French Open Tennis Day 14 Pick 2025- Women's Final (Saturday 7th June)

The French Open comes to a conclusion this weekend and we should have two quality Finals to watch, beginning with the Women's Final on Saturday.

Aryna Sabalenka - 2.5 games v Coco Gauff: Moving into the World Number 1 spot should have been an indicator as to who is the best WTA player in the world, but there have still be some vulnerabilities around Aryna Sabalenka. She has won Grand Slam titles, but has perhaps not been the kind of dominant Champion that most would associate with the clear top player in the world.

Things may be changing after her run at Roland Garros, although Aryna Sabalenka has to get over the line to prove the point.

She reached the Australian Open Final earlier this season, but was upset by an American in that Final and Aryna Sabalenka will be much more wary of the abilities of Coco Gauff compared with Madison Keys.

They are different players- Keys is a big hitter capable of taking the ball away from any opponent she faces, while Gauff has a much more all around tennis style. However, it is a style that has seen Coco Gauff beat Aryna Sabalenka in a Grand Slam Final before and she is playing with plenty of confidence having beaten the last home hope in the Semi Final.

Coco Gauff will know that this is a much tougher challenge compared with the Semi Final, but she will be confident in the way she is playing. She will need to serve more effectively to just contain the threat that is going to be coming from the other side of the net, but the Coco Gauff movement and ability to get the ball back into the court when seemingly beyond most players can be hugely effective tools on the clay courts.

Throughout the French Open, Coco Gauff has been able to get into return games and put immense pressure on her opponents, and that is something she will feel she can do even against a top server like Aryna Sabalenka. She will have taken some encouragement from the way Iga Swiatek was able to create pressure on the Sabalenka serve, although the win over the three time defending Champion will certainly give the World Number 1 all of the confidence she needs.

As good as Aryna Sabalenka is, there are still some vulnerabilities about her, especially from a mental point of view.

If Coco Gauff can keep the sets competitive, Aryna Sabalenka could be put under some pressure and she has had a number of disappointing results late in Grand Slam events.

However, Aryna Sabalenka has won four of the last six matches against Coco Gauff and that can be a factor.

The serve has ended up being a key weapon in those matches and Aryna Sabalenka may have that edge again in this Women's Final to round out the second Grand Slam of the season. It is unlikely to be a match that doesn't have some swings and roundabouts, especially at the French Open in 2025, but the repeat of the Madrid Final may end up with the same winner and with a similar margin, which would be good enough to cover this handicap mark set.

MY PICK: Aryna Sabalenka - 2.5 Games

French Open Tennis Day 13 Picks 2024 (Friday 7th June)

The Women's Final has been set for Saturday and Iga Swiatek has made it through for the fourth time in five years.

She is going to be a strong favourite, but all credit has to be given to Jasmine Paolini for finding her way through the draw and the Italian really has nothing to lose.

Before we get to the Women's Final, two quality looking Men's Semi Final matches have to be completed on Friday and both could go very long. It should also mean a very good Final will be set as we crown a new French Open Champion and potentially begin the next era without members of the Big Three who have achieved so much in the sport.

Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner Over 38.5 Games: If these two players can stay healthy and the desire never dips, this is a match up that is likely going to be deciding many Grand Slams in the years ahead.

There will be a number of other players preparing to fill the gap that will be left by the Big Three, but Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have won Grand Slams already and they are in the top three of the World Rankings right up there alongside Novak Djokovic.

With the Serb expected to miss at least Wimbledon and potentially the Olympics and US Open, most fans will figure Alcaraz and Sinner to be the leading names to add to the Slams they have already won.

Injury meant both players missed the Rome Masters, and there was some doubt about their participation at the French Open, but the two have been the best players in the tournament.

Carlos Alcaraz started a little slowly, which is not a surprise considering he was slightly concerned about his forearm, but he has grown and grown.

For Jannik Sinner, the new World Number 1, the tournament has largely gone to plan with a single set dropped in his march to the Semi Final.

This is the third Grand Slam meeting between the two with both holding a win apiece, while the two previous clay court matches have also been split. Their only match in 2024 was won by Carlos Alcaraz as he came from behind to beat Jannik Sinner in three sets at the Indian Wells Masters, but there really has not been much between the players and this is a fascinating Semi Final.

Over the course of the French Open, Jannik Sinner has perhaps served slightly better than Carlos Alcaraz, but the Spaniard has had a slight edge when it comes to the return. The new World Number 1 does look a big price to win this Semi Final, but the better approach may be looking for the match to go long.

Previous matches have featured plenty of one-sided sets, despite the obvious qualities that both of these players have.

Tension will be high in this Semi Final which could see something like that happen in one or two sets, but the feeling is that both are playing well enough to make this very competitive and push the match to four or possibly even five sets.

The previous two Grand Slam matches between Alcaraz and Sinner have both needed at least four sets and the feeling is that the likely top two Seeds heading into Wimbledon will be involved in a titanic battle on Friday.

Casper Ruud v Alexander Zverev: Twelve months ago Alexander Zverev returned to the French Open having suffered a serious injury here in 2022, but the expectations were not that high for the German after a mixed return to the Tour. He did reach the Semi Final surprisingly, but Casper Ruud stood in the way and proved to be too strong for Zverev.

They meet again on Friday in another Semi Final, but Alexander Zverev had arrived in Paris as one of the favourites and underlined that position by beating Rafael Nadal in the First Round.

Off court issues continue to cast a cloud over this Alexander Zverev run, but he has been doing what is needed on the court.

The only negative for him from a tennis point of view is the amount of time he has already spent on the court, although it was very important to win the Quarter Final in straight sets. That victory over Alex De Minaur followed back to back five setters and there has to be some fatigue at play.

He did not look at his dominant best in the win over the Australian, but getting off the court in under three hours will have helped the Zverev cause.

This is clearly going to be a tough match for the World Number 4, especially as Casper Ruud has reached consecutive French Open Finals and will have that mental edge of having beaten Zverev in the Semi Final in 2023. The Norwegian also benefits from Novak Djokovic's withdrawal before the Quarter Final and that should mean Casper Ruud is the fresher player having played in Geneva before the French Open began.

In saying all that, Casper Ruud has not really impressed in the tournament and he will need to raise his level against the Rome Masters Champion.

Casper Ruud is going to have to serve better than he has in the last three Rounds, but he will also perhaps have noted that Alexander Zverev's numbers have just dropped, which could be a sign of fatigue.

He is battling and the confidence is much higher than when he wilted against Casper Ruud last year so this will be close, but the tennis has mounted up in the legs and that may just hold Alexander Zverev back as he looks to reach his first French Open Final.

Three straight Semi Final losses in Paris will be hard to forget for the German and Casper Ruud's memories of this Round are much stronger which could see the narrow underdog come through.

MY PICKS: Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner Over 38.5 Games @ 1.85 Coral (2 Units)

Casper Ruud @ 2.10 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

French Open Update: 20-8, + 14.96 Units (56 Units Staked, + 26.71% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 11 Picks 2023 (June 7th)

There has been a fear for Tennis fans that something would be lost at the end of the 'Big Three' era- Roger Federer's time has come and gone, while Rafael Nadal has effectively announced his retirement tour will be played in 2024.

Novak Djokovic is still near his very best, but the future has begun to look brighter behind Carlos Alcaraz.

The Spaniard looks like he will lead the way for men's tennis in the years ahead, although it will be good to see if someone can step up and create a real rivalry for the 20 year old. There are some contenders, but the Alcaraz performance in the crushing win over Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Quarter Final suggests there is already a gap to bridge between himself and those who are going to take the challenge on once the Novak Djokovic era is over.

That Semi Final could be seen as a 'passing of the torch' moment on Friday, but I am sure Djokovic is going to be confident going into Wimbledon and the US Open no matter what happens. After all, Novak Djokovic is the Australian Open Champion and clay has long been his most difficult surface, but I am sure he will want to put Carlos Alcaraz in his place.

It is a match to think about for another day, but one that most fans will already be salivating over.

Before that we need to set the women's Semi Final line up and also have those matches played on Thursday before the men's Semi Final matches on Friday. The last four Quarter Final matches are all played on Wednesday on Day 11 at Roland Garros with the main event being the rematch between Holger Rune and Casper Ruud in the Night Session.

After a mixed day for the Tennis Picks, I will be looking for better on Day 11.

I feel I could have had a bit more luck with my selections on Day 10, but ultimately I am happy to have avoided any big return on the day.

Alexander Zverev - 5.5 games v Tomas Martin Etcheverry: You can always do with a little bit of luck if you want to make a big impact at a Grand Slam event and Tomas Martin Etcheverry has taken advantage of what has looked a kind draw. The World Number 2 was beaten in the First Round to open up this section, while Etcheverry may have benefited from facing Alex de Minaur, Borna Coric and Yoshihito Nishioka as the Seeded players on his way to a maiden Grand Slam Quarter Final.

Ultimately you can only beat the opponent standing on the other side of the net and Tomas Martin Etcheverry has managed his emotions really well in the tournament. Confidence will only have grown from the fact that the Argentine has yet to drop a set in Paris and he will feel he has nothing to lose in his third full season on the Tour and trying to make his way into the Grand Slam events.

The serve has been a huge weapon for Tomas Martin Etcheverry through the first four Rounds at Roland Garros and it has certainly set up the rest of his tennis. However, he has yet to play on the main court here at the French Open and there might be a bit more pressure on this aspect of his tennis on a surface which has seemingly played a little slower than the others around Roland Garros.

I still think Tomas Martin Etcheverry will be looking to put scoreboard pressure onto his opponent by serving big, but Alexander Zverev looks to be peaking in the tournament and I do think this is the toughest opponent that Etcheverry will have faced in this tournament so far.

Prior to the French Open, Etcheverry only had a 4-7 record against top 50 Ranked opponents, while he had lost all four matches against top 20 Ranked opponents before the wins here. Tomas Martin Etcheverry had really struggled on the return in this matches and now has to face an Alexander Zverev serve which can be very productive at its best and one that should be more effective in the hot conditions expected in Paris during the day.

In the last two wins, Frances Tiafoe and Grigor Dimitrov were able to have some joy against the Zverev serve in the Night Session, but it should be tougher for Etcheverry who had only won 29% of return points against the top 20 opponents faced in the warm up to the French Open.

Alexander Zverev has been picking up his level on the return of serve in the last three wins in Paris as his confidence has grown and he has broken at least five times in each of those victories. Those have included those two top 30 wins and I think Alexander Zverev's experience should also give him an edge against Tomas Martin Etcheverry in this Quarter Final, which will eventually see the German fight through with a good, solid victory.

Holger Rune-Casper Ruud over 38.5 games: There is no love lost between these two Scandinavian players and I am not sure they will ever be on each other's Christmas card list, but that should make for a very interesting Quarter Final between Holger Rune and Casper Ruud.

This is a repeat of a bad-tempered Quarter Final played between the two at the French Open twelve months ago, a match that was eventually won in four sets by Casper Ruud on his way to the Final.

Their sole meeting since that Quarter Final took place last month in Rome and it was Holger Rune who beat Casper Ruud for the first time as he came from a set down and eventually pulled clear for the win in the Semi Final.

It is a victory that will give Holger Rune confidence and he might be grateful for a Second Round walkover after Gael Monfils withdrew from the tournament. The Fourth Round win over Francisco Cerundolo took five sets and a Super Tie-Breaker, although Rune did not have to spend considerably longer on the court than Casper Ruud in his own Fourth Round win.

The match would have still taken an emotional effort and Holger Rune was perhaps a little fortunate to come through on the day considering the huge disparity between him and Cerundolo when it came to the Break Points created. The Dane will feel he has not been at his complete best at the French Open considering his successes on the clay courts in the build up to the second Grand Slam of the season, but Holger Rune is still alive in the draw and he will be dangerous.

Casper Ruud will know all about the talent that Holger Rune possesses, but he has been peaking in this tournament and is coming out of a tough three set win over Nicolas Jarry. He showed his quality at key moments in that match, but Ruud is well aware that he will need to be even better if he is going to work his way past a talented young opponent and get a little closer to a maiden Grand Slam title.

The serve is going to need to be better with Casper Ruud allowing far too many Break Point chances in the Fourth Round win over Nicolas Jarry. On another day he would have been dragged into a five hour match if Jarry had just held himself together at key moments in all three sets completed, but Ruud will take some confidence from the fact he could play some of his best tennis at the most pivotal of moments.

I do think Holger Rune might be a bit more tested with this being his seventh match against a top 20 opponent on the clay courts in 2023 and all of those have actually been against the very best players as all have been top 10 opponents. Holger Rune has a 4-2 record in those matches too, while Casper Ruud's sole top 20 match is the defeat to Rune in Rome last month.

That can be important in these big matches at the Grand Slam events, although Casper Ruud has to be full of belief having largely gotten the better of Holger Rune before that loss. The scoreboard might have suggested it was an easy enough win for the younger player, but it was much closer than that and Casper Ruud was just not able to win the big points as consistently as Rune was on the day.

It was different here in Paris last year when Ruud dominated the Break Point count, but that was another match that saw plenty of ebbs and flows and I do think that will be the case in this Quarter Final in 2023.

I would be very surprised if this match ended in straight sets for either player and that makes the total games already feel on the short side. At least one tie-breaker has to be expected with the way that both can serve at times and I do think this has the potential of being a very close match that may even need a deciding set to separate them.

The matches played between these two rivals since April 2022 have all been very, very competitive and I think that is going to be the case on Day 11 at the French Open.

The four setter twelve months ago ended with 39 total games thanks to Casper Ruud winning the first set 6-1, but I think all the sets will be more competitive this time around. They played 31 games in the three set match in Rome last month and this total is one that can be covered as long as the Quarter Final lasts at least four sets.

Ons Jabeur - 4.5 games v Beatriz Haddad Maia: Having to spend almost four hours on court is not ideal, even with a day off between matches, but that is what Beatriz Haddad Maia has to deal with ahead of her first Grand Slam Quarter Final. A back and forth Fourth Round win over Sara Sorribes Tormo will have taken a lot of out of the Brazilian from an emotional and physical point of view and the competitive just gets tougher.

Three of the four wins earned by Beatriz Haddad Maia have been against opponents Ranked 67 or higher, while two of those wins have been against players outside of the top 100. Despite that, Haddad Maia has had to spend well over eight hours on the court in the last three wins in Paris and there has to be an impact in her level of performance.

Nothing has come easy for Beatriz Haddad Maia and that is going to be the case again in this Quarter Final as she faces Ons Jabeur who is looking to reach her first Semi Final at the French Open having finished Wimbledon and the US Open as Runner Up in 2022. The World Number 7 is looking for a maiden Grand Slam title, but Ons Jabeur looks to be in good shape after missing much of the clay court season with an injury.

An early loss at Rome meant Jabeur might have felt undercooked going into the French Open, but she has looked very good in the tournament with a single set dropped and largely dominant performances.

Ons Jabeur will know she needs to serve better than she did in the Fourth Round if she is going to reach the Final, especially considering who is likely to be waiting in the Semi Final, but this does look a good Quarter Final for her.

She should have success on the return of serve in this match, even more so if Beatriz Haddad Maia is feeling her exertions from the last three Rounds, and I think that will help Ons Jabeur on the serve.

I would not be surprised if there are a lot of breaks of serve during the course of this match, but I have to give the edge to the Tunisian player with the expectation that she will have a lot more in the tank. Ons Jabeur also has the mental advantage of having beaten Beatriz Haddad Maia for the loss of just three games on the indoor clay court in Stuttgart in April and I do think the higher Ranked player will have too much for Haddad Maia.

Iga Swiatek - 6.5 games v Coco Gauff: I know, I know, this is a very big spread for any player to cover when both are sitting inside the top 10 of the World Rankings and especially in a best of three set match.

However, there does feel like a much bigger gap between World Number 1 Iga Swiatek and World Number 6 Coco Gauff than the five places in the Rankings may suggest and that is very much the case on the clay courts.

Winning two of the last three French Open titles is one thing, but Iga Swiatek has crushed opponents on this surface over the last three seasons. In her run to another Quarter Final, Iga Swiatek has an edge of 41-9 in terms of games, while only the other two members of the new 'Big Three' on the WTA Tour have beaten the Pole on the red dirt in 2023.

Coco Gauff will know how tough it is to play Iga Swiatek on this court having been blitzed in the French Open Final in 2022 and her four wins in this tournament have been against players Ranked Number 61 or lower. This is not ideal preparation for facing someone of the talent and quality of the top Seed, while Gauff was well beaten in her last three matches against top 50 Ranked opponents on the clay courts prior to the French Open beginning.

The American has produced numbers that are comparable to Iga Swiatek in her four wins in Paris, but this is a huge step up in class for Gauff who has struggled to compete with this opponent.

Their first meeting in Rome on the clay courts in 2021 was very close, but Iga Swiatek won on that day and she has really been very easy with the match up with Coco Gauff since then. In their last five matches, Iga Swiatek has a 60-20 edge in terms of games won and she has won every set and Coco Gauff has only reached four games in a single set once.

That did come in Dubai earlier this year on a hard court, but Coco Gauff only won six games that day and I do think Iga Swiatek is going to have far too much for this opponent.

We know that Gauff is talented and she is going to make progress to close the gap to the current top three in the years ahead, but right now there is a big gap between her and those trio at the top of the women's game.

A spread like this one does not take much to cover and just needs twenty really strong minutes from Coco Gauff, but I do think it is a poor match up for her. On a clay court, Iga Swiatek should have an even greater edge and I think she has all of the tools to stroll past this opponent and earn another Grand Slam Semi Final spot.

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

Holger Rune-Casper Ruud Over 38.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Ons Jabeur - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Iga Swiatek - 6.5 Games @ 1.91 Coral (2 Units)

French Open Update: 38-25, + 13.98 Units (126 Units Staked, + 11.10% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2022- Naoya Inoue vs Nonito Donaire II (June 7th)

Another big weekend of Boxing is in the books and we have a new Undisputed Champion in the Lightweight Division after Devin Haney earned a deserved Decision over former Champion George Kambosos Jr.

There was an early call for a rematch, but it was a fairly one-sided fight and a clear win for Devin Haney who had George Kambosos Jr at the end of his jab.

The likes of Vasyl Lomachenko, Gervonta Davis, Ryan Garcia and even Shakur Stevenson all will feel they have to be beaten before we can really crown a King of the Division, but for now it is Devin Haney who holds all the cards and he will have plenty of choices in front of him.

On the same night I think we may have seen the end of Junior Fa's career after a stunning First Round Knock Out at the hands of Lucas Browne, while the Moloney brothers will be pushing for World Title bids in the coming months.

There were other cards that were worth watching on Saturday night- Stephen Fulton dominated Daniel Roman, while David Morrell earned another early nights work with a Fourth Round stoppage. Both of those fighters have called out other big names in and around their Divisions, while there was a Knock Out of the Year contender in Great Britain.

I thought Joe Cordina could have been found out by a solid Champion, but his Second Round Knock Out punch is the best I have seen in 2022 and he is in line for some big fights as others call for Unification. For us fans in the United Kingdom, the win may be one that encourages Shakur Stevenson to come over here for a big Unification before his inevitable move up to 135 pounds.

Naoya Inoue vs Nonito Donaire II

When these two met in the World Boxing Super Series Bantamweight Final in November 2019, it proved to be a classic bout and one that tested Naoya Inoue more than we have come to expect from opponents facing up to The Monster.

Nonito Donaire hurt Inoue and the veteran showed all of his experience to push Naoya Inoue, although he was dropped late and beaten on the scorecards.

Some may have felt it was the last big effort from Nonito Donaire in his long career, but eighteen months later he returned to face unbeaten WBC Champion Nordine Oubaali and stopped him in the Fourth Round. Another unbeaten opponent was stopped in the Fourth Round at the end of 2021 and now Nonito Donaire has been able to line up a Unification against the one fighter he was desperate to rematch.

He produced a remarkable performance in that fight in November 2019 and Nonito Donaire is heading back into the same Arena to try and dethrone Naoya Inoue.

However, like many others, my feeling is that Nonito Donaire produced an almost perfect performance in that first fight and still came up short. He hurt Naoya Inoue and he fractured an eye socket and caused a cut, but even with all of that, Nonito Donaire came up short.

That is hard to ignore and I do think the time passed between the first fight and this rematch will only favour Naoya Inoue who will be much more prepared to face Donaire and know what is coming up.

Naoya Inoue has won all three fights since the first one against Nonito Donaire and the Japanese star has got back to breaking down and stopping opponents.

I think he is going to be able to do the same against Donaire in this one and Naoya Inoue should be fresher going into the second half of this Championship fight than he was after taking some early punishment in 2019. Even then, Naoya Inoue demonstrated how long his power carries by putting Nonito Donaire down in the Eleventh Round and I think he will be stronger in this rematch and unlikely to be as busted up as he was in the first fight.

The Monster can underline his status as the top Bantamweight in the world with another impressive win over Nonito Donaire and this time he can get the veteran out of there in the second half of the fight. I expect Naoya Inoue to be more switched on at countering what Donaire is going to try and bring and being fresher should mean being able to turn the screw more effectively than in their first fight when dealing with a serious fracture and cuts.

Only one fighter has ever been able to stop Nonito Donaire, but Naoya Inoue has the pop and power to become the second as he wears down the 39 year old.

MY PICKS: Naoya Inoue to Win Between 7-12 @ 2.87 Bet365 (2 Units)

Boxing 2022 Update: 20-32, + 17.80 Units (93 Units Staked, + 19.14% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2022 (June 7th)

The grass court season has begun and the Tennis Picks will be focused on those events for the remainder of the month and into early July.

Bigger events are going to be played next week, but there are a number of tournaments scheduled for this week as players look to get some experience under their belt in what is the shortest part of the year on a single surface.

Rain is the biggest threat to the tournaments this week with even a little amount making it a very slippery and dangerous surface on which to play. It does look a wet week at all of the events and that will force players to win two matches in a single day to keep the events on track.

Maxime Cressy-Dominic Stricker over 23.5 games: The courts in Stuttgart are playing pretty quickly in the early Rounds of the grass court season and this is a match that features two players that will be confident in their serve. Maxime Cressy is playing his first match back on the surface since the grass court season in 2021 and it is a dangerous time to face a Qualifier in Dominic Stricker who beat Aslan Karatsev in one of two wins to take his place in the main draw.

Last year the 20 year old Swiss player was given a direct spot in the main draw in Stuttgart and he reached the Quarter Final before losing to a grass court specialist in Sam Querrey. On his way, Dominic Stricker beat Radu Albot and Hubert Hurkacz with the latter win looking particularly impressive when you think the big serving Polish player reached the Wimbledon Semi Final just a few weeks later.

He was well beaten in Halle, but Dominic Stricker will feel pretty happy back on the grass having earned those two wins in the Qualifiers too. He has won 66% of his service points behind serve and that has led to 82% of service games being held on the surface and I do think the lefty will cause problems for Maxime Cressy who has struggled as a return player on the grass courts in his limited time on the surface.

The American has only won 31% of return points played in his nine previous grass court matches and Cressy has only broken serve in 13% of return games played. I expect Dominic Stricker to be able to have plenty of success behind his serve in this one, although the challenge for the Swiss player is trying to pressure the Maxime Cressy serve.

Maxime Cressy has been slightly more effective behind serve than Stricker with 68% of service points won in grass court matches and that has led to holds in 87% of service games played.

Like his opponent in the First Round, Dominic Stricker has had a tough time getting to grips with the return of serve and has only broken in 19% of his return games played in the six grass court matches played in his young career. That number has been significantly boosted by his strong player in the Qualifiers in this tournament, but I do think the server is going to be on top in this one.

Last season, Dominic Stricker played three matches in Stuttgart and the first two sets in each of those went to a tie-breaker. I think he will serve well enough to be competitive, but the same can be said for Maxime Cressy and it may lead to a First Round match that surpasses what is a big total line set for this one.

Ugo Humbert - 2.5 games v Arthur Rinderknech: Two Frenchmen are coming off disappointing showings at their home Grand Slam, but there is a feeling that Ugo Humbert is going to be much happier being back on the grass rather than on the clay courts.

It has been a difficult season for Ugo Humbert who had been as high as Number 25 in the World Rankings twelve months ago, but who has slipped back to Number 48.

That means he will be under pressure in this grass court season considering Ugo Humbert reached the Quarter Final here in Stuttgart before winning a major title in Halle. That means he has plenty of points to defend to avoid another significant drop down the World Rankings, but Humbert has enjoyed playing on the grass courts where is serve and ability to get to the net are very effective.

He is much more experienced than Arthur Rinderknech who is playing in his third ever grass court match, but who is also only a few places behind Humbert in the World Rankings having had a more consistent season.

Last season Arthur Rinderknech went 1-1 in Halle and the numbers are from a very small sample and hard to really judge.

However, I do think Rinderknech has shown his serve can be effective on the hard courts and he should be able to earn plenty of free points on this surface, although the return is not one of any real note. It is the return where Ugo Humbert could be able to exert some scoreboard pressure by putting Arthur Rinderknech under the cosh when it comes to the returning aspect of his tennis and I do think Ugo Humbert can get off to a strong start.

The higher Ranked Frenchman is not exactly known for his own return on the grass courts, but I do think he will find the one break he may need to cover this mark and I will back him to do that in the First Round in Stuttgart.

MY PICKS: Maxime Cressy-Dominic Stricker Over 24.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Ugo Humbert - 2.5 Games @ 1.90 Bet365 (2 Units)

Emma Raducanu - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Shuai Zhang - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Katie Boulter - 0.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 2-3, - 2.36 Units (10 Units Staked, - 23.60% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 9 Picks 2021 (June 7th)

The Quarter Final line up will be settled at the French Open by the end of play on Monday.

Some surprising names have already made up half of the remaining sixteen players in the draw, but there may be a more familiar feel to the top half of the draws which will be decided with the remaining Fourth Round matches in Paris.

Novak Djokovic - 9.5 games v Lorenzo Musetti: There is so much to appreciate about the talent that Italy are producing on the Men's side of the tennis Tour and it would almost be a surprise if at least two of their leading three young players were not able to become Grand Slam Champions in an era that will soon be without Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

Those young Italian guns will have every chance to prove they are already ready to make their mark at this level as Matteo Berrettini, Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti are all in the top half of the draw alongside those all time great players. If it wasn't for Roger Federer pulling out of his match with Berrettini, all three would be facing members of the Big Three on Day 9 at the French Open in the Fourth Round, but Italian tennis fans will have to make do in watching two of their young talents take to the court.

Lorenzo Musetti showed off some of his skills and mental strength in seeing off compatriot Marco Cecchinato in the Third Round in what has been a very good week for the 19 year old. Making the second week of a Grand Slam at this stage cannot be underestimated and Lorenzo Musetti may feel he has nothing to lose.

He even played well enough to take a set from Stefanos Tsitsipas on the clay last month which will give Musetti confidence, and you can't ignore how well he has generally played in the French Open. There were moments the match may have gotten away from him in the Third Round, but Lorenzo Musetti will feel he is capable of playing his tennis and putting some pressure on the World Number 1.

Some pressure is one thing compared with winning a match and it will certainly feel like a match that Novak Djokovic is relatively comfortable playing. The Serb has not really been tested in the three wins he has earned in Paris and there have been positive signs with how well Novak Djokovic has been serving which is going to be key if he is going to win the French Open for the second time in his career.

Before the tournament began there were questions about the Novak Djokovic serve, but he has dropped it just once in the three wins so far and it will be important to try and keep Lorenzo Musetti at bay.

The younger player can perform with some freedom knowing there isn't much to lose, but he will go for his shots and Lorenzo Musetti has fallen away in a couple of matches against top 50 Ranked opponents on the clay. One of those came against a quality clay courter like Stefanos Tsitsipas and he is now going to be up against one of the superior return players on the Tour who should be able to make enough balls back in play to eventually wear down Lorenzo Musetti.

This is a big spread even for someone as capable as Novak Djokovic, but he won't want to waste too much energy and I do think his pressure created from the return of serve will be key to the outcome of the match and the eventual margin of victory. I would not be that surprised if Lorenzo Musetti is competitive for a couple of sets, but I do think Novak Djokovic will be able to break past him a couple of times in one of the sets played and that should set him on the road to a win and a cover, especially as Novak Djokovic has broken at least five times in each of the three matches played so far at the French Open.

Rafael Nadal - 8.5 games v Jannik Sinner: This will be the third time Jannik Sinner will have a shot at trying to beat Rafael Nadal on a clay court having lost here at the French Open in Autumn 2020 and in Rome last month. The young Italian is another with a really bright future in the game, but Jannik Sinner will know there is still a considerable gap to bridge to beat someone like Nadal on this surface.

All five sets played between these two players have been won by Rafael Nadal, although all but one of those has seen both players win at least four games. They have both been competitive matches and Jannik Sinner will feel he could have turned a couple of those sets in his favour on another day, particularly the first set the pair played in Paris last year.

However, Rafael Nadal has seemingly been much happier with the match up since that first set and he created almost four time as many break points in his win over Sinner at the Rome Masters than the Italian was able to manage. The difference was that Rafael Nadal was not nearly as efficient with converting those as Jannik Sinner and he could have easily run away with the match by a much clearer margin than the one we saw.

In their two previous matches, Rafael Nadal has held 80% of his service games played compared with Jannik Sinner's 56% mark and that is a huge difference. Over the best of five set format we should see Rafael Nadal break clear of a younger opponent that will make some flashy shots and look really good at times, but who may not have the consistency to perform at the level he needs for as long as he needs it.

This has not been a vintage clay court season from Rafael Nadal, but he is still playing at a very high level on the surface and stronger than the majority of other players that will be looking to win the title here. His return game has looked very good in the last two Rounds which has to be a concern for Sinner when you consider the impact Rafael Nadal has had against his serve in both previous matches.

The Spaniard who has dominated the French Open has also been serving pretty efficiently in the tournament too and I think Rafael Nadal will be able to find the breaks of serve to cover a huge number. I like Jannik Sinner and what is capable of doing in his career, but the Rafael Nadal intensity has been too much for him so far at this stage of his career and the Italian will have to perform at a level he has rarely found.

Much will depend on how well Rafael Nadal serves, but he was largely in control of that side of his tennis in the win over Jannik Sinner in Rome and he can beat the young Italian for the third time in nine months on the clay courts.

Diego Schwartzman - 1.5 sets v Jan-Lennard Struff: When the draw for the French Open was made you would have probably got some decent odds on one of either Diego Sebastian Schwartzman or Jan-Lennard Struff making the last eight in the tournament. The former was 7-6 on the clay courts and the latter had compiled an 8-6 record, while the numbers did not really indicate that either was going to be able to put the tennis together to move through to the second week.

Jan-Lennard Struff has the standout win out of the two players having beaten Andrey Rublev in the First Round, but he has not settled for an upset and won back to back matches in straight sets to ensure he should have plenty of freshness for the second week of the French Open. However, both of those wins have come against opponents Ranked 97 or lower in the World Rankings, while Diego Sebastian Schwartzman has not faced anyone Ranked above World Number 56.

He has made short work of opponents which is all you could have asked of him and Schwartzman has spent considerably less time on the court than Struff. The Argentinian has yet to drop a set in the tournament, but he has barely been losing games either with the most given up in a single set being four games.

The serve has been very important for Diego Schwartzman, but you do wonder if he can maintain those numbers on a clay court against stronger opponents. While Jan-Lennard Struff is not exactly known for his returning, he has created at least eleven break points in all three matches played so far this week and the breaks have followed.

Diego Sebastian Schwartzman has been returning well this week too and that remains a strength of his game and one that can be the difference maker on the day despite the big first serve possessed by Jan-Lennard Struff. Both players have to be targeting the second serves in particularly, but the feeling is that Schwartzman is a bit more consistent in his returning than the German and that may play out on the day.

Jan-Lennard Struff won their last meeting in 2019 on a hard court, but it was Schwartzman who won their sole clay court match back in 2017. That is largely irrelevant now, but Diego Schwartzman will feel he has had enough of an impact on the return of serve to be pretty confident with this match up and I think he can get past his bigger opponent in three or four sets on Monday.

Barbora Krejcikova - 3.5 games v Sloane Stephens: There have been one or two signs that Sloane Stephens is getting back to something like her best during this clay court season, but the wins in the French Open may be refilling the confidence for the former US Open Champion. For a few seasons it did look like Stephens was going to be a player that would be dangerous in any Grand Slam as long as she was able to win a couple of matches to get some momentum behind her, but in more recent times the questions have been about whether Stephens still has the desire to be one of the top players on the Tour.

It is a question that only Sloane Stephens can truly answer, but she is back in the second week at the French Open and has looked much better in her last two matches having struggled to see off Carla Suarez Navarro in the First Round. Some of the emotions around that match may have had an impact on the Stephens level of performance, but she will be going into the Fourth Round looking to complete a hat-trick of wins over opponents from the Czech Republic.

Sloane Stephens has produced back to back strong wins over Karolina Pliskova and Karolina Muchova in the last two Rounds and she has been producing at a solid level in those deserved wins. The serve has been effective and it has allowed the American to get her teeth into return games which has been important for her to kick on past those two players.

However, Sloane Stephens may be the first to admit that a match against Barbora Krejcikova is another level upwards in terms of opponent.

After being known as a very good Doubles player, Krejcikova has become more than a competent Singles player over the last two years and she has been playing with real confidence in Paris this week. She reached the Fourth Round at Roland Garros in 2020 and Barbora Krejcikova has already matched that run after a positive performance in the win over Elina Svitolina in the Third Round.

Barbora Krejcikova has been playing slightly better than Sloane Stephens in Paris and I do think she has shown is a very good clay court player.

The key to the match is going to be which of these players is able to get more out of their strength- Barbora Krejcikova has a good serve for the clay courts, but Sloane Stephens prides herself on her return game and that looks like being the key to the outcome of this Fourth Round match.

The American is more experienced having been to the latter stages of multiple Grand Slams as a Singles player, but I do think Krejcikova is the better clay courter and can ultimately find a way to show that here. The layers are right to believe this may be a close match, but I think Barbora Krejcikova will find her way past a former Grand Slam Champion and continue her run of eight straight wins on the surface since a very competitive loss to French Open favourite Iga Swiatek.

MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic - 9.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet365 (2 Units)

Rafael Nadal - 8.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Diego Sebastian Schwartzman - 1.5 Sets @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Barbora Krejcikova - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Ons Jabeur + 3.5 Games @ 1.75 Coral (2 Units)

Maria Sakkari - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Marta Kostyuk + 6.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

French Open Update: 37-37, - 10.04 Units (148 Units Staked, - 6.78% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 13 Picks 2019 (June 7th)

The rain in Paris has come at the end of the tournament and that means we are into a rare situation where the men's and women's Semi Final matches have to be played on the same day.

With the conditions expected to be wet and windy on Friday, the decision has been made to begin the two women's Semi Finals at the same time very early in the day. There should be a window in which to get those matches through barring them going deep into a third set and that should then allow the men to get onto court and ensure the tournament is on track.

The players drawing the short straw look to be Dominic Thiem and Novak Djokovic who are being asked to play after Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal conclude their Semi Final. With the rain delays expected it could be a long wait, but the organisers may feel they owe the Philippe-Chatrier spectators the chance to see both men's Semi Finals and so will be looking to give as much time as possible to get both played on the centre court.

They will be hoping the rain stays away for long enough to do that, but at some point a decision may be made to move the Djokovic-Thiem match to another court and ensure all of the Finalists have been given the same chance to prepare for the Finals that are due to be played this weekend.


The women's event looked wide open before the tournament began and I would suggest someone owns the Sports Almanac from Back to the Future if they had picked the four Semi Finalists. All four players involved are playing for a maiden Grand Slam title and we have two youngsters with a bright future and two players who will perhaps feel this tournament could spark their careers and potentially lead to more Slams.

I could honestly make a case for Amanda Anisimova, Johanna Konta, Ashleigh Barty and Marketa Vondrousova right now and I would sound pretty convincing, and I think we are going to see three intriguing matches to decide the French Open title.

Picking the final four in the men's tournament might have been somewhat easier with the top four Seeds all making it through to the Semi Final. Rafael Nadal remains the clear favourite, but the conditions in Paris this weekend might not be ideal and the other three players in the draw will feel they have a real chance.

The biggest story would be if Novak Djokovic can win the French Open and hold all for Majors at the same time which would be a remarkable achievement considering where he was mentally twelve months ago. First he has to deal with a tough looking Semi Final against an improving Dominic Thiem, while Roger Federer could hold multiple titles at all four Grand Slams if he was the won taking the title home on Sunday.


Day 12 was not as strong as I would have liked with the Anisimova upset of Simona Halep and Madison Keys' inability to really threaten Ashleigh Barty going against me.

At least Novak Djokovic was able to secure as easy a win as I imagined he would, but Dominic Thiem continued to impress and dominated Karen Khachanov for the loss of just eight games.

I am still up for the tournament which is the only ambition when these Grand Slams begin, but I would love a strong end to the French Open over the last three days to secure a strong return for the event ahead of the move onto the grass courts.

Watch out for what look like unbelievably tough conditions for the players tomorrow with a damp day coupled with huge gusts that could make it a tougher day for everyone involved than the usual nerves that come with a Grand Slam Semi Final.

Below you can read a few of my thoughts for the Semi Final matches and the Picks for the day.


Johanna Konta - 1.5 games v Marketa Vondrousova: I love the way Marketa Vondrousova has played in the French Open and the youngster has a big future in the game.

She might have been pretty happy to have a surprising extra day off from the courts having looked emotionally spent in her win over Petra Martic in the Quarter Final. Now Vondrousova has to take on Johanna Konta playing arguably her best tennis of her career and someone who has a serve that can prove to be the difference maker between these players as it was when they played in Rome last month.

I do worry about the conditions affecting the way Konta can perform, but I do think the gusts are more likely to bother the Vondrousova just as much. You can't always tell how a player is going to respond to the heavy winds that are expected in Paris, but I do think the numbers are pointing to Vondrousova's serve being a little more vulnerable and a strong returning day from Konta should give her every chance to reach her maiden Grand Slam Final.

Nerves could be a factor with a big opportunity in front of whoever makes it through this match, but I think the Brit deserves the edge. Marketa Vondrousova does have a couple of big time top 50 wins in the tournament, but two of those three wins could have easily gone the other way and I like Johanna Konta to win and cover this number.


Ashleigh Barty - 2.5 games v Amanda Anisimova: This is a really interesting Semi Final as youngster Amanda Anisimova has surprisingly come through the draw for a spot in the final four. The 17 year old American has not really had a really convincing clay court season, but she is a former Junior Runner Up at the French Open so the whole experience here should be something very familiar to Anisimova.

Of course it is a different kind of mental pressure playing in a Grand Slam Semi Final compared to the Juniors, but Anisimova held herself together so well to beat Simona Halep in the Quarter Final.

The performances have been strong throughout the tournament, but Ashleigh Barty has been playing fantastic tennis too. In general Barty has been at a slightly higher level than Anisimova and her play on the clay courts ahead of the French Open was also superior to her younger opponent.

At this stage you can't factor in the nerves and neither having made a Grand Slam Final at this level is going to play a part. The Barty serve has perhaps been the more consistent shot of the two players, but Anisimova is a very strong returner and I do think the windy conditions could be difficult for the Australian to deal with.

However off the ground the Barty slice might really catch in the wind and cause problems for the Anisimova timing and I do think the older of the two players is going to have enough to edge past Anisimova. I don't think it will be easy, but Barty should be able to put enough pressure with her serve where Halep couldn't and that can make the difference for her on the day.


Rafael Nadal win 3-1 v Roger Federer: It is strange to see Roger Federer as such a big underdog in any match he plays, but the long time dominance Rafael Nadal has had over him on the clay courts can't be ignored.

The Spaniard has won all five matches against Federer at Roland Garros and has put him under constant pressure on the serve during that time.

In reality it is very difficult to see an upset, but Federer has got his wish in the damp day that is expected in Paris which could see a number of rain delays. Add in the heavy winds expected and Federer might be able to see the match 'dirty' up enough to give him a chance.

This would be a huge upset if Federer is able to beat Nadal though and the latter has been producing the stronger tennis in Paris even if he has not been at his dominating best. I expect the Nadal serve to have an edge over Federer who will have to play some very aggressive tennis to have a chance and that means taking more risks than he would perhaps like.

It might be good enough for Federer to take a set as he has in four of the five previous meetings between these players at the French Open. A small interest in that being the final set score is the selection here.


Novak Djokovic - 1.5 sets v Dominic Thiem: Both of these players won their Quarter Final matches with the minimum of fuss on Thursday and that should mean both are very much ready to go when they take to the court for the Semi Final.

Novak Djokovic and Dominic Thiem are both very comfortable on the clay courts and hold one win apiece against the other at the French Open. The performances this season have been very similar, but Djokovic has been maintaining a higher level through this tournament which may give him a slight edge in the match.

I have to respect the Austrian because he has improved in each passing Round and may be peaking in time for the French Open Final on Sunday. He is going to have to take another step up from where he has been in the tournament so far to beat Djokovic, but Dominic Thiem has a very strong serve and can put the World Number 1 under pressure.

I do think the wind could be a negative against Thiem if the conditions are tougher than they were on Thursday. His big swings means his timing could be affected if the gusts of wind shift the ball while he is lining up his shot, but Novak Djokovic has always had a tough time in the wind too.

Playing with contact lens on the red dirt in windy conditions is 'challenging' as Novak Djokovic has mentioned before. That is something of a concern for me if I am being honest, but I do think Djokovic has been performing at a high standard throughout the French Open and he might be able to come through this one in four tight, competitive sets.

Both their previous matches have ended in straight sets at Roland Garros which is why I am backing Novak Djokovic to cover the set handicap in this one as he has shown to have the slightly better serving and returning numbers against Thiem on this surface. With both playing at such a level with little between them, this should be a great match for the fans to enjoy and I will look for the World Number 1 to move one win away from holding all four Slams at the same time.

MY PICKS: Johanna Konta - 1.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (2 Units)
Ashleigh Barty - 2.5 Games @ 1.72 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Rafael Nadal Win 3-1 @ 3.75 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Novak Djokovic - 1.5 Sets @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

French Open Update: 57-47, + 10.05 Units (208 Units Staked, + 4.83% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 12 Picks 2018 (June 7th)

The rain finally did arrive in Paris having been a threat all week and it actually meant neither men's Quarter Final was able to be completed. In fact both were left at really big positions with Rafael Nadal serving for the second set in his match with Diego Sebastian Schwartzman after the latter won the first set, while the other match was tied at 5-5 in the tie-breaker in the first set.

At least both women's matches were able to be completed which means the tournament is still relatively on track, although an early start is required on Thursday to make sure both men's Quarter Finals can be completed before the women's Semi Finals take centre stage.

The good news was that Simona Halep managed to make her way through to the Semi Final which means one of my outright picks has returned a winner, but it has been a very difficult tournament all in all. I am a little frustrated with myself for some of my selections, but some poor luck has also played a part in some of the really poor results over the last few days.

On Thursday we will move onto the women's Semi Finals once the remaining men's Quarter Finals have been played and the forecast looks like a full day of play will be possible in Paris.


Sloane Stephens - 2.5 games v Madison Keys: It has been a long time since two American ladies competed against one another for a place in the French Open Final but Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys have taken advantage of an open half of the draw.

That is a slightly harsh assessment of both players who have been in fine form on the clay courts of Paris this past ten days. Both Stephens and Keys have produced some eye catching numbers in their progress through the draw and there should be some real confidence on both sides of the court.

Madison Keys has yet to drop a set in Paris but she wasn't at her best in the Quarter Final win over Yulia Putintseva. The return has been so important for Keys in this tournament but she did not return as well as she would have liked in the Quarter Final and she will recognise how much better she will have to be when she takes on her compatriot on Thursday.

For Sloane Stephens the Quarter Final was a much more routine win for her and she looks to be peaking in a similar way as last September when she found the hot form to carry her to the US Open Grand Slam. To be fair to Stephens she actually played really well in Canada and Cincinnati in preparation for the US Open but even then her success has to be described as a surprise.

The limited success since then means she came into Paris under the radar but Stephens has shown she is very comfortable on the clay and the numbers have backed that up. She finds plenty of power off the ground on the surface, although Stephens will know she has to serve well to make sure she is not allowing Keys to tee off on second serve returns.

I believe Stephens can do that especially if Keys is as loose as she was in her Quarter Final. The Stephens return game will be the key, pardon the pun, to the entire match and I think she has shown she can get her teeth into Keys' service games especially when looking at their head to head.

The US Open Final was surprisingly one sided as nerves consumed Keys, but Stephens also returned well when beating Keys in Miami in 2015 and both times she has been Ranked below her compatriot. I think she will be able to do that in this Semi Final especially if the cooler conditions just take something off the Keys first serve in terms of speed.

I will look for Stephens to continue getting more out of her game as she reaches another Grand Slam Final and I think she wins in a reasonably strong fashion.


Simona Halep v Garbine Muguruza: There are a couple of the players on the WTA Tour who are incredibly dangerous when they suddenly begin to hit their peak form and one of those is Garbine Muguruza. Twelve months ago she was about to go through a mixed grass court season before putting it all together at Wimbledon and winning the Grand Slam title there and there are some similarities with how the French Open has been going for her.

There is no doubt that Muguruza is playing at a very high level and convincing win over Maria Sharapova in the Quarter Final means she goes into the Semi Final very fresh.

It really has come from nowhere when you think Muguruza had some injury issues in Stuttgart and suffered relatively early losses in both the Premier Events of Madrid and Rome. In 2016 Muguruza won the title in Paris which makes her someone to be respected, but the form prior to the French Open has made this a very surprising run.

With that in mind it has to be noted that Muguruza has been a dominant winner in each of her four completed matches to get to the Semi Final. She has been returning aggressively and backing it up with a big serve which has provided plenty of easy points and Muguruza is going to head into this Semi Final as a slight favourite.

Overall the Simona Halep numbers on the clay are more consistent than Muguruza's but the question for the Romanian is how much she can influence this match like she does against so many others. She has been beaten by tall, big serving and aggressive players like Karolina Pliskova and Coco Vandeweghe on the clay this season which has to be a concern for Halep, although both defeats came in much faster conditions than you will get in Paris.

The head to head is also in favour of Muguruza, but Halep has been playing very well on the clay courts and in this tournament while the sole previous match on clay was won by the Romanian.

With the way the two players have been playing over the last eleven days it would be a huge disappointment if this match goes away as quickly as some of the women's matches have done. The feeling is that this match is on the racquet of Muguruza who has the superior power of the two players, but Halep is capable of enough defensive tennis to turn the rallies in her favour.

Nerves are always hard to predict for Halep who has had some really disappointing performances at the back end of Grand Slams throughout her career. She does look a little stronger these days, but Muguruza has the edge having won a couple of Slams and I think Halep is going to need to settle quickly which will give her the chance of reaching another Final in Paris.

Halep's overall clay levels are better than Muguruza's, but I have to respect the latter for the way she has turned on the style at Slams throughout her career. In that regard she does remind of Stan Wawrinka and we know how difficult the Swiss player can be when he gets on a roll in the Grand Slams in recent years.

I do think Halep is going to have to dig deep within herself, but I like her chances on clay in the current conditions and I think she will edge out Muguruza as the narrow underdog.

MY PICKS: Sloane Stephens - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Sporting Bet (2 Units)
Simona Halep @ 2.00 Bet Victor (2 Units)

French Open Tennis Day 11 Picks 2017 (June 7th)

The rain that has been expected in Paris over the last week finally arrived in a big way on Day 10 at the French Open.

It meant the two men's Quarter Finals scheduled for Tuesday didn't make it onto the court, and that means Day 11 is going to be a great day for the fans who have purchased tickets for the two main courts.

We will have all four men's Quarter Finals played on Wednesday, when the weather looks almost perfect for tennis, and we will also see the remaining two women's Quarter Finals to be played.

With the shorter than expected Day 10, you can read my views for the two men's Quarter Finals that were originally scheduled for Tuesday here.


The picks may have gone 1-1 on Tuesday, but there was actually some profit added to the tournament totals thanks to Jelena Ostapenko coming back from a set down to beat Caroline Wozniacki as the underdog.

With six matches scheduled for Wednesday, I am hoping to add to those totals and make sure this tournament ends with a very positive number behind it.


Andy Murray - 5.5 games v Kei Nishikori: I've been considering how I think this match up will go ever since Andy Murray and Kei Nishikori completed their Fourth Round wins to earn a place in the last eight at Roland Garros. The layers have made Murray a considerable favourite and I think that has a lot to do with the fact Nishikori still doesn't look to be at 100% while the World Number 1 has shown improvement in each passing Round in Paris.

I have ended up leaning that way with questions about the performances of Nishikori in his wins over Hyeon Chung and Fernando Verdasco despite being given a bagal in each match. The serve is going to be needing to be at its very best for Nishikori to win this one, but I am not sure that is going to give him a lot of free points on the clay courts against a returner of the quality of Murray.

The rallies could end up being real battles and I do wonder if Nishikori is not having some problems with his wrist which has bothered him for the last couple of months.

In saying that, I do have to respect the fact that Nishikori has tended to give Murray fit in these best of five matches. They met twice in best of five matches in 2016, both on the hard courts, and both Murray and Nishikori won one match apiece although they needed five sets both times.

Needing five sets is not going to be good enough for Murray to cover this number, at least you would think it won't be good enough, but I have doubts about Nishikori which is determining the way I think.

Murray has been returning so well in the tournament that he has won at least 40% of the return points in each match and he should have plenty of chance to get into the rally against this Nishikori serve. Verdasco won 45% of the return points two days ago and I expect Murray is going to have plenty of chances to break serve.

His own serve has looked to be in better nick in the last three Rounds after struggles with an elbow issue and that could be a key factor in this match. Most will appreciate that Nishikori has a decent return himself and will cause problems for Murray, but I can see the World Number 1 breaking down his opponent and wearing him down.

Nishikori has proven he can fight his corner and he may take a set, but I can see Murray winning one set by a wide enough margin to help cover the game handicap with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 win.


Stan Wawrinka-Marin Cilic over 39.5 total games: If there is one player that won't mind flying under the radar as we reach the business end of a Grand Slam, Stan Wawrinka might be that player. He has shown he can peak to win these big events over the last three years and Wawrinka is a former winner here in Paris.

The 2015 Champion has yet to drop a set in the French Open draw although I am not sure how that is the case when you think of how tight some of the sets have been. Wawrinka has won all twelve sets he has competed in in the main draw, but half of those sets have ended either 7-5 or 7-6.

He has saved a number of set points in his straight sets wins over Fabio Fognini and Gael Monfils in the last Round, but now he is facing an opponent in Marin Cilic who has been returning very well throughout the event. Cilic has won at least 40% of return points in each of his four matches at Roland Garros, while the Croatian has won at least 56% of return points in the last two Rounds.

Those numbers means you shouldn't be surprised that Cilic has won every set he has played in the draw, but none of his opponents have won more than three games in a set. That will give a former Grand Slam Champion plenty of confidence to take the game to Wawrinka and I expect Cilic's aggressiveness to give Wawrinka some problems in this one.

There will be some mental obstacles for Cilic to overcome having a 2-11 head to head against Wawrinka which includes losing the last seven matches in a row. Stan Wawrinka has also won all five of their previous matches on the clay courts and he has won eleven of twelve sets in those matches on this surface.

You can see those being an issue in this match as Cilic will have some tough moments mentally with that poor record against Wawrinka in the mind. However he might be playing well enough to challenge Wawrinka more than he has been able to in recent matches and that is by forcing at least a set from the Swiss star.

Matches between them may have landed in favour of Wawrinka, but last year they met twice and three of the four sets played needed a tie-breaker to decide them. With Cilic playing as well as he has been on the return side of things, he may be able to take the break points that are earned more efficiently than Gael Monfils was able to in the last Round against Wawrinka.

It feels like a match that could have some long sets involved and so I am leaning towards the total games to be surpassed. It will need four sets, at least, to get over the number set and I do think both players have played well enough over the last ten days to think they can get to four sets.

With the way recent matches between Wawrinka and Cilic have gone as well as the way Wawrinka matches have developed this week, I can see something like a 7-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 result for one of the players and this total to be surpassed.


Karolina Pliskova - 2.5 games v Caroline Garcia: I was really happy to see Caroline Garcia beat Alize Cornet on Monday, and not solely because I had backed her to do that. I think Garcia has not been treated well by her fellow French tennis players so it felt like justice to see her beat Cornet on the court and Garcia is now the last French player at Roland Garros in the 2017 tournament.

That is down to Kristina Mladenovic exiting the women's tournament in her Quarter Final on Tuesday so the fans should be fully behind Garcia as she bids to upset Karolina Pliskova.

There is a lot to like about Garcia's game which has a decent serve attached to some quality groundstrokes, but she can be a little up and down emotionally within a match. You have to also consider the emotions Garcia showed at the end of the win over Cornet which underlined the importance she had attached to making sure she produced her best tennis in the Fourth Round.

My fear for Garcia is that she has peaked too early in this tournament and investing as much as she did in that Fourth Round win over Cornet could mean the Frenchwoman has just left something out on the court two days ago.

That would be a real problem against Karolina Pliskova even if the Czech player is not at her best on the clay courts. Pliskova still has a big serve that can get her out of trouble and Garcia is not exactly someone who has thrived on the clay courts in the past. The Pliskova win over Timea Bacsinszky in Rome looks a very impressive one now and she may enjoy the big hitting kind of match that this is going to develop into as it could help with the rhythm.

If Garcia has put the win over Cornet aside, I think she would have a real chance to earn the upset. However my pick is based on the fact that I think Garcia has spent a lot of emotional energy which might not have had the time to be replenished, and is now facing an opponent in Pliskova who can hit through this court when feeling at her best.

After a battle through the first set, Garcia may lose some confidence if she drops that set and Pliskova can move into another Grand Slam Semi Final with a 7-6, 6-3 win.


Elina Svitolina + 4.5 games v Simona Halep: The most impressive performance from any of the women's players left in the draw might have been the Simona Halep destruction of Carla Suarez Navarro for the loss of just two games. It erased all doubts about her fitness and Halep even suggested it was the best performance she has produced in 2017 as she continues on the road to breaking her Grand Slam duck.

That performance has been factored into the price for this match, but I also think Elina Svitolina's back issue that flared up before her Fourth Round win over Petra Martic has played a price. However Svitolina has admitted she has been feeling much better and that it may have been a freak occurrence and that is enough for me to think this is too many games being given to the Rome Champion.

No one will be surprised by the numbers Halep has produced on the return with at least 48% of points won against the serve in each of her four matches in Paris. That has set her up for the dominant wins she has produced in the last two Rounds, but I still can't ignore the history of Halep throwing in a really poor performance under the huge expectation of going on to win a Grand Slam title.

She is also facing the best server she has seen this week as Svitolina is more than capable of backing up her service games with heavy groundstrokes. When the Ukrainian starts feeling her tennis, she can produce a level that very few players can come close to matching on the WTA Tour and will become a real threat to Halep.

Svitolina doesn't have the same sort of return statistics as Halep, but the players she has played have heavier serves than the ones Halep has beaten. I also think the Halep serve is one that can be vulnerable and Svitolina is a player that can punish her on that side which makes this number of games appealing.

I won't read too much into the result between these players in the Final in Rome which saw Halep roll her ankle in the first set of what ended up being a three set defeat. However it did show that Svitolina is able to find a level which can hurt Halep and I am going to take the games here to at least cover in this Quarter Final even if she is not able to go on and win the match.

MY PICKS: Andy Murray - 5.5 Games @ 1.83 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Stan Wawrinka-Marin Cilic Over 39.5 Total Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Karolina Pliskova - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Elina Svitolina + 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Sporting Bet (2 Units)

PICKS FROM OTHER TWO MEN'S QUARTER FINALS CAN BE READ HERE.

French Open Update: 53-35, + 30.64 Units (175 Units Staked, + 17.51% Yield)