Tennis Picks 2018 (February 18th)

I said in the Saturday thread for the Tennis Picks that this has been a good week already and that was underlined with two more winners yesterday.

The other Pick ended with a retirement after David Goffin suffered a really unfortunate injury in his Semi Final against Grigor Dimitrov. An attempted volley ricocheted off the racquet and into Goffin's eye and it was not surprise that the Belgian player decided to pull out at that moment.

However both Petra Kvitova and Dominic Thiem returned as winners and it has made a strong week possible, one that I needed just to restore some belief in the numbers. To be fair the numbers have been great indicators, but I just hadn't had a lot of luck earlier in the 2018 season and at the end of the 2017 season and so this week is one that I feel I have deserved.

On Sunday the Finals of the four tournaments played this week will be played before we move on to five new tournaments on Monday.


Roger Federer - 3.5 games v Grigor Dimitrov: The new World Number 1 will be looking to underline his status in that position by winning the title in Rotterdam on Sunday and Roger Federer is a strong favourite to do that. He won't have things completely his own way against Grigor Dimitrov, but Federer is playing at a very high level at the moment and I am not sure 'Baby Fed' will be able to stay with him.

The service numbers have been impressive from both players, although Dimitrov was being put under a lot of pressure by David Goffin in the Semi Final before injury ended that match unexpectedly.

Dimitrov should have success behind his serve, but I think Federer's return numbers have been more impressive so far in 2018 and that is going to be the difference between these two players on Sunday.

Ultimately I would expect Federer to create a few more break point opportunities with his returns of serve proving to be a little more effective of the two players. I don't doubt Dimitrov will be able to cause a few problems of his own, but I think the Federer serve has been working very well and can get Federer out of a few tough spots.

Matches between Federer and Dimitrov can be close and the latter has shown he can raise his performances against the best players. However I think Federer may open the door for success with a late break in the first set and then go on from there to record a fairly routine win while covering this number of games.

MY PICKS: Roger Federer - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 16-6, + 17.22 Units (44 Units Staked, + 39.14% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2018 (January 29th)

The Australian Open came to a close on Sunday and there isn't much I can say about Roger Federer that hasn't already been said.

Federer won his 20th Grand Slam title which is a remarkable achievement as he continues ripping up records going into his 37th year. There are very few signs that Federer is slowing down and he is likely to go down as the best men's player of all time and alongside some of the icons of sporting history.

I have no doubt we have been blessed in recent years with the likes of Federer, Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic leading the way, but I am also hoping there won't be a transitional period before the next set of players take over at the top. At the moment injuries and the next generation not quite being up to speed means there is something of a void behind Federer and Nadal which is something most would not have considered even two years ago.

There is definitely a chance for Federer to add to the Slams he has won, although I do wonder if he will take the same approach as last season and decide to skip the clay court season again. He has every chance to get back to World Number 1 even though he has a lot of points to defend in the months ahead, and I think it is great that we get to enjoy watching this play produce the tennis he has been.

But at the moment who would deny that Federer will be going into Wimbledon and the US Open as the favourite to win those two Slams too? Barring a recovery from some of the big names on the Tour, I certainly wouldn't want to back against Federer doing that and all of a sudden he would only be one Grand Slam behind Serena Williams and almost ten clear of the record Pete Sampras set in the men's game that many thought would last more time than it ended up doing.

It's been fascinating to watch Federer and he deserves all the plaudits heading his way after winning a third Slam in twelve months.


The Australian Open may be in the books, but the Tennis Tour moves on with the WTA hosting a couple of tournaments this week. The big one comes from St Petersburg, although top Seed Caroline Wozniacki is likely to withdraw after winning her maiden Grand Slam title in Melbourne on Saturday.

There are still some big names in action there while the ATP Tour has a week off. Later this week there is Davis Cup action with the World Group ties beginning over the weekend, but it all means there are likely to be fewer Tennis Picks with fewer options out there.


While I enjoyed the Australian Open as a fan, it was a tough time for the picks with a really poor start which was always going to be difficult to recover. I did have some success doing that later in the week, but it was tough with the outright picks also coming close to some real success before ending up with a narrow loss despite the Roger Federer pick to win the tournament.

A long season has plenty of time to be turned back around and it is a marathon not a sprint to do that too.


Katerina Siniakova - 3.5 games v Donna Vekic: Two young players meet in the main draw in St Petersburg as the First Round gets underway on Monday and both Katerina Siniakova and Donna Vekic will believe they can win this match.

More of the belief may come down on the side of Siniakova who has beaten Vekic twice on the professional Tour including a one-sided win over her on the indoor courts in Moscow a few months ago.

One of the big factors in the match has to be the superior serving that Siniakova can produce- while she is still lacking the consistency to really start a considerable move up the World Rankings, Siniakova is someone who can serve very effectively and bring up the short ball to put away.

At times Vekic's return game will be getting the better of the moments, but her own serve has proven to be pretty vulnerable in recent months. You would perhaps expect it to be a more effective weapon than it is, but Vekic struggles to protect the second serve and can lose her rhythm on the first serve which should be an area in which Siniakova can attack and have success.

I don't think there will be a lot between them at times, but when Siniakova finds her highest level I believe she will look the better player. That should show up on the scoreboard as Siniakova is able to find a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 win in this First Round match.

MY PICKS: Katerina Siniakova - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Season 2018: - 16.70 Units (154 Units Staked, - 10.84% Yield)

Australian Open Tennis Day 14 Picks 2018- Men's Final (January 28th)

The final day at the Australian Open is headlined by the men's Singles Final and this year it is Marin Cilic taking on Roger Federer for the title.

While the women's Final was contested by the top two players in the World Rankings, the men's Final is between the Number 2 and Number 3 Ranked players.

Roger Federer has been in fantastic form so far this week and has yet to drop a set, but Marin Cilic is perhaps the most dangerous opponent he has faced. I do think this will be a good Final with the way both players have been playing and I am looking forward to the early Sunday start as we close the first Grand Slam of the season.


So what is next for the tennis picks after this weekend? The ATP Tour actually has a free week with the Davis Cup ties in the opening Round of the World Group being played next weekend.

I will look out for any picks from the WTA St Petersburg event that is being played this week with some of the top players on the Tour taking part in that event. However with just the one tournament of note up until Friday it may not be a lot of options available and so the tennis picks this week are likely to be out without the consistency of day to day picks.

On Friday I should have some picks from the Davis Cup to add to any selections from the WTA St Petersburg event.

The week after this one we will get to see three ATP events beginning with the 'Golden Swing' in South America, the indoor European season and the North American hard court events all beginning. That means a busy month is ahead before we get to the first Masters event of the season at Indian Wells which begins in early March after the first ATP 500 events have been placed in the books in February.


Marin Cilic-Roger Federer over 38.5 games: The feeling was that we were heading towards a repeat of the 2017 Australian Open Final when Rafael Nadal took a 2-1 lead over Marin Cilic in their Quarter Final. However it was not to be for the World Number 1 who suffered an injury in the fourth set and Marin Cilic took full advantage to reach another Grand Slam Final.

The run to the Final here in Melbourne also means Cilic is going to reach a career high of World Number 3 whether he wins or loses here. The all around game that Cilic possesses does make him a very dangerous opponent for anyone he plays with the big serve and the heavy groundstrokes able to dictate rallies to his liking.

Redemption will also be on the mind of Cilic going into Sunday's Final.

Last year at Wimbledon was perhaps the lowest point of Cilic's career as an injury taken into the Final almost forced him to pull out of the match. He tried hard to compete, but emotionally it was all too much for Cilic who openly shed tears on Centre Court and then battled against all odds to at least complete the Final.

That would have gotten Cilic a lot of sympathy, but it is never easy to have the crowd support you over Roger Federer who was also his opponent at Wimbledon on that day.

Federer has moved through to the Final without dropping a set in the Australian Open and he should be well rested after Hyeon Chung pulled out of their Semi Final when trailing 6-1, 5-2. That could be important for Federer, although I don't doubt his fitness, and I don't think either Cilic or the defending Champion will feel they could come into this Final in much better condition.

A healthy Cilic has also been a tough test for Federer to deal with even if the Swiss player has gotten the better of the head to head. When Cilic is serving to his maximum level, Federer can struggle to get a look in and the match Tomas Berdych played against Federer in the Quarter Final has to be on the mind of Cilic going into this Final.

Berdych has perhaps been the closest player to take a set from Federer this week and he made a fast start which put Federer under pressure. He even served for the first set and Cilic is arguably a similar player, but superior in most departments these days. Cilic will be able to set his points up with the big serve, if it is firing, and he is securer with his movement and groundstrokes than Berdych, while I also think Cilic is a little more comfortable at the net.

Suffice to say I don't imagine this Final going the same way as the one at Wimbledon, especially with Cilic much healthier coming into this match.

Matches between these players may have generally ended in favour of Federer, but Cilic has beaten him at the US Open on the way to winning the title there and also held a 2-0 lead in sets at Wimbledon in 2016 before missing a huge chance to beat Federer there too.

In fact Cilic has taken at least one set in four of the last five matches between him and Federer including at the ATP Finals a few months ago. Yes he has only won one of those matches, but I would be massively surprised if Cilic is able to record another straight sets win over Federer at a Grand Slam with the way the latter is playing.

However Cilic is playing well enough to take a set and he is serving well enough to make Federer dig deep to turn this back around. It would be a surprise if Federer is not able to win at least one set and I can see this Final being another classic Down Under with at least four sets needed.

I can't see either player falling away easily in the match and the serving both have produced suggests this is a match that is going to feature four tight sets at the least. That should give the Final every chance of covering this number of games set in the total games market.

A tiebreaker or two can't be ruled out and I think three competitive sets will be enough to cover the number as long as neither player wins this match in straight sets. The numbers being produced by both men suggests that is unlikely to be the case barring something unforeseen happening and I am looking for the total games to be surpassed.

MY PICKS: Marin Cilic-Roger Federer Over 37.5 Games @ 1.83 Boyle Sports (2 Units)

Australian Open Update: 35-38, - 4.84 Units (125 Units Staked, - 3.87% Yield)

Canadian Masters Tennis Picks 2016 (July 27th)

The Rogers Cup (or Coupe Rogers if you're from Quebec) is clearly one of the big Masters/Premier Events on the Tour, but the action on Tuesday was overshadowed by a simple statement by a player many consider to be the greatest of all time.

That might not be an opinion that I share myself, but I have huge amounts of admiration and respect for Roger Federer. Out of all the players on the Tour, no one comes to close to inspiring tennis Roger Federer can produce when he is on top form and I can easily say the top five performances I have ever seen live will have at least three Federer performances in there.

He is a majestic player to watch on any surface so I've always wanted him to end his career on his own terms, but this year has been a difficult one for him with back and knee issues affecting him. It still came as a surprise that Federer has made the decision to withdraw through the remainder of 2016 to make sure he can get his health up to full fitness in time for 2017.

It will raise questions as to whether retirement is an option for Federer, but my personal opinion is that he will be back on the Tour. 2017 could be a very difficult season for him though with the expected drop in the World Rankings meaning plenty of tough draws in a portion of the season that is perhaps not to Federer's complete liking in Australia through to the clay courts in Roland Garros.

While he won't have a lot of points to defend so can make significant improvements through that time, it can be a long road back up the World Rankings especially for a player that is going to be turning 36 years old in 2017.

I would love to see Federer back and looking to win one more Grand Slam, but that looks like a door that might be closed to him now and you have to question what the motivation will be. The statement makes it clear that Federer will be back, but he is now going to have five months enjoying seeing his family on a daily basis while being able to do whatever he likes and that life can be a lot more appealing than the grind of the ATP Tour at his age.

That may especially be the case for Federer when he takes a look at the World Rankings at the end of 2016 and suddenly realises he could potentially have to play the likes of Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic as early as the Fourth Round of Grand Slam events.

Even so, I can't imagine Federer will want to end his career with an injury so I wouldn't be surprised if he battles through at least another year and then calls it a day. The Olympic Games were a huge goal for Federer and missing that is going to hurt massively and I don't think he will want to be a player hanging around at Grand Slam tournaments to be beaten in Fourth Round or Quarter Final matches.

So while I do think he will be back in 2017, I would recommend everyone to try and take their chance to see Federer during the course of the year that could easily be his last as a professional.


The tournaments in Toronto and Montreal will begin heating up as we reach the middle of the week and seeing the likes of Novak Djokovic out there. The Second Round matches will be completed on Wednesday after a couple of them started on Tuesday and the first Masters of the North American summer swing will roll on.

With the full Second Round to be played in Toronto and Montreal, it is no surprise that there is plenty of tennis to get through on Wednesday.


John Isner - 3.5 games v Ryan Harrison: John Isner had to battle back from a set down to beat Dudi Sela in the First Round, but he has had a day off rest between that match and this Second Round match. The big American should be very comfortable at this time of the season on the North American hard courts but it hasn't been the best year for Isner on the hard courts in 2016.

Since 2009, Isner has had at least 25 wins on the hard court in each season, but he is just 9-5 so far this season and will be looking for some big runs over the next month to put a lot of wins down. He played well in Washington before blowing his match with Steve Johnson, and Isner will be confident he can down Ryan Harrison and move through to the Third Round here in Toronto.

Harrison is still outside the top 100 in the World Rankings but he has won three matches in Toronto, while his serve and heavy groundstrokes do make him a threat. The only issue Harrison has yet to resolve is his consistency inside matches and not throwing away a poor service game or two throughout the time he spends on court.

That cost Harrison last week against Steve Johnson as two poor service games led to a 64, 64 loss. He will be under immense pressure from the Isner serve if that is working as effectively as it can on the hard courts and I think that might lead to a couple of mental mistakes which can see Isner come through and cover this number of games.


David Goffin - 2.5 games v Sam Querrey: This is very much looking like being a career best year for David Goffin who might feel there is room for a place in the World Tour Finals up for grabs with a strong end to the season. I would very much expect a top 10 finish in the World Rankings, but my one concern for Goffin is how he will respond to losing his match at Wimbledon from two sets up against eventual Finalist Milos Raonic.

He has gotten over tough losses in the past, but having almost a month off from the Tour can be difficult, especially when facing a player like Sam Querrey who won't give you a lot of rhythm during a match. Querrey has also been in action in Washington last week where he reached the Quarter Final and he came through a difficult First Round match against Frank Dancevic already in Toronto.

This is very much a match up between a big server and someone who will feel he can win the rallies once they get past a four shots. The American will look to punish Goffin with his serve, but I do think the latter is going to be able to get enough balls back in play to at least force Querrey to hit big groundstrokes to win the point.

A key for Goffin is to make sure he gets enough balls back towards the Querrey backhand and deep enough to prevent him from running around for a forehand shot. The Goffin serve can be a liability at times when he is not feeling it off his racquet, but he did beat Querrey last year in Montreal in a decent run there and I will be looking for him to come through a tough first set and then earn a break more to take the second in a 76, 64 win.


Fabio Fognini - 3.5 games v Jared Donaldson: A new haircut might produce a new attitude for Fabio Fognini, but that could be pushing things a little too far. After winning the title in Umag, Fognini came over to Toronto and beat an in-form Steve Johnson in straight sets and this could be a turning point in a difficult season for him.

It was an impressive win for Fognini over Johnson as the underdog, but he will now be favoured to beat Jared Donaldson who has come through the Qualifiers. Donaldson has won all of his matches fairly comfortably this week, but this is the biggest test he will have faced when he meets the Italian in the Second Round.

Donaldson is still young and learning his game on the main Tour, while his losses on the hard courts won't exactly inspire people who will be backing him for the upset. Someone like Fognini will believe he will get the better of the majority of the rallies and there is some momentum behind him having won the tournament last week in Umag.

The Fognini serve is always a concern as is his temperament, but I think this is a good chance for him to pick up some more Ranking points and he looked plenty motivated on Tuesday. You don't always know what you're going to get out of Fognini on a day by day basis, but I think he will be stronger than Donaldson at the key moments and can win this one 64, 64 and move onto the Third Round.


Jack Sock - 3.5 games v Donald Young: Stan Wawrinka will be awaiting the winner of this Second Round match in the next Round and I think Jack Sock can get the better of his compatriot Donald Young on current form.

Both men had impressive wins in the First Round, but I like the way Sock played in the Davis Cup for the United States as well as the run in Washington last week. Sock was unfortunate in losing to Ivo Karlovic in straight sets last week having won more points in that match, and he has bounced back from his Davis Cup loss in the final Rubber.

Sock has been serving well and that will put some pressure on Donald Young who still shows too much inconsistency on the Tour. There is no doubt the potential will not be fulfilled, but Young can be dangerous when bringing his very best to the court, while the lefty serve will always give him half a chance for an upset.

The difference between the players is I feel Sock is capable of a little more behind the serve and is forehand is the biggest weapon on the court. He will need to protect the backhand against the Young forehand, but I think Sock will be able to go on the offensive enough in this one to break down his compatriot in a 75, 63 win.


Gael Monfils - 3.5 games v Vasek Pospisil: There was some tiredness in the Gael Monfils performance on Tuesday which has to be a concern when picking him to beat Vasek Pospisil in this Second Round match. However it has to be said that the Canadian has been going through a really difficult year and the mental belief is going to be on Monfils' side in this one which can see him battle through.

I would be hoping for a better serving display from Monfils than the one he had against Joao Sousa, but he has shown he is capable of extracting enough errors from opponents over the last ten days. In that time he has won the title in Washington and there hasn't been a lot of rest for the Frenchman and that is a nagging doubt in the back of my mind when it comes to this pick.

The reason I am sticking with Monfils is that Pospisil has won just 6 main Tour matches this season as he has dropped outside the top 100 in the World Rankings. Last season was a huge year for Pospisil who reached the Wimbledon Quarter Final, but he makes far too many mistakes off the ground when his decent first serve is sent back into play.

That is where Monfils should have success as he should get plenty of balls back in play and look for those mistakes to come out. It has also been a year where Pospisil has fallen away in matches when things have gone wrong and mentally he has plenty of obstacles to overcome to win a match like this and I am looking for Monfils to find a 76, 63 win.


Agnieszka Radwanska - 5.5 games v Monica Niculescu: If you like your tennis played with a lot of variation and slice rather than pure power, this is the kind of match that should be right up your street. Both Agnieszka Radwanska and Monica Niculescu will try and work the other around the court behind slices and drop shots and look to keep their opponent off balance.

The problem for Niculescu is that she is not quite as good as Radwanska at doing that and I am not surprised that the latter has eventually won three of the four matches with room to spare. That includes coming through two matches in 2016 where Radwanska has won a competitive first set before moving away from Niculescu in the next three sets they have competed in.

Those three sets has seen Radwanska give up just four games against Niculescu, although this match should be tougher considering it is her first appearance since Wimbledon. The hard courts are her favoured surface as she can use the pace she is given to push the ball around, but that won't be the case in this match as Radwanska will need to be a little more proactive.

However I think she will have the mental belief against an opponent she has dominated this year already. Niculescu might already have had a couple of matches on the hard courts to become accustomed of the change in courts, but I think Radwanska will wear her down in a 64, 62 win in this one.


Karolina Pliskova - 3.5 games v Sara Errani: I think my biggest criticism of Karolina Pliskova is the lack of real tactics when things start going wrong for her. She has a big serve and a heavy forehand, while Pliskova can get to the net, but I think she struggles to change up things when struggling in a match and mentally she finds it tough to handle the big tournaments.

Her Grand Slam record testifies to that, while a player like Sara Errani can expose the mental frailties by making sure she gets plenty of balls back in play.

The Italian has not been in great form in 2016 though and her serve is a real weakness which can be exposed by her opponents. I also think Errani might have lost half a step around the court which means she can't just hope to wear down opponents over the long haul and it is a surprise that she has more wins on the hard courts than she has on the clay courts through 2016.

That hard court record has been boosted by her surprising win in Dubai, and Errani would be 5-8 on the hard courts this year without that title win. Of those eight losses, Errani has failed to get within this number seven times and I think Pliskova has enough power to blow her off the court over the course of this match. At the end of last season, Pliskova beat Errani very easily on a hard court and I think she can take this match 64, 64.


Madison Keys - 5.5 games v Madison Brengle: On first glance I thought this might be a lot of games for the inconsistent Madison Keys to overcome, but she has been far stronger than Madison Brengle in their head to heads and I think that will continue. Keys has won all three previous matches while covering this number of games although this is the first time they have played in 2016.

Keys has had some strong runs on the hard courts, but she is yet to really make a breakthrough despite being up to Number 12 in the World Rankings. There is so much potential in the Keys game, but the expectation is there that she can finally win a really big tournament to show she is ready to fulfil that potential.

She is going to have the power over Brengle, but the issue for Keys is going to be consistently hitting her marks to keep her compatriot under pressure.

Brengle has taken some overpowering losses on the hard courts over the last twelve months, but she has also shown she can get the better of opponents who might not be in top form. However I liked how Keys played in the First Round and I think she will have the majority of the break points through this match which should give her every chance to come through 75, 62 and move into the Third Round.

MY PICKS: John Isner - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)
David Goffin - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Fabio Fognini - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 William Hill (2 Units)
Jack Sock - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Sky Bet (2 Units)
Gael Monfils - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Agnieszka Radwanska - 5.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet365 (2 Units)
Karolina Pliskova - 3.5 Games @ 1.73 Bet365 (2 Units)
Madison Keys - 5.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 9-4, + 7.86 Units (26 Units Staked, + 30.23% Yield)

ATP World Tour Finals Day 8 Picks 2015 (November 22nd)

This is the final week of the regular tennis Tour and the Final of the ATP World Tour Finals is played on Sunday with just the Davis Cup Final to be played next week.

It is a concern when you think of some of the events that have been happening in Belgium over the last twenty-four hours and anyone who is travelling to see the Davis Cup Final needs to make sure they stay safe although it looks like Belgium will be hosting the Final as was scheduled.


On Sunday the two best players in the world, in my opinion if not the World Rankings just yet, will meet in the Final at the O2 Arena and it is the Final that most would have predicted at the start of the tournament.

Hopefully I will be able to end the week with another winner after a good tournament, although this season has been far from the level I expect of myself. July-October were terrible months when I made some mistake and perhaps overruled my head, but it is something I will take on board and look to improve in 2016 and get back to the winning years.


Novak Djokovic - 3.5 games v Roger Federer: For the second time this week and for the second time in consecutive seasons, Novak Djokovic is set to face Roger Federer at the O2 Arena in the World Tour Finals. Last season was an anti-climax as Roger Federer pulled out of the Final due to injury which meant he focused on the Davis Cup Final, but this year both players look in strong form and the Final should be very good to watch.

Both Djokovic and Federer came through their Semi Final matches in straight sets and both looked very good in their wins over Rafael Nadal and Stan Wawrinka respectively. The edge on that form has to be given to Novak Djokovic who was very, very good, but Roger Federer might have the mental edge having beaten Djokovic in the Group a few days ago.

How much am I going to stake in that result? Not that much actually because Novak Djokovic admitted he had been very loose in the second set to let the match get away from him. The fact is that that wasn't an elimination match so Djokovic might have let his focus wander, but that is not likely to happen in the Final.

It is a big Final for Federer too who can still take over as World Number 2 for the end of season Rankings if he wins the tournament and Andy Murray isn't successful in the Davis Cup next week. However, Federer hasn't looked himself the last couple of matches (not talking about the new-look bearded Federer) and he has won through sheer will.

That isn't enough against the World Number 1 who I think will be much better in all aspects of his game than he was in his straight sets loss to Federer. As I said earlier in the week, the conditions should suit Djokovic more than Federer and he has won three in a row at the O2 in the World Tour Finals which backs up that belief.

I thought Djokovic would win 75, 64 earlier this week and I was wrong... However, I think he is the right favourite here and I will look for Djokovic to just be a little more solid all around and take his chances this time around. Federer might not be at 100% when it comes to his health as I still think he could be suffering from a cold he had on Thursday and I think Djokovic wins the title with an impressive win to round up an impressive 2016 season.

MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic - 3.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet Fred (2 Units)

World Tour Finals Update: 9-5, + 6.90 Units (28 Units Staked, + 24.64% Yield)

Wimbledon Day 13 Picks 2014- Men's Final: Novak Djokovic v Roger Federer (July 6th)

The women's Final wasn't the competitive one that some imagined as Petra Kvitova blew Eugenie Bouchard off the court- I am not a fan of the media coverage of Bouchard, the new blonde WTA player on the scene that gets a disproportionate amount of newspaper columns compared with other players, but the player deserves a lot of respect.

Getting to three consecutive Grand Slam Semi Finals and also going a step further at Wimbledon is a successful season to this point, but Bouchard was a little overwhelmed by the power that Kvitova brought onto the court.

I did feel a little deja vu when watching Kvitova dismantle Bouchard through sheer power as a reminder of her first win at Wimbledon when it looked like the dawn of a new era of women's tennis. The same feeling went through me when watching the Final on Saturday and this 24 year old from the Czech Republic should certainly be better equipped to move forward as the Wimbledon Champion than she was in 2011.

Kvitova has said so much in her post-match comments to the media and I hope this does give her the confidence to make a move up the Rankings and become a consistent threat in every Slam going forward.


On Sunday, the men's Final takes centre stage on Centre Court and looks to be a fascinating one between two genuine rivals in Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. Hopefully it will live up to the hype and end the daily picks from Wimbledon with a positive note and make for a strong tournament after a tough start.


Novak Djokovic - 2.5 games v Roger Federer: History has been something that Roger Federer has been creating through his career, but he can still make another little footnote by becoming the first men's player to win the Wimbledon title eight times in his career.

Standing in his way is Novak Djokovic who must be feeling the pressure of ending his wait for a Grand Slam title after coming so close over the last fourteen months to adding to his tally, but losing some huge matches in that time.

Djokovic has lost in the Final of three of the last four Grand Slams including the Final at Wimbledon last season and he has won one of the last three Finals on Centre Court. Add in a big Semi Final loss at Roland Garros in 2013 and there were some suggestions that Djokovic has failed to win the 'big matches' in the last eighteen months.

Consistency has been key for Djokovic to keep him in the top two of the World Rankings, but winning the title is a huge motivation for him and he has come through two tough Rounds which should have him battle hardened for this Final. Importantly, Djokovic managed to come through in four sets in the Semi Final which means there should be enough in the tank to challenge Roger Federer who has been in immense form the last two weeks.

The serve has been key for Federer who has only been broken once through the tournament, but has not faced a returner of the talent of Djokovic through the event.

Federer has been aggressive with plenty of forays into the net and he will look to dictate behind the forehand. I also think he has a very strong tennis mind which will have noted the problems the slice that Grigor Dimitrov used against Novak Djokovic in the Semi Final did cause for the Serb and I expect Federer to employ that off the backhand side.

The serve will definitely need to be working perfectly for Federer to win the match, although the general conditions might not favour him so much with cooler temperatures than we have seen for most of the two weeks. It will also be a little damp as rain is scheduled in the morning, but not long enough for the match to be played under the roof.

That would have given Federer a bit more of an edge in the contest I feel, but he might be forced to push a little more in this one with the ball perhaps not travelling as quick as it has been. It will affect Federer getting into the net too as Djokovic might have a little more time to line up his passing shots and I do think the World Number 2 will win this match, although it will likely last at least four sets.

I would recommend keeping an eye on the weather as closing the roof would shift my thought towards Federer winning an eighth title in SW19, but I will begin by picking Novak Djokovic to come through 64, 63, 36, 64.

MY PICK: Novak Djokovic - 2.5 Games @ 2.10 Pinnacle (2 Units)

Wimbledon Update: 38-28, + 22.94 Units (123 Units Staked, + 18.65% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2013 (July 26th)

A couple of players exited the same tournament in Gstaad on Thursday and both of those have got a lot of questions as to where their career is going.

The first 'big name' to be beaten in Gstaad was Janko Tipsarevic who is having a terrible season on the Tour. He is likely to fall out of the top 20 at some point in the next month and he is far removed from the player that made to the ATP End of Year Championships in London last season and one who has 106 wins on the Tour in 2011 and 2012 combined.

This year he has 14 wins and I would question who helps him compile his schedule- for an out of form player, getting on to the clay could be a godsend as that is the best surface to build rhythm and confidence and this time last year, Tipsarevic reached back to back Finals in Stuttgart and here in Switzerland.

However, some 'smart' advisor suggested taking the appearance fee from the tournament being held in Bogota on the hard courts was the smart option to take before flying back to Europe for the tournament here. This is all before the Masters tournaments to be held in North America and the last thing an out of form player needs is to put in a lot of travelling and trying to accustom themselves to new time zones.

I am a big fan of Tipsarevic and what he has brought to the table in the last couple of seasons, but he has to find out whether he wants to put in the effort to get back up the Rankings by winning matches, or whether he is comfortable falling into the abyss outside of the top 20 in the World Rankings.


Another player that needs to find a better rhythm is Roger Federer who fell to another disappointing defeat on Thursday- I was worried that he is a little too erratic these days to beat the best players, but losing three matches to players that are 55 or worse in the World Rankings is beginning to get more and more people questioning whether the 17 time Grand Slam winner has much left in the tank.

There is an old saying that is used in boxing a lot of time and that is that no man can beat Father Time, the one fight that will always be a step too far.

It feels like Federer is playing Father Time these days and it looks like he is losing that battle on court. His serve lacks the bite that helped him to 17 Grand Slams and he is really erratic on his groundstrokes, while his loss to Daniel Brands was not the first time he has lost the key points in matches over the last five weeks.

The talk about reaching the Olympics in Rio in three years time looks like it won't actually become a reality and I don't know how much longer we are going to see Federer on the Tour- you have to remember that he is turning 32 next month and winning all those titles in his career means he has a LOT of tennis in his legs.

With a fair few points to defend over the next three months, there is every chance that Federer will finish this season perhaps as low as Number 7 in the World Rankings, especially if he can't find the form that we know he is capable of. It might not be like watching your favourite boxer suddenly get old in the ring, but there is something a little sad to see this once great player struggling to match players he would have dismissed without a second thought in his prime.

I really believe the next six weeks will give us a strong indication of how long we will see Federer on the Tour- he has always spoken about playing as long as he enjoys the game, but early defeats in Montreal, Cincinnati and Flushing Meadows would surely get him thinking about calling it a day. He has a young family and has nothing left to prove in the game while I can't imagine him enjoying playing on the circuit if he Ranking drops to a position where he could be facing the best players on the ATP at the Quarter Final stage of Grand Slams rather than the Semi and Finals he has in the past.

Too many times we have already seen premature obituaries written about Roger Federer's career, but the last month, and most of 2013, suggests a permanent decline and one that could see the former World Number 1 call it a day on the Tour.


I don't really know what to say about the news that Victor Troicki is going to be banned until January 2015 after he failed to provide a blood sample at the Monte Carlo Masters back in April. He was unwell and thought he would be excused after providing a urine sample, but it has proven not to be the case.

I have no doubt he will appeal the decision to ban him for eighteen months, but it is a sad state of affairs. There has not been a sudden upturn in form to suggest anything was being hidden by Troicki and I think tennis loses a character in an era when there aren't too many of those around. This will be an interesting story to follow in the coming weeks.


The picks had their ups and downs on Thursday, although I am a touch disappointed considering Dominika Cibulkova was broken when serving for the match before wrapping it up in a tie-break, but missing the cover. Alexandr Dolgopolov was clearly not quite right but finished his defeat, while Victor Hanescu was two games from winning the match when his opponent retired. The Hanescu pick was returned as a void, but a later retirement from Michael Russell in his match against Santiago Giraldo was settled as a winner as at least one set was completed, which is the rule with that layer.

It is still a positive week, but it could have been a little better with a little more luck landing on the side of the picks. Now we reach the Quarter Finals at the five tournaments being played and hopefully Friday will produce another positive day.


Victor Hanescu v Daniel Brands: It was a case of big serving at just the right time and taking his opportunities to break serve when they came up that helped Daniel Brands produce a surprise win over Roger Federer in the Second Round on Thursday.

It was another impressive performance from Brands who has now won 4 and lost 5 sets competed against Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on the clay courts this season, but I have a feeling he is in a perfect letdown spot here.

That doesn't even take into account that Victor Hanescu is a pretty solid clay court player himself- both Hanescu and Brands will be aided by the conditions in Gstaad and it won't be a surprise if we see at least one, possibly two, tie-breakers in this one. The Romanian served very well in his win over Roberto Bautista-Agut and I believe that Hanescu is going to be a little more solid at the key times in this one.


Stanislas Wawrinka - 3.5 games v Feliciano Lopez: This might not have been a tournament where Stanislas Wawrinka has excelled in the past, but he is the favourite to win it now that Roger Federer has been beaten.

It won't be an easy match for him against Feliciano Lopez who has shown a lot of decent form in the last couple of months. Lopez has a serve that can get him out of trouble, while the court has played pretty quickly this week to aid the Spaniard. However, he will be put under pressure by an aggressive Wawrinka serve and the left hander may not get a lot of change out of the Wawrinka backhand when they get into cross court rallies.

The Swiss player will need to serve effectively and can't lose concentration as he did in the second set against Daniel Gimeno-Traver in the last Round. There is a chance that we could see a tie-break which will make it tougher for Wawrinka to cover this spread, but I have a feeling that the Number 2 seed is going to find a way to win each set with a break of serve more than Lopez.


Fabio Fognini - 3.5 games v Martin Klizan: While I have always respected the Fabio Fognini talent, I had a feeling he was going to be someone that was happy coasting on the Tour and enjoying life as a tennis player. Over the last month he has really highlighted how good his 2013 season has been and the performance against Thiemo De Bakker showed a new mental strength.

In the match with De Bakker, Fognini was down 1-5 in the first set after being broken in all three opening service games, but he fought back to win 9 games in a row and go on for a comfortable win.

It was impressive watching Fognini getting back into that match and I expect he is going to be able to give Martin Klizan similar problems by nullifying the serve to an extent. The left handed Klizan poses a different problem, but he has struggled against some of the hard-working movers on the Tour over the last month and we could see the same here.

Klizan can be inconsistent with his groundstrokes and Fognini will force him to earn a lot of the points and that could prove to be the difference in this one. There is the concern that Fognini will run out of steam at some point after winning back to back tournaments, but he looks like he is going out on to the court with the full confidence of expecting to win the match and I like him to come through 75, 64.


Albert Montanes v Gael Monfils: It is weird to see that Albert Montanes has a 4-1 head to head lead over Gael Monfils, winning all 4 matches played on the clay courts including twice earlier this season.

You would expect Monfils to be able to come through this type of match as they are similar players- both will use their ability to outlast opponents and will look to force their opponent to play one more ball and grind them down.

Then you would say Monfils has the better serve and is heavier of the ground, while also being the better athlete, but that hasn't panned out. The match in Monte Carlo was incredibly close with just one point separating the players in a three set match, while Montanes got off to a quick start when they met in the Final at Nice just before the French Open.

I don't know whether it is down to Monfils not really being as comfortable on the clay courts as Montanes, or whether he just feels the additional pressure of having to make one more ball himself rather than forcing his opponent to. Whatever it is, I think a small interest in Montanes as the outsider is warranted with the way the match ups have gone between them.


James Blake + 2.5 games v John Isner: This doesn't look a lot of games on the spread, but I believe it is better to have them in the bank during a match that could be a lot closer than the layers believe.

James Blake has played pretty well to come through a couple of matches here in Atlanta already, while John Isner is certainly having a down season. The hard courts will suit both of these players games, particularly the big serve that Isner possesses, but that can sometimes blind people to the match up on the court.

One thing you will have to remember about James Blake is that he can be very aggressive on his return of serve and that can cause Isner some problems as the ball comes back to him almost before he has finished his serving action. With that in mind, I think Blake has a great chance to win at least a set in this match and that will make it difficult for Isner to get over the spread.

Blake has also been serving pretty well, for the most part, this week and this has the making of a tight three setter. Both of their previous meetings have needed three sets to separate these players and Blake has been playing well enough this week to give Isner all he can handle.


Santiago Giraldo v Ryan Harrison: I am going to have a small interest on Santiago Giraldo in this match simply because I don't believe Ryan Harrison should be an odds on favourite to beat anyone in any kind of form after a poor 2013.

Harrison has dropped out of the top 100 in the World Rankings and he had won just 6 matches on the main Tour before this week. While the hard courts are his favoured surface and he has a couple of wins this week, Harrison's confidence can't be in a great place and someone who can play solid tennis may just give him a few problems.

That is where Santiago Giraldo can take advantage as he can play at a decent level- he has a good serve and can definitely string together winners to earn breaks of serve. He remained solid in his win over Michael Russell in the Second Round yesterday and I do think the Colombian will make life very tough for Harrison in this one.

Can he do enough to win? I think it is entirely possible, although for just a small interest.


Kevin Anderson - 3.5 games v Denis Istomin: I have picked Denis Istomin twice this week and he has come good by winning both matches without dropping a set and has shown some solid form.

However, he is going to have an altogether different challenge in the form of Kevin Anderson who served very effectively in his win over Matthew Ebden to open his tournament here in Atlanta.

Anderson can put a lot of pressure on his opponents when he is serving as well as he did yesterday and anything similar will give him a very strong chance to see of Istomin in this one. And the Uzbekistan player has to be careful that he isn't as generous on his own serve as he was in the opening set against Yen-Hsun Lu last night.

Istomin threw in too many double faults in that match, while his second serve points won were below par- anything similar against Anderson will make it tough for him to get back into the match.

The hard courts in North America certainly do see the best of Istomin's game as the speed of the court makes his game more dangerous. I think he can force a tie-break in one set, but Anderson may be a little too strong overall and record a 76, 63 win.


MY PICKS: Victor Hanescu @ 2.10 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Stanislas Wawrinka - 3.5 Games @ 2.05 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Fabio Fognini - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Albert Montanes @ 2.40 Pinnacle (1 Unit)
James Blake + 2.5 Games @ 1.92 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Santiago Giraldo @ 2.33 Pinnacle (1 Unit)
Kevin Anderson - 3.5 Games @ 2.10 Pinnacle (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 13-8, + 7.82 Units (42 Units Staked, + 18.62% Yield)

Tennis Outright Picks 2013 (July 22-28)

Once again, Roger Federer has been beaten at the Semi Final stage of a tournament he would have steamrolled in his pomp and the questions remain about whether the 17 time Grand Slam winner is now in terminal decline.

He has always spoken about playing on until the next Olympic Games, but those are beginning to look a long three years away and I don't think Federer's ego will allow him to continue playing if he drops out of the top 10 in the World Rankings. That isn't likely in the immediate future, but he could have dropped a little more in twelve months time, especially with more and more players thinking they have the beating of Federer.

However, I am going to hold off on my judgement on Federer's future now he has picked up a new racquet and he will need a couple of tournaments to get a feel for that bat. The only issue I have with Federer's game that is unlikely to be given much of a change is the serve- he is definitely not as dominant behind that shot as he was a year ago and he is being made to work a lot harder to hold on to service games than he has in the last ten years on the Tour.

Another problem for Federer to overcome these days is that a lot more players feel they can beat him if they are on their game- that awe of playing the 'greatest player ever' is certainly not there at the moment, although that would quickly change if he starts winning tournaments again.


While Federer could not win as the favourite in Hamburg, it was down to Fabio Fognini to lift the title. This is only his second title on the ATP Tour, and comes just a week after he won in Bastad and it is clear the Italian is feeling very confident on the courts at the moment. He has had the talent, but has never shown the consistency he has this season, but now he looks a dangerous customer for most players on the clay, although it will be interesting to see if he can push on when the Tour reaches the hard courts of North America ahead of the US Open.

Either way, he will likely be making a leap into the top 20 in the World Rankings and that is a great achievement from a player that didn't look like he was going to convert his potential in the right manner.


Serena Williams won the tournament in Bastad and I am still not quite sure why she decided to play that event, particularly as she is skipping Stanford next week, a tournament that the best WTA players usually begin with in their preparation for the US Open next month.

It might have been down to something her sponsor has put in place or perhaps as the French Open Champion, Williams felt she should play one more clay court event this season, or might simply be because her big name rivals for the last Grand Slam of the year are also skipping the tournament.


It wasn't a good week for the picks, well the last two days were the poor ones that left the week in the red. Both outright picks made the business end of the tournaments in Hamburg and Bogota, both losing to the eventual winners, but it was not to be and that was a disappointment.

With a little more luck, it would have been another positive week, but it had been a good month so I can't complain too much. We have five tournaments being played this week as a new game begins.


ATP Gstaad
Just after Wimbledon was concluded, we learnt that Roger Federer was taking a Wild Card at two events in July- the first was in Hamburg last week and the second was in Gstaad to be played in front of his Swiss supporters.

The draw for the Number 1 seed could not be much better as far as I am concerned and this looks the perfect chance for Federer to double his number of titles this season. The first bonus for Federer is that he 'only' has to beat four players to win the title here while the seeded players in this section, Roberto Bautista-Agut, Juan Monaco, and Mikhail Youzhny will not hold too many fears for Federer.

Even the non-seeded players don't present a lot of dangers for Federer and I think it would be a huge surprise if he is not playing next Sunday.

It is very likely that we will see an all-Swiss Final next week as the Number 2 seed here is Stanislas Wawrinka and he is a player that is very capable on the clay courts and also has a reasonable draw in front of him.

However, Wawrinka has only reached one Final in Gstaad despite appearing here ten times in the past, although I can't pinpoint who is most likely to come through this half of the draw if the Swiss player can't make it through.

Janko Tipsarevic is playing here after flying from Bogota last week, while the clay is certainly not the favoured surface of Feliciano Lopez. It could be a couple of former winners that are able to take the most advantage of the draw as both Thomaz Bellucci (won here last season) and Marcel Granollers (winner in 2011) may go deep in the draw if they get through tough First Round encounters.


With the way the draw has panned out, it is tough to look past Roger Federer to add to his list of titles at an event that he does hold dear and backing him looks the call at odds against.


ATP Atlanta
This tournament is the first of the US Open hard court series as the build up to the final Grand Slam of the season will begin.

In the past, a big American contingent would turn up in Atlanta to open the run to the US Open and all three previous editions of the tournament have been won by an American- Andy Roddick won last season and Mardy Fish had won the first two editions, although he makes his return from large injury problems this time around.

John Isner is the Number 1 seed here this week and he looks in the tougher half of the draw in my opinion. He could meet Alejandro Falla, fresh off reaching the Final in Bogota last week, as early as the Second Round, but the biggest threat may just come through Lleyton Hewitt.

The Australian had a solid grass court season and he has a decent record against Isner by winning the last two matches between the pair and also holding a 5-1 head to head record. Hewitt loves playing a lot of the big servers as they give him the pace that makes his return of serve so effective, but he could face a tough battle against Ivan Dodig in the Quarter Final and it is tough to feel totally confident of which player comes through the section.

A man I backed last week could come to the fore in Kevin Anderson- the big serving South African is in the easier half of the draw as the Number 2 seed this week and he has had a very good 2013 while he reached the Semi Final last week in Bogota.

He could face his conqueror from last week in the Second Round in Ivo Karlovic, but the latter won the tournament last week and could be struggling for a bit of fitness after going three months off the Tour. Other players like Denis Istomin and Igor Sijsling could cause some problems, while the aforementioned Mardy Fish is coming off a long lay off so Anderson looks the call from this half.


A small interest on Kevin Anderson going a little better than in Bogota last week looks the call here. 


MY PICKS: Roger Federer @ 2.20 Boyle Sports (2 Units)
Kevin Anderson @ 5.00 Bet Victor (1 Unit)


Tennis Outright Picks (July 15-21): 0-2, - 3 Units (3 Units Staked, - 100% Yield)
Tennis Daily Picks (July 15-21): 10-12, - 4.92 Units (44 Units Staked, - 11.18% Yield)

Season 2013: + 27.30 Units (853.5 Units Staked, + 3.20% Yield)

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

Tennis Picks Indian Wells 2013 (March 15th)

The tennis programme was disrupted yesterday as both Women's Quarter Finals didn't even get started with withdrawals for both Sam Stosur and Victoria Azarenka.

However, the big match between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer did go ahead and it was very anti-climatic in the end as the latter just wasn't fit enough to get anything going.

It wasn't just the injury, but Nadal playing at a very high level that also saw the match swing the way of the Spaniard. Much like many of their previous matches, the Federer backhand was the weakest shot in the match and he wasn't able to dictate with the forehand which led to an easy win for Nadal.

Unlike the commentators though, I still saw some weaknesses in Nadal's game on his comeback that will likely be exposed by either Novak Djokovic or Andy Murray, but more likely by the former. When Nadal was attacking the Federer backhand, he was still leaving the ball a little short and while that works against the World Number 2, Djokovic will be given time to rip his double hander both down the line and cross-court.

That was the main shot that helped Djokovic begin to dominate the head to head with Nadal over the last couple of seasons and I have little doubt that it will still prove to be the difference when they meet at the moment. However, it is good for the game that Nadal is back and I hope his recovery keeps going in the right direction so we have some big moments to look forward to in the coming months as we approach the French Open and Wimbledon.


One other tough aspect of the Victoria Azarenka withdrawal was that she was my main pick in the outright market from the Women's draw and that means both my picks from that tournament have fallen by the wayside. Roger Federer was another I had onside, but it is not all doom and gloom with both Novak Djokovic and Tomas Berdych both still involved.


Novak Djokovic - 4.5 games v Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga showed tremendous resilience to beat Milos Raonic in the last Round considering he was struggling with a knee issue, but I think that will prove to be the difference in this match.

Unlike Raonic, Novak Djokovic is a very effective returner of serve and so Tsonga will not be given too many opportunities to rattle through his own service games and will be forced to earn his games. With a knee issue in his mind, it can be tough mentally to find enough big shots to beat someone with the defence that Djokovic has and it's a tough ask for the Frenchman in my opinion.

I am expecting Djokovic to find a way to grab a couple of breaks of serve in one of the sets and I am expecting the World Number 1 to roll in this one. Tsonga has not been serving that effectively this week and I think this is too much for him at this moment in time.


Andy Murray - 2.5 games v Juan Martin Del Potro: Anyone who has watched tennis for a few years will know there is no love lost between these two players who have known one another since they were kids.

This is going to be a close match, but I do think the conditions will likely favour Andy Murray a little more as he will be able to get more balls back in play and also be able to defend a little more effectively. It will give Juan Martin Del Potro the chance to swing freely on the slower court, but the big man has looked a little short of fitness and it is mentally taxing trying to hit through a player that continues to make you play one more shot.

It is no real surprise that Murray has the 5-1 head to head record against Del Potro, but many of their matches have been fairly close for the most part. I wouldn't be surprised if this one goes to a third set, but I think Murray will likely find a way to get the job done and I do think he will be able to cover this spread with a 6-4, 6-7, 6-3 win.


Angelique Kerber v Caroline Wozniacki: This is a very slow court in Indian Wells and I think a few of the players have mentioned that it is almost 'clay court prepped' and with that in mind, I am not sure why Angelique Kerber is the underdog in a match against Caroline Wozniacki.

If this was on a clay court, I would favour the German and I think the conditions are going to suit her a little better than Wozniacki. It also has to be taken into consideration that Kerber has won three matches in a row against the Dane, including in three different conditions (one hard court, one clay court, one indoor hard court).

This is likely going to be a match where a deciding set is going to be required, but I think the underdog is going to have plenty of bite in this one. Kerber has won 6 of the last 7 sets that they have competed against one another within the last twelve months and she has to be worth backing in this Semi Final.


MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic - 4.5 Games @ 1.92 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Andy Murray - 2.5 Games @ 1.95 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Angelique Kerber @ 2.20 Pinnacle (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 19-9, + 20.08 Units (55 Units Staked, + 36.51% Yield)

Australian Open Day 12 Picks 2013 (January 25th)

The Woman's Final was set yesterday and we will see Victoria Azarenka get the chance to win back to back Australian Open titles when she faces Na Li.

It was a day full of big stories, the first of those being the way Li completely dismantled Maria Sharapova in possibly her best performance since winning the French Open in 2011. However, that story was put to the back burner thanks to the controversy surrounding Azarenka's win over Sloane Stephens in the second Semi Final.

Most people would know the story- Azarenka choked 5 match points and decided to take a medical time out which lasted 10 minutes. She then came out and subsequently broke Stephen's serve to win the match.

The controversy then started when Azarenka seemed to imply the only reason for her medical time out was because she was 'overwhelmed' and had basically taken the time out to get her emotions in check. Obviously that led to a Twitter blow up, as is the case these days over every major incident in sports, and has irritated many tennis writers around the World.

It is a fact that the medical time out has regularly been used by players to break up play and that is mainly because there is no real consequence to taken one- there was a point when players would go for a 'comfort break' between sets to slow down an opponents momentum, but that has seemingly been replaced by this new method of 'gamesmanship'.

Clearly there are some situations where you need to take a medical time out so it is hard to distinguish between those players who just feel 'overwhelmed' and those who have definite concerns. I heard one commentator say that a good idea would be to use the same rules as they do in boxing.

In boxing, you get one minute between rounds to get your senses- at the end of that minute, you either can get up and continue the fight or you have the choice to quit. That wouldn't be a bad idea for tennis, although the argument does go that spectators could be punished with poor quality matches or players withdrawing with minor issues, especially in smaller events.

This is a real issue for tennis with the bad press Azarenka's decision has made- I really don't know if she was playing the rules or whether something was really wrong, but she is going to be given a lukewarm reaction at best on Saturday in the Final.


After he drama of the Women's Semi Finals, the Men's Semi Final between Novak Djokovic and David Ferrer was a real anti-climax that Djokovic won without really breaking a set. It was a dominating performance from the World Number 1 and I think he is rightly the favourite to win the tournament now, especially if the Andy Murray-Roger Federer Semi Final goes the distance on Friday.


Roger Federer v Andy Murray: I have been thinking about this Semi Final for a couple of days since it was set they were going to meet one another and I have decided that it is worth backing Roger Federer to beat Andy Murray in what could be a classic match.

Both of these Men will be supremely confident they can win, but I just feel Federer won't mind the conditions here and I think he can be a little too good for Murray.

The biggest problem for Federer at the moment are those players that can take the racquet out of his hand and I am not sure Murray is going to be aggressive enough for long enough to do so. I know Murray can get to the Federer serve, but the Swiss man will also have success against the Murray serve, particularly if the British player doesn't reach at least 60% first serves.

I think a lot is being made of the Olympic Final win for Murray, but Federer was absolutely exhausted in that match, both physically and mentally, and I think he is going to be fine with a couple of days rest from his five set win over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. I'll be the first to admit that Federer didn't play that well in that match, but Tsonga was playing above expectations too yet it is Federer who has got through to the Semi Final.

This is a ridiculously close Semi Final so taking the underdog does look the call- I can make cases for either player to win the tournament, but I think Federer is a little more battle tested than Murray and that could see him over the line, possibly in 4 sets.


MY PICKS: Roger Federer @ 2.38 Paddy Power (2 Units)


Australian Open Update: 16-25, - 12.12 Units (74 Units Staked, - 16.4% Yield)

Wimbledon Recap 2012 (July 8th)

The third Grand Slam of the season has come and gone and we have crowned two more players as Champions this season. They are both familiar to winning here at SW19 as Roger Federer and Serena Williams became the latest winners of one of the big prizes this season following on from Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova.

Below, I have a few thoughts from the tournament over the last couple of weeks and then I will show the profit/loss from the tournament and the season as a whole.


Roger Federer is once again a Grand Slam Champion: The last time Roger Federer was lifting one of the big prizes in tennis was back at the Australian Open in 2010 and there would have been a lot of people that thought he was unlikely to win another Grand Slam tournament.


However, he has been working hard to get back to the pinnacle of the Men's game and that has seen him perform the most consistently of all the players since the US Open last year, although he still had not really come close to winning a Grand Slam with the likes of Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal looking a little too strong for him.


Even at this tournament, it did seem that winning the tournament was likely to be beyond him, but his come from behind win over Julien Benneteau proved to be pivotal. Federer also saved his two best performances for the final two matches against Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray and that has also seen him reclaim the World Number 1 Ranking.


Federer is set to surpass the record that Pete Sampras had held for most weeks at World Number 1 and that should also leave him in good stead going into the Olympics and the US Open later this season.


It truly is a remarkable achievement to see Federer return to the Number 1 spot, particularly in this era where the depth in the Men's game is so strong and I do think it strengthens his claims to go down as the 'Greatest Player in History'. A lot of people would have ruled him out ever winning another Grand Slam, let alone getting back to Number 1, but it is the mark of the man that he has managed to do so.


I have always thought it would be tough for Federer to go down as the 'Greatest' if Rafa Nadal can reach, say 15 Grand Slams, particularly with the head to head record between the two players, but if Federer can add another couple of Slams to his record, it will be tough to surpass him.


I remember hearing Federer speak about getting to 20 Grand Slams before he retires and you wouldn't want to bet against him considering the desire and belief he has shown to get back to World Number 1... Do I think he will get to 20? I find that tough to believe with Federer reaching 31 years old next month and with the likes of Djokovic and Nadal around.




Is Federer now the favourite to win the Gold medal at the Olympics?: I think the fact the Olympics are going to be played on grass was always going to help Federer more than it hurt him, but I still think Rafael Nadal is the player that could cause problems and should still be the man to beat, along with Novak Djokovic, when it comes to the Gold Medal.


The best news about reaching World Number 1 for Federer is that he doesn't necessarily have to beat both Nadal and Djokovic, as he would have had to at this tournament if the Spaniard had not been beaten early, but the draw is still very important to his chances.


The grass courts are probably the only courts where Federer is less vulnerable to the big hitters, but the likes of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Tomas Berdych (who also beat Federer at the Olympics in Athens in 2004) would still think they have a chance of knocking him off, especially in a best of three sets match.


As I said, the draw is very important to decide who should be the favourite, but I still think the two Men immediately below him in the Rankings should be leading the markets.




How will Andy Murray be received by the public following his loss: First things first, I think Andy Murray should be given a lot of credit for reaching the Wimbledon Final and his performance should not be criticised as he really did give his all and came up a little short.


There was a moment in the second set when he missed a couple of balls that he had been dealing with previously and there were some comparisons with his loss to Rafael Nadal in the Semi Final at Wimbledon last year when he had an easy forehand to go a set and a break up on the Spaniard.


While there can't be anything disparaging to be said about Murray's performance, I think the genuine disappointment and tears at the post-match interview on the court will have adhered him to the millions that were watching on TV and I think he will have more sympathy and fans from that.


Murray apologised for Federer as he felt it may have taken away from the Swiss man's victory, but it did show a side of him that many would not have seen before and I think that can only be a good thing for a player that doesn't look the happiest on the court.




Why do so many think Murray does not deserve the support of the home fans?: I have heard from a few people that they wouldn't be backing Andy Murray after what he said about the England team back in 2006.


If you don't know, all Murray said was that he was supporting 'anyone but England' in the football World Cup, but it was a tongue-in-cheek comment that seems to have riled up a lot of English people.


I heard many say they don't like him because of those comments, but I am unashamedly a Murray fan- yes, he can look a little miserable at time, but he seems to have a dry sense of humour that I appreciate and I think he is actually a lot easier to get on with off the court than on it.


Personally, I have never seen the need to 'support' a person based on their nationality when it comes to individual sports as they are doing things for themselves first and foremost- so if someone says they don't like Murray because he looks a miserable bastard, fair enough... But to not like him for a comment made as a teenager looks a little silly as far as I am concerned, especially as I don't think anyone would want to be judged by what they said as teenagers I'm sure.




People should talk about a 'top three' not a 'top four': I have already said I like Andy Murray so I hope this is not read as being too critical of him, but I do think the use of 'big four' should be put on the back-burner by those in the media from now on and until Murray wins a Grand Slam.


The top three players look a level above Murray at the moment and I think there is actually a smaller gap between him and David Ferrer at Number 5 than there is between Murray and Rafa Nadal at Number 3.


We have to appreciate all the success Murray has had already in his career, but I just think it is doing the Djokovic, Federer and Nadal's of this World a disservice by not placing them head and shoulders above the rest in the Men's field.


IF Murray can win a Grand Slam, he would at least be in the same kind of conversation as the three players above him, especially as it could lead to further success at Slam level, but this term 'big four' has to be retired until Murray does win one.




Serena Williams is back on her throne: All the talk pre-Wimbledon was about the huge achievements that Maria Sharapova had made by winning just her fourth Grand Slam, albeit completing a career Grand Slam, but the real Queen of Women's tennis can now say she is back on her throne after winning the title here.


Serena Williams has managed to beat a life-threatening illness and won her first Grand Slam since winning Wimbledon in July 2010, but that win means she has more Wimbledon titles than Sharapova has Grand Slams- that should put it into perspective what kind of achievements Sharapova has and how much they are blown out of proportion compared to her peer in Williams.


It was important for Williams to win this title having fallen far short at the Australian and French Opens this season and also being surprised by Sam Stosur in the Final of the US Open last year.


The win will give Serena the belief that she can go on and really stamp her place in the history of the Women's game with further Grand Slam success and I think there is a vacuum in the Women's tour at the moment to suggest she can go on and dominate.


I think Serena will be the favourite to win the Olympic Gold Medal and the US Open and I wouldn't want to bet against her right now with the confidence likely to have reached new heights.




Wimbledon is the latest in successful Grand Slam events: Wimbledon is the latest tournament where the outright picks have been very successful as I once again managed to get both the Men's and Women's Champion in the staking plan.


That means I have been successful in identifying the Winner of both the Men's and Women's events at all three Grand Slams so far.


Anyone who reads the blog with any regularity will know I don't like talking about my successes any more than the failures, but this is one thing I am extremely happy with.




Wimbledon Daily Picks Final: 21-17, + 8.88 Units (72 Units Staked)


Wimbledon Outright Picks Final: + 12.50 Units (9 Units Staked)


Wimbledon 2012 Final: + 21.38 Units (81 Units Staked)


Season 2012 Update: + 73.12 Units (609 Units Staked, 12.01% Yield)


Season 2011: + 82.02 Units

Wimbledon Day 13 Picks - Men's Final (July 8th 2012)

I am going to have a full recap of the Wimbledon event after this one is completed tomorrow, so I will use this post to solely make my pick for the Men's Final.

Roger Federer - 3.5 games v Andy Murray: It looks like it is going to be a rainy day tomorrow so I would be very surprised if the organisers of the tournament do not decide to shut the roof and that should favour Roger Federer of the two players in action.

If you want to get the British 'feel good factor', then it would probably be best to read the BBC or one of the daily newspapers that will be talking about that side of the match as I just want to concentrate on the match.

Andy Murray is trying to play down the expectations on his shoulders by describing Roger Federer as the favourite, but he won't be able to completely forget that the whole nation is watching and waiting in anticipation. Murray got tight to a certain extent in the last couple of sets against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and he was looking a little tired mentally at the end of that match.

Federer is also playing under a lot of expectation, but he has won 16 Grand Slam titles so he knows how to deal with it, at least that is what we expect. However, he has not won a title since the Australian Open in 2010 and so there is a chance he may get a little nervous if the finish line is in sight.

The big problem for Murray may just be the conditions tomorrow and the indoor court will favour Federer heavily in my opinion. It should make it easier for the Swiss man to dominate points behind his serve and forehand and we saw him make full use of that against Novak Djokovic in the Semi Final.

The backhand side is Murray's strength, but I think he will need to be more attacking on that side if he is to win this match, while he has to keep serving as big as he has been at critical times.

Unfortunately for Murray, this is by far the toughest opponent he would have seen over the last couple of weeks and I think there has been enough signs that he might not have enough to overcome an opponent of the quality of Federer.

Federer has had bigger scares in the tournament, but I think he has got to the peak of his performances at just the right time and I expect he will win this one in three or four sets and cover this handicap.


MY PICKS: Roger Federer - 3.5 games @ 1.90 BoyleSports (2 Units)


Wimbledon Update: 20-17, + 7.08 Units (70 Units Staked)

Tennis Recap (June 11-17)

Another week has gone by on the Tour and we are now just seven days from the start of the third Grand Slam of the season at Wimbledon. That means we have the last of the grass court events starting this week before Wimbledon and most of the top players will be playing exhibition events rather than proper tournaments.

It was a controversial end to the tournament at Queens this week and where else can I start?!


David Nalbandian is disqualified in the Final at Queens: I haven't seen anything like what happened on Sunday as David Nalbandian was forced to default the Final at Queens even though he was leading 1-0 in sets and was a break down in the second set.


I am sure most of you would have seen the incident when Nalbandian kicked the sponsors panel that shattered and ended up cutting a line judge's leg- it was a really unfortunate incident, but I can't excuse it and there could really have only been one way that match was going to go as soon as he did what he did.


I do think it was out of order to get Nalbandian to have an immediate interview on court where the questions were too much when someone is still in an emotional state. All they had to do was to get Nalbandian to apologise and move on rather than pushing for him to answer questions- how many of us would be in a position to speak at such an emotional juncture?


I am glad to see that Nalbandian has since released a couple of statements showing how apologetic he is about the whole situation, while he was the same in the press interview afterwards when he was a little calmer.


It is already a shame that Nalbandian will lose his prize money and his ranking points from the event, points that would have seen him likely seeded for Wimbledon.


I don't agree with the numpties who are 'demanding' that he serves a suspension as I think the fact is he has come to Queens and basically played while losing money all week with no prize money or ranking points gained- that is enough punishment, as well as the shame in losing a Final in the manner he did, so the idea that he should be suspended is beyond laughable.


The kick was a mistake and he didn't intend to hit the line judge, so I think the punishment is already complete.


I was fortunate enough to meet Nalbandian this week and have a quick chat with him- he was friendly, happy to sign my ticket and also to have a photo taken and all this was around an hour before he was due on court so I wasn't disappointed in meeting my favourite player of the last ten years- it's a shame that he couldn't get his name on the winners board, but I hope he does come back in the coming years.


Least now I won't hear the numerous people asking who is at the event(!)




The difference in Roger Federer's and Rafael Nadal's defeats at Halle: I have said for some time that I don't think Roger Federer is at 100% with his health and I expect he will take the time off between Wimbledon and the Olympic games. His defeat in the Final at Halle was disappointing and he has looked a little jaded at times during the week.


I find it very hard to imagine that he can go to Wimbledon and have a real chance of winning the tournament with the way he has been playing since winning in Madrid- he struggled to put away lesser opponents at the French Open and he just hasn't looked right to me in using the eye test.


There will be some out there that are wondering why I have these concerns about Federer and not the same thing when it comes to Rafael Nadal and the answer is pretty simple- Nadal has never really had a strong pedigree in the tournament between the French Open and Wimbledon, unlike Federer.


Nadal has won the tournament at Queens, but 4 of his 5 appearances at that tournament has seen him go out at the Quarter Final stage and he has reached the Final at Wimbledon or won that event soon after.


All Nadal considers at this stage is to get a bit of practice on the grass and he has done that and I have no doubt he will be ready for Wimbledon. The draw will still be important to see whether he can get to the Final and win the event, but that will be analysed at the end of the coming week.




Should we read anything into all the seeds falling at Queens?: It was a strange tournament all around at Queens, culminating in the David Nalbandian situation, but the question is what to read into all the top seeds falling so quickly at the tournament.


Andy Murray, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Andy Roddick and Janko Tipsarevic were all early losers, but I don't think we should read anything into it... Well nothing more than it just being one of those tournaments where it happens from time to time.


Murray and Tipsarevic will be going on to The Boodles this week to play some exhibition matches to get up to speed on the grass, while Andy Roddick is playing down in Eastbourne although he has been given a tough draw against Sam Querrey, but the biggest news may be about Tsonga.




Will Jo-Wilfried Tsonga make it to Wimbledon?: This was the biggest news (before the David Nalbandian situation) coming out of Queens as far as I was concerned as the Frenchman has potentially broken a finger and could be forced to miss Wimbledon.


This will be a big shame for the event, especially after Tsonga's performance at the French Open which had seemed to have filled him with confidence for the grass court season.


Outside of the top four players in the World, I thought Tsonga had the best chance to really have an impact at Wimbledon so I am looking forward to hearing what has happened to his finger and whether he is going to be missing.


The suggestions are that he will be fine and will be in the field next Monday, but I think I will keep an eye on him and see if he takes part in any exhibition matches.


If fully fit and ready to go, Tsonga could really make people sit up and take notice in the coming weeks with Wimbledon and the Olympic games both taking place on the grass he loves playing on.




Weekly Final: + 3.76 Units (18 Units Staked)


Season 2012 Update: + 61.74 Units (510 Units Staked, 12.11% Yield)


Season 2011: + 82.02 Units