Rome Masters Tennis Picks 2026 (Thursday 14th May)

The Rome Masters is into the last of the Quarter Final matches in the ATP event being played in the Italian capital and the two WTA Semi Final matches are scheduled for Thursday as well, although the weather will need to play ball.

It was the weather that changed the momentum of the Casper Ruud eventual win over Karen Khachanov and perhaps prevented the Norwegian from making it 2-0 for the Tennis Picks on Wednesday.

This has still been a decent tournament to add to the earlier positive clay court numbers and that is going to give the pages a boost ahead of the French Open, which is now a little over a week away from beginning at the end of the month.

Coco Gauff - 3.5 games v Sorana Cirstea: Retirement at the end of the season has already been announced, but there has to be some second thoughts in the Sorana Cirstea camp having played some of the best tennis of her career.

If the Rankings were released in the morning, Sorana Cirstea would be back at her career best World Ranking mark of Number 21 and she is very much trending towards cracking the top 20 for the first time. The veteran is also at Number 11 in the WTA Race to determine the best players in the world and Sorana Cirstea has upset Aryna Sabalenka during her run to the Semi Final here in Rome.

A confident player is a dangerous player and Cirstea has a very solid 10-2 record on the clay courts in the build up towards the French Open.

However, both losses have been against some of the better clay courters on the WTA Tour and one of those came at the hands of Coco Gauff at the Madrid Masters.

The defending French Open Champion has shown plenty of character to come through three setters in her run in Rome and Coco Gauff has long been very comfortable on the clay courts. This is a surface where a vulnerable second serve is not punished nearly as much as it is on the faster surfaces where recovering breaks of serve can be very difficult against the best players on the Tour.

On the clay courts, Coco Gauff will always feel she has enough quality from the return to neutralise rallies and ultimately break down an opponent and she is playing well on the surface this season. The numbers are not quite as good as the previous two seasons, but Gauff has shown she can dig in and overcome problems and that makes her the right favourite in this match.

Beating Sorana Cirstea in all three previous matches on the Tour, including twice this year, will also give the World Number 4 the confidence to push past this opponent again.

It was the Coco Gauff returning prowess that helped her beat Sorana Cirstea in Madrid and she created five more Break Points on the day.

Sorana Cirstea is playing with confidence and an almost 'nothing to lose' attitude, which makes her dangerous, but Coco Gauff can find those breaks of serve that helps her cover this spread set for this last four contest.

Daniil Medvedev - 3.5 games v Martin Landaluce: There have been flashes of his ability on the clay courts, but Daniil Medvedev has long stated his dislike for this part of the season and he is never that far from completely losing his temper when things are not panning out as expected. Little form had been shown prior to the arrival in Rome, which is the last big tournament Daniil Medvedev is set to take in before the French Open, but this is one of the clay court events that the World Number 9 has enjoyed.

In his career, Daniil Medvedev has reached one Quarter Final at the French Open and a couple of Fourth Round runs, but he has won the title here in Rome and followed up with back to back Fourth Round appearances.

He has already progressed at least one stage further here in Rome in 2026 and Daniil Medvedev is rightly set as the favourite to get the better of Lucky Loser Martin Landaluce.

The 20 year old is going to take another leap in the World Rankings thanks to his performances in the main draw, but the Spaniard is not the most convincing of clay courters.

In most cases you would expect anyone from his country to be very comfortable on the clay, but Martin Landaluce had a 4-4 record on the surface before winning one Qualifier and losing the other here in Rome. He earned a reprieve with the Lucky Loser spot, and Martin Landaluce has taken full advantage by winning three matches in a row without dropping a set, although this is another step up in level of opponent compared with what the youngster has faced in the main draw.

Martin Landaluce had never beaten a top 100 Ranked player on the clay courts in his career before his three main draw wins here, but none of the opponents beaten have been Ranked higher than Number 47 and so Daniil Medvedev should offer a much tougher challenge.

Confidence in putting a run like this together will make Martin Landaluce dangerous, but his serve can be vulnerable and that has been the main reason he had a 0-8 record against top 100 Ranked players on this surface before the last few days.

The expectation is that Daniil Medvedev can exert some pressure with his own serve and the higher Ranked player may have enough to cover this spread set.

Iga Swiatek - 4.5 games v Elina Svitolina: The latter played a Quarter Final that ended after two and a half hours on Wednesday evening and that is going to have an impact on Elina Svitolina, who has lost both previous clay court matches against Iga Swiatek.

The lower Ranked player has produced some very good tennis on the clay, but Swiatek is rounding into the kind of form that has seen her win multiple French Open titles.

The Pole was not pushed at all by Jessica Pegula to continue her incredible form in Rome and that long match played by Elina Svitolina has to be a factor without a day of rest between Quarter and Semi Final.

Covering this kind of spread against Elina Svitolina is always a challenge, but Iga Swiatek would have done that in both previous clay court wins over this opponent.

Energy and intensity should be with Iga Swiatek from early in this contest and she can eventually roll into the Final behind another confident win.

MY PICKS: Coco Gauff - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Daniil Medvedev - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Iga Swiatek - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Rome Update: 5-2, + 1.94 Units (7 Units Staked, + 27.71% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Saturday 18th April)

The tournaments being played around Europe are all coming to a conclusion this weekend and the attention will soon turn to the Madrid 1000 event for both the ATP and WTA Tours.

The top of the ATP event has lost both Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic with both players citing injury- the withdrawal of Alcaraz is more worrying considering he pulled out of the event in Barcelona before playing his Second Round match and the defending French Open Champion will be desperate to get some more clay court tennis under the legs at the Rome Masters in early May.

We know that Novak Djokovic is all about peaking for the Grand Slams, but his fans will also like to see him take part in a clay court event before the French Open gets underway at the end of next month.

The WTA event in Madrid is intact at the time of writing, but things can change quickly on the Tour as most begin to think about the second Grand Slam of the season.

Alexander Zverev - 4.5 games v Fabio Cobolli: At the end of March, Fabio Cobolli set a new career high World Ranking mark at Number 13 and he can move even higher than that if he is able to win the ATP Munich title on Sunday.

The performances at this event have been pretty strong, but the Italian has benefited from a draw in which he has not faced anyone Ranked higher than World Number 40.

You can only beat what is placed in front of you and so credit has to be given to Fabio Cobolli for the manner in which the wins have been produced. This is a clay court event, but it says something when you think Cobolli has only been broken twice in three matches, although he will be the first to admit that his serve will be tested considerably more by the World Number 3 compared with the opponents that have been seen off in this tournament.

Alexander Zverev showed his qualities in coming from behind to beat Francisco Cerundolo in the Quarter Final and he is very comfortable playing in front of the home fans. After dropping the first set 7-5, Alexander Zverev lost just two more games against a very solid clay courter, and he looks to have his eye in on the return of serve.

There is a pretty small sample of clay court results at this stage of the season, especially for these two players who have both begun the red dirt experience since the Tour moved back to Europe.

The numbers are pretty similar, but it cannot be ignored that Alexander Zverev has been facing considerably stronger opponents than the younger player across the net. It means Fabio Cobolli probably has another level to find if he is going to compete in this Semi Final and Alexander Zverev should be comfortable with the match up.

He has won both previous matches against Fabio Cobolli and Alexander Zverev has won all five sets played against one another.

They met at the French Open last year and Alexander Zverev was a very comfortable winner in that Third Round meeting- the higher Ranked player proved to have a real edge when it comes to the service numbers and that could play out again in a tournament that Alexander Zverev has really enjoyed.

In a best of three set format, this is a big spread, but Alexander Zverev has been playing with the intensity and qualities to find a way to break down the Fabio Cobolli game and ultimately make relatively comfortable passage into yet another Munich Final.

MY PICKS: Alexander Zverev - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 4-1, + 2.34 Units (5 Units Staked, + 46.80% Yield)

Miami Tennis Day 10 Picks 2026 (Thursday 26th March)

So what can you say about that match?

Tommy Paul has Break Points in the opening two returns games of the deciding set and then FOUR Match Points in the Tie-Breaker, all in succession, and still manages to lose?

That result is kind of how the last few days have been going at the Miami Masters with the fine edges now working against the selections. It means instead of a proper bounce back fortnight after Indian Wells, the target is simply to head away with a positive return from the tournament and hoping the bounces begin to fall inside our lines, rather than just outside.

Matches are running down with four scheduled for Thursday and then just two on Friday- after that we have the Singles Finals played on Saturday for the WTA event and Sunday for the ATP event and then the entire Tour can settle down and get ready for some big clay court action.

Jannik Sinner - 5.5 games v Frances Tiafoe: Winning matches is what will always matter most in any sports field, but the current levels being produced by Frances Tiafoe are going to have to be significantly improved if he is going to pose a threat to the World Number 2.

The last couple of wins here in Miami have been a touch fortunate, but Frances Tiafoe should be credited for finding a way to turn momentum around. He has dropped the middle set in each of the last two Rounds, but has rallied to win the decider and the World Number 20 will be playing with plenty of support behind him in the stands.

Frances Tiafoe has taken advantage of the Miami conditions and that has led to holds in 90% of service games played this week, although he has also struggled on the return.

The bigger points have landed in Tiafoe's favour and that has seen him come through the last couple of matches despite facing more Break Points than he has created.

All of this is well and good, but Frances Tiafoe will need to raise his levels considerably if he is going to upset Jannik Sinner.

The World Number 2 was tested by Alex Michelsen in the Fourth Round, but he was largely in control thanks to the dominance behind serve and that meant Sinner cannot have ever been really concerned about the position within the match. Over the last couple of years on the hard courts, Jannik Sinner has been one of the more dominant servers and his numbers in Miami make him a clear favourite to win the title on Sunday.

He may not have returned to the usual level in the Fourth Round win over Michelsen, but that did not stop Jannik Sinner from creating seven Break Points.

In the first two matches in Miami, Sinner had been much more consistent on the return of serve and he will be relatively comfortable within this match up having dominated Frances Tiafoe the last couple of times they have faced each other in competition.

Over eighteen months have passed since they last played one another, but Jannik Sinner will feel he can still predict what is to come from the American.

You can never dismiss Frances Tiafoe's ability to serve at a very high level when putting together that rhythm, but he could be under a lot of scoreboard pressure throughout this Quarter Final and the expectation is that Jannik Sinner will have a bit too much in the locker and that may allow him to cover this spread.

Alexander Zverev - 3.5 games v Francisco Cerundolo: It has been a very productive trip to Miami for Francisco Cerundolo and he will be keen for it to continue for at least another Round.

Very little strong hard court form had been presented by the World Number 19 over the last few years and Francisco Cerundolo had a 4-3 record in the surface in 2026 before the three wins already secured here.

The win over Daniil Medvedev is the stand out result achieved, but Francisco Cerundolo is facing an even higher Ranked opponent in this Quarter Final. His serve has proven to be a decent weapon in the conditions, but Cerundolo has really impressed with the level of the return and 45% of return games ending in a Break of serve across three wins is impressive.

None of that will be lost on Alexander Zverev who will have hoped to have been on the other side of the draw where he would have now been a big favourite to reach the Miami Final. Instead Zverev is going to have go through this tough Quarter Final opponent and then likely have another crack at trying to beat World Number 2 Jannik Sinner on Friday and it is a challenging position for the German player.

Alexander Zverev has only faced 3 Break Points in the three wins secured in Miami, but he has still spent some significant time on the court in the last two Rounds. Having a day off between the Fourth Round and the Quarter Final will help and the World Number 4 is going to be very comfortable with the serving numbers produced this season.

The returning numbers have not been as encouraging in the tournament, but Alexander Zverev has to feel there is more to come from himself.

He will take significant belief out of the fact he has won the last three matches against Francisco Cerundolo and all on the hard courts, including a very comfortable win at the Australian Open in January. The match late in 2025 was a more competitive affair in the Davis Cup, but Alexander Zverev may be the player with the majority of Break Points in this Quarter Final and that could see him edge past this spread, even if some may feel it is a game too high.

MY PICKS: Jannik Sinner - 5.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Alexander Zverev - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 William Hill (1 Unit)

Coco Gauff-Karolina Muchova Over 21.5 Games @ 1.72 William Hill (1 Unit)

Aryna Sabalenka-Elena Rybakina Over 22.5 Games @ 1.80 William Hill (1 Unit)

Miami Update: 16-14, + 1.30 Units (29 Units Staked, + 4.48% Yield)

Indian Wells Tennis Day 11 Picks 2026 (Saturday 14th March)

The WTA Semi Finals were played on Friday, but they both looked pretty tough to read.

Instead the focus is on the Saturday ATP Semi Final matches and the top two players in the World Rankings look like they will be very difficult to beat.

Things happen in sport, but this is the direction that has been taken by the Tennis Picks for Day 11 of the tournament and the reasoning can be read below.

Carlos Alcaraz - 4.5 games v Daniil Medvedev: Another solid win was produced in the Quarter Final and that has continued a fine winning sequence for Daniil Medvedev, which has included a title win in Dubai.

He has suggested the courts are playing faster than usual, which has helped in his ability to perform at Indian Wells, but Medvedev will also be well aware that he still needs to find another level if he is going to beat one of the top two players in the world.

Right now it is Carlos Alcaraz who is playing as the World Number 1 should and his form this week in Indian Wells has been very strong.

Of course the Spaniard plays at this level so often that it perhaps does not make anyone sit up and take notice as they would usually, but that also means Carlos Alcaraz has been able to pick up a couple of titles already this season and he still looks the player to beat.

These two players did split the first four meetings on the Tour, but in recent times Alcaraz has been pretty comfortable in the match up and the challenge for Daniil Medvedev is to turn that momentum around.

This match is also being played in a tournament where Carlos Alcaraz has crushed Daniil Medvedev twice before in 2023 and 2024, both times in the Final rather than the Semi Final. While some believe the conditions are slightly different this year, Carlos Alcaraz will have that mental edge in the contest, as well as the fact he has won four of the five hard court matches between these two Grand Slam Champions.

Daniil Medvedev has to make the best use out of his serve if he is going to upset the odds, but will also need to serve very well to make this competitive. He has held 97% of service games played in Indian Wells this year, but you also have to factor in the opponents faced and being that comfortable against someone who returns as effectively as Carlos Alcaraz is a big ask.

The World Number 1 has also been serving really well and in the previous hard court matches between these players, Carlos Alcaraz has held 89% of service games played compared with 76% for Daniil Medvedev.

Those are numbers that cannot be ignored and the Indian Wells conditions have favoured Carlos Alcaraz who has now won the title twice and reached the Semi Final in each of the last five years.

Jannik Sinner - 4.5 games v Alexander Zverev: In the years ahead, you have to believe the likes of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz will join an elite list of players that have reached the Semi Final of every Masters event played.

The Big Four of the last era have been joined by Alexander Zverev and the World Number 4 is now looking to add a Major title to his list of accomplishments. There are going to be opportunities for Alexander Zverev, but the pressure is on the German to show he can beat the likes of Sinner and Alcaraz in big events.

On Saturday he has a chance to prove himself when he faces the World Number 2 in the Semi Final in Indian Wells, which has long been considered the unofficial 'fifth Slam'.

The best of three set format should provide another chance with Alexander Zverev finding it tougher to come through those big Grand Slam matches, and it is imperative that he serves well.

Outside of one troubling match, Jannik Sinner has looked supremely confident here at Indian Wells and he crushed Learner Tien in the Quarter Final.

Players of this stature are judged on how many titles they win and so it is a huge disappointment for fans of the World Number 2 that he has yet to make a Final, never mind actually winning a title.

Over the coming weeks he should get a lot closer to Carlos Alcaraz in the World Rankings, but Jannik Sinner knows that he is in an era where big titles mean so much more than World Ranking and he would be very keen to win this one in Indian Wells to remind people that there are a 'Big Two' and not just his Spanish rival coasting to title after title.

Jannik Sinner is playing well enough to win this Semi Final and he has beaten Alexander Zverev five times in a row.

Some of those matches have been really competitive where Zverev has used his serve very effectively, but the last couple of hard court defeats at the end of the 2025 season were worryingly one-sided.

In the last four hard court matches between these top four players, Alexander Zverev has only broken serve once and that is a problem for him against a quality returner like Jannik Sinner.

During the run to the Indian Wells Semi Final, Jannik Sinner has been much stronger returning than Alexander Zverev and that may show up here to set up what could be the Final that all of the fans want to see.

MY PICKS: Carlos Alcaraz - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Jannik Sinner - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Indian Wells Update: 11-13, - 3.98 Units (24 Units Staked, - 16.58% Yield)

UK Open Darts Day 3 Picks 2026 (Sunday 8th March)

The 'FA Cup of Darts' is played to a conclusion on Sunday with the Quarter Finals up first in the Day Session and then the Semi Finals and Final all completed later in the Evening Session.

Luke Littler remains in the tournament and that means he remains the big favourite to win the title here for a second year in a row as he continues to dominate the scene.

You would expect Danny Noppert to have something to say about that after beating Luke Humphries in the Sixth Round, but Littler is hard to beat over these longer formats and incredibly hard to beat when he motivates himself to chalk off records.

The remaining six players in the draw will all believe they can go on and win the title- James Wade and Rob Cross are just reminding people of how well they can play, while the two Welshmen taking part in the Premier League, Jonny Clayton and Gerwyn Price, will take huge confidence into the Semi Final by getting the better of the other in the Quarter Final.

Josh Rock will certainly be hoping his run over the last couple of days can inspire a Premier League win on Night 6 of the tournament on Thursday, but all eyes are on Luke Littler and he looks the man to beat.

After a poor Day 1 for the Darts Picks, a strong run on Day 2 has just turned things around.

Quarter Final Picks will be placed here first, and any selections from the Evening Session will be available after the draw has been made later on Sunday afternoon.

Josh Rock - 1.5 legs v Krzysztof Ratajski: We have yet to see Josh Rock win a match in the Premier League, but he had a strong run at the World Masters and has backed that up at the UK Open.

You can never dismiss the ability of Krzysztof Ratajski to cause an upset, but Rocky has found a way past the Polish player in recent head to heads and the performances so far this weekend suggest he can do the same again.

There have been some very good wins produced by Ratajski too, but Josh Rock may just have the slight edge and is capable of coming through with a 10-7 kind of scoreline

James Wade & Rob Cross over 3.5 180s: Two very experienced players face off in the Quarter Final having produced some very strong darts over the last couple of days.

These Ranking events should give James Wade a lot of motivation to remind the PDC that they should have included him in the Premier League this year.

Dominating wins behind big scoring saw Wade come through two matches with the loss of just five Legs on Saturday and he is capable of producing at least four maximums here.

You have to expect Wade to be pushed a bit more by Rob Cross, who has looked close to his best in the Minehead this weekend.

Like his opponent, Rob Cross has found plenty of maximums in his outings and both players hitting at least four looks a big price.

Luke Littler over 6.5 180s v Danny Noppert: He has not always enjoyed the Day Sessions as much as the Evening, but Danny Noppert's win over Luke Humphries should have focused Luke Littler.

There is no doubt that Littler is going to need to produce some strong darts to beat an opponent who felt he did enough to earn a Premier League spot in 2025.

Danny Noppert has refused to allow that disappointment to overshadow his 2026 though and the win over Humphries will have given him plenty of confidence.

It should mean the Dutchman is able to offer some resistance, but Luke Littler showed his scoring power in the win over Gary Anderson in the Sixth Round and he can produce at least seve maximums in this Quarter Final.

Gerwyn Price win & over 8.5 match 180s v Jonny Clayton: A long losing run was snapped by Jonny Clayton when he beat Gerwyn Price in the Premier League a couple of weeks ago, but the latter got back to winning ways against his compatriot in a Player Championship event since then.

You have to believe the Ice Man can continue to get the better of Clayton over this best of nineteen Leg format.

However, the current Premier League leader is producing some really good darts at the moment and he will certainly give Gerwyn Price something to think about.

Both should be able to put together plenty of maximums in a match that may need at least seventeen Legs to decide a winner and the edge has to be with Price to be that winner considering how so many matches between the two Welshmen have gone in recent times.

Gerwyn Price win & over 5.5 180s v James Wade: Both players came through Quarter Final matches in eighteen or more Legs, but Gerwyn Price was much more impressive than James Ward.

Big scoring power overwhelmed compatriot Jonny Clayton in a high level performance and Gerwyn Price is capable of keeping that going in the Semi Final.

He will want to make things a little more straight-forward to keep something in the tank for the Final, but James Ward is unlikely to roll over.

The Machine did have a tough time getting over the line against Rob Cross and it can be tough maintaining a strong level throughout the day- James Ward will believe he can score well enough and has the kind of finishing that will continue to make him dangerous, but Gerwyn Price may have enough to secure the spot in the Final.

If he can power in the maximums as he was doing in the Quarter Final, Price should be able to make this a touch more comfortable.

Luke Littler over 0.5 100+ checkout & over 6.5 180s v Josh Rock: Midway through the Quarter Final, it may have felt like Danny Noppert was going to move into a position to upset the World Number 1.

However, Luke Littler continues to show his superiority over the majority of the Tour when it comes the longer match format and he should be able to get the better of Josh Rock in the Semi Final.

The Northern Irishman will be very aware that he needs to improve his overall level if he is going to beat Luke Littler, but that looks a big ask.

Maximum hitting has not been as prolific as we have come to expect from Luke Littler, but he should have a few more Legs to get his rhythm going, while the combination finishing always gives him a chance to checkout a ton plus finish.

MY PICKS: Josh Rock - 1.5 Legs @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

James Wade & Rob Cross Over 3.5 180s Each @ 2.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Luke Littler Over 6.5 180s @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Gerwyn Price to Win & Over 8.5 Match 180s @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

SEMI FINAL PICKS: Gerwyn Price to Win & Over 5.5 180s @ 2.20 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Luke Littler Over 0.5 100+ Checkout & Over 6.5 180s @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

UK Open Update: 8-8, + 0.88 Units (16 Units Staked, + 5.50% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Friday 27th February)

The tournaments since the Australian Open have been a little up and down for the Tennis Picks, but this one has been a strong bounce back ahead of the back to back hard court Masters events in Indian Wells and Miami.

The focus has been on the ATP Dubai event and the two Semi Final selections can be read below.

Full markets for the tournaments that are taking place in the United States, Mexico and Chile will not be out until Friday morning (United Kingdom time) so any selections from those events will be added to this thread.

Felix Auger Aliassime-Daniil Medvedev over 0.5 Tie-Breakers: All four Semi Finalists in Dubai have been playing some exceptional tennis this week and there may be very little between them.

The first Semi Final looks a really competitive one when Felix Auger Aliassime, the Number 1 Seed, takes on Daniil Medvedev, the Number 3 Seed.

In three wins each, the two players have combined to lose serve just three times and the numbers have been very solid. Felix Auger Aliassime has held 97% of service games played and has been winning 75% of service points played, while Daniil Medvedev has 91% and 69% marks in both categories.

No one will be very surprised to hear that Medvedev has had the superior return numbers, but he has also faced much weaker opposition compared with Felix Auger Aliassime.

The initial meetings on the Tour had been dominated by Daniil Medvedev, but Felix Auger Aliassime won the last completed match at the Paris Olympics a little over eighteen months ago. Last year he beat Medvedev when the Russian retired at the end of the first set in Doha, but the previous seven hard court matches have all been won by Daniil Medvedev.

Felix Auger Aliassime has really struggled to impose his serve in those previous hard court matches, while also having difficulty dealing with the Daniil Medvedev serve. That is perhaps the main reason he is set as the narrow underdog, but this should be close considering what we have seen from both players, not only here in Dubai, but in general over the last month.

The high level performances of both players should mean they are both operating with a lot of confidence and that could make this a really competitive Semi Final.

It may be one that features at least one Tie-Breaker with the expectation that there may be very little between these high Ranked rivals.

My narrow edge is with Daniil Medvedev and the superior return game, but Felix Auger Aliassime has served well enough to deserve a lot of respect.

Andrey Rublev-Tallon Griekspoor over 0.5 Tie-Breakers: There was very little form put together by Tallon Griekspoor prior to the tournament beginning in Dubai and so his appearance in the Semi Final is something of a surprise.

However, the Dutchman will point to some strong numbers in the three wins this week, which have included a couple of wins over opponents Ranked Number 10 and Number 13.

Tallon Griekspoor has held 97% of his service games played at the tournament and he has only allowed four Break Points in three matches- he will need to continue producing at that level if he is going to earn an upset and reach the Final.

The World Number 25 has long been someone who has struggled on the return, but he can build scoreboard pressure behind strong serving. At the tournament, Tallon Griekspoor has only broken in 19% of return games played and has won 36% of return points played and now has to face Andrey Rublev, who has opened 2026 in really strong form on the hard courts.

A 10-3 start to the year will have given Andrey Rublev a lot of confidence ahead of the back to back Masters events which are going to be played over the next month, but he will want to reach a Final.

Last week a close loss to Carlos Alcaraz in the Semi Final in Doha would have hurt, but Andrey Rublev has continued operating at a high level.

Much like his opponent, Andrey Rublev has held 97% of his service games played, although he has been challenged a little bit more with eight Break Points faced.

There is a clear edge in favour of Rublev when it comes to the return of serve, while he has beaten Tallon Griekspoor in all three previous matches on the Tour.

It has been almost two years since they faced one another and Andrey Rublev was a top ten Ranked player in all three previous matches, while the closest contest was on the Doha hard courts in 2023.

In that match, Andrey Rublev was the slightly stronger server and that may be the case in this Semi Final, although like the first, it could be competitive at least for a while. This may be another match in which at least one Tie-Breaker is needed to separate two players who have been using the conditions very effectively and you have to believe the serving power is going to put both in a position to roll through some games without feeling much pressure.

This may end up focusing the two to get to at least one Tie-Breaker and that could be pivotal to the outcome of the contest.

MY PICKS: Felix Auger Aliassime-Daniil Medvedev Over 0.5 Tie-Breakers @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Andrey Rublev-Tallon Griekspoor Over 0.5 Tie-Breakers @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 7-1, + 5.29 Units (8 Units Staked, + 66.13% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Friday 20th February)

The week has been a difficult one and the fine margins have just leaned the wrong way on one too many selections.

Some of the matches barely missed entering the criteria, which was a shame, but there are still a couple of days to round out the week before we put this one into the books.

Next week is going to be a quieter week all round with the WTA Tour moving into a couple of 250 events as attention turns to Indian Wells, which begins the following week.

Of course the WTA 1000 title in Dubai has to be handed out before that, while the ATP Tour will have big events in Dubai and Acapulco at the 500 level.

Once again the attention has to remain on the present and any selections from the ATP tournaments in Rio and Delray Beach will be added to this thread when the weekly totals will also be updated.

Jessica Pegula - 2.5 games v Amanda Anisimova: The WTA 1000 tournament in Dubai is down to the final four and there will be at least one American in the Final on Saturday.

Both of these players came through testing Quarter Final matches, but you do have to believe that Amanda Anisimove invested a lot more emotional energy in her battling win over Mirra Andreeva.

Not only did she come from a set behind, but it looked like Anisimova's run in the Middle East was drawing to a close when she fell 6-5 behind in the final set, but a break of serve and then coming through the Tie-Breaker has kept the dream alive of winning another title in this part of the world. Last year Amanda Anisimova won the title in Doha, and beating the defending Champion in Dubai has to have filled her with confidence.

Spending over two and a half hours on the court and putting herself through the mental and physical wringer could be a factor in this Semi Final, while Amanda Anisimova is also going to be trying to get the better of compatriot Jessica Pagula for the first time.

These players met at the Australian Open and Jessica Pegula was the better player on the day and she did get to play earlier in the day on Thursday when coming through in three sets against Clara Tauson.

It was a very tough match in the Quarter Final and Jessica Pegula has to be given credit for holding herself together at key times during that match. Getting through has maintained a strong start to the season and Jessica Pegula should be well rested having decided to skip Doha last week.

The serve is going to be a big weapon for both players, but it is Jessica Pegula who has just been producing at a slightly higher level compared with Amanda Anisimova. There isn't much between them, but Pegula is the player that is likely going to have the majority of the Break Points and having a bit more energy without a day break between matches should be in her favour.

At some point you would imagine Amanda Anisimova will begin to turn the tables on her older compatriot, but that may not be ready to begin on Friday in this big Semi Final.

Arthur Fils-Jakub Mensik over 0.5 tie-breakers: The ATP Doha Semi Finals do feature Carlos Alcaraz, but Jannik Sinner was beaten in the Quarter Final by Jakub Mensik who will now be under some pressure to back that up.

Last year Mensik was able to do that when winning the Miami Masters having beaten five players Ranked Number 21 or higher.

One of those wins was against Arthur Fils, who is the Semi Final opponent on Friday.

The Frenchman missed the opening month of the season, but has looked in solid form so far in Doha where the conditions make his serve dangerous.

The same can be said for the Jakub Mensik serve and that was an important weapon for him in the upset over Jannik Sinner.

You have to believe both are capable of putting the other under pressure behind the serve and both Arthur Fils and Jakub Mensik have needed at least one Tie-Breaker to be played in two of the three wins put together in Doha.

Arthur Fils has held 88% of service games played and has won 66% of service points played, which makes it tough for opponents.

Jakub Mensik has 89% and 69% marks in both of those categories and the sole match on the main Tour last year in Miami needed a first set Breaker to separate the two players.

MY PICKS: Jessica Pegula - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Arthur Fils-Jakub Mensik Over 0.5 Tie Breakers @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Friday 13th February)

The business end of the current tournaments has come around with the Quarter Final matches scheduled at the three ATP events, while the WTA Doha event has reached the Semi Final.

It has been an inconsistent week for the Tennis Picks, but there is still an opportunity to finish with some strong form and to add some positive numbers to the season total.

Any selections from the tournaments in Dallas and Buenos Aires will be added to this thread once assessed after the markets have been fully formed.

Karolina Muchova - 3.5 games v Maria Sakkari: After dropping the first set in her Quarter Final match against Iga Swiatek, Maria Sakkari was a significant underdog to progress.

Not only is the 30 year old dropping down the World Rankings, but Swiatek had not been beaten in her previous 109 WTA 1000 level matches after taking the opening set.

The World Number 52 has had to spend two and a half hours on the court in the Quarter Final, but that victory will be pushing Maria Sakkari back up towards the top 30 in the World Rankings. She will have taken a lot of confidence from the win over the top Seed in Doha and Maria Sakkari has put together four good wins in the tournament to move into the Semi Final.

After a decline in 2025, Sakkari will be feeling much better about her level of performance in the early events in 2026 and she will certainly feel she has the tennis to give Karolina Muchova plenty to think about.

One mid-match withdrawal aside, Karolina Muchova has eased through the draw and her win over Anna Kalinskaya in the Quarter Final continues her fine form.

She has faced a much more manageable part of the draw compared with Maria Sakkari who has two top ten wins on the board.

However, Karolina Muchova has been playing at a higher level on the hard courts over the last twelve months and she has been winning a lot of tennis matches on the surface since the beginning of January.

With the upsets that have taken place in the tournament, Karolina Muchova will feel there is a big opportunity for her to win the title here, while that may be good enough to earn her a return to the top ten herself.

Both players have been backing up the serve very effectively here in Doha, but it is Karolina Muchova who has been getting slightly more out of that shot. It is the World Number 19 who has also been the slightly more effective return player and that could show up in this latest meeting between the two veterans of the Tour.

They have not faced one another since August 2023 when Karolina Muchova beat Maria Sakkari on the hard courts of Cincinnati, but it was a match that went the distance. Back then Maria Sakkari was the higher Ranked player and it may be tough for her to bridge the gap, especially having put in so much physical and mental effort to win the Quarter Final on Thursday.

MY PICKS: Karolina Muchova - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Alex De Minaur - 4.5 Games @ 1.85 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 8-7, + 0.23 Units (15 Units Staked, + 1.53% Yield)

Australian Open Tennis Day 12 Picks 2026 (Thursday 29th January)

The opening Grand Slam of the 2026 season has now reached the last four days and that means the spotlight will shine on the Singles tournaments on different days.

On Thursday and Saturday it will be the leading ladies who take centre stage with the two Semi Finals played on the Night Session before the Saturday showpiece Final.

On Friday and Sunday it will be the turn of the men and it may take a brave person to back against seeing the Carlos Alcaraz vs Jannik Sinner Grand Slam Final for the fourth Major in a row. Players like Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic will be hoping experience can give them an edge, but it is a big ask and the two leading male player on the Tour continue to dominate.

Before all of that we get into the women's Semi Final matches and both offer some intrigue.

Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina know what it takes to get over the line, but Jessica Pegula is a former US Open Finalist and Elina Svitolina will feel that she has already overachieved since returning to the Tour. Of course the latter is being fuelled further by off court events taking place back in her homeland and that is going to be the backdrop to her Semi Final with the World Number 1, while also meaning the latter will be playing with plenty of motivation of her own knowing how some of her peers feel about her presence on the Tour.

The second Semi Final should be another fun match between Pegula and Rybakina and my Picks from both last four matches can be read below.

Aryna Sabalenka - 4.5 games v Elina Svitolina: You cannot ignore the political backdrop to this Australian Open Semi Final when Aryna Sabalenka takes on Elina Svitolina. It has been a tournament filled with questions being asked of the American players about political upheaval taking place back in the United States, while a different Ukrainian player made headlines early at the Australian Open when criticising some of the top Russian and Belarusian athletes on the Tour.

There is not going to be a handshake before or after this match, but both Aryna Sabalenka and Elina Svitolina will be very respectful of what the other brings on the court. Added motivation cannot be ignored on both sides of the net and it is going to be very important for the two competitors to keep a lid on the emotions if they are going to find a way to compete in the Final of the opening Grand Slam of the season.

While impossible to ignore issues off of the court, the focus here has to be on how the two have matched up with each other.

Both have to be credited for maintaining unbeaten runs through the opening month of the season which has led to each winning a title, while the performances within the Australian Open have also been impressive.

Aryna Sabalenka has beaten a couple of young, developing stars of the WTA Tour in the last two Rounds, but Elina Svitolina will be the highest Ranked player she will have faced in Melbourne this year. Previously that match would have been against World Number 16 Victoria Mboko, but inexperience would still have been. factor in that Fourth Round match and now Sabalenka is facing someone returning to the top 10 of the World Rankings and who has plenty of Grand Slam experience.

Not only that, but Elina Svitolina is much more battle-hardened having beaten three players Ranked inside the top 22, while also having back to back top 10 wins. Those last two victories over Mirra Andreeva and Coco Gauff came in matches when Elina Svitolina did not drop a set and she produced some high quality tennis to make sure neither Andreeva nor Gauff could get a foothold into those matches.

There is still a mental obstacle to overcome as Elina Svitolina has not reached a Grand Slam Final before, but the run to the Semi Final here means her record in Majors is as successful post-motherhood as it was before she took her leave of absence from the Tour.

This is the first Grand Slam Semi Final since Elina Svitolina's surprising run at Wimbledon 2023, while the style of play has changed with the 31 year old looking to be more aggressive in her tennis. This has been evident here in Melbourne with Svitolina using the serve very well, especially when it comes to protecting the second serve, and Svitolina has really had a lot of success on the return.

She may have played some high Ranked opponents, but that has not stopped Svitolina from winning 52% of return points played, while she has broken at least four times in every match at Melbourne Park.

Of course it has to be noted that this time Elina Svitolina will be facing one of the best servers on the WTA Tour in Aryna Sabalenka and the World Number 1 has been particularly effective at winning a few more points behind the second serve. She may also feel there is room for improvement on the points won behind the first serve, but Aryna Sabalenka looks to be peaking at the right time.

Much like her opponent, Aryna Sabalenka's control of the serve has allowed her to play with aggression on the return and she has also been very effective at winning those points to keep the pressure on the opponent.

It does feel like this Semi Final will come down to which of the two players is most effective at looking after the second serve.

In recent meetings between the players, it is Aryna Sabalenka who has just been able to play the bigger points more effectively and her power has been telling on the return.

The majority of the previous matches have been on the clay courts, which is a surface on which Elina Svitolina may feel she can cause more problems for the World Number 1.

In two previous hard court matches, Aryna Sabalenka's first serve has made the difference, including in the first of those when the younger player was much lower in the World Rankings. The hard court match in Cincinnati in August 2024 was dominated by Sabalenka and the feeling is that she has the serving prowess to avoid the kind of capitulation suffered by Coco Gauff in the Quarter Final.

The blueprint to attack the Elina Svitolina serve has been shown in the Round earlier by Mirra Andreeva and you just have to believe that Aryna Sabalenka's comfort on the Melbourne hard courts eventually see her pull away for a solid win and a place in the Australian Open Final for a fourth year in a row.

Elena Rybakina Over 3.5 Breaks of Serve and 5+ Aces v Jessica Pegula: Both Jessica Pegula and Elena Rybakina came through Quarter Finals in impressive fashion and that makes for a good looking Semi Final between players who have been amongst the best on the Tour for some time.

Both have played Grand Slam Finals, but it is Elena Rybakina who has gotten over the line when winning the title at Wimbledon.

Elena Rybakina also reached the Final right here in Melbourne six months after winning the title at SW19, but she came up short against Aryna Sabalenka in 2023. Since that defeat, her best Grand Slam runs have been at Wimbledon where she has reached the Quarter Final and Semi Final and, somewhat more surprisingly, at the French Open where Elena Rybakina has played in another Quarter Final.

However, despite the very strong hard court numbers over the last couple of seasons, Elena Rybakina has struggled to make the second week at either of the two Slams played on that surface until this strong opening to the 2026 season.

Jessica Pegula had also reached a ceiling in her Grand Slam performances, but broke through to reach the Final at the US Open in 2024 and was a Semi Finalist in New York City back in September. Before 2024, Pegula had played in and been beaten in five Grand Slam Quarter Final matches, which includes in three straight years at the Australian Open.

There had also been signs that this was a player who was becoming a declining force, but the World Number 6 has really impressed in her run to the Semi Final in Australia over the last few days. She has beaten the defending Champion and Jessica Pegula came through a tight second set to beat Amanda Anisimova, who had reached the last two Grand Slam Finals, while also maintaining a run of having yet to drop a set in the tournament.

Her opponent has also come through in straight sets throughout the tournament and overcame a slow start to motor past Iga Swiatek in the Quarter Final, which will have given Elena Rybakina a real boost in confidence.

The serve is proving to be a monster weapon for Rybakina and she has really gotten in to a nice rhythm behind that shot in the last two Rounds as the competition has increased.

It is going to need to be working as well to keep a lid on Jessica Pegula, but Elena Rybakina has to be confident having beaten the American twice on the hard courts in 2025. Both of those wins saw Elena Rybakina have a real edge on the serve and that is likely going to be a key factor in the outcome of this Semi Final, although Jessica Pegula's mental strength can not be dismissed.

The American has been the stronger return player in the tournament, but that has to be expected.

It is the Elena Rybakina second serve that can become a key in making sure that the Kazakhstan representative is not being pushed back early in rallies and she will certainly feel she has the easy power to come through this match.

You have to expect Elena Rybakina's serve to rack up the Ace count in this match- she has been flowing nicely in the last two Rounds and managed to put up 24 Aces in the two wins over Jessica Pegula last year with at least 9 in both wins.

Elena Rybakina also broke at least four times in both matches and she has the capabilities of hitting those marks again.

As mentioned, Rybakina has been finding some stellar rhythm on the serve and Madison Keys managed 4 Aces in her defeat to Jessica Pegula, while the World Number 5 has broken at least four times in each of the last four wins in the tournament.

You have to respect Jessica Pegula's capabilities of digging in and finding a way to turn points and games, which makes the spread dangerous, but putting the Ace count and Breaks of Serve together gives us an odds against quote for Elena Rybakina, who looks the stronger player overall.

MY PICKS: Aryna Sabalenka - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Coral (2 Units)

Elena Rybakina Over 3.5 Breaks of Serve & 5+ Aces @ 2.20 Bet365 (2 Units)

Australian Open Update: 33-22, + 8.48 Units (114 Units Staked, + 7.44% Yield)

ATP Finals Day 7 Tennis Picks 2025 (Saturday 15th November)

There have been a couple of really disappointing performances from players who will be expecting to challenge for Grand Slam titles in 2026 and that has led to a couple of surprising names being able to make it through to the last four at the ATP Finals.

Most fans will still be expecting to see the top two players in the world compete for yet another title, but Alex De Minaur and Felix Auger-Aliassime are going to have something to say about that.

Jannik Sinner - 5.5 games v Alex De Minaur: This Semi Final was set before the final Group matches were played on Friday, but it is Alex De Minaur who will have been able to earn a day of rest between matches.

After losing his opening two matches in the tournament, Alex De Minaur's hopes of progressing into the Semi Final was hanging by a thread going into Day 5 in Turin. He had no choice but to win in straight sets in his final match, but De Minaur still had to wait and hope Carlos Alcaraz would beat Lorenzo Musetti before knowing he would be tasked with heading out and playing again.

Alex De Minaur has to take encouragement out of the fact that his performances have improved in each of the three matches played- after losing in straight sets to Carlos Alcaraz, De Minaur had a chance to serve out the match against Lorenzo Musetti before losing in three sets and then ultimately beat Taylor Fritz in straight sets to move through the Group.

Serving well is going to be really important against the World Number 2 and that has been something that has been challenging for Alex De Minaur when facing Jannik Sinner in the past.

It has also been the reason Alex De Minaur has lost all twelve matches played against the Italian.

All but one of those defeats have been on the hard courts, including in all three matches in 2025 and Jannik Sinner has won seven of the eight sets played between the players. Two of those wins earned by Jannik Sinner have been since the US Open and there is a massive advantage in favour of the higher Ranked player that is almost impossible to ignore.

Jannik Sinner has won 69% of the points played behind his serve compared with Alex De Minaur's 56% mark... This has led to Sinner holding in 91% of service games played compared with De Minaur doing the same in 63% of his own service games and these are big edges in favour of Jannik Sinner.

He was given a bit of an examination by Ben Shelton in the final Group match, but Jannik Sinner was largely in control and did not have to spend any additional time on the court.

This should all mean that the Italian is ready to reach another Final here in Turin and the World Number 2 may be able to do that in some style.

Carlos Alcaraz - 3.5 games v Felix Auger-Aliassime: After losing to Jannik Sinner and looking like he was suffering with some sort of calf injury, Felix Auger-Aliassime has performed really well to win back to back Group matches.

The battling display against Ben Shelton deserves a lot more respect than the win over Alexander Zverev merely because the American pushed Felix Auger-Aliassime really hard. This may have cracked lesser players, but the Canadian has continued producing at key times in the second half of the season and Auger-Aliassime is going to head into 2026 with a lot of confidence.

Everything in this Semi Final is about the Felix Auger-Aliassime serve as he bids to upset the World Number 1.

It has been a big weapon in the wins over Ben Shelton and Alexander Zverev, but Felix Auger-Aliassime struggled to impose himself on Jannik Sinner in the opening Group match. He may have learned from that, but Auger-Aliassime has not faced Carlos Alcaraz in sixteen months and the Spaniard is playing at a really solid level himself to secure that position heading into the 2026 season.

Three matches played and three wins on the board has given Carlos Alcaraz momentum as he looks to go forward and win the ATP Finals for the first time to continue to add to his increasing trophy collection.

Despite already being through to the Semi Final, Carlos Alcaraz produced his best performance in the tournament in the win over Lorenzo Musetti on Thursday. That will further the momentum he has built up in the tournament and Alcaraz has to be pretty confident that much of this match will be played on his racquet, even when facing a very good server like Felix Auger-Aliassime.

There are just more ways for Carlos Alcaraz to win the match.

Covering the spread will not be easy and the World Number 1 may need to break serve at least three times to do that, but he has reached that total in all three of the matches played this week. The performance in the win over Taylor Fritz will give Carlos Alcaraz the confidence to deal with the World Number 8 and he has won each of the last four matches between the players.

We have seen Felix Auger-Aliassime produce high quality tennis when he has momentum and built up confidence- he is dangerous here having done that in back to back wins to join Jannik Sinner in the last four, but Carlos Alcaraz is a big challenge for the Canadian and that may show up on the final scoreboard.

MY PICKS: Jannik Sinner - 5.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Carlos Alcaraz - 3.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

ATP Finals: 7-4, + 1.28 Units (11 Units Staked, + 11.64% Yield)

WTA Finals Day 7 Tennis Picks 2025 (Friday 7th November)

There are two days left at the WTA Finals in Riyadh and four of the eight Singles players have been eliminated.

The final four all have their strengths and this is a good opportunity for someone to lay down a marker ahead of the Australian Open considering the lack of competitive tennis that is likely to be played by the very best players between now and Melbourne in mid-January.

The two Group Winners are favourites in the Semi Final, and they look most likely to come through, but nothing is ever that easy on the WTA Tour and both Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka are going to have to be wary of the challenges that Jessica Pegula and Amanda Anisimova will present.

Elena Rybakina - 2.5 games v Jessica Pegula: The World Number 5 would have gone into her final Group match knowing a win would put her in a good position to reach the Semi Final here in Riyadh. However, Jessica Pegula may also have put herself under some pressure to win in straight sets to take away any drama while watching the other match and credit has to be given to the American for the strong win she put together.

Moving through to the WTA Finals last four as Runner Up means a Semi Final clash against Elena Rybakina who has looked like the player that won the title at Wimbledon back in 2022.

Six months later she reached the Australian Open Final, but you would perhaps be a little disappointed in not seeing Elena Rybakina compete at the business end of more Grand Slams since winning Wimbledon. Most would have anticipated her adding to that title, but she has failed to make the Quarter Final in any of the last five Grand Slams played and some of that has been down to off court issues.

Those look to be clearing up, even if some remain concerned about Rybakina's relationship with Coach Stefano Vukov.

The World Number 6 enjoyed a decent Asian swing to earn her spot in the WTA Finals and Elena Rybakina has won all three Group matches thanks to her immense serving.

Elena Rybakina has won at least 70% of service points played in each of the three matches here in Riyadh and that has put a lot of scoreboard pressure on her opponents. She has only dropped serve twice, which is no surprise considering how dominant Rybakina has been behind her opening delivery, and that has allowed the World Number 6 to play with some aggression on the return.

It is going to be challenging for Jessica Pegula to find her way into the return games, although she will take some heart from the way she returned against Aryna Sabalenka in the Group Stage. She managed to break serve four times against the World Number 1, although Jessica Pegula was kept under immense pressure on her own serve and that is expected to be the case here.

These two players met after the US Open in the Billy Jean King Cup and Elena Rybakina was the much stronger server in a straight sets win over Jessica Pegula.

The last time they met at the WTA Finals was at the end of the 2022 season and it was Pegula who got the better of that one, but you have to give Elena Rybakina the edge on the form produced this week.

Jessica Pegula controlled the match against Jasmine Paolini, but has won less than 60% of service points played against Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka and the likely service disparity between these two Semi Finalists is going to give the lower Ranked player the edge.

Aryna Sabalenka - 3.5 games v Amanda Anisimova: The initial big breakthrough on the WTA Tour came back in 2019 when Amanda Anisimova was 17 years old and she reached the French Open Semi Final.

At the 2019 Australian Open, Amanda Anisimova upset Aryna Sabalenka and she won the first four meetings between the players and all while being Ranked outside the top 30.

After taking some time away from the Tour to just unburden herself, Amanda Anisimova has returned with real ambitions to fulfil the obvious potential she had shown in her development and early years as a professional. Reaching back to back Grand Slam Finals will give the American something to build upon in 2026 and Amanda Anisimova is playing with confidence having beaten Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek in her last two Group matches here to reach the Semi Final in her maiden appearance at the WTA Finals.

One of the wins on the way to reached the Wimbledon Final was against Aryna Sabalenka, but the World Number 1 earned revenge over Amanda Anisimova by beating her in the US Open Final in September.

Aryna Sabalenka also beat Anisimova in the French Open Fourth Round and she has now won four of the last six matches against the World Number 4.

The Belarusian has won all three matches at the WTA Finals, but it still feels like there is room for improvement in her level of performance.

She has served herself out of some tough situations, but Aryna Sabalenka will want to just get a bit more out of that shot to try and keep herself out of pressurised situations. Completely erasing those against someone like Amanda Anisimova is not likely, but Sabalenka has to take some heart out of the way Elena Rybakina got the better of this opponent in the Group Stage and feel she can at least reach a similar level.

Amanda Anisimova has been improving her serving numbers in each of the matches played in the tournament, which is perhaps partly down to becoming accustomed to the conditions.

However, it is the World Number 1 who has had the superior consistency on the return and that was the case when these two players met in the US Open Final.

There is so much to like about the Amanda Anisimova game and a slight improvement in 2026 will lead to Grand Slam titles on her current trajectory.

She has beaten Sabalenka in a big moment at Wimbledon, but the top Seed has won at two other Grand Slam events and that win over Anisimova in New York City could be repeated here. That was a close match and Aryna Sabalenka had to dig deep when broken after serving for the set, but it was won under indoor conditions and the World Number 1 can move into the Final here with a win and a cover of the handicap mark set.

MY PICKS: Elena Rybakina - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Aryna Sabalenka - 3.5 Games @ 1.90 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

WTA Finals: 6-5, + 0.21 Units (11 Units Staked, + 1.91% Yield)

Cincinnati Masters Tennis Picks 2025 (Sunday 17th August)

The scheduling at the end of this Cincinnati Masters is clearly a work in progress and it would not be a major surprise if the organisers listen to the players and change things for next year.

It is bizarre that both Men's Semi Final matches have been scheduled for Saturday and the two Women's last four matches on Sunday, especially as they are likely to have the WTA Final played first on Monday.

Things just haven't made much sense in the back to back Masters tournaments played in the build up to the US Open, and the players have voiced their criticisms, which is something that should really be taken into consideration.

The two Men's Semi Final matches look tough to call on Saturday, but there is one play from the WTA Semi Final matches to be played on Sunday.

Iga Swiatek - 1.5 games v Elena Rybakina: The defending Champion at the US Open is Aryna Sabalenka, but both Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina may be looking to lay down a marker about their intent by winning the Cincinnati Masters.

The winner of this Semi Final is going to be a big favourite to do that, but first they have to overcome a significant test.

Elena Rybakina has to also overcome a mental hurdle having suffered a number of Semi Final defeats this season, including last time out in Montreal. She has not played poorly in these matches, but ultimately it will play on the mind that she has suffered so many defeats at this stage of a tournament.

An impressive win over Aryna Sabalenka has to give Elena Rybakina a lot of confidence going into a match against the player who will be going into the US Open as the Number 2 Seed.

The one surprise about the 2025 season is how underwhelming the Iga Swiatek clay court season turned out to be, but she has been performing at a very good level on the hard courts. At the Australian Open, it took an inspired Madison Keys to win the Semi Final against Iga Swiatek, but the latter is a former US Open Champion and has been putting some fine tennis on display in Cincinnati.

Everyone will feel the power edge is with Elena Rybakina, but Iga Swiatek has an underrated serve and that can put plenty of pressure on the former.

Three straight wins on the hard courts against Elena Rybakina backs that statement up, and Iga Swiatek has dominated the number of Break Points created.

There is no doubting how well Elena Rybakina is playing, but the numbers produced by Iga Swiatek at this tournament are very impressive. A strength has been the consistency that Swiatek has found on her return of serve and that could be the key to the outcome of this match and help the Pole beat this opponent for the fourth time in a row.

If Elena Rybakina is able to bring her very best serving onto the court, she will cause problems, but Iga Swiatek has been playing well enough to win this Semi Final and cover the handicap mark set.

MY PICKS: Iga Swiatek - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 5-8, - 3.43 Units (13 Units Staked, - 26.38% Yield)

Canadian Masters Tennis Picks 2025 (Wednesday 6th August)

Plenty of people have come out and criticised the new format being used by the Canadian and Cincinnati Masters with the extended schedule causing some problems.

While we have yet to have a conclusion to the two tournaments being run north of the border, the Cincinnati Masters First Round will begin on Thursday, which is the same day the Canadian Finals have been scheduled to be played.

Traditionalists will be baffled by a Thursday Final for the tournaments in Canada, but they will be pretty unhappy that the Cincinnati Masters is set to be concluded on a Monday, which is less than a week before the US Open begins.

The Tours are likely going to make some adjustments with the events, but the back to back nature of the two Masters ahead of the final Grand Slam means needing more space in the calendar. At least those events earlier in the season at Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid and Rome are all in a part of the schedule where they can begin on Thursday and have the traditional Sunday finish, but the Canadian Masters is played right after a big event in Washington and there has already been some overlap with that tournament without the pre-weekend start.

Fans are not that happy, but players are also aggrieved with the scheduling and so it has to be assumed something will be done to appease everybody, including the Masters events that want to sell extra sessions.

The Grand Slams have done the same with the First Round now beginning on a Sunday at all but Wimbledon, while the Night Session approach of the other three Slams also means they can make that extra revenue. Maybe in the years ahead Wimbledon will be following suit, especially if they do finally begin work on the ground extension that was given approval by the courts in the UK, and that will be another blow to what traditionalists have become used to seeing on the Tour.

It has been a solid week for the Tennis Picks at the Canadian Masters, but there are still six matches to be played before the Tour can all move onto Cincinnati.

There are three selections from the Semi Finals that have all been scheduled for Wednesday and those can be read below.

Alexander Zverev - 2.5 games v Karen Khachanov: In a tournament that was missing the likes of Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, the field will have arrived in Toronto with the belief that a deep run could be possible. Those three players will go into most tournaments as the favourites to win the title so the absence is a big boost to others, although that may have increased the pressure on the Seeded players involved.

That may have been the case for someone like Alexander Zverev who had such a disappointing Wimbledon, but who has always been able to make a big impact at the US Open.

He came close to winning the French Open last year, but Alexander Zverev's biggest miss feels like the US Open in 2020 when leading 2-0 in sets and also serving for the title in the Fifth Set. Playing on the hard courts have been a comfortable experience for the top Seed and his numbers over the last couple of years means he has to head to New York City as a genuine contender.

The performances here in Toronto have been very strong and dumping out the defending Champion after dropping the first set will have given Alexander Zverev confidence. It is the second time he has won a match in Toronto having lost a first set tie-breaker, but Zverev looks a player performing with a lot more belief than even a month ago and that has shown up in the strong finishes to those matches.

Karen Khachanov is the Semi Final opponent and the World Number 16 deserves plenty of respect as a hard court player, even if 2025 had been disappointing prior to his run here. He had been just 5-7 in hard court matches before the four wins at this Masters event, but Karen Khachanov had won 65% of his hard court matches in the previous two seasons and is someone who loves playing on the surface.

With a big serve, Khachanov is able to build plenty of pressure on the hard courts, and an aggressive style means he will look to get on the front foot on the return.

His numbers have been very good in Toronto with 71% of his service points being won and Karen Khachanov will know he needs to serve well to try and keep a lid on Alexander Zverev.

It is the lower Ranked player who has found a bit more joy out of the returning numbers, but Karen Khachanov has seen those declining in each of the four wins produced in the tournament run. He was tested by Alex Michelsen in the Quarter Final win and now arguably faces the toughest serve he will have seen in this event.

Alexander Zverev does have the upper hand in the head to head having beaten Karen Khachanov in five of seven meetings on the Tour.

That includes two hard court wins in North America in 2024 in matches where Zverev had a significant edge as far as the serving numbers go as he comfortably dismissed Karen Khachanov both times. Add in the fact that the latter has tended to struggle when facing higher Ranked opponents on the surface, despite the win over Casper Ruud earlier in the tournament, and you have to believe Alexander Zverev can get the better of the World Number 16 in two tight, competitive sets.

Elena Rybakina - 3.5 games v Victoria Mboko: It has been a really strong season for Victoria Mboko as she continues her development as a professional tennis player with a huge amount of expectation on her shoulders. The 18 year old has won a lot of matches and reached a career high World Ranking of Number 85 in the lead up to a big event in her home country, but even the biggest advocate of Mboko could not have been prepared for the tournament she has put together.

An upset of Coco Gauff will have made headlines, but Victoria Mboko has refused to allow that victory to overwhelm her and she has won two more matches to make it through to the Semi Final in Montreal.

She has already climbed into the top 50 of the provisional World Rankings and now Victoria Mboko takes aim at reaching her biggest Final in her young career.

That would mean overturning a result from Washington when she was beaten by Elena Rybakina and this looks a big challenge considering how well the former Wimbledon Champion is playing right now.

As mentioned previously this week, Elena Rybakina has been struggling on the Tour as off-court issues have regularly been making the headlines instead of her tennis. However, she has looked much more comfortable back on the hard courts over the last month and Elena Rybakina has been in very strong form here in Montreal, while also perhaps benefiting from the fact that Victoria Mboko will have made the majority of the headlines.

Both players will feel they can dominate behind a big first serve, while it is the younger player who has perhaps impressed most with her return game.

In saying that, it was Elena Rybakina who was the stronger of the two players in Washington and she was able to make many more inroads into the Victoria Mboko serve compared with the other way around.

This week the home support will make it that much tougher for Elena Rybakina, but she has a very strong game for the hard courts and the expectation is that she can frank the form with another win over the youngster. In that match in Washington, it was Elena Rybakina who managed to protect the second serve much more effectively compared with Mboko and that may be the case again in this Semi Final with the former World Number 3 also having the advantages of being much more experienced at the latter stages of these big tournaments.

Victoria Mboko will have learned plenty out of that defeat in the previous tournament, and she is playing with a lot of confidence. She will have her moments, but the feeling is that Elena Rybakina may have a few more as she looks to put a big tournament in the books ahead of the US Open.

Naomi Osaka - 1.5 games v Clara Tauson: Both of these players earned dominant Quarter Final wins on Tuesday and so there will be no excuses for Naomi Osaka and Clara Tauson when they have to play again on Wednesday.

The performances throughout the runs in Montreal have been very impressive, although you have to perhaps say the wins that Clara Tauson has produced have been superior to the ones that Naomi Osaka has on the board.

Beating two of the three Grand Slam Champions of 2025 will give Tauson so much confidence and she will feel she is serving well enough in these conditions to try and shorten the points against a dangerous player standing on the other side of the net.

Naomi Osaka has some very strong wins on the record, but she has not faced the likes of Madison Keys or Iga Swiatek and that has to be a potential factor. Crushing Elina Svitolina in the manner she did on Tuesday would have gotten the attention and Naomi Osaka is set to be Seeded at the US Open, which is important to allow her to work her way into that Grand Slam.

Much like her opponent, Naomi Osaka has been using the serve to contain the threats posed from the other side of the net and this has the makings of a close match.

Earlier this year, it was Clara Tauson who will hold the win over Naomi Osaka in the Auckland Final, but the latter withdrew from that match after winning the first set. The numbers really were heavily skewed in favour of Osaka in that match and so she will certainly enter the court with a lot of belief that her game is going to match up well with Clara Tauson's.

The expectation is that both players are going to have plenty of success behind the serve, but Naomi Osaka looks to be playing with a lot of confidence. Her numbers at the event look similar to Clara Tauson's, but Osaka may not make the errors that ended up costing Madison Keys in the Quarter Final defeat to the Dane.

The first set will be important, and Naomi Osaka could be tough to peg back if she is able to get in front.

Clara Tauson is going to be playing at a career high World Ranking from next week and has to be respected, but a big hitting match may end up just slipping away from her at the end.

MY PICKS: Alexander Zverev - 2.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Elena Rybakina - 3.5 Games @ 1.85 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Naomi Osaka - 1.5 Games @ 1.66 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 13-4, + 6.99 Units (17 Units Staked, + 41.12% Yield)