European Tour 3- Belgium Darts Open Day 1 Picks 2026 (Friday 20th March)

A remarkable night in Dublin ended with Luke Littler closing the gap on Jonny Clayton in the Premier League standings, but Gerwyn Price and Michael van Gerwen will both be wondering how they failed to beat the World Number 1.

Once again, it is a reminder that Littler feels like he is clear of the rest of the Tour and that the mental pressure of facing him is beginning to ramp up, much as it did in the past when players moved into position to beat the likes of Phil Taylor and van Gerwen.

Missing darts built up the sense of dread that the top player on the Tour would punish them and Luke Littler has done that enough in his relatively short time as a professional to have built that aura around him.

He will be playing at European Tour 3 this weekend and the Belgium Darts Open features the majority of the top names, although Price, Gian van Veen and Gary Anderson have withdrawn.

It is a big event for players looking to build up some confidence or build on the momentum that has been picked up ahead of the next set of Players Championship tournaments later in the month.

These European Tour events are the big titles to be won over the coming weeks and months until the World Cup of Darts is played on the same weekend as the Football World Cup begins. In that time there are plenty of Players Championship events to be played as well alongside the Premier League and it remains a busy time for the players and fans of the sport.

Last weekend was a difficult one for the Darts Picks at European Tour 2, but this is an opportunity to bounce back.

Day 1 features the entirety of the First Round being played across two Sessions, while the top Seeds join the party on Saturday with the Second Round split over two Sessions.

The selections from Night 7 at the Premier League at least got things moving back in a positive direction, but it is important to build on that in the Belgium Darts Open to keep things ticking over.

Ricky Evans to win & over 1.5 180s v Scott Williams: At his best, Scott Williams can be a very dangerous player, but the price has shortened on Ricky Evans to come through this good looking First Round match.

Both have been putting together inconsistent results over the last few weeks, but there has perhaps been one or two more flashes from Rapid Ricky.

He will need his scoring and Evans has always been a decent maximum hitter, but it is doubles that win matches and that cost him last weekend in the loss to Danny Noppert.

Scott Williams has lost four of his last five matches and has just been having his issues of late, but he did earn his spot in Belgium through the Qualifiers and beat some solid competition in his run.

So did Ricky Evans though and his numbers have been a little stronger to believe he can edge to the win with a couple of maximums thrown in too.

Dave Chisnall to win & over 1.5 180s v Thibault Tricole: The form over the last several months has been disappointing as far as Dave Chisnall is concerned, but he can find a way to get past an improving Thibault Tricole.

One of his wins to earn a Qualifying spot at the Belgium Darts Open was against Ricky Evans and he had a very strong run at Players Championship 6 when reaching the Semi Final.

That means Thibault Tricole has to be respected, but Dave Chisnall has beaten him once this season and usually enjoys taking part in these European Tour events.

There is a pressure on Chizzy to find some wins to avoid dropping too far in the World Rankings and having to eventually take part in the cutthroat business of Qualifying, but there is still some good darts being played.

Doing it for long enough, even in this short format, has been the problem for Dave Chisnall, but he may just have enough here to edge past a quality First Round opponent.

Scoring is going to be key and Chisnall can put together a couple of maximums during a match that should last at least nine Legs.

MY PICKS: Ricky Evans to Win & Over 1.5 180s @ 2.05 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Dave Chisnall to Win & Over 1.5 180s @ 2.15 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Darts 2026: 33-48, - 8.04 Units (78 Units Staked, - 10.31% Yield)

Miami Tennis Day 4 Picks 2026 (Friday 20th March)

The Miami tournament continues to play catch up after Day 2 was washed out, but the Second Round of the WTA event has begun and there should be plenty of matches scheduled from that Round on Friday.

Some of those matches will only be put together at the conclusion of Day 3 and so any further selections will be added to this thread.

The opening totals from the tournament will also be updated and added to this thread on Friday when all of the first four selections have been completed.

UPDATE: As expected, the Miami Masters event is trying to get back on track and that means all twenty-eight WTA Second Round matches that have yet to be completed are all scheduled to be played on Friday, which starts an hour earlier than usual on the outdoor courts.

There is also the conclusion of the ATP First Round and Second Round matches scheduled from that event and I have added selections from markets that were formed overnight.

The Miami totals have also been updated after the opening four Picks were completed late on Thursday evening.

Amanda Anisimova - 5.5 games v Ajla Tomljanovic: The peak of her career may be behind her, but that does not mean Ajla Tomljanovic is going to roll over for any opponent she faces on the Tour.

However, the gap is increasing between the Australian and the better players on the Tour and that will mean matches are taking away from her, even if she is giving her all on the court.

Ajla Tomljanovic has never been higher than World Number 32, but she is operating with a number 81 next to her name these days- after a slow start to the 2026 season, Tomljanovic has reached the Quarter Final in Austin and the Third Round in Indian Wells where she was able to upset a Seeded player in the Second Round.

That was the Number 30 Seed in Indian Wells, but in Miami she is facing not only a top ten Ranked opponent, but someone who has reached Grand Slam Finals at Wimbledon and the US Open last year and a player who is very comfortable on this surface.

Amanda Anisimova did reach the Fourth Round in Miami last year, but another good run here and moving past that stage would see her edge that much closer to the top four places in the World Ranking. The 24 year old has become an all-court player and credit has to be given to Anisimova for putting together stronger numbers on the clay courts and grass courts in 2025 compared with the hard courts, which suggests this is a player that is a threat at all four Grand Slams played.

The Fourth Round loss in Indian Wells will have been something of a disappointment, but Amanda Anisimova has been a Quarter Finalist at the Australian Open and Semi Finalist in Dubai and over the last twelve months she has been dominant when facing players outside the top 50 of the World Rankings on this surface.

The numbers have backed up the strong scoreboard wins and the American should have too much for veteran Ajla Tomljanovic- the latter has won the two Tour meetings, but one was back in 2017 and the other in 2021 and it was Tomljanovic who was Ranked higher on both occasions.

It is much different now and the Amanda Anisimova aggressive ball-striking should give her the edge in this match, while covering this big line is also well within her scope.

Belinda Bencic - 4.5 games v Zeynep Sonmez: Coming through the Qualifiers and reaching the Australian Open Third Round has raised the Zeynep Sonmez profile, although that has perhaps meant expectations have also not been easy to meet. The 23 year old received a lot of support through the Middle East swing soon after her run at Melbourne, but three opening defeats has just reminded people that Sonmez still has some developing to get through if she wants to move up the World Rankings.

At the moment Zeynep Sonmez is the World Number 83 and her career best mark was set in October at Number 69.

She reached the Quarter Final in Merida since the Middle East swing ended without any victories and Zeynep Sonmez has won First Round matches at both Indian Wells and here in Miami. However, the run ended in Indian Wells in the Second Round and it is going to take some effort for Sonmez to beat the World Number 12 in the Second Round at this tournament.

Belinda Bencic dropped more Ranking Points when losing in the Fourth Round at Indian Wells last week, but she has nothing to defend here in Miami and the Swiss star is going to want to push back into the top ten ahead of the clay court season. Number 4 is still the career high for Belinda Bencic, but she has returned to the Tour after becoming a mother and there remain real ambitions to win a Major title.

After winning all five matches at the United Cup in early January, it has been more of a struggle for Belinda Bencic who has won four of seven matches played since that opening tournament. She was in good shape in Indian Wells before losing to Jessica Pegula in a competitive match and that will bode well for Belinda Bencic who will be looking to put a confidence boosting run on the board ahead of the build up towards the French Open.

She has particularly thrived when facing those opponents she would be expected to beat, namely those who are Ranked lower than her when entering the court- over the last twelve months, Belinda Bencic is 19-3 in those matches and her numbers have backed that up with noticeable improvements on the serve and return.

Underestimating Zoynep Sonmez would be a mistake considering the Turkish player has a 3-4 record over the last twelve months on the hard courts when facing top 50 Ranked opponents. The underdog has won both matches against top 20 Ranked opponents in that time and with nothing to lose, Sonmez can become dangerous.

It should be noted that Zoynep Sonmez has come out of those two matches by just edging the very fine margins and that is hard to sustain.

A confident Belinda Bencic can be very tough to stop on the hard courts and it may be that the higher Ranked player can win a few more easy points behind the first serve that allows her to control this match. This will also mean Bencic can take a real swing on the return of serve and ultimately it may end up with the more experienced player coming through with a solid win on the scoreboard.

Clara Tauson - 3.5 games v Katie Boulter: Eighteen months ago, Katie Boulter was moving into her career best World Ranking mark of Number 23 and looking very capable of breaking into the top 20.

Injury and a loss of form prevented that happening and Boulter has struggled to get herself going again with her current World Ranking down at Number 67. A First Round win will help, but Katie Boulter has work to do if she is going to be in a position to be Seeded when Wimbledon comes around later this year.

She did not play badly on the clay courts last season so an opportunity will come up if Boulter can build up some confidence and momentum by earning an upset in the Second Round in Miami. These big WTA 1000 events makes it very difficult for any player to put together strong runs considering the quality of competition very early in the tournaments, but that is especially the case for those that begin in the First Round like the British player had to do.

Familiarising herself with the conditions has to be a positive, but a Second Round match against Clara Tauson is a tough prospect.

The 23 old is the World Number 16 and her hard court numbers have been pretty good this season, even if the results have not always backed that up. Consistency is a good thing for players like Clara Tauson who has a powerful serve on this surface, although there is room for improvement when it comes to the return.

Those improved numbers have been there over the last twelve months when Clara Tauson has faced opponents Ranked outside the top 50 and she came through a Second Round match in Indian Wells against such an opponent. However, the Dane will have been really disappointed to have lost a tight match against the World Number 92 in Talia Gibson and that is the kind of result that Katie Boulter must use as a form of encouragement about her own chances.

A career long problem for Katie Boulter has been facing the better players on the Tour on this surface- she has won just 32% of matches against top 50 Ranked opponents and that drops to 15% when only considering top 20 opponents.

Katie Boulter is 1-5 against top 20 Ranked opponents over the last twelve months in hard court matches and she would be 3-3 when it comes to covering this handicap mark. That is 2-3 when only considering the matches she has lost and the feeling is that Clara Tauson has a bit too much power behind her strokes, which will give her the edge in this contest.

The sole previous meeting ended in a routine win for Clara Tauson back in 2022, but that is largely irrelevant now- despite that, the higher Ranked player should still have a bit too much for Boulter and she can cover this handicap mark in this Second Round match in Miami.

Marton Fucsovics - 2.5 games v Christopher O'Connell: Another Qualifier looking to use some of the momentum and familiarity of the conditions in his favour is Christoper O'Connell, but he has once again been drawn to face Marton Fucsovics.

That did not go so well in Indian Wells as the Australian was beaten pretty handily, but some believe the courts in Miami will play a little faster and that should help.

However, it is the second one-sided loss suffered against the veteran over the last twelve months, albeit the first on a hard court, and Christoper O'Connell has been struggling for consistency to open 2026. That is underlined by his drop into World Number 130 and there has been some pressure on the O'Connell serve, which is not operating at the kind of standards he has set previously.

He struggled against Marton Fucsovics in Indian Wells and the latter ended up reaching the Third Round at that event in what has been a pretty inconsistent start to the season for him too.

Marton Fucsovics is 34 years old now, but he still has a decent game on the courts.

On the main Tour, Marton Fucsovics is 7-2 on the hard courts when facing those Ranked below him and that is over a twelve month sample.

Not only has he held 88% of his service games in that time, but Fucsovics has created constant pressure on the return with 32% of return games ending in a Break and that was shown in the Indian Wells win over this opponent.

If Christoper O'Connell serves well, this is a dangerous spread, but Marton Fucsovics has all of the tools he needs to overcome the mark and move into a Second Round match against the Number 7 Seed in the draw.

MY PICKS: Amanda Anisimova - 5.5 Games @ 2.00 William Hill (1 Unit)

Belinda Bencic - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Clara Tauson - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Marton Fucsovics - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Elise Mertens - 5.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Marta Kostyuk - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Karen Khachanov - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Miami Update: 3-1, + 2.35 Units (4 Units Staked, + 58.75% Yield)

Miami Masters Tennis Picks 2025 (Thursday 20th March)

The ATP Miami event will complete the First Round matches on Thursday before the big named Seeded players enter the event, but the WTA tournament has already moved into the Second Round.

Most of the players will have had a few days to recover from Indian Wells, but it is a dangerous Round for the top names to negotiate and that is because they are facing players that have won matches in the conditions and so should know what to expect.

This cannot always make up for the difference in talent levels, but there are some vulnerable names heading out onto the courts on Thursday and avoiding those is the challenge.

Only one selection has made through the first two days of main draw action in Miami, but better options do look available for the Thursday action. Earning an opening winner hopefully is the start of another good tournament, but there is so much tennis to get through before the direction of this event is clear as far as the Tennis Picks go anyway.

Daria Kasatkina - 3.5 games v Hailey Baptiste: There are a number of young, American WTA players fighting to make an impact on the Tour, but there will be times when things are not going quite to plan.

At 23 years old, Hailey Baptiste has time to get her career moving in the direction she would hope and the potential suggests she is stronger than the peak World Number 80 Ranking she has earned.

That was only in October 2024, but form has been tough to string together, especially on the main Tour and Hailey Baptiste has slipped to the edges of dropping out of the top 100.

A win in the First Round will be welcomed and even more so that Hailey Baptiste was able to beat a top 50 Ranked opponent having struggled when facing those players on the hard courts over the last twelve months. She has been competitive, but facing someone like Daria Kasatkina is a huge challenge compared with those players Bailey has been facing of late.

Daria Kasatkina has been something of a mixed bag so far in 2025, and she has won just one of her last four matches.

However, she is still playing a relatively decent level and Kasatkina has won five of her eight matches played against players outside of the top 50. One of those defeats was against a dangerous player in Sorana Cirstea, and the World Number 12 won the first set in the other two defeats by the same 6-1 scoreline before failing to get the job done.

It might be tougher for Hailey Baptiste to provide the same kind of resistance having been crushed by Daria Kasatkina on the hard courts near the end of the 2024 season. Her serve was attacked with real success and Daria Kasatikina can use that ability in her tennis to get the job done in this Second Round match.

Jasmine Paolini - 2.5 games v Rebecca Sramkova: Maintaining the level that took her to World Number 4 at the end of last season was always going to be a difficult challenge for Jasmine Paolini, who is extracting everything out of her tennis.

Over the next few months, the Italian has some significant points to protect and is almost certainly going to suffer a drop down the World Rankings.

It makes tournament like this one feel important having been beaten in the Third Round in Miami twelve months ago and also offers Paolini an opportunity to build up some form and momentum before the clay court tournaments begin.

She is expected to have too much for Rebecca Sramkova, the World Number 37 who has lost more matches than she has won on the hard courts in 2025.

Rebecca Sramkova has not been able to return as effectively as Jasmine Paolini, and that is likely going to make a difference in this match. Respect has to be given to the Slovakian for the fact that she has not been overwhelmed when facing the very best players on the Tour and her win over Mirra Andreeva in Doha last month has been franked very nicely by the performances of the teenager since then.

However, over the last twelve months, Rebecca Sramkova has suffered some pretty comfortable defeats to those players inside the top 20 when facing them on the hard courts. One of those was to Jasmine Paolini at the BJK Cup in November and the Italian has won the last three matches between the players having lost the first four against Rebecca Sramkova.

The change in fortunes in the head to head have come at the same time Jasmine Paolini has moved past Rebecca Sramkova in the World Rankings and she can maintain her recent dominance over this opponent.

Joao Fonseca - 3.5 games v Learner Tien: There is so much excitement around Joao Fonseca and winning a Challenger title on the hard courts in the lead up to the Miami Masters will only have given the youngster more confidence.

He was beaten by Jack Draper in the Second Round at Indian Wells, but that does not look a bad result considering the British player went on to win the title.

Joao Fonseca is performing at a high level and he should have the qualities to get past Learner Tien, another teenager who has produced some very good tennis on the Tour in 2025.

The run at the Australian Open really brought Learnier Tien to the fore, and he has reached the Quarter Final in Acapulco at an ATP 500 level event. Losing in the First Round at Indian Wells will have been a disappointment for the World Number 66 and this does look a tough draw for Learnier Tien.

These two players met at the Next Gen Finals at the end of 2024 and it was Joao Fonseca who came through both matches.

The format is a bit different with the sets played as the first to four games, but what can be taken from the two matches is how much stronger Joao Fonseca's serve was compared with Learner Tien's.

So far in 2025, it is Fonseca who is serving with more authority on the hard courts compared with his opponent and the Brazilian can use that to move into a position to progress to the Second Round with a strong win over Learner Tien.

MY PICKS: Daria Kasatkina - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Jasmine Paolini - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Joao Fonseca - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Miami Update: 1-0, + 0.75 Units (1 Unit Staked, + 75% Yield)

Indian Wells Masters Tennis Picks 2022 (March 20th)

The Indian Wells Masters comes to a conclusion on Sunday with both ATP and WTA Finals set to be played on the same day.

Iga Swiatek - 3.5 games v Maria Sakkari: A World Number 6 should have played in a WTA 1000 Final before, but Maria Sakkari will be doing that for the first time on Sunday. She has become a consistent player at the top of the WTA Tour, but it also underlines the feeling that the Tour is lacking serial winners at the moment when a player can reach those heights in the Rankings without playing in the Finals of the biggest events.

She has reached the Final at the WTA 500 level earlier this season, while Maria Sakkari may be quite content with the potential match up in this Final against an opponent she has largely gotten the better of in their previous meetings.

Iga Swiatek did snap the losing run to Maria Sakkari by beating her earlier this season and it has been a very strong tournament for the former French Open Champion. The slower conditions in Indian Wells have suited her, but Maria Sakkari has looked very happy here too and I think it has the makings of a quality Final.

Both players will be very happy with their level- Iga Swiatek has had the edge with her returning numbers, but Maria Sakkari has served really well throughout the tournament and has yet to drop a set.

In their three matches in 2021, Iga Swiatek was unable to deal with the Maria Sakkari serve and was beaten in all three in straight sets. Two of those defeats came on the hard courts, but the Polish player did get the better of Sakkari in Doha last month and that will give her a real mental boost.

On that day it was Iga Swiatek's return which proved to be the difference between the players and she has won around 7% more points on the return than Maria Sakkari in this tournament. The Greek player has been really good behind the serve in the tournament, but I do think Iga Swiatek will be much happier with the match up after beating this opponent in Doha in the Semi Final.

Emotionally I am expecting Iga Swiatek to cope with the experience a little better than Maria Sakkari, who will know all about the lack of big titles, and I think that will lead to a win for the higher Ranked player.

MY PICKS: Iga Swiatek - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Boxing Picks 2021- Lawrence Okolie vs Krzysztof Glowacki (March 20th)

I am a big Boxing fan, but there continues to be major problems with the sport and that is the terrible judging that seems to have become a common feature week to week.

Last weekend we saw another poor judging performance in the Juan Francisco Estrada win over Roman Gonzalez- the two cards that split the fighters 115/113 are understandable as there were some swing Rounds that could easily have given either a 7-5 win, but the third score of 117/111 in favour of the Mexican fighter has rightly been ridiculed.

The judge has been suspended and will be asked to explain his scorecard, but that isn't going to make Gonzalez feel better and it is the kind of margin which suggests he had very little chance of winning in that one judges eyes.

Personally I had Chocolatito winning 116/112, and it was clear that Estrada's corner were not convinced with the direction the fight was heading if you take their comments between Rounds at face value. They certainly wouldn't have had their Boxer plenty clear going into the Championship Rounds and it hurst the integrity of the sport when people are not rewarded for their hard work.

I will watch as I have always done, but it does hurt to see judges continue to make a mockery of the sport without facing real sanctions. Too many times the 'B' side is in a position where they have to Knock Out the name leading the bill to earn the right result in their favour, although right now even those fights would seemingly come away as draws.

Something has to be done, but I really don't have the full answers- perhaps those judges who constantly get within a Round of the consensus score should be pushed forward to score the biggest fights, but I think it will need more people within Boxing looking to clean things up before a real impact will be seen.

This weekend we have three cards going on of most interest and they take place in Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. The best fight looks to be taking place in the early hours of the morning when Vergil Ortiz Jr takes on fellow Texan Maurice Hooker, but the United Kingdom will also be looking to crown a new World Champion in a card headlined by Lawrence Okolie.

Artur Beterbiev is back after a long lay off too, but he will be looking to send a statement out to the rest of the Light Heavyweight Division before resuming his bid to Unify.

Artur Beterbiev vs Adam Deines

The Number 1 fighter in the Light Heavyweight Division has long rumoured to be Artur Beterbiev, but it was his dismantling of Oleksandr Gvozdyk which confirmed the Russian is the man to beat at the 175 limit.

Unfortunately Beterbiev has not been in the ring in the last seventeen months since beating Gvozdyk and that has partly been down to the Covid-19 pandemic and partly down to injury and not finding an opponent ready to compete.

Even now there won't be too many excited to see Adam Deines lining up across the ring to Artur Beterbiev, but it will be good to get the WBC and IBF World Champion back out there as he looks to shake off some of the ring rust and then look for bigger fights in a pretty stacked Division later in the year.

Most are expecting Beterbiev to come in and rip through Adam Deines and I can't argue with that with little to suggest the German is deserving of his spot at this level. The one step up Deines has taken saw him beaten decisively on the cards by Fanlong Meng who had been the mandatory for Artur Beterbiev before deciding he was not able to travel for a bout.

The 19-1-1 record looks good on paper, but it is hard to read too much into that considering the level of opponent Adam Deines has long been dealing with.

He simply will not have matched up with someone of the calibre of Artur Beterbiev and I think we will learn very quickly about how much Deines is willing to withstand to try and win a World Title. There is no doubting how hard Beterbiev hits and he is someone who can pick his shots and break down what looks like being an overmatched opponent.

Over the last few months we have seen a number of fighters Ranked high up in some of the governing bodies look completely unprepared for the step up to take on World Champions. Some of those have not lasted too long and I do think this is going to be extremely difficult for Adam Deines who can't have found a way to prepare for the kind of onslaught that Artur Beterbiev is likely going to bring to the ring.

It may take a couple of Rounds to warm up for the Russian who has spent plenty of time out of the ring, while he has had some postponements to extend the time away. Artur Beterbiev also had to deal with Covid-19, but this is still the Number 1 fighter in the Light Heavyweight Division and I really don't think Adam Deines will see the second half of the fight.

The layers think the end could come very early, but it might take a couple of Rounds to shift the rust and then I would fully expect Artur Beterbiev to go through the gears and make a statement to the rest of the Division. It would be something for Adam Deines to hear the bell to signal the second half of the fight beginning, but I think Artur Beterbiev will start finding his range in Round Three and Round Four and I expect the finish to come around the Fourth/Fifth Round of this one.

Lawrence Okolie vs Krzysztof Glowacki

There are some big plans for Lawrence Okolie going forward, but much of them depend on whether he can keep putting the wins on the board as he continues fast-tracking his way to the top of the Cruiserweight Division. I have not been a big fan of some of the Okolie style which has led to punch and hug fights, but working under Shane McGuigan is going to benefit a fighter who has little amateur experience and is just 15-0 as a professional as he enters his first World Title fight.

He is going up against the experienced Krzysztof Glowacki who is a former two time WBO World Champion and trying to pick up a title he believes belongs to him.

With only two losses on his resume against Oleksandr Usyk and Maris Briedis you have to respect the Polish fighter and the latter of those losses was a very controversial one in the WBSS. Court appeals didn't go fully in the favour of Glowacki, but it did vacate the WBO Belt and he returns for the first time since losing to Briedis.

However that fight came in June 2019 and it is a long lay off for Glowacki and especially considering Lawrence Okolie will have fought three times since then and has earned some real momentum going into this World Title tilt. This is far from an easy fight for Okolie who won't have faced someone of the level of Glowacki who has beaten Marco Huck, Steve Cunningham and Maxim Vlasov and so is clearly capable of winning fights at the top level.

You have to worry a little about the fact that Huck put Glowacki down and the Polish fighter has been down a couple more times which is a concern going up against a big puncher like Okolie has shown himself to be. Unlike some of the other fighters that the British fighter has faced, I don't think Glowacki allows himself to fall into a punch and hug Decision loss and that should mean this is more action packed than a lot of Lawrence Okolie fights have been.

The feeling is that this fight has come along at the right time for Lawrence Okolie and he can get the better of a game Krzysztof Glowacki with his superior length and power likely to eventually tell. His confidence is something I have noted and I do think Okolie believes it is his time, while the amount of time spent out of the ring for the Polish former Champion could be hard to shake off completely.

Being on the canvass a few times already in his career doesn't bode well and, although Glowacki is plenty experienced and shown his talent at a World level, I think Lawrence Okolie will find a way to wear him down and become the second fighter to stop the Pole.

It would be a surprise if Okolie comes out all guns blazing early, but his confidence may pick up and he can call it a relatively early night by finding some big shots in the second half of this Championship fight to get the referee to step in.

Chris Billam-Smith vs Vasil Ducar

This should have been a British Title tilt for Chris Billam-Smith, but a withdrawal from his opponent means he will be in a tick along fight with better to come in the weeks and months ahead.

A single loss on the record is one that Billam-Smith will want to set right, but he remains on a good path and picking up the Commonwealth Title means his Ranking will be move on up.

Ten wins out of eleven have come by Stoppage and not many have been able to earn their way into the second half of fights against him. The feeling is that he is going up against a durable opponent who has yet to be stopped, but one who has not really fought at Chris Billam-Smith's level.

Vasil Ducar might be stubborn, but Chris Billam-Smith hits hard and early and nine of his wins have come inside six Rounds. I think he will want to get this routine fight out of the way and possibly have that British Title shot against Deion Jumah in the first half of the 2021 calendar year before pushing on to bigger and better things.

To do that, Chris Billam-Smith has to try and avoid injury and make sure he can get straight back in the gym as soon as possible, and it could mean pushing for another early night here.

Vergil Ortiz Jr vs Maurice Hooker

There isn't much more the locals will want to see than an up and coming Texan looking to continue his march upwards in the World Rankings as he takes on a veteran from the same State who is a former World Champion.

Maurice Hooker's World Title came in the 140 pound Division, but a blow out loss to Jose Carlos Ramirez saw him make the decision to move up to 147 and compete with the big names there. A win will certainly give Hooker a chance to do that, but he is coming up against a young and hungry Vergil Ortiz Jr who has won all sixteen fights by Knock Out.

It feels like the matchmaking has been good for Ortiz Jr and stopping Samuel Vargas in his last fight and now taking on a former World Champion will keep the momentum going in what is a loaded Division. I don't think he is ready to take on the absolute elite of the 147 Division, but Vergil Ortiz Jr can surge up the World Rankings by winning this fight and most factors seem in his favour.

There is no doubt that Maurice Hooker will be looking to test him, but I feel standing in front of Ortiz Jr and trying to trade with the younger fighter is not going to end well for Hooker. It is hard to imagine that too much of the mindset has changed for Maurice Hooker who has a tendency to fight fire with fire and against a puncher like Vergil Ortiz Jr I do think it is a matter of time before the veteran is broken down and stopped.

I am sure Vergil Ortiz Jr has targeted a quicker stoppage than the one Jose Carlos Ramirez produced against Maurice Hooker, but I also think the latter is going to be aware of that and try to box clever. We have yet to see an opponent push Ortiz Jr into the Eighth Round or further and I am not sure Maurice Hooker's style will see him get to that point.

He was Knocked Down in the First Round by Ramirez and Hooker will have to be aware of the power that Ortiz Jr carries at all time. I think he will likely try and keep this long, but Vergil Ortiz Jr can start breaking him down around the Fourth or Fifth Round and I think the finish will come pretty soon after as Maurice Hooker tries to trade to push back his younger opponent.

Vergil Ortiz Jr does look a legitimate top quality operator in the making who is pushing towards a big fight with Terence Crawford and I think he can get a few more eyes on him after a dominating win. Four of the last five fighters faced by Ortiz Jr have gotten into the Fifth Round before the finish comes and I think that may be the case here as the young, exciting fighter ends this crossroads fight in the middle Rounds.

MY PICKS: Artur Beterbiev to Win Between 4-6 @ 3.00 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Lawrence Okolie to Win Between 7-12 @ 4.33 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Chris Billam-Smith to Win Between 1-5 @ 3.50 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Vergil Ortiz Jr to Win Between 5-8 @ 3.20 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Boxing 2021: 6-11, - 3.58 Units (32 Units Staked, - 11.18% Yield)

Indian Wells Tennis Picks 2015 (March 20th)

This is the final three days of the Indian Wells tournament as the two Premier Event Semi Finals are played on the Friday as well as the two remaining Quarter Finals from the Masters tournament.

It has been a fun tournament as far as viewing has gone, but not a good one for my picks even if the season has been strong to this point. I will be hoping that there will be a bounce back in Miami next week, but there is no reason to go chasing after the losses, because that will always lead to more mistakes and further punishment.


If things go to plan tonight, it could be the first time the 'big four' of the men's game are competing in the Semi Final of the same tournament since the Australian Open in 2012... That is a staggering length of time considering all four have actually won Grand Slam titles in that period, but have not all put it together at the same time.

Both Tomas Berdych and Milos Raonic will be hoping to upset the apple-cart though and prove they are not far away from joining the Grand Slam winner club that is very exclusive amongst current players on the Tour.


Tomas Berdych + 3.5 games v Roger Federer: I still believe that Roger Federer will find a way to battle through to the Semi Final, but this could be too many games to give up to Tomas Berdych who has been playing well this week. The win over Lukas Rosol wasn't the most fluent performance that Berdych has produced, but he won't be intimidated by Roger Federer on the other side of the court and they have had a lot of tight matches in recent seasons to suggest this one will be close too.

The edge has to be given to Federer on the titles he has won at Indian Wells and the Swiss star has also chosen to skip Miami next week which means all of his thoughts are on another title here. He has played aggressively and been serving well and I think Federer will pose Berdych plenty of problems.

However, Berdych has also been serving very well for the most part this week and I expect him to put pressure on Federer whose own serve can have some sloppy moments these days.

My feeling is that this match goes three sets and Federer will then find a way to come through. However, their last four matches have been highly competitive and split with two wins apiece so I will take the games in this one rather than backing Federer to come through in three sets.


Rafael Nadal - 2.5 games v Milos Raonic: Rafael Nadal had a sloppy win over Donald Young earlier in the week, but looked a lot more like himself when seeing off Gilles Simon in the last Round and I expect him to beat Milos Raonic in a tight Quarter Final.

With the serve that Raonic possesses, it is never going to be an easy task to beat the Canadian on the hard courts, but Nadal is capable of getting enough balls in play to find mistakes in the Raonic game. As well as Milos Raonic played against Tommy Robredo, it is a completely different test against Nadal who has the forehand that can exploit what Raonic can do with his backhand.

Nadal will have to serve well if he is to keep Raonic at bay in this one, but this is a match up that should be right up the Spaniard's street in what he is going to see on the court. Of course no one really wants to face a huge server that can take away points very quickly, but I do think Nadal will make enough returns to force Raonic to play a lot of shots.

This one could be decided by a single break of serve from Nadal as he comes through 76, 64.

MY PICKS: Toms Berdych + 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Sporting Bet (2 Units)
Rafael Nadal - 2.5 Games @ 1.95 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Indian Wells Update: 17-20, - 9.30 Units (74 Units Staked, - 12.57% Yield)

Miami Tennis Picks 2014 (March 20th)

The second Masters/Premier Event of the season has already begun in Miami, but Thursday is when the big names in the women's game will kick of their bid to reach the Final here a week on Saturday. On Friday, it will be the men's Second Round that gets underway and I have made a couple of outright picks from the tournament which can be read here.


One piece of news that wouldn't have escaped the attention of most that follow tennis is the split between Andy Murray and Ivan Lendl, albeit a split that seems to be amicable from the outside. It was a surprise to me as their working partnership has produced the best results of Murray's career to date over the last two years and it wasn't something that had been 'about to happen' to those of us looking in from the outside.

What does it mean for Murray? I am not sure to be honest, but both men must have thought there was nothing more to be gained by having Lendl travelling with the team and I would also maybe question if the goals were perhaps not as aligned as they had been when the two got together in the first place.

Two years ago, it was made clear that Lendl had been brought in to help Murray get over the hump in Grand Slams and that has been achieved with the US Open in 2012 and, more importantly perhaps, winning Wimbledon last season. Since Wimbledon, Murray has struggled to get up to the levels required to win tournaments, albeit not helped with a back issue that required surgery, and maybe now was the time when the Brit decided he needed to perhaps change direction somewhat.

The split between Murray and Lendl wouldn't be enough for me to draw a line through Murray winning more Grand Slam titles, but his form since coming back from the surgery he had last autumn has not been good enough. That is especially the case if some more of the players that have been threatening a breakthrough on the Tour continue improving at their pace.

With the clay court season imminent, Murray will likely be looking for enough improvement to become a real threat at Wimbledon again, a tournament in which only a handful of players really have a chance of winning and it will be interesting to see the approach taken to the up coming season. We saw Murray miss great chunks of the clay season last year in a bid to keep his back from being an issue for Wimbledon and we may not see where his 2014 campaign is going until after the French Open.


After a strong showing at Indian Wells which improved the numbers for the season, I have taken a few days off from making any tennis picks and that included the first two days of the main draw in Miami. To be perfectly honest, a couple of matches stood out, but not enough for me and that was actually the main reason I avoided making any picks, except those in the outright markets. With the women's Second Round beginning today and the men's First Round concluded, this looks the right time to start the daily picks from this second hard court event during March.


Roberto Bautista-Agut - 3.5 games v Steve Johnson: For the second Masters tournament in succession, Roberto Bautista-Agut takes on Steve Johnson in the First Round and I have little to believe the result will be a lot different than the match in Indian Wells.

Bautista-Agut was a 63, 63 winner in that tournament and he has the consistency that can break down the game of someone like Johnson. The American certainly has some decent shot-making in his repertoire, but the lack of consistency can let him down and I expect Bautista-Agut to find a way to grind him down in this match.

I also think Bautista-Agut's serve is a touch under-rated as he wins a fairly high percentage when getting it in on these faster courts and I can just seem him wearing down his opponent in this one. Of course, Johnson may produce a better game plan than in Indian Wells and certainly make this a more competitive match, but I still believe it will be tough for him to play at a high enough level for long enough to win the contest.


Sam Querrey - 2.5 games v Sergiy Stakhovsky: It has been a rough couple of years for Sam Querrey as he has failed to kick on up the Rankings as much as he may have expected and has certainly been replaced as America's next potential Grand Slam Champion by John Isner. There have been little sign to suggest things are going to change in the next few months, especially with the clay court season about to begin, and his disappointing loss in the Davis Cup to James Ward sums up his performances of late.

Even being back on the hard courts hasn't proved to be a respite for a slumping Ranking, but I do think this First Round provides one of the limited chances to back Querrey to win and move through to the Second Round.

For as well as Sergiy Stakhovsky did in reaching the Semi Final in Irving last week, he hasn't had much of a hard court pedigree over the last couple of years to think he will have enough to beat Querrey in front of his own fans.

Stakhovsky can run through some service games, but he is always liable to make a few mistakes that enable opponents to break his serve and I feel Querrey can put just enough pressure on him to come through in a three set battle.


Maria Sharapova - 5.5 games v Karumi Nara: The serving really let Maria Sharapova down in her loss to Camila Giorgi at Indian Wells, but I think she can bounce back with a comfortable enough win over Karumi Nari in this Second Round match in Miami.

Someone like Giorgi is going to be a threat when a player is not on their game, because she hits the ball hard and a lot of the points are on her racquet. Even then, if Sharapova had played better behind serve, she would likely have won that match and I think the two matches in Indian Wells will at least have her in a better position for this event.

Karumi Nara is an improving player, but she has taken a couple of heavy losses to players that have similar power on their groundstrokes as someone like Sharapova and I think that may prove to be too much for the 22 year old to handle.

I can see the first set perhaps being a little more competitive before Sharapova pulls away behind her power for a 64, 62 win and a place in the Third Round.

MY PICKS: Roberto Bautista-Agut - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Sam Querrey - 2.5 Games @ 2.00 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Maria Sharapova - 5.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Midweek Football Picks 2014 (March 18-20)

It has been a miserable couple of days for all Manchester United fans and it means that the game on Wednesday night against Olympiacos has taken on a brand new level of importance for David Moyes if he really anticipates being the manager of this club for anything near the six year contract he was given last summer.


The week will finalise the final eight teams that will be contesting the Champions League and the Europa League this season and Friday will set the routes for the Finals to be played in Lisbon and Turin in the next couple of months.


It will be tense with the majority of these second legs having a lot more to play for than we saw a week ago in the first four Last 16 second legs in the Champions League, while the Europa League ties are mostly in the balance. That should mean a pretty good week of football to enjoy for the neutrals as well as the fans of those sides still involved in the competition.


Chelsea v Galatasaray Pick: Jose Mourinho was unimpressed with some of the refereeing decisions that cost his Chelsea side at Villa Park on Saturday, but the manager is known for quickly moving on and will get his team focused on the task at hand.

With a bit more clinical finishing in Istanbul, Chelsea could easily have had one foot in the next Round of the Champions League, but they had to eventually settle for a 1-1 draw and that makes Galatasaray a dangerous threat in the second leg.

The first thing that Mourinho will be drilling into his team is the clean sheet that will ensure Chelsea move through to the Quarter Final even if they fail to win this game at Stamford Bridge. They have looked good enough to achieve that goal in recent weeks as they have settled into their defensive shape, and that will also open up some gaps as Galatasaray will become a little more determined to get forward and score the one goal they definitely need in London.

With the likes of Didier Drogba and Wesley Sneijder in the line up, there should be a chance for goals for Galatasaray, but I don't think they are good enough to knock off this Chelsea team. If the Turks start chasing the game later on, there is every chance that Chelsea will also be able to score a killer goal on the break with the pace they have behind the lone attacker.

I think that is the more likely issue from the game and I can see Chelsea winning this by a couple of goals when the game is concluded.


Manchester United v Olympiacos Pick: While losing to your biggest rivals is always a disappointment, the lack of character displayed by Manchester United was perhaps the biggest complaint of the fans. They may have stayed behind the team during a terrible final 20 minutes at Old Trafford, but the cold light of day would have revealed how far below the required standard the team played.

This game now presents a huge test of the short David Moyes era at Old Trafford and the pressure on the manager in a defeat will be incredible, especially with the big matches continuing to come over the next week.

I personally don't have a lot of faith in Manchester United being able to overcome too many of the teams remaining in the Champions League, but I still think Olympiacos are there for the taking as they aren't a side that have impressed me greatly. In saying that, a draw in Benfica looks a very respectable score considering how well that side played against Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League and Olympiacos only had a narrow loss in Paris Saint-Germain too.

If Olympiacos score, it will be incredibly difficult for Manchester United to score the four goals that will be required of them to go through. They haven't created enough chances to see that happening, but I think the players are due a big performance and have reserved the majority of those for the Champions League.

Aside from the crushing wins over Bayer Leverkusen though, United haven't blown teams away and they will need to play one of their best matches of the season to overturn what looks an incredibly difficult scoreline from Athens. Can they do it? I certainly think there is enough in the side to beat this Olympiacos team comfortably, but the fact that one goal from the away side is going to make it tough for United to qualify.

I was tempted to pick United to qualify, but that price has shortened too much considering the form the team have shown and instead I will back the home side to give the fans something to cheer about with a win and possibly taking the tie to extra time.


Borussia Dortmund v Zenit St Petersburg Pick: With a 4-2 lead from the game in Russia, Borussia Dortmund are under little pressure and probably will be concentrating on not allowing Zenit St Petersburg to get back in the game. However, Jurgen Klopp expects his team to play in a certain way which will produce chances, but also give Zenit opportunities to score goals.

As poor as Borussia Dortmund's run has been at home in the last few months, Zenit St Petersburg will have to play a little more open than normal and that should give the home team enough chances to win this game comfortably. Before the defeat against Borussia Moechengladbach, Dortmund had won back to back home games while scoring 7 goals and keeping two clean sheets.

4 of their last 6 home wins in the Champions League have also seen Borussia Dortmund win by at least two goals and I think it will be tough for Zenit to prevent that happening here.

The side have been in poor form and are getting set to hear a new voice in the dressing room in the form of Andre Villas-Boas, while heavy losses at Atletico Madrid and Austria Vienna have every chance of being repeated.


Anzhi Makhachkala v AZ Alkmaar Pick: With a 1-0 lead from the First Leg, AZ Alkmaar will certainly feel they have an advantage they can hold on to against this Anzhi Makhachkala team that haven't scored a lot of goals at home all season.

Anzhi have only scored 3 goals in their last 10 games here in all competitions and they have only scored 2 goals in their last 5 home games in the Europa League so it may be a big ask for the Russian side to overturn this deficit in normal time.

There is no doubt that AZ Alkmaar will come here with a decent defensive shape as they have kept 2 clean sheets in their last 4 away games in the Europa League. The fact they have lost 4 of their last 6 away games in all competitions has to be a concern, but I can see this being a defensive game and I don't think the layers have fully appreciated that.

While they have priced the under 2.5 goals at a level I expected, I think there is a bit of value in picking the under 1.5 goals with the lack of home goals and the expectation that AZ Alkmaar won't come here with an open game in plan. There is a chance there could be extra time in this one, but I like goals to be in short supply in this Second Leg.


Benfica v Tottenham Hotspur Pick: It is not just a huge task for Tottenham Hotspur having lost the First Leg of this tie 1-3 at White Hart Lane, but Benfica have been very tough to play at the Stadium of Light and it looks a mountain for the English club to climb.

Benfica have now won 10 in a row at home in all competitions and have beaten teams of the standard of Paris Saint-Germain in front of their own fans already. Since that win over PSG, Benfica have won 9 in a row in all competitions and have kept clean sheets in each of those wins which will make it that much more difficult for Spurs to overturn this lead.

You have to expect Benfica will look to make themselves tough to beat first of all and having a lead of this nature does put them in a tough position whether to stick with what they have or twist. That is the biggest obstacle for the home team to overcome, but Tottenham Hotspur have a lot of defensive injuries and will likely offer Benfica some chances to score goals.

There is no doubt that Spurs have some attacking threat in their team, but they have failed to score in their last 3 away games in all competitions and backing Benfica to win to nil looks a big price.


Fiorentina v Juventus Pick: This is a really big game for both teams and I can't imagine either leaving too much on the field as they look to make it through to the Quarter Final where both will also feel they can go on and win the Europa League.

There are two theories in my mind for how this game will go- either Fiorentina will look to keep things tight knowing the goalless draw is in their favour and could potentially be caught late by a Juventus team that haven't failed to score in 5 away games.

The second theory is Fiorentina look for the goals that will see them put the pressure on Juventus with the belief that they are likely going to concede at some point to the Serie A leaders.

Personally I think there is the chance of this game producing the goals for an entertaining evening in Florence as neither team will have a lot to lose and gaps will begin to show in a Cup tie if either team has a lead going into the final twenty minutes. I am impressed with Juventus' three clean sheets in a row on their travels, but Fiorentina will point to their 4-2 home win over them earlier this season as proof they can pierce a defence if they need to.

Goals are going to be my call from this Second Leg in a game where a first half goal could certainly open the floodgates in a big Last 16 tie.


Napoli v Porto Pick: This is one of those ties that is in such a state of balance that any kind of goal could quickly shift the momentum.

Out of all the results you can gain in a European home leg, 1-0 puts a team in a very strange position as they can't really go away from home and sit on the lead. However, there is so much to gain by scoring one goal and that is what Porto will be thinking to themselves on their visit to Naples.

However, Napoli have been playing very well at home and have shown their quality in Europe when only just failing to make the Last 16 of the Champions League. On the other hand, Porto were poor in not making it out of a Group where the second place side needed just 6 points to move forward.

I also think Rafa Benitez has become very good at seeing off teams in Europe and that is shown by his pedigree over the last few years where he has seen his teams reach two Champions League Finals, winning one, and also winning the Europa League with Chelsea last season.

Benitez can be a touch too cautious to win League titles, but his methods have worked well in two legged ties and I think he will help Napoli win the game on the night, although it will be tough for them to qualify if Porto score. I would also be concerned if Napoli are leading 2-1 and chasing the game that Porto hit them on the counter-attack, but I think there is just a decent enough price on the home side to back Napoli to win.


Salzburg v Basel Pick: Salzburg have shown how well they can play in the Europa League as they have brought the confidence from their League form into the competition and there is a real belief that they are going to see off Basel in this Second Leg.

After all the chances they did have in the First Leg, Salzburg will feel they will be a little more clinical if those same chances land their way in this game. In the Europa League, Salzburg have scored at least two goals in all 5 home games, while they have hit three or more in 4 of those wins.

There is no doubt in my mind that Basel are a better team than they showed last week in the bits and pieces of the game I watched, but it is a big ask for them to come to an in-form team like Salzburg and snap their poor away record in the Europa League.

Basel may score in the game, but they could end up chasing it late on as Salzburg have the lead and I can see the Austrian team pulling away to book their place in the Europa League Quarter Final.

MY PICKS: Chelsea - 1.25 Asian Handicap @ 1.92 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Manchester United - 1.25 Asian Handicap @ 2.20 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Borussia Dortmund - 1.5 Asian Handicap @ 1.92 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Anzhi Makhachkala-AZ Alkmaar Under 1.5 Goals @ 3.10 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
Benfica Win to Nil @ 2.88 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
Fiorentina-Juventus Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.10 Bet Victor (1 Unit)
Napoli @ 1.95 Boyle Sports (1 Unit)
Salzburg - 1.25 Asian Handicap @ 2.00 Pinnacle (1 Unit)

March Update: 13-12, + 2.78 Units (46 Units Staked, + 6.04% Yield)

February Final: 12-28, - 16.74 Units (61 Units Staked, - 27.44% Yield)
January Final: 17-24, - 3.18 Units (62 Units Staked, - 5.13% Yield)
December Final: 19-16-2, + 13.34 Units (66 Units Staked, + 20.21% Yield)
November Final: 17-19-1, + 0.50 Units (56 Units Staked, + 0.09% Yield)
October Final: 20-16-1, + 12.94 Units (51 Units Staked, + 25.37% Yield)
September Final: 13-12, + 1.24 Units (39 Units Staked, + 3.18% Yield)
August Final: 13-26, - 12.13 Units (54 Units Staked, - 22.46% Yield)

Season 2013/14: 111-131-3, - 4.03 Units (389 Units Staked, - 1.04% Yield)
Season 2012/13: + 4.42 Units (415 Units Staked, + 1.07% Yield)

Tennis Picks Miami 2013 (March 20th)

The Men's Masters event in Miami gets underway today and you can see the outright picks I have made from both the Men's and Women's tournaments here


The picks went 1-1 yesterday, which left us in the same position at the start of the day, but hopefully things can get going with these picks today:


Jurgen Melzer v Richard Berankis: There is no doubt in my mind that Jurgen Melzer is on the slide and he will be taking another fall down the Rankings after a disappointing 2012 season. He has recorded fewer wins than the season before, on the Main Tour, in each of the last two years and I think that trend will continue for a player on the wrong side of 30 years old.

However, in saying all that, I think Melzer is worth chancing after picking up a title on the Challenger circuit last week against players of the same kind of calibre as Richard Berankis.

While Berankis has a lot of upside, he hasn't been able to put things together consistently so far in his career and I think he will struggle to get over the finishing line against Melzer today.

Don't be surprised if this one goes the distance, but I think the Austrian will have enough confidence flowing from the win in Dallas and should be able to at least make it through to the Second Round.


Albert Ramos - 3.5 games v Jan Hajek: I know that Jan Hajek has beaten Albert Ramos in both previous matches they have played against one another, but I like the Spaniard to earn a measure of revenge in this one.

Hajek just doesn't compete at the same level as Ramos these days and I think that will prove to be the difference, while I also believe Ramos is the better hard court player. Last season, Ramos reached the Third Round here and I think he will be a little more solid behind serve and that will be the reason why he can pull the win.

I like Ramos' chances of coming away with a 6-4, 6-3 win from this match so will take him to cover.


Marinko Matosevic - 2.5 games v Dudi Sela: It is Dudi Sela that has had to come through the qualifiers so is likely to appreciate the conditions a little more, but I like Marink Matosevic to make it 2-3 in the head to head between these players.

Matosevic looks to have 'got it' on the Main Tour and his Semi Final appearance in Memphis and a run to the Third Round at Indian Wells suggests he will be too good for his Israeli opponent.

My only issue is that Sela can be a real brick wall on the court, forcing opponents to play one more ball and that may make this closer than anticipated. However, I think the Australian has enough big shots in his locker to find a way to come through, possibly with a 7-5, 6-4 scoreline.


Svetlana Kuznetsova - 6.5 games v Lourdes Dominguez-Lino: Svetlana Kuznetsova missed much of last season, but her form to open 2013 certainly suggests she is more than capable of getting back up into the top 10 of the Women's game.

Kuznetsova should be too strong for Lourdes Dominguez-Lino who has won just 11 games in the last 6 sets competed by these players including a 6-2, 6-1 hammering at the Australian Open back in January.

The Russian's recent losses have come against players much higher in the Rankings than Dominguez-Lino and I am anticipating another fairly comfortable win for Kuznetsova in this one.


MY PICKS: Jurgen Melzer @ 1.85 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Albert Ramos - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Marinko Matosevic - 2.5 Games @ 1.92 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Svetlana Kuznetsova - 6.5 Games @ 2.05 Pinnacle (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 1-1, + 0 Units (4 Units Staked, + 0% Yield)