Miami Tennis Day 7 Picks 2026 (Monday 23rd March)

The Miami Masters continues at a pace on Monday with the entire WTA Fourth Round scheduled to be played alongside the remaining half of the ATP Third Round matches.

We are reaching the business end of the tournaments at a rapid pace and the upset of Carlos Alcaraz in the Third Round will have opened the door for a surprising player to make it through to the Final here and pick up some very valuable Ranking Points.

For the World Number 1, the early exit offers him a chance to go home and reset ahead of the clay court season beginning in a couple of weeks time, but he will be disappointed.

The WTA event looks largely intact going into the latter stages of that event, and it should mean an interesting end to the first half of the hard court season next weekend.

The Tennis Picks at Miami have bounced back from the poor Indian Wells returns, but there is still a long week of work to get through before the final totals will be placed in the books.

Focus is key and keeping things as tight as possible with the selection criteria.

On Day 7, time has been a factor and so only the selections will be posted below without the full analysis that has accompanied those for much of the 2026 season.

MY PICKS: Ugo Humbert - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Daniil Medvedev - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Jakub Mensik - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Karolina Muchova - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Aryna Sabalenka - 5.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Jessica Pegula - 5.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Miami Update: 12-5, + 6.67 Units (16 Units Staked, + 41.69% Yield)

Miami Masters Tennis Picks 2025 (Sunday 23rd March)

The Miami Masters rolls into the business end of the tournament at the end of this weekend, and every player will have had at least one match under their belt.

This should mean conditions are much more familiar to all involved and should just settle the tournament into a rhythm for the fans and the players involved.

Upsets have largely been avoided through the first two Rounds, but there was a big one when Carlos Alcaraz was beaten by David Goffin and the Spaniard can turn his attention to preparing for the French Open.

The focus for the Tennis Picks on Sunday will be on the Third Round matches played on the ATP side of the tournaments being played in Miami. The hope is that the 7-3 start to the tournament is only one that is laying the foundation for a strong tournament to bounce back from the one held in Indian Wells.

Gael Monfils - 2.5 games v Jaume Munar: Any player that beats Daniil Medvedev on a hard court as comfortably as Jaume Munar did in the Second Round has to be respected, although the level shown by Munar is going to be incredibly difficult to maintain.

Like many Spanish players, Jaume Munar is a solid clay courter, but one who has enough ability to perform to a decent standard on the hard courts.

In saying that, the serve is usually still relatively vulnerable on this surface and Munar is playing well above that level in 2025. He has been a streaky performer and there is little doubt that Jaume Munar is playing with the confidence to win the big points, which has led to some tight wins.

Next up is veteran Gael Monfils who has already secured another hard court title in 2025, but who has not really had a big impact in the last two tournaments played since the Australian Open.

The Frenchman has been serving with some confidence, although he has been held back by a slight dip in the returning numbers. This is not a big surprise when you think that Monfils is now 38 years old and almost certainly coming towards the end of his career, but the hope is that he can get into enough of the return games to neutralise the rallies and eventually showcase his superior hard court ability.

Their one previous match was back in 2018 at the Australian Open and ended in favour of Gael Monfils- this one is expected to be more competitive, but the World Number 46 can do enough to win some of the key points and earn passage into the Fourth Round.

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 1.5 games v Sebastian Korda: A Fourth Round loss at Indian Wells will have hurt, but Stefanos Tsitsipas has to be very happy with the form shown over the last month. He won the title in Dubai, which is an important trophy to pick up on the Tour and Stefanos Tsitsipas looks to be entering matches with a bit more confidence, even when things have not gone smoothly within matches.

His three set win in the Second Round in Miami will have done Stefanos Tsitsipas the world of good and he is going to be well supported in the stands, even if he is facing a home player.

Sebastian Korda made it as high as World Number 15 in August last year and it looked a matter of time before the American would crack the top ten, but he has slipped back to World Number 25 since then.

He reached the Final in Adelaide in preparing for the Australian Open, but Sebastian Korda has won just twice since then, including losing in that title match. Early losses in Melbourne, Marseille and Indian Wells has done little for the confidence, but Sebastian Korda benefited from facing an opponent Ranked outside the top 100 in the Second Round in Miami and made relatively short work of Eliot Spizzirri.

This is a significant step up in class for Sebastian Korda and he is going to have to serve well to contain the threat posed by Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Both players have struggled with their return in hard court matches, although the serving edge is with Stefanos Tsitsipas and that gives him an opportunity to force his way into the Fourth Round.

2021 was the last time Sebastian Korda and Stefanos Tsitsipas faced one another on the Tour and it resulted in a win for the latter.

The 24 year old American is improved since then, but form this season has not been that impressive so far and Tsitsipas can find a way to win and cover.

Novak Djokovic - 5.5 games v Camilo Ugo Carabelli: The first set was a cruise and the second set saw Novak Djokovic pushed, but finding a win was key for the former World Number 1. This is the first one put on the board since the Australian Open Quarter Final and Novak Djokovic will now be looking to kick on into the Miami Masters tournament.

He has openly admitted that peaking for Grand Slams is the main focus in the remaining years of his career, but Novak Djokovic is not going to be player happy with the losses being piled together.

This looks a good opportunity to keep the run going in Miami when facing Camilo Ugo Carabelli, the World Number 65 who effectively plays the majority of the year on the clay courts.

A First Round defeat at the Australian Open was followed with a run on the clay courts, and Camilo Ugo Carabelli had been beaten in the Qualifiers in Miami. A Lucky Loser spot was awarded to him though and Carabelli could not have taken more of an advantage with two, tough wins.

However, the level of opponent has perhaps helped, even if Camilo Ugo Carabelli had to beat a couple of American players, and this is a significant step upwards. The return game will give the clay court specialist an opportunity, but the serve is not as well protected as some can produce on the hard courts and ultimately someone like Novak Djokovic should be able to keep him under the cosh.

Confidence is perhaps not at a level it would have been when Djokovic was beating all-comers, but he showed in the Second Round that he is still playing with enough quality to beat opponents of this level without too much drama.

Brandon Nakashima - 2.5 games v David Goffin: The biggest upset in Miami so far has to be David Goffin's win over Carlos Alcaraz in the Second Round.

He had come into the tournament with little positive form, and David Goffin was beaten in the first set played 6-2... At that stage you would have had long odds on Goffin turning things around, but he did and he managed to do the same in the Second Round in the upset over Alcaraz.

The return numbers have been steady compared with 2024, but David Goffin had been struggling with his serve and that is still something that could be a potential issue for him in this Third Round match.

Brandon Nakashima has been putting a lot more wins on the board in recent weeks with a run to the Quarter Final in Delray Beach and following that up with a Semi Final run in Acapulco. His Fourth Round loss at Indian Wells may have felt a little disappointing, but the World Number 32 bounced back with an opening win in different conditions in Miami and Brandon Nakashima should be all the better for putting that victory on the board.

He has a mental edge over David Goffin having won all three pro meetings against the veteran Belgian, while Goffin is going to be bidding to back up a big upset, which is always challenging.

These two met in Acapulco last month and it was Brandon Nakashima who was just a little stronger on the serve and he played the big points that little bit better than David Goffin.

All three wins have been on the hard courts since the back end of 2022 and Brandon Nakashima has held 85% of service games played compared with David Goffin's 78% mark in the head to head. He has also won 5% more points played behind serve and, in a game of inches, that can make the difference again with the American looking to reach another Fourth Round during the Sunshine Double in March.

MY PICKS: Gael Monfils - 2.5 Games @ 1.95 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Novak Djokovic - 5.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Brandon Nakashima - 2.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Miami Update: 7-3, + 3.04 Units (10 Units Staked, + 30.40% Yield)

Miami Masters Tennis Picks 2023 (March 23rd)

In a few days time we will be back to the usual five hour time difference between the East Coast of the United States and here in London, but for now the one hour earlier start at the Miami Masters is one that is making it very difficult to write out a fuller thread. Friday will be the same, but I am hoping from Saturday I will be able to write out a few thoughts for the selections being made with the tournament moving into the Third Round and there simply not being as many matches to research.

Wednesday was a more fruitful day than the opening one at the Miami Masters as far as the Tennis Picks go, but it was not as strong as I would have liked.

Still, I cannot complain when returning a positive number and that is hopefully the start of a strong tournament for the selections as the Miami Masters continues over the next couple of weeks.

MY PICKS: Danielle Collins - 5.5 Games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Coco Gauff - 5.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Jelena Ostapenko - 5.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Cristian Garin @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Jordan Thompson - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Roberto Carballas Baena @ 2.10 Bet365 (2 Units)

Yosuke Watanuki - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Jason Kubler - 3.5 Games @ 1.90 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Thanasi Kokkinakis - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Miami Update: 4-5, - 3.06 Units (18 Units Staked, - 17% Yield)

Miami Masters Tennis Picks 2022 (March 23rd)

Tuesday was not a very productive day for the Tennis Picks with a couple of retirements on top of a couple of losing selections, but it isn't something to get too downhearted about with the tournament played over the next fortnight.

News outside of the Miami Open took the tennis headlines more than anything out of the First Round- Rafael Nadal looks to have been ruled out for the next month and will be hoping to be able to find some form ahead of the French Open, but, more importantly, the surprising news out of Australia that Ashleigh Barty is retiring has rocked the top of the WTA Tour.

After winning the Australian Open, I thought Ashleigh Barty was ready to dominate the WTA Tour- she also won Wimbledon last year- but the current World Number 1 has always been her own person and the decision is a real surprise, but also something you could have imagined Barty doing.

It is a disappointment- I really do think she had the all-court game to become the clear World Number 1 on the WTA Tour.

However, the Tour will move on and it opens the door for others to fill a void that has been left since Serena Williams dominated a few years ago. There are players like Iga Swiatek who look capable of doing that, but consistency is going to be the key for so many on the WTA Tour, one that has been lacking until it looked like Ashleigh Barty was ready to take over.

Clara Tauson - 4.5 games v Shuai Zhang: When Caroline Wozniacki retired from the WTA Tour, Danish Tennis fans must have been wondering how long they would have to wait to have another potential top ten and Grand Slam challenger to follow. It hasn't taken as long as some may have expected with 19 year old Clara Tauson looking like she has all of the potential to be a major player on the Tour for years to come.

Over the last twelve months Clara Tauson has really showcased her talents and her numbers are very impressive. She has really performed well when facing players Ranked outside the top 20 on the hard courts, but even taking into account those matches, Clara Tauson has looked really good and capable of winning some big titles as she gains experience.

Clara Tauson has a really big serve and it puts her on the front foot on the hard courts, while the Dane is a strong return player. I certainly think she is capable of getting the better of someone like Shaui Zhang who is an inconsistent player and who has the kind of numbers to underline the point.

Shuai Zhang did win the title in Lyon, but she had not won a main draw match since the Australian Open before that and was beaten in the First Round at Indian Wells last week. Even looking at a larger sample over the last twelve months, Shuai Zhang has been someone who can struggle when it comes to the return game and that puts a lot of pressure on her serve.

The First Serve can be a potent weapon at her best, but I think Clara Tauson can put considerable pressure on the Zhang Second Serve. That is where this match may be decided with Tauson having the stronger return numbers of the two players and I do think her own serve should contain the pressure that Shuai Zhang is able to try and exert.

It also should be noted that Shuai Zhang has really struggled to be as competitive as she would like when she has faced opponents Ranked inside the top 50 on the hard courts. The Second Serve and the return has been vulnerable in those matches and I think Clara Tauson is able to come through with a good, solid win to take her place in the Second Round.

Irina-Camelia Begu - 3.5 games v Hailey Baptiste: You can't help but feel these are two players that will soon be moving in opposite directions in the World Rankings with the veteran Irina-Camelia Begu falling and young American Hailey Baptiste at a career best World Ranking.

However, that is something to come and right now you have to favour Irina-Camelia Begu to have a little too much know-how for her opponent.

Neither player has shown enough consistency in the 2022 season and both players were beaten in the First Round at the Indian Wells Masters in the lead up to this event. Hailey Baptiste did upset Caroline Garcia at the Australian Open after Qualifying for the main draw, but she has yet to really handle facing top 100 Ranked opponents on the hard courts and has suffered some big losses already in 2022.

A 5-7 record against top 100 Ranked opponents on the hard courts over the last twelve months does not really paint the full picture for the young American- Hailey Baptiste has produced some poor numbers in that time with her second serve vulnerable and having won just 39% of return points played across those twelve months in those matches.

I can't ignore the fact that Irina-Camelia Begu has had an average record against players Ranked outside the top 50 in the World Rankings, but she has had the stronger numbers than her opponent in this First Round match. The feeling is that Begu can keep Hailey Baptiste under the gun if she can produce plenty of first serves in this one, while she has been pretty good in the return part of her tennis which will give her the edge in this match.

A poor record against players Ranked outside the top 100 in hard court matches over the last twelve months is a real surprise, even if Irina-Camelia Begu's best days are behind her. However, I do think the Romanian has been a little unfortunate in those matches that have produced a 1-3 record and the feeling is that she will have enough in her game to get the better of Hailey Baptiste despite the latter being an improving player on the Tour.

Irina-Camelia Begu has lost four matches in a row and she has not won a match in Miami since 2016, but she has operated at a higher level than Hailey Baptiste and I expect her experience to help her edge to the win and the cover of this mark.

MY PICKS: Irina-Camelia Begu - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Clara Tauson - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Miami Update: 0-2, - 4 Units (4 Units Staked, - 100% Yield)

Miami Masters Day 1 Tennis Picks 2021 (March 23rd)

There were always going to be questions as to how the Tennis Tour will deal with the multiple events that are scheduled around the world and whether it would be possible to draw the biggest names to those tournaments at a time when prize money has been drastically reduced.

Add in the different states of play as to how nations are dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic fifteen months into the outbreak and you can understand how players are feeling. As soon as the Indian Wells Masters was postponed for a second season in a row, the Miami Masters organisers must have feared whether the big names would arrive for a short trip to the United States before heading back to Europe for the start of the clay court season.

The ATP event being played in Miami has been decimated with almost a third of the top 100 players set to withdraw on the event of the tournament. Serena Williams has exited the WTA tournament being played at the same grounds, but that looks the better event being played with the majority of the top 20 outside of the American playing here.

The last hard court event of the Tour until the end of July will still be decent to watch, especially on the WTA side of things, but the loss of so many players means the door is open for a player on the ATP side of the bracket to come through and earn some big Ranking points before we return to the one year system later this season. On Tuesday, Day 1 of the main draws, the WTA First Round matches are scheduled before the ATP main draw gets underway the following day.

It will be a busy tournament, but hopefully we will get enough good Tennis to ignore the fact that this feels anything like a Masters event that it should have been.

The Tennis Picks have had a slow start to the 2021 season, but I have been convinced I have been lacking a bit of luck that could turn things around. That meant sticking with the criteria I have in determining which selections will be made on each day and last week I was rewarded with a very strong winning week.

That makes it back to back winning weeks on the Tour and I will look to keep the momentum going through the Miami Masters before the return of the clay court season which I did miss last season. The clay portion of the season is one of my favourites and I am looking forward to the time when I can return to Roland Garros and hopefully before Rafael Nadal calls it a day.

For now the concentration will be on the Miami Masters for the next two weeks and I will hopefully be able to back up the last two weeks.

Barbora Krejcikova - 4.5 games v Anna Blinkova: Reaching the Final in Dubai may still be a spark for Barbora Krejcikova on the Singles court this season as she hit her career best Ranking earlier this month. Losing that Final will have hurt, but Krejcikova has had some time to get past that and look to have one more strong run on a hard court before the move onto the clay courts.

She enters the First Round against Anna Blinkova who has struggled for consistency over the last several months.

The Russian player is 9-18 on the hard courts in 2020 and 2021 combined and it has to be some concern for Anna Blinkova that she has only won a single match in a main draw on the hard courts this season. She did get through the Qualifiers in Doha, but Blinkova has now lost three matches in a row which includes losing her first matches in the two events she entered in Mexico over the last couple of weeks.

Her numbers have not been very good in 2021 and it has seen Anna Blinkova's second serve severely tested, while the return game has room for improvement. She has won fewer return points than Barbora Krejcikova, while Blinkova's numbers have taken a serious dent in her matches against players Ranked inside the top 100 this season.

The Barbora Krejcikova serve is not one that is going to overwhelm opponents, but she will certainly feel she can keep Blinkova under duress if the latter can't find a way to improve her 36% of return points won against top 100 opponents. When you see the matches that Anna Blinkova has faced, it is hard to believe she is going to have more success against an in-form Krejcikova and I think it could end in a routine win for the Czech favourite.

Their sole previous meeting came on the clay courts almost two years ago and it ended in a very one-sided win for Barbora Krejcikova. I think this one will be closer, but she should still have the edge on a player that is struggling on the return and it should mean Krejcikova is able to earn at least three more breaks of serve than Anna Blinkova over the course of the match.

That margin should give her every chance of not only winning the match, but covering this mark too.

Anastasia Potapova - 3.5 games v Ajla Tomljanovic: There is much to like about the way 19 year old Anastasia Potapova is developing and she will be keen to celebrate her 20th birthday in Miami. Much will depend on whether Potapova is able to work her way through the draw having reached the Dubai Quarter Final earlier this month, although she will also be a little disappointed with her showing that match against Barbora Krejcikova.

Anastasia Potapova also reached the Third Round at the Australian Open last month, but it will be important for her to begin to show some consistency to start making a real move up the World Rankings. Her numbers haven't been bad on the hard courts, but Potapova has to find a way to increase her first serve percentage to at least get on top of matches.

Too many second serves will give Ajla Tomljanovic every chance of getting on the front foot against Potapova with an aggressive return of serve likely to pay dividends. The Australian has a losing record on the hard courts top open 2021 and that is a concern considering she ended 2020 with a losing mark too, while Tomljanovic's own second serve has proved to be vulnerable.

It is hard to imagine Ajla Tomljanovic is going to be able to keep up her first serve percentage from her early matches in 2021, a mark that is around 7-8% higher than her average first serves hit in the recent seasons on the Tour. Anastasia Potapova has had better success looking after her second serve compared with Ajla Tomljanovic and it could be a key in determining the winner of this match.

These two have met once on the hard courts a little over twelve months ago and it was Anastasia Potapova who came out on top. That was a match in which she created over four times as many break points as Ajla Tomljanovic and I think Anastasia Potapova is going to be able to have the better of the return in this one which helps her edge over this mark.

MY PICKS: Barbora Krejcikova - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 William Hill (2 Units)

Anastasia Potapova - 3.5 Games @ 1.90 Bet365 (2 Units)

Shelby Rogers - 4.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Paula Badosa + 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Season 2021: - 1.98 Units (385.5 Units Staked, - 0.01% Yield)

Miami Tennis Picks 2016 (March 23rd)

The big news around tennis this week is once again the pay given to the players on the WTA and ATP Tour and it feels like this is a non-issue that keeps rearing its head every few months.

Ray Moore was the catalyst for the latest discussion thanks to some ill-advised comments made, comments that have cost him his job as tournament director in Indian Wells. Most correctly criticised Moore for his comments especially when you consider the position he was in as a tournament director of one of the big events below the Grand Slam level.

However the story developed when it seemed Novak Djokovic also believes he and his fellow professionals on the ATP Tour should be paid more than his counterparts on the WTA Tour. Since then the World Number 1 has sought to clarify what he was trying to say during an 'emotional time' but notably Djokovic has not actually backtracked from his initial response.


For me it is a boring story because I do agree that equal prize money is the right move, even if at this moment the ATP Tour is the stronger of the two. However I know the late 90's was more about women's tennis in terms of the entertainment value, while the ATP Tour does currently offer more prize money as we go down the level of tournaments being played where there aren't shared tournaments taking place.

It is little surprise that so many of the top WTA players have come out and shown their disappointment not only with Moore and his initial comments, but also of Novak Djokovic's response. I am also not at all surprised that Andy Murray has been critical of Djokovic's comments considering the strong female voices he has in his camp, but I imagine many of the ATP Tour probably agree with the best player on their Tour.


Tennis seemingly can't avoid the controversial issues opening up 2016, but this is a story that has gained legs despite it not really being one that deserves it. If Djokovic hadn't said what he had, I am sure the story would have ended with Moore's resignation as it should be, but I have a feeling that Djokovic's comments have just highlighted what so many on the ATP Tour might be feeling.

Hopefully the rest of the Miami Open tournament will be focused on events on the court rather than those off it.


The opening day of the tournament proved a good one for the picks with both on Tuesday coming in as winners on the day. It took Margarita Gasparyan and Danka Kovinic to dig in deep in the second set of their outright wins on Tuesday to get the week off to a positive start after a very good ten days at Indian Wells.

Hopefully Wednesday can keep the positive trend going as the ATP Masters First Round gets underway as well as the conclusion of the WTA Premier Event First Round matches with some of those matches being played on Tuesday.


Rajeev Ram - 1.5 games v Evgeny Donskoy: Neither one of these players has enjoyed too much success at this level of the ATP Tour, but Rajeev Ram has definitely produced more positive results than Evgeny Donskoy in 2016. There have been some decent runs at the Challenger level from Donskoy, but nothing that matches Ram reaching the Final at Delray Beach.

The layers are on the right track in believing there isn't much between these players and I can see a few big moments here and there making the entire difference between winning and losing. I won't be surprised if we do see this match going into a deciding set, but ultimately I believe Ram's better successes on the main Tour will help him battle through this First Round.

I am not sure the conditions in Miami will really suit Ram's game with the courts a little slower, but his first serve is still strong enough to set up the points for him. There isn't a lot about the Ram game that would really impress outside of that, but he can make enough returns to give Donskoy something to think about especially if the Russian is not in top form.

There have been some close losses suffered by Donskoy this season and I think he will have a full belief that he can win a match like this in the conditions in Miami. However the fact that he has lost those close matches might mean Ram has the edge when things are tight and I will back him to come through with a 63, 36, 64 win.


Vasek Pospisil - 2.5 games v Diego Sebastian Schwartzman: It has been a pretty miserable 2016 for Vasek Pospisil on the Singles Tour although that has yet to reflect in a considerable drop in the World Rankings. He has done a lot of losing in the opening weeks of the season although it has to be said that the majority of his losses have come in matches he was 'expected' to lose.

The Canadian has to bring a big serving day to the office if he is going to come through this First Round match against Diego Sebastian Schwartzman. The Argentinian had an early exit at Indian Wells, but he did play well in a Challenger tournament in Irving where Schwartzman beat someone as capable as Gilles Muller.

The conditions in Miami should suit Schwartzman as the slower hard court will give him a chance to play the match like a clay court. Obviously Miami is faster than the clay courts Schwartzman will usually play on, but this is a tournament where the ball won't fly through the court and the ability that Schwartzman has to defend should help him make this very competitive.

However I do think Pospisil's first serve is going to be a key for him as well as an ability to get to the net to prevent Schwartzman from simply chipping the ball back into play when under pressure. The way Pospisil has been playing makes it hard to believe he will win this in straight sets, but I do think he can get the better of Schwartzman who was beaten handily by Robin Haase in Indian Wells and I think the Canadian wins this one 63, 67, 64.


Christine McHale - 2.5 games v Misaki Doi: We might see Christine McHale lower down in the World Rankings than Misaki Doi, and the latter might have won the tournament in San Antonio last week, but I still think the American can come through this First Round match.

McHale will have earned some confidence from her run at Indian Wells where she beat the likes of Caroline Garcia and Garbine Muguruza before coming up short against Sam Stosur. The two wins were very impressive and she will be well rested while Doi has to hope she has had enough time to prepare for another tournament off a title win.

It wasn't a surprise that Doi decided to make the trip to San Antonio having been beaten in the First Round at Indian Wells. It wasn't the deepest draw in Texas for Doi to deal with although she did have a couple of strong wins and that makes her dangerous.

However she has lost all four previous matches against McHale including a fairly straight-forward loss in Auckland earlier this season. The power of McHale has been a factor with her serve being difficult for Doi to handle, but the slower Miami courts might make sure that this is a closer match than the last one.

Even in saying that, I do think McHale will have the majority of the break points in this one and I can see her taking her chances to cover this number and book her place in the Second Round of another Premier Event.

MY PICKS: Rajeev Ram - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Vasek Pospisil - 2.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Christine McHale - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Miami Update: 2-0, + 3.48 Units (4 Units Staked, + 87% Yield)

Miami Tennis Picks 2014 (March 23rd)

On Saturday, the news broke in the Argentinian press that Juan Martin Del Potro is likely to be missing the rest of the season with the second wrist surgery he is about to undergo in the last four years.

It is a real shame for Del Potro who showed so much promise after winning the US Open 2009, especially as it took around eighteen months to two years to really get back to that form after the first wrist surgery. Of course he is trying to put a positive spin on things by suggesting he won't be wasting time on a diagnosis, but this looked a good time to really make another impact at Grand Slam level, as Stanislas Wawrinka  did at the Australian Open.

There is also the question mark about Del Potro and whether he will ever recover to the level he showed in 2009 when he looked to be the player most likely to break the dominance of the 'Big Four'. Recovering from a wrist injury for a tennis player to be the most difficult recovery and we have seen players fail to reach the levels they have performed at before those injuries.

I personally think it will be difficult for Del Potro to return as the force of old, but I hope to see him back on the Tour as soon as possible. He seems to be one of the nicer guys out there and I think it would be a disappointment if we don't get to see him at his best in big matches in the future.


I have to say I was very close to earning the win from the only pick I made from the matches on Saturday, but Maria Sharapova couldn't take her match points in the second set that would have allowed Lucie Safarova. It was a competitive match for the almost three hours they were out there, but Safarova should have covered with the 4.5 games head-start considering she had a double break in the second set, but had to settle for a tie-break win.

That hasn't helped the week total to this point, but I haven't made too many picks from the week so far so hopefully there is better luck to come in the days ahead.


Tommy Robredo - 1.5 games v Julien Benneteau: The hard courts may not be the favourite surface of Tommy Robredo, but he is certainly capable of playing on these types of courts, particularly the slower courts in Miami.

The match against Julien Benneteau presents a good chance to get through to the next Round after he already beat the Frenchman at the Australian Open earlier this season.

It will be hard work in the match as both have to really win points behind the serve and won't have a lot of cheap points, while there is every chance that the match will go the distance as both players can go off the boil at times.

After a testing couple of hours, I think Robredo will be the one that grinds out the win and he looks a decent price to do that in this match.


Roger Federer - 5.5 games v Thiemo de Bakker: Roger Federer has been in pretty strong form and has been talking up his feelings of waking up without pain for the last couple of weeks.

That has looked like being the main course of his poor 2013 season, but Federer has looked as good as he has for a few years in the opening months of 2014.

He dismissed Ivo Karlovic behind an ever-improving serve and the aggressive brand of tennis is paying off for the former World Number 1. While Thiemo de Bakker has a big serve himself, I can see Federer making enough balls back in play to find a couple of breaks of serve in one set in this match.

Unlike Karlovic, de Bakker likes to mix things from the back of the court and that will enable Federer to chip the ball into play and get involved in the extended rallies that I like him to win more often than not. With that in mind, a 64, 62 win for Federer doesn't look that out of place in this Third Round match.

MY PICKS: Tommy Robredo - 1.5 Games @ 1.83 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Roger Federer - 5.5 Games @ 1.92 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Miami Update: 3-4, - 2.20 Units (14 Units Staked, 

Tennis Picks Miami 2013 (March 23rd)

I have to spend much of the day away from a computer so I will be putting up my picks from the tournament in Miami through the mobile.

Suffice to say, the picks won't be coming with analysis today because my fat fingers don't work so well on the iPhone!

MY PICKS: Richard Gasquet - 5.5 Games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Nicholas Almagro - 5.5 Ganes @ 2.14 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Marin Cilic - 4.5 Games @ 1.92 Pinnacle (2 Units)

Tennis Picks March 23rd (Miami)

It was an interesting day yesterday as the First Round of the Men's event was completed, with the picks going 2-2 for a small profit.

I have to say I am still surprised that this tournament does not begin its TV coverage until the last matches of the Second Round are to be completed and, in the Women's case, not until the Third Round. The fact that we get coverage of entire ATP 250 events means it is a little weird not to have coverage of one of the big events outside of Grand Slam level.

Miami has always been described as the 'unofficial fifth major' so can you imagine if the Australian Open or Wimbledon decided there would be no TV coverage until the end of the Second Round matches? I have no idea what the thinking behind this is, but hopefully that is something that will be addressed sooner rather than later.

It was also a shame that Fernando Gonzalez' last match on the Tour was not televised, although you can catch the tribute the ATP put together for him. The Chilean was one of my favourite players to watch, especially when the forehand was firing, and I think he is a real character that will be missed. Hopefully he enjoys all he is going to do in the future.

It's a tough day to pick games I think with a lot of matches leaving me very much mixed in my emotions as to who will win, while others look short in the prices without me having enough faith in their opponents to take advantage. Therefore, I will only make the one pick today:


Janko Tipsarevic v David Nalbandian: I am only taking this as I think the Serbian represents some value, especially considering he was the favourite to win when these two players met at Indian Wells around ten days ago.

It is great to see David Nalbandian playing the tennis he is at the moment and I think he could have resurgent year if he can stay healthy. Nalbandian has no points to protect over the next couple of months until we get to Queens in June and there is a real chance he will get back into the top 32 in the Rankings if he can continue playing as well as he was at Indian Wells.

However, he beat Tipsarevic there in three sets, a match that could have easily gone the other way, and I just don't think Nalbandian should be favoured against a top 10 player just yet.

Tipsarevic is a solid player so if Nalbandian's form has dropped a little, I think the Serb can make his Ranking tell and earn his first professional win over the Argentine.


MY PICK: Janko Tipsarevic @ 2.00 Paddy Power (1 Unit)


Weekly Update: 2-2, + 0.17 Units (4 Units Staked)