Australian Open Tennis Day 13 Picks 2026 (Friday 30th January)

We may have gotten down to the Australian Open Semi Final with the top four men's Seeds all still in action, but most fans will believe the World Number 1 and 2 are going to have too much for experienced opponents.

The last three Grand Slam Finals have been a match up between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner and they are clear favourites to meet in the Sunday showpiece.

However, out of the two opponents, it does feel like Alexander Zverev can offer some resistance against Carlos Alcaraz as long as he can put together a decent serving day.

Novak Djokovic fans may believe destiny is driving his run to the Semi Final having had some fortune in Melbourne, but his level has dipped significantly from his peak days dominating the Tour. It was really good to hear Djokovic giving a journalist some pushback having received a pretty disrespectful line of questioning, but the 38 year old has to be significantly better than Wednesday if he is going to find a way to upset Jannik Sinner in the other Semi Final.

Carlos Alcaraz-Alexander Zverev over 35.5 games: You could easily come to the conclusion that Carlos Alcaraz is a multiple time Champion at Melbourne Park after watching him ease past Alex De Minaur in the Quarter Final.

Instead, the World Number 1 was winning a Quarter Final at the Australian Open for the first time and in doing so was also ending the hopes of the home fans in seeing a men's winner at the event for the first time in fifty years.

Carlos Alcaraz is now two wins away from becoming the youngest men's player to complete the career Grand Slam, but he will have a lot of respect for the opponent in front of him.

Despite both being in the top three of the World Rankings, Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev only met once in 2025 and that ended in a routine win for the Spaniard on the fast courts of Cincinnati back in August. That levelled up the career head to head between the players, but also means Alcaraz has won four of the seven matches since joining the elite on the Tour with a couple of the early losses at a time when the Spaniard was making his way up the World Rankings.

The three losses in that time underline the danger that Alexander Zverev does pose with a big serve backed up by enough on the ground to believe he can cause the upset.

It is the serve that has been a crucial weapon for Alexander Zverev in this tournament and the World Number 3 has long been comfortable playing in Melbourne. Last year he came up short in the Final, but Zverev continues to insist he is at his best health-wise right now and the German holds a win over Carlos Alcaraz on this court in the Quarter Final played two years ago.

Taking Alexander Zverev at face value with his assessment on his own health makes it understandable that the hard court numbers dipped as much as they did in 2025 and he will be well aware that he needs to serve very well to win this match.

This was the main reason he was able to hold off Learner Tien in the Quarter Final, while it was a big reason why Alexander Zverev was able to beat Carlos Alcaraz here a couple of years ago.

Of course the challenge for every player chasing the top two in the World Rankings is whether they can play at a high level for long enough to remain competitive.

Carlos Alcaraz looks to be getting stronger as this tournament progresses and he has not dropped a set in the last two Rounds against Tommy Paul and Alex De Minaur. He has admitted working on the serve and that has seen him dominate behind that shot, while Alcaraz has won two of the last three hard court matches against this opponent.

The layers are expecting a straight-forward win for Carlos Alcaraz with the favoured scoreline being 3-0 in sets, while he has been asked to cover the same line that was in place for his Quarter Final match.

However, that does all feel a little disrespectful to Alexander Zverev who can make use of the conditions to get the maximum out of his serve.

He will have to begin this match with some confidence just to make sure he does not allow a frontrunner like Carlos Alcaraz to move through the gears.

As long as Alexander Zverev can continue to serve at the clip he has been in Melbourne, he has every chance of making this a competitive Semi Final and the two players may put enough games on the board to surpass this total.

Jannik Sinner - 7.5 games v Novak Djokovic: The top four Seeds in the men's tournament have made it through to the Semi Final, but the two players competing in this one will feel they have had a bit of fortune on their side to make it through to the final four of the opening Grand Slam event of the season.

In the Third Round, Jannik Sinner looked to be cramping up and not being able to physically deal with the challenging conditions as he trailed by a break in the third set. Fortunately the heat rule was applied by the tournament organisers right at that point, which meant playing under a roof with controlled conditions and, most importantly, allowing the World Number 2 to just take in the liquid needed to get back somewhere close to full health.

He was fortunate at Wimbledon last year as well and Sinner took full advantage by winning his first title at that Grand Slam and the Italian has breezed past his last two opponents to take his place in the Semi Final here again.

So the defending Champion will be thankful, but there is so much more for Novak Djokovic to be thankful about as he looks to win a record twenty-fifth Grand Slam title.

Over the last eighteen months, Novak Djokovic has come to terms with the fact that beating both Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz is going to be incredibly tough for him at this stage of his career- he has admitted he needs to get through the early Rounds of a Grand Slam as easily as possible to have enough in reserve to beat either of the top two players in the world, never mind knowing that he likely would have to beat both.

After coming through three opening wins easily, Novak Djokovic benefited from a walkover in the Fourth Round, which most have seen as a positive for him.

Even more luck was needed in the Quarter Final as Novak Djokovic admitted himself in the post-match interviews.

He was down 2-0 in sets against Lorenzo Musetti in that Quarter Final and looking unable to turn the tide with the Italian dominating, but an injury early in the third set meant the match came to an abrupt stop just four games into that set. Novak Djokovic was gracious enough to admit he felt he was 'going home', but he has made it through and some will think he is 'destined' to win at an event he has previously won ten times.

Novak Djokovic cannot keep hoping for some 'divine intervention', but he remains active at the Australian Open and that makes him a danger.

However, it is hard to imagine the last time Novak Djokovic would have been 8-1 to win a tennis match and that just underlines the gap that has developed between the long time dominant Champion and the two leading the ATP these days.

Last year, Novak Djokovic did upset Carlos Alcaraz here in Melbourne so his chances cannot be dismissed, but he has lost five matches in a row against Jannik Sinner, including at both the French Open and Wimbledon last year. Not only did Djokovic lose those matches, but he did not win a set, while even playing at his favourite Grand Slam might not make much of a difference when noting that he was crushed in four sets by Jannik Sinner here just two years ago.

The Novak Djokovic serve is declining from the level he once produced and he is no longer the best return player on the Tour, although his place in history is firmly secure for now.

These are things that Jannik Sinner just does better than Novak Djokovic in January 2026 and the World Number 2 has not dropped his serve in the last couple of Rounds. The feeling is that he is going to keep Djokovic under some pressure, while also being able to get his teeth into the return games more effectively than the Old King, and Jannik Sinner may end up producing a routine win like the one he did against the Serb in the Wimbledon Semi Final last July.

He broke the Novak Djokovic serve five times in that match and the way Lorenzo Musetti was able to break down that part of the Djokovic game will certainly offer Jannik Sinner plenty of encouragement.

It feels really wrong to be asking Jannik Sinner to cover this spread line against an opponent who has won the Australian Open ten times, but it does feel that time has gotten the better of Novak Djokovic and one of the top two players in the world can underline the difference at this stage of their careers.

MY PICKS: Carlos Alcaraz-Alexander Zverev Over 35.5 Games @ 1.80 William Hill (2 Units)

Jannik Sinner - 7.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet365 (2 Units)

Australian Open Update: 35-22, + 12.48 Units (118 Units Staked, + 10.92% Yield)

US Open Tennis Day 13 Picks 2025 (Friday 5th September)

The US Open Semi Final features the top three men's players in the sport and so it is a real surprise that a match featuring two of those is not set to be played in the primetime spot on Friday evening.

Instead Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz will be up first and this could be another quality match between the pair.

Later on Jannik Sinner is expected to move forward through to another Grand Slam Final having done that at the previous three Slams played this season and he remains the favourite to win the title.

Novak Djokovic-Carlos Alcaraz over 37.5 games: The Semi Final line up has been set and Novak Djokovic has to be privately thinking that the US Open has panned out exactly as he would have expected.

The former World Number 1 has made it clear in multiple interviews that he feels his pathway to winning a 25th Grand Slam title will feature him having to beat both of the top two players in the Rankings.

Barring an upset in the other Semi Final, Novak Djokovic is almost certainly going to have beat Jannik Sinner IF he is able to find a way past Carlos Alcaraz in the final four.

The key for Novak Djokovic is trying to make sure he has enough left in the tank to take on the the top two players at the business end of a Grand Slam. He has not looked at his best in the early Rounds and did drop a couple of sets he should not have, while Novak Djokovic has come through a tough Quarter Final against Taylor Fritz and so there are plenty of questions for him to answer.

He is taking on Carlos Alcaraz, the World Number 2 who won the title in Cincinnati and who has yet to drop a set at the US Open.

The draw has been kind as far as the Spaniard is concerned with none of the previous wins being against players Ranked inside the top 20 as things opened up. This is without a doubt the toughest test that Carlos Alcaraz will have faced at the US Open, but he has been placed as a significant favourite all things considered and Novak Djokovic will take plenty of motivation from that.

Carlos Alcaraz does have two Grand Slam Final wins over Novak Djokovic, both at Wimbledon, but it was the Serb who came through in a four set Quarter Final at the Australian Open earlier this year. That means Novak Djokovic has won the last two matches between the players, including in the Gold Medal match at the Paris Olympics, and it does feel like the veteran is being dismissed a bit too easily by the layers.

Novak Djokovic is going to have to be at his best to find a way to earn the upset.

He did play well against Taylor Fritz, a player that Djokovic has dominated, and it would be a surprise if the World Number 7 is not able to win at least one set.

It is going to be tough at times against a confident Carlos Alcaraz, and the expectation is that the World Number 2 will find a way to win this match, but Novak Djokovic can make it a competitive Semi Final.

Both men should have the capabilities to win a set and that should push this match past the total games line in this big match.

For Novak Djokovic it is key to at least split the first two sets in this match if he is going to earn the upset and the experience of the veteran should allow him to do that.

Winning the match will be tough though and Carlos Alcaraz is expected to be too strong over four sets.

Jannik Sinner - 7.5 games v Felix Auger-Aliassime: Barring a set and a half against Denis Shapovalov, Jannik Sinner has looked very comfortable at the US Open as he looks to defend the title won last year in New York City.

A crushing win over compatriot Lorenzo Musetti has kept the World Number 1 on track and he is expected to have too much for Felix Auger-Aliassime.

The latter can take inspiration from compatriot Denis Shapovalov, who had Jannik Sinner in a spot of bother earlier in the tournament, while Felix Auger-Aliassime has racked up the upsets to earn a spot in the Semi Final. Wins over Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev and Alex De Minaur have all been in a spot of being an underdog and Felix Auger-Aliassime has won two of those matches after dropping the first set.

It does mean having to spend more time on court than is perhaps ideal ahead of a match up against the World Number 1, but Auger-Aliassime has to be pretty confident in his tennis.

Of course, the Canadian is going to have to forget what happened the last time he faced Jannik Sinner.

In Cincinnati, Felix Auger-Aliassime was only able to win two games against the top Seed at the US Open and his serve was simply not working to a level that is needed.

Falling short of the standards that need to be set will put Felix Auger-Aliassime under a huge amount of pressure and it is very difficult to look past Jannik Sinner.

His hard court numbers have been ridiculous in 2025, and Sinner has cruised through the last couple of Rounds.

The returning part of his game is very dangerous and Jannik Sinner is capable of building up scoreboard pressure and breaking down his opponent.

Felix Auger-Aliassime is going to have to change that narrative to make this a competitive Semi Final, but that may be asking too much from him. He has had a really good tournament and the World Ranking is going to take a significant jump upwards when the new Rankings are released on Monday, but it looks like Felix Auger-Aliassime's time in New York City is set to come to a conclusion and in what may end up being another routine defeat to the World Number 1.

MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic-Carlos Alcaraz Over 37.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Jannik Sinner - 7.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 12 Picks 2025 (Friday 11th July)

The Ladies Final has been set and you could argue that both Finalists are something of a surprise- Amanda Anisimova has shown some form on the grass this summer, as has Iga Swiatek, but neither has had a big impact at Wimbledon before and the winner is set to become the latest 'surprising' Champion here.

Before that, we have two huge Men's Semi Finals featuring three of the top four players and the seven time Champion Novak Djokovic.

No matter which permutation we get for the Final, it should bring together a really positive end to the third Grand Slam of the season and the attention will soon turn to the hard courts.

We do have some clay court events and some early hard court tournaments beginning right after Wimbledon concludes in what is a relentless Tour, but the majority of the biggest names will be thinking about the Masters events in Canada and Cincinnati before the US Open gets underway next month.

However, the focus for those left playing on the grass is picking up a Major trophy this weekend and you can read my thoughts on the two Semi Final matches taking place on Friday below this.

Carlos Alcaraz - 5.5 games v Taylor Fritz: Tennis fans, especially fans of the Men's game, will feel a new era is being ushered in, although one where the young players are still growing.

You cannot dismiss the Grand Slam titles that have already been won by Carlos Alcaraz and he is the two time defending Champion at Wimbledon, but comparing his run in 2025 compared with the way dominant Champions like Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer would move through the draws is night and day.

Yes, he keeps winning and that has to be respected- nineteen wins in a row have been produced at Wimbledon and there is a growing aura around Carlos Alcaraz, which makes it tough to face him. However, the likes of Fabio Fognini, Jan-Lennard Struff and Andrey Rublev have taken sets from the World Number 2 and the Spaniard was under a bit of pressure when playing at Queen's Club, although ultimately winning the title.

The manner of the win over Cameron Norrie will certainly have the Alcaraz fans feeling much better about their man and he is deserving of being a strong favourite even when taking on a very comfortable grass court player in Taylor Fritz. Titles have been won on the surface and the American has reached the Wimbledon Semi Final for the first time, although, much like Carlos Alcaraz, it has been far from a straight-forward pathway through the draw.

In some ways Taylor Fritz was fortunate to come through in four sets against Karen Khachanov in the Quarter Final and there is a lot of pressure on the World Number 5 to make sure he is serving at his very best. Anything less would see him in a tough position trying to win rallies against someone who is superior on the ground, and the match up has proven to be a difficult one for Taylor Fritz in the past.

This is the first meeting on grass, but Carlos Alcaraz holds two hard court wins over the American and neither was very competitive with Taylor Fritz restricted to winning 59% of points behind serve. Obviously that is a number that will need to be improved dramatically if Taylor Fritz is going to threaten the upset, but there is also the pressure of knowing how important it is to get plenty of first serves in play.

In the two meetings on the Tour, the Fritz second serve has been attacked relentlessly by Carlos Alcaraz, while the defending Champion has been picking up his own level behind the serve in the last two Rounds.

The Semi Final is going to be much more competitive than the Carlos Alcaraz Quarter Final win over Cameron Norrie, but there is this feeling that the defending Champion will begin to pull away from his opponent again.

He has not been at his best in this tournament, but Taylor Fritz has had plenty of moments where he has been struggling and Carlos Alcaraz can beat him for a third straight time, while also reaching the Wimbledon Final for a third year in a row.

Jannik Sinner - 1.5 sets v Novak Djokovic: An injury scare during the Fourth Round 'win' over Grigor Dimitrov had some wondering if Jannik Sinner would play in the Quarter Final, but he did and he was a strong winner over Ben Shelton.

The Italian has been given a second chance in the tournament having looked all but out against Grigor Dimitrov with the World Number 1 trailing 2-0 in sets and struggling to really get to grips with what the veteran was producing. A really unfortunate pectoral injury saw Dimitrov forced to pull out of that match and there is every reason to believe Jannik Sinner is even more dangerous than usual if he feels he is playing with 'house money'.

A four set was produced by Novak Djokovic in his own Quarter Final, but it was a tougher than expected match against Flavio Cobolli and a slip in what proved to be the last game of the match has raised some doubt about the seven time Champion's health.

It would be a surprise if Novak Djokovic is not able to go on Friday, but he will need to be at full health as he looks to secure yet another Wimbledon Final spot. Winning a 25th Grand Slam is the goal for Djokovic and he remains one of the top grass court players in the world, but Carlos Alcaraz has beaten him twice in a row at Wimbledon and the former World Number 1 has lost his last four matches against Jannik Sinner.

None of those have been on the grass, but the Italian crushed Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open in 2024 and that court is the one where the latter is at his very best. Last month Jannik Sinner secured a straight sets win over Novak Djokovic at the French Open to reach the Final and the mental edge may just be with the current World Number 1.

Of course Sinner has not had the same type of success on the grass compared with Novak Djokovic and was beaten by the latter in 2022 and 2023 right here at Wimbledon. However, the second of those defeats felt very unfortunate for Sinner who had played well, but could not take his Break Point chances compared with a clinical Novak Djokovic and that ultimately cost him the match.

Both will appreciate the importance of serving well in this match, but it has felt like Sinner has been a touch more consistent in this part of his tennis.

Novak Djokovic has to take encouragement from the stronger return numbers he has put on the board at the tournament, but that is also partly down to the match ups he has faced and getting into the Jannik Sinner serve is a completely different test, even for the best return player of all time.

In the recent head to head, Novak Djokovic has really had a tough time dealing with the power and ability to back up the serve that Jannik Sinner has been able to produce. The scoreboard pressure has made it tough on the veteran and it is going to take something pretty special for Novak Djokovic to win this match.

The Sinner elbow issue has to be watched in what could be a longer, drawn out match compared with the big hitting power battle he had with Ben Shelton. However, Jannik Sinner's movement and heavy ball gives him the edge and the feeling is that he will find a way to win this one in three or, most likely, four sets.

MY PICKS: Carlos Alcaraz - 5.5 Games @ 1.91 William Hill (2 Units)

Jannik Sinner - 1.5 Sets @ 1.83 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Wimbledon Update: 4-3, + 0.86 Units (14 Units Staked, + 6.14% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 13 Picks 2025 (Friday 6th June)

Day 13 at the French Open is reserved for the men's Semi Final matches and we do have two solid match ups as we draw to the end of the second Grand Slam tournament of the season.

The second will certainly garner more of the sporting headlines as Novak Djokovic takes on current World Number 1 Jannik Sinner so soon after the latter returned from a three month ban for failing a drugs test last year. There are going to be a lot of interested spectators in that match, while Carlos Alcaraz and Lorenzo Musetti could be in line to meet in multiple more Grand Slam matches in the future, especially here at Roland Garros.

Jannik Sinner - 5.5 games v Novak Djokovic: While the rest of his long-term rivals have moved into retirement, 38 year old Novak Djokovic continues to push back against Father Time and he has reached another Semi Final at the French Open.

He dropped the first set of his Quarter Final against Alexander Zverev and looked to be under some pressure, but Novak Djokovic's aura still exists when it comes to facing those who have been on the Tour for a long time. You could see the belief ebbing out of Alexander Zverev at an alarming rate mid-way through the third set and he never really recovered until it was far too late.

A passive approach has been criticised with many believing that underlined the lack of belief that Alexander Zverev really had in his ability to earn the upset.

This is almost certainly not going to be the approach that the World Number 1 takes as Jannik Sinner looks to add another Grand Slam to his collection.

His three month suspension was followed by an immediate run to the Rome Masters Final, which showed Jannik Sinner has not missed much of a beat. Since arriving in Paris, Jannik Sinner has made it his business to not only win matches, but to win in such dominant style to really lay down a marker to his main rivals and you have to say he has achieved that and more.

The numbers have been stunning- Jannik Sinner has been serving at a high elite level, but he has been backing that up with aggressive returning and his recent opponents have not been able to live with him.

In saying all of that, Jannik Sinner will know that Novak Djokovic represents a significant upgrade in level of opponent and the former World Number 1 is on a decent winning run having won the title in Geneva just prior to the French Open beginning. There have been a couple of moments when Djokovic has been pushed, but the Olympic Gold Medal winner has looked very comfortable back here at Roland Garros and he will have taken plenty of positives out of the Quarter Final win.

At the same time, Novak Djokovic will have to be at close to full strength to match the intensity and power that Jannik Sinner is going to be bringing onto the court. Unlike Alexander Zverev, Jannik Sinner is not going to lose faith in the heavy groundstrokes that have taken him to the top of the men's game and further confidence can be taken from the fact he has beaten Novak Djokovic in each of the last three matches between them.

That includes crushing Djokovic on his favoured court at the Australian Open in 2024, while the improved Jannik Sinner serve has not even faced a Break Point in the last two matches against the best return player of all time.

Novak Djokovic will have plenty of motivation from the odds favouring his opponent, but Jannik Sinner is not Alexander Zverev.

He is not someone who is likely going to capitulate mentally if a couple of games have not gone his way and Jannik Sinner has shown he can overwhelm opponents with the tennis he can produce. As long as he serves near to where he has been throughout this tournament, the Italian will likely keep Novak Djokovic under the pump and that may eventually lead to a more comfortable victory than most would expect.

MY PICKS: Carlos Alcaraz - 6.5 Games

Jannik Sinner - 5.5 Games

Miami Masters Tennis Picks 2025 (Friday 28th March)

For the first time in a little while, one of the Tennis Picks made on Thursday felt like it had gotten through the cracks and one that should not have been made.

There has been a real focus on my part to ensure that only selections that pass a few check boxes are written up, but the Arthur Fils selection in his Quarter Final felt like a wrong decision and is one to put in the learning box.

Jessica Pegula won, but did not cover on the day too, although that selection still feels like it would return as a winner more often than not and so it is not really one that will leave a bad taste in the mouth. In reality even the Picks that feel the best can ultimately lose, but it has been a clear approach to tighten the way the selection process is made.

We are onto ATP Semi Final day on Friday with the Women's and Men's Finals to be played over the weekend with both the headline match of Saturday and Sunday respectively.

Bouncing back from a poor Thursday is the only ambition from the Semi Final matches set to head out onto the court.

Novak Djokovic - 3.5 games v Grigor Dimitrov: Failing to win a match since suffering an injury at the Australian Open had to have raised some concerns for fans of Novak Djokovic.

Reports suggested the former World Number 1 might have also called time on the surprising partnership with Andy Murray that had been announced on the eve of the new season beginning, although that was denied by Novak Djokovic.

With that in mind, it has been an important few days in Miami at the end of March with Novak Djokovic now the favourite to win the Masters event. His performances have been impressive and Djokovic has used the event to remind everyone that he remains one of the top players on the Tour, even if others are perhaps receiving a bit more attention for their tennis.

Novak Djokovic faces fellow veteran Grigor Dimitrov in the Semi Final with the Bulgarian also showing off considerable form at the event. Most importantly is the fact that Dimitrov has looked healthy with a number of mid-match retirements already on the board in 2025, which would have raised some concerns about the Bulgarian and his prospects.

The serve has been an immense weapon for Grigor Dimitrov in Miami, and that has perhaps covered up some of the returning shortcomings. This will be that much tougher to do on Friday in the ATP Semi Final against a return player as effective as Novak Djokovic and that will put Dimitrov under some pressure to get into the return games.

This looks a tough challenge considering the level of serving we have seen from Novak Djokovic throughout this Masters event.

He has also had significantly better returning numbers compared with Grigor Dimitrov, while Novak Djokovic holds the mental edge having won twelve of thirteen previous matches between the players. That record reads a perfect 7-0 on the hard courts and in those matches there has been a huge edge to Novak Djokovic on the serve (88% of games held compared with Grigor Dimitrov's 70% number).

There is no doubting the talent of Grigor Dimitrov and his ability to string points together when at his best, as he has been this week in Miami. However, Novak Djokovic is playing at a higher level and that has proven to be decisive when these players have met on the Tour in the past.

MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic - 3.5 Games @ 1.75 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Miami Update: 12-9, + 1.24 Units (21 Units Staked, + 5.90% Yield)

Indian Wells Tennis Picks 2025 (Saturday 15th March)

The two WTA Semi Finals were scheduled for Friday, but they feature what many may feel are the current top four players in the world and neither match has been very easy to call.

Mirra Andreeva will be looking to really start making her mark against the top players by beating Iga Swiatek on the hard courts again, while Aryna Sabalenka vs Madison Keys is a repeat of the Australian Open Final and with both playing well enough in Indian Wells to want to take a watching interest.

Saturday will feature the two ATP Semi Finals and selections can be read below.

Daniil Medvedev - 2.5 games v Holger Rune: Conditions in Indian Wells can become very difficult and that may have contributed to Daniil Medvedev's mid-match slump in his eventual Quarter Final win over Arthur Fils. He was the deserved winner on the day, but Medvedev will also be happy to hear that the conditions at the tournament are set to be warmer and a lot less windy over the final couple of days.

That will also suit Holger Rune, who needed three sets for the second time in four matches to win his own Quarter Final.

An inconsistent opening to 2025 will have felt like a disappointment for Holger Rune who had a 6-5 record on the hard courts before entering Indian Wells. Four wins in a row will have given him confidence, especially when you consider how well Rune has played in those matches, and he will certainly feel he can offer plenty in this Semi Final against the World Number 6.

He will need to produce some quality tennis if he is going to beat Daniil Medvedev, who has only needed to win three matches to earn his own spot in the Semi Final having been the beneficiary of a Third Round match that lasted just two games.

However, the level of tennis being produced by Daniil Medvedev has to be very encouraging, even after that dip against Arthur Fils in the Quarter Final, and the conditions should have eased to help the Russian with his serve and style of play.

Both players will be pretty happy with the returning numbers and will believe they can maintain those levels, but Daniil Medvedev may believe he is the one that has more to come behind the serve.

Holger Rune has been producing really well behind that shot at this tournament, but he has not been at his best on the serve in 2025, whereas Daniil Medvedev has not quite matched his overall season numbers. This is a factor that could easily swing back towards Medvedev within this match, especially having won the last two meetings against Holger Rune, including here in Indian Wells twelve months ago.

Both have slipped from the World Ranking mark they held going into the 2024 tournament, but Daniil Medvedev is still operating at a level where he will believe he can frank that victory with another at the same tournament.

In that Quarter Final match, it was Daniil Medvedev who showed off the stronger returning play and he had Holger Rune under the cosh in plenty of his service games. The two sets played were competitive thanks to Rune's own ability to get stuck into the return, but Daniil Medvedev was the right winner and has produced more so far this season to believe he edges past the Dane again.

Carlos Alcaraz - 3.5 games v Jack Draper: Some have accused Jack Draper of 'quitting' in matches against Carlos Alcaraz, but that will be put to the test when they meet in the Semi Final in Indian Wells.

The British player beat Carlos Alcaraz on the grass of Queen's Club last year, which is a huge win for Jack Draper considering Alcaraz is now a two time Wimbledon Champion. However, either side of that victory, Draper has been forced to pull out mid-match against Carlos Alcaraz both here in Indian Wells in 2023 and at the Australian Open earlier this year.

In both of those matches, Jack Draper was well on the way to defeat and it is those moments that many feel is something that can be used to beat him with.

No excuses will be made for the World Number 14 this week and the performances in winning four matches at the tournament will have given Jack Draper a lot of confidence. He has won all eight sets played and the strong lefty serve has allowed him to play with some freedom on the return, which has ultimately led to some dominant victories.

Three American players have been beaten so Jack Draper should be accustomed to his opponent earning the majority of the support from the stands, and he has to be given credit for the way he has played the big points.

Doing that again will be key for Jack Draper as he prepares to face the World Number 3 and a player who has opened 2025 in very strong form, even after the disappointing Quarter Final exit at the Australian Open.

Carlos Alcaraz has produced some special numbers, but is somehow exceeding those in Indian Wells having also won all four matches in straight sets.

The Quarter Final win was the toughest with the second set needing a tie-breaker, but five of the eight sets have been won with the loss of three or fewer games and two others had seen the opponent win just four games as Carlos Alcaraz has shown his comfort in playing through windy conditions.

Serving well has been huge for both Carlos Alcaraz and Jack Draper and both have won at least 70% of points played behind that shot, but it is Alcaraz who has shown the stronger returning ability.

That is not only through the tournament, but in general on the hard courts and Carlos Alcaraz' returning numbers are right in line with the way 2025 has opened up for him. On the other side of the court, Jack Draper is returning better here than he had been before Indian Wells and so it may be tougher for the lower Ranked player to keep finding that level, especially against some with the obvious qualities of the Spaniard across the net.

In their previous four pro meetings, Carlos Alcaraz has shown he can get his teeth into the Jack Draper serve and the expectation is of more of the same in this Semi Final.

Covering the handicap will be far from easy if Jack Draper is concentrating fully on his serving, but the feeling is that the scoreboard pressure will tell at key times and that should see Carlos Alcaraz through to another Masters Final with a solid victory under his belt.

MY PICKS: Daniil Medvedev - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Carlos Alcaraz - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Indian Wells Update: 5-6, - 1.93 Units (11 Units Staked, - 17.55% Yield)

Australian Open Tennis Day 13 Picks 2025 (Friday 24th January)

The Women's Final has been set after Aryna Sabalenka and Madison Keys were able to win Semi Final matches played on Day 12 at the Australian Open.

Fans of big hitting tennis are going to enjoy the occasion, although some would have been hoping to see the top two players in the World Rankings competing for the first Grand Slam of the season.

There is still a chance of that happening in the Men's Final, although that would not at least an upset in the first Semi Final scheduled on Day 13 when Novak Djokovic takes on the Number 2 Seed Alexander Zverev.

Out of the two Semi Final matches, the first does look like the one that the fans will enjoy most, although Ben Shelton will want to give the defending Champion something to think about in the Night Session.

Novak Djokovic-Alexander Zverev over 40.5 games: Both of these players showed tremendous grit and determination to win Quarter Final matches where the losing opponent will have been left with a lot of regret.

That is arguably more for Tommy Paul against Alexander Zverev having served to win both of the first two sets, but being broken and eventually downed in four sets by the World Number 2.

For Carlos Alcaraz the Quarter Final loss to Novak Djokovic will have just given the young Spaniard another learning moment as he allowed arguably the greatest player of all time get in his head. Dropping the first set, Novak Djokovic looked like he was carrying a major injury that was limiting his movement, but Carlos Alcaraz played a really poor match and ultimately will feel he allowed the former World Number 1 off the hook.

Novak Djokovic will not care and instead is feeling very grateful for an extra day of rest between his Quarter Final win and this big Semi Final. This is going to be used to make sure he is ready to compete as healthy as he can be and Novak Djokovic might hold a slight mental edge over Alexander Zverev having won the biggest matches they have played against one another at Grand Slam events.

However, it has been some time since Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev last faced off and the latter is most definitely at the peak of his powers.

Six of the last eight Grand Slams played by Alexander Zverev have seen the player reach the Quarter Final, and this is the fourth time he has played in the Semi Final. Getting over the line and reaching a Grand Slam Final has been tougher with just one appearance on the final Sunday in that run of form and winning a Major is the only ambition left for Alexander Zverev.

There is room for improvement in the serving numbers if Alexander Zverev is going to upset Novak Djokovic, and he is facing a great returner who will keep the pressure on him. A high percentage of first serves is key, while Zverev is certainly capable of getting enough returns back in play to hurt Novak Djokovic too.

Of course Novak Djokovic is going to feel pretty comfortable in the match up, as long as he is not suffering lingering problems from the issue that was affecting him in the Quarter Final. Both previous Grand Slam matches between these players on the hard courts have been pretty competitive, but Novak Djokovic has played the big points better than Alexander Zverev so you do have to give him the edge overall.

However, it is foolish to ignore the improvements made by the World Number 2 and the fact that Novak Djokovic is older and has only reached one Grand Slam Final since the US Open in 2023. It may mean another long, competitive match is played between the two players in this Semi Final and they may produce enough positive serving to produce the games to surpass this total set.

Jannik Sinner-Ben Shelton over 32.5 games: The World Number 1 was in imperious form in the Quarter Final win over Alex De Minaur and any worries about Jannik Sinner being held back by an illness have been erased.

He admitted he had been feeling much better after the tough Fourth Round win over Holger Rune and Jannik Sinner was able to continue his dominance of the last remaining Australian competing in Melbourne. The match up is simply not a very good one for Alex De Minaur who does not have the power to keep Jannik Sinner from taking over the rallies, while the Italian is always going to have the consistency to eventually break down De Minaur, as proved to be the case in the Quarter Final.

The layers are expecting another routine win for Jannik Sinner when he takes on young American Ben Shelton, but the latter has a much bigger game than Alex De Minaur and that makes him that much more dangerous for the top Seed to deal with.

Unsurprisingly Jannik Sinner does have a winning record against Ben Shelton and the main reason for that is that the World Number 20 is still working on being more effective on the return of serve. This is an issue that Shelton will want to address if he has serious ambitions of winning a Grand Slam, but all the other tools are there for him with big groundstrokes backing up a huge serve.

This Semi Final is going to be all about first strike tennis as far as Ben Shelton is concerned, while Jannik Sinner has to feel confident of his chances if he can neutralise a rally early and then allow his own consistency and big hitting to take over. The backhand advantage for Jannik Sinner gives him the edge, but he will be well aware of the threat that Ben Shelton brings onto the court.

It was a routine win for Jannik Sinner when these two met on the grass at Wimbledon last year, but matches between the pair have been a lot closer on the hard courts.

Ben Shelton won their first hard court match in Shanghai in 2023, but Jannik Sinner has responded by winning the next three, including both played on this surface in 2024. However, Sinner needed to save 7 Break Points in his win over Ben Shelton in Shanghai at the back end of last season and took his one opportunity to earn a tight, competitive win over the American.

This match is expected to be played in the Night Session at Melbourne Park and that may give Jannik Sinner another edge having been used to playing in the conditions on this court. It is another test for Ben Shelton, but the 22 year old has to be encouraged by his performance against the World Number 1 in Shanghai and a big serving day could see him push Jannik Sinner.

As solid as a return player Jannik Sinner has become, it should be noted that he has not had consistent success against the Ben Shelton serve with 14% of return games ending in breaks when competing against the American on the hard courts. Over the last twelve months Jannik Sinner's number is actually closer to 30% on this surface and that just underlines the challenges faced by the top Seed in this Semi Final.

Even in their two matches last year on this surface, Sinner was able to break in one of five return games and this could be a Semi Final which sees competitive sets played.

A three set win for Jannik Sinner may make it difficult to cover this total number of games line, but if Ben Shelton is serving as he can, the match up is one where even a straight sets win might be enough. The Break Points created in Shanghai will give Ben Shelton confidence that he can avoid losing a seventh, eighth and ninth set in a row on this surface against Jannik Sinner and this is a Semi Final that may also go longer than the layers are anticipating.

MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic-Alexander Zverev Over 40.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Jannik Sinner-Ben Shelton Over 32.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Australian Open Update: 27-11, + 21.40 Units (73 Units Staked, + 29.32% Yield)

US Open Tennis Day 12 Picks 2024 (Friday 6th September)

The women's Final was set on Thursday and it is now the turn of the men.

There is no doubt it has been a positive tournament for the home fans with an American player set to compete in both Finals to be played this weekend, although the name of the men's Finalist will be determined on Day 12 at the tournament.

Taylor Fritz - 1.5 sets v Frances Tiafoe: The hard court form of both of these players entering the US Open was far from ideal and expectations for Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe were perhaps not as high as could be.

Both Americans have really performed well in the tournament though and the winner will be the first men's player from the United States to reach a Grand Slam Final since 2009.

It has been a period with the US players have come back to the fore, but they have struggled to get over the line and that carrot is going perhaps play a part in the match. Both are going to be given exceptional support from the New York City crowd and this has the makings of a fascinating match.

Frances Tiafoe showed he was perhaps returning to something like his best in the warm up events for the US Open- he has certainly had the weaker year overall compared with Taylor Fritz, but a run to the Semi Final in Washington and then the Final in Cincinnati will have given Tiafoe a boost in confidence.

He has not shied away from suggesting that his level has seen him lose matches to opponents he feels should not beat him, but this is another tough step for Frances Tiafoe.

We know Taylor Fritz has not played that well on the hard courts since winning the title in Delray Beach, but he did have a solid showing at Wimbledon and his level at the US Open has been impressive. With the likes of Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz out of the draw, there is little doubt that both Fritz and Tiafoe have to feel a big opportunity has been presented to win a maiden Grand Slam.

The mental edge has to be with Taylor Fritz who has won his last six matches against Frances Tiafoe since dropping the first against his compatriot. The last match was in 2023, but the wins include at the Australian Open and a Masters event in Miami and the feeling is that Fritz is playing at a level that should give him the edge in this match.

Of course much is going to come down to which of these players handles the occasion the best- neither have been used to reaching this stage of the Grand Slam events, but even less so facing an opponent they will feel they can beat rather than a Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer.

This will play a part, but Fritz has really strong numbers against Frances Tiafoe with holds in 85% of service games played compared with 74% for the latter.

Neither is particularly known for their returning qualities, but Taylor Fritz has been producing the bigger serving in this tournament with at least 70% of service points won in each of the five matches played. It means he has only dropped serve on five occasions in the run to the final four, while the Tiafoe serve has been broken ten times.

Frances Tiafoe has found a few more breaks of serve, which have covered those dropped games, but it will be much tougher to recover breaks against someone serving as well as Taylor Fritz has been over this fortnight.

The fans should enjoy the match knowing a home player is going to be representing in the men's Final on Sunday, but the feeling is that Taylor Fritz can continue his dominance of Frances Tiafoe with a strong win.

Jannik Sinner-Jack Draper over 35.5 games: The controversy of the two failed tests that Jannik Sinner was ultimately absolved of any wrong-doing without facing any suspension continues to cast a cloud over the US Open. The World Number 1 is doing his best to let his tennis speak for him, but this is a situation that the sport would have loved to have avoided and commentators and fans will have questions.

His tennis has been very good in the main and Jannik Sinner beat Daniil Medvedev in the Quarter Final to eliminate the only other men's player left that is a previous Grand Slam Champion. It means the Italian is the big favourite to go on and lift this hard court Slam title having already done the same at the Australian Open and there is little doubt his confidence is high.

Ignoring the outside noise has been a huge factor and Jannik Sinner won the Cincinnati Masters title in prepartion for the US Open before embarking on this run to the Semi Final. Big serving has allowed Sinner to take a few more risks when it comes to the return of serve and that is going to be important as he gets set to face a young British player who has really made big headlines back home.

Jack Draper has long been though of as the natural successor to Andy Murray, but even his own team have to be a little surprised by what he has achieved here in New York City. The draw has opened up for him with the very early defeat suffered by Carlos Alcaraz, but Draper still had to take the opportunity and he has yet to drop a set in the tournament after crushing Alex De Minaur in the Quarter Final.

The advantage of having a huge lefty serve has really been put to good use and Draper has only dropped serve three times in the tournament. Being able to roll through service games has allowed the British player to just be a bit more aggressive on the return and ultimately he has worn down the opponents faced during this tournament.

His run to the Semi Final means Jack Draper will be moving into the top 20 of the World Rankings for the first time, but winning this title would take him to the brink of of cracking the top 10. The one previous meeting with Jannik Sinner ended in a straight sets win on the grass courts of Queen's Club back in 2021 when there was 286 Ranking places between the players as Draper secured the upset.

Both are much improved these days and the serving capabilities of both suggests this will be a tighter and more competitive match than the layers may think. The total games line looks very low with that in mind and you would think it will be comfortably surpassed if both players win a set, which they are more than capable of doing in this Semi Final.

Jack Draper did have the need to call out for some medical assistance in his Quarter Final win, but that did not seem to hamper him and the day of rest between matches will do him good. Winning this Semi Final may be a step too far at this stage of his career, but Draper can build his experience level by challenging the World Number 1 in what should be a very good Semi Final.

MY PICKS: Taylor Fritz - 1.5 Sets @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Jannik Sinner-Jack Draper Over 35.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

US Open Update: 26-17, + 10.24 Units (86 Units Staked, + 11.91% Yield)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 12 Picks 2024 (Friday 12th July)

With the Ladies Final set for Saturday, attention will turn to the Men's Semi Final matches on Day 12 of Wimbledon.

Three of the top five players are involved, while Lorenzo Musetti is looking to really make a massive statement by reaching his first Grand Slam Final in what has been a very good month of tennis for him.

He is the surprise of the Men's tournament, but Musetti is hoping to join his compatriot Matteo Berrettini in reaching a Wimbledon Final, while the bigger task is to try and become the second Italian to win a Grand Slam this season after Jannik Sinner was able to do that in Australia.

Beating Novak Djokovic is still the ultimate challenge in a best of five set format, while the other Semi Final between Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev is a repeat of a Semi Final played at Wimbledon last year.

Novak Djokovic - 6.5 games v Lorenzo Musetti: Italian Tennis has been experiencing a real boost over the last few years with some big names on the ATP Tour. Jasmine Paolini is making an impact on the WTA Tour and now Lorenzo Musetti is once again sharing some of the limelight of Jannik Sinner by returning to the top 20 in the World Rankings and gearing up for his first Grand Slam Semi Final.

He came through a battle in the Quarter Final against Taylor Fritz, but that win has continued what has been a fine month of grass court tennis.

Lorenzo Musetti is still only 22 years old and so it is perhaps no surprise that there has been a slight stagnation to the development on the Tour. Thirteen months ago he reached a career high World Ranking, but it has not been the easiest year on the Tour and that is why he had slipped out of the top 20.

Poor Grand Slam results have not helped, but Musetti has taken the form from reaching the Queen's Club Final and brought that with him on the short journey to Wimbledon. Overall the performances have been impressive, but the Italian has also had to show his battling qualities with a couple of five set wins and also being able to recover when behind.

All of that is likely going to be tested by Novak Djokovic who will be keenly listening out for boos instead of Muus from the Centre Court crowd.

The seven time Wimbledon Championc continues to feel that crowds are not offering the respect that he deserves, although there remains a real feeling that Novak Djokovic is just trying to fuel his motivation even further. Being given a Bye to the Quarter Final might feel like a bonus for Djokovic, who had come into the Wimbledon tournament with fitness doubts, and having three full days of recovery between matches within a Grand Slam tournament is a huge boost for his chances of matching Roger Federer's eight wins in SW19.

Things have not gone completely his way at Wimbledon, but Novak Djokovic's dominant win over Holger Rune in the Fourth Round suggests he is rounding into form. No one is going to question the grass court pedigree of the former World Number 1 and Novak Djokovic deserves to be a relatively strong favourite in this Semi Final.

However, the Serb is not going to take anything for granted against a player who has twice been one set away from beating him at a Grand Slam.

Both of those matches were at Roland Garros in 2021, when Lorenzo Musetti really announced himself to a wider audience while leading Novak Djokovic 2-0, and earlier this year when Musetti lost the first set, but won two in a row in the Third Round.

Novak Djokovic was able to turn both matches around and he will also note that those were played on clay, the favoured surface of Lorenzo Musetti.

Two previous hard court matches have both ended in favour of Djokovic with some relative comfort attached and even the slightly slower grass court of Centre Court is unlikely to change things too much. It is the first time Lorenzo Musetti will be playing on the main court of Wimbledon, although handling the occasion is something he has the temperament to do.

The bigger question is having the tennis to beat Novak Djokovic and that seems unlikely right now, even after an impressive win over Taylor Fritz in the Quarter Final.

There is just so much more solidness about Novak Djokovic's all around game compared with Fritz and that is likely to show up. The favourite has the better serving consisteny and Novak Djokovic is just as capable of exerting returning pressures like Lorenzo Musetti.

In their previous matches, there has been a clear edge in favour of Novak Djokovic when it comes to holding serve and he may just wear down the younger player and cover what is a big handicap mark all things considered.

Carlos Alcaraz - 4.5 games v Daniil Medvedev: The grass courts have frustrated Daniil Medvedev at times and he is still mostly in love with the hard courts, but his recent runs at Wimbledon may just have shown the World Number 5 how capable he is on this surface.

In reality Daniil Medvedev is a pretty solid player on all surfaces and it would be a real shame for him and his brand of tennis if he is not able to add to the US Open he won in 2021.

There is no doubt that he has had his chances- Daniil Medvedev should have won the very next Grand Slam at the Australian Open- and a consistent performer on the Tour has now reached the Semi Final in four of the last five Slams played. He was leading by two sets again in the Final at the Australian Open earlier this year before coming up short and so Daniil Medvedev may still feel he has something to prove.

That defeat came against Jannik Sinner, but it was Medvedev who beat the Italian in the Quarter Final here, although the challenges do not get any easier.

Next up is the defending Champion and Carlos Alcaraz continues to show that he can battle through difficult moments on his way to his successes. Winning the French Open-Wimbledon double has proven to be a huge challenge throughout the years, but Carlos Alcaraz is playing with a real determination and will to win and this is a match up that will not concern him.

It has not been the most convincing of runs and the Spaniard has dropped one set in each of his last two wins, while needing to come through in five sets in the Third Round against Frances Tiafoe. The level did increase as he overwhelmed Queen's Champion Tommy Paul in the Quarter Final after a slow start and that kind of performance will give Carlos Alcaraz full belief that he can go on and win the title here again.

The serve is not working quite as well as it was twelve months ago and that will need to be improved if Carlos Alcaraz is going to defend his title. Each of his last three opponents have been able to fashion at least ten Break Points and giving up that many chances is always going to be dangerous, even if Carlos Alcaraz has the returning ability to make up for that.

He will know that a poor serving day could lead to problems, as it did when losing to Danill Medvedev at the US Open last year as the defending Champion.

In saying that, it is a match that has been the exception in recent meetings between Medvedev and Alcaraz and that gives the latter a significant mental edge.

Last year it was Carlos Alcaraz who beat Daniil Medvedev in pretty routine fashion in the Wimbledon Semi Final and he has also won two matches against this opponent since the US Open defeat. This means Alcaraz has won four of the last five against Daniil Medvedev and so the onus really is on the underdog to change things around.

He put in a lot to beat Jannik Sinner in the Quarter Final, although fatigue is not expected to be an issue with that match being played on Tuesday and this Semi Final taking place on a Friday.

Back in 2021, Daniil Medvedev did beat Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon in a big straight sets victory, but things have changed between the players since then. On that day, Medvedev broke the Alcaraz serve seven times, but he has managed to do that just six times combined in the next five matches played and this feels like a match that is very much going to be played on the Alcaraz racquet.

There is room for improvement for Carlos Alcaraz, but the comfort within this match up should help in encouraging that and he can win and cover over the course of this contest.

MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic - 6.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Carlos Alcaraz - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Wimbledon Update: 19-20, - 6.62 Units (78 Units Staked, - 8.49% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 13 Picks 2024 (Friday 7th June)

The Women's Final has been set for Saturday and Iga Swiatek has made it through for the fourth time in five years.

She is going to be a strong favourite, but all credit has to be given to Jasmine Paolini for finding her way through the draw and the Italian really has nothing to lose.

Before we get to the Women's Final, two quality looking Men's Semi Final matches have to be completed on Friday and both could go very long. It should also mean a very good Final will be set as we crown a new French Open Champion and potentially begin the next era without members of the Big Three who have achieved so much in the sport.

Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner Over 38.5 Games: If these two players can stay healthy and the desire never dips, this is a match up that is likely going to be deciding many Grand Slams in the years ahead.

There will be a number of other players preparing to fill the gap that will be left by the Big Three, but Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have won Grand Slams already and they are in the top three of the World Rankings right up there alongside Novak Djokovic.

With the Serb expected to miss at least Wimbledon and potentially the Olympics and US Open, most fans will figure Alcaraz and Sinner to be the leading names to add to the Slams they have already won.

Injury meant both players missed the Rome Masters, and there was some doubt about their participation at the French Open, but the two have been the best players in the tournament.

Carlos Alcaraz started a little slowly, which is not a surprise considering he was slightly concerned about his forearm, but he has grown and grown.

For Jannik Sinner, the new World Number 1, the tournament has largely gone to plan with a single set dropped in his march to the Semi Final.

This is the third Grand Slam meeting between the two with both holding a win apiece, while the two previous clay court matches have also been split. Their only match in 2024 was won by Carlos Alcaraz as he came from behind to beat Jannik Sinner in three sets at the Indian Wells Masters, but there really has not been much between the players and this is a fascinating Semi Final.

Over the course of the French Open, Jannik Sinner has perhaps served slightly better than Carlos Alcaraz, but the Spaniard has had a slight edge when it comes to the return. The new World Number 1 does look a big price to win this Semi Final, but the better approach may be looking for the match to go long.

Previous matches have featured plenty of one-sided sets, despite the obvious qualities that both of these players have.

Tension will be high in this Semi Final which could see something like that happen in one or two sets, but the feeling is that both are playing well enough to make this very competitive and push the match to four or possibly even five sets.

The previous two Grand Slam matches between Alcaraz and Sinner have both needed at least four sets and the feeling is that the likely top two Seeds heading into Wimbledon will be involved in a titanic battle on Friday.

Casper Ruud v Alexander Zverev: Twelve months ago Alexander Zverev returned to the French Open having suffered a serious injury here in 2022, but the expectations were not that high for the German after a mixed return to the Tour. He did reach the Semi Final surprisingly, but Casper Ruud stood in the way and proved to be too strong for Zverev.

They meet again on Friday in another Semi Final, but Alexander Zverev had arrived in Paris as one of the favourites and underlined that position by beating Rafael Nadal in the First Round.

Off court issues continue to cast a cloud over this Alexander Zverev run, but he has been doing what is needed on the court.

The only negative for him from a tennis point of view is the amount of time he has already spent on the court, although it was very important to win the Quarter Final in straight sets. That victory over Alex De Minaur followed back to back five setters and there has to be some fatigue at play.

He did not look at his dominant best in the win over the Australian, but getting off the court in under three hours will have helped the Zverev cause.

This is clearly going to be a tough match for the World Number 4, especially as Casper Ruud has reached consecutive French Open Finals and will have that mental edge of having beaten Zverev in the Semi Final in 2023. The Norwegian also benefits from Novak Djokovic's withdrawal before the Quarter Final and that should mean Casper Ruud is the fresher player having played in Geneva before the French Open began.

In saying all that, Casper Ruud has not really impressed in the tournament and he will need to raise his level against the Rome Masters Champion.

Casper Ruud is going to have to serve better than he has in the last three Rounds, but he will also perhaps have noted that Alexander Zverev's numbers have just dropped, which could be a sign of fatigue.

He is battling and the confidence is much higher than when he wilted against Casper Ruud last year so this will be close, but the tennis has mounted up in the legs and that may just hold Alexander Zverev back as he looks to reach his first French Open Final.

Three straight Semi Final losses in Paris will be hard to forget for the German and Casper Ruud's memories of this Round are much stronger which could see the narrow underdog come through.

MY PICKS: Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner Over 38.5 Games @ 1.85 Coral (2 Units)

Casper Ruud @ 2.10 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

French Open Update: 20-8, + 14.96 Units (56 Units Staked, + 26.71% Yield)

Australian Open Tennis Day 13 Picks 2024 (Friday 26th January)

Three of the top four Ranked players on the ATP Tour have managed to come through all of the upsets and drama at the Australian Open to take their place in the Semi Final.

It would be a huge disappointment if the two men's Semi Finals are not filled with excitement for the fans and we are likely to see these matches a number of times across the biggest events in 2024. Winning the opening Grand Slam is the obvious big motivation for all four players, but it also stands that the Champion will have laid down a serious marker to the main rivals on the Tour.

The winner of the first Semi Final is expected to go into the Sunday showcase match as the big favourite.

However, the second Semi Final is filled with headlines made from off-court issues between the players and it should make for a very good day at Melbourne Park.

Novak Djokovic - 1.5 sets v Jannik Sinner: There is a real hope that Jannik Sinner will be able to breakthrough and win a maiden Grand Slam title this season to join Carlos Alcaraz in bringing the future of tennis into the present. For fans of the sport, it would be good to begin to see a real changing of the guard, and Jannik Sinner can really prove himself if he can get the better of Novak Djokovic on Rod Laver Arena, a court the World Number 1 has dominated.

The win over Andrey Rublev was tougher than the final scoreboard will indicate and Jannik Sinner knows he will need to be better when playing in his first Australian Open Semi Final. He will have to lean on the previous experience of facing Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon Semi Final back in July, while the Italian did manage to beat the World Number 1 twice on the hard courts at the back end of the 2023 season.

They split a win apiece in the ATP World Tour Finals, although it was Novak Djokovic who won the match for the trophy, and Jannik Sinner was then able to beat Djokovic in the Davis Cup Finals. These wins will give him plenty of confidence to take into this Semi Final, although Novak Djokovic may point out that he was the stronger player in all three matches and just finished on the wrong end of the tight matgins.

Novak Djokovic was able to contain the threat Taylor Fritz brought onto the court in the Quarter Final and rallied after dropping the second set to move through in four sets. His numbers were strong in the match, while playing in the heat also made it tough for Djokovic having largely been contained to the Night Session throughout the tournament.

He should be back in that slot for this Semi Final, while Novak Djokovic will benefit from having an additional day of rest between the Quarter Final and this match. Of course Jannik Sinner benefits from the same, but you have to believe this is better for the older player and Djokovic can bring his best onto the court.

Losses in the ATP World Tour Finals and Davis Cup Final would have hurt, but Novak Djokovic has long spoken about peaking for the Grand Slam events as he looks to surpass Margaret Court's 24 Grand Slam wins in her home country. We have seen him peaking in this tournament with the much improved numbers and performances in the last three matches having done just enough to win the first two at the Australian Open.

At the same time, Jannik Sinner's numbers have declined in each of his last three matches from a high reached in his Second Round win. That suggests the level of competition has increased and the Italian is perhaps not being allowed to dominate as he has earlier in the event and now he faces the ultimate challenge at the Australian Open.

He has yet to drop a set, and the serve has been very strong for the World Number 4.

Imposing that serve on Novak Djokovic will be a key to the outcome of this match and Jannik Sinner will be encouraged by the fact he held 86% of his service games played against this opponent in their three hard court matches played at the end of the 2023 season. However, it was Djokovic's performances on the Break Points that stands out in those matches and Jannik Sinner showed he can play under the pressure of having to same those big points in his win over Andrey Rublev too.

He will need to do that again in this one and it is hard to ignore the fact that Novak Djokovic won 73% of the points played behind serve compared with Jannik Sinner's 63% mark in those hard court matches.

On Rod Laver Arena, Novak Djokovic may feel a little more confident in playing those big points better than he did at the end of 2023 and the feeling is that the World Number 1 is getting stronger as the tournament winds down. At the same time Jannik Sinner may just be weakening a little bit and the feeling is that Novak Djokovic will be able to come through in three or four sets.

Alexander Zverev v Daniil Medvedev: It will feel like a case of what might have been for Alexander Zverev- he was giving Rafael Nadal all he could handle in the French Open Semi Final and was a couple of solid tournament runs away from becoming World Number 1 for the first time when injury cruelly struck in June 2022.

That injury cost him the rest of the season and it has taken plenty of hard work over the last twelve months to have Zverev feeling like he is back at a level he belongs.

For two and a half sets, Alexander Zverev showed all of his very best tennis as he dominated Carlos Alcaraz and moved to within a game of the Australian Open Semi Final. He was not quite able to maintain the standards and ended up dropping the third set, but the German rallied in the fourth and moved into his second ever Australian Open Semi Final.

The first ended in a four set loss to Dominic Thiem, who would go on and beat Zverev later in the year in the US Open Final too, but it really does feel like Alexander Zverev is finding his best tennis right now. This tournament is laying a strong foundation for the rest of the 2024 season, but Alexander Zverev will not want it to end just yet.

Anyone who has watched 'Break Point' on Netflix will know there is little love lost between Alexander Zverev and Semi Final opponent Daniil Medvedev as they prepare to meet on Friday.

That rivalry made for good watching for the viewers, but it has not been much of one on the court over the last few years and that is something that Alexander Zverev will be keen to change.

He won the first four professional matches between the players, but Daniil Medvedev was Ranked at Number 50 or higher in those matches, while Zverev was a top 10 Ranked player for the majority of those and expected to win. Since then, it is Medvedev who has become a fixture in the top 10 of the World Rankings and he has won eleven of fourteen matches between the pair.

That includes winning five of six matches played between the two last year and so Daniil Medvedev has to believe he has the tennis to earn yet another Australian Open Final spot.

It is certainly a head to head that will give Daniil Medvedev plenty of reason to think he can win this Semi Final and it is perhaps the main reason the World Number 3 has been set as the favourite in the match.

On the raw numbers, Daniil Medvedev has had a difficult Australian Open tournament and there is no doubting that there has been a lingering affect of having finished in the early hours of the morning when winning his Second Round match against Emil Ruusuvuori. He showed plenty of fatigue in the five set Quarter Final win over Hubert Hurkacz, but there is no doubting the fight and tenacity that Daniil Medvedev will bring onto the court for as long as he is out there.

Ultimately it is about the recovery and how well he is able to do that- not only did Medvedev have to play for over four hours in the Quarter Final, but he played in the hottest part of the day and the energy was clearly being sapped from him. The fact he rallied from dropping the fourth set to win a decider just underlines the quality and the mental strength Daniil Medvedev has and he will need all of that in this Semi Final.

The problem Daniil Medvedev has had in the tournament is that he is only holding 82% of service games played- that is considerably down on his 86% mark set over the 2023 calendar year, while the return is then placed under considerable pressure. In the Quarter Final, Medvedev had to deal with a lot more Break Points than he created and it is unsustainable to continue to replenish energy being lost physically and emotionally.

He played the big points well enough to edge past Hubert Hurkacz and it was the same against Emil Ruusuvuori, but it will have accumulated some fatigue.

Alexander Zverev has had anything but a clean run himself though and so the fatigue problem may not be as great for Daniil Medvedev as it would be if he was playing Novak Djokovic or Jannik Sinner instead. And while he is not returning as well as his rival, the performance in the Quarter Final behind serve will have really encouraged Zverev and his supporters that he can turn the tables on the World Number 3.

And despite the head to head in 2023, it should be noted that the four hard court matches were closely contested with Daniil Medvedev edging the big points. Those were all across best of three set formats too and the feeling is that the Russian is perhaps running close to empty and Alexander Zverev will have the fitness edge if this goes long.

Reaching a second Grand Slam Final will add to the pressure on Zverev, but his performance in the Quarter Final compared with Daniil Medvedev's suggests it is the German getting stronger the Australian Open winds down.

This has the makings of being a really good Semi Final after the efforts both have put into the tournament, but Alexander Zverev's serve has been working well enough in Melbourne to believe he will be lining up in the Men's Final on Sunday.

Backing against Daniil Medvedev is not easy considering his hard court abilities and the motivation he will have in wanting to keep Alexander Zverev under the cosh, but you cannot ignore the obvious fatigue build up we have seen. As long as Zverev can contain his emotions against this rival, he may have enough to come through after another long match.

MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic - 1.5 Sets @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Alexander Zverev @ 2.20 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Australian Open Update: 22-47, - 55.54 Units (138 Units Staked, - 40.25% Yield)