French Open Day 1 Tennis Picks 2022 (May 22nd)

The week before a Grand Slam can be tough to analyse because of the differing motivations of players, especially the top names who may be looking for one or two matches, but not wanting to overexert themselves before the next Grand Slam begins.

After a number of weeks on the clay courts, the French Open will begin on Sunday 22nd May and it is shaping up to be a decent tournament.

After the draw was made on Thursday, the likes of Stefanos Tsitsipas and Casper Ruud could be looking to have a really strong fortnight as they are on the opposite half of the tournament to the big favourites at the second Slam of the season.

Both of these players mentioned are very comfortable on the clay courts and would have felt they were going to have a strong fortnight regardless of the draw, but you cannot help but appreciate the way things have shaped up if you are a part of their teams.

Novak Djokovic won the Rome Masters and will be feeling like he is peaking just in time, while Rafael Nadal remains one of the top clay courters in the world even when dealing with a foot injury. Carlos Alcaraz is the Madrid Champion and is arguably the best player in the world right now and should be well rested, while Alexander Zverev has reached the business end of multiple Grand Slams, but all four of these players are in the same top half of the draw.

Coming through the section will be difficult, while you will have to question how much could be taken out of the tank before the Men's Final and that may pave the way for someone like Stefanos Tsitsipas or Casper Ruud to win a maiden Slam title.

Personally I think it comes down to Novak Djokovic or Carlos Alcaraz with the two set for a monster Semi Final match if they can work their way through the draws, but it is going to be a very interesting Grand Slam where the key is to get through the early Rounds as comfortably as possible and not get dragged into the long clay court matches that can sometimes develop.

Iga Swiatek is clearly the player to beat on the Women's side of the tournament and I honestly think it will take an 'act of God' for her to fail to add to the French Open title she won a couple of years ago. Barring injury, the World Number 1 should be able to produce a level of tennis that is unlikely to be matched by the others in the draw and I think Iga Swiatek is going to win the tournament.

Finding someone to oppose Iga Swiatek is not easy- the defending Champion Barbora Krejcikova is going to take part, but is coming in off a long layoff and I don't think she will be able to reach the Final again.

Ons Jabeur has had a really strong clay court season and I think she could be the player to come out of the bottom half of the draw, but the Women's game is pretty open behind the current World Number 1 and I think we are in for a fun tournament to see who can work their way into a position to try and at least challenge Iga Swiatek like we have not seen for a number of months.

It has not been the best clay court season for the Tennis Picks and I have been disappointed by the efforts in the Madrid Masters which have seriously dented the season numbers.

However, I am still feeling pretty happy with the approach going into the French Open and I am looking for a strong event to round out this portion of the year before the move onto the grass courts and the lead into Wimbledon.

The First Round is going to be split over three days to open the event, but there are some rainy conditions in Paris and I think that is going to play a little bit of havoc with the schedule. A new Night Session at Roland Garros should make for interesting viewing for the fans at the event and those watching at home and I will be hoping that the weather doesn't affect any of my selections.

Rain delays can break momentum pretty quickly so it is something to consider.

Day 1 of the French Open gets going on Sunday and my selections from the day will be in this thread. Hopefully this can be the start of a really good two weeks to close out the clay court season.

Grigor Dimitrov - 6.5 games v Marcos Giron: This is a rematch of a First Round match at Roland Garros twelve months ago when Marcos Giron upset Grigor Dimitrov. However, it was a match in which the latter looked to be in complete control before his body let him down and the match was actually not completed on that day as Marcos Giron was able to move through to the Second Round.

He is going to need another upset if he is going to get past Grigor Dimitrov in 2022 and I think it is asking a lot of Marcos Giron when you consider the form of the two players during this clay court season.

The American did have a solid win over Diego Sebastian Schwartzman in the Rome Masters, but that has been a rare success for Marcos Giron who has a 3-8 record on the clay courts in 2022. The serve has remained relatively vulnerable on the clay, but Marcos Giron has really struggled when it comes to the return of serve and his numbers have dipped significantly from the return numbers produced last season.

Even those are not really that encouraging and Grigor Dimitrov has reached the Semi Final at the Monte Carlo Masters and may have had further strong runs if not running into one of the top clay courters on the Tour in Stefanos Tsitsipas. Grigor Dimitrov has an 8-4 record on the clay courts this season, but three of those losses have come against Tsitsipas, while the Bulgarian has been pretty strong behind his serve and has a real edge over Marcos Giron when it comes to the return of serve.

I expect that to make the difference for Grigor Dimitrov in this First Round match and I think he has looked stronger going into the French Open than he would have felt in 2021.

Grigor Dimitrov was dominating the return of serve in that match against Marcos Giron here last year and I think he is going to have a serious edge on this side of the court again. This may be a big spread, but he won the first two sets 6-4, 6-2 last year at the French Open against this opponent and I do think Dimitrov is playing well enough to earn the majority of break points in this one too.

As long as he plays the big points efficiently, Grigor Dimitrov can win this match and cover the handicap mark set out.

Alexander Zverev - 8.5 games v Sebastian Ofner: Qualifiers can be dangerous opponents early in any tournament, but it does feel that the Men's Grand Slam matches gives the higher Ranked players plenty of chances to turn a match around if making a slow start. Sebastian Ofner has won three matches in Paris to reach the main draw, but Alexander Zverev will not be too concerned about the opponent and instead will want to make sure he moves through to the Second Round without exerting too much energy.

That has been an issue for Alexander Zverev in his career, but he has had a strong clay court season and will be confident of his chances at the French Open. He has landed in the tough top half of the draw and the German is going to have to improve his returning if he is going to win a first Slam title.

Alexander Zverev's return numbers have been someway down on his previous levels on the clay courts, and it has put additional pressure on the serve.

However, I do think he is going to have far too much for Sebastian Ofner who has had a decent year on the clay courts, but who has largely been operating at a much lower level than the one he is faced with on Day 1 at the French Open. Sebastian Ofner did win six of the seven sets played in Qualifying, but he is going to have to serve at a level he has rarely been able to sustain and I do think this is a match in which Alexander Zverev can build his confidence and momentum the longer it goes.

The higher Ranked player crushed Sebastian Ofner at Wimbledon in 2017 and I think the clay courts should offer Alexander Zverev plenty of opportunities to break serve.

He should be able to push forward with the pressure mounting on a player Ranked outside the top 200 in the World Rankings and I think Alexander Zverev will earn the six or seven breaks of serve he will likely need to eventually cover this handicap mark.

MY PICKS: Grigor Dimitrov - 6.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Alexander Zverev - 8.5 Games @ 1.90 Bet365 (2 Units)

Christopher O'Connell - 1.5 Sets @ 1.61 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Jaime Munar - 1.5 Sets @ 1.72 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Felix Auger-Aliassime - 6.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

John Isner - 1.5 Sets @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Fabio Fognini - 1.5 Sets @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Carlos Alcaraz - 9.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Ons Jabeur - 5.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Beatriz Haddad Maia - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Maria Camila Osorio - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Petra Martic - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Dalma Galfi - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Cori Gauff - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Boxing Picks 2021- Jose Ramirez vs Josh Taylor (May 22nd)

Jose Ramirez vs Josh Taylor

There are forty-three wins between the top two fighters in the 140 pound Division and on Saturday we have all four belts on the line when Jose Ramirez and Josh Taylor meet on a night when one of their '0s has got to go'.

An Undisputed four belt holder is a rare occurrence these days and this is arguably the best fight we have had since the Covid-19 Pandemic began fifteen months ago.

The winner is likely going to end up moving into some huge Super-Fights with the likes of Teofimo Lopez and Terence Crawford potentially opponents for the Undisputed Champion.

However, it would be terrible for Jose Ramirez or Josh Taylor to be thinking too far ahead and overlooking what is going to be the most testing fight of their careers.

I have long been a fan of Josh Taylor and I do think he is the right favourite here with an ability to fight or box and Ben Davison should be able to draw up a solid game plan for his fighter. Josh Taylor has arguably had the better wins and looked the better fighter, but Jose Ramirez can raise his performances to the level of his opponents and I think he will be looking to be the aggressor and trying to impress the judges by getting on the front foot as much as possible.

My feeling is that Josh Taylor is the better counter puncher and ultimately has more ways in which he believes he can win fights. The Scot has rarely lost Rounds and that is not the case for Ramirez who has perhaps earned a couple of fortunate Decisions to remain unbeaten.

I won't read too much into the performances against the common opponent Viktor Postol, while winning a Decision on the road is going to be a tough challenge for Josh Taylor. There should be plenty of positive action to keep the fans at the end of their seats and I think both fighters are going to have their successes, but the Southpaw stance of Josh Taylor could be a little tougher to solve and he can be aggressive and also out-box Jose Ramirez at times.

A Majority Decision either way would not be a massive surprise and I do think the Draw is a player, but that is largely because I do feel Ramirez will be given the nod where there are tighter Rounds.

At the halfway stage it would not be a surprise if we have a very tight fight, but I think Josh Taylor can showcase his superior talent in the Championship Rounds and that can see him push clear for a narrow, but deserved points win. A 115-113/116-112 scorecard in favour of the British fighter is where I think this fight lands, but it is one that should not be missed by all Boxing fans.

MY PICKS: Josh Taylor to Win Decision/Technical Decision @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Jose Zepeda to Win Between 6-10 @ 3.00 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Sam Eggington to Win Between 7-12 @ 6.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Boxing 2021: 17-38, - 25.46 Units (106 Units Staked, - 24.02% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2019 (May 22nd)

The Tennis continues in the lead up to the French Open which begins on Sunday, but the tournaments being played this week will be hoping the weather settles down to ensure they are finished on Saturday as scheduled.

I've placed the Second Round Picks being played on Wednesday in this thread.

This should be the last time I am not able to write out any analysis for the Tennis Picks between now and the end of the French Open. Things have been a little hectic to prevent that happening over the last couple of weeks, but that should be cleared up going forward.

MY PICKS: Roberto Bautista Agut - 4.5 Games @ 1.75 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Nikoloz Basilashvili - 4.5 Games @ 2.05 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Marton Fucsovics @ 1.83 Betfair Sportsbook (2 Units)
Christian Garin - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Albert Ramos-Vinolas - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 1-2, - 1.80 Units (6 Units Staked, - 30% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2017 (May 22nd)

The final week before any Grand Slam tournament is usually one where the top names decide to skip out and keep the energy fresh for the major event ahead. That is the case for the most part this week with the French Open due to begin next Sunday, although there are still plenty of recognisable names in the events being played across four tournaments this week.

In saying that, it can be the attempt to ride some treacherous seas when negotiating picks through weeks like this and is certainly one of caution for myself.

While I am planning to make picks, I do think there will be the potential for not really seeing anything worth backing with the fact that the French Open is beginning this weekend in my mind. Some of the tournaments have already got into the main draw on Sunday and I didn't have any picks from the events and we will see how it goes over the week.


Oceane Dodin - 1.5 games v Shuai Zhang: It has been a tough battle on the clay courts for Shuai Zhang and confidence is going to have been damaged having lost five in a row on the surface. In general it has been a disappointing season for Zhang so far and this First Round match looks a tough one on paper for her.

Oceane Dodin has yet to really put together the consistency she would like on the WTA Tour but she has improved her World Ranking and looks to be a player capable of fulfilling the potential she clearly has. Playing on the clay courts shouldn't be an issue for a player that has grown up on the surface, although the inconsistency already mentioned makes it tough to really believe in her fully.

However, I do think Dodin has had enough wins over the last few weeks to believe in her game a little more than Zhang does at this moment. It can be argued that Dodin has the more 'respectable' losses on the clay over the last few weeks and I think she can get the better of Zhang even if it takes three sets to get the job done.

Zhang's last eight losses on the clay courts would have failed to see her get within this number and I will look for Dodin to play just big enough to come through with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 win.


Alize Cornet v Shuai Peng: This has been set as a pick 'em contest by the layers and I think that says a lot about the inconsistency that Alize Cornet continues to produce on a week by week basis. Her home Grand Slam is coming up next week and Cornet has to show some form to build momentum to take into the French Open, although failing to reach her standards will give Shuai Peng the edge to win the match.

The clay court season has not been one that Cornet has enjoyed so far, although her loss to Elina Svitolina came in two tough sets last week in Rome against the eventual winner of that Premier Event.

Peng is not really on that level, especially not on the clay courts and I think she may be on the wrong end of another narrow loss. Both of her clay court losses in 2017 have come in three sets against very strong opponents, but Peng may not have the same nous on the clay courts as the Frenchwoman she faces in the First Round.

I have little doubt there will be shifts of momentum during the match on the way to a Cornet win, which is never straightforward. However I do think Cornet should have the superior clay court game compared with Peng and she can win here this week in another three set match.

MY PICKS: Oceane Dodin - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Alize Cornet @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Tennis Picks 2014 (May 22nd)

The French Open draw is now only twenty-four hours away and the tournaments that are being played this week are already at the Quarter Final stage. The tournaments need to be completed by Saturday as the second Grand Slam of the season starts the First Round action on Sunday.

There are a couple of big name players in action this week, but not really anyone that you would consider a contender to win in Roland Garros, so the players should be able to give their all to win a title and perhaps more money than they will in Paris next week.


Leonardo Mayer v Albert Montanes: Albert Montanes did win the title in Nice last season so will have a big motivation to defend his title this week, but I think Leonardo Mayer can produce a surprise win in this Quarter Final.

Mayer has plenty of momentum behind him having won five matches in Nice already to get to this stage, although the concern would be all that tennis causing fatigue.

He does have a good record against Montanes and Mayer has a decent clay court pedigree to think he can come through even as the underdog. The Argentinian player has a serve that could set up a few more cheaper points than Montanes and I expect there to be opportunities for both players to take control.

However, I believe Mayer has a little more quality at key moments that helps him through in three sets.


John Isner v Federico Delbonis: On a clay court, someone like Federico Delbonis will certainly feel they have a better chance in taking on John Isner and the huge serve he possesses, but the American has always said he feels comfortable on the slower surfaces.

Isner explains that his serve doesn't lose as much bite as the hard courts, while he can set up his groundstrokes a little better on the slower surface and he certainly feels he has a chance to perform on the clay courts.

He has big wins on the surface in the past having beaten Roger Federer, while also pushing Rafael Nadal to five sets in the French Open. I expect the serve to put a lot of mental pressure on Federico Delbonis whose own game is a little inconsistent and makes his serve vulnerable to being broken.

Delbonis will feel he has a real chance considering some of the losses that Isner has suffered during the clay court swing, but I would be worried about what decent servers like Ivan Dodig and Feliciano Lopez have done against the Argentinian too. I just feel he won't cope with the mental burden of keeping ahead of/up with Isner and I like the American to win a place in the Semi Final.


Carlos Berlocq v Gilles Simon: I was surprised that Gilles Simon is being set as the favourite to win this Quarter Final and have a feeling his performance against Rafael Nadal in Rome may be keeping his price artificially high.

He has been beaten in three of the last four matches against Carlos Berlocq, all on the clay courts, and I do believe the latter has a better clay court pedigree having won two titles on the surface over the last twelve months.

There should be a lot of extended rallies in the match as both players can get a lot of balls back in play, but I do think Berlocq has wrongly been set as the underdog and can eventually force enough mistakes from Simon.

Don't be surprised if there are a number of breaks of serve before it is all said and done, but Berlocq to move through is my pick from this Quarter Final.


Caroline Garcia - 1.5 games v Karin Knapp: This week has already been a productive one for Karin Knapp who snapped a long losing run on the Tour, but she may have to settle for reaching this stage of the tournament. That is because she is playing one of the form players in Caroline Garcia who is finally showing the form that had seen Andy Murray tip her as a future World Number 1 in the women's game.

There is a chance that Garcia is looking ahead to the French Open and a chance to play in front of her home support, but I think she will want to maintain the momentum that has seen her go 13-1 in her last fourteen matches.

That includes winning a title in Bogota on the clay courts and she will feel confident she can beat Knapp who had lost eight in a row prior to this week. Knapp has some easy power that will allow her to dominate some points of the match, but she can be frustrated by Garcia's defensive skills.

The Frenchwoman also has some easy power of her own and I think she will prove too much for Knapp and move through to the Semi Final.


Eugenie Bouchard - 4.5 games v Yaroslava Shvedova: Eugenie Bouchard has won her first two matches this week without breaking a sweat and while I think this one will be more difficult, I also think the Canadian comes through fairly comfortably.

Bouchard did beat Yaroslava Shvedova last month on the clay courts in a match where she took her chances and served better than her opponent.

That will be the key to this match as Bouchard should earn the easier points if she gets a decent amount of first serves into the match and that should also give her a chance to fend off more break points than her opponent.

The extra power that Bouchard has on her side of the court could prove to be the difference in a 63, 64 win.

MY PICKS: Leonardo Mayer @ 2.10 Coral (2 Units)
John Isner @ 1.80 Boyle Sports (2 Units)
Carlos Berlocq @ 2.05 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Caroline Garcia - 1.5 Games @ 1.85 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Eugenie Bouchard - 4.5 Games @ 1.90 Pinnacle (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 4-2, + 3.60 Units (12 Units Staked, + 30% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2013 (May 22nd)

We are just two days away from the draw for the second Grand Slam of the season, but the big news ahead of that is the fact that Andy Murray will not be taking part in Paris.

It is clear that he has been suffering from some sort of hip/lower back pain and I guess this will make a lot of sense going forward as Murray doesn't have a great chance of winning at Roland Garros. That is not disrespecting how good a player Murray is, but it is simply the fact that too many players could find a way past him in my opinion and he is serving himself very well by getting ready for Wimbledon and the US Open later this year.

I do think that if we were heading into Wimbledon, Murray would have found a way to take his place in the draw so I don't have concerns that he will miss the grass court season. However, it is very likely that he will be the Number 3 seed at Wimbledon and that will likely mean beating two of the big three in the Men's game to end the long British wait for a home winner.

That is a tough ask, but something that Murray will feel he is capable of doing if he can get his rest ahead of the grass court season which will begin on June 10th. The next question has to be if Murray will go back to Queens where he is scheduled to open up his grass preparation and we will then get an idea as to how he is feeling ahead of Wimbledon.


In the meantime, there are a lot of qualifiers going on at Roland Garros in the next few days as players get ready to enter the main draw. Hopefully the rain will stay away from Paris in the coming two weeks, although it has been cold and wet forecasts for the rest of the week.


Aljaz Bedene v Tobias Kamke: Aljaz Bedene entered the main draw as a Lucky Loser and has opened up the tournament for himself by knocking out Nikolay Davydenko in the First Round yesterday. He is rewarded with a much more winnable match in the Second Round as he faces one of the home players in Tobias Kamke, a winner over Benjamin Becker in the previous Round.

Neither player has had a lot of success in the main level tournaments on the clay courts, although Bedene recently won a Challenger event in Rome and has more wins on the surface at the lower level than Kamke does.

I believe Bedene has the better serve of the two players, but both can be very inconsistent with their play off the ground and this could come down to the player making the least errors that secures the win.

Using the success in Rome last week, I think Bedene can win this one, possibly in three sets.


Tommy Haas - 4.5 games v Ivan Dodig: The slower courts don't favour the game that Ivan Dodig produces and I think Tommy Haas can come through this Second Round match without too many problems as long as he is taking the tournament seriously.

I have little reason to think that Haas wouldn't want to play well in front of his home support and having a run here ahead of the French Open wouldn't be a bad thing for the veteran. He is unlikely to win at Roland Garros, but the chance to improve his Ranking for Wimbledon has to be in Haas' mind, a tournament he can certainly have a lot more success.

We know that Dodig has a big serve and can certainly hit through the court with his forehand, but the slower courts means his errors can begin to flow at times and I think he is another player that will begin to look forward to the grass court season which begins in three weeks time.

The Croatian had a solid win in the First Round here, but a focused Haas should be able to come through 64 63.


MY PICKS: Aljaz Bedene @ 1.80 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Tommy Haas - 4.5 Games @ 1.95 Pinnacle (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 1-3, - 4.30 Units (8 Units Staked, - 53.75% Yield)