World Series of Darts Finals Day 4 Picks 2026 (Sunday 20th September)

The title will be handed out in Amsterdam on Sunday and that means the Quarter Finals are played in the Afternoon Session before the Semi Final and Final is played later in the day.

Eight players are still competing and all will believe they have what it takes to win this event and use the momentum to kick onto the big Ranking events coming up.

However, Luke Littler remains the player to beat after sneaking through the Second Round with a final Leg decider win over Nathan Aspinall.

Any selections from the Semi Final matches will be added to this thread.

Ross Smith-Josh Rock both over 4.5 180s: This looks a really good Quarter Final on the form shown over the last couple of days, although it is no surprise that Ross Smith has been placed as the favourite.

His form has been stronger for some time compared with Josh Rock, although the latter is a Premier League participant and looks to be peaking as we get into the final quarter of the season.

This should make for a very competitive contest and two big maximum hitters can both produce at least five each on the day.

All players will want to keep something in the tank for the remainder of the tournament to be completed later, but these two are capable of pushing one another and that could lead to a high quality match.

James Wade v Gerwyn Price: We all know how good Gerwyn Price is and the layers will never underestimate him, but it is James Wade who has gotten the better of the 2026 meetings.

A couple of those wins have been across a longer format and the Englishman looks a good underdog to back considering his recent form.

Gerwyn Price may feel he can outscore James Wade, but the latter sticks around and the superior finishing can see him swing this Quarter Final in his favour.

Nothing ever comes easy against either of these players, but Wade looks an underdog who can show his bite is just as effective as his bark.

Luke Littler to win & over 6.5 180s v Jonny Clayton: Scraping through the Second Round makes Luke Littler that much more dangerous as the World Series of Darts Finals wind down on Sunday.

Once again Littler has shown he can produce under intense pressure, while opponents have perhaps not had the belief they need in order to upset the World Number 1.

Jonny Clayton may have more than most having picked up wins over Luke Littler in the Premier League, but the more recent head to head has swung back in favour of the youngster.

It is incredibly difficult to beat Luke Littler over the longer formats and he can do enough to secure both parts of this double put together.

MY PICKS: Ross Smith & Josh Rock Over 4.5 180s Each @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

James Wade @ 2.20 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Luke Littler to Win & Over 6.5 180s @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

World Series Finals: 7-6, + 0.73 Units (13 Units Staked, + 5.62% Yield)

US Open Day 11 Tennis Picks 2026 (Wednesday 9th September)

Day 10 at the US Open proved to be a tough day for the selections, but the tight margins all seemingly went against the Tennis Picks made and that can happen.

Aryna Sabalenka won considerably more points than Linda Noskova, but lost more games than her opponent thanks to some wasteful moments on the Break Points and Jessica Pegula was also guilty of missing big opportunities to control her Quarter Final before eventually pushing through to the last four.

The Frances Tiafoe comeback began a set too late, but the frustration added up when thinking there was just enough juice in the Carlos Alcaraz performance to put me off backing Ben Shelton in some capacity.

Never mind, these things happen and the key is to try and remain focused and look for better results as the Quarter Finals are completed on Day 11 at the tournament.

A huge opportunity has opened up in the Men's tournament with Alcaraz joining Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner out of this Grand Slam, while the last three days of WTA action should be very special considering the talent and quality that has made it to this stage of the US Open.

Alexander Zverev - 6.5 games v Botic Van De Zandschulp: The third set might have been more competitive than the previous two, but Alexander Zverev will simply be pleased to have gotten through the Fourth Round match in straight sets.

That makes it seven straight sets won at the US Open and back to back straight sets wins means Alexander Zverev should have plenty of energy to take into the final few days in New York City. He is a considerable favourite to come through the top half of the draw as the top Seed and Alexander Zverev will be confident he can go one better than previously at the US Open and win a second Grand Slam in 2026.

Conserving some energy in the last couple of Rounds after back to back five setters will really help and the big question around this Quarter Final has to be about the fitness of Botic Van De Zandschulp.

The World Number 70 has had a very different tournament compared with Alexander Zverev.

Botic Van De Zandschulp began with consecutive straight sets wins, but he was 2-1 behind in sets in the Third Round before rallying in over four and a half hours to earn a spot in the Fourth Round. The Dutchman reached the Quarter Final at the US Open in his debut at the tournament in 2021, but Botic Van De Zandschulp has made one Fourth Round since then and had not made that stage of any Grand Slam in sixteen previous attempts.

It made that win in the Third Round really important, but Botic Van De Zandschulp went one better in the Fourth Round by recovering from losing the opening two sets, saving Match Point and breaking serve at the end of the fourth set before eventually completing a huge comeback against Arthur Gea. That Fourth Round match was won in five hours and eighteen minutes and the 30 year old looked absolutely shattered by the end, which makes that question about recovery so important.

Even if he was fully healthy, Botic Van De Zandschulp would be a big underdog against the World Number 2.

His serve can be an important weapon, but Van De Zandschulp has been broken fourteen times in the last two matches and you do have to believe that is partly down to the fatigue building up. The record on the hard courts this summer has been decent without being spectacular, and Botic Van De Zandschulp will have to find something special to overcome the challenger across the other side of the net.

Alexander Zverev looks to be peaking towards the weekend and he is serving well enough to keep the unseeded player under pressure and eventually the French Open Champion should be able to exploit any mental and physical tiredness felt by Botic Van De Zandschulp to earn a solid Quarter Final win.

Elena Rybakina - 3.5 games v Qinwen Zheng: Fifteen months ago, Qinwen Zheng was the World Number 4 and the young player looked like being the next first time Grand Slam Winner on the WTA Tour.

Injuries have blighted her progress over that time period since entering the top five and that meant Qinwen Zheng entered the US Open as the World Number 121. She could not use a Protected Ranking after rushing back in 2025 to try and take part in Beijing, and that has meant entering the Qualifiers here at the US Open.

Three matches were won to reach the main draw, but Qinwen Zheng has used that momentum to move through the draw with some stunning wins already behind her. Beating Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek would have been considerable achievements anyway, but doing so having recovered from huge deficits within sets played has only added to the sporting drama.

Qinwen Zheng is a confident player and she cannot be dismissed as a threat to win it all from here.

The 23 year old has always been comfortable on the hard courts and she will take added confidence from the fact she has pushed Elena Rybakina twice this season, even if she ultimately did come up short both times.

There is a huge carrot at the end of this Quarter Final match for Elena Rybakina- a win here and she will be guaranteed to become the new World Number 1, although it still feels a matter of time before she reaches the summit of the WTA Rankings. The World Number 2 has clearly been able to focus on the matches as they have come up at the US Open and Elena Rybakina has shown how capable she is of backing up the Australian Open success by picking up another hard court Grand Slam here in New York City.

Winning the Grand Slam will feel more important than the World Ranking and Elena Rybakina showed against Naomi Osaka how effective she can be against some of the other big hitters on the Tour. The serve is a key weapon to create scoreboard pressure and Rybakina has heavy groundstrokes that can push any opponent back behind the baseline, including Qinwen Zheng.

The latter looked to be running close to empty in the gas tank before rallying for a good win over Iga Swiatek in the Fourth Round, but this is another big test for Qinwen Zheng.

She has shown she can stand up to Elena Rybakina, but the amount of tennis that has been played over the last several days cannot be ignored and the higher Ranked player may end up showing off a superior serve, which can pave the way for a place in the Semi Final.

Coco Gauff - 3.5 games v Mirra Andreeva: The former US Open Champion produced a clinical display to beat a young compatriot in the Fourth Round and Coco Gauff will have eyes on winning the title in New York City for a second time, which may also be enough to secure the World Number 1 Ranking for the first time.

By the time she steps onto the court, the Number 1 Ranking may be beyond her for another week and that may actually help Coco Gauff focus all the more in trying to win this Grand Slam.

It has been a strong year in the Majors with Coco Gauff reaching a third Quarter Final at this level and becoming the youngest American player to do that in over twenty years. Ultimately the ambition is to turn one of these runs into a first Grand Slam title since the French Open in June 2025 and Coco Gauff is playing with a huge amount of confidence right now.

Beating Iva Jovic in straight sets means Coco Gauff has won twenty sets in succession on the hard courts as she looks to back up the Cincinnati title by taking home the big prize in New York City on Saturday afternoon. The numbers have been really impressive throughout her time at the US Open and Coco Gauff is also going to take a huge amount of confidence from the fact she has beaten Mirra Andreeva in all five professional matches.

While Coco Gauff is searching for a first Grand Slam title in 2026, Mirra Andreeva is the French Open Champion taking over that title from the player she is facing in the Quarter Final here.

Mirra Andreeva will be the first to admit that she was not at her best in the Fourth Round and the World Number 5 has yet to find the consistency she would like on the hard courts.

Winning four matches here will have given Mirra Andreeva a boost, but her numbers have been declining in each Round compared with the one before and that is not going to cut it against the beloved American standing across the other side of the net.

Serving well is going to be all important for Mirra Andreeva, but she has lost her last five hard court matches against top 20 Ranked opponents and she has not been able to get into return games as much as she would have wanted in those matches either.

These two have not met on the hard courts since the 2023 US Open when Coco Gauff showed she still had too much experience for Mirra Andreeva.

It is a gap that has certainly shrunk now, but Coco Gauff may have a bit more consistency out of the serve and that can ultimately pave the way for another Semi Final spot for the World Number 4.

MY PICKS: Alexander Zverev - 6.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Elena Rybakina - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Coco Gauff - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet365 (2 Units)

US Open Update: 27-20, + 3.48 Units (94 Units Staked, + 3.70% Yield)

US Open Day 10 Tennis Picks 2026 (Tuesday 8th September)

Once you get into the Quarter Final Round at any Grand Slam, the excitement levels will pick up naturally, but this feels like a very special day for the host nation.

One American Semi Finalist is guaranteed in both the Men's and Women's tournament by the end of the day's schedule and that is going to bring about an intense, exciting atmosphere when both of those Quarter Final matches are played between compatriots.

Those who have tickets for either Session on Arthur Ashe on Day 10 will also have the fortune of seeing either the World Number 1 and two time defending US Open Champion in Aryna Sabalenka taking on the Ladies Champion from Wimbledon or they will have another American player hoping to book a spot at in the final four at the expense of the defending Men's Champion.

This is going to be a truly brilliant day for Tennis fans both in attendance in New York City or tuning in from home.

Aryna Sabalenka - 3.5 games v Linda Noskova: Keeping hold of the World Number 1 position is out of Aryna Sabalenka's hands right now, but the only focus within the team will be winning a first Grand Slam of 2026. That has to be ambition of the Belarusian in every season, but 2026 has proved to be a difficult year in the Majors and that has meant Sabalenka has had to face plenty of questions from the media.

Her frustration has shown at the US Open, but the tennis doing most of the talking and Aryna Sabalenka has made her way through the draw with some confidence.

There is room for improvement considering Aryna Sabalenka has yet to be tested at the tournament, despite moving through to the Quarter Final. Two of the four wins have been against players Ranked outside of the top 100, while the other two wins have been against the World Number 59 and World Number 92.

The losses in Toronto and Cincinnati to players that Aryna Sabalenka would have expected to beat would have really hurt, and the current World Number 1 will be well aware that she has to serve better than she did in the Fourth Round if she is going to win a third straight US Open title.

It is also a fact that the level of opponent is lifted greatly in this Quarter Final when Aryna Sabalenka prepares to face the Wimbledon Champion Linda Noskova.

Not many would be surprised to note that Linda Noskova only had a 2-2 record on the hard courts in the build up to the US Open after skipping much of the summer after the success in London. She opened her bid to win a second Grand Slam by winning consecutive matches in straight sets, but Linda Noskova has needed to go the distance in each of the last two Rounds and the Czech youngster has spent a considerable amount of court in those matches.

Linda Noskova edged past Marta Kostyuk after a battle in the Fourth Round, and she will also feel there is room for improvement in terms of consistency of the serve.

It also feels more important for Linda Noskova to pick up the serving numbers compared with Aryna Sabalenka and that is mainly down to the fact that the former has not been as effective on the return. She has had the stronger wins to make it through to the Quarter Final, especially the win over Marta Kostyuk in the last Round, but Linda Noskova has won 41% of return points played on the hard courts this season and this remains a part of her tennis that does need to be improved.

Earlier this season, Aryna Sabalenka's serve proved to be a key difference in helping her beat Linda Noskova in the Indian Wells Semi Final.

This Quarter Final may also be determined by that aspect of the each other's game and the current World Number 1 may be able to produce her most impressive win of the 2026 US Open by taking out the Wimbledon Champion.

Jessica Pegula - 4.5 games v Emma Navarro: One American is guaranteed to be playing in the US Open Semi Final and it may take something special for that to be Emma Navarro rather than Jessica Pegula.

She may be the oldest player in the top six of the World Rankings, but Jessica Pegula continues to operate at a very good level and she is very, very comfortable on the hard courts. Earlier this season, Jessica Pegula reached the Semi Final at the Australian Open, but she has thrived in the hectic environment of New York City and has been a Finalist here in 2024 and Semi Finalist in 2025.

Jessica Pegula has won the most Grand Slam matches at the US Open and she has dropped a single set to reach the Quarter Final.

Her opening two victories in the tournament came in dominant fashion, but Jessica Pegula has been struggling to get on top of her serve in the last couple of Rounds. Despite that, the return has continued to be a big part of her tennis and Pegula has broken serve four times in each of her four wins.

Emma Navarro had reached the Quarter Final or Semi Final at three consecutive Grand Slam tournaments between July 2024 and January 2025 and it is no surprise that she hit her peak career World Ranking during that period. It has been much tougher for her since then having reached the Fourth Round at one of the last six Grand Slams played before Emma Navarro put this unexpected run together at the US Open.

Her best Grand Slam result was right here in New York City two years ago and Emma Navarro had given Aryna Sabalenka a tough time, but there had been little sign of this kind of success being put together at a Major. Results in the build up to the US Open had been largely disappointing, but Emma Navarro should be credited for showing improvement in each passing Round of this tournament.

Those improved performances have been needed as the competition has ramped up and will give Navarro fans a lot of confidence.

However, Jessica Pegula has not minded this match up and earned a pretty straightforward win over Emma Navarro in Cincinnati last month.

It is the second solid win over her compatriot on the hard courts within the last twelve months and Jessica Pegula has proven to be the superior return player in those head to head contests.

Emma Navarro will point out that she has created plenty of Break Points of her own against the Pegula serve, but it is the World Number 3 who has been able to create a few more opportunities. Ultimately that has proven to be the difference between them, which can be credited to Jessica Pegula being able to protect the second serve with a little more success compared with the World Number 27.

The lower Ranked player has slowed the slide down the World Rankings with her run here, but Jessica Pegula has all of the qualities needed to find a way to control this match and earn her spot in the final four at the 2026 US Open.

Frances Tiafoe - 1.5 sets v Alex Michelsen: The Women's tournament is guaranteed to have one American Semi Finalist and the same can be said for the Men's draw with the winner of this one heading into the final four.

Out of the American players on the Tour, you'd have to say that Alex Michelsen being in this position is the surprise.

Like many of his compatriots, Alex Michelsen is more than comfortable on the hard courts, but this is a player who reached the Quarter Final in Washington before relatively early defeats in Montreal and Cincinnati. A Challenger success will have given Alex Michelsen confidence, but he would have been pretty far down the shortlist of American players that could make it through to the final four of the home Grand Slam.

After reaching the Final in Cincinnati, more of a case could be made for Frances Tiafoe who has also enjoyed his time in New York City in the past. The World Number 12 is a two time US Open Semi Finalist and has also reached the Quarter Final here so any run that Frances Tiafoe has been able to put together is far less surprising than the one Alex Michelsen has produced.

There will be the added factor of knowing a win here would take Frances Tiafoe into his career best World Ranking well inside the top ten.

However, the opportunity to win a Grand Slam has to be the main motivator and Frances Tiafoe has beaten the highest Ranked opponent in the run to the Quarter Final when he saw off Daniil Medvedev in the Fourth Round.

Alex Michelsen will not be lacking of confidence with an important win over Brandon Nakashima under his belt and he will certainly feel he is serving well enough to give himself a chance.

The key may be to reverse the negative trajectory of his success on the return, but that will be challenging against someone like Frances Tiafoe who continues to perform above the level that the numbers may state. The higher Ranked of the two American players has been returning with more consistency than Alex Michelsen and that has proven to be the difference when these two have met two previous times on the Tour.

It does feel the return will be key again and Frances Tiafoe will be grateful he got off the court in straight sets in the Fourth Round after a grind. That should give him the time he needs to be refreshed and the expectation is that he can win a few more big points that can be the margin needed for success or failure in what is expected to be a very competitive match.

Win enough of those big points and it can lead to the sets needed and Frances Tiafoe can earn his victory through superior experience and perhaps a tie-breaker or two to avoid having to go really long in this Quarter Final.

MY PICKS: Aryna Sabalenka - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 William Hill (2 Units)

Jessica Pegula - 4.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (2 Units)

Frances Tiafoe - 1.5 Sets @ 2.20 William Hill (2 Units)

US Open Update: 27-17, + 9.48 Units (88 Units Staked, + 10.77% Yield)

Australian Darts Masters Day 2 Picks 2026 (Saturday 22nd August)

The Australian Darts Masters may have lacked some of the upsets that some may have expected, but that is not to say that the top PDC representatives had an easy day.

Ross Smith will certainly feel he drew the short straw after suffering another First Round exit at the two World Series events played in New Zealand and Australia.

Plenty of other top names were pushed all of the way, but the Quarter Final line up has been put together with seven of the eight players that are familiar to most.

Gerwyn Price & over 2.5 180s v Josh Rock: Recent form makes it difficult to believe anyone other than Gerwyn Price will win this Quarter Final, but it would be foolish to dismiss the chances of Josh Rock.

The last Premier League meeting between these players ended in a 6-3 win for Josh Rock, but Gerwyn Price reached the New Zealand Masters Final and he has a level that may be tough for the Northern Irishman to reach.

Josh Rock is a talent that needs to be respected, but the feeling here is that Gerwyn Price can produce the maximums that eventually puts him in a position to win this Quarter Final.

Over the last couple of weeks, Price has found a level that has been consistently stronger than the one that Josh Rock has reached and that may be the case again.

James Wade v Stephen Bunting: A relatively poor performance did not stop Stephen Bunting getting through the opening Round at the Australian Darts Masters, but he is going to have to be a lot better to win this match.

Some of the Legs played have been dominated by Stephen Bunting, but he has thrown in too many poor Legs and that has meant being in the midst of a poor run of form.

James Wade was in exceptional form in his First Round win, and it is almost certainly going to be tough for him to reach that level once again.

However, The Machine remains a steady force on the Tour and one who feels he should have been invited into the Premier League and he can get the better of one of those eight players involved in that tournament earlier this season.

Jonny Clayton-Damon Heta over 4.5 180s: When these two players met at the World Matchplay, they shared out nine maximums in seventeen Legs played.

Both Jonny Clayton and Damon Heta are very strong maximum hitters and this is a total that can be reached as long as there are at least nine Legs played.

Damon Heta may deserve the edge in the match considering the improved form he continues to show and he will also have the home crowd behind him. That can give Heta a boost as he looks for a big day to conclude the World Series events played Down Under and The Heat has been comfortable here.

In saying all of that, Jonny Clayton is a stronger finisher and scores well enough to to give himself a chance to win any match he plays.

The Welshman is the favourite, but he may need to score well to secure the victory and that may lead to plenty of maximums hit.

Both players are capable of getting stuck into the treble twenty bed and there is every reason to believe these two players can combine for at least five maximums in this Quarter Final.

MY PICKS: Gerwyn Price & Over 2.5 180s @ 2.25 Bet365 (1 Unit)

James Wade @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Jonny Clayton-Damon Heta Over 4.5 180s @ 1.80 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Australian Darts Masters: 2-3, - 0.70 Units (5 Units Staked, - 14% Yield)

Cincinnati Masters Tennis Picks 2026 (Thursday 20th August)

It was a case of so near, yet so far, when it came to the Tennis Picks through the Fourth Round in Cincinnati and those early retirements are not hitting the overall numbers pretty hard.

There is still a few days to go at this last 1000 event before the US Open begins and half of the Quarter Final matches are set to be played on Thursday.

This is an opportunity for players to throw down the gauntlet to the rivals ahead of the US Open, especially as both titles could be up grabs- Aryna Sabalenka will likely be the favourite in the women's event, but looks completely devoid of confidence and belief, while there is an increasing concern that both Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will not be playing in New York City.

Alexander Zverev has not exactly taken advantage of that in Montreal or Cincinnati and that would mean there are a huge amount of players that may feel an opportunity to win a Grand Slam has opened up for them.

Winning the title here would give that player a huge shot in the arm ahead of the US Open and so an important few days lies ahead in both tournaments being played here.

Thiago Agustin Tirante-Arthur Fils over 0.5 tie-breakers: Yes, the Thiago Agustin Tirante three set win over Jakub Mensik failed to reach at least one tie-breaker, but it was the concern about scoreboard pressure at the back end of sets that worked against the selection.

In the first set, Tirante had only lost six points on serve when he stepped up at 5-6 behind, but he produced the worst game he would in the match.

Despite that, Thiago Agustin Tirante is still putting in strong serving numbers and this is likely to be another match dominated by that shot.

He will need to serve well against Arthur Fils, who has quietly made his way through the draw thanks to some strong returning displays. Those have to be respected, especially as they have been backed up by impressing serving of his own, and Arthur Fuls has the confidence of having beaten two top 15 Ranked opponents.

However, Thiago Agustin Tirante has managed to beat two players Ranked inside the top 16 and so both players should be expectant heading into this big Quarter Final.

Seeing at least one tie-breaker played looks underestimated considering the kind of serving both can produce- Arthur Fils deserves the edge in the match thanks to the superior returning he can produce on the hard courts, but his opponent should be able to keep this competitive through the opening couple of sets and one may need the breaker to separate the two.

Jessica Pegula v Amanda Anisimova: Five previous meetings on the Tour have all been won by Jessica Pegula, including both played this year at the Australian Open and in Dubai.

The latest of those saw Amanda Anisimova make a fast start, but she struggled on the serve and that makes things very difficult for the World Number 10.

The serve is one of her strengths and being put under constant pressure by the retrieving skills of Jessica Pegula has eventually led to Amanda Anisimova facing 22 Break Points in the two matches played against her compatriot this season. She has saved 14/22 of those big points, but being broken four times in both matches puts her under immediate pressure ahead of this one.

Amanda Anisimova is going to know she needs to serve very well and that is especially the case as she has struggled to deal with the Jessica Pegula delivery.

The lower Ranked of the two American player has won just 38% of return points played against Jessica Pegula, which is significantly below her seasonal mark. Amanda Anisimova has also created just 13 Break Points in the two matches and it is Jessica Pegula who has enjoyed her time in Cincinnati much more often than most.

She did have to play over two hours in the Fourth Round win over Sorana Cirstea, which is a potential factor, but Jessica Pegula has matched up well enough with Amanda Anisimova to believe she may get the better of her again.

Iga Swiatek - 1.5 games v Elena Rybakina: Another disappointing tournament for Aryna Sabalenka means the Number 1 spot in the World Rankings is up for grabs and Elena Rybakina may finally take that spot for the first time in her career.

However, that can only happen next week if Elena Rybakina can find a way to get past Iga Swiatek after losing in the Toronto Final to this opponent last Thursday.

Both players have backed up that run at the Canadian Master by putting another strong one together here and Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina continue to push and pull one another in the head to head. The Pole's win last week means she now leads 7-6 having snapped a two match losing run against Elena Rybakina and Iga Swiatek leads the hard court head to to head 6-4.

That includes beating Elena Rybakina in the Cincinnati Semi Final last year as they prepare to meet a Round earlier in 2026 and Iga Swiatek is playing with confidence that we have not seen that often over the last several months.

Winning the title in Toronto has clearly given her a boost and Iga Swiatek is the defending Champion in Cincinnati, although that does mean there is pressure to defend the Ranking Points with her live position seeing her dropped into World Number 9.

You have to believe Iga Swiatek is not overly concerned about that and instead is looking to complete the double of the two WTA 1000 events played in preparation for the US Open. There is no doubging the current Number 1 player is struggling and Iga Swiatek will be looking to make a big statement ahead of her bid to conclude the season with at least one Grand Slam title in her hands.

Much is going to come down to the Rybakina serve- in the six hard court wins, Iga Swiatek has won at least 41% of return points played, but the four losses have been in matches where she has not won more than 35%. Before the win in Toronto, Iga Swiatek had really struggled to deal with the Elena Rybakina serve in back to back hard court defeats, but the World Number 2 has allowed more Break Points than she has created in two of the three wins here in Cincinnati.

Iga Swiatek has not been as consistent on the serve as she would hope, but the numbers are better than people may imagine.

She is perhaps throwing in one or two really poor serving matches in a shorter time span than she had when at her very best, but Iga Swiatek can back up the win in the Toronto Final thanks to her current momentum.

MY PICKS: Thiago Agustin Tirante-Arthur Fils Over 0.5 Tie-Breakers @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Jessica Pegula  @ 1.72 William Hill (1 Unit)

Iga Swiatek - 1.5 Games @ 1.72 William Hill (1 Unit)

Cincinnati Update: 16-17, - 3.53 Units (29 Units Staked, - 12.17% Yield)

Canadian Masters Tennis Picks 2026 (Tuesday 11th August)

Rain wiped out the play scheduled for the ATP Montreal tournament on Monday and that means one of the selections had to be held over- Brandon Nakashima and Luciano Darderi are scheduled to go out first on Tuesday on a day when all four Quarter Final matches should be completed with better conditions expected.

It may not have rained in Toronto, but it has been tough conditions for players there with the wind picking up and making things difficult.

Despite that, one Semi Final is ready to go and the last four will be completed when the last two Quarter Final matches are played.

The next couple of days look wetter again, but the tournaments should be on schedule to finish as expected with the windows available through the day and especially as Tuesday looks like a day in which all of the Quarter Finals remaining should be completed.

Coco Gauff - 2.5 games v Belinda Bencic: Big names have begun to drop out of the WTA Toronto tournament, but that does allow those remaining to make a statement ahead of the US Open.

A former US Open Champion faces a former US Open Semi Finalist in this Canadian Masters Quarter Final and both Coco Gauff and Belinda Bencic have to be feeling like they have all of the qualities needed to win the final Grand Slam of the season.

Negotiating the early Rounds at the Grand Slam events can be difficult, even for the top players, but both Gauff and Bencic have impressed here.

The numbers produced in the three wins here back that up- Belinda Bencic has the highest Ranking win, but Coco Gauff has had to navigate a tougher draw, but that should not impact the belief that both will bring into the match.

Coco Gauff has won six of the previous eight matches between the players, including the last four in a row, although the former will very much respect what Bencic brings to the court solely by how competitive previous matches have been.

The last three wins have all been earned in a deciding set and that will underline how tough this match up can be.

However, Coco Gauff has shown time and time again that she can come through those pressurised deciders and not just in wins over Belinda Bencic- this makes her very tough to beat and especially on a hard court and the World Number 4 can edge this contest.

The Gauff second serve is a concern, but she has been the stronger return player and that may end up being the difference between these two players in a good looking Quarter Final.

Naomi Osaka-Elena Rybakina over 22.5 games: Before leaving the Tour to become a mother, Naomi Osaka was the top hard court player in the world and there are real signs that she is getting back towards her best form on the surface.

For the second year in a row, Naomi Osaka is loving her time in Canada and this looks like a Quarter Final in which she can lay down a marker for the US Open that begins later in the month.

Winning the tournament would be the ultimate statement, but beating Elena Rybakina, the Australian Open Champion, would really lay down the gauntlet to the other top players on the Tour.

Naomi Osaka has produced some really strong numbers here and it is no surprise that she has been set as the favourite, albeit an incredibly narrow one.

The serve has always been a big shot for Naomi Osaka, but she has improved on those numbers and, most importantly, has found a really good formula for attacking on the return. Those numbers have been the issue for Naomi Osaka on the hard courts since taking her place back on the Tour, but the World Number 13 has been winning 47% of those points at this tournament and that will place a lot of pressure on her opponents.

Elena Rybakina is a steady force on the surface.

She has a very good serve for the hard courts, but much like Naomi Osaka, the World Number 2 has found her feet on the return on the Toronto courts and that has seen her win 46% of return points played compared with the 42% mark she has for the season.

Both players are still going to be looking to back up strong serving in what is the first meeting on the Tour between these big hitters.

It would not be a big surprise if we need a deciding set, but both Naomi Osaka and Elena Rybakina are capable of putting together two competitive sets, which may be enough to cover this total games line.

MY PICKS: Coco Gauff - 2.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (1 Unit)

Naomi Osaka-Elena Rybakina Over 22.5 Games @ 1.80 William Hill (1 Unit)

Canadian Masters: 15-15, - 2.83 Units (30 Units Staked, - 9.43% Yield)

Canadian Masters Tennis Picks 2026 (Monday 10th August)

The Canadian Masters is winding down, but these pages are still looking for a strong end to the tournament to try and restrict some of the early damage absorbed at the tournament.

A winning day was produced thanks to Jakub Mensik's late recovery in the second set of his straight sets win to back up Ben Shelton's success earlier in the day.

However, it was not quite the clean sweep that was hoped for after beginning the day with Tallon Griekspoor's surprisingly one-sided defeat.

The Quarter Finals begin on Monday with the tournaments in Montreal and Toronto still scheduled to be concluded on Thursday, while the Cincinnati Masters is set to begin with First Round action on the same day.

However, the focus right now has to be on the conclusion of the Canadian Masters, even if the Monday action looks tough to call and with one only Pick made that can be read below.

Brandon Nakashima - 3.5 games v Luciano Darderi: Both of these players have shown considerable character to make their way through to the Quarter Final at the Canadian Masters.

Both Luciano Darderi and Brandon Nakashima have come through consecutive matches by winning a deciding set, while the former has twice been able to recover from dropping the opening set.

Despite the run, you cannot ignore the fact that Luciano Darderi has struggled for consistency on the hard courts and he has benefited from a kind draw that has meant beating two players Ranked outside the top 100 before the win over Nuno Borges in the Fourth Round.

Brandon Nakashima does hold a win over a fellow Seed here in Montreal, which means he has the best win on the record, while the American has been producing stronger numbers of these two Quarter Finalists at this tournament.

Those could be the key in this Quarter Final and Brandon Nakashima has beaten Luciano Darderi once before on the hard courts.

It was a victory earned on an indoor hard court at the back end of the 2025 season and Nakashima was the much stronger server in that match.

He can show that superiority again in this match and Brandon Nakashima has been in good form on the return of serve this week to believe he can cover this handicap.

MY PICKS: Brandon Nakashima - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 William Hill (1 Unit)

Canadian Masters: 15-15, - 2.83 Units (30 Units Staked, - 9.43% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Friday 31st July)

The Canadian Masters is set to be begin this weekend and that does mean that some of the players still involved in the four tournaments that are to be concluded could be facing some potential distractions. Those who are higher up in the World Rankings have less to be concerned about with a Bye into the Second Round at the expanded Masters events to be played this August, but others may be thinking about travel plans and that can have an impact on the focus on the court.

Of course that only becomes an issue if players are to reach the Semi Final in the two United States venues that are hosting this week and the opportunity to pick up a title ahead of the US Open can only be a positive.

The Quarter Final of the tournaments in Washington and Memphis will be played on Friday, but the tournament in Los Cabos is ensuring that the Final is played on Saturday to allow players to travel to Montreal for the Canadian Masters. There is clearly less travel time between Memphis and Washington to Montreal/Toronto, but the expansion of those Masters events in August has placed an additional pressure on the calendar, much to the frustration of players and fans alike.

There is o only so much room to fit in tournament as it is, which has resulted in a decision to have the Canadian Masters Final played in the middle of the week rather than the traditional weekend spot. It happened for the first time last year and it is part of the reason players are asking the governors of the sport to get together and figure out a better calendar plan, although that has been something that has long been asked without much being done anyway.

Taylor Fritz-Alex Michelsen over 0.5 tie-breakers: This is the third meeting on the Tour between these compatriots and Alex Michelsen is looking to beat the higher Ranked player for a third time.

After winning a Challenger title, Alex Michelsen has arrived in Washington filled with confidence and has been largely untroubled in getting through the opening couple of matches. He will still be expecting more out of the serve having faced 18 Break Points in those two matches, but Michelsen has been returning with some confidence and he has played the big points effectively this week.

Alex Michelsen will be happy with the majority of his ATP level results on the hard courts and he has held 86% of service games played on the surface.

There is still room for improvement on the returning numbers if Michelsen is going to take the next step in his career, but he has found a way to get into the Taylor Fritz serve, which is perhaps a surprise.

Taylor Fritz has won his two matches in Washington very well and he has built on his run at Wimbledon, although perhaps still playing through the pain barrier in order to be ready for the US Open. He is a very comfortable hard court player and Fritz has been in decent form in terms of the numbers, although he is going to need to put together some strong runs in the next couple of months to try and break the thirty win mark in a single season on this surface yet again.

Over the course of the season, Taylor Fritz is holding 89% of his service games on the hard courts and winning 71% of points played, but he struggled to really impose this part of his tennis on Alex Michelsen when losing to him at Indian Wells earlier this year.

Those numbers read 81% and 62% in the defeat to Michelsen and Taylor Fritz will need to be better, even if the scoreboard showed he was on the wrong side of a narrow loss.

It was Alex Michelsen who was much closer to his usual kind of numbers on the hard courts and this has the making of another match that will feature plenty of holds of serve. You have to anticipate at least one tie-breaker, which has been priced up quite appealingly, while the form this week suggests both have a comfortable serving rhythm on the Washington courts.

Small moments can have a big consequence on the score, and these two did create a lot of Break Points against one another when they met in Indian Wells.

A few more may have to be swatted away in this Quarter Final, but both Fritz and Michelsen are capable of doing that for long enough in a single set to at least reach that tie-breaker moment.

MY PICKS: Taylor Fritz-Alex Michelsen Over 0.5 Tie-Breakers @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Diana Shnaider @ 1.85 William Hill (1 Unit)

Cameron Norrie @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 3-2, + 0.46 Units (5 Units Staked, + 9.20% Yield)

World Matchplay Darts Day 7 Picks 2026 (Friday 24th July)

It is going to take a monumental effort for anyone to beat Luke Littler in the form the defending Champion has produced this week and you have to imagine he is going to be entering the remaining World Ranking events as a short price favourite.

We are not quite at the Phil Taylor level of dominating and that is largely down to what Luke Humphries can produce, but we are getting closer and closer to those kind of outright prices. The more Luke Littler continues to win the big TV tournaments, the more people are going to have him down as a strong favourite to win any event he enters.

This week there is no Humphries in the draw to try and slow down the momentum that Luke Littler has picked up at major events- his record in longer format matches is quite simply ridiculous and Littler is going to be a big favourite to win a third straight World Championship later in the year and into the early part of 2027.

On Friday we will be a step closer to seeing who may eventually be standing opposed to Luke Littler in any Final as the bottom half as the two Quarter Final matches scheduled.

Both have a huge amount of potential on paper, but darts are still played up on a stage and it is all about which of the players can hold themselves together the best on the night.

The one disadvantage for those in the bottom half is that there are no more rest days between matches and that does mean a bit more pressure to avoid being dragged into a slog of a contest to drain energy ahead of the weekend.

Ross Smith-Gerwyn Price both over 7.5 180s & 1+ 100+ checkout: It was Ross Smith standing behind Cameron Menzies and helping his fellow professional out when the Scot fainted and felt very ill in the Second Round.

Ultimately that led to a withdrawal and Smith made it through to the Quarter Final after playing just three Legs.

He had shown he was feeling pretty good having thrown three maximums in that time on the stage, but this is going to be a different test for Ross Smith in the last eight. This time Ross Smith may feel like the underdog and under some pressure to deliver the big scoring to try and stay with Gerwyn Price in what is only the second meeting in two years.

Of course Ross Smith should take a lot of confidence from the fact that he beat Gerwyn Price 11-9 here two years ago, but he is going to have to be better for longer in this Quarter Final format.

Ross Smith can do that and he is very capable of delivering at least eight maximums and one big checkout during the course of this match.

At the same time, Ross Smith will be well aware that the Gerwyn Price that crushed Rob Cross in the Second Round looked to be in much better form than the one that scraped through the First Round against Martin Schindler.

The scoring was much better in the Second Round and Gerwyn Price also showed composure with his doubles and that is why he is set as the favourite in this match.

However, it is expected to be a close one with the sole meeting this year ending in a Price 8-6 win on the European Tour as he picked up another title. He can match those numbers that are expected of Ross Smith in what is expected to be a competitive match right to the end and one in which we are focusing on the stats rather than trying to pick a winner.

Gian van Veen 2+ 100+ checkouts & over 26.5 total legs v James Wade: These two players produced a very good Quarter Final at the World Matchplay twelve months ago, which was eventually won 16-13 by James Wade, but Gian van Veen will feel he was the better player on the day.

After rallying to beat Wessel Nijman, Gian van Veen will be a slight favourite to get the better of James Wade in the 2026 Quarter Final, although the Dutchman will be aware that he needs to lift his level.

Recent weeks has seen the form fluctuate and that will not get the job done against someone like James Wade who is playing some top class darts.

Despite what he may have said himself, James Wade put together a really good performance to see off Ryan Searle in the Second Round and averaged just shy of triple digits. That is a level that will make things very difficult for any player, barring perhaps Luke Littler, and James Wade has always enjoyed playing at this venue and at this tournament.

Nothing will come easy for either player, but the expectation is that Gian van Veen is going to have to continue to find some big finishes to keep himself pushing forward in this Quarter Final.

He has five 100+ checkouts already in the tournament and the combination finishing remains a real strength for Gian van Veen.

James Wade is never going to go away easily and especially not at this tournament so we should see both players reach at least eleven Legs each and putting this selection together does offer up a decent price without having to back either player to win in what should be another close, competitive Quarter Final.

MY PICKS: Ross Smith-Gerwyn Price Both Over 7.5 180s & 1+ 100+ Checkout @ 2.25 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Gian van Veen 2+ 100+ Checkouts & Over 26.5 Total Legs @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

World Matchplay: 10-13, - 1.80 Units (23 Units Staked, - 7.82% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Friday 24th July)

We are into the Semi Finals in Kitzbuhel, but in the main, Friday is Quarter Final day at the tournaments being played across the ATP and WTA.

It has been a relatively quiet week for the Tennis Picks, but this looks to be the busiest day with a number of selections being made from the tournaments in Prague and Estoril.

The thoughts behind those selections can be read below with matches taking place throughout the day.

Hugo Gaston - 3.5 games v Tiago Torres: The Quarter Final lineup at the ATP tournament in Estoril will underline the status of some of the events taking place this week, but don't say that to Hugo Gaston and Tiago Torres.

This is a big opportunity for those Ranked lower down than the elite players on the Tour and a Semi Final run at any ATP 250 event will offer a big leap for the winner of this one.

No matter how this tournament ends from here, Tiago Torres will be playing at a new career high World Ranking mark and that is a boost for this young player who has been playing his College Tennis in the United States. A Wild Card was given to him by the Estoril organisers and Tiago Torres should be given a lot of respect for the way he has handled himself with wins over Nikoloz Basilashvili and Alejandro Tabilo already on the board.

Those are victories that will give Torres a lot of confidence, but those have both been surprising wins when you consider he has limited experience at this level and has suffered pretty one-sided losses to Roman Safiullon and Jaime Faria on this surface in 2026.

However, Tiago Torres will be confident after the wins produced this week and now takes on Hugo Gaston, who can be erratic to say the least.

The 25 year old has had a difficult time trying to regain his place amongst the top 100 in the World Rankings, but Hugo Gaston has shown he is comfortable facing this level of opponent.

In 2026, Hugo Gaston has a 10-3 record when facing a player Ranked lower than himself on the clay courts and the lefty is a pretty effective returner on this surface. He will be looking to put the pressure on Tiago Torres and Hugo Gaston had a really strong performance in the Second Round which, if replicated, would make him very hard to beat.

Both players will be expecting the return to be a big part of the outcome of this Quarter Final, but Hugo Gaston may be able to get a little more out of the serve and that could end up being a decisive part of the match.

The spread is a wide one if this is a match that features plenty of breaks of serve, but the two losses to the higher level opponents faced by Tiago Torres have both ended without covering this line set. Hugo Gaston may not be as strong as Roman Safiullon or Jaime Faria, but he is very capable of beating those he should and he has usually been able to do that with some degree of comfort on the final scoreboard.

Roman Andres Burruchaga v Alexander Blockx: After withdrawing at the French Open, Alexander Blockx won for the first time since Paris when getting through his Second Round match in three sets.

He was perhaps fortunate on the day and the Belgian looks to be a vulnerable favourite in this Quarter Final.

Alexander Blockx has had some very strong runs on the clay courts this season and at a significantly higher level than this ATP 250 tournament brings, but he still needs to show a bit more improvement on the return of serve. His own serve has been a big weapon, but Blockx faced seventeen Break Points in the Second Round and is coming up against a pretty comfortable red dirt player.

This is a Quarter Final in which Roman Andres Burruchaga is the lower Ranked player and he is the underdog, but the World Number 60 should be battle-hardened having come through in three sets to beat both Stan Wawrinka and Nuno Borges. Both players would have had the large majority of the support, if not all of the support, while the real credit that Roman Andres Burruchaga deserves is the fact he dropped the second set each time and STILL rallied to win.

Last week Burruchaga reached the Semi Final in Umag, but the majority of his successes have been at Challenger level and so there is a gap to bridge.

Roman Andres Burruchaga should take a lot of confidence from the fact he has beaten Alexander Blockx in both previous meetings, albeit in 2024 and when it was Burruchaga who was Ranked higher than Alexander Blockx.

This is a much tougher looking challenge, but Blockx struggled in the Second Round and Roman Andres Burruchaga may have enough clay court nous to edge through.

Daria Snigur - 3.5 games v Lanlana Tararudee: Credit has to be given to Lanlana Tararudee who won a lower level event on the hard courts last week and has used the momentum to maintain her winning run in Prague.

She recovered from a really difficult position earn her spot in the Quarter Final and that means Lanlana Tararudee is set to reach a new career high World Ranking, although she will also be very keen to continue the run.

Next up is a very tough match against Daria Snigur who is also improving her career high World Ranking mark from week to week.

The 24 year old has been crushing the competition at a lower level than the main WTA Tour, but that is the kind of level in which Daria Snigur may have run into Lanlana Tararudee.

Her numbers have been really impressive on the hard court, albeit at that lower level, and Daria Snigur should be the much fresher player, while she has also been in really solid form in winning both matches here in Prague.

Both players are strong returners, but Daria Snigur may be able to get through a couple more service games with holds thanks to her freshness compared with Lanlana Tararudee who needed over three hours to win on Thursday. That comes after winning the title last weekend and then travelling over to Prague and all of that could add up to a difficult obstacle to overcome in this Quarter Final.

Marie Bouzkova - 2.5 games v Tereza Valentova: Earlier this month, the Ladies Final at Wimbledon was a reminder of the kind of talent that is being produced by Czechia on both the ATP and WTA Tour.

This tournament in Prague is a big opportunity for a home player to pick up the title and we are guaranteed to see one Czech player in the Semi Final at the end of this Quarter Final match.

It is a repeat of the Semi Final of 2025 when Marie Bouzkova and Tereza Valentova meet on Friday and credit has to be given to both of these players that they are much higher in the World Rankings in 2026 compared with twelve months ago. Out of the two, 19 year old Tereza Valentova needs the win more to avoid dropping in the World Rankings, but Marie Bouzkova has looked pretty comfortable here this week.

There is very little between them in the numbers, but Marie Bouzkova will have the mental advantage after winning the Semi Final last year and also beating Tereza Valentova in straight sets on the grass of Nottingham last month.

Matches between compatriots can have that 'pecking order' feel to them and that may be the case for Marie Bouzkova and Tereza Valentova when they step onto the court.

Marie Bouzkova has been the stronger return player in the head to head and that may end up being the factor that separates the two when they face off in this Quarter Final.

Sara Bejlek - 2.5 games v Lilli Tagger: Two very young players are meeting for the second week in a row on the WTA Tour and Sara Bejlek may feel home advantage can help her make she gets the better of Lilli Tagger once again.

Last week in Athens, Sara Bejlek beat this opponent for the loss of four games, although matching that kind of dominant win will be difficult now that Lilli Tagger has some experience of what to expect.

Sara Bejlek was beaten in the Prague Quarter Final last year, and she was beaten in the Quarter Final in Athens last week, but the performances through the opening couple of Rounds will give her a lot of belief.

Both of these players have strong hard court numbers, but Sara Bejlek has a slight edge in those, while Lilli Tagger is trying to turn things around against players Ranked higher than herself. While she has a 4-5 record on the hard courts in 2026 in that situation, Lilli Tagger's numbers have taken a significant dip.

At the same time, Sara Bejlek has a 10-2 record on the hard courts when facing opponents Ranked outside of the top 50 in the World Rankings, while she is 7-1 when facing a lower Ranked opponent. The numbers have been really impressive in those spots and the home crowd can keep the 20 year old focused enough to earn a spot in the Semi Final behind a strong win over Lilli Tagger for a second week in a row.

MY PICKS: Hugo Gaston - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Roman Andres Burruchaga @ 2.20 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Daria Snigur - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Marie Bouzkova - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Sara Bejlek - 2.5 Games @ 1.72 William Hill (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 3-2, + 0.41 Units (5 Units Staked, + 8.20% Yield)

World Matchplay Darts Day 6 Picks 2026 (Thursday 23rd July)

You can only hope that Cameron Menzies has not suffered a serious illness after he was forced to withdraw from his Second Round match after just three Legs had been completed.

He looked fine after taking the lead with a winning double in the third Leg, but suddenly had a bout of dizziness on the stage and it was soon announced that Menzies was not going to be able to continue.

Ross Smith moves through, but the thoughts of all of the peers would have been with Cameron Menzies who had produced a big win in the First Round and who has been in decent form over the last few weeks as he finally looked to be fulfilling some of the potential.

The show had to go on at the World Matchplay and the Quarter Final line up has been set.

The top half of the draw will be in action on Thursday with the format now expanded to a best of thirty-one contest and that also means a slightly later start to the session. It will then be the turn of the bottom half on Friday before the Semi Final and Final is completed over the course of the weekend.

After this weekend is completed, the PDC Tour moves into a slight hiatus- there are two Players Championship events to be played next week, but then the World Series takes over with back to back Masters events Down Under in Australia and New Zealand in consecutive weeks.

Once again a couple of Players Championship tournaments will be played before the next European Tour event at the Hungarian Darts Trophy at the end of August.

It should mean all eight players left in the World Matchplay can be completely focused on the task in front of them and that is winning one of the big Majors on the Tour and we should have a decent four days of Darts left in Blackpool.

Gary Anderson - 2.5 legs v Dirk van Duijvenbode: All credit has to be given to Dirk van Duijvenbode for the way he handled the pressure as Michael van Gerwen pushed him into extra Legs for a second match in a row.

Once again Dirk van Duijvenbode found a way, much as he did in the First Round against Chris Dobey, and this is a player who has found plenty of heavy scoring.

This makes him dangerous, while van Duijvenbode is also hitting his doubles at a decent rate.

However, Dirk van Duijvenbode will be aware that he may need to be even better if he is going to upset Gary Anderson who has been far too good for Ryan Joyce and Jonny Clayton.

Gary Anderson has not been at his absolute best, but he has been piling up big scores and has looked very comfortable when it comes to finishing off Legs and The Flying Scotsman remains a very strong player. The question is how will his darts hold up the longer he has to stay on the stage and this is a best of thirty-one Quarter Final, but Anderson has not had as many dips as Dirk van Duijvenbode and that can ultimately make the difference in the match.

When they met at the UK Open, Gary Anderson was a little too strong for Dirk van Duijvenbode and that may be the case when they meet in Blackpool in a big Quarter Final.

Luke Littler over 11.5 180s v Josh Rock: The layers are not anticipating a lot of resistance from Josh Rock in this World Matchplay Quarter Final, but that does feel like it is a little harsh on the Northern Irishman.

He has not hit the heights of 2025, but Josh Rock has given Luke Littler something to think about in meetings in 2026 and that has to give him some encouragment.

Of course it should be stated that not many are going to be able to live with the standards Luke Littler has produced in the first two Rounds as he looks to defend the title won last year. Nathan Aspinall averaged over 100 and yet it never felt like he was going to beat Luke Littler, who averaged over 113 to follow up his First Round 109+ average.

The World Number 1 can blitz past any opponent that stands in front of him and there is the feeling that there will be at least one session that ends in a whitewash and Luke Littler should be good enough to move into the Semi Final again.

That means getting to at least sixteen Legs and Luke Littler has been absolutely spot on his rhythm when it comes to attacking the treble 20- backing that up is the fact he hit one nine darter and missed a double for a second in his Second Round win.

Luke Littler has won twenty-one Legs in this tournament and he has thrown twenty-one maximums, while he had nine in twenty Legs when these two met at the UK Open earlier this year.

The top Seed has looked so much more comfortable here though and Littler can produce at least twelve maximums in this Quarter Final contest.

MY PICKS: Gary Anderson - 2.5 Legs @ 1.72 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Luke Littler Over 11.5 180s @ 2.10 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

World Matchplay: 9-12, - 1.90 Units (21 Units Staked, - 9.05% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Thursday 23rd July)

Just when it looked like it was going to be the fourth time in a little over seven days when a player has failed to earn one more game than the spread, Alex Molcan did pick up a late break of serve to secure his victory in the Second Round.

That made it a positive start to the week, but a busy Thursday has not offered up many matches that have fallen within the parameters set in the pages that have resulted in a bounce back year.

The focus on the day is on a single selection from the two ATP tournaments being played in Estoril and Kitzbuhel and those can be read below.

Jaime Faria - 4.5 games v Gonzalo Bueno: One of the big home hopes has been eliminated, but Jaime Faria is going to be hitting a new career high World Ranking mark at the end of the tournament.

Another win would see Jaime Faria crack the top 80 for the first time and the Portuguese player will be given plenty of support in Estoril.

He is facing a Qualifier, but Gonzalo Bueno should be given enough respect for having come through a couple of those Rounds and then earning a win in the main draw. That was a win over a Portuguese Wild Card in the main draw and Gonzalo Bueno has to be given a lot of credit for fighting back from losing the second set 6-1 and hold himself together to win a final set tie-breaker.

This is a step up in terms of level of opponent, but a comfortable clay courter can always become a dangerous opponent once momentum is behind them.

Over the course of the season, Gonzalo Bueno has played at a lower level than the main ATP Tour and his numbers on the clay have been pretty average. This should encourage Jaime Faria who had won three Qualifying matches at the French Open and was still able to force his way through to the Third Round at that Grand Slam, and Faria has had a lot more success at this level compared with his opponent.

Before his win in the Second Qualifying Round in Estoril, Gonzalo Bueno had lost all six matches played against higher Ranked opponents on the clay courts in 2026. His serve has been put under pressure consistently in those matches and so Bueno is going to have to really step up to make this a competitive contest.

Jaime Faria has a 19-7 record on the clay when facing opponents that were Ranked lower than himself when they stepped onto the court and the numbers are much more solid than those produced by Gonzalo Bueno.

This is a big spread for any young player to deal with, but Jaime Faria should have the qualities needed on the court to eventually wear down Gonzalo Bueno.

Mariano Navone - 2.5 games v Quentin Halys: You cannot take anything away from Quentin Halys and the performances he has put together this week in Kitzbuhel, but he has been struggling for consistency over the last several months.

That has seen the World Ranking drop back outside of the top 80, while the Frenchman has a 10-7 record on the clay courts in 2026.

The serve remains a big weapon for him, even on the red dirt, but Quentin Halys has struggled to have a big impact on the return and that has ultimately proved to be a decisive factor in the results that have been placed on the board.

Next up is this Quarter Final against Mariano Navone who has looked very sharp through the opening couple of Rounds.

The higher Ranked player is the superior returner on the clay courts and that could be the key to this match, while Mariano Navone has beaten Quentin Halys on the clay courts around fifteen months ago.

On that day the World Number 47 was the much superior server and Mariano Navone can find his way through to the Semi Final with another decent win on the board.

MY PICKS: Jaime Faria - 4.5 Games @ 1.70 William Hill (1 Unit)

Mariano Navone - 2.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 2-1, + 0.71 Units (3 Units Staked, + 23.67% Yield)

European Tour 10- European Darts Open Day 3 Picks 2026 (Sunday 12th July)

We move into Finals day at the European Darts Open and there are a number of players that are still competing who will be looking to put down a marker ahead of the World Matchplay that begins next weekend.

Luke Littler and Luke Humphries are both going to be waiting in Blackpool, but fans will be hoping that others can step up in the next Ranking event to bring some more excitement to the sport.

Wessel Nijman is one that stands out, but there are some dangerous players scattered throughout the World Matchplay draw.

Before that, the European Darts Open has to be completed with a title on the line at the end of Sunday.

The Third Round is played in the Day Session before the Quarter Finals, Semi Finals and Final are completed in the Evening Session and there are a number of players involved who will believe they can go all the way.

Any selections from the Evening Session will be added to this thread once the Quarter Final lineup has been confirmed.

Wessel Nijman to win & both players over 1.5 180s v Dirk van Duijvenbode: This should be another high quality battle between these two compatriots after Wessel Nijman edged past Dirk van Duijvenbode on the European Tour at the end of May.

That match ended 6-5 in favour of the in-form Wessel Nijman and another close contest is expcted.

It is largely down to the heavy scoring that Dirk van Duijvenbode can produce and he had four maximums in that loss, a number Nijman had to match.

You would expect at least two maximums each in this one and once against Wessel Nijman to find a way to edge into the Evening Session at another European Tour event.

Michael van Gerwen to win & most 180s v Damon Heta: There have been signs that the latter is getting back into the kind of form he was producing in the last couple of years after a pretty underwhelming first six months in 2026.

Damon Heta is a confidence player and can match the best when at his best, but Michael van Gerwen is certainly looking a bit more like his old self.

He came through a tough Second Round match with some big checkouts and strong scoring and that is a combination that could be difficult to deal with in Leverkusen.

The Australian can be a big maximum hitter, but van Gerwen can edge past him in that statistical column and also win this Third Round match.

Kevin Doets to win & over 2.5 180s v Sebastian Bialecki: It will have disappointed Sebastian Bialecki to have missed out on the World Matchplay, but his form over the last twelve months is improving all of the time.

You would think he would be pushing for a top 32 spot next time around, while this weekend he can be free of thought and not concern himself about the tournament beginning in Blackpool next weekend.

Kevin Doets will be there and he has just maintained a strong run of form that has him pushing towards being Seeded for these European Tour events going forward.

Beating an out of sorts Martin Schindler will still have given Doets another push forward in momentum and he was scoring well enough to complete this double and progress to the Quarter Final later in the day.

Nathan Aspinall-Ross Smith both over 2.5 180s: My only real concern about this Third Round match is that both Nathan Aspinall and Ross Smith will likely have been up late watching the England World Cup Quarter Final that concluded around 2am local time.

With the assumption that neither would have been rushing to go to sleep after the manner in which England progressed, there could be some tired minds on the stage.

It is a concern about the level of performance that may be produced, but the two are scheduled to go out pretty late and that will certainly help.

At their best, both Aspinall and Smith are big maximum hitters and they will know that they will need to score well to get the better of the other. That could help with the focus, as long as there is no significant hangover to deal with, and both are capable of peppering the treble 20 bed in a match that should go at least nine Legs.

Gian van Veen - 1.5 legs v Krzysztof Ratajski: In the last Third Round match in the Day Session, Gian van Veen and Krzysztof Ratajski will be looking to lay down a marker to the other.

A place in the Quarter Final is motivation enough, but these two players also meet in the First Round of the World Matchplay next week.

Gian van Veen is beginning to look stronger after a mid-season slump and he has the scoring and the finishing to make things difficult for any opponent. He should have a little too much for The Polish Eagle in this Third Round contest and the likelihood is that the Dutchman can progress without the need for a final Leg decider as he becomes the last player into the Quarter Final.

MY PICKS: Wessel Nijman to Win & Both Players Over 1.5 180s @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Michael van Gerwen to Win & Most 180s @ 2.60 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Kevin Doets to Win & Over 2.5 180s @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Nathan Aspinall-Ross Smith Both Over 2.5 180s @ 2.20 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Gian van Veen - 1.5 Legs @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

QF PICKS: Luke Woodhouse to Win & Over 1.5 180s @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

James Wade to Win & Over 8.5 Total Legs @ 2.25 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Nathan Aspinall to Win & Over 2.5 180s @ 2.25 Bet365 (1 Unit)

European Darts Open: 5-5, - 0.66 Units (10 Units Staked, - 6.60% Yield)