French Open Tennis Day 12 Picks 2025 (Thursday 5th June)

The Grand Slam events can see players create some magical stories, but the Lois Boisson one at Roland Garros is historic.

Emma Raducanu's success at the US Open in 2021 was an incredible story with the Qualifier coming through and winning the tournament, but it can be argued that Boisson's run is even more impressive.

For the first time in this event, Lois Boisson will be playing on consecutive days and it will be interesting to see how she continues to handle the increasing pressure, although the soon to be top 70 Ranked player may feel she has 'nothing to lose'.

It is the women Semi Final matches that will take centre stage in Paris on Day 12 of the tournament and both are going to be intriguing matches.

My thoughts on those matches can be read below as the first of the two Singles Finals at the French Open are set by the end of Thursday's action.

Iga Swiatek v Aryna Sabalenka: The only disappointment some tennis fans may feel is that this is a Semi Final rather than the Final when the World Number 1 takes on the three time defending French Open Champion.

For the first time in a long time, Iga Swiatek entered the tournament here in Paris with plenty of doubters around her after a mixed clay court season. Her World Ranking is in danger of suffering another drop and only holding onto her crown as the Queen of Clay would see Swiatek end the tournament as a top four Ranked player.

It has been tough.

However, Iga Swiatek has looked pretty comfortable back on the red dirt in the French capital and it has felt like her Fourth Round win over Elena Rybakina has just reminded the Pole about her own abilities. Winning that in the manner she did will have provided Iga Swiatek with a shot of confidence and belief and this is a Semi Final she can win.

Opposing Aryna Sabalenka is dangerous with the World Number 1 looking capable of winning Grand Slam titles on any surface, but who has yet to actually prove that by doing so at either the French Open or Wimbledon. That means there is still something to show as far as the Belarusian is concerned and this match up has still been a tough one for Aryna Sabalenka.

She did snap a three match losing run to Iga Swiatek by beating her in Cincinnati last year, but this is going to be played on the clay and Aryna Sabalenka has only won one of the previous six against the Pole on this surface.

Last year they had a very close match in Madrid that was won by Iga Swiatek and that was followed by a more comfortable win for the dominant clay courter in Rome.

There are more doubts around this Semi Final simply because of the form that both were showing prior to the start of the French Open, but the runs produced by both at the tournament suggests there is not much between them now.

Aryna Sabalenka has to take a huge amount from the Fourth Round performance of Elena Rybakina and that is going to be the blueprint she looks to follow. If she can just maintain that for a little longer than Rybakina did, Aryna Sabalenka could win this match, but we have seen the World Number 1 come up short at around this stage of multiple Grand Slams previously.

Ultimately she is going to have to break through some of the aura that Iga Swiatek has continued to hold on the clay courts and it can be tough for Aryna Sabalenka to do that.

The last couple of Rounds have been a bit more stressful for Aryna Sabalenka, even if she is still playing at a strong level, but this is a significant test for her. She will have to serve well and there is little doubt that Iga Swiatek is playing better than expected when this tournament began.

When all is said and done, it is difficult to see Iga Swiatek as the underdog in the Semi Final and it may be the defending Champion's serve that proves to be slightly more effective on the day.

Lois Boisson + 5.5 games v Coco Gauff: On paper you have to feel that there can only be one winner, but tennis in Paris is played on clay and Lois Boisson is riding a momentum that could be very, very difficult to stop.

She will soon be entering the top 70 of the World Rankings, but there had been nothing to suggest the French Wild Card was going to be having a tournament like this one when the French Open began. Inexperience should have been a factor and that is before considering the time Lois Boisson had to spend away from the court after the ACL injury suffered last year, but momentum and confidence is firmly with the 22 year old.

The win over Mirra Andreeva will have given her a huge amount of belief and this is the second top ten Ranked player that Lois Boisson has beaten at this tournament as she takes aim at the third.

The crowd certainly helped as Mirra Andreeva lost her way and reminded everyone that she is still a teenager, no matter how much talent she possesses.

Whether the same mental breakdown can be expected from an experienced player like Coco Gauff is a question to be answered and this could yet be a decisive factor.

In recent years, Gauff has spoken about the positive support she has received in Paris and she has clearly enjoyed playing here with the crowd getting behind her. However, she will not have experienced an atmosphere like the one that is expected for this Semi Final as she takes on a home player with the fans hoping for the first French Champion in Paris since Mary Pierce in 2000.

With a serve that is still looking vulnerable, Coco Gauff is going to have to deal with the cheers after Double Faults and missed first serves and that can wear down even the most experienced of players.

The World Number 2 showed her resiliency to come through in three sets her Quarter Final against Madison Keys and Coco Gauff is returning well enough to believe she can overcome shaky service games. She will likely put Lois Boisson under more consistent pressure than Mirra Andreeva was able to do and Gauff is also a strong defensive player who can make the less experienced player have to hit one more shot than she may expect.

Ultimately we should see the higher Ranked player come through, but it is unlikely that Lois Boisson will go quietly and the layers are putting a lot more respect on her in this Semi Final. That is highlighted by the handicap being below the mark set, by some layers, for Boisson's matches against Andreeva and Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff can be considered a stronger clay court player than both at this stage of their respective careers.

However, it is the vulnerable serve that may end up making this a very competitive Semi Final and Coco Gauff is going to have to get through some emotions if she is able to reach another French Open Final.

MY PICKS: Iga Swiatek

Lois Boisson + 5.5 Games

French Open Tennis Day 11 Picks 2024 (Wednesday 5th June)

It looked like a serious injury, but Novak Djokovic ended his Fourth Round match in such strong fashion that the feeling was that a day of rest would be enough for him to take to the court.

Unfortunately the MRI scan on Tuesday showed more knee damage than hoped, and Djokovic has to withdraw from the tournament.

The longer-term concern is that the 24 time Grand Slam Champion will be unable to compete at Wimbledon and then potentially the Olympic Games and US Open. More on that will likely come out in the days and weeks ahead, but the short turnaround into the third Grand Slam of the season makes it unlikely that Novak Djokovic can add to the seven titles he has won in SW19.

A new World Number 1 will be made official on Monday when Jannik Sinner moves into that slot, and deservedly so, but before that a new French Open Champion will be crowned on Sunday. Every player left in the draw will feel confident about winning the title and you can make a case for all five left in the draw, although Casper Ruud might benefit from the Novak Djokovic walkover in their Quarter Final.

Elena Rybakina - 4.5 games v Jasmine Paolini: The World Ranking points might suggest the top three are clear of the rest on the WTA Tour, but there is little doubt that the 2022 Wimbledon Champion Elena Rybakina is right up alongside Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka.

An Australian Open Runner Up and a Wimbledon Quarter Final were the highlights of her 2023 Grand Slam season, but a very disappointing Second Round defeat in Melbourne earlier this year has kept Rybakina from really closing on the top three players in terms of Ranking points.

Illness meant she could not defend the title she won in Rome last year, meaning more significant points came off the record, but Elena Rybakina has powered through the draw in Paris. She has matched her Quarter Final appearance in 2021, but Rybakina has to be feeling pretty confident about her all around tennis to believe she can set a new career mark for this tournament.

Overlooking Jasmine Paolini would be a mistake and a win for the Italian would mean she would enter the top ten in the World Rankings for the first time. While the path through to the Quarter Final has been relatively serene for Elena Rybakina, Jasmine Paolini has come through a couple of three setters, although the sets won were very one-sided in her favour.

Earlier this year she reached the second week at a Grand Slam for the first time and Paolini has made it through to her first Quarter Final at this level in Paris on her favoured clay courts.

The build up to the French Open was perhaps a little disappointing as far as Jasmine Paolini is concerned, but her performances here will give her confidence. She also pushed Elena Rybakina in a three set loss in Stuttgart on an indoor clay court, but it was the higher Seed who created double the Break Point chances and that is likely to be the case here.

Defence is key for Paolini as she will look to frustrate Elena Rybakina and ask her to play one more shot wherever she can, but the serve looks to be a huge weapon as far as the World Number 4 goes.

Ruling out Jasmine Paolini completely would be a mistake and she can make this competitive, but Elena Rybakina has powered her way through big moments throughout this week. She looks to be playing with a real confidence and the bigger hitting could shine through even when the weather is perhaps taking a slight dip again.

Aryna Sabalenka - 4.5 games v Mirra Andreeva: There is little doubting the sense of expectation around Mirra Andreeva and her potential as a multiple time Grand Slam Champion in the making.

She has only just turned 17 years old at the end of April and continues to show maturity beyond her years in handling the pressures that are around her.

In the Fourth Round, Mirra Andreeva faced a home player who had the crowd firmly behind her, but it did not rattle the youngster at all and she came through with a strong win. The victory marked her first Grand Slam Quarter Final appearance and plenty more are expected from a player who will be allowed to play more tournamnts and really grow onto the Tour.

Regardless of the result on Wednesday, Mirra Andreeva will be reaching a new career high World Ranking as she enters the top 30 for the first time. An upset would really see her making moves towards the top 20 and that will be motivation for Andreeva, although she will also understand there is a huge challenge in front o her.

Aryna Sabalenka is the current World Number 2 and she will not be able to improve on that position even if she was to win the title in Paris next Saturday. However, it would mean Sabalenka holds the first two Grand Slams of the 2024 season and not many would consider anyone else to be the top player in the world.

This is the seventh Grand Slam in a row that Aryna Sabalenka has made it through to the Quarter Final since her Third Round loss in Paris in 2022, and she made it into the Semi Final on each of the last six occasions. Two Slams have been won in that time, and she has been a beaten Finalist, while Sabalenka has become a very consistent force on the Tour.

She reached the Final in both Madrid and Rome, although was beaten both times by Iga Swiatek, and the feeling is that Aryna Sabalenka will overpower Mirra Andreeva.

That has been the case in their two previous meetings, both in Madrid, in 2023 and this year. In both matches Mirra Andreeva has picked up just four games and the youngster has found very little joy at winning points against the big Sabalenka serve.

In Paris the conditions may suit Mirra Andreeva a bit more than Madrid, especially with the weather not as hot as it could be. However, it will still take a big shift in the match up for this to be much more competitive and right now Aryna Sabalenka might just be too powerful for a younger player still growing into her body.

Aryna Sabalenka has simply not been troubled in Paris and seems to be enjoying her time here and that makes her dangerous- she can come through this one with another reminder to Mirra Andreeva that there is still considerable work to be done before she really begins to mix it with the elite of the WTA Tour.

Alexander Zverev - 1.5 sets v Alex De Minaur: Get things right, playing back to back five setters in a Grand Slam is extremely challenging for any player and especially when you think there are still three more matches to win if a title is to be secured.

That is the challenge for Alexander Zverev who is playing under the cloud of a legal case being heard in Germany regarding domestic abuse allegations.

While the ATP Tour and the French Open are trying to ignore those off the court issues, Alexander Zverev himself has also managed to bring in enough PR support to ensure that he is not being heckled by the crowd.

It has been a tough tournament from the outset with Zverev having to beat Rafael Nadal in the Spaniard's potentially last French Open appearance. That was in the First Round, while the last two wins over Tallon Griekspoor and Holger Rune have both needed some late drama for the World Number 4 to progress.

He has long had a liking for the clay courts and this Quarter Final may feel a step down in level of opponent compared with the Fourth Round when facing Holger Rune.

Alex De Minaur may have something to say about that after an impressive win over Daniil Medvedev, but the run to the Quarter Final has been surprising to say the least. He had never been beyond the Second Round at Roland Garros before, while the Australian has proven to be much happier on the faster surfaces rather than the red dirt.

An inconsistent build up to the second Grand Slam of the season would have underlined the feeling that Alex De Minaur would have been a vulnerable higher Seed, but all credit has to be given to him. He has dropped the first set in each of his last two wins, but this will feel a much tougher match up for him as long as Alexander Zverev is able to recover from a late night finish.

The German does have a solid match up record against Alex De Minaur and their one sole clay court match in Rome in 2022 ended up in a relatively comfortable win for Alexander Zverev. The serve is really working well for the higher Seed in this Quarter Final and that is likely going to be key for Zverev in his bid to reach another Semi Final in Paris.

Nothing ever comes easily against a tenacious competitor like De Minaur, but the likes of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Stefanos Tsitsipas have had strong wins over the Aussie on this surface over the last couple of months. Alexander Zverev is certainly playing up to that kind of level and overcoming any lingering fatigue can be helped with a strong Quarter Final win.

MY PICKS: Elena Rybakina - 4.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Aryna Sabalenka - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Coral (2 Units)

Alexander Zverev - 1.5 Sets @ 1.75 Coral (2 Units)

French Open Update: 18-5, + 18.02 Units (46 Units Staked, + 39.17% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 9 Picks 2023 (June 5th)

There were not any Picks from Day 8 at the French Open as I was not going to have enough time to really research any selections, but Day 7 proved to be the best of the tournament for me so far.

Eleven Tennis Picks were made and eight of those returned winners to really push the number forward as the first week of the French Open came to a conclusion.

The large majority of the leading contenders are still going strong, but it was a real shame to see Elena Rybakina have to withdraw.

An illness was the reason given, which is the only positive for Rybakina who should be very much ready to defend the Wimbledon title she won last year, and it is likely that she will be a top four Seed in that event.

Her main rivals, Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka are still on course for a meeting in the Final, although Sabalenka has yet to play on Day 8 with her match against Sloane Stephens the first WTA match scheduled for the night session.

That has been a producing a strong debate for a second year in a row with the lack of WTA matches scheduled for the Night Session, but usually it is being pushed by people who are not actually paying for tickets. For the money being spent on the one match Session, I do think most would want to see a best of five set match rather than the top WTA players potentially winning in under an hour.

This seems quite clear to me, but people love discussing 'fairness' without considering what the people spending money would consider a 'fair' match.

I love some of the WTA matches we are getting to see, but I think this is a discussion we will see for a while until we perhaps get a second Night Session on one of the show courts in the years ahead.

Nicolas Jarry-Casper Ruud over 39.5 games: It has been a really strange clay court season for Nicolas Jarry- he lost three straight matches in Barcelona, Madrid and Rome, but Jarry was able to pick up a title in Geneva in the build up to the French Open and is playing the tournament at a career high World Ranking mark.

He is going to break into the top 30 of the World Rankings at the end of the second Grand Slam of the season and Nicolas Jarry may have ambitions for even greater in Paris. This is the first time he has reached the second week of any Grand Slam having previously failed to reach the Third Round in a major, but Jarry looks like he is going to be tough to stop having won seven matches in a row and producing some high-quality tennis in the French Open.

However, wins over Hugo Dellien, Tommy Paul and Marcos Giron are decent, although now Nicolas Jarry will have to beat last year's French Open Finalist and someone who is very comfortable on the red dirt. Casper Ruud has not really been flying through his matches this week and he has dropped a couple of sets in the opening three Rounds, but Ruud will feel he is readying to peak in the second week as he looks to go one step further than twelve months ago.

It has been a pretty consistent run in the tournament for Casper Ruud, although the numbers have weakened in each of the last two Rounds compared to the one before. The serve has remained pretty strong, but Casper Ruud will know he needs to be much more productive on the return of serve if he is going to beat a surging opponent like Nicolas Jarry who has dropped serve just three times in the first three Rounds.

Nicolas Jarry has a pretty limited return game too though and I think that will give Casper Ruud the edge in the match and ultimately help him through to the Quarter Final.

Nothing will come easy though if Nicolas Jarry is serving as he can, while the Chilean will be confident in winning this match considering he beat Casper Ruud in Geneva prior to the French Open beginning. Both players were serving at a very high level in that match with just four breaks of serve in a match that needed all three sets to determine the winner and this contest in Paris could be another one that goes long.

I would have made Casper Ruud a slightly stronger favourite than the layers have done, but am expecting a tough match for the 2022 French Open Runner Up. Four sets might be needed to get through and that should mean enough games to cover the total line set for this Fourth Round match with at least one and possibly two tie-breakers needed.

Alexander Zverev - 3.5 games v Grigor Dimitrov: After slowly making his way through the draw under the radar, Grigor Dimitrov will be back in a primetime spot on Day 9 at the French Open in a Fourth Round match scheduled for the Night Session. The former World Number 3 is edging closer to a return to the top 20 after his three wins in Paris and Grigor Dimitrov has been enjoying a pretty productive clay court season.

The draws in Madrid and Rome were not very kind to the Bulgarian as he suffered early defeats to Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, but reaching the Final in Geneva has clearly given Dimitrov the confidence to play well here.

Now he will take aim at trying to reach the Quarter Final at the French Open for the first time in his career, but this is another tough test for Dimitrov when facing Alexander Zverev.

Over recent years, Alexander Zverev has been the better clay courter of the two by some margin and he did have a good looking win over Frances Tiafoe in the Third Round. Coming from a set down to beat the World Number 12 in four sets will have given Zverev a lot of confidence and he deserved his victory even if he had to win a couple of tie-breakers to do that.

Alexander Zverev has been the better return player on the clay over the last couple of months and he has looked strong in that side of his tennis over the last couple of wins. The Grigor Dimitrov numbers in this tournament have been very good, but it should be pointed out that he has beaten players Ranked Number 147, 46 and 79 in the three wins in Paris and this is a marked step up in level of competition.

In 2023, Grigor Dimitrov is just 3-3 against top 50 Ranked opponents on the clay courts, while Alexander Zverev has won their last three meetings, including their sole previous match on the red dirt in Rome in 2016.

That match should not have any real impact on this one, but I do think the superior play will likely come from Alexander Zverev and the more consistent return game can help the German come through with a good, strong win.

Tomas Martin Etcheverry - 5.5 games v Yoshihito Nishioka: The winner of this Fourth Round match is going to be the underdog in any potential Quarter Final, but all credit has to be given to Yoshihito Nishioka and Tomas Martin Etcheverry for taking advantage of the way the draw has opened up.

This was supposed to be a section of the draw led by World Number 2 Daniil Medvedev, but Yoshihito Nishioka saw off his conqueror in the Third Round and this is the second consecutive Grand Slam in which he has reached the Fourth Round. He did that in Australia earlier this year, which was the first time Nishioka had made it that far in a Slam, and backing that up on the clay courts is a super achievement for him.

It has already been a tough, gruelling tournament for the Japanese player who has needed over ten hours on the court to win his three matches in the draw. The fact is that Yoshihito Nishioka has also had to spend a lot of emotional energy to come from 2-0 down in the First Round and 2-1 down to Thiago Seyboth Wild in the Third Round, while he did look the weaker player in the win over Seyboth Wild before the capitulation of the lower Ranked player in the deciding set.

He will battle and he will make opponents work, but Tomas Martin Etcheverry is unlikely to be flustered by having to spend time on the red dirt.

Tomas Martin Etcheverry has beaten two top 20 Ranked players already in the tournament and the Argentine has yet to drop a set thanks to some high-quality serving numbers. Those should be tested by someone like Nishioka, who has a fine return game, but I also think Etcheverry is going to get plenty of joy from the Nishioka serve and will rack up some Break Points.

This has been a breakthrough tournament for the 23 year old and Tomas Martin Etcheverry is likely to feel some nerves entering the second week of a Grand Slam for the first time. However, he is clearly very comfortable on the clay courts having put together a strong season on this surface, while Yoshihito Nishioka came into the French Open having lost all three previous matches against top 50 Ranked opponents and really struggling in the majority of aspects of his tennis.

He did really well to come from behind to win in the last Round, but Tomas Martin Etcheverry can hold himself a little better than Thiago Seyboth Wild was able to do and just make sure he does not lose control if he gets in front in this match.

Other Selections: There is a really good Fourth Round match between Holger Rune and Francisco Cerundolo and I do think it is going to be a competitive one.

However, I do think Rune has a bit more behind the serve and the return and ultimately that can see him come through in three or four tight sets against an opponent who had not had a lot of success at the French Open prior to this season.

Iga Swiatek is expected to brush aside Lesia Tsurenko, a player she has beaten for the loss of just two games at the French Open in 2022 and in Rome last month.

I also expect favourites Coco Gauff and Ons Jabeur to beat surprising Fourth Round opponents- Coco Gauff is playing at a really good level and is a big step up for Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, while Bernarda Pera has played well here this week, but been winning matches with tight margins that could be tough to replicate against an opponent like Jabeur.

The toughest match to call looks to be the one between Sara Sorribes Tormo and Beatriz Haddad Maia and I can make a case for both players. The layers are finding it pretty difficult to separate the two players too and I think it is one to take a watching brief to see how the winner is operating before the Quarter Final Round on Wednesday.

MY PICKS: Nicolas Jarry-Casper Ruud Over 39.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Alexander Zverev - 3.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Tomas Martin Etcheverry - 5.5 Games @ 1.72 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Holger Rune - 1.5 Sets @ 1.70 Coral (2 Units)

Iga Swiatek - 7.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Coco Gauff - 5.5 Games @ 1.91 Coral (2 Units)

Ons Jabeur - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

French Open Update: 32-21, + 11.72 Units (106 Units Staked, + 11.06% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 15 Pick 2022- Men's Final (June 5th)

Iga Swiatek has confirmed her place as the clear World Number 1 on the WTA Tour by winning a second Grand Slam and her second French Open title.

She has long looked capable of winning that title, but Swiatek proved herself by matching expectations and I do think the World Number 1 will be a clear favourite to win at Wimbledon and at the US Open.

There are still a wide range of players that will feel they can get hot enough to win a Grand Slam considering the lack of real depth at the top of the WTA Tour, but avoiding Iga Swiatek for as long as possible does offer the best opportunity.

On Sunday we have the Men's Final as the second Grand Slam of the season comes to a close.

Rafael Nadal has made his way into a fourteenth Final in Paris and will be facing a first time Grand Slam Finalist, which is the main reason the former is a big favourite to win a twenty-second Slam.

Rafael Nadal-Casper Ruud over 33.5 games: It was a truly sickening ending to the first of the Men's Semi Final matches on Friday when Alexander Zverev looked to have done himself a serious injury just before the second set tie-breaker was to begin. He had been hugely competitive against Rafael Nadal to that point and should have been a set ahead, but the match was still firmly in the balance when injury struck.

There is no doubt that Rafael Nadal did not look to be at his best on the day with the indoor clay court conditions not ideal to the game he wants to play. The Final looks like it will at least begin outdoors with poor weather expected in the late afternoon in Paris, but playing in the outdoor heat will be beneficial to the thirteen time French Open Champion.

He did look good against Novak Djokovic, but Felix Auger-Aliassime and Alexander Zverev have really pushed Rafael Nadal who was on court for over three hours despite the second set not being completed in the Semi Final. The foot injury is being managed, but Nadal's movement does not look to be at perfect step and I do think his serve has been a touch vulnerable, more than usual on the clay courts.

The big question for his opponent is how he can handle the occasion of a first Grand Slam Final and facing his idol on his best court- Casper Ruud trained with Rafael Nadal's Academy in Mallorca and so there is going to be some nerves in facing his hero for the first time.

Being a hero means Casper Ruud will know all about Rafael Nadal's history on this court and in this tournament and that alone makes the challenge look very daunting. I have been impressed with Casper Ruud and the development of the last couple of years that have taken him into the top ten of the World Rankings and the Norwegian really handled himself very well after dropping the first set of his Semi Final against the veteran Marin Cilic before rolling through the next three sets.

The Casper Ruud serve has been a major weapon for him throughout the French Open, while it has freed him up to get on top of the return of serve. All credit has to be given to Ruud for taking advantage of his half of the draw, but this is going to be the toughest player he has played in the tournament as he looks to win a first Grand Slam title.

I think that may be too much, even if Rafael Nadal is not at his best.

Casper Ruud has never beaten a top ten Ranked opponent in a Grand Slam (0-4) and he is just 3-7 against those Ranked opponents in clay court matches overall. This year Novak Djokovic beat him pretty comfortably on the surface and I do think Casper Ruud has struggled to be competitive on the return of serve when he has faced the better players on the Tour.

Of course you cannot ignore the fact that Rafael Nadal does look worn down and it may just give Casper Ruud a big opportunity to win the biggest title of his career. He will have to serve very well though and find a way to get into the Rafael Nadal service games to try and build pressure, but it will be hard to sustain over three, four or five hours.

He may have enough to take a set, but Rafael Nadal's experience can take him through to another title at Roland Garros.

It may be best to back this Final going over the total games and seven of the thirteen Grand Slam titles won by Rafael Nadal at the French Open have gone at least four sets. The doubt about the Rafael Nadal foot is perhaps putting me off in backing him to win in four sets, but this is a total number of games that may even be covered in a straight sets win for either player with the expectation we could have at least three competitive sets.

MY PICKS: Rafael Nadal-Casper Ruud Over 33.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

French Open Update: 54-54, - 9.57 Units (214 Units Staked, - 4.47% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 7 Picks 2021 (June 5th)

The second week line up is going to be completed on Saturday at the French Open and the feeling is that both draws, the Men's and Women's, have become top loaded with the results going the way they have over the last week.

It does mean there are going to be headlines generated by Serena Williams who looks to have a very good path to win her 24th Grand Slam title and finally match Margaret Court's record total as a Singles player. The bottom half has seen some of the top names exit, while you would probably only really favour Iga Swiatek over Serena Williams.

In saying that, Williams will know there are some players in the draw that are capable of challenging her and she has had plenty of unexpected defeats in the Slams as she has looked to finally reach the number she has long been targeting. I do make Serena Williams favourite to come out of the bottom half of the draw, but players like Elena Rybakina, Victoria Azarenka and Paula Badosa may still have something to say about that before the Final is set for next Saturday.

Saturday will see the top half of both draws complete their second week line up and there are some decent matches that are set to be played. We have yet to really have a number of classics, but the Casper Ruud-Alejandro Davidovich Fokina Third Round match may be the spark that lights the fire under a few other matches in the days ahead.

Matteo Berrettini - 8.5 games v Soon Woo Kwon: There were plenty of positive signs in the development of Soon Woo Kwon as he made his way up the World Rankings, but the career has just hit the wall of late and he has slipped back down to outside the top 90 in those Rankings. The run to the Third Round at the French Open has come as something of a surprise when you think of the history Soon Woo Kwon has had on the surface.

Wins over Kevin Anderson and Andreas Seppi are solid enough, but both of those are veterans these days and neither has been playing that much competitive tennis of late. You still have to take advantage of the draw when it lands that way, but Soon Woo Kwon has to know that the level is about to go up dramatically in this Third Round contest.

Now he has to take on Matteo Berrettini who some will consider as a potential dark horse Champion and a player who has shown significant improvements over the last couple of years. The top Italian player on the ATP Tour has a huge serve and some massive groundstrokes, but he can be an effective returner and that has been the part of his game which has really improved in his rise up into the top ten of the World Rankings.

One poor set against Taro Daniel aside and you can say that Matteo Berrettini has been largely untested in his two wins so far at the French Open and that has only backed up what has been a strong clay court campaign for him. He has improved to 12-3 on the surface in 2021 and it has followed what was some strong tennis on the red dirt in the short clay court season in 2020 too.

The three losses that Matteo Berrettini has suffered on the clay in 2021 have come against some very strong clay court competition and I would have to say that Soon Woo Kwon has not really matched the big level of Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

Soon Woo Kwon has only secured two top 100 wins on the clay courts in 2021 and neither player he has beaten was actually Ranked above 91. The South Korean has a vulnerable serve in general, but his numbers have taken a serious dent when facing one-sided losses to Novak Djokovic and Pablo Carreno Busta on this surface over the last several weeks.

Both of those players are stronger returners than someone like Matteo Berrettini, but the Italian has broken in 27% of return games played against players outside the top 20 of the World Rankings on the clay this season. Matteo Berrettini has been really strong returning in Paris too and I think his serve will put Soon Woo Kwon under pressure and eventually lead to cracks in the South Korean's own service games.

This is a massive number at this stage of a Grand Slam, but Matteo Berrettini has the makings of a cover as he reaches the second week of a Major again.

Roger Federer - 5.5 games v Dominik Koepfer: The big question for Roger Federer is whether his body can continue to handle clay court matches in a short space of time having barely played any competitive tennis over the last eighteen months. The performance level would have been encouraging in his first two wins in Paris against Denis Istomin and Marin Cilic, although both of those players have mental demons to exorcise when standing across the net from Roger Federer.

That shouldn't be the case for Dominik Koepfer having never played Roger Federer before, but the German is going to have to find a level that he has not been able to sustain before if he is going to earn the upset. His two wins in the main draw here at the French Open while dropping a single set will give Dominik Koepfer some encouragement, while being a left hander should make the tactics pretty simple for the lower Ranked player as his forehand will naturally head into the Roger Federer backhand.

It may give Dominik Koepfer a chance here and especially if there is any fatigue in the Roger Federer performance. He looked pretty good at the end of the Second Round win over Marin Cilic and has had a day to prepare for this match, while Federer has been placed in the Night Session spot on Saturday and that only gives him more time to prepare for the match.

The Dominik Koepfer serve can be attacked by Roger Federer who had been returning well in his two wins in the tournament so far. During the clay court season he has been winning less than 60% of the points played behind serve and that has put pressure on Koepfer, especially when playing top 50 Ranked players on the surface over the last two months.

He had been breaking in less than 20% of return games played when facing a top 50 Ranked opponent and the Roger Federer level has suggested he is still playing well enough to win a match like this one. Dominik Koepfer played well in his win over Taylor Fritz in the Second Round in his four set win, but this is another level upwards and I do think Roger Federer will be able to take control of the match under the lights.

Before the tournament began, Roger Federer struggled with his return of serve in the sole match played against Pablo Andujar. However, he has looked comfortable in that aspect of his tennis in the two wins so far in Paris and I think he can eventually begin to wear down this opponent on his way to a good looking win and a place in the second week of the second Grand Slam of the season.

Marco Cecchinato v Lorenzo Musetti: A veteran Italian has exited the French Open in the Third Round already, but there is plenty of interest for tennis fans from that nation remaining in the Men's draw. Two of the remaining players meet for a place in the second week at this Grand Slam event and I am a little surprised by the prices for this Third Round match.

Neither Marco Cecchinato nor Lorenzo Musetti will suggest they have been pushed too much in the tournament so far, although the latter has won both matches in straight sets and Cecchinato has needed four sets to win both his matches played. I think both players will be pleased with the level they have shown in the opening two wins in Paris and it does make this a competitive looking match.

However, Marco Cecchinato is considerably more experienced as the older player from Italy and a former Semi Finalist at Roland Garros where he holds a win over Novak Djokovic. It would be foolish to ignore that run, while you also have to take a look at the kind of tennis Marco Cecchinato continues to play on the red dirt with some decent numbers behind him over the last couple of years.

He reached the Final of a tournament held in Parma in the days before the French Open began and Marco Cecchinato had been playing well prior to the second Major of 2021 getting underway. The 28 year old might not have the most convincing of serves, but he had won 63% of points behind it before the French Open began and Marco Cecchinato is capable of backing it up with some strong returning figures.

Those numbers are much stronger all around when only considering Cecchinato's performances against players outside the top 20 of the World Rankings and he is facing one of those here. Marco Cecchinato should know all about Lorenzo Musetti as one of the up and coming talents being produced by Italy and you do have to wonder if Musetti will have a slight inferiority complex that can be seen when younger players take on veterans from their own nation that have had some notable successes in the past.

Lorenzo Musetti has perhaps not been as strong on the serve as his opponent in this one, but he is a decent returner on the clay courts and will be playing with confidence. There have been signs of how good he can be when taking a set off an in-form Stefanos Tsitsipas in Lyon last month, but the numbers don't tend to lie and Lorenzo Musetti is still getting to grips with playing top 100 World Ranked players with the consistency that comes with experience.

Both players have strong recent records against compatriots in professional matches, but Marco Cecchinato knows how to deal with the best of five setting and I think he can win this one as the underdog. When all is said and done, Lorenzo Musetti may look back at the superior career, but at this stage of it I think Marco Cecchinato is still the superior clay courter and can show that over four or perhaps even five sets.

Rafael Nadal - 9.5 games v Cameron Norrie: There were moments of dominance, but Rafael Nadal will also know there is room for improvement on his first two performances in Paris although he is peaking towards the Final in a manner he will like. Once again he will be looking for another increase in overall level in the Third Round as he takes on a British player who has really impressed on the clay courts over the last two months.

Cameron Norrie has not really shown much form on the clay courts in his career, but things have changed in 2021 and he hit a new peak World Ranking a couple of weeks ago. Comfortable wins have been secured in the opening week at the French Open, but Cameron Norrie will know that his own level will have to be much higher than what was good enough to see off Bjorn Fratangelo and Lloyd Harris.

A 16-4 record on the clay will give Norrie plenty of confidence and the lefty stance should mean he will feel pretty good about his chances of at least getting on top of rallies when he can. Cameron Norrie will have to serve well, but he has been beaten by Rafael Nadal twice already this season and will know it is a very tough task in front of him.

The British player is holding 82% of his service games played on the clay courts in 2021 and the return game has worked really well which has helped Norrie put those wins together.

However you can't ignore the dents in those numbers when Cameron Norrie has faced top 50 Ranked players on the clay courts this season and he has struggled to be competitive against Rafael Nadal in his two losses to him. One of those came in the Australian Open on the hard courts, while Nadal dropped just five games in two sets in his straight sets victory over Norrie on the clay courts in Barcelona.

The Spaniard has won 46% of the return points played against Cameron Norrie and over the best of five setting in Paris you would think Rafael Nadal will end up wearing down this opponent. Cameron Norrie won't be easy to knock off, but I do think he will find it difficult to stay with Rafael Nadal for the length of time he will need to and this big handicap mark is one that the former World Number 1 can surpass.

It will need some late breaks to really get Rafael Nadal over the line, but he can do that and I think he will earn a good win on the way through to the Fourth Round yet again in Paris.

MY PICKS: Matteo Berrettini - 8.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Roger Federer - 5.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Marco Cecchinato @ 2.20 Bet365 (2 Units)

Rafael Nadal - 9.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Jannik Sinner - 7.5 Games @ 1.90 Bet365 (2 Units)

Jan-Lennard Struff + 1.5 Sets @ 1.85 Coral (2 Units)

Novak Djokovic - 10.5 Games @ 1.72 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Elina Svitolina - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Sofia Kenin - 1.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Marta Kostyuk - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Coral (2 Units)

Maria Sakkari - 1.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Iga Swiatek - 5.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

French Open Update: 28-28, - 7.30 Units (112 Units Staked, - 6.52% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 10 Picks 2018 (June 5th)

You can only describe it as a frustrating day when you see someone lose a match when they are 2-0 up in sets, but it is all the worse when noting Kevin Anderson served for the match in the third set and the fourth set and both times failed to get the job done.

My results here are always based on a pre-match read and the final result of said match, so there is nothing to be done. But anyone following my Twitter page would have seen I predicted there should be a lay of Anderson at the end of the third and when he was a break up in the fourth as he looked physically spent.

Unfortunately that won't count here while it was another rough day that had been close to the promises of success. And my overall feeling wasn't helped when Marin Cilic did the same against Fabio Fognini later in the day, although he got to match point at least which Anderson did not managed to do.

At least Marin Cilic joined Simona Halep and progressed to the Quarter Final as one of the outright picks. It means we have a strong price on Halep to beat Angelique Kerber where I expect the Romanian will be favourite and also on Cilic in his match with Juan Martin Del Potro although I expect the latter to be the favourite in that Quarter Final.


Some how the French Open has avoided what has been a miserable forecast for much of the two weeks here but the rain has been good enough to stay away from the only Slam without a roofed court.

They will need more luck in the days ahead to continue moving in the right direction, but keep the fingers crossed as we move into the Quarter Final Round at the Grand Slam.


Dominic Thiem-Alexander Zverev over 38.5 games: If this match had been set for the First Round and you had to price it up at the beginning of the French Open, I would guess that the majority of people would have placed Alexander Zverev as a pretty healthy favourite. The two players have had contrasting runs to the French Open Quarter Final though and that is the main reason Dominic Thiem is the favourite to win this match and a strong looking favourite too.

The last three Thiem wins have all come in four sets, but none of them have really been gruelling, long matches while Zverev's run to the Quarter Final is well documented.

Not only has Zverev needed to win his last three matches in five sets, but each time he has been 2-1 down in sets and that wears you down as much emotionally as it does physically. The young German has downplayed the worries about his fitness and any player who has reached back to back Masters Finals in Madrid and Rome can justifiably say that, but these best of five set matches are much tougher than the best of three and have to have an affect on Zverev regardless of what he might say.

Zverev has not served as well as he would have liked in the tournament, but the return continues to be a strength to build upon what he has done on the clay courts in 2018. That return will be tested by Dominic Thiem who has headed into Paris off a title win in Lyon and continued to serve at a very high level which has helped him progress through the last four Rounds without too many scares.

If Thiem can bring that kind of serving to the fore he will be tough to beat, especially if Zverev is feeling any fatigue in the legs. And that will be a real problem if Zverev continues to just find life a little tougher on the serve than he has been feeling so far during the clay court swing.

You have to think Zverev is hoping for the rain to come if that means having a little more time to prepare for this match, but even then I think he will be more competitive than some do. Yes it is going to be an issue with the amount of tennis he has had to play to reach this Quarter Final, but I think Zverev matches up well enough with Thiem after demolishing him in Madrid, although those conditions perhaps suited him more than the Austrian.

They have played some close matches recently too and I have a feeling this could be another one of those. While Zverev has some questions surrounding his fitness, Thiem has played two weeks of tennis himself and this is a real test of his credentials after being beaten comfortably by Zverev when they met in the Madrid Final.

Thiem has been returning well in the tournament with at least 40% of points won on the return of serve in every match so far. His overall numbers have been stronger than Zverev so I can see why he is a favourite when you also add in the amount of tennis the German has played, but I don't believe Zverev goes away quietly if he is beaten.

There have been some very good matches in the men's draw so far this tournament and I think this has the potential to be another. I do think it will go at least four sets and I am not expecting either player to really fall away barring a huge physical issue which should give them the chance to cover this total number of games.


Novak Djokovic - 7.5 games v Marco Cecchinato: There are many Grand Slam tournaments where a surprise name works their way through to the business end of the tournament and this time around it is Marco Cecchinato. While winning the title in Budapest as a Lucky Loser, Cecchinato has not really shown the level that would have seen him beat the likes of Pablo Carreno Busta and David Goffin and especially not when he was 2-0 down in the First Round.

All credit has to be given to the Italian for his run and he is very comfortable on the clay courts which could make him a dangerous opponent for Novak Djokovic in the Quarter Final.

Things have gone well for Djokovic who has played a steady tournament but seen the likes of Fernando Verdasco and Cecchinato open things up for him. Instead of Grigor Dimitrov and David Goffin, Verdasco and Cecchinato is something Djokovic would have signed up for, although the former World Number 1 will have to be careful against a confident opponent.

The 105% hold/break percentage on the clay courts prior to Paris are some pretty solid numbers from Cecchinato but those drop down to 96% if you only consider full Tour matches. The Italian is vastly playing above those levels in the last three Rounds at the French Open though and it will be interesting to see if he can maintain those against Novak Djokovic who is playing as well as anyone not called Rafael Nadal in the draw.

Djokovic has a 111% hold/break percentage on the clay this season and he has played very well in the tournament so far. There are still some areas for improvement to really see Djokovic get close to his very best and one of those is not throwing in the silly games which has seen him broken more than he would have liked in the tournament.

His game has always been one that could see players try and attack the serve, but Djokovic at his best is very good at defending the initial onslaught and turning the rally back around in his favour. He has yet to really get back to that level, but I think Djokovic is returning well enough to put Cecchinato under pressure and see whether he can help him move his numbers back down to the usual levels he has produced on the clay in 2018.

This is a big number for a Quarter Final match but Djokovic should be able to turn the screw on Cecchinato where others have failed. Carreno Busta was a set and a break up before falling away, but Djokovic looks to be performing at an altogether more consistent level than his opponent in this one and it is a big ask for Cecchinato.

Nerves could also play a factor in a Grand Slam Quarter Final for Cecchinato and I think Djokovic will work him over and eventually prevail with a solid looking win on his way to another Semi Final in Paris.


Madison Keys - 4.5 games v Yulia Putintseva: The experiences of the run to the US Open Final are going to stand Madison Keys in good stead in her career, but I think even the American would be surprised by the run on the clay courts of Paris. Reaching the Quarter Final in an open section of the draw has given Keys some real confidence and it certainly will give her belief when we get round to Wimbledon and the US Open.

For now Keys will look to continue what has been an under the radar run to the Quarter Final and she has been in dominant form in the tournament which makes her a danger. The Keys serve is clearly a big weapon for the American and she has been in strong form on that side of her game with just seven breaks of serve given up in her four matches in Paris.

Her overall level in 2018 on the clay courts have been pretty good and match up with what Keys has been able to produce in her career on the surface. However she is arguably serving better than ever on the surface which is feeding into her return game and Keys has been devastatingly good on that side of her game.

Keys has won at least 49% of return points in every game in the French Open this season and getting anything like that from that side of her game on Tuesday is going to be put a lot of pressure on Yulia Putintseva.

Putintseva may be the most surprising of all sixteen players left in both men's and women's draws who had been just 2-5 on the clay before the French Open. The performances on the clay haven't been bad in terms of the raw numbers, but you would have thought someone was going to be a little too good for Putintseva in the tournament, but she continues to spring the surprises.

The return has, unsurprisingly, been a key to the successes Putintseva has had in the tournament and it is going to be very important for her to try and get some pressure on Keys in this match. Putintseva has the scrambling ability around the court to at least make Keys win this match by defending a lot of the big shots coming at her, but if she struggles against the big first serve it could be a very tough Quarter Final for the Kazakhstan player.

It was Putintseva who won their sole previous match and she is a real battler who can play enough decent tennis to remain competitive. However her own serve is one that is going to be attacked by Keys in the form she is in and I think it will be very difficult for Putintseva to really keep the American at bay during the course of this match.

While Putintseva will put Keys in some very difficult positions and have her chances to break, I think Keys has the experience at Grand Slam at this stage and is also playing at a level slightly above her opponent. If the return continues firing as it has, I think Keys win this match and wins by a good margin.


Daria Kasatkina v Sloane Stephens: This is a fascinating Quarter Final between two players who may feel they are playing well enough to take the title home and surprise as Jelena Ostapenko did last year. The bottom half of the women's draw has opened up with so many of the top names out of the tournament and all four ladies left will feel they can at least reach the Final and then who knows what will happen.

Sloane Stephens knows all about getting hot at the Grand Slam level and that leading to a surprise success after winning the US Open last September. There hasn't been a lot of success since then, but once again the American was able to put it all together and win the title in Miami in March.

She looks to be getting hot in Paris and Stephens is more comfortable on the clay courts than you may imagine. Stephens has decent enough numbers coming into the tournament which are comparable to Daria Kasatkina's although the latter is the favourite to win this match.

Stephens has been returning very well in Paris and that has been good enough to come through the matches while she was resting on Monday as Kasatkina completed her win over Wozniacki.

Both players are very strong returners and it is going to be a match that features plenty of break points when they meet in the Quarter Final. Stephens will hope her experience is good enough to see off Kasatkina at the very big moments that do determine these close contests and the feeling I have is that the American has the slightly better serve which can see her over the line.

The young Russian is in great form, but I do think the serve remains a vulnerability that could be the reason she is not yet ready to win a Grand Slam title. However the overall play is so good to watch that you have to feel this player is developing in the right direction and Kasatkina could be in the business end of major tournaments for years to come.

Kasatkina has been very good on the clay courts and she has shown improving form in the build to Paris with losses to Petra Kvitova and Elina Svitolina forgivable. Of course she could find Stephens a little too mentally tough, but Kasatkina looks a player with a lot of belief in her own game and has the narrowly superior numbers than Stephens on the clay.

There have been a couple of extremely dominant wins which have helped skew those a little bit for Stephens though and I think Kasatkina is able to get through this match. It may go three sets, but I think Kasatkina is showing enough to get the better of Stephens in a tough one.

MY PICKS: Dominic Thiem-Alexander Zverev Over 38.5 Games @ 1.83 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Novak Djokovic - 7.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Madison Keys - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Sporting Bet (2 Units)
Daria Kasatkina @ 1.85 Bet Victor (2 Units)

French Open Update: 42-46, - 11.40 Units (169 Units Staked, - 6.75% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 9 Picks 2017 (June 5th)

By the end of Day 9 at the French Open, we are going to have our Quarter Final line up for this year's tournament in both men's and women's draws.

The stories look to be developing nicely at the second Grand Slam of the 2017 season although it still feels very unclear as to which player will win the women's title in five days time. On the men's side, Rafael Nadal continues to produce dominant win after dominant win and is now a clear favourite to add to his Grand Slam haul at the end of the week.

It has been a very good tournament already, but now the big time tennis is ahead of us with some big matches to be played in the coming days.


The picks have had a solid tournament too with Sunday being better than Saturday in what was an up and down weekend. They are still in a very good position after eight days but hopefully the second half of the week will be as positive as the first.


Andy Murray - 6.5 games v Karen Khachanov: There are a lot of people who are tipping Karen Khachanov to be a leading part of the ATP Tour in the years to come and this is a breakthrough tournament for him. The young man could really make a big statement if he is able to beat the World Number 1 who was the Runner Up in Roland Garros twelve months ago.

A big game makes Khachanov dangerous with a big serve followed by heavy groundstrokes, but this is a different kind of test for him. He won't have faced anyone with the return capabilities of Andy Murray who will be able to blunt the first serve effectively enough and force Khachanov to hit closer and closer to the lines.

Murray might not have had the 2017 season as he would have liked to the halfway mark, but he has looked in pretty good nick here in Paris after coming through some sticky moments. I absolutely think Khachanov is going to create some of those moments for Murray too with his style of play likely to penetrate the defences at times, although I am looking for the World Number 1 to wear down his young opponent.

While I do respect the run Khachanov has had here, I think you have to accept he has beaten a Tomas Berdych who suggested he is carrying an injury and a John Isner who is a limited returner. Andy Murray looks strong enough to compete and is going to be able to rally with Khachanov and try and break down his game.

Khachanov does have a win over David Goffin on the clay this year, but his losses have come against Horacio Zeballos, Victor Troicki, David Goffin and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and three of those have come by at least a five game margin. I will look for Murray to win a tight first set before slowly taking control of the match as he has in all three Rounds played in Paris.

That can help Murray come through with a 7-6, 6-4, 6-2 win to move through to another French Open Quarter Final.


Kei Nishikori - 3.5 games v Fernando Verdasco: Questions about the wrist existed prior to the French Open for Kei Nishikori, but he has looked pretty good in this tournament. Nishikori came through an epic Third Round match against Hyeon Chung when he blew a 2-0 lead in sets and there will be further questions about the physical wellbeing of the top ten player.

He certainly won't be expecting to have an easy ride against the veteran Fernando Verdasco who seems to still have one or two big Grand Slam runs in him. Once Verdasco gets on a roll, he can be very difficult to stop and the Spaniard is comfortable on the clay courts where he has time to use his big forehand.

There is no doubt that Verdasco is not the player he used to be, but he is still very capable on his day as he has shown in this tournament when beating Alexander Zverev and also upsetting Pablo Cuevas in the Third Round. Verdasco had not really shown this level of tennis in any of the warm up events on the clay which is what makes his run more surprising and I do think he has to be respected.

The match up with Nishikori is not one that really should be a good one for Verdasco as you would expect the Japanese player to win the longer rallies and also provide the better returns. However I think Verdasco is more than capable of bringing up break points of his own with the Nishikori serve being vulnerable, but the latter is very good on the clay courts and looks to be in good shape.

Nishikori has won the last three matches against Verdasco including their sole match in 2017 in Miami. He also beat Verdasco in five sets here last year having had a 2-0 lead in sets before recovering in the fifth and I think Nishikori is able to get this done in four sets.

I can see this ending with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 win for Nishikori and I will look for him to cover the game handicap.


Marin Cilic win 3-1 v Kevin Anderson: The clay courts might not be the favoured surface for either Marin Ciic or Kevin Anderson, and so both will look at this as a real chance to get to the French Open Quarter Final. I don't think either player will be lacking belief with the match up in front of them, although I do give the edge to Cilic thanks to his superior return game.

Both players have reached the Fourth Round at the French Open before, but neither has managed to get beyond this stage so this is a big match for both. Kevin Anderson has only played in one previous Grand Slam Quarter Final compared with Marin Cilic who is going for his ninth appearance at that stage of a Slam.

I do think Cilic will have the superior return game which is going to give him one edge, while another may be the limited time he has spent on the court thanks to three straight sets wins. Cilic has lost nine games, seven games and seven games in the last three Rounds played, but I think Anderson has played well enough to at least take a set in this one.

Anderson did have to come back from 2-1 down in sets in the Third Round win over Kyle Edmund and also from a set down to beat Nick Kyrgios in the Second Round so I expect he is battle hardened. The big South African has a strong serve that can still be effective on the clay courts and Anderson has taken sets in losses to the likes of Alexander Zverev and Kei Nishikori during this clay court season.

If Cilic is serving as he was against Feliciano Lopez in the Third Round, it might be difficult for the Croatian to avoid dropping at least one set. Overall I think he will turn out to be too good for Anderson with aggressive returns setting him up for a couple of breaks of serve, and I am going to have a small interest in Cilic winning this in four sets.


Stan Wawrinka win 3-1 v Gael Monfils: There is only one Frenchman left in the French Open draw and Gael Monfils is going to supported very loudly by the crowd on Monday. However this is a very tough test for Monfils in the Fourth Round as he takes on 2015 French Open Champion Stan Wawrinka who might be rounding into the form to take him to another Grand Slam title.

I have to say I am really surprised that Wawrinka and Monfils have not met on the Tour since the Australian Open in 2011. That match was won by Wawrinka in straight sets, but he is an improved player in that time and is yet to drop a set in Paris this week.

However that was down to Fabio Fognini not taking his chances in the first set in their Third Round match and he is playing an opponent in Monfils who is very confident on the clay courts. Monfils also benefited from an early end to his Third Round match against Richard Gasquet and hasn't been taxed physically which should give him a chance to compete.

The problem for Monfils has always been the lack of aggression he plays with- at key moments he is likely going to give Wawrinka the chance to dictate rallies and the Swiss star is more than capable of hitting his winners when he gets on a roll.

I do think that style will give Monfils his chances too as there is no doubting the athleticism and defensive work the home favourite can do around the court. With that in mind, I think Monfils will be able to take a set off of Wawrinka, but the latter can just have the edge in the match thanks to being able to control the rallies at key times.

A four set win looks to be on the cards for Wawrinka here as he ends the French hopes for a first men's winner at Roland Garros since Yannick Noah in 1983.


Carla Suarez Navarro + 4.5 games v Simona Halep: The favourite for the women's French Open title remains Simona Halep, although there will be a nagging doubt about a player who has capitulated in the business end of previous Slams when looking like a potential winner. While Halep has looked strong throughout the first week having given up just five games in each match she has played, this Fourth Round match looks a very tough examination for Halep.

Facing a clay court specialist in Carla Suarez Navarro is a real test for Halep and one she has struggled with in the past. These players are meeting for the twelfth time on the Tour with Halep leading the head to head 6-5, but four of the five Suarez Navarro wins have come on the clay courts.

In fact all four previous clay court matches between the players have been won by Suarez Navarro and that is something that will likely be on Halep's mind. It has been a couple of years since they last played one another on clay, but this does feel the kind of match where Halep could be put under severe pressure by a player who has had a strong first week in Paris too.

This hasn't been a really strong clay court season for Suarez Navarro who has had some injuries affecting her 2017 year to date. However this is the kind of match up that won't be one where she is overpowered and will give her a chance of rallying with Halep whose serve can be attacked.

The head to head on clay has to be a real issue for Halep despite the strong performances over the last two months and I do think it makes this number of games being given to Suarez Navarro look appealing. I have to respect the fact that Halep has had a knack of covering this number of games in her wins on the clay, but Suarez Navarro is capable of taking a set which will put her in a very good position to cover.

It should be a really good Fourth Round match on Monday but I will take the games with the underdog to keep this one competitive.


Petra Martic + 5.5 games v Elina Svitolina: Winning the Premier Event in Rome meant Elina Svitolina came into the French Open as one of the leading contenders to win the women's title. Svitolina also won the title in Istanbul on the clay courts and she has won eight matches in a row which will give her plenty of confidence.

However she is facing an opponent who has been in impressive form in Paris this week as the Qualifier Petra Martic has added six more wins to her return from injury. Martic has won a title and reached two Semi Finals at the lower levels on the Tour, but her performances in the last two Rounds here at Roland Garros will give the player an immense amount of belief.

The destruction of an in form Anastasija Sevastova was very impressive as Martic lost just two games and she is serving well and hitting her marks off the ground. The big hitting will give her every chance of surprising Svitolina if Martic is feeling her tennis as well as she has in the last two Rounds.

This is a big number for Svitolina to cover when you think how often she can blow hot and cold on a tennis court. Her high level is very impressive, but Martic should be able to put pressure on Svitolina's serve to see her just drop that level which could lead to maybe even dropping a set.

In her eight match winning run, Svitolina has won seven without a retirement, but she would have covered this margin of games just once. She has yet to do that here in Paris and this is arguably the toughest match Svitolina has faced.

I have a gut feeling that Martic may even win this one outright as the big underdog, but I have to respect the winning run Svitolina is enjoying, especially at the level those wins have come. Even with that in mind, I still think Martic covers with this number of games behind her and I will look for the underdog to keep this match very competitive.


Karolina Pliskova - 5.5 games v Veronica Cepede Royg: Not many would have tipped a player outside of the top 100 in the World Rankings to reach the Fourth Round at the French Open this year. While I am looking for Petra Martic to be competitive despite the World Ranking, I think Veronica Cepede Royg may just see her run come to an end with a slightly more straight forward defeat.

That is said with absolutely no disrespect to a player who has beaten the likes of Lucie Safarova and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in Paris already, and who pushed an in form Marketa Vondrousova in a tight loss before the tournament began. Cepede Royg also had a couple of other battling losses to solid clay court players like Shelby Rogers and Johanna Larsson, but facing the big hitting Karolina Pliskova might be a different challenge all together.

Cepede Royg is clearly very happy on the clay courts and the wins will have given her confidence, but the numbers suggest she has been fortunate. She has actually lost her serve more times than she has broken in each of the last two Rounds and lost more points against Pavlyuchenkova in the Second Round.

This time Cepede Royg goes up against Pliskova who has played well through the first week on her least favoured surface. She is serving pretty effectively which has seen Pliskova broken just seven times in her three matches here, the same amount of times Cepede Royg was broken in her Third Round match alone.

I am expecting Pliskova's heavy groundstrokes to pull up plenty of break points in this one too and she has been very clinical when those chances have come up. Unlike the last couple of Rounds, I think Pliskova will be tough to hold onto if Cepede Royg is going to keep this competitive.

Four of the last five wins Pliskova has had on the clay courts has seen her cover this big number and she only just missed out on the exception when missing a match point in the Second Round here. I think she will earn a couple of breaks of serve in one of the sets these two players compete to earn the cover as I look for Pliskova to move into the Quarter Final behind a 6-4, 6-2 win.


Caroline Garcia v Alize Cornet: One of the criticisms that tennis receives as a sport is that there are too many 'friendly' rivalries at the top of the game. A lot of people will look back with nostalgia at the late 70's through to the late 90's when the top players really did seem like they didn't get along with one another and it might be the reason that this Fourth Round match is going to be 'must watch' television for fans.

Both Alize Cornet and Caroline Garcia may be overshadowed by the run Kristina Mladenovic is having at the French Open, but getting a second home Quarter Finalist is not going to be ignored. The interesting factor will be watching what side the fans fall on after a huge falling out between Garcia and the likes of Cornet and Mladenovic a couple of months ago.

Garcia and Mladenovic had already seen their successful Doubles partnership dissolved before the former pulled out of a Fed Cup tie with an injury which was mocked by the other top French female players including Cornet. There is clearly still a real issue there judging by the press conferences of both Garcia and Cornet and that is going to make this a fascinating match.

There will be plenty of emotion and tension out on the court and I can see a lot of that coming out with the way winners will be celebrated. Cornet is not someone who will hold back and Garcia will be desperate to make a point.

Putting the emotion to one side, I am leaning towards the underdog in another of the Fourth Round women's matches scheduled for Monday. I am surprised to see Garcia as the underdog considering she has looked a little better on the clay courts over the last few weeks and I think too much is being read into the long Third Round match Garcia had to come through.

Cornet has been playing really well this week, but she had been 1-4 on the clay courts prior to the French Open. I think Garcia does have the edge when it comes to the serve although she can sometimes struggle to back it up as effectively as she would like. However I can see Garcia just having the chance to play rallies on her terms with the serve, while Cornet is likely going to have to work much harder to hold serve.

The two wins Cornet has had in a row have been impressive, but I am going to look for Garcia to earn a measure of revenge over her compatriot and win this one as the underdog.

MY PICKS: Andy Murray - 6.5 Games @ 2.00 Sky Bet (2 Units)
Kei Nishikori - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Marin Cilic Win 3-1 @ 3.75 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Stan Wawrinka Win 3-1 @ 3.80 Sky Bet (1 Unit)
Carla Suarez Navarro + 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Petra Martic + 5.5 Games @ 1.91 Boyle Sports (2 Units)
Karolina Pliskova - 5.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet365 (2 Units)
Caroline Garcia @ 2.10 Bet365 (2 Units)

French Open Update: 48-31, + 27.40 Units (158 Units Staked, + 17.34% Yield)