World Series of Darts Finals Day 3 Picks 2026 (Saturday 19th September)

The format moves into a best of nineteen Leg Second Round at the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam and that means the eight matches to be played on Saturday are going to be split across two Sessions.

It is a busy day, but one that should produce plenty of high quality darts for fans to enjoy.

Josh Rock v Ryan Searle: This has been set as a pick 'em contest in the Second Round after the odds had opened up with Josh Rock as a narrow underdog.

That felt out of place after the opening performances of both players, while Ryan Searle has perhaps not kicked on from his run to the World Championship Semi Final as well as he would have hoped.

It has not been the ideal season for Josh Rock, but he looked in really sharp form in the win over Stephen Bunting and can outlast Heavy Metal.

Ross Smith - 2.5 legs v Daryl Gurney: Credit has to be given to Daryl Gurney for rallying and beating home favourite Michael van Gerwen in the First Round, but there is also little doubt that he was let off the hook when trailing 5-3 and having lost five consecutive Legs.

That is unlikely to be the case if he gives Ross Smith the same kind of momentum.

Daryl Gurney will have taken plenty of confidence from beating van Gerwen, but his recent form has been very disappointing and in sharp contrast to the kind of darts that Ross Smith has been throwing.

It will need a real off-day from Smudger for things to change in this Second Round match and the top player on the European Tour in 2026 can win another match on the continent to take his place in the Sunday Quarter Finals.

Dirk van Duijvenbode most 180s v Luke Humphries: The Afternoon Session will conclude with a big match between a home player and the World Number 2 and Dirk van Duijvenbode will not be intimidated by the challenge in front of him.

He has beaten Luke Humphries on the European Tour already this season and the crowd are going to push van Duijvenbode all the way in this Second Round match.

Of course it is no surprise that Humphries is the strong favourite, especially over the best of nineteen Leg format, which will allow him to fight back even if the Dutchman makes a very fast start.

Dirk van Duijvenbode could be lining up the upset if he can get his powerful scoring going and he has had more maximums than Luke Humphries in the last two meetings on the Tour. That is a big part of his game and van Duijvenbode may at least win in that column, even if he is not quite able to cross the line for the victory to take his place on Finals Day.

James Wade-Wessel Nijman over 9.5 180s: This is the penultimate Second Round match to be played in the Evening Session and looks a very good one on paper.

After a blistering start to the 2026 season, Wessel Nijman has come off the boil in recent weeks and that, coupled with the form James Wade has been putting together, means he will be entering this match as a narrow underdog.

However, Nijman is going to be given plenty of support and he looked to be in good form in his First Round win.

James Wade had to overcome a barrage of maximums in his win over Damon Heta, but continues to show how much he wants things on the oche by refusing to wilt under such pressure. His maximum hitting deserted him a little bit on Friday, but this longer format should give Wade and Wessel Nijman plenty of opportunities to pile up the big scores and they can surpass this total set.

Luke Littler to win & over 7.5 180s v Nathan Aspinall: While there have been times when Nathan Aspinall has been able to push Luke Littler, it is hard to say that he has ever looked confident in beating the World Number 1.

Something will have to change drastically for Nathan Aspinall to find that belief, but he is capable of avoiding a complete blowout and that should mean Luke Littler has time to bang in plenty more maximums.

He may be the younger player on the stage, but Luke Littler almost 'big brother's' Nathan Aspinall and the dominant head to head underlines the point.

Getting up to eight maximums in a best of nineteen Leg format is not going to be easy, but Nathan Aspinall can win at least five Legs here and that Littler's maximum hitting rate should mean he has the time to complete both parts of this selection to take his place in the Quarter Final.

MY PICKS: Josh Rock @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Ross Smith - 2.5 Legs @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Dirk van Duijvenbode Most 180s @ 2.10 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

James Wade-Wessel Nijman Over 9.5 180s @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Luke Littler to Win & Over 7.5 180s @ 2.20 Bet365 (1 Unit)

World Series Finals: 4-4, + 0.08 Units (8 Units Staked, + 1% Yield)

European Tour 13- Flanders Darts Trophy Day 2 Picks 2026 (Saturday 12th September)

The Second Round of the Flanders Darts Trophy sees some of the top names enter the tournament, although there will be a number of competitors who will believe they can pick up the thirteenth European Tour title of the season.

Most will be playing with spots in the European Championship Finals close to be secured, if not guaranteed, but there is still plenty to motivate those involved in this tournament, including the healthy prize money.

Rob Cross - 1.5 legs v Martin Schindler: The former World Champion has been putting a lot of quality results on the board over the last three months and his form looks too hot for Martin Schindler to handle.

While Rob Cross is improving, Martin Schindler is sliding down the Rankings and he is going to be in danger of losing his Seeding position at these European Tour events.

European 12 was a decent showing for The Wall, which will help his confidence, but Rob Cross looks full of belief and his consistency may be enough to secure passage into the Third Round.

Chris Dobey to win & both players over 1.5 180s v Niels Zonneveld: At the start of the season, Niels Zonneveld looked to be the next Dutchman who was going to be surging towards the top of the Darting world, but that momentum has slowed.

Instead it is Wessel Nijman and Kevin Doets earning the headlines and recent results have been iffy as far as Zonneveld is concerned.

In saying that, Chris Dobey has not exactly been having consistent deep runs into tournaments.

An early loss at the European Tour 12 event may have just refocused Chris Dobey as he looks to move back amongst the elite and he can win a match in which both players contribute at least two maximums.

Ross Smith - 1.5 legs v Jeffrey de Graaf: Winning important titles will continue the development of any player and Ross Smith has taking a real liking to playing on the European Tour.

He can continue on his way with a battling win over a quality opponent in the Second Round.

Jeffrey de Graaf is more than capable of producing an upset, but Ross Smith is playing some really confident darts and bounced back from a poor showing in the World Series of Darts events Down Under. He won the European Tour tournament played at the end of August and produced another couple of wins last week and Smith has shown he is now backing up his scoring with composed finishing.

His opponent played well on the floor at the end of August, but consistency at this level can be difficult to find and Jeffrey de Graaf may come up short.

Josh Rock to win & most 180s v Ryan Joyce: These two met last week and it was Josh Rock who came through against Relentless and there is every reason to believe he can back up that form.

Ryan Joyce won on Friday, but made harder work of Stephen Burton than it should have been and will have to lift his level considerably.

Nothing much was wrong with the finishing, which makes Joyce dangerous, but Josh Rock should be able to get into a position to have more opportunities in Legs and that can see him frank the result from last week.

You have to respect Ryan Joyce's ability to get into the treble 20 bed, but it is Rocky who should edge the maximum count as well.

MY PICKS: Rob Cross - 1.5 Legs @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Chris Dobey to Win & Both Players Over 1.5 180s @ 2.05 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Ross Smith - 1.5 Legs @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Josh Rock to Win & Most 180s @ 2.05 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Flanders Darts Trophy: 0-2, - 2 Units (2 Units Staked, - 100% Yield)

European Tour 12- Czech Darts Open Day 2 Picks 2026 (Saturday 5th September)

The Czech Darts Open continues with the Seeded players joining the tournament... It is a weekend where the personal life has to take over and that means only the Picks from the day.

MY PICKS: Ross Smith - 2.5 Legs @ 2.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)
Nathan Aspinall to Win & Most 180s @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Jonny Clayton - 1.5 Legs @ 2.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Czech Darts Open: 1-2, - 1.09 Units (3 Units Staked, - 36.33% Yield)

US Open Day 5 Tennis Picks 2026 (Thursday 3rd September)

After moving a double break ahead in the deciding set and then missing multiple Match Points at 5-3, Elina Svitolina ultimately secured a 6-2, 6-7, 6-4 win, which meant missing the cover by a single game.

The reality is that she should have covered and that would have made it eight selections and eight winners.

But most would take 7-1 and that is certainly the case here.

It all means the opening four days of the US Open could not have gone much better, but it is only the opening four days.

At Grand Slams earlier this season, strong starts were not maintained as effectively as hoped and building on this foundation is the challenge over the remainder of this tournament.

Most of the big names continue to make relatively comfortable progress through the opening Rounds in New York City, although dumb questions from journalists continues to be a huge feature of the sport. While you do get some awkward exchanges in other sports, it seems particularly common in tennis pressers at Grand Slams and that was the case for the likes of Rafael Jodar and Aryna Sabalenka on Wednesday.

The latter looked incredibly frustrated with the way questions were framed before being posed to her and Aryna Sabalenka had every right to voice that frustration.

At least her tennis on the court is producing as she would like, but there are plenty of challengers scattered in this tournament and many players are going to feel they have the qualities needed to be picking up the Championship trophy in a little over a week from now.

Hopefully by that time, the US Open Picks will be in a really strong position to add a positive number to the season totals as well.

Felix Auger Aliassime - 1.5 sets v Karen Khachanov: As the World Number 4 and 2025 US Open Semi Finalist, Felix Auger Aliassime has to arrive in New York City filled with real confidence about what can be achieved here.

However, so much of his game is about the mental attitude being right and Felix Auger Aliassime has been critical of himself for some of the Grand Slam exits suffered and the manner of those exits. There is going to be extra pressure put on himself by himself, but Auger Aliassime has had limited competitive tennis in the lead up to the US Open and needed four sets to get past the World Number 85 in the First Round.

There may have been a hope that Felix Auger Aliassime could work his way into this Grand Slam, but that is not going to be the case in the Second Round when going up against Karen Khachanov.

The 30 year is the World Number 50 entering the US Open, but Karen Khachanov has reached the Semi Final at both the Australian and US Open previously, while he has a couple of Quarter Final appearances at both the French Open and Wimbledon. Any player with that kind of experience has to be given a lot of respect, but Karen Khachanov has been struggling for any form on the hard courts leading up to New York City.

Karen Khachanov had lost all three hard court matches since Wimbledon and he had won a single set in that time, but he dropped just four games in winning his First Round match.

Over the course of this season, Karen Khachanov is just 1-6 in hard court matches against top 50 Ranked opponents and it is the 10% of return games ending in breaks of serve which have proved to be really problematic. It is going to be a big ask to improve on that markedly against a server like Felix Auger Aliassime and the Canadian has shown he has the tennis that gives him every chance of winning this match.

They are 2-2 in the head to head with Karen Khachanov winning the most recent on the grass courts of Halle in 2025, but Felix Auger Aliassime can get revenge on these hard courts and especially on the form the two have produced on the surface this year.

The most recent hard court meeting was won by Felix Auger Aliassime, albeit back in 2021, but the younger man has been the superior player in each of the last three matches against Karen Khachanov and can work his way to a three or four set win.

Lorenzo Musetti - 8.5 games v Dane Sweeny: This is a very wide spread for any Grand Slam contest, but Lorenzo Musetti came through an awkward First Round match in impressive fashion and can continue his path at the US Open.

After missing some time on the Tour, Lorenzo Musetti returned in the build up to the US Open and reached the Quarter Final in both Washington and Cincinnati. The three losses this summer have been against Rafael Jodar (twice) and Frances Tiafoe, but Lorenzo Musetti has won plenty of matches as well and he should be very happy with this Second Round match up.

Dane Sweeny has to be credited for reaching his career best World Ranking mark at the end of July and he is set for a new career best following this tournament, although the Australian has not cracked the top 100 just yet. He is making use of the Wild Card, but benefited from a draw pairing him with Corentin Moutet in the First Round who has been seriously struggling with an injury and perhaps only arrived in New York City with the prize money on offer a real factor.

Prior to that, Dane Sweeny had been just 1-3 in hard court matches against top 100 Ranked opponents this year and his numbers have been a disappointment. Not only is he holding in just 65% of service games played, but Sweeny has struggled to have much of an impact on the return and he is going up against a very solid competitor in Lorenzo Musetti.

The Italian has put together an 8-1 record on the hard courts against opponents Ranked outside the top 50 and Lorenzo Musetti has held in 84% of his service games played in those matches. That alone would not be enough to put such a record together, but Lorenzo Musetti has also broken in 32% of return games played in those nine matches and he is expected to have too much all around know-how for a young player still developing his tennis at a lower level than the one he is facing on Thursday.

Despite all of that, you do have to respect the wide handicap mark set and Lorenzo Musetti is going to need to make a fast start to put himself in a spot to cover.

Confidence can be taken from how Lorenzo Musetti was performing in the matches he would have expected to win in Montreal and Cincinnati over the last month and the World Number 14 can win a set with a couple of breaks of serve to put him on the way to a cover.

MY PICKS: Felix Auger Aliassime - 1.5 Sets @ 1.72 William Hill (2 Units)

Lorenzo Musetti - 8.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Naomi Osaka - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Maria Sakkari - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Elise Mertens - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet365 (2 Units)

Iva Jovic - 5.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Alex De Minaur - 1.5 Sets @ 1.66 William Hill (2 Units)

US Open Update: 12-2, + 15.34 Units (28 Units Staked, + 54.79% Yield)

US Open Day 4 Tennis Picks 2026 (Wednesday 2nd September)

The First Round is officially completed at the US Open and the biggest storyline through the opening three days is the exit of Novak Djokovic.

Father Time is unbeaten, but you do have to wonder if Novak Djokovic is going to decide to end his season immediately and try and deal with the issue he has been speaking about for a few weeks. While he has not disclosed the exact nature of the issue, the fact it flares up with the heat and humidity does suggest a stint through Asia and then the indoor hard court tournaments in the lead up to the Tour Finals would make little sense for a player who is all about being in prime condition to take on the Grand Slams.

These issues have come up at a bad time with Jannik Sinner out of the tournament and Carlos Alcaraz having missed four months on the Tour before returning, but Novak Djokovic may yet feel there is one more Grand Slam in him if he can get back to close to full health. It has only been nine months since he led the Australian Open Final before running out of steam and the hope is that the former World Number 1 can find a way to come back strong in 2027.

Most of the other contenders have fought their way through the opening Round, although Alexander Zverev made very hard work of his victory over Lorenzo Sonego.

A Grand Slam is up for grabs as far as those involved in the Women's tournament are concerned, but there is also a very strong race for the World Number 1 spot when this event is wrapped up and the top names chasing that position are all safely through.

Things tend to get much tougher as we move through the Rounds, but we are still in a position where defeats for the top names would be in upset conditions.

Rain has been a disruptor through the opening few days in New York City and this tournament will play very differently if the heat picks up and that all has to be factored into the Tennis Picks, which have made a very good start to this event, but with so much more tennis yet to be played.

Day 4 is easily the busiest for the Tennis Picks so far at the final Grand Slam of the season and that can see the opening successes quickly erased, which means this is a time for focus.

Carlos Alcaraz - 6.5 games v Jaime Faria: Despite a wrist injury that has kept Carlos Alcaraz away from the Tour for four months, the defending US Open Champion's decision to play in New York City meant he was given a short price to win this title.

That was always going to be the case considering Carlos Alcaraz added the Australian Open to his hard court Grand Slam collection earlier this year, but there are going to be question marks around the Spaniard for as long as he is involved in this tournament.

A straight sets win over a dangerous opponent will have given Carlos Alcaraz some confidence, although he will privately be assessing the wrist and see how it responds in the time away from the court. It also should be noted that Carlos Alcaraz was not as convincing behind serve, although that may have something to do with not wanting to push the wrist too quickly, while it should be said that he was still a very solid winner on the day.

As with any Grand Slam, the level of opponent will get more difficult the deeper you move through the draw, but Jaime Faria may not be a big step up from Roman Safiullon if he is considered a step up at all.

The 23 year old has shown solid form on the hard courts, but Jaime Faria is just 1-2 when facing top 50 Ranked opponents on the surface in 2026.

He needed almost four hours to get through the First Round match after Jaime Faria was guilty of throwing away a two set lead before rallying in the decider, while he faced more Break Points than he created. The serve can be a big weapon when at his best, but Jaime Faria may find it difficult to win the rallies once they develop and that time spent on the court is not ideal ahead of a Second Round match against the defending Champion.

Carlos Alcaraz will be someone that all keep a close eye on considering the layoff, but this is perhaps a time when he can show his quality before tougher tests potentially await.

Tommy Paul - 6.5 games v Dino Prizmic: Any player who has reached as high as World Number 8 should be credited for the career that has been put together, but the one criticism you may have of Tommy Paul is that he has never quite been able to put a strong run on the board at the US Open.

The American has reached the Quarter Final at every Grand Slam other than the US Open and reached the Semi Final at the Australian Open and the hard courts used Down Under. A couple of Fourth Round runs is as good as it has gotten in New York City and time is now perhaps running out for Tommy Paul to go a little further.

With Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic already out of the tournament and Carlos Alcaraz returning after a long layoff, Tommy Paul may not get a better opportunity to reach the last eight at the US Open than this one in 2026.

He came through the opening Round in relatively cool fashion after winning three sets in a row in style and Tommy Paul is a significant favourite to get the better of Dino Prizmic, who needed virtually four hours to get through his opening match.

Dino Prizmic is a player with real potential, but he is still developing his game for the professional Tour and matches against top 50 Ranked opponents on the hard courts have proven to be a little too much for him. He did take a set from Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open in 2024, but Dino Prizmic was beaten in straight sets by Andrey Rublev twelve months ago and the energy expended in the First Round is far from ideal.

The younger player does have a serve that can be effective on the hard courts, but his return is going to have to be better against someone like Tommy Paul who has held 91% of his service games played against those Ranked outside the top 50.

It is the returning side of the tennis where Tommy Paul looks like he can exert his experience on this match and the World Number 21 should be able to cover this handicap mark.

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 1.5 sets v Lloyd Harris: Any time a player earns an upset in a Grand Slam, the natural expectation is that they are going to struggle to deal with the new weight of expectation on their shoulders and to match the intensity that was needed to spring the upset.

In 2026, Stefanos Tsitsipas beating Arthur Fils is a big upset and especially on the hard courts and considering the kind of form that both players have shown over the last month.

Arthur Fils won the Cincinnati Masters and looked set for a deep run in New York City, but the young Frenchman has found the pressure of a Grand Slam too much to take.

It has opened the door for Stefanos Tsitsipas who has struggled for any kind of consistency through stops in Washington, Montreal, Cincinnati and Winston Salem and the former Australian Open Semi Finalist has never made much of an impact in New York City in his career. An upset has offered up a chance for Tsitsipas to have his best run at the US Open and you have to believe his experience means he can cope with the media interest in the said upset.

Next up is a match against Qualifier Lloyd Harris who is playing as the World Number 139 and who is currently moving through his latest rebuild on the Tour.

Three wins in Qualifying and a straight sets win in the First Round will have filled Lloyd Harris with confidence having won a Challenger title and reached the Semi Final at another in the build up to the US Open.

The only downside to any rebuild period is that Lloyd Harris has not really faced too many of the very top players on the Tour and he is just 1-2 in hard court matches against top 100 Ranked opponents this season. All three have been played in the lead up to the US Open and you do have to wonder if Lloyd Harris is ready to beat someone like Stefanos Tsitsipas, even if the latter's current form is hardly all that inspiring.

Lloyd Harris will know his serve needs to more effective than it has been in the matches against top 100 Ranked opponents and it is an area that Stefanos Tsitsipas may feel gives him the edge.

You would never describe the World Number 53 as a really strong return player on this surface, but Stefanos Tsitsipas showed what he can do against Arthur Fils and the expectation is that he can get through this Second Round without needing to get to a deciding set.

Ben Shelton - 1.5 sets v Hubert Hurkacz: Both of these players have moved through the First Round of the US Open after dropping a single set and both have won a title in the build up to the final Grand Slam of the 2026 season.

However, it cannot be ignored that World Number 8 Ben Shelton won his in Montreal at the Canadian Masters, while Hubert Hurkacz won a Challenger event in Cancun.

Hubert Hurkacz will always feel he gives himself a chance to win matches with his booming serve and that is going to have to be important for him in his bid to earn the upset. Despite that serve, Hurkacz has not really been able to have the kind of consistent impact at Grand Slam events that a career high World Number 6 mark suggests he should have.

The Pole has reached the Semi Final at Wimbledon and Quarter Final at the Australian Open, but the Second Round is as good as it has gotten in New York City and Hubert Hurkacz may need an 'off day' from Ben Shelton to win this match.

Ben Shelton has won a couple of hard court titles and reached the Quarter Final in Melbourne earlier this year, while he has found a bit more consistency on his return. The American is always going to have a very dangerous serve, but he has broken in 17% of return games on the hard courts in each of the last two seasons and Ben Shelton has won a few more points on the return compared with 2025.

Putting that together continues to keep Ben Shelton as one of the leading contenders whenever he enters a hard court tournament, even if he has room for improvement to bridge the gap to the absolute elite on the Tour. His performance in the First Round against a dangerous server will give Ben Shelton the belief to take into this tough Second Round match and the fans are likely going to be very loud behind the home player.

All of this looks to be leading to a Ben Shelton win in three or four sets in what should be a serve dominated contest.

MY PICKS: Carlos Alcaraz - 6.5 Games @ 1.75 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Tommy Paul - 6.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet365 (2 Units)

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 1.5 Sets @ 1.85 William Hill (2 Unit)

Ben Shelton - 1.5 Sets @ 1.80 William Hill (2 Units)

Diana Shnaider - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Elina Svitolina - 5.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Emma Navarro - 1.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (2 Units)

Karolina Muchova - 5.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

US Open Update: 5-1, + 5.42 Units (12 Units Staked, + 45.17% Yield)

European Tour 11- Hungarian Darts Trophy Day 2 Picks 2026 (Saturday 29th August)

The Seeded players will move into the Hungarian Darts Trophy draw after the First Round was completed in Budapest on Friday and this is a European Tour event that has been able to bring together some of the best players on the Tour.

James Wade was the latest to withdraw, albeit after the draw was made, but that may harden Luke Humphries into favouritism for the title, although the European stages do throw up plenty of opportunities for any player that can find a way into Finals day.

Big names means big matches and those attending the Sessions on Day 2 of this tournament should be viewing some top darts being thrown.

Sixteen matches need to be completed with eight in each Session on Saturday and the positive returns on Day 1 give us something to build upon when those Second Round matches get underway.

Wessel Nijman - 2.5 games v Dave Chisnall: You can never dismiss Dave Chisnall when he is throwing his best darts, but we have not seen a lot of consistency from him all year.

Backing that up is the fact he threw four maximums in the First Round win, but also struggled with his doubling and ultimately that led to an average of below 90.

Dave Chisnall will not need to be told that he will need to be a lot better if he is going to upset the odds against Wessel Nijman, who has beaten Chizzy twice this season.

The most recent came at the World Matchplay and Wessel Nijman proved to be too consistent for Dave Chisnall in a 10-5 win.

Another strong run at Players Championship 27 backs up what has continued to be a strong year for the Dutchman and he can produce enough quality to cover this spread in a winning effort.

Chris Dobey-Tom Sykes over 5.5 180s: When these players met on the floor back in May, Chris Dobey and Tom Sykes needed to play all eleven Legs in what was a high quality affair.

On that day, Chris Dobey had eight maximums on his own, but Tom Sykes stayed competitive by producing four of his own and both players averaged over 100.

Tom Sykes has crushed Cameron Menzies in the First Round at this European Tour event and was able to produce three maximums in the seven Legs played.

The expectation for this Second Round match is seeing at least nine Legs played out and both Dobey and Sykes can pummel the treble 20 bed and help combine to rack up the maximum scoring in what could be a cracking end to the Afternoon Session.

Nathan Aspinall to win & most 180s v Ryan Joyce: The underdog may be getting better and better at putting the maximums on the board, but Nathan Aspinall will always feel he can outperform most players on the Tour when it comes to that market.

He has admitted that he has not been focusing on his darts as much as he perhaps should have been, but Nathan Aspinall is now married and that may mean refocusing.

Ryan Joyce will have to be a lot better than he was in the First Round if he is going to beat Nathan Aspinall- Joyce may have beaten Cristo Reyes, but can be thankful for a wasteful doubling day from the latter.

It should be said that Nathan Aspinall can sometimes may Legs tougher than they should be when he is slightly off the doubling and giving Ryan Joyce opportunities would be a mistake.

However, the scoring power should mean Aspinall gets to the double first and he can complete the match double.

MY PICKS: Wessel Nijman - 2.5 Legs @ 2.05 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Chris Dobey-Tom Sykes Over 5.5 180s @ 1.66 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Nathan Aspinall to Win & Most 180s @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Hungarian Darts Trophy: 3-0, + 3.21 Units (3 Units Staked, + 107% Yield)

Cincinnati Masters Tennis Picks 2026 (Sunday 16th August)

It proved to be a positive start to the Cincinnati Masters for the selections being made on these pages, although it is a shame that a couple more winners were not found on the day.

A rain delay allowed Elena Gabriela Ruse the time to think about her ankle issue and she decided not to come back out on the court with Alexandra Eala three games away from the win- if that match had been allowed to continue without the delay, the expectation is that Ruse would have finished it on the court.

Later in the evening, Alexander Zverev had enough Break Point chances to beat Cameron Norrie with a slightly stronger result and that makes it a frustration he was not quite able to cover the handicap mark as he eventually fell one game short.

Fortunately the majority of the opening Picks returned as hoped and that does give us something to build upon as this last big tournament before the US Open continues over the next several days.

However, it should be remembered that it is only a start and there is still a lot of work to do in order to finish the event with a positive number and momentum to take into New York City.

It has been a busier weekend than expected with the heat continuing to rise in the United Kingdom.

There should be fuller threads with analysis in the days ahead, but the Cincinnati Masters Tennis Picks for Sunday can be seen in the MY PICKS section below with the updated tournament totals.

Selections have been researched, but time constraints have impacted the thread in terms of the analysis usually provided with those that have made the criteria.

MY PICKS: Lorenzo Musetti - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Arthur Rinderknech - 2.5 Games @ 1.95 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Taylor Fritz-Alex Michelsen Over 0.5 Tie-Breakers @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Learner Tien - 4.5 Games @ 2.05 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Aryna Sabalenka - 5.5 Games @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

Leylah Fernandez - 2.5 Games @ 1.95 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Coco Gauff - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Cincinnati Update: 5-2, + 2.31 Units (7 Units Staked, + 33% Yield)

Canadian Masters Tennis Picks 2026 (Wednesday 5th August)

Better weather is going to help both the ATP Montreal and WTA Toronto events get back on track, but it does mean Wednesday is a much busier schedule than would usually be the case at these extended Masters event.

Almost the entire Second Round of the tournament in Toronto is scheduled to be played over twelve plus hours, while the WTA event is on much better timing, although the forecasts for the days ahead look troubling for the organisers and the players.

The ATP selections have some analysis attached to them, but the WTA Toronto selections have been placed in the 'MY PICKS' below.

Valentin Vacherot - 1.5 games v Mariano Navone: An injury back in May has held Valentin Vacherot back and he is still finding his feet back in competitive action.

Taking in a couple of clay court events last month may have been a decision to try and rebuild some rhythm, but Valentin Vacherot is a confident hard court player and the Masters win in Shanghai last year has been key to his current World Ranking.

That run does also mean there is some pressure on Vacherot to put together some strong runs ahead of the defence of the title in Shanghai to make sure World Ranking Points are keeping him inside the top 30.

The lack of recent tennis is a concern, but Valentin Vacherot is taking on Mariano Navone in the Second Round, who is a player much more comfortable on slower surfaces.

His win over Matteo Berrettini in the First Round deserves a lot of respect, but the Italian created more than double the amount of Break Points and will feel he let Navone off the hook. Mariano Navone is a decent hard court player, but does not spend a lot of time on the surface and had lost both previous matches against top 50 Ranked opponents this year before the win over Berrettini.

One of those defeats came against Valentin Vacherot in Miami and the World Number 18 can do enough to back that up here.

Zizou Bergs - 1.5 games v Sebastian Baez: He may not be the most trustworthy of players on the Tour, but Zizou Bergs is playing at a career best World Ranking mark and is facing an opponent who has had little time for hard court tennis.

Sebastian Baez did begin the season very well on the surface, and that may prevent him finishing up with another losing record on the hard courts. However, recent years have seen Sebastian Baez spend very little time within these tournaments and his numbers have highlighted a vulnerable serve.

This is never going to be good enough for sustained success on the hard courts and Zizou Bergs should be able to create enough Break Point opportunities to get on top of this match.

It has not been the most convincing year on the surface for the Belgian, but Zizou Bergs has a serve that should keep the scoreboard pressure on Sebastian Baez.

The return of serve has been the problem, but the Baez serve should aid Zizou Bergs and he can beat the World Number 48 for a second time on the hard courts on the pro Tour.

Cameron Norrie - 2.5 games v Ignacio Buse: The higher Ranked player has built his position on successes on the clay courts and it does feel like this could be a difficult time of the season for Ignacio Buse.

Back in March, Ignacio Buse was the World Number 63 and trying to Qualify for the Masters events in Indian Wells and Miami- he failed at the former and was beaten in the First Round of the main draw in the latter and that is the limit of his hard court experiences in 2026.

Last year, Buse finished with a 7-8 record on the surface and the majority of those matches were played at Challenger or Qualifying level.

Credit has to be given to Ignacio Buse for making it through three Qualifying Rounds at the US Open in 2025, which will not have to be negotiated in 2026, but he has yet to find his rhythm at this level and British player Cameron Norrie should be able to take advantage.

Cameron Norrie has reversed his slide down the World Rankings and reached the Semi Final in Los Cabos last week and has already won a match here in Montreal. The serving and return numbers on the hard courts have been pretty solid so far this season and Cameron Norrie should have enough experience to believe he can work his way through this Second Round contest and continue to add to the World Ranking Points.

Earning a Seed for the US Open is still a possibility for Norrie and he should have enough to cover the handicap mark set for this match.

Taylor Fritz - 4.5 games v Thiago Agustin Tirante: The likelihood is that Taylor Fritz will have big decisions to make about the remainder of the season following the US Open as he continues to play through an injury that can make it tough to compete with the elite of the Tour.

However, he showed in Washington earlier this week that he remains one of the tougher outs on a hard court and so missing his home Grand Slam does not seem like an option.

Instead Taylor Fritz may look for one more big effort in New York City and then perhaps choose to rest and prepare for the 2027 season rather than taking in the Asian swing and, likely, the Tour Finals.

His level remains strong on a hard court and Taylor Fritz is expected to open his Canadian Masters with a solid win, even if the American is not the most convincing of return players on this surface.

Instead it is the serve that can place a lot of pressure on opponents and Thiago Agustin Tirante may already feel he has overachieved by simply making the Second Round in Montreal.

Like many of his compatriots, Thiago Agustin Tirante is much more comfortable on a clay court rather than a hard court, but he has played well enough on the surface to deserve respect.

The problem has been when it comes to taking on the elite of the Tour on the surface as Tirante has suffered a couple of one-sided defeats in 2026 and his career record is now 0-3 in hard court matches against top 20 Ranked opponents. His service numbers on the hard courts are decent overall, but have taken a massive dip against those top 20 opponents played, while Thiago Agustin Tirante has struggled on the return.

Both of these issues could come up in this Second Round contest and Taylor Fritz may ride the momentum of the title win in Washington to a strong start in Montreal.

Daniil Medvedev - 3.5 games v Botic van de Zandschulp: The gap between the Wimbledon exit and the start of this tournament in Montreal raises some concerns, as does the recent Daniil Medvedev set of results when playing in Canada after that layoff.

However, the match up should be one that makes the World Number 6 pretty comfortable and he looks capable of winning with something to spare.

Over the course of his career, Daniil Medvedev has been at his best on the hard courts and he looks like he is going to reach at least 30 wins on the surface again in 2026. Winning another Grand Slam remains the ambition, but Medvedev has to find something different against the elite of the Tour, even if his current level is good enough to win matches like this one.

The hard court numbers when facing opponents Ranked outside of the top 50 have been impressive in 2026 and Daniil Medvedev has regularly got the better of Botic van de Zandschulp when they have met on the Tour.

Botic van de Zandschulp has a solid win on the board in Montreal, but has a 0-4 record against top 20 Ranked opponents on the hard court this season and his serve has faced the pressure. That is likely to be the case in this one against Medvedev, who has won 43% of the service points played on the van de Zandschulp serve in the four previous meetings, which have all been on the hard courts.

Lack of recent competitive tennis could make things a bit tougher for Daniil Medvedev, but he will be encouraged by the performances of Botic van de Zandschulp when he has been asked to step up his level and the former World Number 1 can produce an opening win with a degree of comfort.

MY PICKS: Valentin Vacherot - 1.5 Games @ 1.72 William Hill (1 Unit)

Zizou Bergs - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 William Hill (1 Unit)

Cameron Norrie - 2.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Taylor Fritz - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Daniil Medvedev - 3.5 Games @ 1.70 William Hill (1 Unit)

Iva Jovic - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Maria Sakkari - 2.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Elise Mertens - 4.5 Games @ 1.95 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Sorana Cirstea - 4.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Canadian Masters: 2-4, - 2.29 Units (6 Units Staked, - 38.17% Yield)

Canadian Masters Tennis Picks 2026 (Tuesday 4th August)

The next couple of days are forecasted to be dry, and hot, for the Canadian Masters in Montreal and Toronto, but more wet weather is just around the corner.

At least the tournaments will have a chance to get back on track with the conditions meaning some of the First Round matches at the Canadian Masters in Montreal have been held over until Tuesday.

It also means a very busy day of action, although there are 'only' four matches that have appealed enough to be worthy of backing a selection.

Those Picks can be read below.

Aryna Sabalenka - 6.5 games v Moyuka Uchijima: For a lot of players, reaching the Quarter Final at the French Open and the Fourth Round at Wimbledon in the same season that they have finished Runners Up at the Australian Open may be considered a successful campaign.

Aryna Sabalenka is the World Number 1 and not most players and she will be hoping the time away from the court since the defeat at Wimbledon has just given herself the time needed to have a reset.

Despite that loss in Melbourne, Aryna Sabalenka continues to show she is the best hard court player on the WTA Tour and it was the World Number 1 who won both titles at Indian Wells and Miami. She is the defending US Open Champion and Sabalenka will head to New York City as the player to beat, although she would like to put a statement tournament on the board either here in Toronto or in Cincinnati.

Relatively early defeats have been the feature of the last two times Aryna Sabalenka has played in Toronto, but she should have too much for Moyuka Uchijima who is Ranked outside the top 100 and had to win a Qualifier and one main draw match to earn this opportunity.

The First Round win was impressive, but this is a significantly tougher test for Moyuka Uchijima and she is going to need to get plenty of first serves in play to try and put pressure on Aryna Sabalenka.

However, this is a Second Round match that will likely be dominated by the top Seed and Aryna Sabalenka has offered little encouragement to those Ranked outside the top 50 when facing them on the hard court.

Amanda Anisimova - 4.5 games v Lanlana Tararudee: The 2025 US Open Champion is expected to make a strong start to her return to competitive tennis this month and the 2025 Runner Up can do the same.

Like the top Seed, Amanda Anisimova has taken several weeks off after losing in the Third Round at Wimbledon twelve months after reaching the Final at SW19.

2026 has not been the best year on the hard courts for Amanda Anisimova, who has a bigger target on her back after the strong Grand Slam showings in the second half of last season. However, she continues to be someone who can put together high quality tennis when facing thos she is expected to beat on the surface and the challenge is for Lanlana Tararudee to change that momentum.

It has been a good summer for Lanlana Tararudee who has won a title on the hard courts at a lower level before reaching the Quarter Final in Prague, but the World Number 79 is going to be well aware that this is a much tougher test than she has faced in recent weeks.

Lanlana Tararudee has shown she can be very effective on the hard courts, but the lack of experience of facing someone as good as Amanda Anisimova should eventually show.

She did offer real resistance to Ekaterina Alexandrova at Wimbledon in what is the only other top 20 match that Lanlana Tararudee has played, but Amanda Anisimova may have the power and ability on this surface to make sure the scoreboard looks a little more comfortable in her own favour.

Andrey Rublev - 3.5 games v Juncheng Shang: There had been a huge amount of excitement around Juncheng Shang as he continued to grow onto the Tour, but injuries have hurt his development over the last two years.

He is still only 21 years old, but Shang has playing with his Protected Ranking and needs to find some very strong results in order to rebuild his real World Ranking.

If he cannot do that, Juncheng Shang will have a very difficult road back towards the top 100 and his win in the First Round is a bonus.

Backing that up would really begin to clear things over the next few days, but that means upsetting one of the Seeded players joining the party in the Second Round.

Andrey Rublev has struggled for some consistency over a number of months, but picked up a title on the clay courts between Wimbledon and Montreal. That will give him a boost in confidence and the World Number 16 has a perfect record on the hard courts when facing an opponent Ranked outside of the top 50 this season.

His numbers have been really impressive in those matches and Andrey Rublev can get this hard court tournament off to a strong start.

Brandon Nakashima - 3.5 games v Daniel Altmaier: It was not for the lack of trying, but Daniel Altmaier had not won a hard court match in 2026 and it had looked like the run was going to continue as he trailed by a set and a break in the opening Round here in Montreal.

Six previous hard court matches had ended in one-sided defeats, but Daniel Altmaier can take confidence from the way he battled to move into the Second Round.

He now faces one of the Washington Semi Finalists from last week and someone who is very, very comfortable on the hard courts.

Brandon Nakashima is going to expect to put another winning year on the hard courts into the history books at the end of this season, but he still has room for improvement if he is going to take the next step in his career. Most notably there has to be some development in the return game to back up what has been a solid serve.

This is something that can hold him back at the business end of tournaments, but Brandon Nakashima should have more than enough against someone who has struggled on the hard courts as much as Daniel Altmaier has this season.

The lower Ranked player is only winning around 56% of his service points and that should offer up chances for Brandon Nakashima to really get on top of this match.

MY PICKS: Aryna Sabalenka - 6.5 Games @ 1.70 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Amanda Anisimova - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Andrey Rublev - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Brandon Nakashima - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Canadian Masters: 1-2, - 1.09 Units (3 Units Staked, - 36.33% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Thursday 30th July)

It was not a very good start to the week, but the tournaments being played this week are continuing into the Second Round on Thursday and there are three selections that have been identified below.

Ben Shelton - 1.5 games v Ugo Humbert: Two players that are hugely reliant on the serve have come through the opening Round in Washington and the layers are finding it quite difficult to split them as far as this handicap mark is concerned.

It has not been the 2026 Ben Shelton may have hoped for and he has perhaps taken a bit of time to recover from the injury that forced him to withdraw in the Third Round at the US Open last year. The recovery may have been more about the mental disappointment of having to pull out of his home Grand Slam, rather than the physical recovery, but Shelton has to find his way with some big Ranking Points to defend before the last Slam of the 2026 season begins.

He dropped a set in coming through the First Round, but Ben Shelton continues to be one of the tougher outs on a hard court.

Disappointing defeats at Indian Wells and Miami in Masters events earlier this year will have stung, but Ben Shelton tends to have plenty in the tank to overcome those players he is expected to beat.

One of those will be Ugo Humbert who was a dominant winner in the First Round, but who fell in straight sets when he faced Ben Shelton at the Australian Open back in January.

The Frenchman has struggled when facing top 20 Ranked opponents on the hard courts this year- Ugo Humbert's service numbers dip a little, but it is the return where he has struggled to have any kind of consistent impact and that has kept him under scoreboard pressure.

Overall his return numbers show Ugo Humbert breaks in 16% of return games played on the hard courts, but that dips to around 5% when only focusing on top 20 opponents in 2026.

It is an edge that Ben Shelton can exploit having created ten Break Points in the match between these two at the Australian Open.

Those fashioned against him amounted to three Break Points and the American player can use his serve to make sure he comes through this Second Round match.

Diana Shanaider - 1.5 games v Anastasia Potapova: Both of these players can point to strong runs during the clay court season for the current World Ranking position, but Diana Schnaider and Anastasia Potapova are both comfortable enough on the hard courts to build on those successes.

Disappointing grass court campaigns are behind both Schnaider and Potapova, while the latter has already beaten Venus Williams here in Washington.

This is the first match for Diana Schnaider who is a top four Seed in the draw and that has allowed her to earn a Bye through the First Round. Sometimes players would rather have a match under their belt than having a Bye through a Round, but Diana Schnaider will have known about her opponent for a couple of days and should be pretty familiar with the Anastasia Potapova game.

They have met on the hard courts earlier this season in the lead into the Australian Open, but Diana Shnaider will be expecting a much tougher match.

Both have struggled in hard court matches against top 50 Ranked opponents this season, but Diana Schnaider has had the edge on the numbers being produced and that could be key in this Second Round match.

The return numbers are similar, but Diana Shnaider is capable of getting a bit more out of the first serve and that could make all the difference on the day.

Alex De Minaur - 5.5 games v Cruz Hewitt: It is quite ridiculous to think Lleyton's son is now a pro Tennis player not because he is, but because it is a reminder of how old some of us have become.

Cruz Hewitt upset the odds to beat Marcos Giron in the First Round, but this is a much stiffer test against the defending Champion who came through a very tough opener in Washington.

Alex De Minaur should be pretty aware of the qualities of Cruz Hewitt and it may feel like the latter is playing a version of his own father in this match. Like Lleyton, Alex De Minaur looks to use his movement to frustrate opponents and make sure he is getting plenty of balls back in play, but also has an ability to turn things around in his favour when the opportunity comes up.

He will have a lot of respect for Cruz Hewitt and the kind of tennis he has been playing in recent weeks, but De Minaur's edge in experience cannot be dismissed.

A two hour match on Wednesday may have done Alex De Minaur some good in building up his rhythm for the remainder of this tournament and he can wear down Cruz Hewitt, who has already achieved plenty from his time in Washington over the last few days.

MY PICKS: Ben Shelton - 1.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Diana Shnaider - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Alex De Minaur - 5.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

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

Tennis Picks 2026 (Wednesday 29th July)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tennis Picks 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)

World Matchplay Darts Day 5 Picks 2026 (Wednesday 22nd July)

As soon as the draw was made for the World Matchplay, the expectation of the fans would have been that there were going to be high quality matches right from the opening day in Blackpool.

No one has been let down by what we have been watching over the first four days and Day 5 is set to complete the Quarter Final lineup after what looks to be another good looking session.

Luke Humphries losing in the First Round has opened up this half of the draw, but that may also mean players have to deal with the extra pressure that comes when an opportunity has opened up.

It really could come down to which of the players handles that best to take their place in the Sunday Final, but there are going to be challenges that have to be overcome over the next few days beginning with the Second Round opponent that will have to be beaten.

Ross Smith to win & over 5.5 180s v Cameron Menzies: You cannot blame Cameron Menzies for the emotional reaction after beating Luke Humphries in the First Round and especially not when you consider he reeled in the 'big fish' to secure the 10-7 win.

It was a really strong performance from Cameron Menzies and credit has to be given to him for holding off a strong rally that Luke Humphries had put together. The mental side of the sport has always been one that Menzies has struggled to deal with and so it will be a huge boost in confidence for him and his supporters that he was able to handle all that was thrown at him by the World Number 2.

Backing up the victory is going to be challenging regardless of who the opponent would be, but but backing it up against Ross Smith may be extra challenging.

Not only has Ross Smith beaten Cameron Menzies three times on the European Tour this season, but each of those wins have become easier and easier for the higher Ranked player.

The last of those ended in a 7-0 whitewash, but Ross Smith will be expecting more from the opponent in this one.

While that is a fair point, it also should be said that Ross Smith was in really good form in the First Round even if he was not very happy with his own performance. Big scoring was backed up by big finishing and Smudger may have a little too much of both for Cameron Menzies to handle.

Ross Smith was finding the big trebles regularly in the First Round and he can reach at least six maximums in winning this Second Round match.

Gian van Veen 2+ 100+ checkouts v Wessel Nijman: Gian van Veen is the higher Ranked of these compatriots, but Wessel Nijman comes into this match as the favourite and that is largely down to the kind of darts he has been playing all year.

He is now up to World Number 14 and Wessel Nijman has moved past Danny Noppert as the next Dutchman that is likely going to be invited into the Premier League.

Winning a big tournament may push his credentials forward and Wessel Nijman has to handle the pressure of expectation with many likely tipping him to come out of the bottom half of the draw that is missing Luke Humphries.

He will not want to take anything for granted against Gian van Veen, although the latter will be aware that his level needs to be raised.

Where Gian van Veen can make the difference is with his finishing and putting the late Leg combinations together has been a strength of the World Number 3. He had three 100+ Checkouts in the First Round and needed a couple more to beat Wessel Nijman on the European Tour back in February.

Since then, Wessel Nijman has beaten Gian van Veen and he is the right player being favoured, but the latter is someone who can produce a couple of big finishes to turn the momentum back in his own favour.

Gian van Veen may need those finishers in his bid for an upset and he looks capable of hitting at least two 100+ Checkouts in this Second Round match.

Rob Cross v Gerwyn Price: Two former World Champions meet for a place in the World Matchplay Quarter Final and you have to believe the underdog can give you a real run for your money.

Rob Cross has lifted his level over the last two months and that has enabled him to force his way into this tournament when it looked like the former Champion in Blackpool was going to miss out completely.

In the time since Cross won here, Gerwyn Price has reached the Final and he remains a Premier League player where the Englishman is not.

However, Price has not been playing much in recent weeks and that looked clear as he struggled against Martin Schindler in the First Round before the latter lost his way. Unlike Schindler, Rob Cross is playing with a lot more confidence and unlikely to let The Ice Man off the hook, although the expectation is that Gerwyn Price has to be much better than he was on Monday.

Matches between these players have been pretty competitive, but it has been over a year since they last faced each other.

On current form the edge has to be with Rob Cross and he can find a way to win this one, although nothing ever comes easy against someone like Gerwyn Price, who should be better with a win under the belt.

James Wade-Ryan Searle over 17.5 legs & over 8.5 180s: The final Second Round match features two players who are very capable performers on the stage and it should be a close contest between James Wade and Ryan Searle.

James Wade is a former World Matchplay Champion and reached the Final here twelve months ago so clearly enjoys the format. He was a very good winner in the First Round and showcased strong scoring with his usual composed finishing and Wade will certainly feel he can match the run from 2025 out of this bottom half of the draw.

The Quarter Final is as far as Ryan Searle has reached at the World Matchplay, but he was a World Championship Semi Finalist in the last edition of that tournament and that has to be respected.

Throughout this season, Ryan Searle has played at a steady level and his own win in the First Round deserves respect having held off all that William O'Connor was throwing at him.

Ryan Searle is every bit as capable of James Wade in throwing decent scores, but also finishing well, and this best of twenty-one leg Second Round match should see both players win at least seven Legs.

Both are perhaps underrated maximum hitters, which is reflected by the total for the match, and the longer this one is able to go, the more likely James Wade and Ryan Searle will combine for at least nine 180s as well.

In the First Round, Ryan Searle only had three maximums, but had racked up plenty of other big scores, while James Wade produced seven. Those came in sixteen and seventeen Legs respectively and this is a Second Round match that may need at least a couple more Legs to decide a winner, which should aid the two players in combining to surpass this maximum line.

MY PICKS: Ross Smith to Win & Over 5.5 180s @ 2.30 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Gian van Veen 2+ 100+ Checkouts @ 2.50 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Rob Cross @ 2.25 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

James Wade-Ryan Searle Over 17.5 Legs & Over 8.5 180s @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

World Matchplay: 8-10, - 1.40 Units (18 Units Staked, - 7.78% Yield)