Tennis Picks 2022 (June 19th)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tennis Picks 2022 (June 18th)

It has been a difficult week.

And for about an hour on Friday, I felt things were just not going to get much better as two players I picked won the first set of their matches and were then beaten in three sets.

Both of those were at close to odds against plays (one was odds against) and one of the players had been up a break in the second set before falling away.

At that point I honestly thought this was going to be one of those weeks where bad fortune and bad Picks were going to combine to really batter the numbers.

But then things changed...

After a 1-2 start on Friday with those aforementioned three set defeats, the Tennis Picks surged to a 7-1 conclusion for the day and almost completely wiped out the deep hole the numbers had been in through the first four days of the week.

Even then I feel it could have been even better, but I have to be very happy with the outcome of the Quarter Final matches and now we are down to the final two days at the events being played this week.

Conditions were very difficult for the two Great Britain based tournaments on Friday, but Saturday looks to be cooler all around, especially at the WTA Birmingham event. However, rain is also expected both in Birmingham and London so both tournaments are expected to be impacted.

It will be much tougher in Germany though with the heatwave moving across Europe hitting this weekend in time for the Semi Final and Final matches in Berlin and Halle. You have to factor those into your plays, but most of the players left in the draws should be used to what they have to deal with.

Hubert Hurkacz-Nick Kyrgios over 23.5 games: It has been hot in Halle all week, but the temperature rockets upwards over the weekend and I do think that is only going to favour the server even more than usual.

Both of these Semi Finalists have been dominant behind serve so far this week and I do think that both Hubert Hurkacz and Nick Kyrgios are likely going to keep that going against each other.

You have to give Nick Kyrgios the edge when it comes to the returning numbers this week in his run to the Semi Final, but he has struggled against the first serve of both Daniel Altmaier and Stefanos Tsitsipas before overwhelming Pablo Carreno Busta. While the earlier Rounds saw Hubert Hurkacz with his first serve percentage, he landed 65% of them in his Quarter Final upset of Felix Auger-Aliassime and that will be the key to any success that the Polish player is going to have in this match.

He has not been as consistent with the first serve as he would like, but found a rhythm on Friday and that will give Hubert Hurkacz every opportunity to get in front of the scoreboard and keep the pressure on Nick Kyrgios.

The Australian has played the big points well on the return of serve this week, which makes him dangerous, but he will need some help from Hubert Hurkacz to get into a position to break serve.

However, Nick Kyrgios will be very confident in his own serve and looking for that shot to put Hubert Hurkacz under pressure. The latter admitted he could not get a read of the Felix Auger-Aliassime serve in the Quarter Final and resorted to guessing, but it will be that much harder to produce effective returns against someone like Nick Kyrgios who is landing 64% of first serves an winning 83% of points behind that shot.

With a limited return, Hubert Hurkacz is going to have to serve well to make this a competitive match, but he showed he can handle the pressure of a serve-dominated match on Friday. A hot day in Halle is likely going to make the ball fly a little faster all around and I would expect to see at least one tie-breaker between these two very strong servers, especially as both Nick Kyrgios and Hubert Hurkacz can be a little bit hit and miss with their return.

Both have been winning over 71% of their service points played and I would not be surprised if this is a match that comes down to one or two points in tie-breakers to determine the outcome. A place in the Final is going to mean plenty of motivation to take to the court, and it should mean even dropping the first set is not going to see heads drop and we may even need a decider to see who can earn their spot as a Finalist in Halle.

MY PICKS: Hubert Hurkacz-Nick Kyrgios Over 23.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Daniil Medvedev-Oscar Otte Over 21.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Marin Cilic - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Shuai Zhang @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Simona Halep - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Maria Sakkari - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Cori Gauff @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 24-22, - 1.44 Units (92 Units Staked, - 1.57% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2022 (June 17th)

The last few days have been incredibly frustrating with at least one selection a day finding a way to lose a match they should have won.

It has meant a tough set of results being returned, especially when adding in some poor selections.

Things would have looked a lot different with those close calls going my way, but it is how it goes sometimes and there isn't much you can aside from sticking with the process.

Felix Auger-Aliassime - 1.5 games v Hubert Hurkacz: Over the last couple of years, Felix Auger-Aliassime has begun to make more of an impact on the ATP Tour, although I think he has joined up with Toni Nadal to try and bring a little more consistency to his game. He is young, and that is a factor, but losing concentration within matches makes progress through the early Rounds of any tournament a little more haphazard and could potentially mean Felix Auger-Aliassime is not able to produce the energy he needs to really rack up the tournament wins.

An all-around game has been developed by the Canadian and it has pushed him into the top ten of the World Rankings for the first time earlier this season.

Even now, Felix Auger-Aliassime will be heading into Wimbledon as one of the top Seeds and he has shown a very good game that is well suited to the grass courts throughout his career.

He has yet to win a title on the surface, but Felix Auger-Aliassime reached the Quarter Final in Wimbledon and he has made it through to the Semi Final at least in all five warm up events he has ever played on the grass courts. A win on Friday will keep that run going and Felix Auger-Aliassime will be confident even though he is facing an opponent who reached the Wimbledon Semi Final last season.

Hubert Hurkacz has a serve that should be a big weapon on the grass courts and he has always held a very high percentage of service games played on the surface. However, the World Number 12 has regularly struggled when it comes to the return and he has only broken in 11% of return games played on the grass this season.

That is a number that is perhaps lower than expected, but even in his run to the Wimbledon Semi Final, Hubert Hurkacz broke in 20% of his return games played in the tournament. Overall his return numbers need work on this surface and it does put some pressure on him to make sure he serves well and ultimately may be the reason he has a relatively poor win-loss record on the grass, especially taking away that run last year.

Two solid wins in Halle will have given Hubert Hurkacz confidence, but this has not been a great match up for him having lost both previous matches against Felix Auger-Aliassime.

The Polish player has yet to break the Felix Auger-Aliassime serve, although it should be noted that both matches were competitive and they have earned the same number of break points across those. A slight edge has been with the Canadian's return game, while has shown a bit more consistency on the return on grass courts in general compared with Hubert Hurkacz.

Last year they met in the First Round here in Halle and it resulted in a straight sets win for Felix Auger-Aliassime and I think he can match that in this Quarter Final.

Nick Kyrgios - 3.5 games v Pablo Carreno Busta: There will always be a lot of talk about the danger that Andy Murray will pose at Wimbledon having only just missed out on a Seed, but Nick Kyrgios is going to be right next to the former Champion as the unseeded player that none of the top players will want to face early in the tournament.

The Australian looks much happier in his personal life and that has been seen with a more focused approach to his tennis, although Nick Kyrgios is never that far away from having an argument with the umpire or the crowd.

It makes him a character that is going to be much followed throughout his career, but a focused Nick Kyrgios is a very dangerous opponent and has long shown an affinity with the grass courts. He played some strong tennis to reach the Semi Final in Stuttgart last week before being undone by Andy Murray, and Nick Kyrgios has headed to Halle with confidence that has shown up in his two solid wins here.

Beating Stefanos Tsitsipas from a set behind showed some of the new maturity from Kyrgios which has added to a strong game and he is going to be a big favourite to beat Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta.

While most will associate players from Spain with the clay courts, Pablo Carreno Busta has had plenty of success on the hard courts in his career and putting two wins on the board in Halle means he deserves plenty of respect. In reality, the grass has perhaps not been his favoured surface and Pablo Carreno Busta may also have taken advantage of what has looked a pretty kind draw, but this is anything but that.

The Pablo Carreno Busta career numbers on the grass shows that his serve can be a little vulnerable on the surface, but the real problem has been having difficulty getting to grips with how to return. In the two wins this week, Pablo Carreno Busta has been serving pretty well though with 83% of his games being held, but he has also backed that up with breaks in 18% of return games to just edge his way through to this Quarter Final.

My feeling is that it will be much tougher to get into the Nick Kyrgios service games, while there has been an improvement on the return this week as the big points have been played well.

Nick Kyrgios is still a slightly underwhelming return player, but he may feel he can get into more of the Carreno Busta service games. In their two previous matches, Kyrgios has been able to do that by winning 40% of return points played and I do think the more natural grass player of the two will be able to come through with a win and a cover.

Marin Cilic - 2.5 games v Emil Ruusuvuori: The late finish on Wednesday could have an impact on the veteran Marin Cilic in this Quarter Final, but he is very adept at playing on the grass courts and as a former Champion at Queens Club, I am not expecting too many issues in recovery time.

The bigger issue may be facing a very competent opponent in Emil Ruusuvuori who has come through the Qualifiers and won a couple of matches in the main draw. The win over Feliciano Lopez in the Second Qualifying Round means Emil Ruusuvuori is already used to beating former Champions here, although the rest of the draw has worked out pretty well for him.

This is a marked step up in terms of level of opponent too- Feliciano Lopez is very comfortable on the grass courts, but he is very much in the twilight of his career, while Marin Cilic is coming off a run to the French Open Semi Final on what is his weakest surface. The Croatian is a former Finalist at Wimbledon and the grass is a surface that he has always enjoyed having ten matches on it last year.

Marin Cilic has won his two matches in Queens behind an impressive serve and you may even have expected him to have a higher hold percentage than the 88% mark put together when you consider he has won 72% of points behind that shot. I expect that to be a key part of his tennis in the very hot conditions expected in London on Friday, while Marin Cilic has backed that up by breaking his first two opponents at least twice.

We know how experienced Marin Cilic is on the grass, but that is not the same for Emil Ruusuvuori who is enjoying this week. More than half of his career wins on the grass have been earned over the last week, while the Ruusuvuori serve has been working really well on the grass in the two tournaments has competed in over the last couple of weeks.

However, it has to be accepted that some of those numbers can be easily skewed by one or two really strong performances and I think that is the case for the Finnish player. I do think there is a proper player in Emil Ruusuvuori and one we will see competing in big tournaments throughout his career, but he was well beaten by Ilya Ivashka last week in Hertogenbosch and I do think the grass court nous of Marin Cilic is a huge challenge to face.

Both will be reliant on their serves, but the feeling is that Marin Cilic could find one or two more openings in this Quarter Final and that can see him edge to the cover in a tight win. The win over Lopez will give Emil Ruusuvuori belief in his tennis, but Marin Cilic is still playing at a really high level and that can see him play the big points efficiently to move through to another Semi Final on this surface at Queens Club.

MY PICKS: Felix Auger-Aliassime - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Nick Kyrgios - 3.5 Games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Oscar Otte-Karen Khachanov Over 23.5 Games @ 1.90 Bet365 (2 Units)

Daniil Medvedev - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Marin Cilic - 2.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Filip Krajinovic - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Donna Vekic @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Simona Halep - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Shuai Zhang @ 2.30 Bet365 (2 Units)

Veronika Kudermetova @ 2.25 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Ons Jabeur - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 16-19, - 10.56 Units (70 Units Staked, - 15.09% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2022 (June 16th)

This has largely been a week of disappointment for the Tennis Picks, but we have only just moved past the middle of the events being played and there is still an opportunity for a strong finish.

We are going to have the Quarter Final line ups completed for all four tournaments by the end of Thursday and there are some tough conditions to deal with as the weather heats up. Most of the matches are scheduled for the hottest part of the day, which increases the challenges for the players going onto court, but there are big prizes on offer and that should be motivation enough for all still involved.

Ryan Peniston - 1.5 games v Francisco Cerundolo: We have become so accustomed to young players joining the Tour that the American College route is still considered a unique approach to joining the Tour.

Cameron Norrie and John Isner are two players who have shown it is not a bad approach having felt the College scene hardened them to playing pro tennis in a competitive environment, but one in which they were not having to suffer loss after loss to dent the confidence of a young player.

The latest to head to the Tour after playing College Tennis is Ryan Peniston and the British player upset Casper Ruud in the First Round at Queens, although it was not the seismic upset that the commentators would have you believe. Instead he showcased strong character to just keep Casper Ruud at bay and a serve that can make Ryan Peniston an effective grass court player.

Backing up the win of his career is always the big challenge for players, but I don't think Ryan Peniston could have asked for a better opponent. While the British player has produced a solid 5-2 record on the grass courts this season, Francisco Cerundolo is playing in just his fifth ever grass court match having come up short in trying to Qualify for Wimbledon in 2021 and then beating Pedro Martinez in the First Round.

I am not sure how much you can read into those limited grass court appearances- beating an opponent who does not have a lot of grass court expectations in the First Round was taking advantage of a kind draw and Francisco Cerundolo has to expect a much greater challenge in the Second Round.

So much feels like it will be on Ryan Peniston's racquet who has a lefty serve that can be very efficient on this surface. In 2022, Ryan Peniston has held 86% of his service games played and I do think that will put pressure on someone like Francisco Cerundolo still learning his way on the grass.

Wins over Adrian Mannarino, Jack Draper and Jiri Vesely is very solid grass court form for Ryan Peniston and I think this is a very winnable match as long as he has not become overwhelmed by the attention the win over Casper Ruud will have given him. His return does need to be improved if Ryan Peniston is going to really charge up the World Rankings, but Francisco Cerundolo does not possess the biggest of serves and I think the British player can move through to the Quarter Final.

Sam Querrey - 1.5 games v Filip Krajinovic: It has been a long time since I have backed Sam Querrey to win a match, but the big serving American is enjoying his time on the grass courts since arriving in Europe and the form is hard to ignore in a Second Round match like this one.

That is probably a touch disrespectful to Filip Krajinovic who upset Jenson Brooksby in the First Round, but he now faces an American opponent with a lot more grass court experience than the one he has beaten. It was also a first win on the grass courts for a number of years and Filip Krajinovic has become a player that tends to pick up his cheque at Wimbledon and then move onto other events.

Again that may sound disrespectful, but his results have suggested that in recent years with little grass court experience being built before heading to Wimbledon. That indicates he doesn't enjoy playing on the surface, although Filip Krajinovic may feel the win in the First Round is the turnaround he needs.

He did not play as well as he would have liked and will have to serve a lot better if Filip Krajinovic is going to surprisingly reach the Quarter Final at Queens Club. The Serb did hold 80% of his service games played against Jenson Brooksby, but he only won 58% of his service points and the young American had plenty of chances to make that a much more competitive match.

Sam Querrey is not exactly known for his returning prowess, but he has broken in 22% of the return games played on the grass in his eight matches on the surface in 2022. That number is impressive enough when you think Querrey has held 96% of his service games played and he is a former Champion at this event.

The big server has won three matches to reach the Second Round and I do think Sam Querrey's ability to roll through some service games will be very key to the outcome of the match in what are likely to be hot conditions in London. Putting mental pressure on an opponent to have to work to hold serve can wear on players and I do think Sam Querrey's grass court experiences will be another factor giving him the edge in the match.

Filip Krajinovic has beaten Sam Querrey on an indoor hard court before and the grass in Queens is not playing as fast as some of the players have hoped, but the bigger serve of the American can set up shorter points and I think he can win and cover on his way to another Quarter Final in this part of West London.

Matteo Berrettini - 3.5 games v Denis Kudla: The conditions are considered slow by the players who have already been out on the court and the balls are heavier than they are used to, but for Matteo Berrettini it doesn't seem to make the slightest bit of difference.

After winning the title in Stuttgart, the defending Champion got the better of Daniel Evans in the First Round at Queens and has seen many of the top names already departing the tournament. Once again, Matteo Berrettini will be considered the favourite to win another grass court event and he has certainly become one of the best players on the Tour when it comes to this surface.

The serve is a massive weapon for Matteo Berrettini, but he also tends to get a huge amount of first serves in play and that makes it very difficult to break him. He did have to face off seven break points in the win over Daniel Evans, so there is some encouragement for his opponents, but Matteo Berrettini is playing with complete confidence on the surface and will feel his serve is one that puts a lot of mental strain on the opponent.

The latest to try and face up to the Berrettini serve is a player who has taken advantage of Andy Murray's withdrawal from the tournament and Denis Kudla holds one win over an Italian at Queens Club this year. He needed three sets to beat Lorenzo Sonego having entered the main draw as a Lucky Loser, while the American reached the Final of a grass court Challenger played in Surbiton already this season.

Denis Kudla has always had a pretty good grass court record and has produced plenty of wins on the surface throughout his career, and he has a 7-14 record against top 50 Ranked players on the surface. While not the most impressive, it is solid enough for a player who has never made the top 50 of the World Rankings in his own career.

The American has held 82% of his service games on the grass this season and Denis Kudla has held 75% of his service games against the top 50 Ranked players faced on the surface. That is a number that will be encouraging for Kudla as he bids to face Matteo Berrettini, but their sole previous meeting on a grass court ended in a routine win for the latter in 2019.

With the conditions as they are, Matteo Berrettini may feel he can take a few more swings on the return of serve than he might expect on the grass and I think his own serve will put Denis Kudla under an immense amount of pressure. The Italian is much improved since these two last met on the Tour in 2019 and even in the three matches in that season, Matteo Berrettini held 94% of his service games compared with Denis Kudla's 77% mark.

I think Matteo Berrettini should be well rested after winning the title in Stuttgart last week and playing one match since Sunday. It should mean another big serving day can be produced and I expect Denis Kudla to play one or two loose service games that gives Matteo Berrettini the chance to pull clear for a solid win.

MY PICKS: Ryan Peniston - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Sam Querrey - 1.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Matteo Berrettini - 3.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Stan Wawrinka @ 2.10 Bet365 (2 Units)

Ons Jabeur - 5.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Coco Gauff - 5.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Liudmila Samsonova @ 2.25 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Jelena Ostapenko - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Shuai Zhang @ 2.10 Bet365 (2 Units)

Laslo Djere + 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Daniil Medvedev-Ilya Ivashka Over 21.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 11-13, - 7.56 Units (48 Units Staked, - 15.75% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2022 (June 15th)

A mixed set of results on Tuesday means I have not really had the kind of bounce back day as I was hoping for, but it could, and perhaps should, have been better.

At one point it was looking really worrying with Emil Ruusuvuori struggling to complete a win that should have been much more comfortable, but it could have been worse and I will just have to begin the turn of this week on Wednesday.

Alexander Bublik-Marin Cilic over 23.5 games: After reaching the French Open Semi Final, Marin Cilic has to be heading into the remainder of the 2022 season with plenty of confidence behind him. The grass court season is one that could be particularly important for Marin Cilic who has shown himself to be a pretty solid competitor on the surface throughout his career, a surface that many other players do not enjoy.

With the confidence of the run in Paris behind him, Marin Cilic could be one of those players that could be very dangerous in the draw at Wimbledon. The third Grand Slam of the season will have Novak Djokovic entering as favourite, but Marin Cilic will not be overly concerned by too many other names in the draw and there feels like a real opportunity in front of him.

This time twelve months ago, Marin Cilic was Ranked at 37, but he is back inside the top 20 of the World Rankings and is a former two time Queens Champion. He had a tougher than expected First Round win over Liam Broady, but having his footing back on top of the grass courts should stand him in good stead and Marin Cilic is the favourite in this Second Round match.

Last year he won the title in Stuttgart and I do think the time spent on court in the First Round will benefit Marin Cilic.

He takes on Alexander Bublik who looked to be on his way to a First Round win before Lorenzo Musetti retired from the match and in recent seasons he has shown he can perform on the grass courts. A disappointing loss to Andy Murray in the Second Round in Stuttgart last week has been franked by the fact the British player reached the Final there, while Alexander Bublik has a serve that can be very effective on the faster surfaces and on the grass.

Over the last twelve months, Alexander Bublik has held 87% of his service games played on the grass courts and I do think he will give Marin Cilic something to think about. The long levers may mean Cilic is able to get more balls back in play, but their previous two matches on the Tour suggests it will be tough to earn the breaks.

Both of those have been played on the clay courts and Alexander Bublik has won 63% of his service points on a slower surface, although Marin Cilic has won each match. In both occasions, the match has needed a deciding set though and it does feel it is possible for Bublik to serve well enough to make this very competitive.

Marin Cilic's serve has been a big problem for Alexander Bublik to deal with on the clay and it will be that much tougher on the grass. I think the favourite will be able to roll through many of his own service games, but Alexander Bublik can serve effectively on this surface and it may see him force at least two tight sets, or perhaps even steal one and force this match into a decider like the previous two matches between these players have required.

Karolina Pliskova v Bianca Andreescu: I am a pretty big fan of Bianca Andreescu and I do think she is a player that could be competitive at the very top of the WTA Tour consistently if she is over the injuries that have blighted her career since winning the US Open.

The hard court season is coming up and there are limited points for the Canadian to defend before the final Grand Slam of the 2022 season begins in New York City and so I would expect a significant jump in the World Ranking.

She could be a potentially dangerous player in the draw at Wimbledon later this month, although Bianca Andreescu has not really shown a lot of affinity with the grass courts on the pro Tour. Her First Round win was a solid one, but it was a tough match for Andreescu and the feeling is that she is going to have to be a lot better if she is going to progress further in Berlin.

Injury has made it a tough year for Karolina Pliskova and she is coming off a disappointing Roland Garros, although the big server looks much more at home on the grass and hard courts rather than the clay courts throughout her career.

In 2019 Karolina Pliskova won a title on the grass courts and in 2021 she reached the Wimbledon Final after a couple of underwhelming performances in warm up events for the third Grand Slam of the season. After the early exit in Paris, it was perhaps surprising that Karolina Pliskova did not add a grass court tournament to her schedule last week, but she was a strong winner in the First Round having won twelve games in a row after dropping the first set to Kaia Kanepi.

The serve is the important weapon for Pliskova in this match and if she is able to back that up, I would expect her to have chances to at least attack the Bianca Andreescu serve.

Karolina Pliskova has to expect to get a few more cheaper points behind the first serve and Bianca Andreescu is still trying to work out the best approach to her tennis on this surface. Having to work hard to win service games on the grass means needing to get used to the movement needed and the Canadian has yet to really get to grips on playing on the grass.

I actually thought the Wimbledon Runner Up from last year would have been a stronger favourite than a pick 'em, although that could be down to the inconsistent form we have seen from Karolina Pliskova on her return. Being back on the grass courts should help and I think Karolina Pliskova is able to edge past Bianca Andreescu thanks to the first serve.

MY PICKS: Alexander Bublik-Marin Cilic Over 23.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Alex De Minaur - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Jack Draper-Emil Ruusuvuori Over 23.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Grigor Dimitrov - 2.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Karolina Pliskova @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Ekaterina Alexandrova - 2.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Simona Halep - 5.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Hubert Hurkacz-Ugo Humbert Over 22.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Nick Kyrgios-Stefanos Tsitsipas Over 23.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 7-8, - 4.42 Units (30 Units Staked, - 14.73% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2022 (June 14th)

It's never an easy day when the player you've picked is up in a strong position and the opponent retires from the match, especially when the little moments have gone against you for much of the day.

At least a late winning Pick helped avoid a disastrous start to the week, although I do have work to do after the first day at the tournaments being played on the grass courts. I had a tough moment or two last week, but managed to turn that around so there is still some positive momentum to build upon before Wimbledon begins.

Jenson Brooksby - 2.5 games v Filip Krajinovic: There is limited grass court experience behind him, but reaching the Final in Newport last season is a positive for Jenson Brooksby to take into this month of the Tour. He was disappointingly dumped out of the tournament in Hertogenbosch in the Second Round last week as Brooksby made his 2022 debut on the surface, but the build towards Wimbledon will continue in London this week.

The young American is considered to be one of the brightest talents from the country on the ATP Tour side of the sport, and Jenson Brooksby is up at a career high World Ranking. With no points to defend before Wimbledon, there is every chance that career high will be further improved before the return to the North American hard courts.

Much of that will depend on how many wins he can pick up between now and the end of July and Jenson Brooksby is the favourite in this First Round match in London despite the early defeat last week. He will be the first to admit that he needs to be a little more convincing behind the serve, but Jenson Brooksby did return well in Hertogenbosch and I think that gives him a real chance of winning this match.

It also helps he is facing Filip Krajinovic who has not won a grass court match since a Qualifier in Nottingham all the way back in 2015.

In recent years, Filip Krajinovic has only turned up at Wimbledon and lost in the First Round in each of his last three matches there, while he was a First Qualifying Round loser in the year before this streak begun. You have to respect the effectiveness of the serve on the grass courts, but Filip Krajinovic has not gotten to grips with the return of serve and I do think that will see this match lean towards the young American.

You would like to see Jenson Brooksby serve well to keep his opponent contained, but he should have more joy against the returning Filip Krajinovic will bring to the court. With a strong couple of matches returning serve last week, I think Brooksby will have his moments to break the Serb's serve in this one and I think Jenson Brooksby moves through to the Second Round behind a solid win.

Emil Ruusuvuori - 2.5 games v Quentin Halys: Any player that can come through the Qualifiers has to be respected considering they have two wins behind them and will be plenty familiar with the conditions at the tournament.

However, any edge to either of these players is negated by the fact that the opponent has also won a couple of Qualifiers here and I have to give the edge to Emil Ruusuvuori.

The younger player was beaten in the Second Round in Hertogenbosch last week, but Emil Ruusuvuori's game looks well suited to the grass courts. His serve has been effective with 87% of games held on the surface in his matches so far in 2022, and that has backed up the 83% effort from last season, while Emil Ruusuvuori has won 39% of return points on a difficult surface.

Quentin Halys has been serving really well in his four grass court matches in 2022, but he is operating at a level we have not seen from him before and I am wondering if it is sustainable. The serve has been effective for the Frenchman in his career on the grass courts, but his return game has usually been a hindrance and I am not sure he can maintain the 27% number of returning games ending with a break for the entirety of the grass court season.

The career number is down at 12% and I do think Emil Ruusuvuori has a higher ceiling than Quentin Halys and he can show that here.

Both will feel they can serve their way out of trouble, but I will look for the more consistent level that Emil Ruusuvuori can produce to show up on the return of serve.

The two players will be confident with the Qualifying wins behind them, but I will look for the Finnish player to back that up and cover this spread on the way through.

Matteo Berrettini - 2.5 games v Dan Evans: There was some initial rustiness in his performance in Stuttgart, but the return to grass court tennis suited Matteo Berrettini down to the ground as he won another title on the surface.

Most impressive is that he won that title after missing the entire clay court season with an injury and he will head to London to defend the Queens title he won in 2021. It won't be easy with the limited time to recover from the exploits of winning the title in Stuttgart, but the Italian will have good memories of playing here and his opponent will also have some residue fatigue to deal with.

Daniel Evans won the Challenger event played in Nottingham last week as he got his grass court campaign underway and that means he has had little rest between tournaments too. Of course his travel to London will be different compared with Matteo Berrettini's from another country, but I don't think professional tennis players are unfamiliar with having to cope and Berrettini will be arriving with plenty of confidence.

His serve is a mighty weapon on the grass courts and he can get himself out of tough spots, while Matteo Berrettini is able to free up and attack return games with some of the pressure taken off by the power of the serve. Over the last twelve months, Matteo Berrettini has produced a 15-1 record on the grass courts and has been able to hold 93% of his service games played, while he was able to hold 94% of service games payed in Stuttgart on his way to the title there.

It puts a huge amount of pressure on Daniel Evans, although the British player has a surprisingly efficient serve on the grass courts.

Over the last twelve months, Evans has held 90% of his service games played with 66% of service points won, while he does have the edge when it comes to the returning numbers.

However, the numbers come down pretty significantly on both the serve and return when only looking at Daniel Evans' performances against top 50 Ranked opponents in the last twelve months. And against someone like Matteo Berrettini, Daniel Evans has the additional pressure on knowing any drop in serve likely means the end of the set against a power server like the Italian.

Experience will tell Daniel Evans that too having been beaten by Matteo Berrettini at this tournament twelve months ago.

The Quarter Final between them was competitive, but Matteo Berrettini's serve proved to be the big difference with 75% of service points won compared with Daniel Evans' mark of 66%. It led to the former finding nine break point chances compared with Evans' two break point opportunities and I do think the Stuttgart Champion and defending Champion here will be able to get his defence off to a promising start.

MY PICKS: Jenson Brooksby - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Emil Ruusuvuori - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Matteo Berrettini - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Felix Auger-Aliassime - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Sebastian Korda - 3.5 Games @ 1.90 Bet365 (2 Units)

Hubert Hurkacz-Maxime Cressy Over 23.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Shelby Rogers - 2.5 Games @ 1.72 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Dayana Yastremska - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Elise Mertens - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Petra Kvitova - 2.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Liudmila Samsonova - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 1-3, - 4.56 Units (8 Units Staked, - 57% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2019 (June 23rd)

I am a little bit late with the Tennis Picks on Final day across the four tournaments that were being played through the last seven days.

We also have the beginning of Eastbourne on Sunday with a huge draw being put together in the WTA event there that should give us a pretty good indication as to how Wimbledon will go. Serena Williams and Petra Kvitova are two players who are leading the market without playing a single competitive grass court match so far this year, but both have some serious health issues around them, but there are plenty of big names in action on the south coast of England who will feel they can make a serious impact at SW19 from next Monday.

Below you can see my selections from the Sunday matches and I will be back with fuller threads from Monday. This week the Picks may not cover every day with this being the final week before a Grand Slam, but there should be decent angles to play over the coming days to hopefully add to the season totals ahead of the third Slam of the 2019 season.


MY PICKS: Feliciano Lopez - 1.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Roger Federer - 4.5 Games @ 2.20 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Julia Goerges + 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Johanna Konta - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 30-18, + 19.26 Units (96 Units Staked, + 20.06% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2019 (June 22nd)

It's been a long day today which means I have not had the time to write out my full thoughts on the Semi Final matches that are taking place on Saturday.

My focus for the Tennis Picks is going to be on the events being played in London and Mallorca to close out what has been a strong week.

Hopefully one more positive day can be put on the board to ensure a solid return from the last week and add to the season totals. On Sunday we also have the beginning of the events in Antalya and Eastbourne which will get going early so they can be concluded next Saturday ahead of the third Grand Slam of the season.

Picks over the next few days may be less frequent as players turn their focus to Wimbledon, but you can find some nice angles at this time too. With limited grass court tennis played, we do get to see some more familiar names in the final week before this Grand Slam is played so there may be more opportunities.

First things first, let's get this week concluded in the best possible way.


MY PICKS: Anastasija Sevastova - 1.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)
Angelique Kerber - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Daniil Medvedev-Gilles Simon Under 21.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)
Feliciano Lopez @ 3.20 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 29-15, + 23.06 Units (89 Units Staked, + 25.91% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2019 (June 21st)

Thursday was the poorest day of the week so far as I ended up with my first losing day, but a strong end prevented it being a terrible day.

I have to take some of the blame, I overrated a couple of players I shouldn't have, while I was happy with my selection of Lucas Pouille even though he was beaten in three sets. At the price he was definitely the value play for me and on another day he would have won that match with the opportunities that had come his way at key moments.

On Friday we move onto the Quarter Final Round at the four events being played this week and that means there are sixteen matches to research through. A few of them are already ones in which I won't be making a selection as I don't feel comfortable backing either player, but hopefully I have made the right plays to have another positive day and move the weekly totals back in the right direction.


Matteo Berrettini - 1.5 games v Karen Khachanov: For the second time in two weeks we are going to see Matteo Berrettini and Karen Khachanov face off on the grass courts as they meet in Germany once again. Last week it was Berrettini who won when these two met in the First Round in Stuttgart, but Khachanov has had previous successes in Halle which should give him the belief he can turn things around.

It certainly won't be easy when you think of the confidence with which Berrettini is playing at the moment. He won the title in Stuttgart last week and that has taken him to a career best World Number 22 in the Rankings, and the Italian has shown very little sign that he is ready to give up the momentum he has built up since moving onto the grass.

The serve has been a huge weapon for Berrettini who was broken for the first time in the Second Round win over Andreas Seppi. He actually dropped the first set in that match, but Berrettini is very confident and was a comfortable winner on the day to move through to another Quarter Final.

It now means Berrettini has held almost 99% of the service games he has played on the grass in 2019. This week he has been very strong through the first two Rounds with 79% of points won behind the serve, although Karen Khachanov will certainly feel he can match his opponent in that department.

Karen Khachanov has now held 85% of his service games played on the grass courts in 2019, while he has been strong in Halle where he has held 92% of his service games played thanks to winning 73% of points behind serve. Make no mistake that both players will look to build pressure by running through their service games, but the big difference between them is how effective they have been returning.

Matteo Berrettini has broken in 21% of his return games played and is winning 35% of points against the opponent's serve. At the same time Khachanov is at 16% and 35% respectively and I do think that can make the difference in a match where the prices have been reversed from Stuttgart with Berrettini going in as the slight favourite.

This is going to be the third match between these two in 2019 including the second on the grass courts and it is Berrettini who has been more successful on the return. While he has held serve in 96% of service games played, Khachanov is at 75% and I am going to back the Italian to make it three wins in a row over this opponent whilst also being in a position to cover this number thanks to the superior return ability.


Alexander Zverev - 2.5 games v David Goffin: This should be a very good Quarter Final match to watch with two talented players meeting in Halle on Friday. Alexander Zverev and David Goffin have both spent considerable time in the top ten of the World Rankings, but there have been some doubts with the level both have been producing in recent weeks.

Halle has been a good tournament for both men this week though as they have recorded some strong wins to make their way through to the Quarter Final. That should mean we see two confident players arrive on the court in the second match of the day, although I do think both Zverev and Goffin's confidence will be a little flaky considering the way recent weeks have gone.

We only have a small sample of grass court data and it does have to be said that Goffin's leaps from the page. However a deeper look shows he has won two matches extremely easily which are perhaps skewing how well he is playing, although on the other hand you can't ignore the fact that the Belgian has held 85% of his service games played on the grass over the last two weeks.

David Goffin has been able to back that up with some fine returning and this is a player that has played some solid tennis on the grass throughout his career. That certainly makes him a threat if Alexander Zverev is not at his best, but he continues to get plenty out of his service games and that should put him in a position to at least get on the front foot in rallies.

It will be the best way to try and keep Goffin from getting going on the return, but any second serves are likely being attacked with success.

Alexander Zverev has had his eye in when it comes to the return so far this week to back up the way he has been serving. He has broken in 31% of return games played in his two wins in Halle and I do think this is going to be a match where both players have plenty of break points.

The key could be that Zverev is likely going to be the player who can save a few more of those thanks to a big first serve, but I would not be surprised at all to this match going three sets. In their previous matches we have seen both players produce very similar numbers on the serve and return, but in the last two matches it is Zverev who has dominated the number of break points created.

I do think that will happen in this Quarter Final too and I will back Alexander Zverev to edge this match. Even in a three setter I think he will have every chance to cover the number in this one with an opportunity to win a set with a double break of serve and I will back the home hope to do that.


Stefanos Tsitsipas-Felix Auger-Aliassime over 24.5 games: In the years ahead matches between Stefanos Tsitsipas and Felix Auger-Aliassime could easily be occurring at the business end of Grand Slam tournaments. Both of these very talented players continue to make a big impact on the ATP Tour while developing their games and both have the capabilities to be long-term top ten players once the likes of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer move on.

They meet for the second time in 2019 and this time there is a Semi Final place on the line at the big pre-Wimbledon event held at Queens Club in West London. This tournament has long been a good indicator for success at SW19 and I think both players will be feeling good about their chances of going through to the final four.

I have to be slightly concerned with the amount of tennis both had to play on Thursday- Stefanos Tsitsipas had to come through a long, tough Second Round match after completing his First Round win over Kyle Edmund. It was more difficult for Felix Auger Aliassime who had to play both First and Second Round matches on the same day with almost three and a half hours spent on court.

At 18 years old I would hope the Canadian is able to recover to have a chance to be really competitive in this one. He is also backed up by an impressive serve which has seen Auger-Aliassime hold 94% of his service games played on the grass in 2019 which includes a run to the Final in Stuttgart last week. In the two matches played at Queens Auger-Aliassime has held every service games and has only faced two break points in the tournament.

Things would have been easier for him if Auger-Aliassime had been more effective on the return of serve, but that has not been the case and he has had to battle for his wins. The youngster is winning less than 30% of the return points played on the grass and Auger-Aliassime has broken in 10% of return games played this week.

He won't find it much easier against Stefanos Tsitsipas who has held 85% of his own service games played on the grass. The Greek star has been more effective at returning serve and that suggests the layers have got the right favourite in this match, but Auger-Aliassime crushed Tsitsipas in Indian Wells back in March and I do think this is going to be a close and competitive match.

Both players should have plenty of success when it comes to the serve and I would not be surprised if we get two very competitive sets to start this match. One break for either player may be enough to secure the set, but I also think there is every chance for the players to run through their service games and be forced into tie-breakers to determine sets.

I also wouldn't rule out a third set to decide the winner and I will back this match to produce more games than the total games line set even though it is a very large number. With the two players serving as they are, I can only see a competitive Quarter Final and far closer than the comfortable win Auger-Aliassime had over Tsitsipas in Indian Wells.

MY PICKS: Matteo Berrettini - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Alexander Zverev - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Stefanos Tsitsipas-Felix Auger-Aliassime Over 24.5 Games @ 1.91 William Hill (2 Units)
Gilles Simon - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Feliciano Lopez @ 3.30 William Hill (1 Unit)
Anastasija Sevastova - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Barbora Strycova - 1.5 Games @ 1.72 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Venus Williams + 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)
Julia Goerges - 1.5 Games @ 1.72 Ladbrokes (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 24-11, + 22.06 Units (72 Units Staked, + 30.64% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2019 (June 20th)

I really can't have asked for much more from the last two days of Tennis Picks which have come back with a 15-3 record and one match being voided (while the player I had picked was 6-2, 2-0 ahead).

After a difficult opening week on the grass, this week has turned things right back around and moved this portion of the season back into a profit as we continue surging towards the third Grand Slam of the season at Wimbledon.

Like I said on Wednesday, this is not the time to pat yourself on the back, but instead focus and double down on trying to keep the positive momentum going. I was glad to end the day with another winning record to keep pushing along, but I do expect more from myself as we move into completing the Second Round at the various events being played this week.


The rain in London has not let up as much as the organisers of the Queens tournament would have wanted and that does mean there are still some First Round matches that have to be completed. One of those was my selection from Tuesday picking Stefanos Tsitsipas to beat Kyle Edmund and cover the handicap mark, but those two players will have to complete their match on Thursday and the winner is likely going to have to play again later in the day.

Below you can see my selections from the Second Round matches that are scheduled to be played as we complete the Quarter Final line up for Friday. All of the events should be back on track by then, although I do think the tournament at Queens should swallow their pride and get the matches started at 11am rather than Midday which has been the case so far this week.

It will be fair to those players who need to complete their First Round matches to have some rest before the Second Round match later in the day and will also ensure the tournament is back on track and not affected by any lingering weather in the Barons Court area.

The schedule will be out by the time most read this so we will see, I was just a little disappointed they didn't have the early start on Wednesday which would have got at least one and perhaps two more matches through per court.


Steve Johnson-Alexander Zverev over 22.5 games: This has the making of a really good Second Round match and especially if Alexander Zverev continues to struggle to find the level he is capable of reaching. It has been a difficult couple of months for Zverev who was fortunate to come away with a straight sets win over Robin Haase in the First Round here in Halle after losing to Dustin Brown in his first match in Stuttgart last week.

In this one Zverev is going to have improve again when he takes on Steve Johnson who has proven to be very comfortable on the grass courts. The American had a very good win over Philipp Kohlschreiber as the underdog in the First Round and he has the kind of game that can make life very difficult for Zverev if he is not at his best on the day.

There is no doubt that Johnson is only going to go as far as his serve will carry him even if he has shown improvement on the return side of his game as far as the grass courts are concerned. However we saw in Stuttgart last week that Johnson still needs to get more out of his serve if he is going to have strong runs on this surface.

He has held 85% of his service games, but Johnson has won 63% of points behind serve in his two matches on the surface. That is a few ticks down on the usual level he has found on the grass and it has forced the American to have to dig in on the return, although to be fair to him the last twelve months have seen Johnson produce very well on that side of his game.

I would expect Johnson to test Alexander Zverev who is holding 80% of his service games on the grass courts in 2019. The major worry for the home player is that his break percentage is down on previous years and there has been a slight lack of confidence from Zverev on that side of his game in recent weeks which have led to tougher matches than expected.

As I said in the First Round, I do think Zverev is finding it difficult to win matches easily and I can see both players being just good enough on serve to get into a position to surpass the number of total games. There is every chance of the match needing three sets to separate them, but tie-breakers should be in play and even a long two setter can't be ruled out to help get over the number.


Roger Federer-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga over 22.5 games: A match that could easily be a Final in Halle rather than a Second Round takes place on Thursday and I wanted to write out a few thoughts about.

Roger Federer is one of the greatest grass court players of all time and he comes into his usual Wimbledon warm up off a fantastic Roland Garros. He had a strong win over John Millman in the First Round and the serve is a potent weapon on the surface which is going to make him very tough to beat when it comes to SW19 next month.

However this is a real challenge for Federer when he takes on Jo-Wilfried Tsonga who is very comfortable on the grass himself. He has a big first serve which can set him up to get through service games very comfortably and their one previous match on the grass saw Tsonga come from 2-0 down to beat Federer in five sets.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has been producing some very good numbers behind serve and I expect it is going to be a tough match for Federer with a declining return game. There are still those moments Federer puts together which makes it hard to oppose him on the handicap, but I think Tsonga is going to serve big enough to force at least one tie-breaker.

The Frenchman is also someone who can put his returns together even if he is not the most convincing behind that shot. I expect he will have limited success against this Federer serve considering the former World Number has held 87% of service games played against him in their head to heads, but I have enough faith in the Tsonga serve to see him give Federer enough issues and help carry this match over the total games line.


Angelique Kerber - 1.5 games v Maria Sharapova: There was a real statistic attached to Maria Sharapova's First Round win in Mallorca that surprised me and that is that the former World Number 1 had not had a grass court win since 2015. I know injury and suspension has prevented Sharapova from playing a lot of grass court tennis in that time, but even then it was a real shock to read that.

The Russian was very happy with her performance in her win over Viktoria Kuzmova after Sharapova returned to the Tour following a long injury lay off. She has slipped down the World Rankings and you have to feel the next few months are very important for Maria Sharapova who won't want to have to Qualify for the biggest tournaments out there.

She doesn't have a lot of points to defend on the grass this year, but Sharapova will simply be hoping she has got through her First Round match without a negative reaction from the shoulder which has been keeping her off the Tour. The level of opponent goes up significantly in the Second Round in Mallorca too as she faces another former World Number 1 in Angelique Kerber.

The German is also the defending Wimbledon Champion and will be hoping a move from the clay onto the grass is going to reignite her season. This has been a time of the season that Kerber has enjoyed in the past with the extra pop she can get out of the serve and the movement she enjoys on the grass makes her a very difficult opponent to beat.

Angelique Kerber has set some high standards for herself to the point where it does feel her 2019 season has not been as strong as it should have been. She had to battle through the First Round and I do wonder if Kerber is fully healthy at the moment, but I think she is going to be someone who can challenge Sharapova who also has some fitness doubts around her.

In fact Kerber has won their sole previous match on the grass and crushed Sharapova when these two met at the Australian Open eighteen months ago. That should help her mentally, but this is going to be a tough match either way especially if Sharapova is able to perform to the level she did in the First Round.

For a long time the Sharapova first serve has been a huge weapon for her on the grass and she will need to get plenty of those in if she is going to upset Kerber. I do think Sharapova will have her moments, but her match rustiness may show up over the course of the match and I will look for Kerber's strong grass court pedigree to come through.


Venus Williams - 2.5 games v Qiang Wang: It is remarkable to think that Venus Williams turned 39 years old at the beginning of this week and yet still wants to be out there competing on the WTA Tour as she does. While no one is going to be surprised to read that Venus Williams is not the player she once was, her experience and continued success on the grass courts makes her a dangerous opponent on this surface.

The elder of the Williams sisters came through her First Round without too many problems on Wednesday, but playing back to back days gets harder the older you get and that is the challenge for her.

It does have to be noted that Qiang Wang also had to play her First Round match on Wednesday having seen the rain disrupt the tennis in Birmingham on Tuesday. However she is much younger than Venus Williams and her recovery time may be superior at this stage of their careers.

Even then, Venus Williams is the right favourite in this Second Round match. Her grass court pedigree has to be respected and it also has to be said that Wang has yet to show a real affinity with the surface. While having a good win in the First Round, Qiang Wang has struggled with her return on the grass and now she has to face a solid server like Williams on a surface where she may not feel her best.

These two actually met at Wimbledon a couple of years ago and it was Williams who came through after they split two tough sets to start. When you combine their three previous matches, Williams has had the better of the service numbers and I do think that is going to be the difference between them on the day too.

It won't be an easy match for Venus Williams considering how much Qiang Wang can get out of her own serve when at her best. However we have yet to see Wang put it all together on the grass and I think that makes the former Wimbledon Champion the selection to win and cover the number.

MY PICKS: Steve Johnson-Alexander Zverev Over 22.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Roger Federer-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga Over 22.5 Games @ 1.70 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Angelique Kerber - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Venus Williams - 2.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (2 Units)
Naomi Osaka - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Belinda Bencic - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Marin Cilic - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Kevin Anderson - 2.5 Games @ 2.00 William Hill (2 Units)
Lucas Pouille @ 2.75 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 20-6, + 25.32 Units (52 Units Staked, + 48.69% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2019 (June 19th)

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

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

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


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

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

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

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


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

You can read the weekly totals below the Picks.


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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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