open, but I think Hoang could be feeling it physically by the middle of this one which should give the veteran Frenchman the chance to pull away.


Jan-Lennard Struff-Borna Coric over 36.5 games: I have been pretty high on Borna Coric for a while and been waiting for him to make his first really serious impact at a Grand Slam. The ever improving Croatian could finally be ready to reach the business end of the second week of a Grand Slam event here in Paris and I have backed him in the first two Rounds and see no reason to jump off the bandwagon at this moment in time.

Then again I should really note that I am 2-0 backing Jan-Lennard Struff so far in the tournament too after he came through his Second Round match in four sets. It was a tougher match than I was expecting for Struff who was dragged into three tie-breakers against Radu Albot before being able to pull away in the fourth set and secure his place in the Third Round.

The German will be well aware that he needs to step up another level when he faces Coric in this Third Round match, although they are 2-2 in previous matches on the Tour. However it is Coric who has won the last two of those including their sole previous meeting on a clay court which occurred in Madrid in 2018 when Struff struggled in all aspects of his game.

His performances so far in Paris suggests Struff will give Coric more to think about than he did in their match in Madrid twelve months ago. The levels produced in the build up to the French Open also shows the improvement Struff has made as he has pushed the top 20 players he has faced with strong serving giving him a platform to build on.

Winning ten games in two sets against Rafael Nadal in Barcelona underlines the problems Struff can cause, but Borna Coric has been playing at a superb level himself. He has made much more serene progress through to the Third Round although the time spent on the court is similar and I think this is going to be a match that is serve-orientated which gives it every chance of surpassing the total games market.

My edge is with Coric and I do think he has a chance of covering the handicap over the course of the match, but I will be surprised if Struff is going away quietly. I would expect the German to at least steal one set and that should give the match every chance of surpassing the total games, especially as Coric has dipped in a set in each of his two wins here.

I would love this match to land on Simone-Mathieu to add to the serving statistics considering the players believe that is a court playing faster than the other two main courts here. Even if it doesn't, I still see the two players combining for at least 37 games here with both taking a set during the course of the match.


Ashleigh Barty - 5.5 games v Andrea Petkovic: I have so much respect for what Ashleigh Barty has been able to do to improve her tennis over the last couple of years, but the clay courts remain her most vulnerable surface. This is a player who has produced outstanding numbers on the hard courts and clay courts in the last twelve months, but her clay level has been merely 'good'.

Earlier this season Barty made the Quarter Final of a Grand Slam as a Singles player for the first time and she could really make some headway with her World Ranking if she can win another couple of matches in Paris. After that Barty will be heading into the grass court season as a real danger at Wimbledon and the young Australian looks like she has made the right decision in returning to the Tour.

Barty has spent a little over two hours on court to progress to the Third Round and her win over Danielle Collins in the Second Round was very impressive. The Aussie is serving very well and that opens up her entire game as she can put plenty of pressure on the return of serve which can see her not only win matches, but win by dominant margins.

Ashleigh Barty had not been at complete ease on the clay courts in the build up to the French Open as she has dropped at least one set in five of her six matches. However she has managed to put together strong straight sets wins in each of the first two Rounds at the French Open and now faces veteran Andrea Petkovic who has found it tough to return to the level she once produced.

The German has to be respected having won back to back matches, but Petkovic has spent a long time on the court and that could be a real problem when facing someone like Barty. Back to back three set wins have taken four and a half hours of court time, while Petkovic can be considering fortunate to have beaten both Alison Riske and Su-Wei Hsieh.

In the lead up to the French Open, Andrea Petkovic has been struggling with her return and that puts pressure on her to find her best serving displays. I would expect Barty to have an edge in both serve and return, while I can't ignore the fact that Petkovic was beaten twice by Maria Sakkari and also lost to Angelique Kerber by wide margins when facing them on the clay courts over the last couple of months.

They are the only top 50 Ranked opponents she has faced on the surface and Petkovic's second serve and return were not good enough. The win over Hsieh should give her belief, but Petkovic needed to win eight games in the final set to move through to the Third Round and I think Barty is going to have too much for her all around in this one.


Serena Williams - 5.5 games v Sofia Kenin: In a season where Serena Williams was stunned in the Quarter Final of the Australian Open by Karolina Pliskova and hit with injuries throughout the first five months, it was no surprise to see her at a big price to win the French Open. The lack of tennis and pictures of Serena sitting in a wheelchair days before the second Grand Slam of the season was to begin was a real concern and Williams began the tournament by dropping the first set played 6-2.

Things have dramatically turned around for her since then as she has won the last four sets played by scores of 6-1, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 and Williams herself stated she was feeling stronger in the last press conference she did. You can't completely write off the injury worries as something that won't affect her going forward, but Williams is looking very strong through the first week of the French Open and she is always a threat once she makes the second week of a Slam.

It is up to compatriot Sofia Kenin to prevent Williams from reaching the Fourth Round and the younger American has needed to win just one match to make it through to the Third Round. She had to battle hard for that victory and this remains a huge challenge for Kenin who has yet to really feel comfortable on the clay courts.

A win over Madison Keys in Rome and then a tight three set loss to eventual Rome Champion Karolina Pliskova shows what Kenin can be capable of, but she is just 1-4 in clay court matches against top 50 Ranked opponents. In that time she has struggled with the return of serve and now she faces arguably the greatest women's server of all time in this Third Round match.

Serena Williams has lost just 18 points on her serve in the last four sets played in Paris and I think she is going to be put Kenin into a tough position of having to serve exceptionally well to stay with her. It is a big challenge for Kenin who struggled with that shot in her defeats to Petra Kvitova and Karolina Pliskova on this surface in 2019.

The former World Number 1 has won at least 50% of return points won in three of the last four sets she has competed and I think Williams will grind down Kenin in this one too. I wouldn't be massively surprised if the first set is pretty competitive, but at some point I do think Serena Williams is going to go on a run of games and that should give her every chance to cover this number on her way through to the Fourth Round.

MY PICKS: Fabio Fognini @ 1.75 Betfair Sportsbook (2 Units)
Gael Monfils - 7.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Jan-Lennard Struff-Borna Coric Over 36.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (2 Units)
Ashleigh Barty - 5.5 Games @ 1.83 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Serena Williams - 5.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Alexander Zverev - 5.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Dominic Thiem Win 3-1 @ 3.75 William Hill (1 Unit)
Naomi Osaka - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

French Open Update: 39-34, + 1.96 Units (146 Units Staked, + 1.34% Yield)