Indian Wells Tennis Picks 2023 (March 13th)

It was another day where a poor start saw the Tennis Picks drop to 0-3, but two late winners at least prevented it from being a really bad day in the office.

However, it was the first losing day at the Indian Wells Tournament and I am looking to bounce back on Monday as the Third Round continues in conditions that not being appreciated by all that take to the courts.

Daniil Medvedev has been complaining about how slow the courts are, especially considering this is supposed to be a hard court Masters event, and I do think it makes it difficult for those who want to punch through the court. Overhitting leads to mistakes in the air where the ball can fly off the racquet and it is not ideal for players who are used to performing on this surface in a certain way.

A first losing day has stung, but there is another long day coming up at Indian Wells and you can see my selections from the matches coming up below.

Marton Fucsovics - 2.5 games v Alex Molcan: There are eight Third Round matches from the ATP Tournament to be played on Monday, but the sole selection comes from a match featuring two of the more surprising players left in the draw.

Alex Molcan and Marton Fucsovics are both Ranked outside the top 50 of the World Rankings and both have needed an upset over a top 20 Ranked opponent to earn their place in the Third Round.

Credit to the pair of them for doing that, but over the last twelve months it has been a struggle for the two when playing top 100 Ranked opponents on the surface. Both have losing records in that time and Alex Molcan was just 2-10 in the matches until winning twice in that spot at Indian Wells, while Marton Fucsovics was 4-9 before two wins of his own.

That doesn't offer a lot of encouragement and the two players have very similar numbers behind serve in those matches with 60% of service points won and holds in 72% (Molcan) and 74% (Fucsovics) of service games played.

The difference looks to be in the return game with Fucsovics winning a number of percentage points more against the serve compared with Alex Molcan and I think that could where the edge will be in this big Third Round match that will give the winner a jump in Ranking points.

Marton Fucsovics has broken in 26% of return games played compared with Alex Molcan's 16% mark and I do think the former can create the majority of chances in this match.

Of course the lack of real confidence that either player has to be playing with on the hard courts could see things spiral, but I do like the Hungarian and his chances of winning and covering. As long as Marton Fucsovics returns as he can, I expect him to have the Break Point chances to win the match and he can find those breaks to secure a cover of this line.

MY PICKS: Marton Fucsovics - 2.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Caroline Garcia - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Karolina Muchova - 5.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Marketa Vondrousova - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Indian Wells Update: 16-9, + 8.91 Units (51 Units Staked, + 17.47% Yield)

Indian Wells Tennis Picks 2023 (March 8th)

Rule changes will soon be applied in the United States, but it seems strange that Novak Djokovic is still not going to be allowed into the country and so will have to miss the tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami this month.

The World Number 1 will be pleased if he can at least return to North America ahead of the US Open later in the year, but there will be some frustration with the policy that has received plenty of criticism from people with voices that can have a far reaching impact.

I understand the rules are the rules, but the United States could have applied an exemption for an athlete that has twice tested positive for Covid and who was not likely to pose a significant public health concern. Of course you can't just make exceptions for the sake of a sport, but this is a decision that will have frustrated many and both of these Masters events are going to be missing a big draw.

The events in Indian Wells and Miami remain big parts of the Tennis Tour and both the ATP and WTA Tours will be meeting up here in the last hard court events until the preparation for the US Open begins in the summer.

Novak Djokovic can begin working on his clay court tennis, but the players in North America will be looking to take advantage of the absence of the World Number 1.

Much like the WTA events, the ATP Masters tournaments look like they could be wide open affairs with a returning Carlos Alcaraz sitting on top of the draw in Indian Wells.

Daniil Medvedev might be the player to beat having won the big event in Dubai and backed up other tiles won in February, but I do think there are a number of players in the ATP event that will believe they can go all the way to a Masters success.

In the WTA draw, Iga Swiatek is still the top player on the Tour and is coming into the event having had a really productive time in the Middle East. However, I don't think the gap is as big as it was a year ago and there are some players arriving in confident mood which could help the Indian Wells tournament grab some of the sporting headlines in the United States during the March Madness time of the year.

It has been a largely quiet month for the Tennis Picks, but that has been mainly down to the simple reason  of me not having the time to make regular selections from the tournaments that have been played since the Australian Open.

I ended February with a very slight profit to back up the decent returns from the Australian Open, but I did not want to make picks on odd days when I knew I was unlikely to have the time to go through a tournament with selections being made with some level of consistency.

Some of that has been down to the intense football schedule which has taken up much of my personal time, but things should be a little more settled in March as I try and work a good path through the two Masters events that have regularly been a thorn in my side.

As I mentioned earlier this season, I feel I have made some adjustments with the way Picks are selected and I do think that has paid off through the first couple of months of the long season.

There will still be one or days through the month where I don't make Tennis Picks- that could be as much to do with not finding a selection that is worth backing as much as any other factor, but for the majority of the next two tournaments I am anticipating having selections, which will be on this site.

The WTA Tournament will begin on Wednesday with First Round action and the ATP Tournament gets underway on Thursday.

These next two events in Indian Wells and Miami may not last as long as the Grand Slams, but they are the longest Masters events on the Tour and so you have to have some patience in order to come away with a couple of positive returns.

Katie Swan - 1.5 games v Cristina Bucsa: Both of these players will be pretty happy with the level shown in Qualifying for the Indian Wells main draw after two wins each, and I think the draw for the First Round will certainly give Katie Swan and Cristina Bucsa a lot of belief.

This is a good chance to pick up some vital Ranking points and both are in decent form.

Katie Swan has yet to really hit the kind of heights some have expected from her, but she has shown she has a decent hard court level and her numbers over the last twelve months are solid. When you only consider matches against players outside of the top 50 in the World Rankings, Swan's 19-4 record really stands up strong, while the 4-2 record against top 100 Ranked opponents on this surface shows there is more to come from the British player.

She will need to prove that on the court against an improving Cristina Bucsa who reached her career best World Ranking mark at the end of January following a tremendous run at the Australian Open. Backing that up will be the test for the Spaniard, but winning two Qualifiers should only increase her confidence.

Over the last twelve months she has beaten those she has been expected to and Bucsa has a soli 18-6 record against players Ranked outside the top 100 on the hard courts.

Katie Swan has won their two previous meetings, but those came a long time ago and I am not sure they are relevant to the outcome of this First Round.

What could be more relevant is the fact that Swan has gotten a bit more out of the first serve so far this season on the hard courts and that could be a big difference in the conditions in Indian Wells where the ball can fly. A slight edge in the returning numbers over Cristina Bucsa could also prove to be decisive and in a close match I do just favour the lower Ranked player looking to move back towards the top 100.

I would not be surprised if a third set is needed to eventually separate the players, but it is the British Qualifier who I favour.

MY PICKS: Katie Swan - 1.5 Games @ 1.85 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Ugo Humbert - 2.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Jason Kubler @ 2.75 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Yibing Wu - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Tennis 2023: + 13.94 Units (164 Units Staked, + 8.50% Yield)

February 2023: + 0.26 Units (18 Units Staked, + 1.44% Yield)

January 2023: + 13.68 Units (146 Units Staked, + 9.37% Yield)

Rome Masters Tennis Picks 2022 (May 13th)

It has not been the best week and there have been plenty of moments when things have felt like they were turning before heading in a negative direction.

I had a better Thursday with some better fortune behind the selections being made, but even then I can point to the Alexander Zverev failure to cover as an indication that there have still been those negative moments. He served for the match, like Stefanos Tsitsipas did on Wednesday, but Zverev became the latest to fail to cover in that moment and it has led to some frustration.

We are now down to the Quarter Final matches in Rome and I am looking to build on the stronger Thursday results with the following Picks.

MY PICKS: Stefanos Tsitsipas - 3.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Casper Ruud - 3.5 Games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Amanda Anisimova @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Rome Update: 13-14, - 4.08 Units (54 Units Staked, - 7.56% Yield)

Rome Masters Tennis Picks 2022 (May 12th)

There continues to be inconsistent returns for the Tennis Picks this week in Rome, but I have felt happier with the selections and can only be a little disappointed that players were not able to complete wins when being in strong positions.

Only one really hit that on Wednesday when Stefanos Tsitsipas was serving for the match and ended up being broken twice in a row.

Of course that doesn't mean anything in a long season, but I am a couple of Picks away from having a much stronger record this week. A bit of fortune would not go amiss on another very busy day in Rome when the entire Third Round is played in both the ATP and WTA events being played here.

MY PICKS: Alexander Zverev - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Marin Cilic - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Casper Ruud - 4.5 Games @ 1.90 Bet365 (2 Units)

Aryna Sabalenka - 2.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power

Jil Teichmann @ 2.10 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Ons Jabeur - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Rome Update: 9-12, - 8.08 Units (42 Units Staked, - 19.24% Yield)

Rome Masters Tennis Picks 2022 (May 11th)

The Rome Masters hits the middle of the week and that means a hugely busy day at the tournament.

A bit of poor luck saw three of the four Tennis Picks win their first set on Tuesday, but only one of those players returned a winner.

Wednesday is going to be an important day and one that will determine whether I will be continuing with the Tennis Picks this week, or begin preparing for the French Open which begins later this month. I am looking for much better for the Tennis Picks than the last week has provided, but I will not be throwing good money after bad and that means I want to see better results.

MY PICKS: Jil Teichmann - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Petra Martic + 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Belinda Bencic - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Victoria Azarenka - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Daria Kasatkina - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Simona Halep - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Pablo Carreno Busta - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Alex De Minaur - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Laslo Djere - 3.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (2 Units)

David Goffin - 3.5 Games @ 1.90 Bet365 (2 Units)

Cameron Norrie - 1.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Jannik Sinner - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Rome Update: 3-5, - 4.58 Units (16 Units Staked, - 28.63% Yield)

Rome Masters Tennis Picks 2022 (May 10th)

The Monday results from the Rome Masters Tennis Picks were a little inconsistent, but it could have been worse if not for a late retirement.

I was a little frustrated with a couple of my selections on Monday, but I also think there were moments when results could have been slightly better. It is very early in the tournament, but I have already mentioned that I am trying to keep myself on a short leash at this event after the tough last few days with the selections from the Madrid Masters.

Tuesday will see First Round and Second Round action in both the ATP and WTA tournaments being played in Rome and my selections from those matches can be read below.

MY PICKS: Grigor Dimitrov - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Diego Schwartzman - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Botic Van de Zandschlup + 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Andrey Rublev - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Rome Update: 2-2, - 0.18 Units (8 Units Staked, - 2.25% Yield)

Rome Masters Tennis Picks 2022 (May 9th)

Over the years, the Madrid Masters has usually been the tennis tournament that really has an affect on my judgement and I think the terrible run meant I needed to take a break from the Tennis Picks.

Having a bad run is one thing, but I am really disappointed by some of the ways players failed to cover- missed Match Points, losing serve when in strong positions and too many selections losing by less than a game takes its toll.

I really didn't hate the selections for the most part- there are always some bad Picks that you would love to take back- but I also was hit with a really poor run with my luck and too many matches seemed to get close, before falling away.

This week the second Masters on the clay courts will be played with both the ATP and WTA Tours heading to Rome. Some of the First Round action began on Sunday, but I wanted a full reset and start the week anew on Monday before my first selections were made from the tournament.

I will update the season totals, but I am going to keep myself on a short leash this week with the French Open in mind.

After a really poor time with the Madrid Masters, I am demanding much better from myself in Rome this week.

MY PICKS: Sebastian Korda - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Albert Ramos-Vinolas @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Fabio Fognini - 2.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Anhelina Kalinina @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Camila Giorgi - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Madrid Masters Tennis Picks 2022 (May 5th)

After a solid couple of weeks, things came crashing down with a thump on Wednesday.

I have written before that I have needed some luck with my selections to pick up the results I have had, but that luck can turn against you at a moment's notice.

Bad Picks have largely been avoided, but that was not the case on Wednesday- Casper Ruud and Amanda Anisimova were poor selections all things considered, but I could not have seen Simona Halep playing as poorly as she did.

However, the Picks that have bothered me are the Alexander Zverev, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Stefanos Tsitsipas selections.

Alexander Zverev was leading 4-2 and had break points to move further ahead in the first set before losing four games in a row. He later missed a 0-40 position to earn a double break in the second set which would have given him a chance to cover against Marin Cilic, but ultimately won comfortably enough.

That loss hurt and was followed by Alejandro Davidovich Fokina somehow losing to Hubert Hurkacz- in his case he had break points in two games in the first set and couldn't convert either time before losing the set with the first break points faced.

Later he had moved ahead by a double break, but could not seal the second set without dropping his serve at 5-2 and that meant needing a break of serve in the final set. Again he could not hold onto serve.

Finally Stefanos Tsitsipas was winning 6-3, 3-1 and had a 0-40 situation... Of course that would wrap up the day with a failure to earn the double break and eventually cruise through the remainder of the win over Lucas Pouille in a 6-3, 6-4 win and another miss of the cover by half a game.

I couldn't believe the way the day went down and it is my worst one on the clay courts by a considerable distance.

Things can turn around, but I do think it is important to try and relax and focus on what you are doing.

Anything that could go wrong, went wrong on Wednesday, but those were selections which would usually have been much more likely to have covered than not. With that in mind I am disappointed, but I am also a realist and accept that the research wasn't wrong, but the luck was simply missing when players were not converting situations that had come up.

On Thursday there are a lot of matches scheduled to be out on the Madrid courts, and I would be extremely disappointed to have as a poor a day again.

Novak Djokovic - 4.5 games v Andy Murray: Both of these players were a part of the 'Big Four' of Men's Tennis a few years ago, but Andy Murray was not really able to keep up with the consistency of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. He was still a player that has been involved in Finals against all of those top players of the Tour and the fact of the matter is that this is the thirty-seventh time Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray will be facing one another on the Tour.

While Andy Murray is trying to regain some of the form and consistency he once displayed on the Tour, Novak Djokovic is still the World Number 1.

However, Andy Murray has played more matches than Novak Djokovic in 2022 largely down to the unvaccinated path the latter has chosen and that does raise some questions as to how this match will develop. The British player was not supposed to play on the clay courts this season, but he has taken a Wild Card here in Madrid to get some more competitive tennis underneath him and Andy Murray has been a very strong winner in his two matches played.

Wins over Dominic Thiem, who is coming back from injury, and Denis Shapovalov means Andy Murray has won two matches in the same tournament for the first time since January. His level of performance in those wins has to be greatly respected, although Andy Murray has already admitted that this is a really tough match for him and will be a marker to see how far he is from really competing with the top players again.

Novak Djokovic reached the Final in Belgrade in the last tournament he has played and he was a very comfortable winner over Gael Monfils in the Second Round in Madrid. The lack of competitive tennis has meant Djokovic has been struggling with his own consistency and the serve has been particularly difficult for him with Novak Djokovic winning less than 60% of the points played behind serve on the clay courts.

He has also not returned as well as we have become used to seeing from Novak Djokovic, but the battling wins in Belgrade will stand him in good stead.

Matches between Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic have tended to be competitive, but the clay courts have given the Serb a little more of an edge.

I am expecting Murray to be inspired to show how much he still has in the tank, but Novak Djokovic will be comfortable with the match up too and my feeling is that the World Number 1 can build on the Second Round win. Novak Djokovic did win the Madrid Masters when he last played here and I do think he will be able to find enough quality returns to attack the Andy Murray second serve and eventually pull clear in this match, even while still looking to rediscover his very best form on the court.

Andy Murray had lost all five matches against top 20 Ranked opponents in 2022 before the win over Denis Shapovalov and he has found himself just wearing down against those opponents. Someone like Novak Djokovic is likely going to want to keep Andy Murray moving as much as possible and it could see fatigue wear down the former World Number 1 against a player that is looking like he will soon be finding his best on the court.

Rafael Nadal - 5.5 games v David Goffin: He may have been watching his beloved Real Madrid produce a stunning comeback in the Champions League Semi Final on Wednesday, but Rafael Nadal has been producing plenty of his own over the last twelve months. An injury layoff saw the Spaniard return and win the Australian Open earlier this season, while Rafael Nadal has returned to the Tour in Madrid having been missing since reaching the Indian Wells Final.

The rib injury did not seem to be bothering Rafael Nadal too much in his Second Round win over Miomir Kecmanovic and it was an impressive return against an in-form opponent.

He may feel he has to raise his level again in the Third Round when Nadal takes on David Goffin who has won a couple of Qualifiers and then followed that up with a couple more wins in the main draw of the Madrid Masters. After a couple of really underwhelming years on the clay courts, David Goffin has already won a title on the surface in 2022 and the wins being stung together will have given him a lot of confidence.

As much as you have to respect any Qualifier that has won four matches in a row and clearly enjoying the conditions at the event, David Goffin has not faced anyone of the quality of Rafael Nadal. This is the clay court event where Rafael Nadal has tended to be more vulnerable than the others on the Tour, but I am not sure someone like David Goffin has the tennis to really take advantage of the conditions to hurt Nadal regularly.

David Goffin has put together some decent numbers on the clay courts and he has not played badly when he has been put up against top 50 Ranked opponents either.

Again, I cannot emphasise enough how much of a challenge Rafael Nadal presents on the surface and I do think he is going to be able to break down David Goffin, much as he has done in their previous matches.

They have not met since 2019 on the clay courts at the French Open, but Rafael Nadal has won all four previous matches on the surface against David Goffin. In those matches, Rafael Nadal has held 93% of the service games he has played, while David Goffin has only managed to hold 61% of his own service games.

It may be a little closer in terms of numbers in this Third Round match with Rafael Nadal having missed a few weeks of the Tour and David Goffin in decent shape on the clay courts.

Even with that in mind, I do think the Spaniard will be able to find the tennis to move through to the Quarter Final and I think Nadal's ability to break the Goffin serve should give him every chance of covering a big spread.

MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Rafael Nadal - 5.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Andrey Rublev - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Alexander Zverev - 3.5 Games @ 1.70 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 3.5 Games @ 1.75 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Jil Teichmann @ 2.20 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Carlos Alcaraz - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Madrid Update: 12-17, - 12.42 Units (58 Units Staked, - 21.41% Yield)

Madrid Masters Tennis Picks 2022 (May 4th)

It was another mixed day for the Tennis Picks and I have been a little disappointed with my record in the Madrid Masters after the strong outcome of the Estoril/Munich events.

Things have been difficult so far, but the players left in the tournament should have begun to get to grips with the conditions in Madrid.

The markets have yet to be put together for some of the matches that are to come later in the day on Wednesday in the Second Round in the ATP Madrid event, but any selections from those will be added to this thread.

Amanda Anisimova - 2.5 games v Ekaterina Alexandrova: All players that have reached the Quarter Final of a big tournament like the WTA Madrid event will be feeling pretty confident about their chances of going on and winning the title. With Ashleigh Barty retired and Iga Swiatek withdrawn from the event, the Madrid Masters looks pretty open and all of the players remaining in the draw are going to believe they can set a marker for the upcoming French Open.

Of course it also has to be noted that the Madrid Masters is played in much different conditions than those at Roland Garros and so the Champion here will still have something to prove. Next week the second Masters event on the clay in Rome will be beginning and that may be a tournament that gives us a better idea of the kind of players that may have a big impact at the next Grand Slam.

In saying that, Amanda Anisimova will be feeling good about her tennis having reached the Semi Final in Charleston before her run to the Quarter Final here in Madrid. The American has yet to really fulfil the kind of potential she has, but Amanda Anisimova has not had the best of times personally and I do think that has affected her tennis.

However, the former French Open Semi Finalist looks to be playing some strong tennis on the clay courts and she has been a player that has enjoyed playing on the clay courts. The wins in Madrid have rarely come easy this week, but Amanda Anisimova won well in the Third Round after a couple of tough victories and confidence has to be strong knowing she can weather the difficult moments.

Amanda Anisimova has been serving well and that will be important for her in the conditions, but she does have room for improvement having won just 43% of return points played. Break points have been created regularly in the tournament, but Amanda Anisimova will be looking to be a little better on the big points and especially in a match like this one.

Her Quarter Final opponent Ekaterina Alexandrova has come through the Qualifiers before winning three matches in the main draw, but there were one or two concerning signs at the end of her Third Round win. The Qualifier missed Match Points at 5-3 and 5-4 in the decider, and Ekaterina Alexandrova looked like she was running on fumes so the day off between matches is going to be key for the underdog.

In recent years Ekaterina Alexandrova has not had the best record on the clay courts, but in 2022 she has been playing really well and she could be dangerous. The serve has been setting her up through the tournament in Madrid and Alexandrova has won 49% of return points played, although only one of the five wins has come against a top 50 Ranked opponent.

Over the last twelve months, Ekaterina Alexandrova has struggled with her return and second serve when facing a top 50 Ranked opponent and I do think she is going to be a touch fatigued against a player who has a solid clay court game.

In their sole previous match, Amanda Anisimova had too much for Ekaterina Alexandrova on a hard court and the latter struggled with her return on the day. In these conditions in Madrid, I think the American can work her way past her opponent and I think she may be the fresher of the two players as this match develops, something that should see the American pull clear for a good win on her way through to the Semi Final.

Simona Halep - 3.5 games v Ons Jabeur: Any player who starts a professional career in tennis and ends up winning two Grand Slam titles would look back with positives, but the feeling for Simona Halep is that there is still some meat on the bone. A former French Open and Wimbledon Champion has clearly made the decision to partner with Patrick Mouratoglou with the ambition to win more Grand Slams and her return to her favoured surface has been reaping rewards this week.

Beating Iga Swiatek looks like it will be the big challenge for every player on the WTA side of the Tour when the French Open begins, but the World Number 1 is not here this week and Simona Halep has knocked off the World Number 2.

The former World Number 1 is a three time Finalist at the French Open and her performances here in Madrid have been very encouraging with three strong wins behind her. Simona Halep has not dropped a set yet, and she has been able to serve very well with the first serve really proving to be a potent weapon for her.

Even the second serve has been well protected and this side of her game is backed up by a return which has seen Simona Halep win almost 49% of return points and break serve at least three times in all three of her wins.

This is another tough test for Halep when she meets Ons Jabeur in the Quarter Final and the top ten Ranked player has been in good form on the clay courts in each of the last couple of years. This season Ons Jabeur has reached the Final in Charleston and the Quarter Final in Stuttgart, while her run to the Quarter Final in Madrid has backed up the early performances on the clay with the French Open coming up later this month.

The key to this match may be the second serve for the two players- Ons Jabeur has struggled to protect that part of her tennis in Madrid, although the first serve has been in good shape. You have to expect Simona Halep to get on top of the second serve, and that is going to put some pressure on Jabeur to make sure she increases the number of first serves she gets in play.

Both of these players are returning well enough to mean that the first serve has to keep the other at bay and it does feel like Simona Halep is going to get more of those in play. The surface is one she favours over Ons Jabeur and I do think Halep has long been one of the best players on the clay courts and I am looking for her to secure her place in the Semi Final.

When these players met in Dubai earlier this year, Simona Halep was a comfortable winner and I think there is more of an edge for her on the clay courts. She can show that off and underline her place as arguably the second favourite to win the French Open with another impressive win in this Masters event.

MY PICKS: Amanda Anisimova - 2.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Simona Halep - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Casper Ruud - 5.5 Games @ 2.20 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Alexander Zverev - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 5.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)

David Goffin @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Madrid Update: 11-11, - 2.62 Units (44 Units Staked, - 5.95% Yield)

Madrid Masters Tennis Picks 2022 (May 3rd)

The last couple of days have been much more difficult for the Tennis Picks from the Madrid Masters, but I am hoping to get back to winning ways on Tuesday.

I have been able to update the season totals after the events in Estoril and Munich were concluded on Sunday, which you can see below.

There are plenty of matches scheduled to be played in Madrid on Tuesday, but the selections I've found can be read here. Some markets have yet to be put together with Second Round ATP matches set to be played on Tuesday as well as the conclusion of the First Round, and any additional Picks will be added here too.

Sara Sorribes Tormo v Daria Kasatkina: There are some very good looking matches on the WTA side of the Madrid Masters on Tuesday, but the layers seem to be on top of the prices for the most part.

One Third Round match where I feel they have gotten the prices the wrong way around is the one between the Sara Sorribes Tormo and Daria Kasatkina.

The home favourite crushed Naomi Osaka in the Second Round and Sara Sorribes Tormo has spoken about feeling burnout at the end of last season, but feeling much more renewed in 2022. She has not really played to the same level as 2021 so far this season, but the early performances on the clay courts are encouraging and the win over Naomi Osaka will have given her a huge boost.

With the fans behind her, Sara Sorribes Tormo should be able to back up that win in the Second Round, although she will know this is going to be a tough match against Daria Kasatkina. The latter has played well on the clay courts throughout her career, but the World Number 23 has never been a dominant player with a serve that can be vulnerable, which puts pressure on the return of serve.

Both of these players have struggled with the second serve, but Sara Sorribes Tormo has tended to get a much higher percentage of first serves into play. That could be to the outcome of this one, especially when you think the Spaniard has been the stronger return player in the limited sample of clay court matches in 2022.

Even a longer look at the last twelve months, Sara Sorribes Tormo has been the player with the superior second serve and return numbers on the clay courts and I think she can get the better of Daria Kasatkina as the slight underdog. These players have split two previous matches on the clay courts and I expect there to be plenty of break point chances in this one, but Sara Sorribes Tormo can use the energy of the crowd to take her through to the Quarter Final.

Hubert Hurkacz - 3.5 games v Hugo Dellien: There is only a small sample of clay court tennis played by Hubert Hurkacz in 2022 and this is only the second tournament has entered on the surface. However, the Polish player reached the Monte Carlo Masters Quarter Final before losing a tight match to Grigor Dimitrov and the next month could still be productive for Hurkacz who is perhaps looking forward to the grass court and hard court portions of the season to come.

In previous years, Hubert Hurkacz has not really enjoyed a lot of success on the clay and last season was a particularly difficult one for him. That makes the Monte Carlo performance important as he looks to find the confidence to put together strong runs on the surface and I think he will benefit from playing someone he has already beaten on the clay in 2022.

The First Round match against Hugo Dellien does look very winnable on paper, especially in the tough conditions in Madrid where you would expect the Hubert Hurkacz serve to make more of an impact than in other clay events.

Hugo Dellien has come through the Qualifiers in Madrid so the conditions are not going to surprise him, while has won plenty of clay court matches throughout the season. However, Hugo Dellien has seen the numbers take a serious drop whenever he has been faced with top 100 Ranked opponents on this surface this season.

In all matches on the clay, the Bolivian has held 78% of his service games played and broken in 39% of return games, but both numbers dip to 72% and 27% when Hugo Dellien has been up against top 100 Ranked opponents.

These two players met in Monte Carlo after Hugo Dellien had won a couple of Qualifiers, but he was not able to deal with the Hubert Hurkacz serve and the latter won 70% of points played behind that shot. With the conditions as they are in Madrid, I expect Hubert Hurkacz to be able to match that, while the top 20 Ranked player was also able to break serve in 27% of return games against the Dellien serve.

I expect Hubert Hurkacz to be able to frank the form in a tournament that should suit his tennis more than the events in Monte Carlo, Rome or Paris would. I would not be surprised if Hugo Dellien pushes him early, but eventually Hubert Hurkacz should be able to exert enough scoreboard pressure to pull clear for a good, solid First Round win.

MY PICKS: Sara Sorribes Tormo @ 2.10 Bet365 (2 Units)

Hubert Hurkacz - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Andrey Rublev - 4.5 Games @ 1.85 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Carlos Alcaraz - 5.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Denis Shapovalov - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Madrid Update: 9-8, - 0.26 Units (34 Units Staked, - 1% Yield)

Season 2022: - 9.36 Units (564 Units Staked, - 1.66% Yield)

Madrid Masters Tennis Picks 2022 (May 2nd)

I mentioned that this thread will be a lot more substantial for the Tuesday Tennis Picks at the Madrid Masters merely because I would not have the time to write out my research and reasons for a selection or two as I would have normally.

You can see my selections from Monday's Tennis below and also the final tally from the tournaments that were completed on Sunday as well as the Madrid Masters update.

MY PICKS: Jannik Sinner - 3.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet365 (2 Units)

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Belinda Bencic - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Simona Halep - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Ekaterina Alexandrova - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Victoria Azarenka @ 2.40 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 9-4, + 7.82 Units (26 Units Staked, + 30.08% Yield)

Madrid Update: 7-4, + 4.54 Units (22 Units Staked, + 20.64% Yield)

Madrid Masters Tennis Picks 2022 (April 30th)

It has been a quiet week for the Tennis Picks, but Friday was one of the busier days with the WTA Madrid tournament firmly underway.

I really could not have asked for a better day with the Tennis Picks going 7-2, although I did benefit from the inches going my way on the day. A couple of those selections could have easily ended up on the wrong side of the fine margins, although Alejandro Davidovich Fokina's late collapse prevented the day from being even better.

Still, a strong winning day has to be appreciated and it gives me something to build upon as I look for this week to end positively. The Madrid Masters will be played through to next weekend with the ATP event beginning on Monday and there will be some big matches coming up that could have an impact on the way the French Open is played out.

Simona Halep v Paula Badosa: The WTA Madrid tournament is one of the big events left before the French Open gets underway in May and the field that has come together means there are very few easy matches for players.

Even the top names have been given some early challenges and the Second Round match between Simona Halep and Paula Badosa would headline most events.

Injury and a decision to move ahead without a Coach has meant we have not seen much of Simona Halep in recent weeks, but she was a very comfortable winner in the First Round. For a long time Simona Halep has been one of the top players on the clay courts on the WTA Tour, but there look to be other players out there that are more likely to win the French Open.

That feeling will change depending on how Simona Halep is able to perform here in Madrid and in Rome before the second Grand Slam of the season gets underway. It was actually injury that cost Simona Halep a strong clay court season in 2021, but the numbers have remained pretty strong on the surface and I do think Halep is very happy on this surface, even if the conditions in Madrid can be difficult.

A player like Paula Badosa may feel happier with the faster conditions that tend to be the case in Madrid, and she did reach the Semi Final here last season. With Iga Swiatek out of the event, it feels like a very open tournament and a player like Paula Badosa will believe in her ability to take the title on home soil.

Paula Badosa already has one Quarter Final run and one Semi Final run on the clay courts under her belt and she was a dominant First Round winner too. She reached the French Open Quarter Final last year and the World Number 2 is a much improved player on all surfaces.

I expect this to be a close match considering the kind of numbers that both of these players can produce on the clay courts. The Spaniard has the edge on the service numbers, but Simona Halep is a player that can be very strong when it comes to the return and her own serve is one that can be productive enough to earn a win in this big match.

The lack of recent tennis is a concern when backing Simona Halep, but I still think she is amongst the top three clay courters on the WTA Tour. Paula Badosa may soon crack that level herself, but I still think Halep may be the slightly better player on this surface and can make odds against quotes count.

MY PICKS: Simona Halep @ 2.10 Bet365 (2 Units)

Belinda Bencic - 4.5 Games @ 2.20 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Yulia Putintseva + 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Miomir Kecmanovic - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Sebastian Baez - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 7-3, + 6.18 Units (20 Units Staked, + 30.90% Yield)

Madrid Update: 4-1, + 4.92 Units (10 Units Staked, + 49.20% Yield)

Monte Carlo Masters Tennis Picks 2022 (April 16th)

A late surge from Stefanos Tsitsipas helped produce a winning day for the Tennis Picks having gone 2-1 on Quarter Final day.

None of the players have a lot of time to prepare for their next matches with the Semi Final at the Monte Carlo Masters to be played on Saturday and you can read my selections below.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina - 1.5 games v Grigor Dimitrov: Three sets were needed by all four players that won their Quarter Final matches at the Monte Carlo Masters, but Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Grigor Dimitrov spent a similar amount of time on the court.

The two players have had strong events and I expect they will privately be very confident in reaching the Final of the first Masters to be played on the clay courts in 2022. Both have beaten two top 14 Ranked opponents in their run through to the Semi Final and that is going to give Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Grigor Dimitrov plenty of confidence when they step onto the court.

Overall it has been a stronger week for the Spaniard, but Grigor Dimitrov has been in fine form on the red dirt and his run has perhaps been more unexpected of the two players. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has not really threatened to perform to this level on the clay courts in Masters events, but he had a strong run at the French Open and the returning performances have been impressive to spark this successful tournament.

It is a tough task in front of him in this one though considering how well Grigor Dimitrov has been serving throughout the tournament. The Bulgarian is holding 95% of his service games and his last three matches, which have been completed on the court, have seen Grigor Dimitrov allow a maximum of four break point opportunities in each match.

Much is going to depend on whether Davidovich Fokina can get into the returning games as well as he has throughout the Monte Carlo Masters. It will be a real test for the Spaniard, but his level this week coupled with his overall twelve month numbers suggest his level may be a little more sustainable than the Dimitrov serving numbers on this surface.

In saying that, you have to respect how well Dimitrov has been serving and he is has backed up his game with some solid returning efforts too. It makes him a dangerous player, one who can be very tough to beat when his confidence is in the place it is likely to be in right now, but Alejandro Davidovich Fokina is playing really well too and I do think he has the superior return which ends up proving to be the difference on the day.

When these two met in Rome last year, both have solid serving numbers, but it was Alejandro Davidovich Fokina managed to protect his serve with the slightly stronger percentage of points won behind that shot. He did have to fend off more break points than Grigor Dimitrov that day, and I think this is likely to be a close match with very little between them too.

The feeling is that Grigor Dimitrov may not have the same kind of success on the return as Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and I do think that the latter will find a way to edge to another victory over this opponent. It will likely be a tight, competitive match, but the superior returning of the Spaniard may seal the deal in the tough moments as long as he is not as wasteful as he was in the big points in this Quarter Final win.

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 1.5 games v Alexander Zverev: It can be very difficult to recover from the tough, emotional victories that underline the progress through to the Semi Final, but both Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas are in a similar boat.

Alexander Zverev won his match against Jannik Sinner in over three hours and was pushed very hard in the final set when it looked like he might have broken the back of the match, Winning a tie-breaker to secure his place in the Semi Final means plenty of emotional and physical efforts were used on Friday and it will be far from easy for Alexander Zverev to prepare for this Semi Final match.

However, he played in the match prior to Stefanos Tsitsipas who also needed close to three hours to win his Quarter Final. The Greek player was the first to admit that he should have won in straight sets when being broken at 5-3 ahead of Diego Sebastian Schwartzman, but Stefanos Tsitsipas also showed off his character to roll through six games in a row in the final set decider having fallen 0-4 behind.

Both players will have a difficult time preparing for this Semi Final having put in as much as they did to earn a spot in the final four. The lack of time makes it more difficult, but Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev are very familiar with one another, while the former is also the defending Champion in Monte Carlo and arguably the favourite to win the tournament again.

The performances in the tournament so far shows there is not much between them- Stefanos Tsitsipas has been the superior server, but Alexander Zverev has been slightly stronger when it comes to the returning numbers. It certainly makes for another potentially very tight match and I think it will come down to the small margins.

Stefanos Tsitsipas does have the edge with the head to head lead and he has won six of the nine matches between these players overall. Both previous clay court matches have been won by the Greek player too and those two wins have seen Stefanos Tsitsipas hold 89% of his service games played compared with Alexander Zverev's mark of 79% mark.

You do have to respect how well Alexander Zverev has been returning this week as he looks to put a more significant dent into the Tsitsipas service games, but I do think he has shown some vulnerability on his own serve.

A late finish in Monte Carlo is far from ideal for Stefanos Tsitsipas, but Alexander Zverev had an incredibly tough Quarter Final too and I do think the defending Champion may be able to manage himself well enough to win this match. The margins have been tight in the two previous wins Stefanos Tsitsipas has had over Alexander Zverev on the clay, but he has had a strong enough edge to believe he can back that up here.

Two quality players should produce a quality match, but I am looking for Stefanos Tsitsipas to do enough to win the Semi Final.

MY PICKS: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina - 1.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Monte Carlo Update: 11-12, - 3.80 Units (46 Units Staked, - 8.26% Yield)

Monte Carlo Masters Tennis Picks 2022 (April 15th)

Another disappointing day for the Tennis Picks at the Monte Carlo Masters, but it was one filled with some frustration considering the level produced by those I selected.

The underdogs had strong showings throughout the day, but it is Quarter Final day on Friday and I do like a number of players to perform well enough to move through to the tennis this weekend.

We also have Billie Jean King Cup action over this weekend and any Picks from those matches on Friday will be added to this thread.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina v Taylor Fritz: After spending a relatively short time on the court to win in straight sets, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Taylor Fritz have to be feeling pretty good about their chances of earning a spot in the Monte Carlo Masters Semi Final.

The top half of the draw looks very open and that means the two players will have a chance to put up some significant Ranking points. Taylor Fritz not only reached the Final of the Indian Wells Masters, but he won the title there so there may be confidence in his tennis which will be hard to contain, although the American is still a work in progress on the clay courts.

Winning matches is always a plus, but Taylor Fritz is still trying to figure out how to get the best out of his return on the clay courts. He has also benefited from an extremely kind draw which has meant Taylor Fritz has yet to beat anyone Ranked in the top 20 and he faces another opponent who is not within that mark.

However, Taylor Fritz is playing someone who is very comfortable on the clay courts and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has produced a strong tournament. The win over Novak Djokovic is the stand out, but the Spaniard has also beaten David Goffin who won the title in Marrakech last week and his numbers have been more impressive than the ones that Taylor Fritz has been able to manage.

Tougher opponents make the numbers more impressive, and it is the Davidovich Fokina return which could be the key to determine the outcome of this Quarter Final match.

Their previous two matches were split on the clay courts, but Taylor Fritz won the match in Madrid on a court that has traditionally been a much quicker clay court than the others in Europe. Three years ago it was Alejandro Davidovich Fokina who beat Fritz in Estoril in what was a tight match and I think he is going to be able to dig in and edge to another win over the American here in Monte Carlo.

Alexander Zverev - 3.5 games v Jannik Sinner: Over the next few years, this is a match that is likely going to be at the business end of many of the big tournaments being played on the Tour and especially when the likes of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic call time on their careers.

At almost 25 years old, Alexander Zverev is considerably further along in his overall development compared with the 21 year old Italian Jannik Sinner and the numbers being produced by the higher Ranked player are at a superior level.

That is taking nothing away from Jannik Sinner who has been very impressive as soon as he made his breakthrough on the Tour. There is no doubting the talent and I do think Jannik Sinner is going to be a multiple time Grand Slam Champion, but he is still developing his game and to beat someone like Alexander Zverev is going to be a big challenge for him.

Jannik Sinner has played well in Monte Carlo, and his return has been a huge weapon for him. However, Sinner will be the first to admit that he is going to have to find a way to look after his serve more effectively than he has in the tournament so far with just 62% of points won behind this shot and holding 78% of his service games played.

While the return of serve has helped Jannik Sinner win his three matches here, Alexander Zverev's serve has been a potent weapon for him throughout this event. The German has had to win one less match after receiving a Bye in the First Round, but he has been dominant in those wins and Alexander Zverev has actually broken serve in 51% of his return games played.

He is winning a higher percentage of points behind serve compared with Sinner too and I do think Alexander Zverev will have the edge in this Quarter Final.

Jannik Sinner did upset Alexander Zverev at the French Open in 2020 during his epic run, but it is Alexander Zverev who has won their last two matches. Both of those have been on the hard courts, but Alexander Zverev has a serve that can be very effective on the clay courts as well as the faster surfaces and I think he will find the breaks he needs to earn a narrow edge in each set played and ultimately move through with a cover.

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 3.5 games v Diego Sebastian Schwartzman: There is plenty of respect for Diego Sebastian Schwartzman who has gotten every ounce out of his talent on the Tour and proved to be a pretty respectable player on all surfaces.

That point is underlined over the last twelve months with similar levels of numbers being produced on hard courts, clay courts and grass courts. It means Diego Sebastian Schwartzman has to be respected and he is an opponent that can be very difficult to beat if you are not playing your best tennis.

The return has been a big weapon for Diego Sebastian Schwartzman in Monte Carlo and he has needed to be at his best on this side of his tennis. It is largely down to the return that a player who has held just 67% of service games played has worked his way into the Quarter Final, although Diego Sebastian Schwartzman has bounced back from dropping the first set in two of his three matches to underline the kind of belief he has in his own game.

Stefanos Tsitsipas is expected to provide a much tougher test as one of the improving clay courters on the Tour. This may feel like his favourite surface and Stefanos Tsitsipas is still the defending Champion in Monte Carlo, while his two wins in the tournament have been behind some impressive numbers.

Of course this is a much tougher test than Fabio Fognini or Laslo Djere can offer, but Stefanos Tsitsipas has been serving well and it has allowed him to free up his arm and break in 31% of return games played. That is not a number that compares with Diego Sebastian Schwartzman's 50% mark, but I do think Stefanos Tsitsipas is going to believe he will have enough chances to break down the Argentine's serve as long as he looks after his own.

Over the last twelve months, Stefanos Tstisipas has put together the stronger performances on the clay courts of the two players and he can earn revenge for a defeat to Diego Sebastian Schwartzman on the hard courts at the ATP Cup in January. Diego Sebastian Schwartzman was much the better player that day, but Stefanos Tsitsipas has won their sole previous match on the clay courts and I think he will have enough big serving to get out of some tight spots and eventually pull clear of this tough opponent.

MY PICKS: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Alexander Zverev - 3.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Monte Carlo Update: 9-11, - 5.46 Units (40 Units Staked, - 13.65% Yield)

Monte Carlo Masters Tennis Picks 2022 (April 14th)

That was not a good day.

The late break when serving for the match in the final match of the day proved to be the difference and has taken the week from a winning position into a losing one.

But the only positive is that I can't really be unhappy with any of the selections made. It is only worse when you feel regret about any Pick you make, but that was not the case despite the losing day.

On Thursday we are down to the Third Round as the Monte Carlo Masters heats up and that means players who want to win the title are going to be asked to play every day through the remainder of the event. It looks like a very open tournament with a case to be made for a number of players and I do think the Third Round matches are highly competitive which means I have only three Picks from the eight matches set to be played.

Casper Ruud - 4.5 games v Grigor Dimitrov: It was a tougher than expected Second Round match, but Casper Ruud did what he needed to in order to progress to the next Round at the Monte Carlo Masters. He will know that he needs to be stronger in the return part of his game, but the conditions in Monte Carlo should be a little easier to deal with on Thursday compared with Wednesday and being back on the red dirt should see Casper Ruud go from strength to strength.

Others have fallen by the wayside so it was important for Casper Ruud to dig in and beat Holger Rune having recovered from difficult spots in both the first and second sets.

He should be stronger with the match under his belt and Casper Ruud is facing an opponent in Grigor Dimitrov who is far from at his most comfortable on the clay courts. The Bulgarian had a solid win in the Second Round over Dusan Lajovic and also benefited from having Wednesday as a day off, but Grigor Dimitrov is going to have to expect to be put under a lot more pressure by Casper Ruud than he has faced in this tournament so far.

Much is going to depend on the Grigor Dimitrov serve and whether he can keep Casper Ruud under pressure- earning breaks against the Norwegian has been a challenge for opponents on the clay courts so it is imperative that Dimitrov serves well and tries to stick with the top ten Ranked player he is facing.

When they met on a hard court last year, Grigor Dimitrov was able to find enough breaks of serve to push Casper Ruud, although he ended up losing in a deciding set. Playing on the clay courts look to give Casper Ruud a much stronger edge and I think that shows up in the early match at the Monte Carlo Masters as the Third Round is completed through the day.

The performance on Wednesday was not the best, but Casper Ruud has plenty more to give on the clay courts and I am happy to back him here.

David Goffin - 1.5 games v Alejandro Davidovich Fokina: Any time you earn a win like the one that Alejandro Davidovich Fokina produced in the Second Round, it can be very difficult to pick yourself up emotionally and ready yourself for the next challenge. It cannot be ignored that Davidovich Fokina has not really had as many impressive wins as the one he put together against Novak Djokovic in the Second Round, and especially not on the clay courts.

He did win plenty of clay court matches last year too, but Alejandro Davidovich Fokina plays in tight margins and the question is whether he has been able to refocus after the biggest win on his career.

Having a day off on Wednesday may actually benefit Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, but he will have to produce some top tennis to beat a confident David Goffin who won the title in Marrakech last week.

After injuries have meant a loss of form, winning that title will have just reminded David Goffin of the level he can produce on the Tour. It may have been easy to not be able to get himself ready for the Monte Carlo Masters after investing a lot of energy into winning in Marrakech, but David Goffin has looked good in his two wins here and will be heading to the court looking to book himself a Quarter Final spot.

Those injuries and loss of form mentioned have meant a couple of difficult years on the clay courts, but David Goffin has looked good so far in 2022. Sustaining the level will not be easy, but I do think the David Goffin return game may give him an edge in this Third Round match.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has to be given plenty of respect with a solid return game of his own, but David Goffin has been serving at a considerably higher level on the clay courts. It is important to be able to do that and at least keep some of the pressure from building on you and I think the Belgian may have enough to beat out an opponent who needs to have recovered emotionally from a top win.

It would not be a massive surprise if we need three sets to separate these two players on the day, but I think David Goffin can do enough with his serve to edge to the victory.

Alexander Zverev - 3.5 games v Pablo Carreno Busta: We have not really seen the best of Pablo Carreno Busta so far this week in Monte Carlo and there will be pressure on him to pick up his level if he is going to earn a spot in the Quarter Final of this Masters event. Instead of being the higher Ranked player as he has been in the first two matches here, Pablo Carreno Busta is taking on a top ten Ranked opponent who has returned to the clay in strong form.

Alexander Zverev was perhaps fortunate to avoid a suspension from the Tour for his actions in Acapulco and he did not have the best tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami, but he did crush Federico Delbonis in the Second Round on Wednesday. He has also won a couple of matches against overmatched opponents on the surface in the Davis Cup, but the German is likely to be the first to admit that this is going to be the toughest test he has faced on the surface since losing in the French Open Semi Final last year.

The serve has been a big weapon for Alexander Zverev over the last couple of years on the red dirt and he is a productive returner which suggests he should be very comfortable on the surface. For a long time his numbers on the clay have been very impressive and Alexander Zverev will feel that his overall tennis is enough to secure his place in the Quarter Final.

Pablo Carreno Busta cannot really point to the same impressive numbers- he is holding 77% of service games on the clay courts in 2022 and breaking in 22% of return games, although the twelve month totals are stronger. The problem for the Spaniard is that those numbers have dipped significantly when facing top 50 Ranked opponents on the surface.

The same is not true for Alexander Zverev who has kept his level very high when facing the better players on the Tour and I do think he is going to have the edge against Pablo Carreno Busta in this Third Round match.

Mentally he holds the edge too having won both previous matches between these players on the Tour, although both of those were on the hard courts. The last of those was played in the 2020 US Open and I do think Alexander Zverev remains the more consistent of the two top 20 Ranked players and his serve may prove to be the key difference between them on the day.

If he serves well, the return game should find the breaks needed to win this match by a good margin.

MY PICKS: Casper Ruud - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

David Goffin - 1.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Alexander Zverev - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Monte Carlo Update; 8-9, - 2.90 Units (34 Units Staked, - 8.53% Yield)

Monte Carlo Masters Tennis Picks 2022 (April 12th)

There were some ups and some downs over the course of Monday and the five Tennis Picks largely had a mixed day on the court.

The first four could have all won, but also all lost on another day, so the split was not too bad. Thankfully Marin Cilic did his job as expected and in routine fashion to bring in a winning day and square up the Monte Carlo Masters after the sole loss on Sunday.

The remainder of the First Round is set to be completed on Tuesday, but it is also the day Novak Djokovic returns to the court for the first time since the ATP 500 event in Dubai. The current World Number 1 has admitted it has been a difficult time for him with all of the drama around his decision to travel to the Australian Open before being forced to leave the country.

Other nations are still making it clear that unvaccinated athletes will not be able to enter their borders, but the clay court season feels like a very good time for Novak Djokovic to have some consistency in his season. Monte Carlo, Spain, Italy and France all have come to the decision they will be allowing Novak Djokovic to compete and the defending French Open Champion will be looking to put strong runs together.

He is involved in one of three Second Round matches that are scheduled to be played on Tuesday and I am looking for the momentum from Monday to move the Tennis Picks into a winning position for the tournament so far.

Novak Djokovic - 5.5 games v Alejandro Davidovich Fokina: We always want to see the top names out on the Tour, but injury means the Monte Carlo Masters will be without both Rafael Nadal and Daniil Medvedev.

Thankfully Novak Djokovic is back on Tour to add star power to a loaded draw and it sounds like the nations that will be hosting events through to the French Open will be allowing unvaccinated athletes to compete. That is big news for Novak Djokovic, as is the French lifting restrictions which means he can defend his French Open title and hopefully get some consistency with his own schedule back on the Tour.

Novak Djokovic has not played since the tournament in Dubai when he was upset in the Quarter Final against Jiri Vesely, although the World Number 1 did have a couple of solid wins before exiting the event. Playing on the clay should mean Novak Djokovic is able to build up his rhythm, although I can't forget that he was upset in this tournament twelve months ago in the build to the French Open and that was at a time when Djokovic was playing much more regularly.

You cannot make up competitive tennis conditions in practice, but Novak Djokovic is an exceptional player and I think this is a player that will be very focused with what he wants to do. I think he does benefit from playing an opponent that Djokovic will be comfortable playing as he goes up against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina who was beaten by the Serb very easily at the Rome Masters and the Tokyo Olympics.

Their match in Rome saw Novak Djokovic dominate the match and win 55% of return points against the Davidovich Fokina serve, although I expect this one to be closer considering the layoff that Djokovic has had to endure from the Tour.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina is comfortable on the clay courts and he has won a match here in Monte Carlo already, although he was beaten in the first match played on the surface last week in Marrakech. The serve can be vulnerable on the clay courts and I think that is where Novak Djokovic, the best returner in the game, could put the Spaniard under immense pressure from the off.

His numbers on the clay courts are decent enough overall, but Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has really struggled when facing top 20 Ranked opponents on this surface over the last twelve months. The Spaniard seems to play the big points pretty well considering the amount of sets he has won doesn't really coincide with the numbers produced, but Novak Djokovic has been able to force his tennis to dominate the rallies between these players and I think he will find the breaks of serve to eventually pull clear and cover this big mark on his return to the Tour.

Pedro Martinez - 3.5 games v Ugo Humbert: This has been a tough year for Ugo Humbert already with a 2-7 record in 2022 and I am not sure he is going to be too happy about the move onto the clay courts. Last year Ugo Humbert finished with a 1-6 record on the clay courts and his numbers have been below average on the clay courts through much of his career.

A loss of confidence and perhaps a dislike to the surface does not really bode well for Ugo Humbert and especially not when he is facing someone who is happy on the clay.

Pedro Martinez won a title in Santiago during the Golden Swing earlier this year, although he did suffer some early losses in the other three tournaments played on the red dirt in South America. He put some battling wins together to win the title in Santiago, and the numbers in 2022 have not been eye-catching, but Pedro Martinez has been up against opponents who have also been comfortable on the clay and that is simply not the case here.

Last year the Spaniard had stronger clay court numbers and I do think the soon to be 25 year old will have enough know-how on this surface to beat Ugo Humbert. The Frenchman has only held 77% of service games on the hard courts this year, but Ugo Humbert's numbers on the clay were at 70% in 2021 and he has simply not returned as well as he would like.

This is a wide mark when you think of some of the Pedro Martinez limitations, but I do think he will have the majority of the break point chances and the confidence of Ugo Humbert is not in a good place right now. I think that will show up in this First Round match and I think Pedro Martinez will find the breaks of serve to pull away in the overall games stakes.

Lorenzo Musetti - 3.5 games v Benoit Paire: The suggestion from Benoit Paire over the last couple of years is that he has not enjoyed playing tennis in front of empty stands, but the current World Number 61 has not exactly lit things up in 2022 now the fans are back. The Frenchman has a really poor 3-10 record in 2022 and Benoit Paire has been struggling with most aspects of his tennis, which makes him a vulnerable First Round player.

Things have not been much better for Benoit Paire when it has come to clay court tennis and his numbers have been pretty poor since the pandemic hit 2020. He decided to take part in the Golden Swing in South America earlier this year, but Benoit Paire returned having played in three tournaments and failed to win a single match.

Unsurprisingly the return has been working to some extent on the red dirt, but the real problem for Benoit Paire has been the poor serving. The return of serve will offer Benoit Paire a chance of winning this match, but he cannot overcome a level where he is holding just 65% of service games as he has been operating at over the last twelve months on this surface.

He is the underdog against Lorenzo Musetti, although the youngster has been having a mixed year of his own. After breaking onto the Tour with some big performances, Lorenzo Musetti is perhaps finding things more difficult now that opponents have an idea of how he plays and strengths and weaknesses on display.

Like many of his compatriots, Lorenzo Musetti is comfortable on the clay courts and he did reach the Fourth Round at Roland Garros where he held a 2-0 lead over Novak Djokovic before wearing down against the eventual French Open Champion. The Italian has reached the Quarter Final in Marrakech this season, and over the last twelve months Lorenzo Musetti has been that much stronger than Benoit Paire when it comes to holding serve which can make the difference in this First Round match.

Lorenzo Musetti was a convincing winner over Benoit Paire at the Miami Masters in 2021 and I do think he is the superior clay court player of the two. While there is still room to grow for the young Italian, I think he will have the edge in the serving department which leads to a solid win in the First Round in Monte Carlo.

MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic - 5.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Pedro Martinez - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Lorenzo Musetti - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)

David Goffin - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Monte Carlo Update: 3-3, - 0.34 Units (12 Units Staked, - 2.83% Yield)

Monte Carlo Masters Tennis Picks 2022 (April 11th)

A solid week has been put in the books, but once again we have reached Monday and the Tour has moved on to fresh tournaments.

The WTA Tour will take a short break with Fed Cup matches the priority, but the ATP Masters at Monte Carlo feels like the true beginning of the run to the French Open.

This is a tournament that has plenty of matches scheduled over the first four days of the event with the Final set to be played on Sunday. Conditions look to be decent for much of the week, but it could be slightly windy in the middle of the week and wet towards the end.

I did have one pick from the Monte Carlo Masters on Sunday, but that has not opened the week in the way I would have wanted, although Monday is a much busier day for the tournament as well as the Tennis Picks.

Diego Sebastian Schwartzman - 2.5 games v Karen Khachanov: The Monte Carlo Masters may be the one Masters event that players can choose to skip without affecting potential Ranking points, but it is a big event to start the clay court season for many. In most years a strong field will come together and this year's event feels no different with that point underlined by this quality looking First Round match.

Diego Sebastian Schwartzman and Karen Khachanov have had some tough battles on the Tour already and they have split four meetings two apiece. All of those have come on the hard courts, a surface you would expect to favour Karen Khachanov, but this is a match on the clay courts and I would expect Diego Sebastian Schwartzman to have enough to move through to the Second Round.

This is the first match that Karen Khachanov will be playing on the red dirt in 2022 and he has been a pretty average player on the surface since 2019. He only has a 16-15 record on the clay courts in that time and the numbers have been pretty steady, although unspectacular in that time.

Now Karen Khachanov has to face Diego Sebastian Schwartzman who had a strong Golden Swing on the South American hard courts between the Australian Open and the North American Masters events played on the same surface. The Argentine reached the Semi Final in Cordoba, before coming up short in the Final at both the Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro tournaments where the likes of Casper Ruud and Carlos Alcaraz have proved too strong for Schwartzman.

The serve is vulnerable and I do think that makes it hard to trust Diego Sebastian Schwartzman to cover a spread like this one, but he has long been a very productive return player on the clay courts. I expect that to be a difference maker for Schwartzman, especially on this surface, although both players have been able to earn plenty of breaks of serve against the other in their previous four matches.

You do have to expect the Karen Khachanov serve to have had an 'easier' time holding serve on the hard courts against Diego Sebastian Schwartzman than he has had in their previous matches. Now Karen Khachanov has to take on a player who wins a considerable percentage more points on the return on the clay than the hard courts and one who has a much stronger break percentage on this surface and I think Diego Sebastian Schwartzman will do enough to eventually cover this mark on his way past this opponent.

Jannik Sinner - 3.5 games v Borna Coric: Injuries may have seen Jannik Sinner forced to withdraw from both North American hard court Masters events played over the last month, but longer term issues have really stunted Borna Coric's career.

A twelve month absence from the Tour was ended when Borna Coric was beaten relatively early in both the Indian Wells and Miami tournaments. He missed the entirety of the clay court season in 2021 and has actually not played in a clay court event since being upset in the First Round of the 2020 Roland Garros which was played in the Autumn of the pandemic hit year.

It will take some time for Borna Coric to get used to competing on the Tour at this level again, but he will likely pick up some Wild Cards into the biggest events as he currently sits at World Number 199. The problem for Borna Coric is that he is likely to be handed some very difficult draws in tournaments he enters and that is the case here in Monte Carlo.

Jannik Sinner will feel he had an underwhelming clay court campaign in 2021 and there is room for improvement. Blisters saw his tournament end prematurely in Miami, but the Italian has been practicing with Novak Djokovic here and I think he should be ready to compete.

Playing on the clay will likely mean his superior match fitness compared with Borna Coric is very important and I think that will give Jannik Sinner every chance of breaking down his opponent in this good looking First Round match. When Borna Coric last played on the clay courts, he did not return as he would have liked and I think that could be problematic for him as he rebuilds his career.

I do think Borna Coric can have success against this Jannik Sinner serve, but the younger player is an improving force and he should have enough all around game to beat an opponent who is still not quite up to full speed on his return to the Tour.

Marin Cilic - 4.5 games v Jo-Wilfred Tsonga: The last few years have been very difficult for Jo-Wilfred Tsonga on the Tour as age and injury has caught up with him and it is no surprise that he has decided Roland Garros will be the perfect place to end his career.

He is likely to take in a couple of tournaments in the lead to the last French Open of his career, but Jo-Wilfred Tsonga has slipped outside the top 200 of the World Rankings. The key for the Frenchman will be to be as injury-free as possible going into the French Open so he is able to at least complete his matches, but it has felt very clear that Jo-Wilfred Tsonga is not really able to compete at this level as he once could.

Last year Jo-Wilfred Tsonga was beaten in all three clay court matches played and he struggled both on serve and return. In those losses, Tsonga managed to hold 70% of service games played, but he was only able to break in just shy of 8% of return games played and that led to some heavy defeats.

The serve has been productive in 2022 for Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, but those have been on the hard courts and it is always that much tougher to hold on the clay courts.

Jo-Wilfred Tsonga is taking on another veteran in Marin Cilic who had a pretty disappointing 2021 on the clay courts, but who has looked strong in 2022 in the build up to the clay court season. Marin Cilic will be the first to admit he has not always found his best tennis since the Australian Open, but a couple of those losses have been against solid competitors on the Tour and I am simply doubting that Tsonga remains one of those.

Marin Cilic will feel his serving gives him enough of an edge over Jo-Wilfred Tsonga to work his way through to the Second Round without too many concerns. His return game is also significantly stronger than Tsonga's at this time in their careers and I think that helps on the way to a cover of a big spread.

These two are meeting one another for the first time since 2018, but both Jo-Wilfred Tsonga and Marin Cilic will be very familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of the other. Both previous clay court matches have been won by Marin Cilic and he has not been broken by Jo-Wilfred Tsonga in those matches, while the big Croatian has broken in 16% of return games played.

This will also be the second time they have met one another in Monte Carlo and I do think Marin Cilic can win by a slightly wider margin than the 6/3, 7/6 victory he earned in April 2015 when both were Ranked inside the top 15 of the World Rankings.

MY PICKS: Diego Sebastian Schwartzman - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Jannik Sinner - 3.5 Games @ 1.75 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Marin Cilic - 4.5 Games @ 2.20 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Jaume Munar - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Pablo Carreno Busta - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Monte Carlo Update: 0-1, - 2 Units (2 Units Staked, - 100% Yield)

Season 2022: - 16.48 Units (444 Units Staked, - 3.71% Yield)