French Open Tennis Outright Picks 2018 (May 27-June 10)

The second Grand Slam of the Tennis season is here and the next couple of weeks should be very interesting... At least on the women's side of the draw.

Once again it looks like Rafael Nadal is going into the French Open as the undisputed favourite to win the title and I just can't see someone who is going to be able to play the type of tennis needed for three or four hours and win a best of five set match against the Spaniard.

The draw could not have been much kinder to Nadal and I think he is going to be feasting on an opponent who would have got through a tremendously tough bottom half when the Final is played on Sunday 10th June.

On the other hand the women's draw looks wide open again with a number of players who will feel this is their time to win a Grand Slam title. A maiden Slam for someone like Simona Halep is long overdue, but Karolina Pliskova has been in good form and there are a couple of dark horses like Kiki Bertens who could go close.

Maiden winners in Paris like Petra Kvitova will also be feeling confident and a deep draw is highlighted by the prices in the outright market. The favourite is going to go off at 6-1 and I think the women's draw is the most interesting from the outright point of view.

The matches that are set to go should provide some classics if they all come together, and I am looking forward to the two weeks in Paris to round out this part of the season before the majority of the Tour move onto the grass in preparation for Wimbledon which begins in a little over a month from now.

Men's Tournament

It won't surprise anyone that the men's tournament at the French Open is dominated by Rafael Nadal at the top of the market having once again produced some strong tennis over the last two months on the clay courts.

Coming back off an injury there were some doubts about Nadal, but he has erased those and he is clearly the player to beat in the draw.

That position was only strengthened on Thursday evening when the draw was made as Nadal was placed in the top half and the closest rivals he has on the clay courts were all placed in the bottom half.

Truly.

I mean Nadal has seen Grigor Dimitrov, David Goffin, Novak Djokovic, Dominic Thiem (the one player who has beaten Nadal on the clay this season) and Alexander Zverev (pushed Nadal all the way in the Rome Masters Final) all placed in the second half of the draw and the Spaniard could not have hand picked a better draw for himself.

There are always some dangers lurking in a Grand Slam draw, but Nadal looks absolutely nailed on to reach the Final in two weeks time barring an injury.

A path that consists most likely of Alexandr Dolgopolov, Joao Sousa, Richard Gasquet, Denis Shapovalov, Diego Sebastian Schwartzman and Marin Cilic to reach the Final is one that Nadal should negotiate as comfortably as being disappointed if he drops more than two sets overall.

As I have said, the prices have reflected Nadal's position and it is almost impossible to back him here.

More interesting may be trying to pick someone to come out of the loaded bottom half of the draw to challenge Rafael Nadal in the Final in two weeks time. All of those names I mentioned are leading the way in the 'Reach The Final' market, but it is the Number 2 Seeded Alexander Zverev that offers the most interest.

Zverev has started to show he is a real threat at the Masters 1000 level having reached back to back Finals in Madrid and Rome with a title secured in the Spanish capital. The question marks remain about this Grand Slam temperament though as Zverev has yet to make a Quarter Final at this level which is a stunning stat for a World Number 3.

He isn't an overrated Number 3 either and it does feel a matter of time before Zverev not only makes an impact in the Slams, but actually goes on and wins one. Once that happens I think the young German is going to become a multiple Slam winner, a World Number 1 and perhaps the leading name in men's tennis in the years after the likes of Nadal and Roger Federer move on.

The lack of success at the Slam level is a legitimate concern for Zverev, but he could not have asked for a much better draw to get his teeth into the tournament. I'd make Zverev a very strong favourite win any of the potential first three matches he faces, while Lucas Pouille is a player whose limited return shouldn't pose a lot of problems as a potential Fourth Round opponent.

Stan Wawrinka is another who potentially waits in that Round, but he is only recently back from a long standing injury and Zverev should be good enough to at least reach the Quarter Final for the first time.

Things get much more interesting for him there with some solid looking players that could potentially await- Dominic Thiem is a former Semi Finalist at Roland Garros and arguably the third best clay courter in the world right now behind Nadal and Zverev; Kei Nishikori has had a strong clay court season again and has twice reached the Quarter Final here; Stefanos Tsitsipas looks a promising player for the future but this tournament is likely too early for him.

The hope for Zverev is that Thiem and Nishikori take something away from one another in their potential Fourth Round clash and the winner may not have enough to beat the in form German over five sets in any Quarter Final.

The Fourth Quarter of the draw does look the most likely to provide any Finalist to oppose Rafael Nadal although there are some solid players in the Third Quarter too.

However I would have a little more doubts about the ability of those to make the Final.

Novak Djokovic (still finding his best tennis, although improving all the time), Grigor Dimitrov (weak clay court pedigree compared to others), David Goffin (tougher draw than most) and Pablo Carreno Busta (erratic clay court season).

Picking someone to come out of this section is no easier with some of the doubts surrounding those involved and the player most likely to reach the Final looks to be Alexander Zverev who is set to announce himself as a major player in the sport.

If it wasn't for some injury doubts, I would really favour Marin Cilic to come out of the Second Quarter of the men's draw, but even then I think the Croatian has the chance to complete his set of Semi Final appearances at all four Majors played.

Cilic played well in Rome when reaching the Semi Final before narrowly going down to Zverev, and the Second Quarter looks considerably weaker than the ones that follow.

There are some interesting names in the section including Fabio Fognini, Kyle Edmund, Tomas Berdych and Juan Martin Del Potro, but the latter two have had serious injury issues which tempers enthusiasm for them.

Fognini has been far too erratic this season, but Kyle Edmund could be the danger in the section.

Edmund is very comfortable on the clay courts and the Semi Final run at the Australian Open will have given the British Number 1 plenty of belief in his ability to cause waves in Paris. The Quarter Final and Third Round run at the last two Masters shows Edmund is in good nick and he is certainly capable of making it back to back Slam Semi Finals if on his game.

My fear for Edmund is he has a tougher run to the potential Fourth Round match with Marin Cilic with Fognini and Marton Fucsovics potential opponents before then. Both of those players have reached at least the Semi Final of events in the lead up to the French Open which shows they are in some form and Edmund has had a couple of poorer results on the clay courts which makes him vulnerable in this section.

The men's tournament doesn't look as intriguing as the women's event when breaking down the draws in the outright view, but there are some top matches that could be played over the next couple of weeks. The bottom half of the draw is so loaded that barring upsets galore there are going to be some huge matches in the second week of the tournament.

That'll bring excitement into an event that I expect ends with Rafael Nadal picking up an eleventh French Open title.

Picking the top two Seeds to make the Final looks boring, but I do think that is the most likely outcome of this tournament as Alexander Zverev makes his breakthrough at the Grand Slam level.

With the draw being the way it is, I think Zverev will be the freshest of those players in the bottom half of the section when it comes round to the Quarter Final and Semi Final matches, while he has already been playing like the second best clay courter in the world.

Picking Zverev to 'Reach the Final' is one of my outright picks from the men's draw.

The other is Marin Cilic to win the Second Quarter at a big price even though I was intrigued by Kyle Edmund's position in the draw. Injury concerns aside, Cilic looked stronger in Rome and he has the returning ability on the clay coupled with a big serve to come through an open section.

Cilic has regularly reached the business end of Slams and I expect he will be good enough to see off Edmund in a tough Fourth Round match which should see him in a very winnable Quarter Final.

The Croatian is a big price to complete his set of Semi Finals at the Majors and worth a small interest.

Women's Tournament

While Rafael Nadal goes into the French Open as strong odds on favourite, the Number 1 Seed and favourite to win the women's event is Simona Halep at 6-1.

That just underlines how open the women's Tour has been ever since Serena Williams stepped away to have a child.

Serena is in the draw this week in Paris, but her lack of clay court tennis has to be a negative against her despite Williams showing many times in the past that she can win big events with little tennis behind her.

Despite that lack of tennis, Williams is the fourth favourite in Paris as the layers don't want to take chances with a player who will be tough to stop if she builds up some momentum. However I would find it hard to back the American considering the rust she showed in her two appearances in North American at Indian Wells and Miami, while Williams has also been placed in what looks an incredibly tough section of the draw.

It is possible Serena gets through the first couple of tough looking matches before going on and dominating, but neither Kristyna Pliskova or Ashleigh Barty look like players to take lightly. Even then a potential Third Round clash with the feisty Dominika Cibulkova looks a tough one to predict, while the likes of Maria Sharapova or Karolina Pliskova could wait in the Fourth Round.

That is a tough road for Serena Williams and the draw has also not been kind to Pliskova who looked a real dark horse to win here despite clay not being her favoured surface. While she begins with a Qualifier, the potential to face two former winners in Paris in Sharapova and Serena in back to back matches is a tough draw and that is simply to make the Quarter Final.

Instead the section could be left at the mercy of another former Champion here in Garbine Muguruza, but I don't think anyone can back the Spaniard with confidence after a poor clay court season. To be fair to Muguruza she did not look in great nick in preparation for Wimbledon last season and went on to win the tournament and the clay court pedigree does make her dangerous.

The draw could have been a little kinder to Muguruza too, but she does have the quality to make her Seeding count in this section of the draw, especially if she can get past First Round opponent Svetlana Kuznetsova.

It is a decent looking draw for Simona Halep as the Number 1 Seed and the two time former Finalist in Paris is hoping this is the year she finally goes one better and wins her first Grand Slam. Losing at the Australian Open in the Final against Caroline Wozniacki has raised the doubts whether Halep has the mentality to win the big one, but she is a worthy favourite here with the way the draw has panned out.

Facing home favourite Kristina Mladenovic in a potential Third Round will give Halep the chance to prove she can cope with the pressure that comes in these Slam events, but it may be another Frenchwoman who poses the biggest threat in the First Quarter of the draw.

Caroline Garcia has been in fine form on the clay courts the past two months and there won't be too many concerns until the Fourth Round when either Kiki Bertens or Angelique Kerber await. The head to head with Halep would always be a concern for Garcia if she was to reach the Quarter Final, while Bertens and Kerber have shown flashes of their ability on the clay courts, but could have hoped for better paths through to the later stages of the tournament.

It does feel like Halep is going to come out of this section of the draw, especially when you think she has reached the Quarter Final in five of the last seven Grand Slams. Both exceptions have come in First Round losses, but Halep should be good enough to take care of Alison Riske and then make her way through to another Quarter Final where she should be a significant favourite to reach another French Open Semi Final.

The player considered the biggest threat to Halep in taking the title home is also another who is searching for a maiden Slam success having proved herself on the Tour around the Majors. Elina Svitolina heads up the Third Quarter of the draw and has plenty of clay court pedigree which puts her amongst the favourites to win the title in Paris.

There is no doubt Svitolina has to be one of the top Seeds who is very pleased with the way the draw has panned out and I like her chances to make the Quarter Final without too many scares. Naomi Osaka and Madison Keys are big hitting opponents who have to be respected, but neither are at their best on the clay courts and Svitolina should be confident of beating either in any potential Fourth Round match.

Two players who have to be paid attention to in this section of the draw potentially meet in the Second Round- Jelena Ostapenko is the defending Champion and Victoria Azarenka may have been one of the most dangerous Unseeded players alongside Serena Williams.

Azarenka has had a tough couple of years with injury and a custodial battle which has prevented her return to the Tour after giving birth. That has seen her drop down the World Rankings but this is a player who is capable of beating the very best when performing at her best and needs to be respected.

The winner of the potential Second Round match between Ostapenko and Azarenka is likely to be the opponent for Svitolina in the Quarter Final and both of those players would be tough match ups for the Number 4 Seed.

It certainly tempers my enthusiasm for Svitolina, while her failure to reach a Semi Final at Grand Slam level may also mean nerves go against her against two players who have won Slams.

The player I have been most intrigued about in the women's draw is a surprisingly big price considering she has won a couple of clay court titles in 2018- Petra Kvitova made her return to the Tour a year ago following a knife attack in her home in December 2016, but she is looking back to her best and a real danger against anyone she faces.

Kvitova did win the title in Madrid on what is considered one of the faster clay courts out there and she has not had a lot of success at the Grand Slam level since winning her second Wimbledon title. In twelve Slams since then, Kvitova's best performances have been two Quarter Final runs while she has not reached the Quarter Final in Paris since her Semi Final run here in 2012.

Confidence looks to be restored though and Kvitova has the big hitting game which can carry her past a number of opponents in the bottom half of the draw. The style can be a little close to the margins though which is why I think Kvitova has not done better on the clay, especially when you have to hit more balls than she would on the grass or hard courts and thus leading to more mistakes in her play.

The Czech lefty will be playing a couple of players who are comfortable on the clay courts immediately and that is going to be a challenge for Kvitova to show where she is. Her performances in Prague and Madrid were very good, but playing on the courts in Paris have proven to be tough for her.

If she can negotiate the first couple of Rounds, Kvitova will be a favourite to get through to a Fourth Round against either Anastasija Sevastova or Sloane Stephens when she will once again face a tough challenge.

The draw could have been kinder to Kvitova which would have made her an intriguing price, especially in a section where the highest Seed is Caroline Wozniacki who has had limited success on the surface. The Australian Open Champion is unlikely to win her second Slam here in Paris and the failures of the two leading players in the section could open the door for Daria Kasatkina.

Kasatkina is very comfortable on the clay courts, but the serve can be vulnerable and that makes it hard to really believe she can reach her first Slam Semi Final. The Russian has reached one Fourth Round at this level which makes it tough to back her with any confidence and I think the entire women's draw has enough question marks for the leading players to answer to make it hard to predict.

The women's draw looks very interesting on paper, but I am finding it very difficult to back a player with any semblance of confidence. Even picking section winners is tough, although I will be surprised if Simona Halep is not able to reach the Semi Final here and the Romanian is my main source of interest in the tournament.

Halep is odds against to win the First Quarter which looks a big price even if she has a couple of awkward looking matches to negotiate, but this is a player who knows how to get to the business end of big tournaments even if she has struggled to get over the line in those events.

The other Quarters of the draw are much closer and I am not convinced about the favourites in any of those. However finding alternatives is not easy with the doubts about so many of the top names and picking Halep to reach the Semi Final is the only selection from the women's event in Paris.

MY PICKS: Alexander Zverev to 'Reach the Final' @ 3.75 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Marin Cilic to Win Second Quarter @ 4.33 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)

Simona Halep to Win First Quarter @ 2.50 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Champions League Final 2018- Real Madrid v Liverpool (May 26th)

Champions League Final 2018- Real Madrid v Liverpool

I can't believe how many so called Manchester United fans are talking about 'wanting' to see Liverpool win the Champions League this weekend.

I can't imagine too many have actually been to see United play Liverpool and the way their European Cup success is used as a stick to beat us with else you would never think that is what you want let alone openly tell people.

I just don't get it.

Personally I have very little love for Real Madrid and was desperately hoping Bayern Munich beat them in the Semi Final as they deserved to but that was mainly because I also thought Bayern Munich had a 'better' chance of beating Liverpool of the two teams.

However it is what it is and while I think I am being overrun by the horrible feeling of inevitability this Liverpool run has had, I also believe in my gut that Real Madrid have enough to win the trophy on Saturday.

Expected Real Madrid Team: Navas, Carvajal, Marcelo, Varane, Ramos, Modric, Casemiro, Kroos, Isco, Benzema and Ronaldo

Expected Liverpool Team: Karius, Alexander-Arnold, Robertson, Lovren, Van Dijk, Henderson, Can, Milner, Mane, Salah, Firmino

This might not have been the Champions League Final that many predicted back in August, but it has the makings of a good one when Real Madrid meet Liverpool.

Real Madrid have plenty of recent pedigree in the competition as they have won three of the last four editions of the Champions League. There have been some questions raised in the performances of Real Madrid to get through to the Final this season, but what they have displayed is plenty of experience at key times of matches.

They have also rode their luck in the last couple of Rounds and you have to feel that luck is going to run out on them at some point.

A team like Liverpool have the capabilities to create chances and score against this Real Madrid team with the front three using a lot of pace and movement to put Real Madrid in some difficult positions. They will be encouraged by the chances and goals scored by Juventus and Bayern Munich against Real Madrid and the general style of play employed by the European Champions should suit Liverpool who will have spaces to exploit on the counter attack.

Much will depend on how well Liverpool cope with what is a very good Real Madrid attack, especially having seen the English side struggle to deal with Roma in the Semi Final Second Leg

The first goal feels like it is going to be very important as it will allow the team who scores it to take their time and look for the counter attacking opportunities.

My gut feeling for weeks has been Liverpool are going to win the Champions League, but I do wonder how much that has got to do with me being a Manchester United fan and preparing myself for what feels inevitable.

However Liverpool have lost 2 of their last 3 Finals and they are playing a team who have coped with these situations better than most. Real Madrid have to use all of their experience and they will create chances against Liverpool, but there is that fear that they will finally be exposed defensively and punished by a Liverpool attack who are fine finishers.

Even then you have to lean towards Real Madrid on their experience and ability to win the big competitions which has yet to be matched by Liverpool. I think the latter will play their part and this could be a high-scoring game like the Final was last year, but like last year the reigning Champions may have a little too much know-how for their opponents.


At odds against I will look for Real Madrid to win this one and I won't be surprised if the fixture producing at least four goals on the night. While the usual stance is that Finals produce tense matches, I think these teams match up well and 3 of the last 7 Champions League Finals have produced at least four goals in regulation time.

MY PICKS: Real Madrid to Win @ 2.20 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Real Madrid-Liverpool Over 3.5 Goals @ 2.15 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Tennis Picks 2018 (May 25th)

The final week before a Grand Slam begins is a tough time to be making daily picks from the Tennis Tour and it is no surprise I have only had three picks all week despite four tournaments being played.

The last two have both come back as winners but I didn't see anything I liked to follow those up from Wednesday and had a day away on Thursday.

Instead I had a quick look through the French Open draw which was made on Thursday evening- the tournament begins on Sunday, the only Slam to begin on a Sunday, and I will have my break down of the draw and any outright picks ready to go on the site on Saturday.

Day 1 Picks will also be out on Saturday evening with the First Round matches scheduled for that day and I am looking forward to two good weeks in Paris. I wish I was going this year and it is now five years since I visited the French Open which is a remarkably long time considering how close I actually live to the event.

The French Open remains one of my favourite tournaments though and I can't wait for the start this weekend.

Before that I have some Tennis Picks from the Semi Final matches in Geneva and Strasbourg which can be read below.


Fabio Fognini - 3.5 games v Peter Gojowczyk: This is a rematch between these two players from the Rome Masters last week where Fabio Fognini was able to get the better of Peter Gojowczyk in straight sets.

It was a deserved win for Fognini who was a little fortunate to come through his Quarter Final match here in Geneva although he is arguably the favourite to win the title now Stan Wawrinka is out of the draw.

Fognini has not been as strong as previous years on the clay courts, but his return has been in good shape and he should have success against Gojowczyk like he enjoyed in Rome last week.

On the other hand Gojowczyk has room for improvement on his own return of serve despite putting three solid wins together here in Geneva. His return of serve could be more effective and I think that is going to be a difference maker between these two players on Friday with Fognini more likely to produce the break points and subsequently take those opportunities when they come his way.

It could be a tight match if Fognini is as erratic as he can be, but I think he may win in a similar fashion to Rome when he got the better of Gojowczyk with a break more in each set of a straight sets win.


Steve Johnson v Marton Fucsovics: Both of these players deserve a lot of credit for making it through to a Semi Final on the clay courts at Tour level, but it does look like Steve Johnson is playing the better tennis of the two.

Marton Fucsovics has had the best win this week when he was able to beat Stan Wawrinka, although Johnson managed to beat the Swiss player last week on this surface. Much of those wins are down to Wawrinka's recent return to the Tour, but Johnson has added solid looking wins over the likes of Guido Pella to add to his confidence on the clay.

His opponent has to be respected with the wins he has produced this week to reach the Semi Final but the numbers from the American have been very good. He has been serving at a high level on the clay and that had made Johnson tough to break, while he is doing enough on the return to get into a position to win matches.

A strong serve means opponents perhaps feel the pressure of their own serve against Johnson and I think Fucsovics will feel that too. His numbers behind the serve are simply not at the same level as Johnson and I like the latter in what is a pick 'em match.


Dominika Cibulkova v Mihaela Buzarnescu: After some injury issues, Dominika Cibulkova looks to be rounding into strong form and she has played really well in Strasbourg so far this week.

The serving has been very effective and Cibulkova has always been an aggressive returner who can enjoy playing on the clay courts. 2017 was a tough season for her on this surface, but 2018 has looked a lot better over the last couple of weeks as Cibulkova has restored some confidence with a number of wins in that time.

It will be a test of that confidence when Cibulkova takes on Mihaela Buzarnescu who has had a stunning rise up the World Rankings over the last nine months. She was dominant on the clay courts at the level below the main WTA Tour and Buzarnescu has taken that onto the main Tour with a run to the Final in Prague.

Her three wins this week have been very impressive, but Buzarnescu had lost three matches in a row on the clay before the tournament in Strasbourg began.

Both players do have similar numbers which is why the layers have this down as a pick 'em match and I think it is going to be a very close one. However I think Cibulkova has the more impressive wins this week and she is playing at a very good level at the moment which may be tough for Buzarnescu to match over the course of a couple of hours.


Ashleigh Barty - 3.5 games v Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova: Ashleigh Barty has been a real success since returning to professional tennis and she has looked very comfortable on the clay courts over the last couple of months. Not many players will want to run into Barty at the French Open after close losses to Caroline Wozniacki and Maria Sharapova and those can be reversed in the form she has displayed.

Barty has really leant on her serve which is an underrated shot and she has a very strong return which is going to put some pressure on Anastasia Pavlychenkova when they meet in the Semi Final on Friday.

The Russian has been in good form this week herself, but the underlying numbers are not nearly as strong as the ones Barty has put on the board.

Pavlyuchenkova has a very good serve of her own which can produce plenty of cheap points, but her second serve is attackable. She also can struggle with her movement and I think Barty is the better defender of the two players which can be a key factor on the clay courts.

There is also a significant difference in the way the two players have returned and the success they have had on that side of the court. Barty looks to have a real edge in that department and I think the Australian will beat Pavlyuchenkova and be able to cover a big number in this second Semi Final in Strasbourg.

MY PICKS: Fabio Fognini - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Steve Johnson @ 1.83 Betfair Sportsbook (2 Units)
Dominika Cibulkova @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Ashleigh Barty - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 2-1, + 1.70 Units (6 Units Staked, + 28.33% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2018- Jamie McDonnell vs Naoya Inoue (May 25th-May 26th)

There have been some memorable fights already in 2018 and last weekend provided another when Adonis Stevenson and Badou Jack fought out to a draw.

It wasn't a fight I scored live myself, but it felt like a very close one and the draw was not a massive surprise. In the bout both Stevenson and Jack had been hurt at times although I do have to say it felt Jack won the clearer Rounds and so you could understand his frustration that he has ended up with another draw in a fight where he perhaps felt he had done enough to win.

An old school 15 Rounder would have likely given Jack the time to stop Stevenson and it was only a huge body shot in the Tenth Round which stopped the US based Swede in his tracks when he looked to be peaking in strength in the fight.

Most have called for a rematch but it looks like Stevenson will be going in another direction with the mandatory challenger for his WBC World Title unlikely to step aside.

Either way Stevenson looked a vulnerable Champion on Saturday night and is only going to lose a little more with his best years wasted with inactivity.

Stevenson has said he wants to be more active going forward, but I think his grip on the WBC Title is slipping all the time and a number of challengers will be looking to relieve him of his strap in the months ahead.


I can't move on without praising Josh Warrington and Gary Russell who both had big wins last weekend. Warrington has set himself up for some big domestic fights with the likelihood he shares a ring with Carl Frampton perhaps by the end of the year, while I just hope to see Russell fighting more than once a year.

Lee Selby will move on from the Warrington loss by moving up in weight which was long rumoured for him. The chance to become a two weight World Champion will offer plenty of motivation and I think Selby comes again even against some of the tough challenges that await in the Super Featherweight Division.

Jamie McDonnell vs Naoya Inoue

It is Friday afternoon Boxing for fans in the United Kingdom as Jamie McDonnell travels to Tokyo to take on 'Monster' Naoya Inoue with his WBA Bantamweight World Title on the line. There is plenty on the line for both fighters with the winner likely to be invited into the World Boxing Super Series tournament being set up which already involves three other World Champions.

All of the focus from the fans and the organisers will be on Naoya Inoue who is moving up in weight to become a World Champion in a third Division in just his sixteenth fight. Highlight reel stoppages have increased his exposure and Inoue has already fought in the United States, but he returns home having gotten the chance to bring Jamie McDonnell over.

McDonnell is perhaps fortunate to still hold the World Title having looked like he had lost the fight with Liborio Solis but he has the height and reach advantages against a fighter coming up in weight.

Back to back wins over previously unbeaten Tomoki Kameda will mean the Japanese audience are familiar with McDonnell but this is a much different test for the British fighter. He may proclaim to being the best Bantamweight in the world, but he won't have felt the power Inoue should carry up to this Division and I think McDonnell is going to do very well to see the final bell.

At first I expect McDonnell will try and frustrate Inoue by keeping out of range and boxing the shorter man, but Solis was able to close the gap and unload some big shots and I expect the Japanese superstar to be able to do the same. I can see Inoue breaking down McDonnell round by round and his power wearing down a fighter who could come again if he is not absorbing too much of a beating.

Solis should have beaten McDonnell and he is shorter than Inoue who still has some skills to learn which poses a question for me. He will need to find a way to close the ring off to McDonnell and I think that comes later in the fight as the body shots begin to take a toll and so any stoppage will come in the second half of the fight as far as I am concerned.

McDonnell has never been stopped, but Kameda put him down in their first fight and Inoue is the hardest puncher he would have faced. Not many have gone into the second half of the fight with Inoue, but I think McDonnell may get there before the power of his opponent breaks him down for a stoppage.

Khalid Yafai vs David Carmona

This is the US debut for Khalid Yafai and I think the British fighter can defend his WBA World Title and then put himself in line for some big fights in the Super Flyweight Division.

Some of those names have been thrown around for the future for Yafai, but the fighter himself knows the importance of looking good to make sure his name is truly placed alongside the best in the Division.

Yafai has a chance to look good against David Carmona who will come to fight, but the British fighter has to be careful against an opponent who will feel this is his last chance to become a World Champion.

He may get another shot down the line, but Carmona has found himself unable to beat the elite although he is a tough character that won't go down easily.

I expect the better boxing will come from Yafai and he will want to make a statement by stopping Carmona. However the last three wins have all come by Unanimous Decision and I think Yafai will end up putting another comfortable win in the books to keep himself in line for Unified Championship bouts going forward.

The layers expect the stoppage to come, but I will back Yafai to win on points.

MY PICKS: Naoua Inoue to Win Between 7-12 @ 2.87 Ladbrokes (2 Units)

Khalid Yafai to Win by Decision/Technical Decision @ 3.25 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)

Tennis Picks 2018 (May 23rd)

The week before any Grand Slam event can be tough to get a real read of because players are going to be focusing on keeping something in the tank for the upcoming Slam.

Of course the majority of those players expecting to challenge for the title at the French Open are not playing this week and it does mean we have some open draws.

I haven't found a lot of options over the first couple of days at the four tournaments with a number of players in the draws that would not normally be playing at this level. As we progress through to the latter stages of the tournaments we should get more familiar match ups and we have reached the Second Round on Wednesday which has produced some options to be backed.


Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova - 2.5 games v Natalia Vikhlyantseva: Two Russian players meet in a bid to find some form before the French Open as both Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Natalia Vikhlyantseva have struggled on the clay courts.

Out of the two players there does seem to be more room for improvement from Pavlyuchenkova who has previously had some success on this surface.

Pavlyuchenkova has definitely had the tougher draws during the clay court season compared with Vikhlyantseva and the latter has not had the same quality wins as her compatriot has had.

I expect in this match Pavlyuchenkova will have more joy from the return of serve than she has had in her clay court matches so far. That isn't a surprise when facing the quality of servers she has seen, but Vikhlyantseva has not been able to get the best out of her serve on the clay courts and it should mean Pavlyuchenkova has some success.

Her own serve is a little more consistent and I will look for Pavlyuchenkova to win and cover on Wednesday.


Sam Stosur v Daria Gavrilova: This is a virtual pick 'em set by the layers and that says a lot about the declining numbers Sam Stosur has been producing in 2018 overall and on the clay courts.

At one time Stosur was one of the best clay courters on the WTA Tour and she has enjoyed considerable success on the surface, but she has struggled for consistency this season. One of the major issues has been the lack of impact on the return of serve which has put more pressure to get it right when serving and allowed opponents to take control of matches.

The return should have a better outing against the Daria Gavrilova serve which is a vulnerable shot and forces Gavrilova into tough matches regardless of the opponent. She did reach the Final in Strasbourg last season but generally Gavrilova has been a little hard to predict on the clay courts.

That Final ended in a loss to Stosur and Gavrilova had to take another in Prague on the clay courts this season when she couldn't continue after being taken into a deciding set.

There should be a number of breaks in this match, but I do think Stosur may still be the superior clay court player despite the declining form. It will be close and may need a decider but I will look fo the veteran Australian winning this match.

MY PICKS: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova - 2.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (2 Units)
Sam Stosur @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Rome Masters Tennis Picks 2018 (May 20th)

This has been a busy, busy weekend and it has been tough to get the time I need to write down my analysis of matches to be played in Rome.

We have gotten to the final day in Rome on Sunday and this week we will also see the four tournaments to be played in the week ahead also beginning First Round matches on Sunday. The main reason for that is the French Open actually gets going next Sunday rather than the traditional Monday start for the other Slams and so there is a pressure on the tournaments this week to make sure they are concluded by Saturday.

The Picks on Saturday were not as good as Friday with a couple of near misses turning my fortunes, but it has still been a winning week to this point. Hopefully the two remaining Picks from Rome can make sure there are some positive numbers to add to the season totals.

MY PICKS: Rafael Nadal - 4.5 Games @ 2.05 Boyle Sports (2 Units)
Elina Svitolina @ 2.20 William Hill (2 Units)
Sachia Vickery - 5.5 Games @ 2.00 William Hill (2 Units)

Rome Update: 15-13, + 1.34 Units (56 Units Staked, + 2.39% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2018- Adonis Stevenson vs Badou Jack (May 19th)

It was an absolute pleasure watching Vasyl Lomachenko work last week, but a lot of credit has to be given to Jorge Linares who made the bout as competitive as it was.

I hate when people say Linares quit- I rated him from getting up from a perfect liver punch and it was clear how hurt he was.

There is no way Linares quit on the day, but he just didn't have anything left from a great punch from Lomachenko who has now elevated himself to the Number 1 position in the pound for pound list. I would love to see Lomachenko come over to the United Kingdom if only to have the chance to see a truly special fighter perform, although it looks like Lomachenko is heading towards a SUPER fight with Mikey Garcia assuming both fighters pick up their second World Tittles in the Lightweight Division in the coming months.

Both Lomachenko and Garcia are set for Unification bouts in the summer which would set up a blockbuster between the two for the end of 2018.


Can you imagine an end of the year where Lomachenko-Garcia and Joshua-Wilder both set to go? I think the former is more likely to happen, especially with the news about the latter bout slowing down over the last week as the two teams continue to hash out the details of the deal.

I am hopeful that they will get together and figure it out, but it looks more and more likely that both will be in action this summer in different bouts and any fight between the top two Heavyweights in the world will have to wait until 2019. Hopefully by that time we will be talking about Joshua and Wilder being a part of the top three Heavyweights as Tyson Fury will be a year into his return to the sport too.


One other fighter who we have been hearing a lot from over the last couple of weeks is Tony Bellew who is fresh off another win over David Haye. Bellew has a lot of options and continues to speak about being the best Cruiserweight in the world, but I would have him behind all four Semi Finalists from the World Boxing Super Series.

Bellew won't mind being an underdog to anyone as he has raised his performances in each bout he has been disregarded, but I don't think he truly chases the winner of the World Boxing Super Series as they may not be a 'big enough name' for the casuals to get excited about. That will be the case even if the winner is expected to move up to Heavyweight and instead Bellew is looking at Tyson Fury and Andre Ward as the next fighter he wants to take on.

He is considerably bigger than Ward which would make the fight much closer than most expect, but I would expect Fury to deal with Bellew comfortably.

Having options is great for the Bomber though and it will be interesting to see where he takes himself going forward.


On Saturday we have some really intriguing fights coming up with the headliner from Toronto between Adonis Stevenson and Badou Jack. I can't wait for that one and it really does look a close one to call.

A huge domestic dust up comes from Elland Road earlier in the day and I am looking forward to another big day of Boxing with the Picks from those bouts below.

Lee Selby vs Josh Warrington

A hostile atmosphere awaits Lee Selby as the IBF Featherweight Champion puts his World Title on the line against local hope Josh Warrington at Elland Road in Leeds.

There is plenty on the line for the winner with a likely bout with Carl Frampton set to be put into play at Windsor Park this summer, but neither Selby or Warrington will be looking past this one where genuine dislike between the fighters and the two teams have developed.

This is a fight that Selby does feel is beneath him having reached World level and defended his World Title four times. Some have suggested we have not seen the best of Selby for some time, but I think this is the kind of bout that would have got the adrenaline going and I think we are going to see one of the best performances from Selby as he takes on an unbeaten fighter in front of his own fans.

Being unbeaten means Warrington will come in with a lot of belief in his ability to win the fight but I think this is a significant step up in class for him. His best wins have come against Dennis Ceylan, Kiko Martinez and Hisashi Amagasa but I don't think any of those are great preparation for taking on someone with the ability Selby has.

Even the win over Martinez came by Majority Decision against a fighter who has been stopped by the likes of Scott Quigg and Leo Santa Cruz (and both stopped him within Five Rounds).

I think Warrington will show plenty of heart and come forward and try to rough up Selby, but the latter is a slick boxer and I am looking for him to build up the accumulation of punches as he times Warrington coming in. Neither fighter is known for their Knock Out percentages and so the layers are anticipating the cards being read which is the most likely outcome of this one.

However I think Warrington's style may see him go out on his shield in this one as Selby starts to really dominate in the second half of the fight. Some are questioning whether Selby has some problems making weight, but he has looked good and very confident this week and I think he may just time Warrington onto something late in the fight as the home crowd urge their man forward to try and get back into the bout.

A small interest in Selby finding a second half stoppage to underline his position above Warrington's level is my call.

Gary Russell vs Joseph Diaz

The one loss on Gary Russell's record looks better in each passing month.

Russell was beaten on a Majority Decision by Vasyl Lomachenko but he has bounced back to win four consecutive fights and he has stopped his last three opponents and he has picked up the WBC Featherweight World Title in that time.

He looks to be peaking, although this will only be the third time we see Russell in the ring since April 2016 and it has been almost a year to the day when he beat Oscar Escandon. That inactivity is disappointing when it looks like Russell has plenty of talent and it is never a good look to waste too many years by taking one fight a year.

Facing his mandatory in Joseph Diaz is a tough place to return and Diaz is unbeaten which will make him more of a threat. Fighting from the southpaw stance is going to mean Russell has to readjust his shots and Diaz is definitely a live contender.

However the resume is hard to get a read on for Diaz and Russell is a considerable step up in class for the Golden Boy fighter. His team are confident he can time Russell onto some big shots and with both expected to trade this could be the surprisingly best fight of the night.

The speed of the Russell combinations is likely going to be the difference once he has worked out the southpaw stance and where Diaz is going to be expected to be. I think both fighters will land some big shots, but I expect Russell to begin to get the better of the exchanges by the middle Rounds.

Diaz is going to tough out some moments, but eventually I expect Russell's combinations to perhaps get the referee to step in and record a fourth consecutive stoppage. It could be a really fun fight though with both having to ride out some difficult moments, but I like Russell to get the stoppage at some point.

Adonis Stevenson vs Badou Jack

Superman is back this weekend for the first time in a long time we are expecting to see Adonis Stevenson given a stern examination as a World Champion. The home crowd should be behind Stevenson who has been criticised for the choices of opponents since picking up the WBA Light-Heavyweight Title, but there is no doubting that Badou Jack is a big opponent for him.

Badou Jack has come up from Super-Middleweight and dispatched Nathan Cleverley last year to announce himself at the Light-Heavyweight limit.

Jack has also been on a strong run with wins over the likes of George Groves, Anthony Dirrell and a draw with James DeGale in a fight many thought he had won and all of these fights have come after his loss.

Confidence won't be an issue for Jack, but it does feel like the most important questions are going to be needed to be answered by Stevenson.

Is he too old at 40 years old? Has inactivity slowed down Stevenson? Has he ever been the real deal at Light-Heavyweight or has Stevenson ducked live opponents to keep hold of the WBA Title?

Stevenson does look in fine shape to be honest and I think my lean has been towards the Haitian born, Canadian based Champion to make a statement this weekend. The power is quite staggering from Stevenson and it is a fight changer against any opponent and I just think he may hit Jack with something very early that puts the challenger in a tough situation.

Jack has to try and keep out of trouble and test the stamina of a 40 year old Champion, but I think Stevenson is going to be fresh enough to last the distance if necessary and I think he is also capable of carrying power through the 12 Rounds. There is no doubting Jack is a tough fighter mentally, but he was put down by DeGale and he has been hurt by fighters who simply don't hit anything like as hard as Stevenson who also provides more awkward moments coming out of the southpaw stance.

I just think rumours of the Stevenson demise have been greatly exaggerated and I think he re-announces himself on the world stage with a big performance.

I've had a gut feeling this is an early win for Stevenson to really send out a statement to the rest of the Division and perhaps even line up a potential rematch with Tony Bellew at a catchweight. At some stage I expect Stevenson to hurt Jack to the body and follow up with some thudding shots that hurt the challenger. He won't let Jack off the hook either and I expect Stevenson to hold back Father Time for at least one more fight.

While I've got a feeling it is going to come early, I will simply look for Stevenson to find the stoppage in the fight which is almost a pick 'em coming close to the opening bell.

MY PICKS: Lee Selby Win Between 7-12 @ 6.50 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Gary Russell to Win by KO, TKO or Disqualification @ 2.62 Ladbrokes (2 Units)

Adonis Stevenson to Win by KO, TKO or Disqualification @ 2.75 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Boxing 2018 Update: 14-28, + 3.63 Units (63 Units Staked, + 5.76% Yield)