Tennis Picks 2026 (Wednesday 29th July)

The US Open is just about a month away from beginning as the final Grand Slam of the 2026 season takes the spotlight, but the build to that tournament has already begun.

This week we have two 500 level events being played in Washington as both the ATP and WTA Tours make a stop here, while the hard court events in Los Cabos and Memphis offer further preparation places for those looking to build up the momentum on this surface.

Just days remain before the first of back to back Masters events on the hard courts in Canada and Cincinnati and those will be the last big tournaments before the US Open begins, although the likes of Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic have already announced they will not be playing in Montreal this summer.

Karolina Muchova is the only member of the WTA top ten that has already withdrawn in Toronto and she has to be considered a potential doubt for the US Open, which would be a big blow for the Wimbledon Finalist who has had a career filled with injury-related absences.

The 1000 level tournaments in Montreal and Toronto are for another week and the focus on the here and now for the Tennis Picks is on the tournaments being played in North and Central America through to the end of the weekend.

Timings of the release of the Order of Play does have an impact on how soon the selections can be released, at least for this week, but they will be posted before the day's play begins.

As has been the case in the last couple of weeks, there will not be selections every day if matches do not fit the criteria and that is why there have been no Tennis Picks made on the opening two days of the tournament.

Stefanos Tsitsipas v Alex De Minaur: This is the last of the First Round matches to be played in Washington and the defending Champion Alex De Minaur may have hoped for a better draw.

Not only is he facing an opponent who has won fourteen of the sixteen pro Tour matches between them, but Alex De Minaur has not played since Wimbledon and Stefanos Tsitsipas has picked up a title since then on the clay courts of Gstaad.

Of course this is a match played on a surface that Alex De Minaur will feel favours him, but Stefanos Tsitsipas is no slouch on the hard courts and has reversed his worrying trend in falling down the World Rankings.

Not only has the title win in Gstaad likely given the Greek player a huge boost in confidence, but it should be stated that he has little to no World Ranking Points to defend between now and the end of the season. He is the World Number 51 right now, but Stefanos Tsitsipas will believe he can force his way back into the Grand Slam Seeding positions by the time the Australian Open comes around in January 2027 and he will be confident in building from the title win earlier this month.

Stefanos Tsitsipas has decent enough hard court numbers, although the return of serve can be a weakness on the faster surfaces.

That was not the case when Tsitsipas upset Alex De Minaur in Miami in March and you have to believe the narrow underdog can get the better of an opponent who recently got married and may not have the court time to be ready to get the better of someone that has dominated the head to head previously.

Camila Osorio - 4.5 games v Anastasia Zakharova: Over in Memphis, Camila Osorio can get the better of Anastasia Zakharova for a second time in 2026 and for the first time on a hard court overall.

The World Number 56 is at her best on the clay, which is where she beat Anastasia Zakharova earlier this season, but Camila Osorio is also a solid hard court performer.

That is particularly evident in matches against those Ranked outside the top 50, and Camila Osorio has also produced very good numbers on the surface when facing those Ranked below her.

In those matches, Camila Osorio has made hay behind the first serve, but has also won almost 50% of return points played in an eight match sample and she will certainly feel she can hurt an opponent that won just three games on the clay courts of Madrid when they faced each other in the build up to the French Open. That is a victory in a tournament that plays faster than most clay courts, which is another confidence booster ahead of this match on the hard courts of Memphis.

Anastasia Zakharova did reach the Semi Final of a lower level hard court tournament in Istanbul a few days ago, but she has not been as effective on the return when facing opponents Ranked inside the top 100.

That could be key in this Second Round match and Camila Osorio may have just enough to move past the handicap line set in a winning effort.

MY PICKS: Stefanos Tsitsipas @ 2.20 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Camila Osorio - 3.5 Games @ 1.75 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Tennis Picks 2017 (February 16th)

Wednesday looked to be a much better day for the tennis picks, but some poor performances later in the day prevented the momentum from really getting behind those picks.

I had one retirement go for me and one against me on Wednesday too, but hopefully the remaining four days of the week can produce more winners and get the totals looking more respectable.

I know one of the players I backed, Jordan Thompson, made a point of mentioning some of the social media comments he received after his loss in Memphis. I find it embarrassing that people think it is 'normal' to insult these professional athletes because they feel slighted by them somehow.

Quick thing to always keep in mind- it bothers an athlete trying to reach the top of his profession way more than anyone else so try and be a grown up and NOT insult them on social media behind a hidden account. The same people who do that are usually the first to run up desperately looking for a selfie with these same players which just makes them out to be bigger tools than most would think.

It's something that won't go away and I am not of the belief that it is solely those who have lost money venting their disgust- Twitter is full of celebrities being insulted daily and I think it says a lot about where the human race has headed than anything else.


On Thursday it looks like another miserable day in Doha in terms of the weather and I am not sure this tournament is going to be able to avoid a Sunday finish. The next two days look like the rain is going to cause big problems and I can't see how the organisers will be able to get all the matches through despite the fact they have begun to put in some early starts.

The indoors events in Memphis and Rotterdam don't have those concerns and I am looking to have a much better day in the office than I have over the first three days.


Barbora Strycova - 2.5 games v Samantha Stosur: This Second Round match has already started in Doha and it is Samantha Stosur who held serve in her opening game before Barbora Strycova was at 40-40 on her own serve. While Strycova could be in danger of dropping her first service game and giving Stosur a break advantage, I still want to back the Czech player at this stage and look for her to come through this match.

There is a clear contrast in the form displayed by both Strycova and Stosur going into the tournament and I think the latter is short of confidence when the match potentially gets tight. Stosur's serve has been a big weapon for her over the years, but she is not getting as many easy points out of that as she is used to and someone like Strycova is capable of wearing her down in their time together on the court.

Strycova has had some solid runs in 2017 already and helped the Czech Republic move through to the Fed Cup Semi Final last weekend. She might not have anything that really stands out in her game, but Strycova is a solid player that won't give a lot away and I think having a chance to play this match after a rest thanks to the rain on Wednesday works to her favour.

She has won both previous hard court matches against Stosur including in Cincinnati a few months ago and Strycova can make enough balls back in play to see Stosur almost self-destruct in this one. I will back the higher Ranked player to find her way through to the Quarter Final behind a 6-4, 6-4 win.


Agnieszka Radwanska - 1.5 games v Caroline Wozniacki: With all the rain forecasted for Doha, I am not sure this Second Round match is going to find the time to be completed on Thursday. The problem with picking matches that potentially could be spread over two days is that it can give a player a real opportunity to change the momentum of how things are going on court by getting in the locker room and having their coach indicate what tactics need to be changed.

On the basis of the rain not being an issue before this match is completed, I do think Agnieszka Radwanska can get the better of Caroline Wozniacki. It is Radwanska who beat Wozniacki comfortably in their last couple of matches, although my concern has to be the little tennis she has played since the Australian Open.

An early exit in that event means it will have been one month since Radwanska last played a competitive match and that is where Wozniacki's First Round win over Kiki Bertens could be very important. Prior to Doha, Wozniacki had not been on the Tour since her own Third Round exit at the Australian Open and so having a match under her belt could be a huge advantage.

It was Wozniacki who just about beat Radwanska in three sets in their first meeting in 2016 in Tokyo, but that was quickly followed by two very convincing wins for the Pole in Wuhan and Beijing. I will admit that Radwanska is the one player that can frustrate me as much as any in the top 20 of either Tours because she can be so good on one day and then struggle to get any kind of power on her groundstrokes on another.

The match up with Wozniacki should produce plenty of long rallies and it will likely be tighter than the last two matches. However I still think Radwanska can get the better of Wozniacki and will look for her to cover this small number.


Tomas Berdych - 1.5 games v Richard Gasquet: I am of the belief that Tomas Berdych is on his slide down the World Rankings as he has hit 31 years old and the serve is not as potent as it once was. That will mean he is on my list as one of those players that might be a little over-rated in the coming months until the market readjusts, but I am backing him to beat Richard Gasquet in this Second Round match in Rotterdam.

The conditions on this surface may not be ideal for Berdych because of the slower nature, but he is facing an opponent who has spent a lot of time on the court over the last ten days. You have to be impressed with the way Gasquet came back to beat Victor Troicki in the First Round on Wednesday, but he was aided by the Serb and I am not convinced Berdych will be as generous.

They do tend to play some close matches and the head to head between these players shows Berdych is only slightly ahead with 8 wins to 7 over Gasquet. That includes in their last couple of matches to get back in front and I think it will be the physical strength of Berdych that allows him to come through this one.

Over the years Gasquet has not always enjoyed the conditions in Rotterdam himself and I think both players will be able to get into the rallies and try to dictate proceedings from the back of the court. I wouldn't be that surprised if we did need a third set to separate these players, but the Berdych tank should be a little fuller having had a day of rest and not having reached the business end of a tournament a few days ago like Gasquet.


Marin Cilic - 3.5 games v Borna Coric: This has not been a great start to the 2017 season for Marin Cilic who has suffered some really disappointing losses and the top Seed in Rotterdam is looking to get things going in the new season. The losses to the likes of Jozef Kovalik, Dan Evans and Dustin Brown does not give me a lot of confidence in Cilic, but I do think he can get the better of his compatriot Borna Coric in the Second Round.

As tough as it has been for Cilic, it has been really difficult for the talented youngster Coric who is coming off a long injury lay off. In fact his win in the First Round is the first Coric has had since beating Rafael Nadal at the Cincinnati Masters although his injury surfaced in the next match against Marin Cilic.

That means Coric had lost six straight matches coming into the tournament in Rotterdam and some of the ways he has been defeated to the likes of Hyeon Chung and Aljaz Bedene is a real concern. The win over Karen Khachanov in the First Round will give Coric some confidence, but he will have to be a lot better if he is going to beat someone like Cilic who can serve big and also has plenty of aggression on the return.

Playing an older compatriot can be a tough test for players on the Tour as they would have looked up to them growing up and that would have been a problem for a healthy and confident Coric. While I think he is physically ready to go, mentally I still believe Coric is finding his way back into things on the court and I think Cilic will prove too good in this match and find a 6-4, 6-3 success to move through.


David Goffin - 4.5 games v Robin Haase: This is a home tournament for Robin Haase with his birthplace not too far from Rotterdam, although he hasn't had the best success in the event. A win over Florian Mayer in the First Round means Haase is now 4-8 in Rotterdam and he has had two days to rest and get ready to face David Goffin in the Second Round.

The Haase World Ranking does fluctuate as the Dutchman is capable of putting in a few strong weeks on the Tour at the Challenger level once he slips away from the main draw entries into ATP events. Aside from a win over David Ferrer as the underdog, Haase has mainly gone about beating those players he should be and losing to those he shouldn't in 2017 and one of those losses came to Goffin in Doha.

Goffin is off a long week where he reached the Final in Sofia, but he looked solid enough in his win over Andrey Kuznetsov in the First Round on Wednesday. The Belgian player will look to be a little better as he moves through the draw but the conditions in Rotterdam should suit him as long as he isn't feeling physically tired from a week of tennis last week.

The reason Goffin is as high in the World Ranking as he is can be down to backing up his big weeks on the Tour and I do think he will be too good for Haase. 5 of the 8 losses Haase has had in Rotterdam would have seen him fail to cover this number of games and Goffin was able to punish the Dutchman's second serve when they met in Doha.

Doing that again should help the Belgian move through with a 6-4, 6-3 win in this match.


Steve Johnson - 3.5 games v Tim Smyczek: When these two American players last met in 2014, Steve Johnson was beaten fairly comfortably by Tim Smyczek but he is a much improved player these days. While I do think Johnson needs to work on his returning game, he is playing an opponent that doesn't have the biggest serve and I think Johnson's own serve can put plenty of pressure on Smyczek.

Only Davis Cup action has been on the schedule for Johnson since his Second Round loss at the Australian Open, but he was also a Semi Finalist in Auckland. This is a match against an opponent who spends the majority of his time below the main ATP level of tournament and I think Johnson will be too strong for Smyczek.

Asking Johnson to cover spreads can be difficult when his return game is a little loose, but I think Smyczek is going to have to feel the pressure if the former is serving as well as he can. That will mean Smyczek is pushing to win the points he needs to and that can lead to mistakes, while Johnson has a bigger forehand if the groundstrokes go in that direction.

Johnson can't give Smyczek any encouragement with loose service games, but if he can look after that aspect of his game, I think he will come through with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Smyczek in this Second Round match in Memphis.

MY PICKS: Barbora Strycova - 2.5 Games @ 1.73 Betfair Sportsbook (2 Units)
Agnieszka Radwanska - 1.5 Games @ 1.83 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Tomas Berdych - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Marin Cilic - 3.5 Games @ 1.73 Bet Fred (2 Units)
David Goffin - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Sky Bet (2 Units)
Steve Johnson - 3.5 Games @ 1.73 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 4-10, - 13.04 Units (28 Units Staked, - 46.57% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2017 (February 14th)

The Tennis Tour is put together to make sure that the events avoid the poor weather conditions as much as possible so it is a surprise that both the tournaments in Doha and Buenos Aires look like they are going to be heavily affected by the rain throughout the week.

Both have had delays already and I am expecting a few more with the late start at both events not helping matters.

That may mean a number of the tennis picks are going to be delayed through the week too and that was already the case on Monday as Shuai Zhang's match with Timea Babos was postponed until Tuesday. That is the third match on the third court in Doha and I do think there is every chance that it may even be postponed through to Wednesday with conditions looking like they are going to be pretty poor all week.

There are two indoor events this week too in Rotterdam and Memphis which will be unaffected by the weather, but I will be looking for better fortunes at the big moments than I got on Monday. Feliciano Lopez was comfortably the better player on the court against Pierre-Hugues Herbert and didn't face a break point throughout the time spent out there, but was somehow beaten 7-6, 7-6.

Lopez had all the chances and clearly looked the superior player, but he couldn't quite get over the line and had to settle for winning the battle of total points won, although losing the war and going out of the tournament.


Daria Kasatkina - 4.5 games v Irina-Camelia Begu: I am very much of the belief that Daria Kasatkina has the game to get to the top of the WTA Tour and I think she can get the better of Irina-Camelia Begu when they meet in the First Round in Doha. It is actually Begu who comes in with the higher World Ranking, but I am expecting that to change in the coming weeks.

Kasatkina is a young player so is still going to have her inconsistent moments which was shown up in her loss in St Petersburg in the Second Round there. An early defeat at the Australian Open was another disappointment for Kasatkina, but there is much to like about her game with the accuracy and depth of her groundstrokes likely to be a problem for Begu to deal with in this one.

The confidence levels for Begu have to be in a difficult place too as she ended 2016 and opened 2017 with plenty of losses to her name. A defeat in the Fed Cup last weekend means Begu has lost seven of her last eight matches and four of her last five defeats would not have seen her cover this number.

Those losses add up and puts additional pressure on a player at those big moments you find in every tennis match. That is one issue for Begu and Kasatkina will also hold the mental advantage having beaten the Romanian 6-3, 6-3 earlier this season in Brisbane. That was a dominant win for Kasatkina and she is likely to be a little too good for Begu in this one too and I would look for the younger player to set up the points with her serve and dominate the rallies for the most part.

The conditions should mean Kasatkina is able to get her teeth into this match and I like her coming through with a 6-4, 6-3 win to move through to the Second Round.


Timea Bacsinszky - 1.5 games v Yulia Putintseva: This looks an interesting First Round match between two players who have had some solid moments already in 2017. Both Yulia Putintseva and Timea Bacsinszky might have hoped for a better run at the Australian Open, but both have shown some decent form since that tournament.

For Putintseva that came in St Petersburg where she reached the Final, and for Bacsinszky it was in the World Group Fed Cup tie against France where she helped Switzerland move into the Semi Final after winning both Rubbers she played last week. That should mean two confident players are going head to head on Tuesday in Doha, but I do think Bacsinszky can get the better of the match.

She holds the mental advantage having won both previous matches against Putintseva including here in Doha last season. While I am fully expecting both players to have to defend a number of break points, I do think Bacsinszky has the stronger serve and is more likely to find a way to get out of trouble at those big moments which should give her the edge in the match.

I am expecting a lot of rallies between these players and both should have their success at times. However I can see Bacsinszky just being a little more solid when those key moments at the end of sets come around and I will look for the Swiss player to move through with a couple of late breaks to secure the match.


Gilles Simon - 3.5 games v Nicolas Mahut: Last season saw Nicolas Mahut make a surprising run to the Semi Final here in Rotterdam and that is a surprise when you consider this is not one of the faster indoor courts out there. He will be looking for another big run this year, but faces Gilles Simon who is a three time Semi Finalist in Rotterdam and looks like he could be much happier in the conditions than Mahut.

The higher Ranked Frenchman has a strong 5-2 head to head record against Mahut although they haven't played one another for a couple of years. Simon's game is one that can be problematic for Mahut because he will make plenty of returns and put the latter in some awkward positions when he comes forward to try and get his serve-volley game going.

That serve-volley game is one that can pressurise opponents, but Simon should be very aware of what to expect from Mahut and I think that pays off for him here. I do love the way Mahut plays and the volleying is a very strong aspect of his game, but Simon will be looking to make sure he is not being put away by the first volley and should have time on this court to make his returns and follow up from there.

We all should know the Simon serve can be something of a vulnerability in his game, but I am not sure Mahut is the best returner to take advantage of that. Instead I think Simon will be able to have his way in the rallies and can wear down Mahut who will have to make more balls than he would want on this surface.

If Simon can take the chances when they do come his way, I think he can earn a break more in a straight sets win and move through 6-4, 6-4.


Fernando Verdasco - 1.5 games v Martin Klizan: The points that Martin Klizan earned by winning the tournament in Rotterdam last season have come off and that has seen him slip to Number 73 in the World Rankings. That should highlight how much of a surprise his run through to winning this ATP 500 event in 2016 actually was, and I think it would arguably be a bigger surprise if he is able to do the same and defend his title in 2017.

Klizan showed some signs of life last week in Sofia by reaching the Quarter Final there and snapping a run of nine consecutive First Round losses. He had a couple of decent wins there, but none of three players he faced are of the level of Fernando Verdasco, even at this stage of his career.

There have been some tight losses for Klizan in his run of losses and that makes him dangerous when he faces Verdasco in the First Round here. Both players have shown they can be effective on the slower surfaces so I don't anticipate the conditions being an issue for them and I do think that there will be some swings in momentum in this one with both Klizan and Verdasco being very inconsistent in their play.

The Klizan serve can be very effective when he is feeling it and that is another reason he is a dangerous opponent for Verdasco. The Spaniard has had some solid performances this week but Verdasco can be up and down himself and I think Klizan will give himself a chance if he can get in front in this one.

Both players will be reliant on the serve and look to dominate behind that shot, but I do think all of the losses Klizan has suffered since the US Open has to have an impact mentally. Even his two wins last week might not be enough to change that and I think Verdasco may get the better of him over three sets. The reason for the tight spread on the handicap has to be because of Verdasco's inconsistencies, but I will look for the veteran to find a way past Klizan in this First Round match.


Jo-Wilfried Tsonga - 5.5 games v Stefanos Tsitsipas: The tournament in Montpellier didn't quite end as Jo-Wilfried Tsonga would have hoped, but he has shown enough in the early part of the 2017 season to think this could be a big season for the Frenchman. Tsonga has reached at least the Quarter Final of every tournament he has entered so far this season and he is a big favourite to beat the Wild Card Stefanos Tsitsipas in Rotterdam.

This is a big challenge for Tsitsipas who is making his debut on the main Tour and the 18 year old is currently Ranked outside the top 200. He is a tall player and gets some pop off the serve, but Tsitsipas won't have played too many players of the level of Tsonga in his young career.

While the Tsonga serve is not the greatest strength, he does find a way to get enough balls back in play and he should be comfortable with the time he should get on this surface. It could lead to Tsitsipas pushing a little harder to try and get into a position to win points and that should give Tsonga a chance to extract some errors while also putting plenty of pressure on his opponent with his own serve which has been working well for the most part in 2017.

I am not anticipating Tsitsipas having a lot of joy on the return of serve and the key to this number is whether Tsonga can break the serve two or three times. I expect he will have the chances to do that as the youngster is given a little lesson about what is required to take the next step in his development.

Tsonga has won four best of three set matches in 2017 and he would have covered this number each time. With the difference in current levels of these two players, I am looking for Tsonga to show that on the scoreboard in a 6-2, 6-4 win.


Frances Tiafoe - 2.5 games v Tim Smyczek: Two compatriots meet in the First Round in Memphis and I think the youngster Frances Tiafoe can frank his recent run of wins over Tim Smyczek with another in Memphis. Tiafoe has won all three matches between these players over the last twelve months which includes a come from behind win in the Australian Open Qualifiers last month.

In all honesty Smyczek has been a limited player in his time on the Tour and he has lost a lot of matches to this kind of level of opponent. There is much potential in Tiafoe that people are expecting him to fulfil and that means he should be winning matches like this one.

He has shown he is the superior returner in this match up and I think that is obviously very important when it comes to putting pressure on an opponent. Tiafoe should be able to put Smyczek under pressure on the return and also serves better which should mean he is able to contain the damage his opponent is able to do on the return.

Smyczek has always been a little inconsistent off the ground too and I do think Tiafoe will be able to control his own errors better than the more senior player in this match. It all adds up to a 6-4, 6-4 kind of win for the young American and I will back him to do that and cover this number.

MY PICKS: Daria Kasatkina - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Timea Bacsinszky - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Shuai Zhang - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Paddy Power (2 Units) Already Advised
Gilles Simon - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Fernando Verdasco - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga - 5.5 Games @ 2.25 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Frances Tiafoe - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

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

Tennis Picks 2015 (February 11th)

There is a lot of tennis being played at the moment, but I have found it quite difficult to convince myself on which matches to make picks- when I have doubts, I think it is a much wiser decision to back up a little and just wait for the better opportunities that are perhaps presented later in the day/week.


Ivo Karlovic - 3.5 games v Austin Krajicek: The big serving of Ivo Karlovic will put a lot of pressure on Austin Krajicek in this one and I expect that to be the reason that this match ends up in favour of the Croatian. The scoreboard pressure is one issue, but Karlovic also has a freer mind when it comes to the return of serve and that free-thinking gives him a real chance to put enough pressure on Krajicek and crack the American.

It is no surprise to anyone if I say that Karlovic is not the best returner on the Tour, but he should be able to make enough balls back to put some pressure on Krajicek in this one. Making Krajicek play a lot of balls will put more pressure on the younger player to ensure he doesn't give up a break which will be tough to get back.

Karlovic has been serving well to open the 2015 season and his age shouldn't be a huge factor considering the way he plays on the court. The booming serve is usually followed by a volley and that keeps the points short, while Karlovic has had plenty of days to recover from his early season exploits. An early exit in Zagreb was a disappointment as the Number 1 Seed, but he beat Lukas Lacko in the First Round and confidence should still be high.

A lot of the Karlovic matches have had a similar feel this season where a tie-break is won before he earns an early break and comfortably serves out a second set. The 76, 63 scoreline has been common in his wins and I think he can get that in this one against Krajicek who might just feel the pressure to make the shots when he falls behind.


John Isner v Ivan Dodig: These two players have a 1-1 head to head record after Ivan Dodig beat John Isner on the hard courts of the Canadian Masters last season, but the big American has regularly produced his best tennis in front of his own fans. I expect that could be the case again in this one as Isner makes his first appearance on the Tour since his Third Round exit at the Australian Open and I do believe he will win this match.

I don't want to under-estimate Ivan Dodig who has a decent first serve, while he plays an aggressive brand of tennis which will see him attack the net and look to put away volleys. A heavy forehand will make it tough to break the Croatian, but I also think he will be put under pressure by the Isner serve on the indoor hard courts.

Isner has an incredibly strong record on the hard courts of the United States over the last two seasons, going 43-16 in the last two seasons in these matches. That includes run to the Final of a couple of Masters events in Indian Wells and Cincinnati, although Isner hasn't had the best time in Memphis where a Quarter Final is the best result so far.

However, the inspiration he seems to have playing at 'home' is hard to ignore and I think that might be the difference in a match that literally will be decided by one or two points.

MY PICKS: Ivo Karlovic - 3.5 Games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)
John Isner @ 1.73 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 2-1, + 1.44 Units (6 Units Staked, + 24% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2015 (February 10th)

Last week was a disappointing one for the picks and I decided against making any outright picks this week despite a few more of the bigger names returning to competitive action for the first time since the Australian Open.

The tournament in Rotterdam is actually an ATP 500 event so it is no surprise that is has attracted the best field of the week, although the lack of recent action makes it tough to actually predict a winner. Andy Murray is the top Seed and the favourite at the layers, but he has to prove he can bounce back from a big defeat in the Australian Open Final and has to be on his top form from the very first moment he steps back on court.


Finding a winner from the events in Sao Paulo and Memphis was also a little difficult and I wasn't convinced enough to actually make any outright picks from any of the events taking place.


I then decided to skip any picks for Monday after looking through the schedule and not really seeing a match worth getting involved in. There were a couple of intriguing options, but nothing that really stood out for me and so it was better to stay on the cautious side of the road and not push to make a pick I wasn't that happy with.


Bernard Tomic - 3.5 games v Igor Sijsling: Bernard Tomic was supposed to be the future of men's tennis in Australia, but the recent Grand Slam at Melbourne Park may have shown that there are two younger players ready to breakthrough ahead of him. In fact, Nick Krygios is already Ranked higher than Tomic and this should be a motivating factor for a player that was tipped for the top of the men's game over the last few years.

He travels to Memphis for his first tournament since reaching the Fourth Round in his home Grand Slam and Tomic has to look at his early season form as a positive for the rest of 2015. However, he has flattered to deceive in the past with a lot of good results at home before falling away the rest of the way.

The draw in Memphis looks a decent one to get Tomic going as he faces Igor Sijsling, a Dutch player he dismissed for the loss of three games in Sydney earlier this season. I doubt Sijsling falls apart that easily again, but he will be getting a little frustrated by Tomic's ability to put the ball back in play and that could lead to mistakes as Sijsling looks to aim closer and closer to the lines.

Tomic will have to serve well, but doing that could lead to a 63, 76 win and a place in the Second Round.


Steve Johnson - 3.5 games v Dudi Sela: He might not have the same 'high profile name' as someone like John Isner in the United States, but Steve Johnson has shown signs in the 2015 season that he is going to make another move up the Rankings. He has won the matches he is supposed to win and come close in defeats to players Ranked much higher than himself, but that is the good way to build up and produce the results that see a positive move.

Dudi Sela is definitely the kind of player that Johnson will be expected to beat if he is to make a move into the top 40 in the World Rankings and I do think he will be too strong for the Israeli player in this one.

For all the hard work that Sela puts in, his game is not the biggest and that will give opponents a chance to dictate a lot of the points. Sela's serve can be a little bit of a weakness too and Johnson should have chances to break serve, while the American is a stereotypical player from North America who relies on a big serve and heavy forehand to produce the wins.

There might be a tie-breaker to separate them in one set, but I do think Johnson has enough to come through 76, 63.


Carlos Berlocq - 2.5 games v Guido Pella: Guido Pella has been playing a lot of clay court tennis over the last month and he came through the qualifiers to reach the main draw in Sao Paulo, but I still think his compatriot Carlos Berlocq gets the better of him in this First Round match.

This is the time of the season when Berlocq will be expecting to pick up a lot of Ranking points as the majority of his success comes on the clay courts. Being his first match back on the red dirt is an issue, but he is used to doing that and has the game that can irritate Pella to the point of self-combusting.

There have been times I have looked at Pella and though he had all the tools to really move up the Rankings, but injuries and poor form have prevented it really being put together. I also think there is a lot of tennis in the legs of Pella having had to win three qualifiers that all went the distance and that might also play a part in a match where Berlocq won't mind getting involved in extended rallies.

Pella might win a set, but this looks like a match that Berlocq will come through with a 46, 64, 63 win.


Thomaz Bellucci - 1.5 games v Martin Klizan: The home crowd should be firmly behind Thomaz Bellucci who reached the Semi Final in Quito last week and I think he can back that up with another strong week on the Tour.

This is probably one of the tougher First Round matches he could have asked for with Martin Klizan a Seeded player, but the Slovakian has been inconsistent at best to open the 2015 season. Bellucci also beat Klizan here twelve months ago when both were forced to come through the qualifiers and the conditions should favour the Brazilian who produces his best stuff on the clay courts.

The longer week in Quito may be a detriment to Bellucci, but I think he has the better clay court pedigree of these two players and I think his serve can be better protected on the slower surfaces. He finally put some wins together last week to give him a boost in confidence and I think the home crowd will be a big help to him to keep the motivation levels up.

This is another match that could have a few twists and turns in it before the final result is produced and I won't be surprised if both win a set. However, I like Bellucci to come through with a 75, 67, 63 win.

MY PICKS: Bernard Tomic - 3.5 Games @ 1.92 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Steve Johnson - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Carlos Berlocq - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Thomaz Bellucci - 1.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

February 2-8 Daily Picks Final: 6-8, - 5.48 Units (28 Units Staked, - 19.57% Yield)
February 2-8 Outright Picks Final: 0-2, - 4 Units (4 Units Staked, - 100 % Yield)

Season 2015: + 17.87 Units (153 Units Staked, + 11.68% Yield)

Season 2014: + 45.05 Units (1586.5 Units Staked, + 2.84% Yield)
Season 2013: + 21.74 Units (1251.5 Units Staked, + 1.73% Yield)
Season 2012: + 49.21 Units (855 Units Staked, + 5.76% Yield)
Season 2011: + 82.02 Units

Tennis Picks 2014 (February 14th)

To say I was absolutely furious with the picks I made on Thursday won't get close to the where I was after seeing almost every single one do their best to lose in the most ridiculous manner.

I knew what kind of day it was going to be as soon as the Grigor Dimitrov defeat was completed as he was seemingly on the wrong end of a Ernests Gulbis performance where the Latvian is unplayable- this is a rare occurrence and unlikely to be produced again in the near future, but saving all the break points with huge serves and just playing top, top quality stuff behind his serve set the tone for an absolutely miserable day.

Tommy Haas never turned up and had ridiculous serving statistics, Petra Kvitova played within herself for two sets (although you have to credit Lucie Safarova) and was still only one game from covering, but things got steadily worse.

How about Andy Murray taking a double break lead in his match with Dominic Thiem, but then giving away the most ridiculous of games which gave his young opponent the confidence to play his shots?

Or how about Nicolas Almagro being broken 3 times in the first set in a terrible display, but suddenly coming back to life to win the match in three sets and facing only 2 break points the rest of the way?

Absolutely shocking day that has sent this week spiralling out of control and it was hard to contain some of my anger as I hate getting things wrong, but to be so wrong with players deciding to put in lacklustre efforts just bothers me all the more. It just made no sense with the way some of the results came through and I am very much bothered when I keep hitting these shocking runs of loss after loss.

I am down, but I very much plan on beating the ten count and getting ready to punch my way back into some sort of positive run.


Tomas Berdych - 3.5 games v Jerzy Janowicz: This is going to be a big-serving match and initially I may have thought that Tomas Berdych was giving up too many games, but I believe he has the capability of breaking the Jerzy Janowicz serve with the current form he is displaying.

There are times when you watch Berdych and can't help be frustrated as he has a lot of ability but can come off the form he is capable of and that gives opponents a chance. However, this match should be one where he can dictate enough behind his own serve and force the pressure on Janowicz.

They met on the indoor hard courts of Marseille last season and Berdych was a comfortable winner, even if the match was forced into a third set, but the Czech player does seem the more likely to take the few chances that may be presented in the match.

He is 7/13 on break points in his two matches against Janowicz and something similar will give him a great chance of moving through to the Semi Final with a 63, 76 win in the pocket.


Ernests Gulbis + 3.5 games v Juan Martin Del Potro: Ernests Gulbis was serving out of a tree in his win over Grigor Dimitrov and will have to bring the same form into this match against Juan Martin Del Potro if he is to reverse the result from last season.

He may have more of a chance as Del Potro is still limited off his backhand wing as to how much power he can generate, but the whole match is going to hinge on how effective the Gulbis serve is today.

If, and it is a big if, he can replicate what he produced against Dimitrov, Gulbis will put a lot of pressure on Del Potro and will have his own chances and I think there is every reason to believe this match will at least go into a third set.

There is likely to be a tie-breaker involved too, and those situations means the 3.5 game head start might be a touch high for Del Potro to cover. The Argentine has won comfortably in his two matches so far this week, but this one might be a lot tougher and I like taking the games.


Andy Murray - 3.5 games v Marin Cilic: Marin Cilic has played very well over the last couple of weeks and is looking for his eight win in a row after taking the title in Zagreb and coming through two Rounds here in Rotterdam.

Getting through this Quarter Final is going to be a real test of Cilic's credentials and will also give him a good indication as to how far he is from the top of the game following his return from a three month ban.

His win over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was impressive as Cilic dominated the match, but Andy Murray regularly gives him fits and the match is very much on the British Number 1's racquet in my opinion.

Murray had to battle through his match in the last Round against Dominic Thiem, but he admitted he was feeling pretty good and that he should have perhaps converted more chances. Thiem had nothing to lose and was going for his big shots, but Cilic has to overcome the mental barrier which exists when you have lost 9 of 10 and 6 in a row against a single opponent.

They did have a close match in the Final of Queens last season, but Murray's return is likely to give him plenty more chances to win this match with room to spare and I think that is where the match will be won or lost. If Murray takes the chances that come his way, I expect him to get through 64, 64, but if he doesn't, this could be a very close match that could be won by Cilic.

As you can see from the pick, I think Murray will take those opportunities and his return of serve may mentally fatigue a player that has spent a lot of time on the court over the last two weeks.


Jelena Jankovic - 2.5 games v Petra Kvitova: It was only around six months ago that Jelena Jankovic would have been a strong underdog in a match between these two players, but the former World Number 1 has really turned her form around and looks to be coming into this match the stronger of the two.

As much as I like Petra Kvitova's game on the court, she can't keep falling into long three set battles and coming off back to back matches of that nature without a rest day is hard to recover from. I am not doubting her fitness, but Kvitova has to be feeling it a little as she wakes up for this match against an opponent that is capable of mentally exhausting an opponent with her ability to scramble and force the ball into court.

That is what Jankovic has to do- if she can frustrate Kvitova, she will begin to force errors and that will swing the edge in this match in her direction. She also is a decent shot-maker, although Jankovic's serve can go a little haywire at times and that is my biggest concern in the match.

However, I think all the tennis of the last couple of days may just take its toll on Kvitova in this Quarter Final and I like Jankovic to come through 76, 64.


Tommy Robredo - 3.5 games v Robin Haase: It is an interesting Quarter Final between these two players, but I think Tommy Robredo's added experience on a clay court will prove to be vital as well as his all around more consistent game.

Robredo won't fluctuate too far between his levels, but Robin Haase can be criticised for doing that at times, and that could be enough to help the veteran Spaniard reach a Semi Final.

There is little doubt that Haase has the bigger serve of the two, but he does seem to lose his focus when it comes to the groundstrokes and that is where the uber-consistent Robredo could come through and win each set with a break more. There will be breaks of serve both ways, but I can see Robredo matching his 64, 64 win over Haase in Portugal on the clay courts last season.


Fabio Fognini - 4.5 games v Pablo Andujar: Over the last nine months, there hasn't been a player on the Tour in better form on the clay courts than Fabio Fognini as he continues in 2014 where he left off last summer.

This could be a strong season for the Italian if he can keep the momentum he has built up in that time by winning another title on the Golden Swing in South America, especially with the European clay court season around six weeks away.

Fognini hasn't just won matches, but he has been dismissing a lot of his opponents and I think it may be tough for Pablo Andujar to keep tabs on him, even if the Spaniard is very comfortable on the clay courts himself.

Neither player will dominate off the serve, but Fognini looks like he is playing confident, effective tennis off the ground and I think he will be able to knock off Andujar with room to spare in this one. I don't think I ever believed I would back Fognini with so many games being given up, but he is such hot form on the clay that he has to be backed here.


Nicolas Almagro - 2.5 games v Jeremy Chardy: Nicolas Almagro started off incredibly cold in his last match against Daniel Gimeno-Traver, but had another win to give him a boost after returning from injury. He served terribly in the first set, but found his rhythm in the final two sets and bringing that to this match will be important.

The amount of time he spent on court yesterday may have been a worry initially, but his opponent Jeremy Chardy had an even tougher encounter as he saved match points to see off Alexandr Dolgopolov.

This match should see both men looking to dictate things behind the serve, but that should be a strength for Almagro as well as the clay court pedigree that the Spaniard has. There is no doubt that Chardy can perform on the surface, but I think he can get a little frustrated with the longer rallies and may not have the patience to really get it going on the clay, although he will knock off 'lesser' opponents the majority of the time.

Unfortunately for Chardy, Almagro certainly is not one of the lesser opponents he will face and I think the latter will add to his four wins on the Tour over the Frenchman and come through a tough match 76, 64.


Yen-Hsun Lu - 3.5 games v Alex Kuznetsov: Any friends and family of Alex Kuznetsov must be proud of their guy as he finally won back to back matches on the Tour after a decade long career. Getting into his first Semi Final will be a big task against Yen-Hsun Lu who had to recover from a set down to beat Denis Kudla in the last Round and must be confident of getting further.

Lu has had a decent season already with one Final under his belt and he will feel he can get to another here in Memphis with Feliciano Lopez falling out of the draw. I also think the match under his belt will help Lu who should be too strong for a player that generally plays at the level below the main ATP one.

He has to be a little tougher when it comes to facing break points as he struggled under that pressure against Kudla, but he also created plenty of opportunities and you have to think he will do the same against an opponent who is of a similar level to Kudla.

As I said, Lu has to serve better, but I think the match under his belt will help a lot and I think he will come through with a break in each set for a 63, 64 win.

MY PICKS: Tomas Berdych - 3.5 Games @ 2.14 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Ernests Gulbis + 3.5 Games @ 1.92 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Andy Murray - 3.5 Games @ 2.25 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Jelena Jankovic - 2.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Tommy Robredo - 3.5 Games @ 1.92 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Fabio Fognini - 4.5 Games @ 2.20 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Nicolas Almagro - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Yen-Hsun Lu - 3.5 Games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 3-5, - 1.02 Units (41 Units Staked, - 2.49% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2014 (February 13th)

I'll admit it, that pick on Donald Young was an abomination and the former child protege was completely outclassed in an error-strewn defeat to Denis Kudla. Fortunately it wasn't too bad a day for the rest of the picks which keeps the week in a good place as we have gone beyond the half way stage, but I don't think I will ever have Young in my staking plan again.

One of the more impressive results was Marin Cilic continuing his fine run with a win over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and he may finally be returning to the form he was displaying before the ban from the Tour last season. I like Cilic and I think he is a good player that probably should be moving up into the top ten of the Rankings with a clear year on the Tour, but I was expecting the Croatian to perhaps take a little more time before beginning to record the big wins on the Tour.

The title in Zagreb will have helped his confidence, but the run to the Quarter Finals here will just increase that belief and he could be a dangerous player for the top seeds to look out for at Indian Wells and Miami in the big tournaments coming up next month.


On Thursday we will get to see the tournaments completing their Quarter Final line ups and there is plenty of tennis to see through the day, while I am also happy to see my three outright picks for the week still involved in all their events.


Grigor Dimitrov - 2.5 games v Ernests Gulbis: This looks a fascinating Second Round match in Rotterdam, but I think the First Round win for Grigor Dimitrov over Dmitry Tursunov may stand him in good stead for the rest of the week.

It was a tough first match for Dimitrov, but that should have given him all the knowledge of the conditions he needed, while coming through was important as it was a match he may have lost twelve months ago.

Facing a player like Ernests Gulbis is always going to be difficult as he can become very hot at times and get to the point of producing almost unplayable tennis, but he is also inconsistent and has had difficulty in maintaining his form. That was shown by another disappointing showing in a Grand Slam at the Australian Open last month, although Gulbis did play very well in the win over Denis Istomin in the First Round.

The serve is going to be critical for Dimitrov to see off Gulbis in this one, but I do think the Bulgarian is a little more consistent off the ground and can find a way to produce a 76, 64 win and move through to another Quarter Final as he continues finding the consistency that will see him challenge the best players on Tour.


Tommy Haas + 2.5 games v Jerzy Janowicz: I might sound like I am repeating myself from a couple of days ago, but I simply still don't believe Jerzy Janowicz should be favoured to beat a player of the ability of Tommy Haas and the veteran can make this small number of games seem all important as Julien Benneteau did against the Pole in the First Round.

As big as Janowicz plays at time, especially when it comes to the serve, he is still a little too inconsistent off the ground to think he can blow pass someone like Haas. As I said two days ago, Janowicz will get through some service games comfortably, but Haas has the ability to get enough balls back in play to force errors and then it will come down to whether he takes his chances.

Haas also had a long match on Wednesday which followed his exploits in reaching the Final in Zagreb and that is one of the concerns in backing him in this match. The shoulder issue he had last month seems to be behind him, but Haas will have to serve well to make sure he keeps the pressure on Janowicz.

This is something he is well capable of doing when on form and the last two weeks suggests he is finding his way again after a strong 2013 season. Haas might not win the match, but he should be able to take at least one set and that makes this number of games of interest to put in the bank.


Andy Murray - 5.5 games v Dominic Thiem: This is a very good match for Dominic Thiem to have as he looks to build his experience and improve his Ranking, but the young Austrian is unlikely to be able to trouble Andy Murray through this match and will likely be seen off by the two time Grand Slam winner.

Murray was impressive in beating Edouard Roger-Vasselin and looked comfortable being back on the hard courts following his clay court success with Great Britain in the Davis Cup. He created plenty of break point opportunities and his ability to return serve is likely to put Thiem under some pressure in this Second Round match.

Coming through the qualifiers and then beating Jarkko Nieminen already constitutes a good week for Thiem who is attempting to make the move onto the main ATP Tour, but this will be by far the toughest challenge he has faced in his young career. Thiem has shown some signs of what he is capable of with surprise wins over the likes of Jurgen Melzer and pushing Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to three sets in Vienna last year, but Murray's return of serve will give him a new obstacle to overcome.

If Murray is playing as he was on Wednesday, he should prove to be too strong again for his opponent and come through 64, 62.


Petra Kvitova - 3.5 games v Lucie Safarova: This is the battle of two of the top Czech players on the WTA Tour and both Petra Kvitova and Lucie Safarova have come through tough Second Round matches to set this Third Round match up.

Out of the two players, it was always clear that Kvitova was going to have a tougher match in the last Round as she faced former World Number 1 Venus Williams, but she managed to come through a final set tie-break and could be in for another big run in the Middle East after winning the title in Dubai last year.

These two also met in Sydney last month and it was the second time that Kvitova dominated the match, although she has to be a little more efficient with the chances that may come her way to break serve in this one.

Kvitova's serve also has to be on form if she is to cover this spread as she can mentally wonder in matches, while her shot-making can go a little off which has led to her having a lot of three set matches over the last twelve months. This should be a match that has a lot of winners, but I expect the majority of them to come from the side of the higher Ranked player and I like Kvitova to come through 64, 64.


Angelique Kerber - 4.5 games v Klara Zakopalova: This looks a good chance for Angelique Kerber to reach the Quarter Final here, especially if she continues serving as well as she did in her win on Wednesday as well as her win over Klara Zakopalova when they met in Paris a couple of weeks ago.

On that occasion, Kerber won 40 of 46 points behind serve and was a comfortable winner which isn't surprising as Zakopalova doesn't protect her own serve that well.

She isn't a bad player and I certainly don't think Zakopalova will return serve as badly as she did in Paris, but I do think this is a tough match up for her and it might be hard to back up the surprise win over Ana Ivanovic in the last Round.

Kerber has been showing enough good form in 2014 to think she will have enough in the locker to come through this one with a 64, 62 win.


Nicolas Almagro - 4.5 games v Daniel Gimeno-Traver: It would have taken a couple of points here and there to have seen Nicolas Almagro reach the Final last week in Vina Del Mar on his comeback to the Tour. It was the first appearance of Almagro in 2014 and he looked pretty good considering and has already won a match here in Buenos Aires to keep the confidence in a good place.

He now faces a compatriot in Daniel Gimeno-Traver who has beaten three times in a row, although they do have a number of tough matches against one another on the clay courts that will be a concern for Almagro backers.

Gimeno-Traver doesn't seemingly have a lot of weapons, but he is very comfortable rallying on the clay courts and that can frustrate a player like Almagro who will continue going for his shots. There is something to be said about not pushing too hard, but that is the way Almagro will play and it has worked the last couple of times they have played one another, albeit on the hard courts.

On the clay the ball slows down enough for Gimeno-Traver to at least force some mistakes from Almagro, but I still think the latter fights through with a 64, 63 win.


Albert Ramos - 2.5 games v Filippo Volandri: Two players that haven't shown a lot of form in the opening weeks of the new season have a chance to change their trends with a Quarter Final place up for grabs in this one.

Both Albert Ramos and Filippo Volandri are very comfortable on the clay courts, although I think Ramos has a little more upside when it comes to the highest level of the Tour compared with Volandri who is definitely saving his best for the Challenger circuit.

Ramos has the more effective serve that should set up his points a little easier and he will be happy to rally with the Italian if he has to and I think there is no surprise to me that Ramos has won 3 of 4 against Volandri.

That includes a couple of wins in 2013, and I think Ramos can put another win in the books in this match too.


Yen-Hsun Lu - 2.5 games v Denis Kudla: I don't think anyone would have predicted Denis Kudla winning as easily as he did in the First Round against Donald Young, but that should have given the young American a lot of belief going forward.

Coming through the qualifiers would have aided Kudla and he will be hoping to catch Yen-Hsun Lu a little cold in his first match since the Australian Open almost a month ago.

Lu is a solid journeyman on the Tour, but he able to raise his level at times as shown by reaching the Final in Auckland before the first Slam of the season, although he hasn't enjoyed much success on the indoor hard courts in recent seasons.

He will make it tough for Kudla with the ability to hit consistently off the ground and having an under-rated serve and I think Lu can win this match. It won't be easy coming off a long lay-off, but I can see Lu winning 76, 63.

MY PICKS: Grigor Dimitrov - 2.5 Games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Tommy Haas + 2.5 Games @ 1.92 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Andy Murray - 5.5 Games @ 1.92 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Petra Kvitova - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Angelique Kerber - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Nicolas Almagro - 4.5 Games @ 2.05 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Albert Ramos - 2.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Yen-Hsun Lu - 2.5 Games @ 2.10 Pinnacle (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 7-6, + 3.12 Units (25 Units Staked, + 12.48% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2014 (February 12th)

It was pretty close to being a clean sweep for the picks on Tuesday as four out of six ended in the winner's enclosure, while another was close to coming through before faltering down the stretch.

That definitely is the kind of confidence boost that was needed after a poor week last week, but there is still a long way to go this week and I hope that turn in fortunes can remain with me now.


Tuesday was a packed day of tennis which also saw two of my three outright picks get underway as Grigor Dimitrov barely survived his First Round match against Dmitry Tursunov, while Ivo Karlovic was a much more comfortable winner in Memphis.

Andy Murray will get his tournament going on Wednesday afternoon and admits he is wondering how his body will react to playing day after day with no rest between as you get in a Grand Slam, but he also admitted feeling good when playing Davis Cup for Great Britain. It was also interesting to note Murray talking about the World Rankings, which differs from his usual stance of that taking care of itself and not really worrying about that.

It wasn't to say he was worrying about the Rankings now, but Murray is acutely aware of the significance of falling to Number 6 in the standings as that will make winning Grand Slams that much more difficult with tougher matches to negotiate earlier in the draw. Murray doesn't have too many points to defend in the coming weeks and can start moving back up towards the World Number 3 Ranking at the very least and that means having a strong week in this ATP 500 tournament in Rotterdam.


Juan Martin Del Potro - 2.5 games v Gael Monfils: There are new concerns for Juan Martin Del Potro as he has been feeling some soreness in his left wrist, but the defending Champion in Rotterdam has also stated that the three weeks since the Australian Open exit has helped get things looked at.

It will affect the backhand wing of Del Potro if there is a long-term issue with the left wrist and he couldn't have asked for too many tougher First Round matches than the one he faces against Gael Monfils on Wednesday.

Monfils won the title in Montpellier last week and has been showing off a more aggressive game this season which has also seen him reach the Final in Doha. However, it can be tough to back up a win on the Tour wit another big week and Del Potro is one of the best indoor hard court players in the world.

As long as the left wrist is not causing too many issues, I think Del Potro will find a way to see off Monfils in this match and come through with a 64, 64 win and a place in the Second Round.


Andy Murray - 5.5 games v Edouard Roger-Vasselin: This is actually the first indoor hard court match Andy Murray will have played since the World Tour Finals in 2012 and that has to be something to consider with this pick.

However, he couldn't have asked for a much better match up in terms of what Edouard Roger-Vasselin will bring to the court and that is why I think Murray will prove too strong and come through as a comfortable enough winner.

Roger-Vasselin is a solid player, but he doesn't really have the shot that will hurt an opponent, while his serve won't be something that will affect a returner that is as good as Murray is.

I am not really surprised that Murray has won their two previous meetings fairly easily and I think he is going to come through a tough first set before pulling away in the second and record a 64, 62 win.


Jo-Wilfried Tsonga - 2.5 games v Marin Cilic: This looks like it could be a very good match to watch on Wednesday evening, but it is a match that I think will be won by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for a couple of reasons.

While both players are very strong on the indoor hard courts, I think there is a little more benefit to Tsonga's game rather than Marin Cilic's as the serve makes all the difference in the match. Where I think the courts and conditions will help Tsonga look after his serve, I think Cilic doesn't get enough first serves in play and that could give the Frenchman the chance to dictate rallies.

You have to respect Cilic's form after winning in Zagreb and then beating Lukas Rosol without any issues in the First Round here, but all that tennis has to be felt in the legs at some points, especially with a long lay off at the end of last season.

That is where Tsonga should be able to take advantage of any mental fatigue and I think he comes through a tough test with a 76, 64 win and a place in the Quarter Finals.


Donald Young - 2.5 games v Denis Kudla: He was supposed to be the new face of American tennis, but Donald Young has been nothing short of a disappointment in his career even if that hasn't made him humble after a rant against the USTA last season for not being given a Wild Card spot at the French Open.

Backing Young is not something that I would want to find myself doing too often, but this match up is clearly one he enjoys against an opponent he has beaten in all five previous matches including twice in 2013.

One of those wins came in the qualifiers for Memphis twelve months ago and it is telling that Young has yet to drop a set against Kudla- the latter is someone who works hard for his points on the court, but doesn't really have anything that can hurt an opponent and a serve that is vulnerable.

Kudla has come through the qualifiers which means he will be more attuned to the conditions and that is the only reason I think the layers are making Young as high a price as he is at the moment. That may make the first set more competitive, but I think Young comes through 64, 63.

MY PICKS: Juan Martin Del Potro - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Andy Murray - 5.5 Games @ 2.25 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga - 2.5 Games @ 1.95 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Donald Young - 2.5 Games @ 1.85 Pinnacle (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 5-4, + 2.96 Units (17 Units Staked, + 17.41% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2014 (February 11th)

Monday proved to be a mixed bag for the picks, but Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at least dominated his match with Florian Mayer (after the first set anyway) in the same manner he has against that opponent in the past.

The two picks from Doha were both disappointing, but at least it is a better start than last week as we get ready for another full schedule of tennis through the four tournaments that are being played through the week.

Igor Sijsling + 2.5 games v Mikhail Youzhny: A poor summer of 2013 dropped Igor Sijsling down the Rankings and he is struggling to regain some of the form he has displayed at times on the Tour, but I still think he can push Mikhail Youzhny in this First Round match in Rotterdam.

Having the home support should help Sijsling who did surprise Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the First Round last year, but the Dutchman has had some disappointing results to open 2014 even if he did reach the Final of a Challenger event on the indoor hard courts.

This is actually more of a pick against Youzhny who has been struggling for form and had a very disappointing loss in Zagreb last week. The veteran looks a little more shaky behind his serve and even if he wins this match, it wouldn't be a big surprise if he is pushed at least into a final set decider.

There will be breaks of serve and I do think Youzhny has the better mentality of the two players, but I wouldn't be surprised if these games on the spread prove to be critical.

Julien Benneteau + 2.5 games v Jerzy Janowicz: This is another match where I think the underdog has a real chance of winning it outright and that makes the games a very attractive proposition. Julien Benneteau had his best success on the indoor hard courts last season, reaching two Finals including here at Rotterdam where he surprised Roger Federer.

Benneteau didn't have a good week in Montpellier last week when he was upset by Nikolay Davydenko, but he has a decent game that will give Jerzy Janowicz something to think about. The Frenchman has to serve well in a match where Janowicz' big serve will put some mental pressure on the Benneteau performance, but he has faced him twice before and should have a better understanding of what to expect.

It is the big serve that makes Janowicz someone that will appeal to casual fans, while his run to the Paris Masters at the back end of 2012 has perhaps made him a little over-rated at times. He will be able to breeze through some service games, but Janowicz can also be weak with his groundstrokes and begin to make a number of errors off the ground that will give Benneteau a chance to win the match.

This spread will essentially need Benneteau to win at least one set to earn the cover, but I do think he can win outright so the games worth keeping in hand.

Samantha Stosur - 5.5 games v Marina Erakovic: It has been a couple of weeks since Marina Erakovic had to pull out of her match in Paris against Daniela Hantuchova, but it might not matter if she is at full health after a really poor start to the 2014 season.

It doesn't help that she is playing against Samantha Stosur who has dominated their three previous matches and who has shown signs that she may be able to regain her form to send her back into the top ten in the World Rankings.

The serve is going to be critical for Stosur as she should have chances to break the Erakovic serve and I think she should be able to win at least one set with a couple of breaks of serve more than she gives up.

If Stosur serves well, I think the Australian wins 62, 64 to move through to the Second Round.


Lukas Lacko - 1.5 games v Benjamin Becker: One of the more inconsistent players on the Tour has fallen out of the top 100 because of injuries in 2013, but Lukas Lacko should still have too much in the locker for Benjamin Becker in this First Round match.

There have been a few times I have watched Lacko and I have seen a player that has a lot of the tools to play in the top 50, perhaps even more, but the inconsistency in his play is hard to get a handle on.

Lacko had a disappointing loss in Zagreb last week, but he has a decent indoor hard court pedigree on the Challenger Tour and Becker doesn't represent a big step up in class compared to that level of play.

The German has a decent serve, but Becker struggles with his own consistency although I believe his current Ranking of 88 is more realistic than Lacko being out of the top 100. Becker did reach the Quarter Final on the indoor hard courts of Metz last year, but he generally doesn't quite have enough to keep his performance up to the level required and I think Lacko wins this match in straight sets.


Christian Garin + 3.5 games v Filippo Volandri: After the performance last week, I am perhaps surprising myself that I am picking Christian Garin to cover the spread in this First Round match, but I do think there were elements of his game that could bode well for him against the veteran Filippo Volandri.

There were signs that Christian Garin could be a really good player, but he has to show more consistency off the ground and can't afford to miss the same amount of easy put-aways that he did in the loss to Jeremy Chardy.

He will have chances against Volandri to at least keep the match competitive as the Italian has one of the poorer serves on the Tour, but I also have to respect that he is still a 'gate-keeper' on a clay court as he remains dominant below the main Tour level.

That should give Volandri the ability to win this match, but he also can fall apart in sets thanks to his weak serve and I think Garin can keep this competitive through the contest.


Robin Haase v Martin Alund: Changing surfaces can always lead to problems early on and that is what faces Robin Haase against the qualifier Martin Alund who has proved effective on the clay courts below the main Tour level but not transferred that to the main draws on too many occasions.

It has been a tough start to 2014 for Robin Haase too which raises more doubts about the match, but the Dutchman won a Davis Cup tie for his country which could spark some form after his best season on the Tour in 2013.

The clay courts are also his favoured surface, but Haase is maddeningly inconsistent, although he should get plenty of chances to recover breaks of serve against Alund.

While I do have some doubts about Haase considering the long travel to South America and this being his first clay court match of the season, I still think he should be a stronger favourite to win the match and like him to come through, possibly in three sets though.

MY PICKS: Igor Sijsling + 2.5 Games @ 1.95 Pinnacle (2 Units)

Julien Benneteau + 2.5 Games @ 2.05 Pinnacle (2 Units)

Sam Stosur - 5.5 Games @ 1.80 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Lukas Lacko - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Christian Garin + 3.5 Games @ 1.90 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Robin Haase @ 1.85 Bwin (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 1-2, - 0.34 Units (5 Units Staked, - 0.7% Yield)

Tennis Outright Picks 2014 (February 10-16)

The last week on the tennis Tour proved to be a tough one when it came to making picks and that poor week was only underlined when Richard Gasquet failed to win the title in Montpellier despite getting through to the Final. Unfortunately it was Gael Monfils who took the title, the second player I identified for that title but one who didn't have to get through the tough matches I had been expecting.

Some bad luck, some bad picks, but it hasn't been a very good start to the 2014 season and that is a disappointment to this point although I did mention a long season has these ups and downs.


This week we have four different tournaments taking place including the first ATP 500 event which takes place in Rotterdam and has understandably picked up a number of the top ten players on the ATP.

Other tournaments in Buenos Aires and Memphis will take place during the course of the week on the ATP Tour, while the WTA makes a stop in Doha with plenty of the big names taking their place in the draw for that event.


ATP Rotterdam
Half of the top ten in the men's World Rankings are in Rotterdam this week after Andy Murray decided to take a Wild Card berth following his exploits for Great Britain in the Davis Cup. Murray is the Number 2 seed in Rotterdam this week and I think he is rightly set as the favourite to win the tournament with the way the draw has panned out.

Murray is a former winner at this event and has a very strong record against potential Quarter Final opponent Jo-Wilfried Tsonga despite the Frenchman likely to enjoy the conditions indoors where his big game is that much more effective.

The likes of Richard Gasquet and Marin Cilic both had long weeks under their belt last week and Mikhail Youzhny has been out of form which makes Murray look the clear favourite to come out of this section.

He looked comfortable at the Australian Open on his return from back surgery and Murray played well for Great Britain in the Davis Cup and I will keep him in my book this week.


I also think it may be worth picking what looks a big price on Grigor Dimitrov in the top half of the draw as the Bulgarian looks to back up his performance at the Australian Open in his first match since that tournament.

Dimitrov will likely have to beat the likes of Juan Martin Del Potro, the defending Champion, and Tomas Berdych to get to the Final this week but the youngster could be set for a breakthrough season and has pushed both of those players in recent matches. Del Potro is the obvious threat in the section as the Champion from last year and he won this tournament despite a poor Australian Open twelve months ago so his early exit again at Melbourne Park isn't the biggest concern.

The Argentine is one of the best indoor hard court players in the world, but Dimitrov pushed him to three sets when they last met in Paris at the end of last season, while Del Potro also has to beat the dangerous Gael Monfils in the First Round.

Tomas Berdych has not won a tournament in over a year on the Tour, but seems to enjoy the indoor hard courts and is another threat that has to be taken seriously. However, I do think Dimitrov is ready for a big year on the Tour and he could set down yet another early marker in 2014 by reaching the Final here and is another player I want to keep on side, especially at the prices.


ATP Memphis
The two Finalists from this tournament from last season, Kei Nishikori and Feliciano Lopez, are the top two seeds this time around and are also leading the market when it comes to winning in Memphis this time around.

It is not a deep draw so it is not a big surprise that both Nishikori and Lopez are expected to get back to the Final next weekend, but I think it may pay a little to back Ivo Karlovic to come through the bottom half and potentially win the tournament.

The big Croatian is travelling over from Europe for the tournament here, but he has had a few days to get his body ready for the change in time zone and he should be a little too good for Matthew Ebden in the First Round. That should get Karlovic ready for the tournament and he has a decent record against Feliciano Lopez to think he can cause the upset in the Second Round which will open the draw, especially as Lopez has a bye through the First Round.

Players like Mikhail Kukushkin and Marinko Matosevic are the other seeds in the bottom half of the draw and I don't think either should cause too many sleepless nights for Karlovic on the fast indoor hard courts. Karlovic hit 44 aces in his win over Daniel Brands last week and if he is serving well, he looks too good for those in the bottom half.


Kei Nishikori should be good enough to get through to the Final, but he has a couple of tough potential opponents in his way in the top half of the draw with both Sam Querrey and Lleyton Hewitt expected to represent Quarter Final and Semi Final opponents.

Therefore, you can't really guarantee the top seed is going to be standing in the way of Karlovic in any potential Final next weekend and so I will keep the Croatian in my book this week with an each-way interest.


I am not making an outright pick from the tournaments in Buenos Aires or Doha this week- the former should be won by David Ferrer, but he looks short in the market considering the form he has displayed over the last six months, while the tournament in Doha looks very open as far as I am concerned and will be one I take an interest in for future WTA tournaments going forward.

MY PICKS: Andy Murray @ 3.50 William Hill (2 Units)
Grigor Dimitrov @ 23.00 Boyle Sports (1 Unit E/W)
Ivo Karlovic @ 13.00 Coral (1 Unit E/W)

Weekly Picks: 4-8, - 7.46 Units (22 Units Staked, - 33.91% Yield)
Outright Picks: 0-1, - 1 Unit (1 Unit Staked, - 100% Yield)

Season 2014: - 11.13 Units (178 Units Staked, - 6.25% Yield)

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