Rome Masters Tennis Picks 2026 (Sunday 10th May)

After a decent start to the clay court season, the decision had been made to miss the Madrid Masters and resume Tennis Picks at the Rome Masters in the last big event before the French Open.

There have already been some upsets in the early days at this tournament, but Jannik Sinner will be heading to Paris as the player to beat on the Men's side of the draw.

We could have another wide open second Grand Slam as far as the WTA players are concerned, but this is the last chance to lay down a marker for Paris with some big names still fighting through the draw.

The season totals have been updated below and there are two selections from the Sunday tennis in the Italian capital.

Iga Swiatek - 6.5 games v Elisabetta Cocciaretto: The first point you have to make is that the home player is not going to lose this match to Iga Swiatek having won a single game, as was the case right here in Rome last year. That was a devastating Second Round performance from the multiple time French Open Champion, but Elisabetta Cocciaretto may be more prepared by what she is going to be facing and will be looking to use the home crowd to push her forward.

There has not been a lot of positive clay court form to call upon, but a couple of wins in the main draw in Rome will have given Cocciaretto some belief, even if she is well aware that this is a big step upwards in terms of level of opponent.

Iga Swiatek will go into the French Open as one of the favourites, but she will be looking for a strong run in Rome after some inconsistent results of her own during this portion of the Tour.

Three wins and two losses on the clay courts may mean Iga Swiatek is in danger of heading to Paris a little undercooked, although the numbers have been solid and some of her main rivals at the next Grand Slam have also had their issues.

The serve is always a strong part of the Iga Swiatek game- if she is serving well, the rest of her tennis seems to flow and the numbers in the five clay court matches this season have been decent enough. The World Number 3 has also been having strong success on her return in the limited sample of matches played and Iga Swiatek may still have enough to cover this spread, even if it is not expected to be as one-sided as when these two players met last year.

Elisabetta Cocciaretto did take a set from Jessica Pegula in Charleston earlier this year, but this is a big step up compared with recent level of opponents and that should play out on the scoreboard in favour of the higher Ranked player.

Alexander Zverev - 3.5 games v Alexander Blockx: He started the season having to Qualify for the Australian Open, but there is every chance that youngster Alexander Blockx will be Seeded when Wimbledon rolls around at the end of June.

Even as recently as the Monte Carlo Masters, Blockx was playing in the Qualifiers, but his run to the Madrid Masters Semi Final means the Belgian has pushed his way into World Number 36.

That run was ended by Alexander Zverev, who was eventually beaten by Jannik Sinner, and it is going to be tough for the younger player to change the scoreline.

Alexander Blockx does have a serve that can keep him in matches, but the clay courts are always tougher to impose that shot alone and in Madrid it was Alexander Zverev who had the bigger serve by some margin.

The experience is also an edge and Alexander Zverev has long been very comfortable on the clay courts and two of the three defeats on the surface this year have been against the World Number 1.

While the numbers are impressive, there is also a feeling that Alexander Zverev has room for improvement and he will be looking to peak at the French Open beginning at the end of the month and not at this stage of the clay court season. He will be expecting a bit more out of the serve and will feel there is more pressure he can exert on the return, but Zverev did more than enough to get the better of Alexander Blockx at the last tournament and can frank that form.

Respect has to be given to Alexander Blockx for the confidence he would have earned from some of the upsets produced during the clay court season, but he may not have had enough time to make the adjustments for this match up.

MY PICKS: Iga Swiatek - 6.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (1 Unit)

Alexander Zverev - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 William Hill (1 Unit)

Season 2026: 97-82, + 10.54 Units (244 Units Staked, + 4.32% Yield)

European Tour 5- European Darts Grand Prix Day 3 Picks 2026 (Sunday 19th April)

The last day of the European Darts Grand Prix will crown the Champion and there are some big names involved at the conclusion of this tournament.

Five of those are Premier League participants that travelled across from Rotterdam, while the likes of Danny Noppert, James Wade, Nathan Aspinall and Wessel Nijman are serious contenders.

It does mean the Third Round action in the Afternoon Session is filled with quality matches so this should be a really good day for both fans attending and those tuning in.

Any selections from the Quarter Final matches will be added to this thread at the conclusion of the Afternoon Session.

James Wade-Nathan Aspinall over 5.5 180s: This Third Round match could produce the winner of this tournament and it is expected to be a quality affair between two players that believe they should have been invited into the Premier League.

James Wade was very good in the Second Round, but needed to be, while Nathan Aspinall did what was required to get through and continue his winning run having picked up the title at European Tour 4.

It is Nathan Aspinall who is the bigger maximum hitter, but Wade can certainly add to the overall numbers and this looks like a match that should go at least nine Legs.

The line is just about appealing enough to back at odds against quotes with both capable of finding a real rhythm attacking the treble.

Out of the two, James Wade may be of interest in the underdog role with his superior finishing putting pressure on Nathan Aspinall who has missed plenty of Doubles in the last few weeks. However, his scoring has been strong enough to give him time to win Legs and matches, although James Wade may be able to keep himself near enough to take advantage of any misses.

Stephen Bunting & Wessel Nijman over 2.5 180s: Wessel Nijman has been in dominant form in 2026, but he has not beaten Stephen Bunting as they prepare to face each other for the first time.

However, it is Bunting who has won the last three between these two and may have the mental advantage.

He will need to be better than he was in the Second Round, although the pace of play should be much more suitable to the World Number 8 compared with his last opponent.

Stephen Bunting still hit three maximums in the win on Saturday, but Wessel Nijman was in seriously good form to beat Ryan Searle in the manner he did.

Wessel Nijman is not always the most consistent maximum hitter, but two treble visits puts a lot of pressure on opponents- if he finds his rhythm as he did on Saturday, the Dutchman can also produce at least three maximums in a match that will need to nine or more Legs to have a chance for both players to hit this mark.

Jonny Clayton to win & most 180s v Martin Schindler: The home fans are going to be right behind Martin Schindler and this is a player that can really find his mark on the treble 20.

However, recent weeks have been a bit of a struggle for the top German player and Jonny Clayton's Premier League level has been taken into other events.

The Welshman has won three in a row against Martin Schindler, but the latter had three maximums in his win on Saturday.

This is the more dangerous part of the Match Double, but Jonny Clayton has been in fine form around the treble himself and the confidence of the higher Ranked player may see him complete both parts of this Double. He had four maximums in a convincing Second Round win and Clayton continues to produce plenty of consistency, which may give him the edge.

MY PICKS: James Wade-Nathan Aspinall Over 5.5 180s @ 2.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Stephen Bunting-Wessel Nijman Both Over 2.5 180s @ 2.50 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Jonny Clayton to Win & Most 180s @ 2.40 Bet365 (1 Unit)

European Darts Grand Prix: 5-5, + 1.20 Units (10 Units Staked, + 12% Yield)

Miami Tennis Day 7 Picks 2026 (Monday 23rd March)

The Miami Masters continues at a pace on Monday with the entire WTA Fourth Round scheduled to be played alongside the remaining half of the ATP Third Round matches.

We are reaching the business end of the tournaments at a rapid pace and the upset of Carlos Alcaraz in the Third Round will have opened the door for a surprising player to make it through to the Final here and pick up some very valuable Ranking Points.

For the World Number 1, the early exit offers him a chance to go home and reset ahead of the clay court season beginning in a couple of weeks time, but he will be disappointed.

The WTA event looks largely intact going into the latter stages of that event, and it should mean an interesting end to the first half of the hard court season next weekend.

The Tennis Picks at Miami have bounced back from the poor Indian Wells returns, but there is still a long week of work to get through before the final totals will be placed in the books.

Focus is key and keeping things as tight as possible with the selection criteria.

On Day 7, time has been a factor and so only the selections will be posted below without the full analysis that has accompanied those for much of the 2026 season.

MY PICKS: Ugo Humbert - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Daniil Medvedev - 3.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Jakub Mensik - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Karolina Muchova - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Aryna Sabalenka - 5.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Jessica Pegula - 5.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Miami Update: 12-5, + 6.67 Units (16 Units Staked, + 41.69% Yield)

Miami Tennis Day 6 Picks 2026 (Sunday 22nd March)

The conditions have meant a lot of tennis has been loaded into the last couple of days at the Miami Open, but the tournament should feel like it is back on track.

We have another relatively busy schedule, but there is only one selection that has come to the fore and that can be read below.

Arthur Fils - 1.5 games v Stefanos Tsitsipas: These two players have met four times on the Tour and it is Arthur Fils who has managed to work his way past Stefanos Tsitsipas each time- one of those wins was when the latter had to retire very early in the match, but the other three victories have been completed with a Match Point converted and that will give Fils plenty of confidence.

The first two wins were secured on the hard courts, although the last of those matches was at the back end of the 2024 season.

However, it was a time when Stefanos Tsitsipas was the higher Ranked player and at a time when Arthur Fils was still building his way up the World Rankings.

The last twelve months have been very difficult for Stefanos Tsitsipas and he entered the Miami Masters the World Number 51 and had lost three matches in a row. He has won consecutive matches in this tournament, which is only the second time Tsitsipas has managed that in a main Tour event in 2026, while he should take confidence from the Second Round victory over Alex De Minaur.

That has been a match up that has been heavily in Stefanos Tsitsipas' favour and so there is a different mental challenge ahead of this Third Round match.

Arthur Fils has been in fine form since returning from an injury that forced him to miss the Australian Open.

The Frenchman has reached the Final in Doha and the Quarter Final last week in Indian Wells and Arthur Fils will be looking for a confidence boosting run ahead of the clay court season when there is pressure on his shoulders as the leading home player going into the French Open. With that said, it is important to make sure he is pushing into the Seeding positions for the second Grand Slam of the season and a couple more wins in Miami will build up some momentum to push deeper into the top 32.

Out of the two players, Arthur Fils does have a considerable edge on the return of serve and that could be the difference maker on the day.

That was the case in the two hard court wins the 21 year old has had over Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2024 and the confidence of the younger player is at a pretty good level.

Stefanos Tsitsipas is more than capable of producing some very good tennis on this surface, but Arthur Fils may just edge him out.

MY PICKS: Arthur Fils - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Miami Update: 11-5, + 5.87 Units (15 Units Staked, + 39.13% Yield)

Miami Tennis Day 5 Picks 2026 (Saturday 21st March)

It was a busy day at the Miami Open on Day 4 of the main draw tournament, but the weather has yet to play ball and a delay in the morning has meant the event is not quite back on track.

Most are forecasting an improvement in the conditions for the next few days and that should ensure this event is ready to be completed as planned at the end of next week.

Once again, any selections from Day 5 of the tournament will be added to this thread once the full markets are put together, but there are still some early options, which can be read below.

Mirra Andreeva - 5.5 games v Marie Bouzkova: There has been some teenage angst in some of the recent performances, but Mirra Andreeva was able to hold herself together after dropping the second set in her Second Round win. The box has asked for some calmness, but it has been a tough period for the World Number 10, despite the huge amount of wins and quality of performance she is still producing.

Emotions got the better of Mirra Andreeva at the end of her defeat at Indian Wells, but that has become far too common a sight on a tennis court in 2026.

At her best, the 18 year old is still someone who can beat the very best on the Tour, but Mirra Andreeva has found it tough to put it all together at the business end of events in 2026. The second serve has been a bit of an issue, but the first serve is steady and still an important weapon, while Andreeva has shown a bit more on the return.

The numbers have looked impressive when it comes to facing opponents Ranked outside of the top 20 on the hard courts in 2026 and Mirra Andreeva has regularly found herself getting the better of Marie Bouzkova, which has to help settle the higher Ranked player.

All three previous meetings on the Tour have been won by Mirra Andreeva in straight sets and she has been a very strong winner in the two hard court matches against this opponent.

Marie Bouzkova is very experienced on the Tour and is still Ranked inside a Seeded spot, while her Second Round win here will have just handed her a few more Ranking Points. The 6-8 record on the hard courts may not have gotten much attention, but Marie Bouzkova has picked enough wins to be pushing back towards a her career best World Ranking mark of Number 24 and an upset on Saturday could really help.

However, it should be noted that Bouzkova has built her early hard court record on beating those she would expect and she has lost her last four matches when facing someone Ranked higher than herself. Those have all been one-sided defeats to players Ranked Number 22 or higher and the Czech player has struggled to protect serve and offered little resistance on the return in those contests.

At the moment it can be tough to trust Mirra Andreeva with the youngster seemingly losing focus and belief pretty quickly, but she has not suffered too many upsets before the early loss in Indian Wells and she can come through this one with an impressive win.

Alexandra Eala - 1.5 games v Magda Linette: Being a left-handed player that once played in the Rafael Nadal Academy will always earn some attention, but Alexandra Eala is also the leading figure of Filipino tennis and that has meant big crowd support wherever she has played.

The 20 year old has used that effectively and is now at a career high World Number 29 in the Rankings, although Alexandra Eala is under some pressure to avoid a big drop.

The reason for that is the then-teenager reached the Semi Final in Miami twelve months ago and defending those is always going to be challenging for a player who had to beat three top ten Seeds to reach the final four. Alexandra Eala is Seeded here this year, which meant beginning in the Second Round, but she will have to string the wins together and may benefit from Iga Swiatek's upset loss.

Instead of the World Number 2, Alexandra Eala is facing Magda Linette in the Third Round and this is an opponent she has already beaten once on the hard courts in 2026.

That victory was earned in pretty routine fashion in Auckland in the build up to the Australian Open, but Eala will do well to remember that a veteran like Magda Linette will have taken plenty to work on out of that defeat.

There hasn't been much from the tennis played in 2026 to believe Linette was going to upset her compatriot in the Second Round and the real challenge for the World Number 50 is building on that victory, although like her opponent in this match, Magda Linette has a strong run to defend.

Twelve months ago she reached the Quarter Final in Miami and that means this is a big match for both players.

Magda Linette's hard court numbers have remained average, which has been the case for the last couple of seasons prior to 2026.

Credit has to be given to the veteran that she has not slipped massively when playing those Ranked higher than herself and that is down to the experience that she possesses. Magda Linette certainly can pose problems for her opponent, and she is the kind of steady force that will exploit any nerves or tension that Alexandra Eala may be feeling.

However, that win in Auckland will give Alexandra Eala that feeling of confidence that may just see her come through this Third Round match.

Alex Michelsen - 1.5 games v Cameron Norrie: These two players met twice last year on the hard courts and those matches were split one win each.

However, Alex Michelsen had clearly been the stronger player in both matches in Dallas and Delray Beach and was unfortunate to lose the first of those before beating Cameron Norrie the following week.

Both have produced similar levels on the hard courts in 2026 and there is likely to be little between them here.

A difference between the players is that Alex Michelsen has been slightly stronger behind the serve and Cameron Norrie has been a bit more effective returning.

Both played well in Indian Wells, but the head to head suggests the younger player deserves to be favourite and Alex Michelsen can do just enough to show that on the scoreboard.

Andrey Rublev - 2.5 games v Alejandro Tabilo: There is nothing wrong with Alejandro Tabilo on a hard court and his numbers are consistent, even if they are not spectacular.

The 28 year old is clearly more comfortable on the clay courts and has had mixed results on this surface in 2026, but he has been given plenty of respect from the layers in this Second Round match.

It has come as a surprise- yes, Andrey Rublev was beaten early in Indian Wells, but the World Number 16 has reached the Semi Final at three different hard court events this season.

Prior to the defeat in the Californian desert, Andrey Rublev had enjoyed the Middle East swing and he should still have some real confidence, even if he has not enjoyed playing in Miami in recent times.

The numbers have been pretty strong in 2026 and Rublev holds a hard court win over Alejandro Tabilo.

This should help him in getting back to winning ways in Miami and the Andrey Rublev serve, which is being held in 87% of games played, may just keep the pressure on his Chilean opponent.

Alejandro Tabilo is a lefty and his serve can be a big weapon on the hard courts, but Andrey Rublev looks a game or two light in the handicap market for this Second Round match and can be backed to cover.

MY PICKS: Mirra Andreeva - 5.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (1 Unit)

Alexandra Eala - 1.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Alex Michelsen - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 William Hill (1 Unit)

Andrey Rublev - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Karolina Muchova - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Miami Update: 8-2, + 5.41 Units (10 Units Staked, + 54.10% Yield)

European 2 Tour- European Darts Trophy Day 3 Picks 2026 (Sunday 15th March)

The absence of the two big names on the Tour have hurt the European Darts Trophy, but not enough to suggest the Third Round does not look like a strong lineup regardless.

With the Rankings used for the European Tour, it is a shame that the likes of Danny Noppert and Gerwyn Price are playing in the Third Round, rather than further down the line towards the business end of the tournament.

The winner of that match is going to be very difficult to beat later in the day, while there are plenty of other players still involved in the draw that will recognise the opportunity in front of them to pick up a big title with both Lukes and Michael van Gerwen out of the tournament. That does mean having to deal with a different kind of pressure with the expectations greater than they perhaps would be if the top two players in the world were also taking part, but it should also mean another good day of darts.

As is the case with the majority of the European Tour events, the Third Round is completed in the Day Session before the Quarter Finals, Semi Finals and Final are played in a busy Evening Session.

Any selections from the Quarter Final matches will be added to this thread on Sunday afternoon.

Jermaine Wattimena v Niels Zonneveld: Backing up a big win over Michael van Gerwen would be tough in most cases, but it is that much more difficult for Niels Zonneveld when facing an opponent who has gotten the better of him in recent matches.

Three matches in 2025 all ended in Jermaine Wattimena wins and this could be another that ends up trending towards the higher Ranked player.

Jermaine Wattimena has not been operating at the same level he ended 2025, but the close win in the Second Round will give him confidence.

A final Leg decider would not be a big surprise, but it is Wattimena who can do enough to reach a Quarter Final on Sunday.

Chris Dobey v Josh Rock: A solid win in the Second Round will have been a boost for Josh Rock, but this has been a tough match up for him.

The power scoring of Chris Dobey makes him very dangerous and there may be a point to be made about losing his Premier League place and having Rock join that elite competition instead.

Chris Dobey did not need that big time scoring to win in the Second Round, which likely means more is to come from him, and he can keep Josh Rock under pressure and test the doubling.

Again, this is likely to be a close match, but Chris Dobey can find a way to move past Josh Rock yet again.

Gian van Veen v Wessel Nijman: He has just hit a poor run of form, but the win in the Second Round and the manner in which Gian van Veen produced that will have done him the world of good.

Losses can feel like they are being strung together when playing in the Premier League, and so it will be important for van Veen to have produced a victory here in Germany.

He does have a tough Third Round match against Wessel Nijman, but there is a pecking order in Dutch darts and Gian van Veen has won the last five between these players.

That includes a win at European Tour 1 in Krakow last month, while Gian van Veen beat Wessel Nijman at the Grand Slam at the end of 2025.

Wessel Nijman is playing well and putting plenty of wins on the board, but he may have to overcome a mental obstacle in this one and that may see him come up short against the World Number 3.

Ross Smith & Dirk van Duijvenbode double: Neither of these players are going to have things all of their own way, but the scoring power of Ross Smith and Dirk van Duijvenbode could be the difference.

They do have challenges- Smith is playing a home player who will be receiving huge support, while van Duijvenbode has to be prepared for the pace, or lack of pace, that Mensur Suljovic will employ to disrupt opponents.

However, the Dutchman has a good recent record against Suljovic and can power past him.

Ross Smith will have plenty of respect for Nico Springer, but Smudger is playing well and can edge through to a Quarter Final here at the expense of the last German left in the tournament.

MY PICKS: Jermaine Wattimena @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Chris Dobey @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Gian van Veen @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Ross Smith & Dirk van Duijvenbode Double @ 2.16 Bet365 (1 Unit)

European Darts Trophy: 2-4, - 2.37 Units (6 Units Staked, - 39.50% Yield)

Indian Wells Tennis Day 6 Picks 2026 (Monday 9th March)

The opening five days at the Indian Wells tournament have been disappointing for the Tennis Picks, but it is still early and the opportunity remains to turn things around and get this event back on track.

Things could have been worse, but they certainly could be a lot better and there are a few more selections from Day 6 with the Third Round set to be completed.

A bit of fortune at key times would be nice, but this is just one of those moments on a long Tour when things are not quite going to plan and that is just something we have to navigate, while also remembering it has been a positive start to the 2026 season to back up the winning 2025 campaign.

Novak Djokovic - 4.5 games v Aleksandar Kovacevic: The crowd is likely going to give Aleksandar Kovacevic some decent support at Indian Wells, but Novak Djokovic is a legend and there will be plenty backing him to make the Fourth Round.

This is the first tournament taken in by Novak Djokovic since coming up short at the Australian Open Final and the win in the Second Round means he is already putting some World Ranking Points in the bank.

These days Novak Djokovic is unconcerned about his Ranking with the focus being on winning another Major, but staying in the top four would mean avoiding having to face the likes of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz before the Semi Final at any Grand Slam coming up. He knows how tough it will be to beat both players, but facing them in the Semi Final and Final is better than having to use up too much energy early in a Slam and Novak Djokovic will be confident in his chances at the remaining three Majors.

Motivation for other tournaments is harder to find, but Novak Djokovic should have enough quality to get past the World Number 72 who has a 5-9 record on the hard courts over the last twelve months when facing top 50 Ranked opponents.

When he finds a rhythm, the serve can be a big weapon for Kovacevic, but he has struggled on the return of serve and that has kept him under pressure.

Novak Djokovic can exert that pressure on this opponent and he remains a solid return player on the surface, even if the former World Number 1 is not at the level he once was.

He did drop a set in the Second Round, but this may end up being a more routine win for the Serb as he progresses into the Fourth Round at Indian Wells.

Madison Keys - 3.5 games v Sonay Kartal: She has had a mixed time at Indian Wells, but Madison Keys reached the Semi Final here twelve months ago and looked in decent form on her return to the Tour.

This is the first tournament that Madison Keys has played since the defence of her Australian Open crown ended in the Fourth Round in Melbourne.

There is room for improvement on the Second Round win over Diane Parry, but Madison Keys showed enough on the return of serve to be feeling pretty good about her latest run in Indian Wells. She did need to save eight Break Points to avoid being dragged into a real battle, but Keys did what was needed and is rightly favoured in this Third Round match on Monday.

Sonay Kartal has once again reached the Third Round in Indian Wells, but she would be dropping in the World Ranking if she is not able to at least match the performance of 2025 when she made it through to the Fourth Round.

Saving Match Points to beat Emma Navarro will have given the British player a lot of confidence and Sonay Kartal has reached a couple of Quarter Finals on the hard courts this season. The Middle East swung began well, but Kartal has just had issues with her consistency and she had lost four in a row against top 50 Ranked opponents on the surface before beating Navarro in the Second Round.

Over the last twelve months, Madison Keys has won twelve of fourteen hard court matches against opponents Ranked outside of the top 20.

She has also beaten Sonay Kartal on the grass courts of Wimbledon, although that was in a match played in 2023 and the World Number 54 is a much more experienced player now.

That should mean Kartal is able to have some successes, but she has struggled with the return of serve against the higher Ranked players faced this year and Madison Keys may do just enough to clear this handicap line.

MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Madison Keys - 3.5 Games @ 1.95 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Belinda Bencic @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Elina Svitolina - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Indian Wells Update: 5-7, - 2.94 Units (12 Units Staked, - 24.50% Yield)

Indian Wells Tennis Day 5 Picks 2026 (Sunday 8th March)

The time change in the United States means we are going to be seeing the Indian Wells tournament beginning an hour earlier in the United Kingdom than the opening four days at the event.

Fans of US Sport have to enjoy this brief period when the Eastern Time Zone is only four hours behind London time, especially as the UK clocks will not change for a couple of weeks.

It won't make picking winners any easier as the tournament moves into the Third Round, but there are four selections from the schedule with stronger matches now beginning to take place- this remains a big tournament with many considering that 'fifth Major', and having deep runs here is important for those looking to build their Ranking Points and improve potential Seeding spots for the clay court and grass court seasons soon coming up.

The Tennis Picks have been very mixed in the early part of the tournament, but there is plenty of time to get things back on track over the coming days.

Alexander Zverev - 3.5 games v Brandon Nakashima: Only one tournament has been played by Alexander Zverev since he was beaten in the Australian Open Semi Final and he barely made an impact in Acapulco.

You have to believe that Zverev is now at an age and a stage of his career where the Majors take on a lot more focus compared with the rest of the tournaments on the Tour, but he will still want to build some momentum ahead of the run into the clay court season. Two North American hard court events give him an opportunity, but Alexander Zverev knows that this is a potentially awkward Second Round match.

A win over Matteo Berrettini and in the fashion it was produced will certainly help Alexander Zverev settle into this tournament, but there will be ample respect for the opponent.

The World Number 30 reached the Semi Final in Acapulco last week, and Brandon Nakashima has come through a Second Round match without suffering too much.

He also reached the Final in a warm up tournament ahead of the Australian Open, although Nakashima will be very disappointed with his effort in Melbourne.

Brandon Nakashima has held 90% of his service games played on the hard courts this season, but that number has dipped to 80% when facing top 20 Ranked opponents. There has also been a vulnerability about his return performances, and that has really be exploited by the top players, which will give Alexander Zverev confidence.

Adding to that is the fact that Zverev has won all five previous matches against Brandon Nakashima and there has been a big advantage in favour of the German when it comes to the serving numbers.

Three of those wins have been on hard courts where Brandon Nakashima has held 71% of service games played compared with Alexander Zverev's 97% mark.

Even on a slower hard court, Alexander Zverev has the edge and he may do just enough to find the Breaks of serve needed to push clear of this handicap spread.

There have been a couple of disappointing losses on the Alexander Zverev ledger this year, but his numbers continue to be very strong on the hard courts.

Alexander Zverev has not always enjoyed his time in 'Tennis Paradise', but he should be unperturbed by the match up and that should help the World Number 4 settle for a solid win on the scoreboard.

Jakub Mensik - 1.5 games v Alejandro Davidovich Fokina: Both of these players are very comfortable on the hard courts and that makes this a fascinating Third Round match.

There are similarities with the level of performance that Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Jakub Mensik have produced on the hard courts, although the latter has surprisingly been the more effective return player.

This should be a key factor on the courts at Indian Wells and Jakub Mensik has been playing with real confidence even as he has taken on some of the stronger players on the Tour.

Unlike the 20 year old, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has had his problems when he has faced top 50 Ranked opponents on the hard courts. His service numbers have not been impacted too much in those matches, but the Spaniard has really had his problems when it comes to the return of serve and that could be a difference between the players in this Third Round contest.

You cannot overlook the match up here though- Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has won the last four between the players and three of those have been on the hard courts. The Spaniard dominated when the players met at the Canadian Masters in August in the lead up to the US Open, while he came from 2-0 down to beat Mensik at the Australian Open last year, and those have to be considered ahead of this Third Round match.

That does raise a couple of doubts, but the younger player still has room to grow and he may just have enough out of his return game to edge past Davidovich Fokina.

In the hard court matches, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has had a slight edge in terms of points won behind serve, but six months on from the last meeting, Jakub Mensik may just turn things around to a level where he can edge to the win.

MY PICKS: Alexander Zverev - 3.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Jakub Mensik - 1.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Amanda Anisimova - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Coco Gauff - 5.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Indian Wells Update: 4-5, - 1.85 Units (9 Units Staked, - 20.56% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Wednesday 18th February)

A tough day in the office has to be set aside in what has been a difficult week with two poor days out of three.

That is a disappointment and it did feel like some meat was left on the table with a couple of selections not quite making the grade, but ultimately coming in as winners.

However, the last thirteen months have produced a positive return and that means 'trusting the process' rather than worrying about what may have been.

The opening Picks on Wednesday are concentrating on the Third Round matches in Dubai- the Second Round matches in Doha look awkward with some big spreads set, but not big enough to want to trust the underdog either.

Any selections from the ATP tournaments in Delray Beach or Rio will be added to this thread.

Amanda Anisimova - 4.5 games v Janice Tjen: There are going to be questions about the WTA Tour calendar when scheduling consecutive 1000 events on back to back weeks in the Middle East. While the tournament in Doha largely went as planned, there have been a huge number of withdrawals and mid-match retirements here in Dubai as we only get into the Third Round.

Something will have to change, although neither Doha nor Dubai are going to want to hear that the tournaments they run are being downgraded- both are ATP 500 events rather WTA 1000, but even that may not be enough to appease them and a new Council will come together and see how they can help.

Amanda Anisimova has been one of the beneficiaries of a walkover in the Second Round, which means she has only played one match since the Australian Open. Even that match ended with a mid-match retirement when Anisimova had to pull out with an illness, but she has stated she is feeling better and a couple more days of recovery can only help.

This is an important week for Amanda Anisimova who won the title in Doha last year, but who was not able to defend those World Ranking Points last week.

There is some room for improvement in the early season form, but Anisimova is very comfortable on the hard courts and she can get the better of Janice Tjen.

The 23 year old enters the tournament in Dubai under a new career-high World Ranking of Number 46 and this season offers Janice Tjen a big opportunity to really build on that mark. Improving the World Ranking means being able to enter bigger tournaments and Janice Tjen showed how comfortable she is on the hard courts with a huge amount of wins on the surface in 2025.

Of course it should be noted that those were against players of a lower level than what she will be facing at the tournaments she will now be entering and a 5-4 record over the last six weeks suggests this is something of a learning curve. Janice Tjen has won two matches here, which will help the confidence, but she has yet to really get to grips with the return of serve at this level.

The Indonesian player has struggled against the very best players on the Tour and that has led to two straight-forward losses to top 20 Ranked opponents. In those two losses, Janice Tjen has not only struggled to protect the second serve, but she has won just 23% of return points played and someone like Amanda Anisimova can put her under enough pressure to pick up the Breaks of serve needed to cover this spread.

Mirra Andreeva - 5.5 games v Jaqueline Cristian: Another player who earned a walkover in the Second Round in Dubai is the defending Champion Mirra Andreeva.

She had a dominant run here in 2025 and Mirra Andreeva just reached the Doha Third Round, but there will be some pressure to get as close as possible to defend the title and the Ranking Points. That may not be a big issue for older players, but Mirra Andreeva is still developing and will not want to slip out of the top eight of the World Rankings ahead of the Grand Slams to be played.

The lack of competitive tennis this week may be a potential problem, but Andreeva should be happy enough with the conditions having had so much success at the tournament already.

There has been a lot to like about the level being produced early in 2026 and Mirra Andreeva has a 20-6 record on the hard courts when facing players Ranked outside of the top 20 over the last twelve months. She has won over 49% of the return points played in those matches and the World Number 7 will certainly feel she can put this opponent under some extreme pressure.

Jaqueline Cristian won the first set of her Second Round match without dropping a game before her opponent decided to call it a day.

That means the World Number 39 has played three completed sets in Dubai on her way to the Third Round and Cristian has only dropped two games. However, both of those matches have been against opponents Ranked Number 69 or lower and this is a considerable step upwards for a player who had a 5-5 record on the hard courts before the tournament in Dubai begun.

The year started with a run to the Quarter Final in Adelaide, but it has been tough for Jaqueline Cristian since then with early losses becoming the norm before this event.

Over the last twelve months Jaqueline Cristian has played well on the hard courts, but she is just 1-8 when facing top 20 Ranked players on the surface. In those matches, Cristian has been put under significant pressure when serving, and she has struggled to really make a big impact on the return, which is going to be something that Mirra Andreeva looks to exploit in this Third Round match.

It should be noted that in those eight losses against top 20 Ranked opponents, Jaqueline Cristian would have won enough games to stay within this spread four times.

However that also means she has failed to cover in the other half of those defeats and Mirra Andreeva has covered this spread in seventeen of the twenty hard courts wins produced against players Ranked outside the top 20.

Coco Gauff - 3.5 games v Elise Mertens: A really disappointing performance in the Australian Open Quarter Final loss to Elina Svitolina saw Coco Gauff's anger on display when cameras caught her backstage smashing her racquet. She stated in her press conference that she did not want her frustration to be shown to those who look up to her and that was the reason she waited until she had left the court, while other players have not been happy with what they feel was too much intrusion at that opening Grand Slam.

An early defeat in Doha has just kept Coco Gauff out of the headlines, but she showed some character to come through some sticky moments in beating Anna Kalinskaya in the Second Round here.

Despite her own early exit in Doha, Coco Gauff was restored to the American Number 1 spot on the WTA Tour and she will certainly be looking to build on the solid win over Kalinskaya.

Next up is a match against a reinvigorated Elise Mertens who has won all four sets in Dubai by the same 6-2 scoreline as she has cruised through the draw.

Three wins at the United Cup and a run to the Fourth Round at the Australian Open have given the Belgian some real confidence and there is no denying that the overall numbers have been impressive.

It is the first serve in particular that has been a big weapon for Elise Mertens and she will need plenty of those to try and keep the American opponent under some pressure.

Elise Mertens has also won a couple of matches against top 20 Ranked opponents on the hard courts this season, which is a big improvement on the 0-5 record against those players in 2025. The second serve has been a weakness in those matches, although Mertens may have more success against the Coco Gauff serve than she has had in the main against those higher Ranked players.

Double Faults have been the big problem for Coco Gauff for some time and that was the case in the Second Round win.

She cannot afford to give away too many points to Elise Mertens, but Coco Gauff will take confidence from the perfect 4-0 record that she has against the World Number 22 on the Tour.

Two of those wins have been on the hard courts, although Coco Gauff and Elise Mertens have not met for a couple of years and that may help the underdog from a mental point of view.

Even with that in mind, Coco Gauff may still find herself coming out on top at key moments and she can do enough to get through to the Quarter Final with a cover of the handicap set for the match.

MY PICKS: Amanda Anisimova - 4.5 Games @ 1.61 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Mirra Andreeva - 5.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Coco Gauff - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

Alejandro Tabilo - 2.5 Games @ 1.85 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 4-6, - 2.49 Units (10 Units Staked, - 24.90% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Wednesday 11th February)

The middle of the week tends to be the busiest time for the tournaments that are played over seven days rather than the longer events that have begun to be scheduled for the Masters events which are played simultaneously by the men and women.

This week looks to be no different with a lot of matches set to be played in Doha, Dallas, Rotterdam and Buenos Aires and the Tennis Picks will be added to this thread.

For now the focus is on the WTA Doha Third Round matches and one of the remaining First Round matches in Dallas- any selections from the Second Round will be added once all of the matches are scheduled following Tuesday's night of play.

Mirra Andreeva - 2.5 games v Victoria Mboko: For the second time in 2026, two teenagers who are both Ranked inside the top 20 on the WTA Tour will face one another on the hard courts.

Last month Mirra Andreeva made relatively easy work of getting past Victoria Mboko in the Final in Adelaide, although it should be pointed out that the latter had some tough matches earlier in the tournament. That had seen her spend a lot more time on the court compared with Andreeva, which is something that you should factor into the outcome of the Final.

Despite that, Mirra Andreeva may feel she had room to spared in winning having broken five times compared to just the once for the Canadian. Mirra Andreeva dominated behind serve and won 56% of the return points played and that will give her confidence, as will the way she handled the Second Round win over Magda Linette when coming through some sticky moments to focus at key times.

Being a higher Seeded player means Mirra Andreeva has had to play one match to reach the Third Round, while Victoria Mboko has had to win two matches.

The latter has been solid in her two victories in the tournament and the consistency is something that has pushed Victoria Mboko close to breaking into the top ten of the World Rankings. She has not produced spectacular numbers, but sometimes players just have an 'x factor' that sees them knuckle down and win the big points and that is seemingly something that the 19 year old possesses.

Both players will be aware of the importance of the first serve and making plenty of those deliveries to get on top of the opponent.

The second serve numbers have been decent enough, but Mirra Andreeva and Victoria Mboko will both believe they have the returning power to put the other on the back foot when getting looks at that second serve. Both have produced some very solid returning numbers and that should mean we are in for a closer match than the first meeting between the two.

In saying that, there is still a feeling that the younger player, Mirra Andreeva, is operating at a slightly higher level compared with the lower Ranked Victoria Mboko.

She has a slight edge on the first serve and on the return and that win in Adelaide will still give her a mental edge, even if Mboko feels that she had run out of energy.

All fans should have eyes on this Third Round match in Doha between two youngsters that have the potential to win multiple Grand Slam titles between them, but right now it feels Mirra Andreeva can frank the first victory over Victoria Mboko by producing another here.

Elina Svitolina - 3.5 games v Anna Kalinskaya: A run to the Semi Final at any Grand Slam event deserves plenty of respect and personal pride, but you do have to believe that Elina Svitolina will have been seriously disappointed with her effort in that match against Aryna Sabalenka last month at the Australian Open. It was a run that has taken her back inside the top ten of the World Ranking though and that has allowed Elina Svitolina to begin this tournament in the Second Round where she was a convincing winner of a compatriot.

As has been mentioned a few times in matches involving Elina Svitolina, there is no doubt that the World Number 9 has been highly motivated when playing opponents who are Russian or Belarusian nationals.

That may not have been enough to see her beat the World Number 1, but during that run in Australia, Elina Svitolina was able to beat both Diana Schnaider and Mirra Andreeva, two Russian players who are inside the top 23 of the World Rankings. The win over Andreeva was particularly impressive and Elina Svitolina will be very keen to get one over on Anna Kalinskaya in the Third Round in Doha.

Anna Kalinskaya was the World Number 11 in October 2024, but has not maintained that consistency even if she is still inside the top 30.

She has shown how competitive she can be when pushing Iga Swiatek in a three set loss at the Australian Open and Kalinskaya has won a couple of matches here in Doha. The Second Round win over Emma Navarro underlined the kind of character that Anna Kalinskaya has on the court and she has won a set in each of the three losses suffered on the hard courts this season.

The numbers have to be admired, but this has proven to be a tough match for the World Number 28.

These two players have met three times on the Tour and all since May 2024, while playing one another twice last year.

All of those matches have been won by Elina Svitolina in straight sets, while the Ukrainian beat Anna Kalinskaya on the hard courts of Dubai and Montreal in 2025. Those two wins have been very one-sided with Elina Svitolina keeping Anna Kalinskaya under pressure on the return and serving with effectiveness to contain any threat that the lower Ranked player has been able to put together.

It is almost impossible to ignore the fact that the four sets played between the players last year were won 6-1, 6-2, 6-1, 6-1 by Elina Svitolina.

You cannot really expect the World Number 9 to continue to beat a talented opponent as comfortably as that every time they meet, but Elina Svitolina's motivations are clear and she should have enough about her to cover this spread that has been set for the Third Round meeting in Doha.

MY PICKS: Mirra Andreeva - 2.5 Games @ 1.75 Bet Victor (1 Unit)
Elina Svitolina - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Maria Sakkari - 3.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (1 Unit)

Karolina Muchova - 5.5 Games @ 1.95 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Tommy Paul - 3.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 5-3, + 1.77 Units (8 Units Staked, + 22.13% Yield)

Australian Open Tennis Day 7 Picks 2026 (Saturday 24th January)

If it wasn't for a couple of late selections just missing the cover at the end of Day 6, it could have been a truly special day for the Tennis Picks made.

Earlier in the day, Daniil Medvedev had come through in five sets and still managed to cover a big spread, so there was some fortune attached, but unfortunately Tommy Paul was not able to complete a big win that he was on course to achieving when Alejandro Davidovich Fokina withdrew after winning two games in two sets.

The Aryna Sabalenka pick looked unlikely to win very early on as she got herself into a trickier match than it should have been, but overall you can never complain when adding more positive numbers to the totals.

On Saturday there is a heatwave set to hit Melbourne, one that has seen the organisers make a decision to move the starting time to an hour earlier than normal so they can get players on and off the court and leave the middle of the day as empty as possible.

It could mean a late night developing as the Third Round comes to a conclusion, but the safety of the participants and the fans has to be high on the list of priorities and the decision made by the Australian Open to try and get matches through before the hottest part of the day is the right one.

Heat is a factor that can change the outlook of any match as we simply don't know how all players will react to what are usually tough conditions in Melbourne.

This has not been the case so far at the tournament, but also means the incoming heatwave is going to have a serious impact and fatiguing issues can take hold.

Hopefully the players picked can find a way to keep battling through those tough moments.

Day 7 is not nearly as loaded with selections as the previous day, but there remain some solid plays on the card and those can be read below.

There is still some consisderable work to get through if this 2026 season is going to have the strong platform that has been set, especially with the second week yet to get underway at the opening Grand Slam of the season.

Taylor Fritz - 6.5 games v Stan Wawrinka: A little over a decade ago, the top of the ATP Tour was dominated by the 'Big Four', which then included Andy Murray alongside the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

That era is now known as the 'Big Three' with Federer, Nadal and Djokovic separating from the pack, but another player who had every right to be spoken alongside the very best on the Tour at that time is Stan Wawrinka.

He may not have reached the Semi Final at Wimbledon, but Wawrinka won Grand Slam titles at the other three Majors, including at the 2014 Australian Open. He reached the Semi Final on two other occasions in Melbourne, but the former World Number 3 is two months from celebrating his 41st birthday and Stan Wawrinka has announced he will retire at the end of the 2026 season.

With that in mind, Wawrinka was awarded a Wild Card into the main draw at the Australian Open on his retirement tour, but it is clear that the Swiss player is not ready to go quietly.

He came through in four sets in the First Round and then needed to go the full five sets and spend over four and a half hours on the court to win in the Second Round. Neither match was against an opponent Ranked higher than Number 92 and even a day of rest may not be enough for a 40 year old body to recover as it once did.

So not only does Stan Wawrinka have to overcome fatigue and physical ailments in the Third Round, but he is also taking on World Number 9 Taylor Fritz who has made comfortable progression through the first couple of Rounds here.

Taylor Fritz does not have the same storied history at Grand Slam level compared with his veteran opponent, but the American is expected to have a lot more to give and he should be able to wear down the much older opponent.

He has reached the Quarter Final in Melbourne before, but the overall record at the Australian Open is disappointing for Taylor Fritz considering his qualities on the hard courts. One of the main reasons has been a relatively poor return game, but this match up may not be where that aspect of his tennis is exposed, especially if Wawrinka is struggling with his fitness.

Taylor Fritz should be able to contain much of the threat from the other side of the court behind his serve and it should be noted that the return numbers are significantly better against lower Ranked opponents.

Over the last twelve months, the American has suffered a couple of disappointing defeats on the hard courts, but in the main he has tended to get the better of those he will be expected to beat.

You would think twice about this spread if it was a First Round match, but Stan Wawrinka has already invested so much into the tournament that you have to feel he is worn down and cannot keep up on the scoreboard.

He will not want his last memory of playing on the courts in Melbourne to be a retirement mid-match so you have to believe Stan Wawrinka will bite down and try and finish the contest, even if he is hurting and the last set could be where Taylor Fritz can pull away for the win and cover.

Over the last year, Stan Wawrinka has only played four matches against top 50 Ranked opponents on this surface and he has lost each one, while the service numbers have been severely impacted in those defeats. Even a relatively limited return player like Taylor Fritz should be able to get himself into rallies to wear down the veteran and come through with a solid win.

Jakub Mensik - 1.5 sets v Ethan Quinn: Two young players meet in the Australian Open Third Round on Day 7 of the tournament, but there is no doubting that Jakub Mensik is significantly further along in his development than Ethan Quinn.

This is made simple by the difference in World Ranking- the 20 year old Mensik is the World Number 17 and has won a title in Auckland this season, while his opponent is 21 and the World Number 80 who has failed to Qualify in Brisbane before an opening Round defeat in Adelaide.

However, they are in the same position on Saturday in this Third Round match with the opportunity to reach the second week of a Grand Slam a big boost to the career, especially at this early stage for both.

Neither has yet to play in double digit main draws at Grand Slam level and so there is some pressure on both with the chance to reach the Fourth Round for the first time. In reality both are going to feel this is a winnable match, although the stronger claims are certainly on the side of the higher Ranked player.

After coming through in a fifth set decider in the First Round, Jakub Mensik looked very comfortable in the Second Round.

He will have noted the relative ease in which Ethan Quinn has progressed, including in an upset over Hubert Hurkacz in the Second Round, but Mensik will believe his serve gives him a big edge in this contest.

The serve is going to be important on both sides of the net, but Ethan Quinn has struggled to impose that shot on top 50 Ranked opponents on this surface over the last twelve months. He has been in good form in this tournament with some suggesting conditions are quick in Melbourne, but Quinn will need to bridge a gap to a player that has very strong serving numbers on the hard courts in 2025.

Jakub Mensik is young though and he was upset in the Second Round at the US Open by a player Ranked way outside the top 100.

On that day he failed to deal with the pressurised moments when the big points came around, but Mensik will take plenty of confidence from the fact he beat Ethan Quinn twice last year and once on the hard courts.

In those two meetings, Jakub Mensik won 65% of service points played compared with Ethan Quinn's 57% mark and that led to a significant advantage of games being held. The hard court meeting in Cincinnati saw Jakub Mensik avoid giving up a single Break Point and you just have to favour the player from Czechia to come through at clutch times in this contest.

There is so much more to come from Ethan Quinn, which makes him dangerous, but at this current stage of their respective developments, Jakub Mensik can come through in three or four sets.

Casper Ruud - 1.5 sets v Marin Cilic: All credit should be given to another veteran continuing to fight his way through the Tour after Marin Cilic made it through to the Third Round at the 2026 Australian Open.

He was a very solid winner in the Second Round when set as the underdog, but Marin Cilic may need to find another gear if he is going to beat a top 20 Ranked opponent and earn a spot in the second week of the tournament.

The serve remains a big weapon for Marin Cilic, although it is a weapon that becomes harder and harder to impose on the better quality of opponent he faces. While his overall numbers in 2025 on the hard courts saw the Croatian hold 85% of service games played, those numbers dip over the last twelve months to 81% when only factoring in matches played against top 20 Ranked opponents.

However, it is the struggles on the return in those six matches that have really caught the eye and makes this a challenging Third Round match for the 37 year old.

Casper Ruud has played in three Grand Slam Finals, including at the 2022 US Open, but his performances at the Australian Open and US Open tournaments since then have been disappointing. The World Number 13 has only reached the second week at either of the Grand Slam tournaments played on hard courts once since reaching the Final in New York City and that despite his overall numbers on the surface improving in the last couple of years.

Two straight sets wins in Melbourne will have given Ruud confidence and his serve is a big weapon on this surface.

He does have one eye on news from back home where his wife is expecting to give birth at any time and Casper Ruud has stated that he will withdraw from the tournament if that happens over the next few days. This has not been a distraction though and instead the Norwegian is using it as motivation, much like Andy Murray once did, which makes Casper Ruud dangerous.

Unlike the very top names on the Tour, Casper Ruud can be guilty of losing in an upset or two and that has happened on the hard courts over the last twelve months, albeit not all that often.

He was beaten by an opponent Ranked outside the top 100 at the US Open a few months ago, but Ruud has won nine of ten matches against players outside of the top 50 on this surface since then. That includes a comfortable win in the First Round and Casper Ruud is expected to get the better of Marin Cilic on Saturday.

In four previous matches on the Tour, Casper Ruud has beaten the veteran each time, including on the hard courts of Stockholm in October.

The scoreline looks competitive, but Casper Ruud dominated the serving numbers and that has been the case in all four meetings against Marin Cilic.

You can never dismiss the veteran from giving the World Number 13 something to think about as a former Finalist in Melbourne, but Casper Ruud should have enough to avoid dropping two or more sets as he progresses to the Fourth Round here for just the second time in his career.

Karen Khachanov - 5.5 games v Luciano Darderi: The Italian has moved up into the top 30 of the World Rankings and that is partly down to a couple of solid, if unspectacular runs at the last couple of Grand Slam tournaments.

In the main, Luciano Darderi has built his World Ranking on strong clay court results, but it has been a tougher task on the hard courts.

Last year he finished with a 6-15 record on this surface, but Luciano Darderi did reach the Third Round at the US Open and he has done the same at the Australian Open, which suggests he may be getting to grips on how to produce on the hard courts.

However, it remains hard to ignore the fact that Darderi has a 9-29 record on the hard courts prior to his two wins in Melbourne.

Fans of the Italian will state that he is 2-4 when facing top 50 Ranked opponents on the hard courts over the last twelve months and Luciano Darderi may feel he can play with more freedom when having 'nothing to lose'. Despite the record, the numbers have not been very favourable though and Darderi is going to be an underdog when facing top 20 Ranked Karen Khachanov, who is very happy when playing on this surface.

The 29 year old may have needed five sets to come through his opening match in Melbourne, but Karen Khachanov had been handed a tough draw. There was little concern in the Second Round win and that should mean Khachanov has plenty in the tank as he prepares to reach the second week in Melbourne for the third time in four years.

His serve is always going to be a potent weapon for Karen Khachanov and he will need to serve well if he is going to win this match.

Karen Khachanov has been on the Tour for some time, but he should be comfortable with his ability on the surface against someone who is still getting to complete grips with top quality tennis on the hard courts.

The Russian has produced decent numbers when not facing top 20 Ranked opponents, and winning 68% of service points in those matches on the hard courts and backing that up with breaks in 25% of return games played gives Karen Khachanov a significant edge.

It is perhaps a surprise that Karen Khachanov has been asked to cover a larger spread than the one he was faced in the Second Round, but the strength of that win is a contributory factor.

However, the underlying feeling is that Khachanov has the hard court know-how to find a way to cover even if he needs four sets to win the match.

Naomi Osaka - 5.5 games v Maddison Inglis: This is not the first time that Australian Maddison Inglis has made it through to the Third Round of her home Grand Slam, but in 2022 she was awarded a Wild Card into the tournament.

Four years later, Maddison Inglis entered the Qualifying Rounds for the Australian Open, as has been the case in each of the last three seasons.

The last couple of years have ended in the final Round of Qualifying, but Inglis battled through to the main draw at this event and has continued to dig in to earn another run to the Third Round. This is going to help improve the World Ranking, which currently sits at Number 168, and the Australian has already beaten four players Ranked higher than herself to reach the Third Round.

However, none of the wins have been against anyone Ranked higher than Number 48 and this time Maddison Inglis is taking on a two time former Champion of this event.

Naomi Osaka has not been at her best in the first couple of Rounds, but she has found a way to move through the draw and that is an improvement on some of the early results she had when returning to the Tour. There is certainly more belief within the World Number 17, although Osaka may have to have found a way to ignore the criticisms that have been aimed at her for some of the on-court behaviour in the win over Sorana Cirstea.

She has apologised for what some believed to be gamesmanship and the challenge for Naomi Osaka is remaining focused and not worrying too much about what others may think.

This challenge only increases considering this is likely to be a match played in an atmosphere where the home player is going to be loudly backed by the crowd.

If she can lock in, Naomi Osaka should have too much for an opponent who had a career 1-11 record against top 50 Ranked opponents on the hard courts before beating Laura Siegemund in the Second Round.

In eight of those eleven defeats, Maddison Inglis would not have won enough games to get within the spread set for this Third Round match.

Naomi Osaka does need to improve if she is going to have a serious impact at the business end of this tournament, but her current level is expected to be too much for the Australian.

Over the last twelve months, Osaka has won six of seven hard court matches played against opponents Ranked outside the top 100 and four of those would have seen her cover the spread like this one.

The reality is that Naomi Osaka's level should be too much for a veteran in Maddison Inglis who will be well supported, but who has to find a number of gears to remain competitive.

MY PICKS: Taylor Fritz - 6.5 Games @ 1.80 Coral (2 Units)

Jakub Mensik - 1.5 Sets @ 1.72 Coral (2 Units)

Casper Ruud - 1.5 Sets @ 1.75 Coral (2 Units)

Karen Khachanov - 5.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Naomi Osaka - 5.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365

Elise Mertens - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Linda Noskova - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Ben Shelton - 1.5 Sets @ 1.50 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Australian Open Update: 23-10, + 17.36 Units (66 Units Staked, + 26.30% Yield)

Australian Open Tennis Day 6 Picks 2026 (Friday 23rd January)

The opening two Rounds at the Australian Open could not have worked out much better for the Tennis Picks made, but this is not the time to take anything for granted.

Things could quickly look very different with the Day 6 schedule looking loaded with options, but the selection process has been working well.

As is always going to be the case in a sport with the finest of fine margins, a bit of luck has been needed to help produce the strong numbers opening up the 2026 season.

Hopefully that fortune is not going to desert the Picks with more than a week yet to be played in Melbourne as the Third Round gets underway on Friday.

In the main, the top names have moved through the draw, but Belinda Bencic was upset on Day 5 and there will be plenty of players heading towards the second week believing they could do the same against higher Ranked opponents.

Carlos Alcaraz - 9.5 games v Corentin Moutet: The top two players on the ATP Tour look clear of the World Number 3 and beyond and so it is no surprise that Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are asked to cover some very big lines early in the Grand Slam events.

It is tough to do that, especially at the lines set for those players, but this one has come in slightly as we move into the Third Round.

In the previous two Rounds, Carlos Alcaraz has dismissed the World Number 81 and 102, but this time the competition is expected to be more challenging when taking on Corentin Moutet, the current World Number 37. A strong run through the first quarter of the season would put the Frenchman in a position to be Seeded when the French Open comes around in May, and he will be trending back towards the top 30 of the World Rankings at the end of this tournament.

Of course, upsetting the World Number 1 and top Seed in the tournament would really open things up for Moutet and everyone in the top half of the draw,  but that feels like a tall task.

As much as you do want to give credit to Moutet for getting everything out of his career, this is a big talent gap to bridge and it is hard to imagine the lower Ranked player having the weapons needed to upset Carlos Alcaraz.

He plays with style and flair, as many would expect from a French player, but Corentin Moutet has a vulnerable serve and that will put a lot of pressure on him throughout this contest. It feels important to note that Moutet has played five top 20 Ranked opponents in Grand Slams on the hard courts, but he has lost every one of those matches and struggled to have a telling impact on the serve.

In 2025, Corentin Moutet won around 61% of service points played in hard court matches, but he will not have come up against someone of the quality of Carlos Alcaraz too many times.

When only considering matches against top 20 Ranked opponents on the hard courts over the last twelve months, Corentin Moutet's service percentage points won dips to 57% and this should be a relatively comfortable match up for the top Seed.

We have yet to really see Carlos Alcaraz anywhere near his best and all eyes have been on the Spaniard to see how he has reacted to an unexpected decision to part ways with Coach Juan Carlos Ferrero. The reality is that the Spaniard has not really been forced to work too hard and he has won by eight game margins in both of the opening matches played in Melbourne without having to break much of a sweat.

This has been the weakest of the Grand Slams for Carlos Alcaraz so far in his career, which may also be a factor with early nerves, but the two wins should begin to build momentum.

As long as he continues to serve as well as he has, Carlos Alcaraz should be able to keep a lid on the threat from the other side of the court.

In his career, Carlos Alcaraz is 32-2 in Grand Slam matches on the hard courts against players Ranked outside of the top 20 and his numbers have been really impressive. This feels like an opportunity to produce his best effort in Melbourne in 2026 and Carlos Alcaraz may have the return game to cover this big line.

Alex De Minaur - 5.5 games v Frances Tiafoe: The key to having continued success at Grand Slam level events is getting through the early Rounds without wasting energy, especially on the men's side of the tournament in the best of five set format.

Both of these players have been able to do that ahead of what is expected to be a prime time Third Round match, although Frances Tiafoe made slightly more awkward work of his Second Round match than was needed. Coming through in four sets is still important and he only spent a little more than three hours on the court, even if Tiafoe was looking a little fatigued at times.

That is far from ideal if there is any lingering fitness issues ahead of a match against Alex De Minaur, who also needed four sets to come through the Second Round match, but who was cruising at the end.

The home fans are going to be right behind their man and Alex De Minaur is very sure of his fitness and ability to stay out on the court for as long as needed. His style also works well against Frances Tiafoe with De Minaur capable of getting his opponent to have to dig in and win rallies multiple times in order to earn a single point.

It can be frustrating, while Alex De Minaur is continuing his development in order to challenge the very best players on the Tour.

Ultimately it has meant coming up short at the Quarter Final Round when it comes to the Grand Slams, but Alex De Minaur has been consistent enough to reach the last eight in five of the last seven Grand Slam events played. Twelve months ago he made the Quarter Final at the Australian Open for the first time and De Minaur is very comfortable on this surface.

The serve has improved and Alex De Minaur has made full use of that shot when not facing top 20 Ranked opponents on the hard courts over the last twelve months. This now backs up his strong return game and De Minaur could give Frances Tiafoe plenty of problems, much as he has in the past meetings on the Tour.

The American will have to serve well and then hope he can build up some scoreboard pressure- Frances Tiafoe has struggled for consistency behind that shot, which has contributed to slip in the World Ranking, while that has also meant more pressure on his own serve.

Over the last year, Frances Tiafoe is also 1-7 when facing top 20 Ranked opponents on the hard courts and he has won less than 60% of his service points played in those matches. The return has remained steady compared with his overall numbers, even against the top players, but it is very hard to continue to have to break serve to merely stick with those names and this could be a problem again.

It says something that Tiafoe has only held 69% of service games played against Alex De Minaur compared with a 83% mark for the latter in the head to head.

Unsurprisingly it has led to the Australian winning four of the five previous matches between the players, including Alex De Minaur beating Frances Tiafoe at the US Open in four sets in 2018.

They did meet in a keenly contested match in Canada on the hard courts back in August, but Alex De Minaur found the breaks of serve needed and the feeling is that he can cover this spread even if dropping a set.

Learner Tien - 1.5 sets v Nuno Borges: Earlier this month, 20 year old American Learner Tien entered the top 30 in the World Rankings for the first time and that has meant a Seeding for the Australian Open.

Credit has to be given to him for backing that up by reaching the Third Round in Melbourne and the draw has opened up to give Learner Tien the chance of reaching the second week here. He did that on debut twelve months ago when making it through to the Fourth Round, but the next three Grand Slam events did not go nearly as well, which means Tien is in a position to take a big jump in the World Rankings over the next eleven months.

Learnier Tien did not have a lot of success in the warm up event for the Australian Open, but he is very comfortable on the hard courts and the ones here in Melbourne seem to really suit.

After needing five sets to beat a veteran compatriot in the First Round, Learner Tien was a much more dominant winner in the Second Round and that should mean the youngster has plenty in the tank.

However, he will need to be on his game considering the next opponent is the reason this portion of the draw has opened up.

Nuno Borges upset Felix Auger-Aliassime in five sets in the First Round and he backed that up by beating a home favourite in the Second. Eighteen months ago, Nuno Borges was a top 30 Ranked player and he has been a solid hard court player and one that can spring a surprise if being overlooked.

The numbers have not really been much to write home about over the last couple of years on the hard courts and Nuno Borges has a 40-34 win-loss record. He was just 3-2 in warm up events in anticipation of the Australian Open, but Borges will have taken confidence from the wins he has produced here.

A challenge for Nuno Borges is to be more competitive against a top 50 Ranked opponent on this surface and he is just 2-11 in hard court matches against such opponents over the last twelve months. He has not been able to get much out of his return game in those matches and the World Number 46 has simply not handled the pressure on the serve when having little impact on the other side of the net.

One of those losses was in straight sets to Learner Tien at the Paris Masters.

That is an indoor hard court event, but Tien will have taken a lot of confidence from the way he was able to contain Nuno Borges behind the serve and that could be the case again on Friday in this Third Round meeting.

The best Grand Slam runs that Nuno Borges has put together have been at the Australian Open and he did take a set from Carlos Alcaraz twelve months ago.

This has to be respected, but Learner Tien is an improving player on the Tour and should have enough to reach the second week behind a three or four set win.

Daniil Medvedev - 5.5 games v Fabian Marozsan: Winning a second Grand Slam title is the motivation that gets Daniil Medvedev out of bed every morning and he will feel that he should have been able to add to the 2021 US Open title by winning at least once in Melbourne.

Between 2021 and 2024, Daniil Medvedev reached the Final at the Australian Open in three out of four events run and he will have nightmares about the 2022 Final. He had led by two sets and a break against Rafael Nadal and had all of the momentum, but somehow things were allowed to slip away and Daniil Medvedev had to settle for a Runner Up trophy.

The World Number 12 has had his most success on the hard courts at Grand Slam level, but twelve months ago he was upset in the Second Round in Melbourne.

Little did Daniil Medvedev know that it would have been his best Grand Slam result of the year having been ousted in the First Round in Paris, London and New York City and so his two wins in the 2026 Australian Open have given him some confidence. These wins arrive after opening the season by capturing the title in Brisbane and so there is a real belief in the Medvedev game, even if he can still have those lapses of concentration that lead to dropped sets.

Only two sets have been dropped in seven wins to open 2026 and so Daniil Medvedev will go into this Third Round match as a strong favourite.

However, he will not be able to overlook Fabian Marozsan who has solid hard court numbers and who reached the Semi Final in Auckland in the build up to the opening Grand Slam of the season. Like his opponent, Marozsan has only dropped a single set in his run to the Third Round, but over the last twelve months, he has lost six of seven hard court matches played against top 20 Ranked opponents.

In those matches, Fabian Marozsan has struggled to make much of an impact on the return of serve and that has put some pressure on his own delivery. He has held 77% of service games played against some of the best players on the Tour, but that is not quite good enough and especially not in a best of five set format with more time afforded to the top players to 'get a read' on the serve.

Making it more challenging for the underdog is that he is facing Daniil Medvedev for the third time in the last eighteen months and both previous matches have been on hard courts.

They had a more competitive meeting at the US Open in 2024 than the final scoreline would suggest, but Daniil Medvedev was much more dominant when facing Fabian Marozsan in Almaty in October.

The higher Ranked player has held 83% of service games played in the two previous matches, but Daniil Medvedev has broken in 44% of return games and that is a considerable edge.

A poor year on the hard courts were littered with some disappointing defeats as far as Daniil Medvedev was concerned in 2025, but his numbers remained strong against opponents Ranked outside of the top 20. With the insight into the underdog's game in this one, Daniil Medvedev is expected to find a way to power through to the second week of the tournament and get his Ranking moving back towards the top 10 where he feels he belongs.

Aryna Sabalenka - 6.5 games v Anastasia Potapova: Comments made by a debutant from the Ukraine have made a big impact at the Australian Open after criticisms aimed at the Belarusian and Russian players that are being allowed to continue to take part on the Tour.

The focus was made on some of the leading players on both the WTA and ATP Tours, but Aryna Sabalenka was particularly targeted for criticism and is perhaps going to be overshadowing the rest of the tournament.

The World Number 1 has tried not to get too involved in the back and forth with another player, but Aryna Sabalenka is likely going to be asked about an issue she would have hoped she has been addressing time and time again. While the war continues in Eastern Europe, it is impossible for people to completely ignore the matter, but Sabalenka and the Tours would have hoped their decisions made a couple of years ago would have at least closed some of the debate.

For now the World Number 1 has to try and focus on the court and she has been THE dominant player on the hard courts in recent Grand Slams- Aryna Sabalenka had won twice in a row in Melbourne before losing in the Final twelve months ago, but she made it consecutive successes in New York City in September 2025 having lost the Final in 2023.

She has moved through the first couple of Rounds with ease and Aryna Sabalenka is likely to be much more comfortable facing Anastasia Potapova in the Third Round, rather than Emma Raducanu.

In two previous matches on the Tour, Aryna Sabalenka has crushed this opponent and the likelihood is that the top Seed is going to have too much firepower again.

Anastasia Potapova is the World Number 55 and is a solid hard court performer, although she will need to be a lot better than solid if she is going to even give Aryna Sabalenka something to think about.

She has particularly struggled when facing top 20 Ranked players on the hard courts and the power of the opponent is likely going to lead to another relatively straight-forward win.

The spread is one that can quickly go wrong when backing the favourite, but Aryna Sabalenka has dominated behind serve in the two clay court matches against Anastasia Potapova and will be expecting to get even more from that shot on this surface.

Add in the number of breaks produced in those two wins and Sabalenka looks on course for another appearance in the second week in Melbourne behind a strong win.

Karolina Muchova - 4.5 games v Magda Linette: There are a couple of players on the WTA Tour who have gotten close to winning a Major, but who have to believe that time may be running out of they are going to finally pick up a Grand Slam title.

One of those is the World Number 19 Karolina Muchova, but she fought her way through the Second Round and that may give her confidence to have another deep run.

She has previously been a Quarter Finalist at all four Grand Slams and has reached the Semi Final at both the Australian Open and US Open. In 2023, Karolina Muchova came up short in the French Open Final, but this is a player that can produce on all surfaces and her record in Melbourne will be a source of disappointment.

In the last three seasons, Karolina Muchova has twice made the US Open Semi Final and once the Quarter Final, but a couple of Second Round exits have been the best results at the Australian Open. In fact, prior to this season, Muchova had won just two matches in Melbourne since making the Semi Final in 2021, but she has doubled that in 2026 and the Czech player is a strong favourite in this Third Round contest.

Next up is Magda Linette who has only been beyond the Third Round once in her career at Grand Slam level.

It will help the confidence that her best result was right here at the Australian Open when Linette had a stunning run to the Semi Final, but the 33 year old had a poor year on the hard courts in 2025.

Upsetting Emma Navarro has gotten her Australian Open run going, and there has to be some respect for the fact that Magda Linette has tended to produce her best tennis against the better opponents she has faced over the last twelve months, The 4-3 record against top 20 Ranked opponents on the hard courts deserves plenty of plaudits, but the World Number 50 has been operating on fine margins in those matches and the sub-40% number of points won on the return against those top players is a concern.

Over the last twelve months, Karolina Muchova has shown plenty of confidence behind the serve and she should be the stronger return player in this match.

Three wins in a row against Magda Linette on the Tour suggests the higher Ranked player matches up pretty well with this opponent and the dominant scores in those three wins adds to that belief.

The most recent meeting was in June 2024 on the grass courts and Karolina Muchova showed off her superior return player in that match.

We could see something similar here with Muchova moving onto the second week in Melbourne for just the second time in her career.

MY PICKS: Carlos Alcaraz - 9.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Alex De Minaur - 5.5 Games @ 1.61 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Learner Tien - 1.5 Sets @ 1.85 William Hill (2 Units)

Daniil Medvedev - 5.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Aryna Sabalenka - 6.5 Games @ 1.91 William Hill (2 Units)

Karolina Muchova - 4.5 Games @ 1.75 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Elina Svitolina - 2.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Mirra Andreeva - 5.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Tommy Paul - 1.5 Sets @ 1.95 Coral (2 Units)

Alexander Bublik - 4.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet365 (2 Units)

Australian Open Update: 17-7, + 14.48 Units (48 Units Staked, + 30.17% Yield)