Tennis Picks 2024 (Thursday 8th February)

A mixed bag of results on Wednesday were a touch frustrating considering the amount of opportunities that were missed by the final selection of the day.

It is something that has been common in 2024, but the Picks have largely performed better this week and the Thursday selections will come from the WTA Abu Dhabi and ATP Marseille events being played.

Hopefully another winning day can be produced and this week can be the positive start of the recovery period that I have been looking for after the truly rough Australian Open.

Elena Rybakina - 3.5 games v Danielle Collins: Priorities certainly can change for all athletes, but especially female athletes that wish to start a family.

That is the situation for Danielle Collins even if some have suspected the frustrating injuries that have seen her World Ranking drop from Number 7 in July 2022 to her current Number 71 spot.

This is going to be the final year on the Tour and Collins has already shown that she wants to go out with some serious memories left on the court. After pushing Iga Swiatek all the way, and perhaps even blowing the chance to beat the top Seed in the Australian Open, the American crushed Naomi Osaka in the First Round in Abu Dhabi and that gives her a real edge in terms of knowing what to expect when Collins heads out onto the court.

She is facing Elena Rybakina who had a disappointing Second Round exit in Melbourne when going down 22-20 in an epic Tie-Breaker.

A title has already been won by Rybakina on the hard courts this season and she will be looking to bounce back when heading to the Middle East for the big tournaments before Indian Wells and Miami. Elena Rybakina knows she needs to string the wins together now before the clay court portion of the season and her big game will be tough for Danielle Collins to contain.

That was the case in the two hard court matches played between Elena Rybakina and Danielle Collins in 2023 and the former had a massive edge when it comes to the serving numbers.

You can never tell how a player is feeling after having almost three weeks off from the Tour and playing a first match in an event, but Rybakina could have too much power for Danielle Collins as long as she serves well.

An aggressive return game will keep Collins under pressure too and the World Number 5 can put a big win on the board.

Felix Auger-Aliassime - 3.5 games v Zhizhen Zhang: It has been a difficult twelve months for Felix Auger-Aliassime and he can be a tough player to trust to cover spreads with his relatively poor return performances.

He looked good in his first match in Marseille and Auger-Aliassime is likely going to receive plenty of support.

Serving well will always give him a chance to put some scoreboard pressure on opponents and he is facing some with a lot less experience in Zhizhen Zhang.

The three tournament losses suffered by Zhizhen Zhang this season have all been against top 20 Ranked opponents- Felix Auger-Aliassime is not amongst those numbers right now in his career, but he is capable of that level and Zhang may struggle to stick with this opponent if the Canadian can find his best.

In the matches against top 100 Ranked opponents, Zhizhen Zhang has really struggled to have an impact on the return and that is expected to be the case here.

And while the Felix Auger-Aliassime return is not always the most impressive part of his tennis, he has broken in 24% of return games played this season. This is a small sample and maintaining that level will be the challenge for Auger-Aliassime, but he can impose his tennis on this match and earn a solid win.

MY PICKS: Elena Rybakina - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Felix Auger-Aliassime - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 4-3, + 0.66 Units (14 Units Staked, + 4.71% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2024 (Tuesday 6th February)

It has been a really poor start to the season for the Tennis Picks and that means there is a lot of work to do in order to turn things around.

However, it is a marathon not a sprint and it would be a big mistake to chase from the off.

Instead the plan is to rebuild slowly and that means putting strong weeks together as the Tours move into big tournaments in the Middle East before the two hard court Masters events played in North America.

That also means there will not be selections every day as I tighten the approach a little bit after a frustrating time at the Australian Open.

The first Grand Slam of 2024 was a good one as far as entertainment goes and the two Champions, Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka, will both feel they can add to the big titles won.

They will know there are a number of contenders that will be keen to bounce back and it looks like a good season is in store for all of the fans around the world.

It is the hard court events that continue to be the main focus for the players, but the Golden Swing in South America is another strong part of the Tour schedule.

We have some big Ranking points on offer over the next month before both the ATP and WTA Tours combine to play at Indian Wells and Miami and the focus for these pages is getting the season moving in a positive direction.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina - 1.5 games v Gregoire Barrere: An early exit in Montpellier has continued the poor start to the season made by Gregoire Barrere.

His two wins this season have been against the then World Number 256 and 214 and the confidence has to be a little dented after the defeats around those victories.

The home crowd will be behind him and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina is returning to the Tour for the first time since his surprising defeat in the Second Round at the Australian Open. The Spaniard is going to have to deal with the emotion of facing a home player, while the serve is not as strong as it should be on the faster surfaces.

However, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina did earn a good looking win over Hubert Hurkacz in the build up to the Australian Open and that is the best win either of these players have produced.

Gregoire Barrere has had some successes on the hard courts, while he did produce some solid indoor hard court tennis at this time of the season twelve months ago. He did not put together that kind of level in Montpellier last week, but in 2023 Gregoire Barrere had played well there, in Rotterdam and here in Marseille.

On his best day, Barrere has a decent enough serve, but his return game is not as effective as Alejandro Davidovich Fokina's. This could be the difference in this First Round match and the higher Ranked player can find a way to move past the home player.

Denis Shapovalov - 2.5 games v Hugo Gaston: Injury and a loss of form has contributed to Denis Shapovalov slipping out of the top 100 in the World Rankings, but he can frank his win over Hugo Gaston from last week by beating the same opponent again.

It has been a difficult opening month on the ATP Tour for Denis Shapovalov who has lost three of the four matches played.

The one exception was his win over Hugo Gaston when the lefty dropped just four games as he dominated the Frenchman in all aspects of the match.

Two wins in the Qualifying Rounds will have given Hugo Gaston a boost in confidence, although he will have noted the gap in level that will need to be bridged if he is going to turn the result around.

Hugo Gaston does not have the most productive serve and that does tend to put a lot of pressure on his return game. Over the last twelve months, Gaston has only held 73% of his service games played on the hard courts, and he was broken four times by Denis Shapovalov last week.

While Hugo Gaston has been able to return well enough to make up for the inefficient serve, it was very difficult for him to push Shapovalov last week. Having that experience will certainly help Gaston to prepare for this First Round match, but Denis Shapovalov showed enough in Montpellier to believe he may be approaching some of his best form and he can get the better of this opponent again.

Yannick Hanfmann - 2.5 games v Juan Pablo Varillas: The South American Golden Swing is seen as a very good chance for the clay court specialists to really get their 2024 season underway after the hard court tennis played over the last month.

Both Yannick Hanfmann and Juan Pablo Varillas are very comfortable on the surface and both will arrive in Cordoba hoping for a better run than 2023.

Early exits were the order of the day for Hanfmann and Varillas last year and this is the first clay court match of the season for either.

There is very little doubting the qualities of both of these players when it comes to the tennis on the red dirt, but it was Yannick Hanfmann who showed a bit more last season. Neither enjoyed much positive form in the opening month of the season, but the slightly superior return performances produced by Hanfmann on the clay courts over the last twelve months should help him come through.

He has also won all three previous matches against Varillas and all three wins have been on the clay courts.

Yannick Hanfmann's win last year in Madrid was the toughest of the three victories over this opponent, but he still holds the mental edge.

The German has been the stronger player in the return part of any match against Juan Pablo Varillas and Yannick Hanfmann can find a way to earn the breaks of serve to cover this mark.

MY PICKS: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina - 1.5 Games @ 1.75 Coral (2 Units)

Denis Shapovalov - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Yannick Hanfmann - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Tennis Picks 2022 (February 14th)

I took a little time away from the Tennis Picks after the Australian Open, but there are some big tournaments to be played through the remainder of February.

This week there are five tournaments across the ATP and WTA Tours and that includes a couple of events with plenty of Ranking points attached in Dubai and Rio.

Monday is usually one of the quieter days of the week as tournaments complete Qualifiers and only a few of the First Round matches are scheduled to be played. I will add any selections from the tournaments in Rio and Delray Beach to this thread, but these will be the opening selections of the week.

Barbora Krejcikova - 5.5 games v Caroline Garcia: Andy Murray once famously stated that he believed Caroline Garcia was going to be the Number 1 Singles player on the WTA Tour, but the career high World Ranking has been Number 4 for the Frenchwoman. That Ranking was earned back in September 2018, but things have been much tougher over recent months and Caroline Garcia needs a big tournament to stop the decline as she has slipped to the edge of dropping out of the top 70 of the World Rankings.

Big points are available to her in Dubai this week, but Caroline Garcia had a poor Australian summer with a single win in four Singles matches played. An early loss at the Australian Open will have really hurt when you think of the performance produced by Caroline Garcia on the day, but now she has to take on players that are going to be amongst the best on the Tour in what is regularly an important tournament in this part of the Middle East.

Soon this will be a tournament that Caroline Garcia will not be able to play in without going through the Qualifiers and it is imperative for her to produce big wins over the coming weeks before heading onto the clay courts of Europe.

Caroline Garcia could have asked for a much easier draw than facing Barbora Krejcikova in the First Round in Dubai- she will have some mental hurdles to overcome having been beaten by this opponent in Australia while winning just two games.

Losses to Madison Keys and Paula Badosa over the Australian summer don't look terrible when you think of how well both of those players are playing, but Barbora Krejcikova has increased expectations as the World Number 3 and as a Grand Slam Champion. The Czech player reached the Final in Dubai last year before really announcing herself as one of the top performers on the WTA Tour, and her numbers on the serve and return so far in 2022 are very encouraging.

It has been the return where Caroline Garcia have really struggled in her matches over the first month of the season and I expect that is going to be an issue for her here. When they met in Sydney, Barbora Krejcikova had 12 break points compared to a single one for Caroline Garcia and I do think the higher Ranked player is going to have the better of the play.

This is a big spread, but Barbora Krejcikova has covered this number of games in both her previous wins against this opponent. With a serve that is pretty decent, Barbora Krejcikova can get her teeth into the return and eventually pull away for a comfortable enough passage through to the Second Round here.

Simona Halep - 5.5 games v Alison Riske: After turning 30 in September last year and with injuries perhaps hindering some of her tennis, Simona Halep may have been at a crossroads in her career. It didn't take long for the Romanian to knuckle down and look to return to the top of the WTA Tour and the main goal for the 2022 season has to be recovering to move back inside the top 10 of the World Rankings.

Her performances in Australia certainly suggest that Simona Halep is capable of doing that in what is a wide open Tour and it was a good start to the year to reach the Australian Open Fourth Round and also win a title in Melbourne. Simona Halep will be demanding more from herself though and will believe she missed an opportunity at the first Grand Slam of the season having looked in very good form before losing to Alize Cornet.

This is a good chance for Simona Halep to keep the momentum going after producing some very strong performances already this season and looking like she is getting back to her best. The serve can sometimes be a little vulnerable, but Simona Halep has been returning really well in 2022 and has won 55% of return points already played.

That is a very impressive number and it is certainly going to be good enough to give Alison Riske plenty to think about, although the American is a hard working player that definitely gets the most out of the talent she possesses. She has regularly been an effective hard court player without pulling up trees, but Alison Riske never shies away from the challenge that is given to her from the top players on the Tour.

Alison Riske has not returned as well as she would have liked in 2022, while her serve is one that can be attacked and that is an issue for her in this match up. At least Simona Halep is unlikely to overpower Alison Riske, but the longer rallies should see the higher Ranked player come out on top enough times to move into a position to cover this spread in this First Round match.

The American has taken a set from Simona Halep in two of the three matches played between them, and their sole hard court match was very competitive. However, I think Halep has been producing the stronger tennis by some distance so far in the early weeks of the season and I think that will be enough for her to attack the Alison Riske serve and work her way to the cover of this spread.

Mikael Ymer - 1.5 games v Richard Gasquet: The 36th birthday is coming up in a few months and injuries have begun to take their toll on Richard Gasquet as he has dropped to Number 77 in the World Rankings. He clearly still has a desire to compete having taken part in a number of Challenger events to close out 2021 as the Frenchman looks to have an Indian summer to his long career.

The numbers suggest it is going to be a tough ask for Richard Gasquet to do that as his body has broken down, although he did reach the Quarter Final in Montpellier following the Australian Open.

However, that tournament was ended by Mikael Ymer who is the opponent he will face in the First Round in Marseille. The Swedish player has struggled to really bring his tennis to the full ATP Tour level, but he has made a positive start to the 2022 season and Mikael Ymer has had plenty of time to get used to the conditions in Marseille having been beaten early in Rotterdam.

He had reached the Semi Final in Montpellier before being beaten by Alexander Zverev and Mikael Ymer beat a couple of Frenchmen at that tournament, including Richard Gasquet. The return game has been hugely important for Mikael Ymer so far this season with breaks in 27% of return games played, and that has been key considering he has a vulnerable serve that opponents do look to attack.

Richard Gasquet hasn't really had the same level of success on the return as Mikael Ymer and that was the case when they met earlier this month. He has only broken in 16% of return games played and won 7% fewer return points than Ymer when these two players met in the Quarter Final in Montpellier and I am looking for Mikael Ymer to frank that form.

I do think it can be hard to trust the younger player when you think of his serve and the vulnerabilities has had on that shot, but Mikael Ymer returned well enough against Richard Gasquet in the two previous matches against him. He has won both of those in France and I think the Swede can complete the hat-trick by seeing off the veteran in the First Round.

When Mikael Ymer has won, he has tended to do so by a good margin and I think he can do that here. Richard Gasquet can give him opponent something to think about with the adjustments he is likely to make, but that may not be enough and I will look for the favourite to move through.

MY PICKS: Barbora Krejcikova - 5.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Simona Halep - 5.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Mikael Ymer - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Tennis Picks 2021 (March 12th)

The tournaments are getting down to the final couple of days as the Semi Final and Quarter Final matches scheduled for Friday are set to be played.

A busy day means this thread is far shorter than the previous ones this past week, but you can see my selections below for those set to go on Friday.

MY PICKS: Barbora Krejcikova - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Daniil Medvedev - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Pierre-Hugues Herbert + 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Arthur Rinderknech-Ugo Humbert Over 22.5 Games @ 1.90 Bet365 (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 9-9, - 2.38 Units (36 Units Staked, - 6.61% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2020 (February 18th)

There are always going to be some ups and downs over the course of eleven months when you are making daily Tennis Picks from the Tour.

That was the case on Monday, although the frustration of being able to pick two players who ended up dominating the break point chances but did not win or cover will have hurt. To make it more disappointing, the fact that neither player lost more points than their opponent in their First Round matches will have really stung.

However it wasn't a complete write off of a day and there is plenty of chances to turn the week around. I have had slow starts and ended up with winning weeks already in 2020 and I will be looking for this week to do the same without chasing anything.

Over the last thirty months the system used has worked well to provide big profits and I will look to keep that going as long as it continues to be successful.


There are a lot of matches to come on Tuesday as the majority of First Round matches in the four tournaments being played are set to get onto the courts. However I have found selections hard to come by in Dubai and Marseille and any Tennis Picks from Rio de Janeiro and Delray Beach will be added to this thread.


Elina Svitolina - 1.5 games v Jennifer Brady: Playing over in Thailand and travelling to Dubai might not be ideal, but Elina Svitolina should have had enough time to adjust from the flight and the changing time zone. More worrying for the Ukrainian may be the continued slow start made to the 2020 season which saw her upset in the Quarter Final in Hua Hin a few days ago.

Being back in these surroundings may also help Elina Svitolina who has won the title here in 2017 and 2018 and last season was a Semi Finalist. The conditions should suit her game, but Svitolina will know she has to be stronger if she is going to have another good run in Dubai.

A loaded main draw means there are not likely to be too many easy matches for any player heading into this tournament. With that in mind Elina Svitolina can't afford to make a slow start when facing off against American Jennifer Brady who has been a comfortable hard court player and made a good start to the 2020 season and with three Qualifying wins in Dubai to give her further confidence.

The Brady serve has been a big weapon for her and makes her dangerous for any opponent to face, although I do think the overall numbers are aided by facing a number of lower Ranked players already in 2020. Jennifer Brady does have a win over Ashleigh Barty this season which has to be respected, but her service numbers are significantly down from the overall mark when considering matches against top 50 Ranked opponents alone.

In this First Round match Brady is facing an opponent who is a decent return player on the hard courts and I think Elina Svitolina will be able to at least make her mark on the return games. The bigger question might be about the Svitolina serve which has been a struggle in the opening seven weeks of the season, although I do expect her to be aided by the relatively poor return numbers Jennifer Brady has had against those top 50 Ranked opponents that have been faced.

These two have met once before back in 2016, but that match should not have a major impact on the way this one goes. Conditions in Dubai might help Jennifer Brady if she gets into a strong rhythm serving, but I do think Elina Svitolina should have enough about her to come through with a win and a cover.

I do think the Brady return game may hinder her chances of an upset in the First Round, although it might need three competitive sets to get the job done for the higher Ranked players.


Belinda Bencic - 1.5 games v Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova: The top of the WTA Rankings move all the time, but I was still a little surprised to see Belinda Bencic at Number 4 in the World. The start to 2020 has not really backed up that World Ranking and another relatively early loss in St Petersburg means the Swiss player will be looking for a bounce back in Dubai.

Playing in this tournament means accepting that there are no easy matches and Bencic has been put together with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the First Round. The Russian has never quite done enough to crack the top 10 of the World Rankings in her career and she is down at Number 31 coming into this tournament, but Pavlyuchenkova did reach the Quarter Final at the Australian Open last month.

She is playing her first tournament since Melbourne, but the strong showing there will give Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova confidence after beating two top 20 Ranked opponents in the first Grand Slam of the season. However it does have to be said that her numbers to open 2020 have continued to be relatively average on the hard courts and that should give Belinda Bencic the chance to put a good win on the board.

We all know that Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova has a very good first serve that can set up some easy points, and she has been getting a high percentage of first serves in play which makes her a bit more dangerous. That is doubled up by the fact that Belinda Bencic can be a little disappointing when it comes to the return, although the head to head shows the Swiss player seemingly gets a better read of what Pavlyuchenkova is trying to do with the serve.

Those head to heads lean heavily in favour of Bencic who has won two of the three previous hard court matches between these players too. In the last two Bencic has created a lot more break points and I do think her serve could be the superior shot in this match too which gives her the chance to win and cover the line on her way through to the Second Round.

Her early season form is a touch disappointing, but the numbers are being hurt by two one-sided losses and in the last week in St Petersburg Belinda Bencic looked to be turning her form. With the head to head and the successes she has had on the return compared with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, I will look for the top ten player to win here.


Karen Khachanov - 2.5 games v Aljaz Bedene: There might be quite a few matches scheduled to be played in Marseille on Tuesday, but the only First Round match that fits the criteria for my Tennis Picks comes from the last one that is scheduled to be played.

Both Aljaz Bedene and Karen Khachanov will feel they can have a strong run in the tournament if they can come through this First Round match. There is enough to like from their early season form to believe they can get this done too, although it is Khachanov who may have the mental edge having won all three previous matches between these players, albeit all of them coming on the clay courts.

Those matches were also played at a time when Khachanov was still making his initial breakthrough on the Tour, but he is now an established top 20 Ranked player. The Russian may have had some of the limelight taken away by the performances of Daniil Medvedev over the last six months, and Karen Khachanov has not played as well in opening tournaments as he would have liked, but the numbers have been solid enough.

He will be disappointed that he is not getting a little more out of the serve having opened 2020 with holds of serve in 83% of games played on the hard courts. Where Karen Khachanov has played well is in return games having produced breaks of serve in 22% of return games which is significantly better than Aljaz Bedene's mark.

If the Bedene return was a little stronger he would have a much better record than his 5-5 hard court record so far this week, but confidence should be high having beaten Stefanos Tsitsipas last week in Rotterdam. He might not be one of the taller players on the Tour, but Bedene has got a lot out of his serve and that has led to 87% of service games being held to open the season.

The numbers on that side are strong and need to be respected, but it has been tougher over the last twelve months when facing top 50 Ranked opponents on the hard courts. I do have to respect the fact that Aljaz Bedene's serve has been tough to break down, but I also think the slightly superior returning of Karen Khachanov can see him use his own serve to pressure the Slovenian into potentially giving up a couple of chances to break.

It will be important for Karen Khachanov to serve well and perhaps break down any confidence that Aljaz Bedene picked up last week in Rotterdam, but he can do that and that might be key to the outcome of this one. The Russian can use his power and success as Marseille Champion in 2018 to give him the edge in this First Round match.

MY PICKS: Elina Svitolina - 1.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)
Belinda Bencic - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 William Hill (2 Units)
Karen Khachanov - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Miomir Kecmanovic - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 2-3, - 2.74 Units (10 Units Staked, - 27.40% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2020 (February 17th)

In 2019 I begun the season with a strong run of winning weeks on which the foundation for the season successes were built upon. That followed a strong finish to 2018 to put another profitable season in the books and I was hoping the 2020 season would see a good opening put together too.

Thanks to a couple of weeks ending strongly and a pretty consistent last week it has been the case and a third winning week of tournaments was produced at the end of the previous set of events.

A 3-1 Saturday from the Semi Final Tennis Picks ensured another positive week was produced, but there is no time to pat ourselves on the back as a new game begins on Monday.


This week we have two important tournaments being played, one each on the ATP and WTA Tours- the former have an ATP 500 event in Rio de Janeiro on the clay courts, while the top names on the WTA Tour head to the Middle East for the first of two important events as a Premier Event is played in Dubai before a bigger event in Doha next week.

Without a doubt the biggest news story going into this set of tournaments has to be the return of Kim Clijsters at 36 years old. The last time we saw this multiple time Grand Slam Champion was back at the US Open in 2012, but Clijsters announced she was looking to return to the Tour and a slight delay to the time frame means she is back and ready to go in Dubai.

This is a big tournament so it is no surprise she has been handed a very tough opening match, but the layers might be off with their prices and Kim Clijsters is hard to ignore with a 6.5 game head start.  I won't be going with her as the rhythm may be a little off, but this is a top player and we have seen Kim Clijsters come back from some time away from the Tour and still return to close to her very best tennis.

Of course at 36 years old it is a lot different when doing the same in your mid-20s, but I wish Clijsters the very best and I hope she gets all she wants out of her return to the Tour.


In a lot of the weeks on the Tour we do see the early days of the tournaments being filled with Qualifiers being completed and a shortage of matches can mean a shortage of Tennis Picks. That may not be the case this week with the tournament in Dubai concluding on a Saturday, while there are three other events in Marseille, Delray Beach and Rio de Janeiro that are also getting underway.

Any selections from the tournaments in North and South America will be added to this thread and you can also see the updated season totals for the Tennis Picks below.


Amanda Anisimova - 3.5 games v Barbora Strycova: 2019 was a difficult year for the 18 year old Amanda Anisimova who is a supreme talent on the WTA Tour. She did reach the French Open Semi Final and was beaten by the eventual Champion Ashleigh Barty, but injuries hurt in the second half of the year.

Nothing would have prepared the American for the unexpected passing of her father who had been a huge influence on her career and I think Amanda Anisimova has to be given some space to get over that. While it is never going to be easy to lose a parent, Amanda Anisimova has come into the 2020 season looking to fulfil the promise her father felt she had and I do think the current World Number 29 is as talented as any youngster on the Tour.

It has not been the most ideal beginnings to the new season with the early loss at the Australian Open particularly disappointing. However over the last couple of years we have seen the kind of potential Anisimova has on the Tour and she has played well enough on the hard courts to believe she can get the better of the veteran Barbora Strycova.

A strong 2019 overall has helped the Czech player improve to Number 30 in the World Rankings, but Strycova has had her main success as a Doubles player and reached Number 1 in those Rankings. Even with that in mind, Strycova has constantly mentioned retirement even while reaching the Wimbledon Semi Final and it was still on her mind before the 2020 season begun.

That has perhaps contributed to a 1-3 start to the season on the hard courts as Strycova plays her first Singles tournament since the Australian Open too. Over the last year Barbora Strycova has found it more and more difficult in hard court matches as she has perhaps lost some of the energy around the court and a relatively vulnerable serve now looks more exposed when you think of the downward trend on her returning numbers.

While the Amanda Anisimova serve has not been operating at full tilt in 2020, she is definitely the stronger returner of the two players having won 47% points against serve compared with Barbora Strycova's 42% mark so far. Even looking back over a twelve month period you can see the Anisimova return has been superior and I also believe her serve is more likely to set up a couple more holds than the Strycova one which gives the young American the edge.

These two players met a little over two years ago when it was the veteran who was higher Ranked, but I do think Amanda Anisimova is much improved from when she beat Barbora Strycova 6-3, 6-3 in Auckland and I will look for her to win and cover here.


Alison Riske - 1.5 games v Ons Jabeur: When these two players last met a little over two years ago, both Alison Riske and Ons Jabeur had to enter Qualifiers to earn a spot at some of the biggest tournaments on the Tour. At that tournament in Miami, Riske and Jabeur were both Ranked outside the top 100 in the World Rankings, but times have changed for both.

In fact both players enter this tournament at a career best World Ranking with Alison Riske at Number 18 and Ons Jabeur at Number 45. The latter reached the Australian Open Quarter Final last month and, at 25 years old, Ons Jabeur will feel she is ready to take another step in her career.

Alison Riske was unfortunate to lose her Fourth Round match at the Australian Open last month, but she is playing with confidence. Her hard court numbers are a touch disappointing in recent years as you would expect most North American players to be very comfortable on the surface, but Riske has opened 2020 in fine form and I do think she is going to have a slight edge in the match which can see her move through to the Second Round.

Confidence won't be an issue for Ons Jabeur either after playing so well in Melbourne, but her overall hard court numbers are inflated by facing some overmatched opponents who are not Ranked inside the top 100. The Tunisian rode her luck a little bit in her run at the Australian Open and the hard court numbers are not as impressive when focusing on the level of opponent she has been facing.

It is the serve which has proven to be vital for Jabeur in the early part of 2020 and it will be interesting to see if she can maintain numbers which are significantly better than what we have seen from her in recent years. The second serve in particular has been strong for this player, although the return numbers have remained steady and so there will be pressure on Jabeur to make sure she keeps serving at the level she has opened in 2020.

The Alison Riske serve can be a little hit and miss, but she has been returning very well and it is a part of her game that is a touch stronger than Jabeur's. It might prove to be the return of serve that can help Riske beat Jabeur for the second time in their professional meetings and I am going to look for the American player to do just enough behind her own serve to cover this line even if the match needs three sets to separate them.


Marketa Vondrousova - 3.5 games v Anastasija Sevastova: The final First Round match being played in Dubai on Monday features two players who have both been on the brink of cracking the top 10 of the World Rankings in their career. However things have been a little more difficult for Anastasija Sevastova in recent months which has seen her drop out of the top 40 in the World Rankings.

The Latvian lost her opening four matches in 2020, but stunned Serena Williams in a Fed Cup match earlier this month. That victory has to give her some confidence, but Sevastova will have to find her rhythm very quickly in this match against a young Czech player who looks like she is still improving in each passing week.

Marketa Vondrousova has not had the best start to 2020 and she might be much more comfortable on the clay courts, but 2019 showed she is more than capable of playing on this surface too. The lefty serve will give her an edge against opponents, although we have yet to see that this season, while Vondrousova has been returning well and can at least pressure Sevastova.

A part of the reason we may have seen a slower start to 2020 for Marketa Vondrousova is the lay off from the Tour after Wimbledon last year, but she looks like she does have room for improvement on the start made.

The two players actually have very similar numbers behind serve to open the season, but Vondrousova has a clear edge when it comes to the return of serve and that could be evident in this match. Conditions will be a lot different compared with when they played at Roland Garros in 2019, but we did see Marketa Vondrousova dominate that match thanks to her return of serve and over the last twelve months the younger player has won 48% of return points played on this surface compared with the 41% mark Anastasija Sevastova has produced.

Dubai has tended to be amongst the faster hard courts we see on the Tour and that may aid Anastasija Sevastova, but I do think Marketa Vondrousova is the stronger player. Breaks of serve might be coming at a high rate in this one, but I will look for the superior returning of the Czech youngster to prove to be a difference on the day and lead to a good looking win.


Benoit Paire - 1.5 games v Gregoire Barrere: The third indoor hard court of the month in Europe begins in Marseille this week and two Frenchmen meet in the First Round looking to begin a strong run at the event. Out of the two players it is Gregoire Barrere who has at least put some wins on the board since the end of the Australian Open as Benoit Paire tries to snap a three match losing run.

Benoit Paire has dropped back to Number 20 in the World Rankings and he will need a good run to just turn things back around having fallen in the First Round at the tournaments in Pune and Rotterdam. In the main it has been a decent enough start to 2020 for Paire, but his hard court numbers remain fairly average and that usually makes him a favourite that I am not interested in backing.

However this feels like a match in which he might be a touch under-rated when taking on a compatriot who has produced a lot of recent wins against opponents he would be expecting to beat. When Gregoire Barrere has stepped up to take on top 100 Ranked opponents on the hard courts in 2020 he drops to 5-5 in those matches and his numbers are not that impressive.

Both players have very similar successes behind the serve, but it is Paire who holds a real advantage when it comes to the break of serve and that could prove to be critical in his favour. Gregoire Barrere has broken in just 18% of return games when playing against top 100 Ranked opponents on the hard courts so far this season compared with Benoit Paire's mark 24% against top 100 Ranked opponents.

That difference on the return might just be enough to believe the higher Ranked Frenchman can win this match and the prices has shortened on Benoit Paire since the opening odds were released.

Benoit Paire will also hold a mental edge having beaten Gregoire Barrere twice before including a win on an indoor hard court in Metz last year. In that last match Paire might only have earned one more break of serve than Barrere in the match, but he was winning 10% more points on the return than his compatriot and that is a significant edge.

I will admit that Benoit Paire can be a hard player to trust with a tendency to be very inconsistent within sets, let alone matches or weeks on the Tour. The three matches lost in a row will have hurt, but he is playing someone in Gregoire Barrere who has yet to really get going on the main Tour and the superior returning of the higher Ranked player is set to give him the advantage.


Marton Fucsovics - 2.5 games v Alexander Bublik: This is an interesting First Round match between a player who looks to be at peak form versus a younger opponent looking to fulfil some potential. Marton Fucsovics has dropped down to Number 73 in the World Rankings, but he has opened the season with an 8-4 record and some solid performances from those matches.

His opponent Alexander Bublik is Number 55 in the World Rankings, but he is 4-5 this season and I am not surprised he is set as the underdog in the match.

Regardless of the Rankings, it is Fucsovics who has been playing the better tennis of the two players. They have similar numbers behind serve, although it is Bublik who has been able to play the bigger points slightly better which has led to a slightly superior percentage of service games being held.

The actual points won behind serve have been similar for both players, but Marton Fucsovics has had a significant edge when it comes to the return. The Hungarian has won 41% of return points compared with Bublik's 35% mark and it has led to an 18% difference in games in which breaks have been secured in favour of Marton Fucsovics.

They are 1-1 from past meetings, but Marton Fucsovics has won their sole hard court meeting and edged the return numbers to get into that position. I have to respect the fact that Alexander Bublik can serve very big when he gets into a rhythm, but at this moment of time it is Fucsovics who has been playing the better tennis and he can move through to the Second Round in Marseille with a win and a cover as the favourite.

MY PICKS: Amanda Anisimova - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Alison Riske - 1.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Marketa Vondrousova - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)
Benoit Paire - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Marton Fucsovics - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Season 2020: + 28.56 Units (279 Units Staked, + 10.24% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2019 (February 18th)

I've had a few things to do on Sunday which means I have not had the time to write down my analysis for the Tennis Picks from the matches to be played on Monday.

It is a pretty busy day in Dubai where a large majority of the First Round matches are set to be played, but the three ATP events will really get going on Tuesday with the smaller draws being used in those events compared with the WTA Dubai tournament.


MY PICKS: Mikhail Kukushkin - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)
Donna Vekic - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Julia Goerges - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Dusan Lajovic - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 2-1, + 1.04 Units (6 Units Staked, + 17.33% Yield)

Seasons 2019: + 48.54 Units (331 Units Staked, + 14.66% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2014 (February 20th)

There have been some mixed performances through the first three days of the week, but I can't complain too much against fortune or bad luck as it has been fairly even both ways.

The only other positive is that the outright picks I have made at the start of the week are all intact at the moment, even if we are still to reach the Quarter Finals in Marseille or Delray Beach.


Edouard Roger-Vasselin - 2.5 games v Sergiy Stakhovsky: For as long as he plays tennis and beyond, Sergiy Stakhovsky will be known as the man who beat Roger Federer at Wimbledon, but he has rarely performed to that level again.

Both of these players had to come through tough First Round matches against players who qualified for the main draw, but I think the edge in the match will be with the Frenchman Edouard Roger-Vasselin.

Roger-Vasselin has dominated the head to head between these players and has also shown a little more form in 2014, while the home support will likely inspire him to come through the match.

I have seen Stakhovsky really perform on the indoor hard courts, including winning a title on the surface in the past, but he has suffered some disappointing defeats this season and I am not sure he would be able to recover from losing the first set as he did against Daniel Evans in the First Round. Roger-Vasselin beat him 75, 75 in St Petersburg at the end of last season and something similar wouldn't be a big surprise to me.


Ernests Gulbis - 3.5 games v Roberto Bautista-Agut: Ernests Gulbis must have been glad to see the organisers give him a few days off from his exploits in Rotterdam as he plays his first match here in Marseille, although the real hope is that he hasn't lost some form that he was displaying a week ago.

If Gulbis serves as well as he did last week, he is going to be very tough to stop this week and I think he can get off to a strong start against Roberto Bautista-Agut.

The Spaniard is coming off a career year in 2013 which saw him open 2014 as one of the Davis Cup members for his country, but he hasn't had a lot of tennis since the Australian Open and didn't enjoy a lot of success on the indoor hard courts last season.

That included a thumping at the hands of Gulbis in St Petersburg on the way to the latter winning the title- I would expect this to be closer but the Latvian to come through 64, 64.


Michael Llodra - 1.5 games v Andreas Seppi: Michael Llodra may have lost the last two times he has come across Andreas Seppi, but he picked up a morale boosting win in the First Round and may be able to knock off the seeded Italian in this match.

While the win would give Llodra a boost, Seppi has lost 7 of the 8 matches he has played in 2014 and he was also just 3-6 on the indoor hard courts last season.

The courts do favour the serve-volley tactics that Llodra will look to employ and I do think the Seppi serve is a little vulnerable as it does sit up and can be attacked. If Llodra finds a way to force his opponent backward, he won't hesitate to get to the net and use his volleying skills to keep the pressure on Seppi.

So far this season, Seppi just hasn't looked right on the court and I think Llodra will be able to come through and reach the Quarter Final.


Venus Williams - 2.5 games v Flavia Pennetta: It is quite interesting to note that Venus Williams does not have a winning record against Flavia Pennetta with the latter leading 4-3 in the head to head even though they haven't played one another since August 2009.

The Italian does have a lot of variety in her game that perhaps makes it a little more difficult for Williams when she gets into the net, but it is still surprising to see that statistic. I would favour Williams behind her serve and would expect her to do some damage against the Pennetta serve too so I do think the older Williams sister can come through the match.

She will have to serve as well as she did in her win over Ana Ivanovic as Pennetta will be in confident mood with a run through the qualifiers and then beating Agnieszka Radwanska, the current World Number 3, in straight sets.

If Williams can serve well, that pressure may build on Pennetta and help the American reach the Semi Final, and extend her winning run in Dubai, with a 64, 64 win.


Sorana Cirstea + 3.5 games v Caroline Wozniacki: Any kind of performance that resembles the one we saw on Wednesday from Caroline Wozniacki will give Sorana Cirstea a real chance of springing the surprise outright in this match.

I think it is going to be competitive because Cirstea has a decent serve and will also have the power off the ground to trouble Wozniacki if the latter can't find the bite that hurt Sabine Lisicki in the final two sets they played a couple of days ago.

A better player than Annika Beck would have beaten Wozniacki in the last Round, while Cirstea should have the belief that comes with winning their last match against one another as well as pushing the former World Number 1 on other occasions.

Cirstea has to keep her concentration, but I think she can win at least one set which should give her a chance to cover the spread with the games in hand even in a losing effort.


Alexander Dolgopolov - 4.5 games v Facunda Bagnis: He might have been on my 'blacklist' for over twelve months now, but finally I feel it may be the right time to back Alexandr Dolgopolov to come through this Second Round match.

While he plays some interesting tennis and is fun to watch, Dolgopolov is extremely inconsistent and I have never had the feeling that tennis means everything to him. He should be far higher up the Rankings than his current position of 54, although it represents the inconsistencies he brings to the court.

Dolgopolov seems to drop serve out of nowhere at times and that is a concern for spreads as high as this, but he is playing a player in Facunda Bagnis who is not used to the ATP main draw level and who has a lot of tennis in his legs.

Bagnis had to come through the qualifiers and has won all three of his matches this week after going the distance and that can eventually wear on any player. That should especially be the case for a young player that may not be expecting the level he will face on the main Tour and I think Dolgopolov comes through 62, 46, 63.


Rafael Nadal - 6.5 games v Albert Montanes: Rafael Nadal had a more difficult match in the First Round than some may have expected, but being the first match back on the clay meant adjustments and I expect a more dominating win this time around.

We all know how good Nadal is on the clay courts and I think it is a big ask for Albert Montanes to find 6 games to take off him at this stage of his career.

Montanes ended a long losing streak with a win over Robin Haase in the First Round, but the competition is ramped up in this one and he has struggled for games the last two times he has met his famous compatriot.

Barring some bad bounces of the ball, Nadal should win this one 63, 61.


Albert Ramos - 3.5 games v Joao Sousa: I will admit that I got Albert Ramos all wrong in the last Round and I think he is going to be a little too effective for Joao Sousa in this Second Round match too.

He has dominated Sousa in their previous three matches and he has the bigger serve in the match which can help him set up the rallies in his favour.

On the other hand, Sousa is going to have to work hard to protect serve and he did struggle over the last twelve months to have a real impact on the main Tour, even on the favoured clay courts.

The first set is likely to be critical, but if Ramos can take that, I think he can come through 75, 63.


Marin Cilic - 4.5 games v Ryan Harrison: I think Ryan Harrison has to be considered a disappointment to this point of his career as he looked to be getting ready to make a step up on the Tour and take over the mantle of men's American tennis, but he has fallen back somewhat.

Whether that was down to the pressure of expectation, or just a natural 'hitting the wall' for a young player is yet to be seen, while this match presents a very difficult challenge for him.

That is because Marin Cilic is in as good form as anyone at the moment with back to back Finals over the last two weeks and comfortably beating Benjamin Becker in his first match here.

His return of serve is vastly under-rated and actually has made life easy for Cilic, especially as his own serve is effective, and that is the extra pressure he is putting on opponents. With the way Cilic has been returning, Harrison is going to be under pressure and I do think the Croatian will find a couple of breaks of serve in one set and that should stand him in good stead to win and cover.

MY PICKS: Edouard Roger-Vasselin - 2.5 Games @ 2.05 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Ernests Gulbis - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Michael Llodra - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Venus Williams - 2.5 Games @ 1.92 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Sorana Cirstea + 3.5 Games @ 1.95 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Alexandr Dolgopolov - 4.5 Games @ 1.92 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Rafael Nadal - 6.5 Games @ 1.80 Sky Bet (2 Units)
Albert Ramos - 3.5 Games @ 1.92 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Marin Cilic - 4.5 Games @ 2.05 Pinnacle (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 8-8, - 2.49 Units (30 Units Staked, - 8.3% Yield)

Tennis Outright Picks 2014 (February 17-23)

It was only this time last week that I was saying a long tennis season will have the ups and downs that comes with making picks after a tough week of the Tour... That has swung the other way this week with plenty of profits to speak of that was concluded with a profit showing for the season.

I had a couple of tough days during the week, but a strong run in the last three days as well as Ivo Karlovic reaching the Final in Memphis helped end the week with a lot of positives to take forward.


This week the Tour has moved on to stops in Dubai (WTA), Marseille (ATP), Delray Beach (ATP) and Rio de Janeiro (ATP)... The tournament in Dubai has most of the big names in the women's game in action, but most of the top men's players are not competing this week although Rafael Nadal is back on the court after his Australian Open Final defeat.

Hopefully I can find a couple of players that can provide deep runs in those tournaments following Karlovic's success last week and help set out another good week.


ATP Marseille
There are two top ten players in the Rankings that will be playing in Marseille and both Frenchmen, Richard Gasquet and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, will feel they have an excellent chance to win the title.

It is Tsonga who is favoured to win the tournament after the draw was made and you can't argue too much with that assessment as he is in the weaker half of the draw. He is also the defending Champion in Marseille after being forced to save a match point in his three set win over Tomas Berdych twelve months ago and I do think there is every chance he can retain the title this week.

Tsonga was beaten in the Second Round last week in Rotterdam by the in-form Marin Cilic so there is nothing to really worry about in terms of current form, while none of the other seeded players in his half of the draw can say they are in anything resembling good form.

One of the more dangerous players in his half could be Michael Llodra, a player that has usually reserved his best tennis for the indoor hard court events held in France. However, Llodra is another player that hasn't really had any form to speak of to open 2014 and that alone would make it a big surprise if he was to trouble Tsonga if the two players meet in the Semi Final.

I will put a couple of units on Tsonga to retain his title, but I think it may also be worth going against Richard Gasquet as the Number 1 seed who has struggled in Marseille in the past. While Gasquet should be able to move through to the Semi Final without too many issues, Ernests Gulbis could be a huge threat in that Round if he is still serving as effectively as he did for much of last week.

Gulbis has a bye in the First Round and he will be confident of seeing off Roberto Bautista-Agut in a potential Second Round match having dismissed the Spaniard on the indoor hard courts of St Petersburg at the end of last season.

The Latvian played with a bit of swagger last week and won a title on the indoor hard courts at the end of last season so I think he could be worth an interest at each-way to come through the tournament.


ATP Delray Beach
This draw looks incredibly bottom heavy in Delray Beach this week and it is that half of the draw that is going to provide the winner of the event as far as I am concerned. There is plenty of good form here with the likes of Marin Cilic and Kei Nishikori both having won titles in the last couple of weeks, but that amount of tennis can also catch up on players.

The one player that may be able to take advantage of that is the returning John Isner who has been troubled by an ankle injury to open 2014, but has already won one title at Auckland.

Isner has seemingly been given a decent draw to get his teeth into the tournament and I would think he would be too good for Vasek Pospisil in a Quarter Final, even if the Canadian has the better head to head record of the two players.

However, Isner has perhaps been a little unfortunate in the losses and I would like the American to level up their personal series and perhaps prove a little too fresh for either Nishikori or Cilic in the Semi Final.

A small interest on Isner each-way looks a decent price for the week if he is back to health, especially as he can shed some rust early in the tournament before the bigger challenges coming up.

The seeds in the top half all have to prove that they are capable of better after indifferent starts to the new season, while the likes of Tommy Haas is coming across from Europe and has been inconsistent at best. Feliciano Lopez, Kevin Anderson and Lleyton Hewitt all will have some support, but I will just stick with Isner from this tournament.

MY PICKS: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga @ 2.63 Coral (2 Units)
Ernests Gulbis @ 7.00 Bet Victor (1 Unit E/W)
John Isner @ 7.50 Stan James (1 Unit E/W)

Weekly Picks: 14-7, + 16.60 Units (67 Units Staked, + 24.78% Yield)
Outright Picks: 1-2, + 1 Unit (6 Unit Stakeds, + 16.67% Yield)

Season 2014: + 6.47 Units (251 Units Staked, + 2.51% Yield)

Season 2013: + 21.74 Units (1251.5 Units Staked, + 1.73% Yield)
Season 2012: + 49.21 Units (855 Units Staked, + 5.76% Yield)
Season 2011: + 82.02 Units

Tennis Picks (February 23rd)

With two of the three outright picks still in the running in their respective tournaments and the daily picks proving to be very profitable, it has been a decent week so far in the tennis picks.

The Australian Open was a big disappointment for me personally as I couldn't get much going, but the last couple of weeks have at least made up for that somewhat.

Hopefully the last couple of days can complete a fine week.


Petra Kvitova - 5.5 games v Sara Errani: Petra Kvitova continues to play at a very high level and I think she is going to be able to see off Sara Errani as the Italian did look a little fatigued in her last match against Roberta Vinci.

I don't know whether that was down to Errani feeling the mental anguish of playing against her best friend, but there definitely some areas of her game that will be exploited by Kvitova on current form.

Kvitova has the edge when it comes to the power and the serve and I don't think she will be too bothered about having to hit through Errani following comfortable back to back wins over very strong defenders in Agnieszka Radwanska and Caroline Wozniacki.

I do expect Errani to give Kvitova some problems, but eventually see the Czech player coming through to win the title with a 6-3, 6-3 win.


Jo-Wilfried Tsonga - 2.5 games v Gilles Simon: I know Jo-Wilfried Tsonga spent a lot of time on court in his Quarter Final win over Bernard Tomic, while Gilles Simon has come through in fairly routine fashion, but I am still surprised that the layers feel this match will be a lot closer than I think it will.

Tsonga has won 4 of the 6 matches between these compatriots, including 2 wins on indoor hard courts and I think he was serving well enough to exert enough pressure on Simon to see him through in this one.

The faster court should definitely favour Tsonga's game in this one and he should be a more comfortable winner than he was against Tomic as long as he takes his chances in this one on the break points as that was the main reason Tsonga needed three sets to see off the Australian yesterday. I have this one as a 6-3, 6-4 win for Tsonga and so will back him to clear this spread.


MY PICKS: Petra Kvitova - 5.5 Games @ 2.17 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga - 2.5 Games @ 1.92 Stan James (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 15-8, + 14 Units (45 Units Staked, + 31.11% Yield)

Tennis Picks (February 22nd)

While the regular daily picks are going pretty well, it looks like being my worst outright picks of the new season as Milos Raonic went out and David Ferrer is in a bit of bother as I writing this (although that is down to David Nalbandian who could make some serious leaps back up the Rankings by knocking out the top seeded Spaniard).

That means that only Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is left and I haven't seen the draw in Marseille open up as I expected with both Tomas Berdych and Juan Martin Del Potro winning tight three set battles to move into the Quarter Finals.

We'll have to see how things develop on that front as the week goes on, but for now these are the latest of my picks.


Sara Errani v Roberta Vinci: Going against Roberta Vinci hasn't been productive for me at all this week, but I am going to try one more time as she faces her close friend Sara Errani in the Semi Final in Dubai.

Errani has won the last 4 matches between these Doubles partners and I do think she has enough game to see off Vinci in this pick 'em contest. The younger Italian also hasn't lost against Vinci since 2010 and I think she will be well prepared to take on someone whose game she will know backwards.

Don't get me wrong though, Vinci has played at a pretty high level this week so under-estimating her would be a bad mistake. She has deserved to win both of the matches when I favoured her opponents, but I think Errani will be tough enough mentally to get through the match.


Petra Kvitova - 2.5 games v Caroline Wozniacki: I said last week that I think there are signs that Petra Kvitova has turned a corner after a number of months of sub-standard performances from the high level she had set herself.

Her form has continued here in Dubai and I think she will have one too many weapons for Caroline Wozniacki, although I have to say I have been a little impressed with the way the Dane has also been playing this week.

However, she hasn't played someone like Kvitova who is capable of taking the racquet completely out of her hands and I think Wozniacki could find herself under some pressure in this one. The way Kvitova broke down Radwanska today would have been a concern for Wozniacki and her fans and I am not that surprised that the Czech player has won 4 of the last 5 matches between these players.

As long as Kvitova keeps her head, she should be able to come through with a 6-4, 6-4 win.


Tomas Berdych - 3.5 games v Jerzy Janowicz: This is a slightly risky spread as Jerzy Janowicz certainly is backed by a serve that can make it tough to break- Tomas Berdych will need to break twice if he is to cover this spread (twice more than Janowicz) and I think he is capable after coming through a really tough match with Ernests Gulbis.

I wasn't sure how Berdych would respond to his wrist injury that kept him out for a couple of weeks, but he looked in good shape against Gulbis and should really have won that match in straight sets.

He is playing an opponent whose game will be heavily backed by the indoor hard court conditions, but I also feel Janowicz is still finding his feet on the main Tour and the pressure that Berdych could exert is possibly going to be too much to handle.

The top ten player will have to take any chances that come his way as I don't think he will have  a lot of break points, but I think Berdych can do so and it may result in a 7-6, 6-3 win.


Nicolas Almagro - 4.5 games v Federico Delbonis: This is a rematch of a meeting these two players had last season here in Buenos Aires and I think Nicolas Almagro will be able to book his place in the Semi Finals.

Almagro has come through his first couple of Rounds fairly comfortably and he is one of the better clay court players in the world and I think that will be enough to take him past Federico Delbonis again.

Last season this ended in a 6-3, 6-2 win for the Spaniard and he was very comfortable returning the serve in that match. Delbonis is an improved player since then so I can see him winning a couple more games, but I would be surprised if this wasn't a fairly routine win for Almagro.


MY PICKS: Sara Errani @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Petra Kvitova - 2.5 Games @ 1.85 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Tomas Berdych - 3.5 Games @ 2.15 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Nicolas Almagro - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Pinnacle (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 11-8, + 6 Units (37 Units Staked, + 16.22% Yield)

Tennis Picks (February 20th)

The tournament in Buenos Aires is slightly behind schedule as much of Tuesday was rained out, although they are not too far behind that players are going to be asked to play twice on the same day. However, it does mean the David Nalbandian's match with Carlos Berlocq was moved to Wednesday.

Victoria Azarenka, unsurprisingly, pulled out of the tournament in Dubai after her success in Doha last week. That means Serena Williams is now the clear favourite to win this event and underline her status as World Number 1, although it will be interesting to see her motivation when she opens up her tournament on Wednesday.


Angelique Kerber v Roberta Vinci: Angelique Kerber will play her first match in Dubai against Roberta Vinci and I like the chances of the German progressing through to the next Round in this contest.

Kerber was comfortably beaten last week in Doha, but she has been speaking about her confidence going into this event in Dubai and I think we will see a much better performance against Vinci than she had against Mona Barthel. The difference between Vinci and Barthel is that the latter is capable of hitting opponents off the court, while Vinci will allow Kerber the chance to dictate the play.

Both players won 1 match against the other in 2012, the latest being Vinci's straight sets win in Montreal. However, I think Kerber will be able to have success against the Italian on this court and I do think she will have enough in her game to see off the threat Vinci poses.

I wouldn't be surprised if we see quite a few breaks of serve in this one, but I think the German will have enough to end on the right side of the scoreline.


Sam Stosur - 5.5 games v Su-Wei Hsieh: Sam Stosur played pretty well in her win over Ekaterina Makarova yesterday, especially behind her serve which was pretty effective for much of the match.

I think it is that serve that will prove to be the difference again as she faces Su-Wei Hsieh. I was surprised to see Hsieh is ranked at number 25 in the World Rankings, but much of that was down to tournament wins she had last season Guangzhou and Kuala Lumpur.

That does make me respect Hsieh and what she is capable of, but I can't help look at some of the heavy losses she has taken and wonder whether she will be able to hang with Stosur and the serve the Australian can produce.

As long as Stosur is as efficient as she was on the break point chances she created against Makarova, I can see her coming through with something like a 6-4, 6-2 win.


Ernests Gulbis + 3.5 games v Tomas Berdych: At the start of the week, I ruled out Tomas Berdych in the outright markets as I felt this potential Second Round match against Ernests Gulbis could catch him cold, so there is little surprise that I will be taking the games in this one.

I know Berdych pulled out of the tournament in Rotterdam because of a wrist injury, so it will be interesting to see how he is feeling in this one. He is playing an opponent that has looked good in the last week or so and looks motivated enough to put in a performance here.

Even if Berdych goes through, I do think there is every chance this one goes to three sets and that makes the games being offered on Gulbis look a touch too high in my opinion.

I just hope the 'good Gulbis' is still taking part in these events as 'bad Gulbis' is never too far away.


Jo-Wilfried Tsonga - 3.5 games v Nikolay Davydenko: I wasn't impressed with the early exit Jo-Wilfried Tsonga suffered last week in Rotterdam, especially as his game should be tailor made for the indoor hard courts. However, I am expecting a much better tournament for him this week in front of his own fans at an event he has won in the past and also reached the Semi Final last season.

It's not to under-estimate Nikolay Davydenko who has some big wins under his belt this season, and one who has 2 indoor hard court wins over Tsonga in the past. However, I think Tsonga will be able to put enough pressure on the Russian to force a couple of bad service games and that could be enough to see the Frenchman to cover the spread.

Tsonga has won 41 matches in the last couple of seasons on the indoor hard courts and also beat Davydenko in Metz on the surface last season and I do think he is able to record a 6-3, 6-4 win in this one and progress to the Quarter Finals.


Nicolas Almagro - 4.5 games v Andrey Kuznetsov: I thought this was going to be a spread of 5.5 games and still liked Nicolas Almagro's chances of winning the match and clearing that, so the 4.5 game spread is a bit of a bonus.

There is no doubt that Nicolas Almagro is one of the better clay court players in the World and I believe he is facing an opponent that hasn't quite got the temperament to be playing against the quality that Almagro will be providing.

Andrey Kuznetsov has certainly proved himself on the Challenger Tour on a clay court with a number of title wins last season on the surface, but he has generally fallen short when playing on the main ATP Tour. Last season he was dismissed comfortably by Fernando Verdasco on the clay, while Carlos Berlocq knocked him off easily two times in a row already this season.

The win over Filippo Volandri is a good one for Kuznetsov in the First Round, but Almagro is a different level of opponent and I would expect a 6-2, 6-4 win for the Spaniard.


Alexandr Dolgopolov - 4.5 games v Bjorn Phau: Usually I am not a big fan of backing Alexandr Dolgopolov as you just don't know what you are going to get out of the inconsistent Ukrainian.

However, he should have the big edge in talent in this one while Bjorn Phau is also coming in off a knee injury which has curtailed his start to the 2013 season. Even in matches Phau has completed, he has taken some comfortable losses and this one looks like a 3 and 4 win for Dolgopolov at worst.

Dolgopolov is hit and miss in his matches though, and that is a concern, especially as he hasn't played since the Davis Cup matches over two weeks ago so he could start a little slow.

However, he does look the superior player in this one and should be able to come through with a little room to spare.


MY PICKS: David Nalbandian - 2.5 Games @ 2.05 Pinnacle (2 Units) From Yesterday
Angelique Kerber @ 1.80 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Sam Stosur - 5.5 Games @ 2.05 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Ernests Gulbis + 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Nicolas Almagro - 4.5 Games @ 1.92 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Alexandr Dolgopolov - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Pinnacle (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 4-4, + 1.16 Units (15 Units Staked, + 7.73% Yield)

Tennis Picks (February 19th)

The first day of the new tournaments wasn't too bad, although I was reminded why I don't like backing an inconsistent player like Ana Ivanovic as she blew a big lead before just about scrambling over the line.

Ivanovic was leading her match 6-3, 4-0 and was then serving... She should have covered the 4.5 game spread comfortably from that position but proceeded to lose 6 of the next 8 games before finally recording a 6-3, 7-6 win.

Thankfully, Nicolas Almagro didn't take his foot off the pedal in his own match with Guido Pella and was a comfortable winner when dropping just 5 games to move into the Second Round of the tournament in Buenos Aires.

The tournaments will really begin to get going now as we move into the second day and these are my picks from the various events taking place.

Petra Kvitova - 4.5 games v Daniela Hantuchova: While it hasn't been the best few months for Petra Kvitova, there were definitely some more signs in Doha last week that she is perhaps finding something like her best tennis. Kvitova pushed Serena Williams all the way in their Third Round match and I think she can take that confidence into the event here in Dubai.

The Czech player meets qualifier Daniela Hantuchova in the First Round in Dubai and this clearly is a favourable match up for Kvitova.

While Hantuchova has the experience of the conditions after winning three matches here already, I also think her game plan fits nicely for the way Kvitova plays. There is a definite edge in serve for the higher Ranked player and I think Hantuchova doesn't use a lot of variation in her game which should allow Kvitova to find her range and rhythm in this one.

I am not surprised that Kvitova has won all 5 previous matches between the pair and I am not surprised that all of those wins have been fairly comfortable and I think she can wrap up another win along those lines in this one.

Sam Stosur v Ekaterina Makarova: This should be a really good match between two players who have shown signs of form in the first six weeks of the new season.

Ekaterina Makarova had to retire from her match with Petra Kvitova last week with an illness, but she should be good to go here, while Sam Stosur showed some decent form last week in Doha after what has been a tough start to 2013 in general.

The winner of this match is likely to be the player that can impose their game on the other, but Stosur also seems to hold a slight mental advantage with a 2-0 lead in matches between these players on the hard courts. I think if the Australian serves as she can, Stosur will be able to do just enough to come through this one.

Makarova is a good player, but she can be a little hit and miss with her consistency off the ground and she can mentally collapse in matches and that could be all the difference in this one when one or two points could literally decide which way the match falls.

Ernests Gulbis v Jarkko Nieminen: This has been set as a pick 'em contest between two players that have shown signs of real form in the last couple of weeks, but I do like the talented Latvian to come through the contest.

There is no doubt that Ernests Gulbis can play tennis at an extremely decent level when he is fully motivated, although he hasn't shown that he wishes to put in the hard work ethic to do that. His background is clear in that he comes from a family with enough financial power that Gulbis has never really had to work hard at his tennis and he apparently lives a very lavish lifestyle on the Tour.

However, Gulbis showed some really good signs in his game last week in Rotterdam where he qualified and then reached the Second Round before falling to Juan Martin Del Potro. It was Del Potro who also ended Jarkko Nieminen's tournament at the Quarter Final stage, but the Finn also has a Semi Final appearance to his name on the indoor hard courts this season.

I like Gulbis' chances in this one because he has the power to effect the Nieminen game a lot more than vice versa and I do think he looked motivated last week and I can't imagine he won't be confident in this one. Gulbis also has a 2-0 head to head record against Nieminen and I think he can win this one.


Lucie Hradecka - 2.5 games v Claire Feuerstein: Both of these players have enjoyed plenty of success on the indoor hard courts over the last couple of seasons, but the difference between them is Lucie Hradecka has been performing on the main Tour, while most of Claire Feuerstein's success have come in the second level tier of events or in qualifiers.

Feuerstein has won a couple of matches to qualify for the main draw here in Memphis so may be able to surprise Hradecka who plays her first Singles match since the Australian Open Second Round back in January.

I know Hradecka has the game to give some of the better players on the Tour a tough time and she has beaten Feuerstein in all three previous matches without dropping a set. It might be tight early, but I do expect the Czech player to tough out a straight sets win and cover this spread.


Florian Mayer v James Blake: Florian Mayer hasn't been in great form to open the new season, but I am surprised that he is considered the underdog against the veteran James Blake.

Blake was a decent player in his day, but he seems to be playing tennis for his personal enjoyment these days as he hasn't really had a big impact on the Tour for a couple of seasons now. He can still perform at a high level for moments in matches and that may be enough to see off Mayer, but Blake's successes are coming in the Challenger level events these days.

I also accept that Mayer has lost 4 of his last 5 matches so his confidence can't be too high, but he did win his first match against Blake in 4 attempts last season and I still think a top 30 player shouldn't be the underdog against the American these days so it is worth a small interest.


Alejandro Falla + 3.5 games v Sam Querrey: These players are meeting for the second time in consecutive weeks and while Sam Querrey has got the better of their recent meetings, they have certainly been close matches.

It took the American three sets to see of Falla last week and the Colombian does have the game to make life difficult for Querrey. At the key times, I am guessing the Querrey serve will make the difference to win the match, but there is every chance this one could go the distance and that makes the 3.5 games being given to the underdog look a lot.

There is also the chance that we will see a tie-break and even a straight sets win for Querrey may come with something like a 7-6, 6-4 scoreline, while I do think Falla has half a chance of pulling the upset in this one.

With all that in mind, taking the games looks the call.


David Nalbandian - 2.5 games v Carlos Berlocq: David Nalbandian turned back the clock somewhat last week as he reached the Final at the Brazil Open, the first time he has reached that far in a tournament since being defaulted at Queens last June.

Now he gets to play in front of his own supporters against a fellow Argentinian in Carlos Berlocq and I do like Nalbandian's chances of progressing through to the Second Round.

There is only one place between the players in the World Rankings, but Nalbandian is certainly the more talented of the two and that has shown by his 3-0 head to head against Berlocq while he has won 7 sets and lost just the 1.

It's not wise to under-estimate Berlocq who has a Semi Final and a Quarter Final under his belt from the last two clay court tournaments, while also winning a couple of Davis Cup ties for Argentina, but I do think he will be out-hit by Nalbandian when this is all said and done.

I did consider Nalbandian to win in straight sets, but his form can be up and down in matches and I am taking the game spread instead in case this goes to three sets.

MY PICKS: Petra Kvitova - 4.5 Games @ 1.95 Pinnacle (2 Units)

Sam Stosur @ 1.83 William Hill (2 Units)

Ernests Gulbis @ 2.00 Coral (2 Units)
Lucie Hradecka - 2.5 Games @ 1.95 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Florian Mayer @ 2.30 Pinnacle (1 Unit)
Alejandro Falla + 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Pinnacle (2 Units)
David Nalbandian - 2.5 Games @ 2.05 Pinnacle (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 1-1, + 0.60 Units (4 Units Staked, + 15% Yield)