Tennis Picks 2023 (July 20th)

There is no doubting that it was a much more positive day for the Tennis Picks, but it feels like some meat was left on the table after a couple of late letdowns.

On another day Lorenzo Musetti would have been able to serve out his strong position in the final set, which would have been enough for the cover, while Zizou Bergs missed out by a couple of games after allowing himself to gift away the second set.

Worst was the Yulia Putintseva collapse in the second set against Claire Liu.

She was a set down after blowing an early break, but it is hard to understand what happened to Putintseva in the second set considering she had moved into a commanding 5-0 lead and with 15/40 on the Liu serve.

Somehow she lost the next six games in a row and missed FIVE Set Points in that run and even the late break of serve to force a Tie-Breaker only prolonged her pain with another two Set Points missed in that Breaker too.

So while there was a positive return on the day, it does feel like one or two of those other selections could have easily swung my way and it might have completely erased the really poor Tuesady.

Wimbledon might be over, but the sport was still making headlines this week, although both for negative reasons.

Controversy in Hungary on the court was the main source of conversation for the WTA players on social media, but the news of the latest allegation against Alexander Zverev is extremely disturbing. This could be a story that really explodes in the coming weeks, especially if the Penalty Order in Germany is given the go-ahead and with big tournaments coming up bringing with it more media attention.

The ATP whiffed on the previous allegations and how to deal with players who face such issues, but they will be under more pressure if this Penalty Order is signed.

After seeing a new star breakthrough earlier this month, this is a much more challenging time for the leaders on the Tour.

Alexander Zverev is expected to play his Second Round match in Bastad on Thursday, but it is a developing situation off the court and you have to believe it is going to have an impact on his performance on the court against a competent clay court player.

Personally I am steering clear having seen how personal matters can affect players and their performances, while there are a plenty of matches that look quite difficult to call around the tournaments being played.

Any selections from the Newport Quarter Final matches set for Thursday will be added to this thread when the markets are released, but the only two Picks on the day will both come from Second Round action in Bastad.

Casper Ruud - 5.5 games v Alexander Shevchenko: Two years ago Casper Ruud was able to run through three clay court tournaments in a row and win titles in all three events, but last season he was beaten in his opening match in Bastad as he looked to defend this title.

It didn't bother him for too long with Casper Ruud winning the next week in Gstaad, but the two time defending Champion in that tournament in Switzerland has chosen to play in Bastad instead this week.

There is still an opportunity for Casper Ruud to take in three straight summer clay court events, although the likelihood is he will play Hamburg and then move to North America to begin preparation for the US Open.

Motivation will still be there to have a good clay court season after another tough month on the grass and Casper Ruud looks to have been given an ideal opponent in this Second Round match.

Alexander Shevchenko has won a match here this week, so has to be respected, but the World Number 96 has had mixed clay court experiences. He does hold a 3-4 record on the surface against top 50 Ranked opponents this season, but Shevchenko has found himself well beaten by the likes of Alex De Minaur, Daniil Medvedev, Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti.

Casper Ruud is arguably better than all of those on the red dirt having reached the French Open Final in consecutive years and he will certainly feel he can play the superior tennis of the two on the court. An opening clay court match is tough after moving from the grass, but Ruud is accustomed to doing that in recent years and he should be able to find himself in the return games against an opponent who has won 55% of his service points against top 50 Ranked opponents on this surface.

There have been one or two disappointing losses suffered by Ruud on the clay in 2023, which is a concern, but in his four wins against players outside of the top 50, Ruud has covered this handicap mark three times in the best of three set environment.

The first set could be competitive, but you have to believe Casper Ruud can go through the gears to earn the double break in the second set to cover the spread being asked.

Sebastian Ofner - 1.5 games v Bernabe Zapata Miralles: It would be wise to throw out the results of the previous two matches between these players as they were played on hard and grass courts. Mentally there may be a slight advantage with Sebastian Ofner who has won both of those matches against Bernabe Zapata Miralles, although the last meeting was in 2021 and this is a match that will be played on a clay court.

Both have already had a strong month on the red dirt- while fans would have been concentrating on the second week at Wimbledon, these two players both reached the Final of a Challenger event played on the clay courts.

The difference between the two is that Ofner won the title and Zapata Miralles finished as Runner Up, but both have shown they are very competent on the surface.

Out of the two players, Sebastian Ofner will be credited with a stronger First Round win having beaten Tomas Martin Etcheverry from a set behind, although that does mean the Austrian had to spend around thirty minutes more on court compared with Bernabe Zapata Miralles.

After a long week on the Tour, this may make some of an impact, but it is not expected to be one that is decisive.

Sebastian Ofner has been able to get a few more cheap points out of the serve and that is where things can become easier for a player on the slower surface. If Ofner can serve well, he may be able to play with a little more freedom against the Zapata Miralles serve, one that is being held at 68% on the clay courts compared with Ofner's 77% mark.

You have to credit Bernabe Zapata Miralles for putting plenty of wins on the board on this surface and the Spaniard has been the superior return player of the two in this Second Round match. In saying that, it should be noted that his return numbers are much more similar to Sebastian Ofner's when you only consider matches against top 100 Ranked players and this is where the feeling is that the Austrian's bigger serve can prove to be the key factor in the outcome of the match.

A three setter cannot be ruled out with the way both have been playing, but Sebastian Ofner can find the breaks to win and cover this mark.

Jordan Thompson - 1.5 games v Adrian Mannarino: The grass court season may be a short one, but these two veterans of the Tour are meeting for the fifth time on the surface in this Newport Quarter Final.

Adrian Mannarino had the better of Jordan Thompson with three wins on the grass against him, but the Australian snapped that run with a win over Mannarino last month in Hertogenbosch. Jordan Thompson had to come from a set behind to earn that victory, but was the stronger player on the day and has had a very good month on the surface.

He gave Novak Djokovic something to think about at Wimbledon in the Second Round on Centre Court, while Thompson has dominated his two matches at this tournament. Confidence is clearly in a good place with Thompson finishing as Runner Up in one grass court tournament and reaching the Semi Final in another, while snapping the losing run to Adrian Mannarino has to give him further belief.

No one will underestimate Adrian Mannarino who is a confident grass court player and who won pretty well in his Second Round match. The Frenchman also finished Runner Up in one grass court event and made the Quarter Final in two others, although Adrian Mannarino's numbers have been tighter than Jordan Thompson's on this surface this season.

The overall performances from Jordan Thompson have felt stronger and his confident wins in Newport could see him earn back to back victories over Adrian Mannarino on the grass.

MY PICKS: Casper Ruud - 5.5 Games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Sebastian Ofner - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Coral (2 Units)

Jordan Thompson - 1.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 7-9, - 5.28 Units (32 Units Staked, - 16.50% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2023 (July 19th)

It felt like deja vu on Tuesday- I swear I lived the exact same day when it came to the Tennis Picks back in April when the Madrid Masters took place.

Once again I have fallen foul of a truly miserable day when seemingly anything that could conspire to go wrong would go wrong.

There is no doubt in my mind that Mikael Ymer's eighteen month suspension, which was announced before brother Elias entered the court in Bastad, had an affect on the performance of the other Ymer on the Tour.

However, he was not the better player and ultimately deserved to lose, whether he was unfocused or not.

The Picks that actually grate on me much more are the ones where everything points in one direction, but the exact opposite has happened.

Both Alexander Zverev and Tomas Martin Etcheverry were on the wrong end of the very fine margins as they failed to cover to my absolute irritation- let's face facts, if you're creating a lot more Break Points than your opponent, you are clearly doing something right on the court, but both of those players played those big points incredibly poorly.

Alexander Zverev had fifteen Break Points compared to his opponent's six in the match... But Zverev broke four times and lost serve three times.

In the first two sets Tomas Martin Etcheverry played, he had seven Break Points and gave up two... Yep, you've figured it out, Etcheverry broke once and his opponent managed to break twice!

So between those two players selected, they played thirty Break Points and won eight of those!! On the return of serve, Zverev and Etcheverry created twenty-two Break Points and won five of those key points.

That is quite something when you think about it.

After a really solid first half of the year, this is the second day outside of a Grand Slam that has given me a thumping, but it would be a lot more concerning if Picks were being dominated. Ultimately both of those matches could be played again and if the same number of Break Points were played, the likes of Zverev and Etcheverry would win say half of those and in all likelihood would have both had a serious case for the win and cover.

This is the main reason I have not lost faith in the way Picks are being identified, but it would be nice to have a strong end to this week after the debacle of Tuesday. It won't be easy if these margins continue to test the patience, but being patient is the key in a long season when you have to accept some ups and downs.

Over the last month it does feel like we have been on a considerable dip, but I would accept seeing my Picks dominate the Break Point count knowing that the numbers should even out.

Zizou Bergs - 1.5 games v Jurij Rodionov: Both of these players have come through the Qualifiers in Gstaad, although it does feel like Zizou Bergs has played the better players to reach the Second Round here.

In saying that, confidence can be built by dismissing players in the manner that Jurij Rodionov has done and he will need to serve well to win this match.

Over the course of the season and in recent years, you would have to give Bergs the edge in clay court performances compared with the Austrian. His serve has been slightly more effective, while Zizou Bergs has proved to be the superior return player on the two in 2023.

The three previous meetings between the players have all been on grass courts, but you might have felt those courts would have suited Jurij Rodionov more than Zizou Bergs. Last month they split two grass court matches so Bergs will be confident he has the tennis to win this match, especially on the red dirt where he has tended to do his best work over the last twelve months.

Conditions in Gstaad tend to make this a faster clay court, which will aid Rodionov, but Zizou Bergs can get the better of him to reach this ATP Quarter Final with the expectation that the Belgian can produce the stronger return numbers on the day.

Francisco Cerundolo - 4.5 games v Luca Van Assche: He won the title in Eastbourne in the week before Wimbledon began, but Francisco Cerundolo was not able to keep the grass court successes going as he was dumped out in the Second Round.

Over the last eighteen months, the Argentine has been one of the most improved players on the Tour and last summer he was able to win the title in Bastad before reaching the Semi Final at Hamburg.

Things didn't really go to plan for Francisco Cerundolo after that Semi Final run so he has very little to defend in terms of Ranking points over the next few months. First he has to try and defend the title he won here and you have to believe Cerundolo will be motivated to have a good run in the European clay court events being played.

A bye through to the Second Round means Francisco Cerundolo is playing his first match this week and he is taking on young Frenchman Luca Van Assche who has flashed potential as he grows onto the Tour. A First Round win means Van Assche should be ready to deal with the conditions in Bastad, although he has yet to have a really big defining win in his young career.

Only one top 50 Ranking win on any surface backs up that perception of Luca Van Assche, but he should have some successes in this one against an opponent who is not going to blow you away behind his serve. However, Van Assche will have difficulties in containing the Francisco Cerundolo return game and that is effectively expected to make the difference in this Second Round match.

Luca Van Assche did play well enough to take a set from Novak Djokovic on the clay courts in April, but he was worn down over three sets in that match and Cerundolo should be able to something similar in this encounter.

MY PICKS: Zizou Bergs - 1.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Francisco Cerundolo - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Lorenzo Musetti - 3.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Federico Coria - 5.5 Games @ 1.85 Coral (2 Units)

Kaja Juvan - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Yulia Putintseva - 2.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Sara Sorribes Tormo - 5.5 Games @ 1.75 Coral (2 Units)

Qinwen Zheng - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Kevin Anderson @ 1.90 Bet365 (2 Units)

John Isner @ 2.05 Coral (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 1-5, - 8.40 Units (12 Units Staked, - 70% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2019 (July 20th)

After taking a few days off from the Tennis Picks at the end of Wimbledon it has proven to be a pretty good decision. The last two days have returned a 5-2 record from the seven selections made from Bastad and Newport and is going to prove to be a winning week to follow the successful Wimbledon.

On Saturday we move into the Semi Final matches at the five events being played this week, but I have only been focusing on the ATP events so far this week. That won't change in the final couple of days of the week before the Tour moves on to a number of new stops on Monday when I will be looking to produce another positive week of results to add to the season totals.

Keeping in mind I am only focusing on the three ATP events this week and the fact we are down to the Semi Final, it should not be a big surprise that options are perhaps limited for Saturday. In fact only a single match fit into the criteria to be one of the Picks made this week and you can read that below.

I have also updated the weekly totals following the 3-1 record on Friday.


Marcel Granollers - 2.5 games v Alexander Bublik: Neither of these players had a really strong grass court season over the last month, but their run in Newport is one that they will both appreciate. Both Marcel Granollers and Alexander Bublik have entered the top 100 of the World Rankings, but the key for them here is winning this event which could take them close to a position where they could enter Masters events without the need to Qualify.

That does mean there is plenty on the line for both and it is Marcel Granollers who has impressed the most and looks worthy of backing here.

The Spaniard has been playing the superior tennis on the grass courts over the last couple of years and his performances at this tournament over the last week have been very impressive. Marcel Granollers has a serve that can be very effective on the grass courts and so far he has held all service games played in this tournament. In fact he has only faced break points in one of his three matches played and it has allowed Granollers to free his arms when it comes to the return of serve.

He has been an effective returner anyway, but Granollers has been even more impressive so far this week. After winning 84% of points behind serve, Granollers has also managed to win 46% of points played on the opponent's serve and that should give him plenty of confidence to take into this match.

I am not suggesting Alexander Bublik has not been playing well, but he has needed to win all three of his matches in three sets and Bublik has come from behind in each of his last two wins. That will give him confidence for sure, but Bublik is only holding 78% of his service games played in Newport and I do think that is a slight concern if Granollers maintains his level.

Alexander Bublik has also broken in 27% of return games played this week compared with Granollers' 40% and I do think the latter deserves the edge in this one. You would think Marcel Granollers is going to come down from the pretty amazing numbers he has produced so far this week, but I do think his overall performances on the grass should give him the edge in the match and one that I believe warrants backing the Spaniard to cover the number here.

MY PICKS: Marcel Granollers - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 5-2, + 6.02 Units (14 Units Staked, + 43% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2019 (July 19th)

It was a solid enough Thursday with a 2-1 record from the Tennis Picks, although I do think there was every chance all three picks would have come back as winners if Pablo Cuevas had kept himself together in the middle of his defeat to Federico Delbonis.

Now we move onto the Quarter Final matches to be played on Friday around the five tournaments that are taking place this week. Unfortunately my internet has been down around the house on Thursday evening which means I have not been able to write out full analysis for the selections being made.

The fortunate part is that I did have time to research the four selections I am placing in the MY PICKS section below which will hopefully add to the positive start made on Thursday.


MY PICKS: Joao Sousa @ 2.30 Bet365 (2 Units)
Juan Ignacio Londero - 1.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Albert Ramos-Vinolas @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)
John Isner - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 2-1, + 2.20 Units (6 Units Staked, + 36.67% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2018 (July 18th)

While we have a couple of tournaments being played on the WTA Tour and the ATP Bastad event which have regular start times, the ATP events in Umag and Newport have late starts which means the markets are slower at being released.

For now I am going to add my sole Pick from Bastad and I will add any from the other couple of ATP tournaments to this thread in a few hours from now.


The first couple of days after Wimbledon have been pretty positive for the Tennis Picks made and I am looking to keep the positive momentum going.

There are a lot of players who are more likely to be seen on the Challenger Tour who have entered the main Tour events this week so they can be a little tougher to read with the step up, but so far it has been a good week and I want that to continue as we move towards the middle of the tournaments.


Fernando Verdasco - 3.5 games v Pedro Sousa: I'll be the first to admit that Fernando Verdasco is a player on the wane and one who can be difficult to trust considering some of the rumours that have swirled around his matches in recent years.

He had to come through in three sets in the First Round but Verdasco has continued his love affair with this tournament in Bastad.

I would expect Verdasco to be too good for Pedro Sousa who spends 99% of his time at the Challenger level and who hasn't exactly produced hugely impressive numbers in those matches. All respect to Sousa for coming through the First Round in the main draw here, but beating Radu Albot is a completely different test to trying to do the same to Verdasco in the Second Round.

I have little doubt that Verdasco is on the wane in his career, but his numbers on the clay courts have remained pretty strong in 2018. The results have not necessarily followed and Verdasco now throws in a really poor set compared with a couple of years ago when the Spaniard might have one or two poor games per match.

That is a concern when backing him to cover such a big number as this one, but I think Verdasco enjoys playing in Bastad and he is still significantly better than Sousa. The latter may have some good moments, but I expect Verdasco to wear him down with the superior tennis and I will back him to cover in this one.


Dusan Lajovic - 2.5 games v Albert Ramos-Vinolas: It might be strange to see Albert Ramos-Vinolas down as the underdog in this Second Round match despite the fact he is the Seeded player who received a bye in the First Round. Add in the fact that this match is played on the favoured surface of the Spaniard and you can make a case for Ramos-Vinolas as the underdog.

However 2018 has been a difficult season for Ramos-Vinolas even on the clay courts and he has under performed to this point.

Now he faces a player in Dusan Lajovic who has been in very good form over the last couple of months and who has been playing the superior tennis of the two on this surface. There are still areas where Lajovic can look to improve, but his numbers on the clay courts have been strong enough to suggest he can get the better of Ramos-Vinolas especially with a solid win already under his belt.

I can see both players having their chances to break serve here, but Lajovic has been a little more productive when it comes to taking those opportunities.

I am expecting that to happen here and Lajovic is able to beat Ramos-Vinolas for the first time on clay and also cover the number on his way through to the Quarter Final in Umag on Friday.


Gilles Muller - 2.5 games v Marcel Granollers: It has recently been announced by Gilles Muller that he is planning to hang up his racquet at the end of the 2018 season. That may not be a big surprise when you see the slide down the World Rankings and the veteran is clearly not feeling he can play his best tennis nor having the desire to battle through Qualifiers to play in the big tournaments in the months ahead.

The final event he will play on grass comes here in Newport and Muller had a solid win in the First Round against Marcos Baghdatis which will give him some encouragement that he can have a strong week here.

He faces another veteran in Marcel Granollers, but the Spaniard is intent on fighting his way back up the World Rankings. Injuries and a loss of form have seen Granollers drop out of the top 100 of the World Rankings, and the majority of his 2018 has been on the Challenger Tour.

That isn't always a bad idea to step back and produce some wins and rebuild flagging confidence and Granollers has done that for the most part in 2018.

However you would expect Muller to be the favourite on the grass courts and he served well enough in the First Round to edge out Granollers. The return game is always a concern for Muller as is his poor season so far, but I think his win over Baghdatis could propel him to a strong week on the Tour and I like him to beat the Spaniard and cover the number in his Second Round win.


Matthew Ebden - 4.5 games v Tim Smyczek: There may be some regrets from Matthew Ebden that he was not able to go a little deeper into the Wimbledon draw after a very strong month on the grass courts. At least he gets the chance to finish his grass campaign on a high as Ebden bids to go one better than 2017 when he was beaten in the Newport Final.

This time Ebden is coming into the tournament in much better confidence after the strong results on the grass and the numbers have backed up the improved results.

I expect he will have too much for Tim Smyczek who battled through the First Round in a close match against Bjorn Fratangelo which could have easily gone the other way. Unlike Ebden, Smyczek's serve has shown to be pretty vulnerable on the grass courts and I expect the Australian to take advantage of that in this Second Round match.

This is not the first time they have played on the grass in 2018 after Ebden dismissed the challenge of Smyczek comfortably in Hertogenbosch last month. On that occasion Ebden lost just five games and I think he is going to be good enough to cover a big number in this Second Round clash too.

Smyczek's decision to take in a hard court Challenger event between this tournament and Wimbledon might not be ideal too even though he won in the First Round. I expect Ebden will be able to dominate his own service games for the most part and eventually expose the vulnerabilities of the Smyczek serve in a strong win.


Mischa Zverev - 2.5 games v Vasek Pospisil: If Matthew Ebden was disappointed in his Wimbledon campaign you have to wonder what Mischa Zverev was feeling having been beaten in the First Round. That came just days after winning the title in Eastbourne and I have to factor in the expectation that Zverev could have been a little tired, although that doesn't give him an easy excuse for the poor First Round defeat.

This week there are no such fatigue issues and Zverev's game is tailor-made for the grass courts.

He will expect his serve to dominate Vasek Pospisil, who is a limited returner to say the least, but the key to this match is how well the German can begin to pick the big Pospisil serve.

The Canadian has been able to rattle through enough service games on the grass courts to keep him from ever being hammered on the scoreboard, while Pospisil is just as comfortable as Zverev getting up to the net and putting away volleys. Both players will be keen to get up to the net and put the pressure on their opponent to hit multiple passing shots to win the match, but I do edge towards Zverev being able to do that a little more than Pospisil.

Zverev has a few more effective returns than Pospisil and my bigger concern is that this is his first match on these grass courts having received a bye in the First Round. The first set could be very competitive with that in mind, but by the second I would expect Zverev to begin to get a read on the Pospisil serve and make enough returns to force a break or two.

That may be enough to cover the number in this Second Round match and I will back Zverev to earn the win and move through to the Quarter Final later this week.

MY PICKS: Fernando Verdasco - 3.5 Games @ 1.85 Sporting Bet (2 Units)
Dusan Lajovic - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Gilles Muller - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet365 (2 Units)
Matthew Ebden - 4.5 Games @ 2.20 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Mischa Zverev - 2.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 5-2, + 4.96 Units (14 Units Staked, + 35.43% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2018 (July 17th)

I've got a few things going on at the moment in my personal life which means I will simply put down my Tennis Picks from the host of Tuesday matches that have been scheduled.


MY PICKS: Simone Bolelli - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Boyle Sports (2 Units)
John Millman - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Ivo Karlovic @ 2.00 Ladbrokes (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 2-2, - 0.52 Units (8 Units Staked, - 6.50% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2018 (July 16th)

And just like that the World Cup and Wimbledon come to an end on the same day and sports fans must be feeling the void.

However the Tennis Tour doesn't stop until November and that means on Monday five new tournaments get underway across Europe and North America.

Clay events in Bastad and Umag are available for the ATP players, while there are a couple of clay court events in Bucharest and Gstaad for the WTA players. We also have the official end of the grass court season in Newport.

The next couple of weeks are a good time for the clay court players out there, but for many others the start of the hard court season is fast approaching as the build towards the final Grand Slam of the season at the US Open gets going. At the end of July we will have events in California, Atlanta and Washington before we get into the two back to back Masters events in Canada and Cincinnati.

The men's US Open looks like it will be a lot of fun now Novak Djokovic has joined Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, the defending Champion, as a Slam holder in 2018. And the women's tournament doesn't look any less exciting although I imagine Serena Williams will be going in as the favourite at Flushing Meadows.


Wimbledon wasn't a great tournament for the Tennis Picks, but adding more positive numbers to the season can't be complained about and I am now hoping to keep the momentum going.

This week may be a little more difficult to find consistent picks with the majority of the big names out of action, but on this Monday I do have a couple of Tennis Picks.

However I haven't had the time to write out a full analysis of the matches and instead you can read them in the 'MY PICKS' section.


MY PICKS: Guido Pella - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Boyle Sports (2 Units)
Pablo Cuevas - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Denis Kudla - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Tim Smyczek @ 1.83 Betfair Sportsbook (2 Units)

Season 2018 Update: + 33.36 Units (1165 Units Staked, + 2.86% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2016 (July 17th)

Another week on the Tour is almost completed as we get to see the Finals from Bastad, Bucharest, Hamburg, Gstaad and Newport all played on Sunday.

The Davis Cup Quarter Finals are also completed on Sunday and all four ties are still alive going into the final day. That means there are some big Singles Rubbers to be played in the four locations those Quarter Finals are being played and the potential of seeing players have to get through a Rubber 5 match is going to be fun to watch.

The picks have had a second successful set of tournaments in a row following on from a strong Wimbledon, but I need to build on this through the remainder of the season. That consistency has not been with me over the last twelve months and I also have to be careful Sunday doesn't ruin what has been a strong week so far with the remaining picks for these tournaments.

Pablo Cuevas - 3.5 games v Martin Klizan: It was another match where Pablo Cuevas did not drop serve, but he failed to cover the handicap for me in his Semi Final win over Renzo Olivo. However I liked the fact that Cuevas created as many chances to break serve as he did and I think he is in the kind of form which will make it difficult for Martin Klizan to get the better of him.

Injuries have affected the Klizan season, but I am never really fully convinced about this player. He has a very good serve, but Klizan seems to go walkabout mentally in matches and that will be exposed by someone like Cuevas who seems to be much more steady with his form within matches.

This week has been a strong one for Klizan who has won the last seven sets he has competed in, although I have to say he has been favoured by the draw. Klizan has beaten Daniel Gimeno Traver and Stephane Robert in the last two Rounds after both of those players came through tough matches prior to facing the Slovakian. That has been a big bonus for Klizan who went 1-3 on the clay courts at this time of the year in 2015 and who faces his most difficult opponent of the week.

I think Cuevas will have an edge in the Final as he has played better on the clay than his opponent and doesn't have the same fluctuations in form as Klizan does. If he continues serving as he has been, I think Cuevas comes through with a 75, 64 win and I will back him to cover this handicap on the way to picking up another clay court title in 2016.

Fernando Verdasco - 3.5 games v Albert Ramos-Vinolas: The two Semi Final matches in Bastad had to be played simultaneously thanks to the poor weather in the area, but the title will once again be won by a Spaniard. Albert Ramos-Vinolas beat David Ferrer in the Semi Final to snap his run of six losses to his compatriot, but this might be the tougher match at this point with Fernando Verdasco showing his top form on his run to the Final.

After recovering an early break in his own Semi Final, Verdasco dominated Gastao Elias and none of the players he has faced so far this week have managed to take more than three games in a single set against him. While saying that, it has to be noted that is easily the most difficult match Verdasco will have faced in Bastad.

It is strange to see Ramos-Vinolas coming in as the higher Ranked player, but there is no doubting the respect Verdasco will offer him as the former reached the Quarter Final at the French Open. The key for Ramos-Vinolas will be dealing with the power that Verdasco has, while the latter is also very strong when facing fellow lefties on the Tour.

These moments have become much rarer for Verdasco than a few years ago, but I have to think he has to be backed to overcome Ramos-Vinolas. I feel Verdasco has been playing some of his best tennis this week and he used his momentum to win one title in Bucharest earlier in the season and his current momentum will make it difficult for Ramos-Vinolas to stop him.

After a close first set, I think Verdasco will earn a little more belief and win this title with a 75, 64 win.


Gilles Muller v Ivo Karlovic: There is going to be a couple of mental hurdles for Gilles Muller to overcome in the Newport Final, but doing that will give him a chance to win his first ever title on the main Tour. The first is dealing with the Ivo Karlovic serve which can be frustrating at the best of times and the second is overcoming any nerves in trying to win a first main Tour title.

Muller will have recent experience of playing in a Final having reached that position on the grass in Hertogenbosch last month having beaten Karlovic on the way through. His serve was very impressive that day and Muller will need to serve well as he won't have a lot of chances to break serve in this one himself.

Tie-breakers are likely to be the order of the day, but Muller's lefty serve can give him an advantage when it comes to securing points behind serve. That shot naturally goes into the weaker Karlovic wing and the key for both players might be getting off the first shot when they do see any second serves.

Both players have admitted that there is little between them and a few big points will decide the match. However I like the underdog Muller in terms of recent form and I will back him to win his first title at odds against.


Fabio Fognini - 3.5 games v Federico Delbonis: Fabio Fognini played twice on Saturday, winning the Singles Rubber but taking part in the Doubles defeat later in the day. That means the pressure is on Fognini to keep Italy in the tie and force a final Rubber to decide the Semi Final place, but he has thrived in Davis Cup action representing his country.

The destruction of Juan Monaco on Saturday had much to do with Fognini's opponent playing far below the level he usually produces. However that has improved Fognini's Davis Cup record as he gets set for a much more difficult task in beating Federico Delbonis who has a 2-1 head to head advantage over him on the clay courts.

Delbonis played very well in beating Andreas Seppi on Friday and he will be well rested as he looks to secure Argentina's place in the Semi Finals. His lefty serve is a real threat on the clay courts, but managing the crowd will be a difficulty for him despite winning his first away Rubber in the Davis Cup on Friday.

I definitely think this will be a lot closer than Fognini's win over Monaco, but I still think the home favourite can come through. Andreas Seppi wasn't totally at the races in his defeat to Delbonis on Friday, but he came close to getting into a commanding position in that match and I think Fognini will be a little better in a 63, 36, 63, 76 win.


Dusan Lajovic-Kyle Edmund over 38.5 games: This could be the crucial Rubber for Great Britain if they want to continue the defence of the Davis Cup they won last season with the pressure piled on Kyle Edmund to get it done. The performance of James Ward in his Singles defeat on Saturday doesn't inspire a lot of confidence that he can turn that around against Janko Tipsarevic and so Great Britain will be looking at Edmund.

This is going to be a much tougher test for Edmund when he faces Dusan Lajovic who was convincingly better than Ward on Saturday. His best performances come on the clay courts and Lajovic has had some top wins on the surface while also pushing Stan Wawrinka to four sets in a defeat to him in the Second Round of the French Open that Wawrinka eventually won.

Lajovic looked to have plenty of variation in his game on Saturday and the backhand down the line looked very good. However the power looks like it will come from the Edmund side of the court and this looks a fascinating Rubber 4 that has plenty on the line for both nations.

I would be surprised if either player has as 'easy' a time as they did in their first Singles wins. With both Lajovic and Edmund comfortable on the clay courts I am fully expecting this to go at least four sets and it might even develop into a classic five setter. Either way I am looking for the players to combine to cover the total games market and we might also potentially see a final Rubber to decide the winner of the tie.


Marin Cilic - 1.5 games v John Isner: It won't be many times in a players career that they would have lost back to back five set matches while leading 2-0 in sets. That is what Marin Cilic has to deal with, but helping Ivan Dodig win the Doubles Rubber in this Davis Cup tie on Saturday has kept Croatia alive and I think Cilic can get the better of John Isner in this big Rubber 4.

That would bring Croatia back to 2-2 in the tie, although Cilic's defeat to Jack Sock has to have left some mental scars after he blew his chances to beat Roger Federer at Wimbledon. Cilic didn't serve well enough in the match with Sock and failing to do better in that department will make it almost impossible to beat a huge server like John Isner who won't give up too many chances on his own serve.

Isner will have some sympathy for Cilic having also been beaten at Wimbledon despite taking the first two sets against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. He at least bounced back by beating Borna Coric comfortably in this tie and Isner was rested for the Doubles which would have been expected to be the last Rubber as the USA can call upon the Bryan Brothers.

He will have his own mental demons to cope with as Isner has lost all five previous matches against Cilic. Those losses include straight set losses in the United States in Miami and Delray Beach, but the two Grand Slam matches have both gone the distance and needed at least sixteen games in the final set to separate them.

I can't imagine this being an easy win for either player, but Cilic can use the fact he has beaten Isner every time they have met to his favour. Even at two sets up it won't be easy for Cilic having blown his last two Singles matches from that position, but I like him keeping this tie alive for the final Rubber.


Jack Sock - 5.5 games v Borna Coric: This final Rubber will only be played if Marin Cilic has been able to beat John Isner like I think he will and that will mean the pressure is on the two young players in the United States and Croatia squads.

I have to say that Jack Sock showed tremendous resolve in coming back from two sets down to beat Cilic on Friday and it is the kind of performance that can jump start his career. However the full effect of that win will only be felt if Sock is able to complete the win for the United States and that is a different kind of pressure for him to deal with as he will be expected to win the match.

He is facing a very talented player in Borna Coric but one who has struggled for consistency on what is a long season on the Tour. Since his run to the Final in Chennai at the start of the season, Coric has had a hard time earning results on the hard courts as his serve can be a little inconsistent which can be devastating on the faster surfaces.

Coric was beaten fairly handily by John Isner on Friday and I think Sock can give him plenty of problems too. Sock will have to serve better than he did in his win over Cilic, particularly the way he served in the first two sets, but I think the American can bring it home for his nation in a 64, 76, 63 win.

MY PICKS: Pablo Cuevas - 3.5 Games @ 1.73 Ladbrokes (2 Units)

Fernando Verdasco - 3.5 Games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Gilles Muller @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)
Fabio Fognini - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)
Dusan Lajovic-Kyle Edmund Over 38.5 Total Games @ 1.83 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Marin Cilic - 1.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Jack Sock - 5.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 23-14, + 13.42 Units (74 Units Staked, + 18.14% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2016 (July 16th)

It looks like me and the Davis Cup just simply didn't agree with one another on Friday as all four of my picks from that tournament which were completed came back as losing ones.

The most irritating has to be Marin Cilic blowing a two sets lead for the second time in a row in his defeat to Jack Sock, while the Janko Tipsarevic pick was simply a poor one from start to finish.

Those Davis Cups ruined what was looking a strong day, but at least the week's totals are still intact going into the final couple of days of tournaments this week.


One piece of news that might have gone under the radar for some of the casual fans is the latest entrants to the Hall of Fame. Marat Safin was one of my favourite players on the Tour not only for his skill, but the charismatic Russian was always a joy to watch as you simply didn't know what kind of mood he was going to be in.

A two time Grand Slam Champion, Safin will be entering the Hall of Fame on Saturday and I am looking forward to reading his speech as he rightly takes his place amongst the greats of the game.


It is Semi Final day in Bastad, Bucharest, Hamburg and Newport while the tournament in Gstaad will see plenty of tennis played as both Quarter Final and Semi Final Rounds are played on the same day.

Hopefully it will be a better Saturday than Friday was for the picks going into these final couple of days of this latest week on the Tour.


Pablo Cuevas - 5.5 games v Renzo Olivo: There might be a big difference in terms of the World Rankings between these two South American players, but both have shown considerable form in Hamburg so far this week. A run to the Semi Final is going to give Renzo Olivo a huge boost in terms of his World Ranking, but it should also have given him the confidence to challenge Pablo Cuevas who has yet to drop a set in the tournament.

I have to say I have been impressed with the resolve Olivo has shown so far this week- he came back from dropping the second set 62 to Mikhail Youzhny to win that First Round match and recovered from dropping the first set 61 to Philipp Kohlschreiber in his Quarter Final win over the home favourite.

That resolve will be tested to the fullest by Cuevas who has won his three matches with some margin of error. Cuevas has won a couple of clay court titles already this season and is in line to break his career high World Ranking of Number 21 if he can go on and win the title in Hamburg, while the Uruguayan has dropped just 19 games in three Rounds this week.

Cuevas has dominated the last two matches these two have competed against one another, although the last of those came back in 2014. He is a much stronger player these days and is serving brilliantly so far this week and Olivo has struggled to really get himself into a position to compete at this level consistently. After a tight first set, I think Cuevas can take full control of this match with a 64, 62 win.


David Ferrer - 3.5 games v Albert Ramos-Vinolas: David Ferrer did his best to almost blow a very winnable Quarter Final against Dustin Brown, but he knuckled down at just the right time to move into another Semi Final in Bastad. The veteran Spaniard will have to be better if he is going to improve his 6-0 record against compatriot Albert Ramos-Vinolas.

Ramos-Vinolas had a tougher than expected win on Friday in his own Quarter Final and the key for him is to get over the mental barrier of facing someone like Ferrer. There always seems to be a 'pecking order' when it comes to players meeting others from their own nation and Ramos-Vinolas will be mentally behind in this one having lost all previous matches against Ferrer.

His lefty serve can be very effective at times, but Ramos-Vinolas is not blessed with the power of some others on the Tour which means he has to work hard to win every point. That can be a really tough proposition against a player like Ferrer who has thrived on being able to grind down opponents throughout his career, even if there is little doubt that Ferrer is coming to the end of his top level career in my opinion.

Covering this number of games is anything but straight-forward for Ferrer, but I do think he is more likely to win a set with a double break which can give him a chance to do that. Even in a three set win, as he did in Rio de Janeiro earlier this season, Ferrer will then have a chance to get past this number and I will back him to do that.


Fernando Verdasco - 4.5 games v Gastao Elias: This has been a good week to back Fernando Verdasco who has won all three matches he has played very comfortably on the scoreboard. The Spaniard has only dropped thirteen games overall in those three wins and he has been covering his handicaps easily enough, while I have been behind him in every Round.

This initially did feel it could be a big number against Gastao Elias who surprised Joao Sousa in the Quarter Final for the loss of just four games. However Elias generally doesn't play at the highest level and he was a little fortunate to get the better of Taro Daniel in the Second Round, while there can be little doubt that Verdasco is the toughest challenge he would have faced in the form the latter is in.

Verdasco's power can make him a big threat to anyone when on his 'A' game, but he might not even have needed to reach that level in a weak field. The expectation will be that he plays in the Final now and I think Verdasco has the kind of firepower that will push and prod Elias around the court.

The key for Verdasco will be to have success against the Elias second serve, but he will also believe he can get involved in many return games simply by getting the ball back into play. He won't feel Elias has the power to run him off the court and Verdasco will be tough to stop if he continues serving at the same level he has produced so far this week.

It could be the most games he drops in a single match this week, but Verdasco is my pick to cover this number behind a 64, 63 win.


Marcos Baghdatis v Ivo Karlovic: This looks an interesting Semi Final in Newport and I would imagine the winning player will be the favourite to win the title on Sunday. The layers have set Marcos Baghdatis as a slight underdog against Ivo Karlovic, but I think that might be wrong and I like the Cypriot to get past the big server in this one.

Baghdatis has looked the stronger player this week, but the key for him will be to avoid becoming too frustrated if Karlovic is serving big, which has to be expected. He was beaten by John Isner at Wimbledon, but Baghdatis has beaten Karlovic in three of four previous matches and that should give him a little more confidence he can get past his opponent.

This has been a tough season for Karlovic and he has yet to face someone with the quality that Baghdatis can bring to the court. Karlovic could easily have been beaten by Frank Dancevic in the Second Round and Marco Chiudinelli is not the same level as Baghdatis who has won his two matches very comfortably so far.

I wouldn't hold my breath looking for a lot of rallies in this one, and Baghdatis has to be careful that he doesn't allow Karlovic to see too many second serves. It will come down to a couple of big points here and there to decide the winner, but I am not convinced Baghdatis should have been the underdog to do that and I will back the Cypriot to reach the Final.


Timea Bacsinszky - 5.5 games v Johanna Larsson: It has been an awful tournament in Gstaad in terms of weather and that means players will be playing Quarter Final and Semi Final matches on Saturday. That might mean motivation is perhaps lacking in some players, but you can't use that as an excuse for the Number 1 Seed and Swiss favourite Timea Bacsinszky.

She has looked good so far in the tournament with back to back wins coming by wide margins and Bacsinszky will believe she can get the better of Johanna Larsson, a player she has beaten three previous times. That includes beating her on the clay courts earlier this season and the form displayed by Bacsinszky so far in Gstaad makes it tough to think she will be stopped in this Quarter Final.

I do respect Larsson who perhaps has underachieved a little bit considering she has a pretty decent serve for the WTA Tour. A lot of her more positive results have also come on the clay courts, but errors can be extracted from Larsson on her groundstrokes which is an area in which Bacsinszky thrives.

I expect that to make the difference in this Quarter Final and I can see the match potentially running away from Larsson once she falls behind. I will be looking for Bacsinszky to come through with a 64, 62 win in this one.

MY PICKS: Pablo Cuevas - 5.5 Games @ 2.20 Paddy Power (2 Units)
David Ferrer - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)
Fernando Verdasco - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)
Marcos  Baghdatis @ 2.10 Bet365 (2 Units)
Timea Bacsinszky - 5.5 Games @ 2.00 William Hill (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 21-11, + 15.42 Units (64 Units Staked, + 24.09% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2016 (July 15th)

The Davis Cup Quarter Finals begin on Friday and the one that will be of most interest where I am is unsurprisingly the one between Serbia and Great Britain. When that Quarter Final was put together back in March, the feeling was that we might get to see the World Number 1 and 2 facing each other in one of the Rubbers, but both Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray are not in a position to compete.

With Victor Troicki also out for the home team, Great Britain go into the tie as the favourites to make it through to the Davis Cup Semi Final in an attempt to defend the title they won last season. They are only narrow favourites with all five Rubbers looking very competitive and it should be a fun tie over the next three days.

The other three ties also look competitive with some top matches to be played on Friday in the Singles and I am looking for a fun few days in that competition.


The latter stages of the tournaments that have been in action this week will also be played on Friday with Quarter Finals in many of those events. Organisers in Gstaad are hoping the improved weather forecast for the weekend does come true as that is the only event that is miles behind where they should be with some First Round matches yet to be competed.

You can't really blame the organisers as there really wasn't a lot they could do with the extremely poor weather that has hit the event, but there will be a hope that they can complete the event in the coming days. There would also be a hope that the weather doesn't take a turn for the worse and have the ATP event here next week in a similar predicament with that clay event to start on Monday in the main draw.


It has been a solid week for the picks and it was a decent Thursday too to back up what has been a good week to this point. With just three days to go for the week, I am looking to just kick on a little and give this season a shot in the arm at a time of the season when my 2015 series of picks began to circle the drain.


Pablo Cuevas - 4.5 games v Paul-Henri Mathieu: I still don't know how Paul-Henri Mathieu got out of his Second Round match against Nicolas Almagro facing the pressure he was. The Frenchman has to be happy with the one day of rest he would have had between that match and this Quarter Final, but Pablo Cuevas is very comfortable on the clay courts and has been playing well enough this week to punish Mathieu if his performance levels haven't risen since Wednesday.

It was a long, physical match for Mathieu against Almagro in which he saved eleven of the fourteen break points he earned. The stats show how much pressure the Spaniard had on the Mathieu serve throughout the match and he was just 5-6 on the clay in 2016 before this tournament began. However, Mathieu had three really strong runs in the weeks following Wimbledon last season and for that reason alone he should be respected.

Even with that in mind, it has to be remembered this is the most significant challenge Mathieu would have faced so far this week. Pablo Cuevas has won both matches he has played in Hamburg in straight sets and he has been a title winner on the clay already this season on a couple of different occasions.

Both wins for Cuevas have come behind strong serving displays and doing that here will once again put pressure on Mathieu. Doing that should lead to Cuevas coming through with a 63, 64 win in this one and a place in the Semi Final to be played on Saturday.


Guillermo Garcia-Lopez - 2.5 games v Stephane Robert: There won't be too many more chances for these veterans to add a title to their career haul, but both Guillermo Garcia-Lopez and Stephane Robert will believe they can beat the other for a Semi Final place. Over the course of the season, Garcia-Lopez does usually produce more on a clay court than Robert, but that won't matter too much in this Quarter Final with so much on the line for both players.

Robert did reach the Final of a Challenger event last month but he hasn't taken that kind of form onto the main Tour draws on this surface.

On the other hand Garcia-Lopez has struggled to get over the line when it comes to Quarter Finals and Semi Finals he has played on the clay this season. That can become a mental issue, but the key for the Spaniard might be recalling how he beat Robert earlier this season.

That was a close match with a number of breaks of serve and plenty of other opportunities to do that. It won't take much for Robert to reverse that form, but I think he was pushed a little too much by Inigo Cervantes in the Second Round and Garcia-Lopez is a better clay court player than his compatriot. After a few breaks, and potentially a final set decider, I think Garcia-Lopez moves past the veteran Frenchman 63, 36, 63.


Fernando Verdasco - 4.5 games v Facundo Bagnis: It has been two very good wins for Fernando Verdasco which has taken him through to the Quarter Final in Bastad and he has to be feeling he can add to the title he won in Bucharest earlier this season. The Spaniard has given up just ten games in his two wins this week and Verdasco is in the bottom half of the draw which means avoiding top Seed David Ferrer until the Final.

Solid serving and aggressive returning has helped Verdasco keep the pressure on his opponents in the first two Rounds, although the challenge presented by Facundo Bagnis is likely stronger than any he has faced so far.

Bagnis might be known for giving Rafael Nadal a minor, minor scare when breaking him first when they met at the French Open, while his best results have come on the Challenger circuit on in Qualifiers. He will be very comfortable on the clay courts which makes him a threat and Bagnis did have an impressive win over Marcel Granollers in the Second Round.

If the Argentinian serves well, he could give Verdasco more problems than anyone else has so far this week. Bagnis will know that Verdasco does throw in a sloppy service game or two in any set, but I do think the latter is playing very aggressively in a draw that isn't exactly that deep when it comes to talent levels.

After a couple of scares, I expect Verdasco to eventually start wearing down Bagnis with his weight of shot and win this one 64, 63.


David Ferrer - 4.5 games v Dustin Brown: It is hard to imagine that David Ferrer has hit 34 years of age and I do think his style of tennis is beginning to wear him down. No longer can he simply look to out-rally opponents on the court and grind them down as Ferrer makes too many errors these days and his serve has not looked as vulnerable as it has this season.

The Number 1 Seed in Bastad had to come from a set down and then a break down in the deciding set to see off Calvin Hemery who came through the Qualifiers. Ferrer will know he has to be stronger when facing the dangerous Dustin Brown, even if the clay courts take something away from the German's game.

Even on this surface, Brown will look to get to the net and pressure opponents, but the extra time on the clay means opponents have more success with the pass than on a grass court. Brown did come through Qualifiers and reached the Second Round at the French Open which shows he can perform on the clay courts, but Ferrer should feel he can get the better of the majority of the rallies against someone who will look to hit winners from some ridiculous positions on the court.

If Brown is on his game, he could be very dangerous even against someone like Ferrer on this surface. However I feel the more likely scenario is that Ferrer will get enough returns back in play to earn a fair few break point chances and that should help the Spaniard work his way to a 75, 63 win.


Joao Sousa - 2.5 games v Gastao Elias: These two are Portuguese Davis Cup team-mates, but it is Joao Sousa who has managed to produce consistent enough results to play in plenty more main Tour matches than his compatriot Gastao Elias. Sousa has actually played consistently enough to get into a position to be Seeded at Grand Slam events, but he has lost the last three times he has played Elias although the last of those came back in 2012.

Both men had to win their Second Round matches on Thursday, but it was Sousa who spent a lot less physically and emotionally in his win. That came against a youngster who would have been supported by the home crowd, but Elias had to dig deep and ride his luck to see off Taro Daniel.

It was Daniel who created the break point opportunities, but eventually the Elias aggression proved to be a little too much for Daniel to deal with. He will look to be aggressive in this one too, but Sousa should be prepared to deal with that having faced many players like that at a higher level than Elias.

Mentally he does have to get over the fact he has lost three in a row to Elias, but Sousa is a a much improved player from 2012. Neither player possesses the best serve so expect plenty of rallies and break point chances for both players, but I will look for Sousa to snap his losing run to his fellow Portuguese player and come through 75, 46, 63.


Laura Siegemund - 3.5 games v Polona Hercog: You can see from the rise of Johanna Konta that a successful few months on the WTA Tour can quickly improve a World Ranking for any player. Laura Siegemund is another who has been improving over 2016 and another strong showing on the clay courts could see her get close to being Seeded by the time the US Open rolls around.

The last couple of years has seen Siegemund earn her best results on the clay courts and this season she has been a Quarter Finalist in Charleston and Finalist in Stuttgart on the surface. The latter of those tournaments saw Siegemund beat the likes of Simona Halep, Roberta Vinci and Agnieszka Radwanska without dropping a set and even her very early defeat at the French Open can be forgiven when noting she was drawn against Eugenie Bouchard.

Siegemund is playing Polona Hercog who has struggled for consistency on the clay courts in 2016 and would have had a losing record on the surface prior to her two wins in Bucharest. You have to give Hercog some respect having reached the Semi Final here last season before losing to the eventual winner, but her current form makes it tough to think she can reverse the loss to Siegemund in Stuttgart.

It was Siegemund who got the better of the break point opportunities on that occasion and I think she is more likely to have that success again. It won't always be straight-forward, but Siegemund has shown enough form to think she comes through 75, 64 in this one.


Sara Errani - 2.5 games v Anastasija Sevastova: I was a little fortunate to come out of my Sara Errani pick on Thursday unscathed after she was blown out in the first set against Francesca Schiavone. Unfortunately the latter had to retire after dropping the second set and that allowed last season's Bucharest Finalist to move through to the Quarter Final.

I can see Errani taking advantage of her good fortune in what has been a disappointing clay court season for her by her own high standards. A long losing run on the clay courts can't be simply tossed aside, but Errani has to feel she has lost to better players than Anastasija Sevastova in that time.

Sevastova has reached the Final of a tournament below the main Tour level on the clay, but she would have been 3-4 in main Tour events on this surface prior to the start of this tournament. While those two wins will have given her confidence, Sevastova is going to be playing someone who can frustrate some of the best players on the Tour especially when on the clay courts.

The concern with backing Errani will always be the poor serve which has been attacked much better by opponents this season than previously. The Italian will give up chances to break serve, but I think she can extract errors from the Sevastova game too and Errani can win this match 76, 63.


Gilles Muller - 1.5 games v Adrian Mannarino: Both of these players had to play their Second Round matches on Thursday and both Gilles Muller and Adrian Mannarino had to come through some difficult moments before recording straight sets victories.

Muller had a break advantage twice in the first set, missed a number of set points and then needed to battle through a tie-breaker to get his nose in front against Victor Estrella Burgos. Adrian Mannarino came back from 5-1 down in the first set against Sam Groth before winning that in a tie-breaker and then only losing one point on serve in the second set.

It should mean both players are confident going into this Quarter Final, but I had given Muller a significant edge in the contest before looking at the prices. It seems the layers are less convinced by Muller's advantages over Mannarino and that might be because the lefty serve is not as dominant against another southpaw.

However, I believe Muller will earn more cheap points in this one and I can't ignore the fact Mannarino dropped serve twice to Groth who is a more limited returner than Muller. Mannarino was also beaten 63, 64 by Ivo Karlovic last month on the grass and Muller is a better gras court player than the Frenchman which makes me believe he can cover a small number and ensure he has one of the four Semi Final places on offer.


Fabio Fognini - 3.5 games v Juan Monaco: Juan Monaco has admitted that any friendship has to be put on the back burner when he represents Argentina in Rubber 2 of the Davis Cup Quarter Final against Italy. He will take on Fabio Fognini in that Rubber and Monaco has admitted that some sort of revenge is on his mind as the second Singles player for Argentina.

Revenge because Monaco was actually beaten by Fognini the last time he represented Argentina in the Davis Cup in 2014. That loss came in Argentina so he has a chance for the ultimate revenge by beating Fognini in Italy, but the straight sets loss will have had an affect on his mindset for this match.

Prior to that, Monaco had won three in a row against Fognini, but it is the latter who saves some of his best tennis for when he is representing Italy. He has gone 16-6 in Singles matches in the Davis Cup while Fognini is a very impressive 12-1 on the clay courts, although the one concern has to be the poor recent form he has produced.

Some of those losses have been very poor for Fognini, but I think he will have refocused for this one now he is playing in the Davis Cup. I expect Fognini and Monaco will both offer up plenty of break points and this is bound to be a match with a lot of long rallies, but I think Fognini can use the home crowd to come through 63, 26, 64, 64.


Jo-Wilfried Tsonga - 5.5 games v Lukas Rosol: He will forever be remembered for his stunning performance in beating Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon, but Lukas Rosol has struggled to reach those standards consistently. Rosol has been sliding down the World Rankings and he will be opening this Davis Cup Quarter Final for the Czech Republic on the hard courts where he is 5-6 in Davis Cup Rubbers.

He takes on the top French selection in Jo-Wilfried Tsonga who crushed Rosol in straight sets for his nation in the Davis Cup in 2014. That match did come on the clay courts and Rosol did beat Tsonga on an indoor hard court at the back end of last season, but Tsonga is someone who has enjoyed playing Davis Cup tennis and showed considerable form at Wimbledon.

While the move in surface can be a concern, Tsonga's performance suggests he can win this opening Rubber as long as he continues to serve as big as he did. Tsonga has struggled with his own consistency through 2016 and injuries have also been an issue for him, but the Frenchman is 11-3 in indoors Davis Cup Rubbers and 6-2 on hard courts.

If Tsonga is serving big, he will give Rosol some problems as a limited returner. Tsonga's own return isn't the best, but Rosol can be very loose with the errors he produces which could give Tsonga a way into the Rosol service games. On an indoor hard court, it won't be as simple as when Tsonga beat Rosol at home two years ago, but I do think the extravagant performer can win this one 75, 67, 75, 63.


Jiri Vesely - 1.5 sets v Lucas Pouille: Both Jiri Vesely and Lucas Pouille will remember Wimbledon 2016 and they will be hoping to look back on that as being a turning point for their careers. Now they both represent their nations in an important Rubber 2 and I think Jiri Vesely can use home advantage to make sure the Czech Republic are not behind after one day of play.

This might only be the eighth Davis Cup match Vesely has played and only the fourth that will be considered a live Singles Rubber, but that is still much more experience than Pouille who makes his debut for France. The latter showed he can thrive under new conditions when reaching the Wimbledon Quarter Final, but Pouille is still to show the consistency on a week by week basis.

He has lost his two previous matches against Vesely and I think the Czech player has also made a big breakthrough in reaching the Fourth Round at Wimbledon. His previous experiences of Davis Cup plus being at home are all advantages over Pouille and a strong serving display from Vesely will make it tough to beat him.

It is Pouille who is higher Ranked going into the match, but I think Vesely can use his additional experience to good effect in this one. His serve looks big enough to cause Pouille problems and I do think the home crowd can affect the young Frenchman even if there will be an easing of that pressure if Tsonga wins Rubber 1.

Vesely's poor form on the hard courts has to be a concern, but I believe he can win this one in three or four sets.


Janko Tipsarevic + 3.5 games v Kyle Edmund: With Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray sitting out, the layers feel this Davis Cup Quarter Final is finely balanced between Serbia and Great Britain. While Great Britain have the edge in terms of World Rankings, Serbia may feel they can get the better of them if Janko Tipsarevic can lean on all the experience he has had in his career.

Tipsarevic opens for Serbia against Kyle Edmund who has lost his one previous Davis Cup Singles match, although that defeat came in the Davis Cup Final against David Goffin from a position of being up two sets. Playing away from home would have given Edmund plenty of experience, but this is going to be a lot more raucous than playing in Belgium and that is going to be difficult to deal with.

It has been three years since Tipsarevic represented Serbia, but he has gone 16-5 in clay court matches for his nation and 12-3 in matches played outdoors. Serbia will be hoping Tipsarevic can use all of those experiences to rattle Edmund, but he hasn't played a lot of tennis this year and is 0-2 in clay court matches in 2016.

Edmund's record isn't much better at 3-4, but he has won a Challenger on the surface and this is all about how he handles the Serbian crowd which can be intimidating. My feeling is that Tipsarevic is perhaps finding some of his best tennis again, although not as consistently as when he was a feature of the top ten in the World Rankings. In saying that, I think he is being given plenty of games that can be crucial in a match that might go the distance and I will back Tipsarevic to cover.


Dusan Lajovic - 5.5 games v James Ward: There is a lot of pressure on Dusan Lajovic as the highest Ranked Serbian player in this Davis Cup Quarter Final. Usually he would be behind both Novak Djokovic and Victor Troicki, but the pressure will be on Lajovic to find a couple of wins over the next three days to give Serbia a chance to progress to the Semi Final.

He is a big favourite to beat James Ward in Rubber 2 on Friday and you can't argue with that when you consider he is a much better clay court player than Ward. This is also one of the better live Rubbers that Lajovic has been given with the majority of his Davis Cup defeats coming against some of the better players on the Tour like Stan Wawrinka and Tomas Berdych.

Lajovic should absolutely respect Ward who stunned John Isner by taking a Rubber win over him last season to help Great Britain on their way to the Davis Cup victory they had in 2015. Ward also stunned Sam Querrey in a live Rubber on the clay a couple of years ago, but he has lost his only other two clay matches and recent form doesn't inspire much confidence.

Ward is now Ranked outside the top 200 in the World Rankings and he is 2-5 on the clay courts in 2016 with none of those matches coming in main Tour draws. The British player simply hasn't been winning a lot of matches recently which has to have a mental effect going into this Davis Cup Quarter Final in which Ward would not have been involved if Andy Murray and Dan Evans were available for selection.

I just don't think Ward has the game to really stay with Lajovic in the likely atmosphere he will face and I think the home favourite will come through 46, 64, 64, 62.


Marin Cilic - 2.5 games v Jack Sock: Marin Cilic won the US Open just two years ago and he hasn't just enjoyed playing in the United States but he has also enjoyed playing against opponents from this nation. That will be music to the ears of the Croatian Davis Cup team as Cilic looks to improve his 32-5 record against American players and win two Rubbers to give his team a chance to move through to the Davis Cup Semi Final.

This is the first time Cilic will have played Jack Sock though and the latter is playing in just his fourth Singles Rubber in the Davis Cup. There is no doubting the improvements that Sock has made on the Tour in the last couple of years and he can be a dangerous opponent, but Davis Cup can be a different kettle of fish altogether than playing regular Tour matches.

I don't think Sock will be fazed, especially as he is benefiting from playing at home, but he doesn't have the strongest set of results on the North American hard courts. The heat has beaten him in the last two US Open events, but Sock should not be too worried about that this time, although results at Indian Wells, Miami and Cincinnati are not that inspiring either.

Cilic has to show he has moved on from blowing his Wimbledon Quarter Final against Roger Federer which he should have won in three or four sets. That would have been a big mental blow considering the tennis Cilic produced in that match, but I think he will relish playing for his country as he has throughout his career. A good serving day from the Croatian should see him hold the edge in the contest and I expect Cilic to win this one 75, 63, 46, 64.

MY PICKS: Pablo Cuevas - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Sky Bet (2 Units)
Guillermo Garcia-Lopez - 2.5 Games @ 1.73 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Fernando Verdasco - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Paddy Power (2 Units)
David Ferrer - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Joao Sousa - 2.5 Games @ 1.73 Bet365 (2 Units)
Laura Siegemund - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)
Sara Errani - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)
Gilles Muller - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Sky Bet (2 Units)
Fabio Fognini - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga - 5.5 Games @ 1.95 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Jiri Vesely - 1.5 Sets @ 2.50 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Janko Tipsarevic + 3.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Dusan Lajovic - 5.5 Games @ 1.75 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Marin Cilic - 2.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 14-4, + 17.52 Units (36 Units Staked, + 48.67% Yield)