Australian Open Tennis Day 6 Picks 2022 (January 22nd)

The second week is fast approaching and the players who manage to work their way into the business end of the Australian Open will all feel they have a big chance to win a Grand Slam title.

It feels like the Men's tournament is a bit more of a closed shop in terms of genuine winners, but the Women's event remains wide open. Of course some will point to Ashleigh Barty has being the clear favourite, but the pressure will ramp up to win a home tournament and I do think many of the players will believe they are capable of winning a Slam considering the number of new faces that have picked up a major on this side of the Tour in recent years.

Naomi Osaka will not be one of those to add to the four Slams she has already won, but the tournaments are warming up nicely as the Third Round is completed on Saturday.

It has been a disappointing couple of days for the Tennis Picks, which is a blow after a very strong start to the Australian Open, but I am not going to get too downhearted by that. Ultimately things are still in a good position on the approach to the second week and that is the most important factor to consider.

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 7.5 games v Benoit Paire: An emotional Benoit Paire was interviewed after spending over three hours on court and needing four sets to earn his spot in the Third Round at the Australian Open. He was one of the players that faced a lot of criticism in the pandemic hit 2021 season when openly admitting he could not really raise himself for performing in front of empty stands.

You can't really blame Benoit Paire for feeling that way, but I think it was the way he would seemingly give up in matches when things were going wrong that rubbed people up the wrong way. The Frenchman has always been a player with a limited game on the hard courts, but his numbers dipped significantly in 2021 and he has dropped down to Number 56 in the World Rankings.

Getting up for this match should not be an issue for Benoit Paire with the Greek community always ready to come out and support Stefanos Tsitsipas when he is playing in Melbourne. This is a big match on a big court so I expect to see a full effort from Benoit Paire, although that should not make you lose focus on the hard court numbers which show a player that has a limited serve and who has been struggling on the return.

Stefanos Tsitsipas had a much tougher Second Round match than many may have expected, but that was largely down to playing some of the big points poorly. He created three times more break points than Sebastian Baez and I think this is a match up that Tsitsipas is going to enjoy as he looks to ease his way further into the draw.

Injury issues and some concerns about the form means Stefanos Tsitsipas has been able fly under the radar somewhat, but I think he will be happy with the results and will also feel there is more to come.

This is a very big spread for any player to cover once you start hitting this stage of the tournament, but Stefanos Tsitsipas has enjoyed playing Benoit Paire and has beaten him in three straight matches. That includes two wins over him in 2021, once on the hard courts and once on the clay, when Stefanos Tsitsipas only allowed Benoit Paire to win a total of seven games.

Benoit Paire won the first meeting between the players on the hard courts, but he has lost the last two against Stefanos Tsitsipas on this surface. The Frenchman has struggled on the serve with just 55% of points won and held in 62% of the service games played, while Stefanos Tsitsipas has marks of 66% and 80% respectively.

The two wins secured by Stefanos Tsitsipas have been very comfortable and I think he is likely to enjoy the tennis he is facing, which can go a long way in making him feel easy on the court. For a top player that comfort level could see them just move through the gears and I think Stefanos Tsitsipas will be able to do that against an opponent he has been very good at dispatching in their most recent meetings.

Alex De Minaur - 7.5 games v Pablo Andujar: In recent years there has been a steady progress being made by Alex De Minaur on the ATP Tour and he reached a career best World Ranking of Number 15 back in June 2021, but the last six months have been difficult for all Australian professional tennis players. With the restrictions around the borders, many decided they would not leave home, while others perhaps were not able to perform to their best with other things on the mind.

I have to believe the whole pandemic had a big impact on Alex De Minaur who has had a tough time since June and who is coming off an average year on the hard courts, especially for the standards he has set. The Australian summer has at least offered him the chance to get his career turned back around and Alex De Minaur will be looking to reach the second week in Melbourne for the first time.

It will also be important to help him reverse the current slip down the World Rankings which would mean he will be Unseeded in the Grand Slams coming up. That can see the problems mount up for players who begin to slip, but the two wins here will have given Alex De Minaur confidence and belief in his own game.

Alex De Minaur has won six sets in a row since dropping the opener of the tournament and his serve has been very effective in the small sample size of matches played so far in 2022. Maintaining that over the course of the season will be difficult, but it will certainly make the Australian believe he can do enough to overcome Pablo Andujar in the Third Round.

It has to be seen as a surprise to see Pablo Andujar in this Round of a Grand Slam played on the hard courts, but he did manage to do the same at the US Open last year. His two wins at Melbourne Park have been impressive enough, but this is the first player Pablo Andujar is going to face that is Ranked inside the top 74 of the World and that step up could be too much to bridge.

The clay courts are unsurprisingly the favourite surface for this Spaniard, while Pablo Andujar has a very vulnerable serve on the hard courts in recent years. Holding more than 71% of service games on this surface over the course of a season has been beyond him and the early numbers in 2022 are largely down to the quality of opponent he has faced.

That is not the case in the Third Round and I think there will be a lot of pressure on the Pablo Andujar serve, which in turn puts pressure on him to find the right returns. I think he will have some success against Alex De Minaur, but I am not sure it will be enough to stay with the home player who will have the crowd right behind him and eventually I expect Alex De Minaur to move clear for a good win.

The spread has to be respected, but I think Alex De Minaur has the quality of tennis to cover on these courts.

Andrey Rublev - 4.5 games v Marin Cilic: There have been one or two players that have impressed on the Men's side of the tournament at the Australian Open and one of those has to be Andrey Rublev. He did not play in a warm up event before the first Grand Slam of the season began, but Andrey Rublev has really enjoyed his time at Melbourne Park and his two wins have come in dominant fashion.

However, Andrey Rublev will be the first to expect the challenge to be much greater in the Third Round than he has faced in the first two Rounds with a match against a former Grand Slam Champion in front of him. The veteran Marin Cilic is not playing at the kind of level he once did, but January has been a positive month for the Croatian and confidence will not be an issue.

There has been a clear decline in his performances on the hard courts in 2019, 2020 and 2021, and even the performances this month may be something of a mirage as to how the rest of the season will go for Marin Cilic. In his eight matches so far in 2022, the highest Ranked player that Marin Cilic has played is World Number 29 and it is a big step up to face someone like Andrey Rublev who will feel he can consolidate his place in the top ten.

The Marin Cilic serve will always be a big weapon for him, although the Croatian held just 79% of games played on the hard courts in 2021. He has looked much better this season, but, again, you have to point out the level of competition and Andrey Rublev is a pretty good return player on the surface with an aggressive approach to this side of his game.

It is an approach that has worked well against this opponent in the past and Andrey Rublev has won four matches in a row against Marin Cilic. All of those wins have come on the hard courts too and Rublev has held 88% of service games played across those compared with Marin Cilic's 69% mark.

That is a huge edge for Andrey Rublev who has won eight of the nine sets played between these opponents on the hard courts and the two wins in 2021 over Marin Cilic came in strong fashion. I think he should have too much for the veteran in this one too and I think Andrey Rublev will be able to cover this spread on the way through to the second week.

MY PICKS: Stefanos Tsitsipas - 7.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Alex De Minaur - 7.5 Games @ 1.72 Coral (2 Units)

Andrey Rublev - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Roberto Bautista Agut @ 1.80 Coral (2 Units)

Jannik Sinner - 7.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Danielle Collins - 1.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Elise Mertens - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Simona Halep - 6.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Australian Open Update: 26-17, + 10.70 Units (86 Units Staked, + 12.44% Yield)

Australian Open Tennis Day 5 Picks 2022 (January 21st)

It has been one of those days when I have not really had the time to write out a fuller post for the Australian Open Day 5 Picks as I would have liked.

Instead you can see my selections from the Third Round matches to be played on Friday below.

I have also updated the tournament totals after the most inconsistent day of the Australian Open as far as the Tennis Picks go anyway.

MY PICKS: Lorenzo Sonego - 1.5 Sets @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Gael Monfils - 7.5 Games @ 1.75 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Pablo Carreno Busta - 1.5 Sets @ 2.50 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Karen Khachanov + 6.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Barbora Krejcikova - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Victoria Azarenka - 4.5 Games @ 1.95 Coral (2 Units)

Madison Keys - 4.5 Games @ 1.70 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Australian Open Update: 23-13, + 12.30 Units (72 Units Staked, + 17.08% Yield)

Australian Open Tennis Day 4 Picks 2022 (January 19th)

There continue to be some very good matches at the Australian Open, although those have featured players lower down the Seeding, and the top names have largely made comfortable progress so far at the tournament.

The Second Round is going to be completed on Day 4 at Melbourne Park and that means a number of British players are in action. It feels like the majority of players who have travelled Down Under from the United Kingdom have been placed in the bottom half of the Men and Women's draw at the Australian Open and the expectation is that there will still be a number involved later this week.

It has also been a good few days for the Tennis Picks after a strong Day 3, although I am not going to have as many selections from the Thursday offering as I did on Wednesday. There are a number of big favourites I do like to cover, but also plenty of close matches that I am looking to avoid in a bid to keep the positive run going.

Andy Murray - 5.5 games v Taro Daniel: On the same court on which he was beaten in five sets and where many felt they may not see Andy Murray in a Grand Slam tournament again, some redemption was had by the former World Number One in the First Round of the Australian Open in 2022. This time Andy Murray came out on the right side of a tough five set win over a Seeded opponent and it does feel like the door could soon open for a really strong run at Melbourne Park where he is a multiple time Runner Up.

Winning the tournament would still be a huge underdog story for Andy Murray and he has admitted himself that he is going to try and take things as they come each day. Having a day of rest will be important for the veteran having reached the Sydney Final last weekend and after spending just eight minutes shy of four hours on court to see off the huge hitting Nikoloz Basilashvili a couple of days ago.

The match up looks much more favourable for Andy Murray in the Second Round as he takes on Qualifier Taro Daniel.

Any Qualifier who has won three matches and then managed to work his way through the First Round of a Grand Slam has to be respected and Taro Daniel is clearly enjoying his summer in Australia having put together a 7-1 record so far. It would be foolish to ignore the fact that only two of those matches have been against players Ranked inside the top 100 and Taro Daniel is 1-1 in those matches.

His service numbers have been strong, but I do think Taro Daniel is going to be tested in a much tougher manner than he has at any stage over the last month. There is no doubt that Andy Murray has a long way to go to reach his peak return numbers from a few years ago, but he is a player that will get plenty of balls back in play and this is a match in which the British player will not be overpowered as he was at times by the strong ball striking of his last opponent.

The Andy Murray serve is actually looking in pretty good shape so far in January and I think it will be difficult for Taro Daniel to have the same success as Nikoloz Basilashvili had in the two matches played against Murray. Over the last two years, Taro Daniel is just 1-10 against top 100 Ranked opponents on the hard courts and his return numbers are incredibly poor with just 31% of return points won and breaks in 11% of return games played.

That puts a huge amount of pressure on the Taro Daniel serve and I think Andy Murray can build on the win in the First Round by securing passage to the next Round in much more routine fashion on Day 4 at the Australian Open.

Jannik Sinner - 6.5 games v Steve Johnson: At 20 years old it feels like Jannik Sinner is ready to make a move to the upper echelons of the ATP Tour and his experiences at the ATP Finals in Turin underline the point. He is already inside the top 10 of the World Rankings, but this is the year in which he will be looking for a little more consistency from his game overall and also in terms of results at the Grand Slam level.

To highlight the point, Jannik Sinner reached the Fourth Round at the French Open and US Open in 2021, but he lost in the First Round both here and at Wimbledon. In fact half of the eight Grand Slam tournaments the Italian has entered have ended in the First Round and so the win over Joao Sousa on Tuesday will likely have given him a boost in confidence for the challenges ahead.

There are going to be some tough matches to negotiate if he is going to reach the second week at the Australian Open for the first time and Jannik Sinner would be wrong to look past the veteran Steve Johnson, even if he is no longer the player he was.

Even at his best, Steve Johnson had a real problem in finding the right way to approach return games to really push on and enter the top 20 of the World Rankings. These days the American has slipped outside the top 100 and Steve Johnson needs to put some wins together over the coming weeks to get back into a position where he will be given spots in the main draws of the Grand Slams without needing to play the Qualifiers.

A 5-2 month so far will be a boost for the Ranking points and Steve Johnson did well to rally and beat a home hope in the First Round, although Johnson is likely to be the first to admit he has to pick up his level if he is going to beat an opponent like Jannik Sinner. The serve has long been a big weapon for Steve Johnson, but there were some signs of decline behind that shot in 2021 on the hard courts and it will be an area where the aggressive youngster across the net will be looking to attack where he can.

Jannik Sinner is not the best returner just yet, but he has opened 2022 with his numbers looking impressive even if I am not sure he is going to sustain the level over the course of the next several months. When these two met in Washington on the hard courts last August, Jannik Sinner was able to exert the pressure needed to crack through the Steve Johnson serve and I think he will wear down the American in this Second Round.

I doubt Sinner will be able to coast part Steve Johnson and will be pushed in at least one and perhaps two sets, but I think the Italian has the serve to contain the threat coming from the other side of the net. The longer they are out on court, I expect to see Jannik Sinner put more and more pressure on the Johnson serve and eventually he may break the back of the match and pull clear for a cover of a pretty wide mark.

Andrey Rublev - 7.5 games v Ricardas Berankis: You would be overlooking a player like Ricardas Berankis if you were to judge him solely on his career best World Ranking as I think the talented player should be earned a much higher spot than the Number 50 he achieved. That was a few years ago and Ricardas Berankis is barely holding onto a top 100 Ranking these days, but he will feel he has nothing to lose and has the kind of tennis that is capable of pushing the very best players on the Tour.

You could see that talent in the competitive loss to Rafael Nadal in the lead up the Australian Open, but Ricardas Berankis did have a very tough match in the First Round that lasted close to four hours and five sets and it may play a part in this one too.

One of the main reasons that Ricardas Berankis has not been much higher up the World Rankings is a relatively vulnerable serve compared with the very best players. It was the main reason he was beaten by Nadal in the warm up event, and Berankis has won just under 59% of service points played against top 20 Ranked opponents on the hard courts throughout his career.

While the return has been effective for him at the lower level, Ricardas Berankis has broken in just 14% of return games played against those opponents across twenty-seven matches and I do think he will have issues trying to get into the Andrey Rublev service games.

The top ten Ranked player has played his first match of 2022 in the First Round at the Australian Open and Andrey Rublev looked like he was refreshed and ready for another big year on the Tour. He dominated that match and Andrey Rublev has held 86% of service games played on the hard courts over the last twelve months

Andrey Rublev was broken just once in his first match and he has a very effective return of serve, which should put him in a position to win and cover in this Second Round match. It is a big spread, but Rublev will have the break point chances to win at least one set with two more breaks of serve than Ricardas Berankis and that can make all the difference in the handicap selection.

These players have met twice before and those matches have ended 1-1, but the last of those was in September 2019. Andrey Rublev won that day, but he is much improved, while we have seen the best of Ricardas Berankis and I think the difference will be wide enough for the Russian player to earn another good, straight sets win as he had in the First Round.

MY PICKS: Andy Murray - 5.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Jannik Sinner - 6.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Andrey Rublev - 7.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Alex De Minaur - 6.5 Games @ 2.05 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 7.5 Games @ 1.95 Coral (2 Units)

Diego Sebastian Schwartzman - 6.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Anett Kontaveit - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Emma Raducanu - 5.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Danielle Collins - 3.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Elise Mertens - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Australian Open Update: 18-8, + 13.20 Units (52 Units Staked, + 25.38% Yield)

Australian Open Tennis Day 3 Picks 2022 (January 19th)

A couple of early setbacks on Day 2 at the Australian Open proved to be just that, setbacks, and a recovery from the remaining Tennis Picks on the day has meant a solid opening First Round is in the books.

This is not the time to be celebrating anything truth be told, but it does lay the foundation for a potentially strong tournament after the upheaval of the last two seasons.

The Second Round begins at Melbourne Park on Wednesday as Day 3 gets underway and you can see my Tennis Picks below.

So far the tournament has largely avoided any shocks, but there have been a couple of epic matches which bodes well for the remainder of the Australian Open. Like so many other tennis fans, on court events are what we are hoping to be reading about and not the continued issues facing Novak Djokovic after the French Open looks to become the latest Grand Slam that will insist on vaccination for all competitors.

Rafael Nadal - 8.5 games v Yannick Hanfmann: The early Rounds of the Grand Slam will not be a major factor in determining who will be around at the business end of the tournament, but the top names are simply trying to move through the draw without too much energy being wasted. In something of a surprise, Rafael Nadal will not be involved in the Night Session in either of his first two matches and that may be more of a problem for the former Champion here as we get further into the draw.

Conditions are different enough from the day to night in Melbourne that you would want to become accustomed to playing in both and preferably before you have to take on an opponent that may cause plenty of problems anyway. That is not likely to be the case for Rafael Nadal on Day 3 at the Australian Open and so he may be a touch frustrated that he has not been scheduled to play much later in the day.

Ultimately you have to put those frustrations aside and Rafael Nadal could potentially face a top opponent in the Third Round so he may soon get his chance in the Night Session. For now the focus has to be on making this Second Round match as comfortable as his First Round match ended up being and I do think Rafael Nadal has every chance of doing that.

He is facing a Qualifier in Yannick Hanfmann who beat a fatigued home favourite Thanasi Kokkinakis in the First Round without dropping a set. It was an impressive win for the German, but Yannick Hanfmann is going to have to up his level a couple of gears at the very least if he is going to be competitive in this match.

Yannick Hanfmann has really been serving well in his four match winning run in Melbourne, but those are numbers he is unlikely to be able to sustain and especially not against someone like Rafael Nadal. This is the first time Hanfmann will be playing a top 100 Ranked opponent in the draw and in 2021 his numbers against those opponents on the hard courts were not that impressive.

The one that stands out is that Yannick Hanfmann has held just 68% of service games played and that has put a huge amount of pressure on the return of serve. I expect Rafael Nadal to exert that pressure throughout the time they spend together on court, although the match is likely to be tighter than the win Rafael Nadal had over this opponent on his favourite surface at the French Open in 2019.

On that occasion Yannick Hanfmann won just six games, but you can add a couple more to that total and still believe Rafael Nadal will be able to pull clear and cover this mark.

Denis Shapovalov - 5.5 games v Soonwoo Kwon: Both of these players spent over three hours on court to win their opening matches at the Australian Open, but you don't anticipate that being a big problem for Denis Shapovalov and Soonwoo Kwon at this stage of the season. You have to believe that both will be confident in themselves having to battle through matches, but I also think the higher Ranked Denis Shapovalov has enough of an edge in this one to be deserving of being backed for a cover.

I tend to believe that Denis Shapovalov is a little over-rated by the layers- as good as a player as he clearly is, the return game continues to be a work in progress and that puts a lot of pressure on his serve. It also makes it hard to believe in him when it comes to very high spreads at the Grand Slam tournaments, although this one looks just short enough.

The Canadian helped his nation win the ATP Cup earlier this month and so he has to be confident, while he did have a strong run at Wimbledon last year in between disappointing Third Round exits at both the Australian and US Opens. Denis Shapovalov is still young enough to believe more is to come, but his hard court numbers are far from impressive and even this season his 4-1 record has been built on tight margins.

However, I do think the match up presents a good chance for Denis Shapovalov to earn a relatively comfortable passage through to the Third Round. He is facing Soonwoo Kwon who needed five back and forth sets to move through to the Second Round, but who has struggled to really fulfil some of the potential he has shown.

Soonwoo Kwon has only made the Third Round of one previous Grand Slam and his performances before the Australian Open have been a little inconsistent. The South Korean does not have the same service potential as Denis Shapovalov, but he is the superior returner in this match and he will have to try and put his opponent under pressure with that shot.

It is a huge challenge for him though and the numbers dip significantly when Soonwoo Kwon has played top 100 Ranked opponents on the hard courts. That has been the case on serve and return and he was also beaten pretty easily by Denis Shapovalov eighteen months ago at the US Open in four sets.

Much is going to depend on Denis Shapovalov and his return game, but I think he will see enough balls to get back in play to work his way into a position to win this Second Round match. The cover may be a little touch and go at times, but I think the Canadian will have the opportunities to find the breaks to get into a position to do that.

Hubert Hurkacz - 6.5 games v Adrian Mannarino: The middle couple of sets were a little more difficult for Hubert Hurkacz than they perhaps should have been, but the Seeded player will be glad to have gotten through to the Second Round. The extra energy wasted could be a concern later in the tournament if Hubert Hurkacz is not able to make up for that time by coasting through a couple of other matches before the business end of the Australian Open.

He is going to be playing a veteran in the Second Round after Adrian Mannarino beat a home player in the First Round and he spent a very similar time on the court as Hubert Hurkacz. The five sets will have sapped a bit more emotional energy, but Adrian Mannarino is going to have to step up his level to be competitive in this one.

Before the Australian Open began, Adrian Mannarino suffered two pretty comfortable losses to players Ranked outside the top 50 and his numbers from 2021 showed a decline from a player that may be thinking about calling time on his career. The Frenchman has always had a relatively vulnerable serve, despite the lefty stance it is coming out of, and Adrian Mannarino's return game suffered which puts him under double the pressure on his own serve.

In the small sample of matches played this month, Adrian Mannarino has only won 59% of the service points played and I think that is something that Hubert Hurkacz can exploit. No one is going to confuse Hurkacz with one of the top return players on the Tour, but he is solid at this side of his game and over the last twelve months the Pole has broken in 20% of return games played.

That is a decent number and I think Hubert Hurkacz may have a touch more success in this match.

When these players met on an indoor hard court in 2021, Hurkacz created nine break points against the Adrian Mannarino serve in two sets, although he will have to serve a little better than he did that day. I think it is possible for Hubert Hurkacz who has some solid service numbers over the last twelve months and I think that will lay the foundation for him to come through with a good win.

He should have the break point opportunities to cover what is a considerable line, but Hubert Hurkacz managed to edge past it in the First Round and I think he will be able to do the same in the Second Round as the veteran Adrian Mannarino's serve will likely let him down.

Carlos Alcaraz - 6.5 games v Dusan Lajovic: There have been a number of players that have come out of Spain over the last couple of decades that have not only been operating at a high level on the Tour, but who have gone on and won Grand Slam titles. The most famous is obviously Rafael Nadal, but the next big star from the nation will be looking to continue his development in the positive direction it has been heading.

Carlos Alcaraz win the Next Gen Finals at the end of 2021 and that was after he reached the Quarter Final at the US Open playing some stunning tennis. The 18 year old has produced some big numbers on the hard courts over the last twelve months and his big win in the First Round will have given the youngster plenty of confidence.

That win did come against an overmatched opponent, but Carlos Alcaraz is going to be facing a veteran in Dusan Lajovic in the Second Round and that is going to present a different kind of challenge. Dusan Lajovic needed all five sets and almost three and a half hours to beat Marton Fucsovics in the First Round, but he is a player that has not really produced his best form on the hard courts.

He is a solid player and the Serb will feel he can out-think a younger opponent, but his serve is vulnerable and Carlos Alcaraz is a player with a very effective return that is going to put Dusan Lajovic under real pressure.

At 18 years old, Alcaraz is likely going to develop the serve in the years ahead, but it is still an effective enough weapon to believe he can contain the threat that Dusan Lajovic is going to pose in the Second Round. The latter has broken in 21% of return games played on the hard courts over the last twelve months and I am not sure that is going to be good enough to beat a progressing player like Carlos Alcaraz.

The early sets will likely see Dusan Lajovic pushing Carlos Alcaraz, but I expect the latter to show better fitness the longer it goes and his tennis should be more telling at that stage too. With the return performances at the level they have been, I think the Spaniard will find the breaks of serve to pull clear of this wide spread and earn another good win on the hard courts as Carlos Alcaraz looks for another run to the second week of a Grand Slam tournament.

Barbora Krejcikova - 5.5 games v Xiyu Wang: The top of the WTA Tour has had something of a vacuum to fill for a couple of years and it has seen players really improve their positioning in the World Rankings. Some have really come out of left field and French Open Champion Barbora Krejcikova is one of those and enters the Australian Open as the World Number 4.

This player is a genuine threat to win the tournament and she never lost faith in her ability to be a very good Singles player, despite mainly having success as a Doubles player earlier in her career. Barbora Krejcikova has reached the second week of three straight Grand Slam tournaments and she has not allowed her French Open win to prevent her from competing at a high level.

All credit has to be given to Barbora Krejcikova for that as many first time Slam Champions have struggled to back up the new expectations that are placed on their shoulders. That has not been the case for the Czech player who reached a career best World Ranking in November 2021 and reaching the Final in Sydney before the Australian Open began will only have increased the confidence of a steady player.

Barbora Krejcikova has been impressing with her return game this month and it was key to crushing Andrea Petkovic in the First Round, while the serve continues to be a strong weapon for her. That should give her the real edge in this Second Round match against Xiyu Wang as Barbora Krejcikova looks to make up for the defeat suffered to this opponent in their sole professional meeting.

That was back in 2018 and while Barbora Krejcikova has pushed on, Xiyu Wang has yet to crack the top 100 of the World Rankings. A good, solid First Round win will give Wang some belief, but she was well beaten by Rebecca Peterson in a warm up event leading to the Australian Open, and a poor record against top 100 Ranked opponents on the hard courts throughout her career will not see Xiyu Wang given much support in the market.

Xiyu Wang has lost six straight matches to top 100 Ranked opponents on this surface, but she is a competitive player and I do think Barbora Krejcikova is going to have to be focused to win this match with room to spare. I do believe the higher Ranked player is going to have the edge on the serve and I expect Krejcikova to attack the Wang second serve, which could see her pull clear the longer this match goes on.

It is a wide mark in a best of three set match, but I think Barbora Krejcikova can exert her extra quality and produce another comfortable win in the tournament.

Naomi Osaka - 5.5 games v Madison Brengle: You can never really tell how far away Naomi Osaka is from losing her focus on her tennis, especially with the way the last eighteen months have gone for the multiple time Grand Slam Champion. Being back on the hard courts is where Naomi Osaka feels at her best though and the former World Number 1 has won both the Australian Open and the US Open twice already.

Not many could rule a line through Naomi Osaka from winning another hard court Grand Slam title, but she is in a tough portion of the draw and has to make it out of the first week without exerting too much energy. She was a pretty comfortable winner in the First Round, but Naomi Osaka lost control of the match a couple of times and that may be an issue for her when she reaches the second week.

I do fully expect Naomi Osaka to work her way past Madison Brengle in the Second Round, especially as the veteran American player has struggled when it comes to competing with the better players on the Tour. At 31 years old, Madison Brengle is unlikely to surpass her career best Number 35 World Ranking, while she has a 3-11 record against top 100 Ranked opponents on the hard courts over the last twelve months.

Her defensive style of tennis makes it tough to be an effective returner against the better players on the Tour and I do think Madison Brengle has lost a slight step around the court. The American has a really poor serve too, which can be exploited by some of the huge hitters at the top of the WTA Tour and I would be very surprised if Naomi Osaka is not able to get on top of Madison Brengle here.

There are one or two issues that prevent Naomi Osaka from really cruising past opponents and that is a relatively average return game she possesses. The serve keeps her in a strong position on the hard courts, but Osaka wins less than 44% of return points on the hard courts, although the small sample of 2022 has shown the Japanese player to have been more productive on this side of her game.

Even when you just consider Naomi Osaka's return numbers against players Ranked outside the top 50, winning less than 43% of return points in those matches over the last couple of years. However, this is a match in which Naomi Osaka should be able to get a hold of the return against the Madison Brengle serve and especially the second serve.

It is a big spread for a player with a return game that needs to be improved, but I think Naomi Osaka is going to be too strong for the veteran Madison Brengle and it will see her pull clear in the second set for serene progress to the next Round.

MY PICKS: Rafael Nadal - 8.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Denis Shapovalov - 5.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Hubert Hurkacz - 6.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Carlos Alcarez - 6.5 Games @ 1.72 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Barbora Krejcikova - 5.5 Games @ 1.90 Bet365 (2 Units)

Naomi Osaka - 5.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Cristian Garin @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Sebastian Korda - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)
Alexander Zverev - 7.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet365 (2 Units)

Dominik Koepfer + 3.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Paula Badosa - 5.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet365 (2 Units)

Madison Keys - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Belinda Bencic - 2.5 Games @ 1.90 Bet365 (2 Units)

Jelena Ostapenko - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Australian Open Update: 9-3, + 9.58 Units (24 Units Staked, + 39.92% Yield)

Australian Open Tennis Day 2 Picks 2022 (January 18th)

It's good to have some Tennis to talk about as fans of the sport, but the spectre of Novak Djokovic is going to hang over the Australian Open for at least a few more days.

The new rules that have been announced in France means Novak Djokovic could be in a spot of bother if he wishes to compete in the second Grand Slam of the season too and I do think the World Number 1 has some big decisions to make.

He is either going to succumb and accept vaccination or, perhaps a bigger story, is that Novak Djokovic will decide he is going to retire from playing on the Tour. With the issues in France and the United States, Novak Djokovic may not be able to compete in the really big events and you would have to wonder if he is going to push himself at other events when it has become very clear that history is on his mind.

It would be an amazing turn of events and something that will dominate the headlines each time we get close to a Grand Slam event- I actually thought Novak Djokovic had a stronger chance of overcoming Margaret Court's 24 Grand Slam mark than even Serena Williams. This is a story that will not go away quietly and I expect players to continue to be asked about the Djokovic situation at least through the remainder of the First Round.

Day 1 was a pretty positive start for the Tennis Picks in 2022 as I look to have a much more consistent season than 2021- it was a mixed year with the Grand Slam results, but also a season in which I did not want to make as many Picks with so much uncertainty about the status of tournaments and whether players were going to compete as usual.

2022 should be a much more familiar looking calendar barring another variant coming into play and the start on Monday is one to build upon.

Of course it is only a start and the next fortnight there will be some ups and downs before the final results of the tournament become clear.

Casper Ruud - 6.5 games v Alex Molcan: Over the last couple of years, Casper Ruud has begun to fulfil some of the early promise and he has moved into the top ten of the World Rankings. There is little doubt that Casper Ruud is at his best on the clay courts, but he has shown significant improvement on the hard courts and that makes the Norwegian a potential Grand Slam threat throughout the year.

In the last twelve months, Casper Ruud has continued to produce big serves at the right time, which is so important on the hard courts. However, it is the return aspect of his game which has sparked the strong number of wins on the surface and I think that makes Casper Ruud a player that can, and perhaps should, make it through the early Rounds of the Slams without having too many difficulties.

He has been paired to play Alex Molcan in the First Round of the Australian Open, another much improved player on the Tour who reached the Third Round at the US Open after getting through the Qualifiers. That has helped Alex Molcan reach a career high World Number 74 in the Rankings and that means automatic entry into the Grand Slam events as he looks to take a big scalp.

Alex Molcan reached the Quarter Final in a warm up event held in Melbourne ahead of the Australian Open, but he lost to all top 50 Ranked opponents on the hard courts in 2021 and I am not putting a great stock in the win over David Goffin earlier this month. The numbers in those matches against top 50 Ranked players shows the Slovakian has found his serve under constant pressure, while he has not really been able to get into the return games in the manner he would have liked either.

I think that will potentially show up in this First Round match too.

One of the concerns I have with Casper Ruud is that he has yet to really get to grips with taking on the top players in the Rankings on this surface. However, that has not been the case when he has taken on players outside the top 20 and over the last twelve months Casper Ruud has a 24-2 record against those opponents.

His numbers in those twenty-six matches are really impressive- Casper Ruud has held 89% of the service games played, but also broken in 29% of return games played. Nerves can play a part in the opening Rounds of a Grand Slam, but I think this is a match that Casper Ruud can get on top of and eventually pull clear of Alex Molcan on his way through to the Second Round.

Andy Murray - 1.5 sets v Nikoloz Basilashvili: Three years ago, Andy Murray played on a Protected Ranking and was beaten in the First Round of the Australian Open. Hip issues meant rumours surrounded his future on the Tour, but even Andy Murray was a touch embarrassed when the Open played a 'retirement video' for him at the end of the defeat to Roberto Bautista Agut.

Not many would have expected to see him back, but Andy Murray is still fighting to play on the Tour having gone through multiple surgeries and had a metal implant placed in his hip. Now he has been given a Wild Card to play in Melbourne again and Murray is coming in off a run to the Sydney Final in the final warm up event before heading to the first Grand Slam of the 2022 season.

He looks happier with his fitness, but the British player may have hoped for a touch easier draw than the one that has been given to him in the First Round. The former World Number will take on the Number 21 Seed in the draw when opposed by Nikoloz Basilashvili and there have been a lot of plaudits about the way the Georgian goes about his tennis.

No one will doubt the power that comes from the Nikoloz Basilashvili racquet, but he can be erratic and someone like Andy Murray may feel he can frustrate him into mistakes. However, these two met in Sydney last week and it was a really tough match for both players that needed the final set decider and over three hours spent on the court.

It was Andy Murray who came away with the victory, but both players created a host of break points and this looks to be another grinder for whoever comes out on top. It is a mental advantage having beaten Nikoloz Basilashvili and Andy Murray also saw off this opponent at Wimbledon last year, while it will be the second serve of both players that has to be working well if they are going to move through to the Second Round.

As hard as Nikoloz Basilashvili hits the ball, he is an inconsistent performer on the hard courts with an attitude that suggests he does not worry about missing balls. His numbers back up the inconsistency and the Seeded player has lost all three matches played in 2022, which could show up in the tight moments in this match.

Andy Murray is struggling to reach the levels he still believes he possesses, at least on a consistent basis, but I think his defensive nous can show up in this First Round match. I would not be surprised if both players win a set, but the feeling is that Andy Murray's movement around the court can extract one or two more mistakes out of the Nikoloz Basilashvili at key moments and see the British player cover the set handicap.

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 6.5 games v Mikael Ymer: Novak Djokovic is out of the draw and that means there will be a number of players that feel they can make their mark on the first Grand Slam of the 2022 season. In recent years Stefanos Tsitsipas has played well in Melbourne where a large Greek community comes out and supports one of their own, but you can't ignore the fact that he has been struggling with one or two fitness issues.

Instead of hearing much about how he is feeling, Stefanos Tsitsipas has been faced with questions about Novak Djokovic and has been one of the more outspoken players on the Tour that has moved against the World Number 1. I don't think that affects the support he will get from the crowd, but I do wonder how others will see him moving forward and whether that impacts his tennis for the short term at least.

The Greek player does have some solid numbers on the hard courts, but he was not able to finish out the ATP Finals in November and has only played a match and a half in preparation for the Australian Open. That does raise some questions about where he is physically and mentally for an attack on a Grand Slam, although I do think Stefanos Tsitsipas will be confident in the First Round match that has been presented to him.

Stefanos Tsitsipas has beaten Mikael Ymer comfortably in both previous matches played on the Tour and that includes a thumping straight sets win here in Melbourne last year. In the two matches against Ymer, Stefanos Tsitsipas has held 95% of the service games played and has broken in 55% of return games and there is no doubt the match up is one that he will enjoy.

Mikael Ymer is someone who will work hard and he will look to drag his opponent into deep waters to test his fitness, while he has produced a 2-1 record in preparation for the Australian Open. However, the hard court numbers have highlighted what is a vulnerable serve and the Swedish player could find himself under pressure throughout this match if Tsitsipas is anywhere near close to full health.

The underdog has shown he can be a very efficient return player on the hard courts, but those have largely been produced against players lower down the Rankings and on the Challenger Tour. Mikael Ymer has only broken in 21% of return games played against top 50 Ranked opponents on the hard courts in his career and that puts a lot of pressure on a serve that he has managed to look after in 69% of games played.

My biggest concern has to be wondering if Stefanos Tsitsipas has enough in the tank to compete, although that may only show up further down the line as the competition ramps up in the Australian Open. This is a match that should be one he can feel relaxed within and that should see the higher Ranked player come through with a relatively straight-forward win on the day.

Daniel Evans - 5.5 games v David Goffin: The pandemic has had an impact on all parts of life around the world, but injuries at the same time have hurt David Goffin. He missed much of 2021 and has returned this month looking to get back to winning tennis matches as David Goffin has found his World Ranking slipping back down to Number 45.

More slips are expected for the Belgian and that is a worry as it will mean having to try and Qualify for some of the bigger events on the Tour. That makes the Australian Open very important for David Goffin as he looks to prevent falling much more in the World Rankings, but he could have asked for a much better First Round match.

David Goffin had to retire from his last match with Andy Murray and that drops him to 2-2 for the 2022 season, but you can't ignore the fact that he has also produced pretty average hard court numbers since the start of the 2019 season. I do think Goffin is talented, but he is a vulnerable player on the surface and tends to be a touch over-rated, while you cannot ignore the obvious fitness issues.

An opponent like Daniel Evans is likely going to push David Goffin and try and keep him out on the court for as long as possible if he needs to wear him down. It has been an up and down career for Daniel Evans, but the British player will believe there is an opportunity to break the top 20 of the World Rankings for the first time and he played well at the ATP Cup before reaching the Semi Final in Sydney last week.

Having a Tuesday opening match scheduled in Melbourne should help Evans, although he is another player that can be vulnerable on the hard courts because of a relatively weak serve. The return game is where Daniel Evans gives himself a chance and I think he will be confident in a match up against an opponent he has beaten twice in their two previous matches on the Tour.

Daniel Evans was fortunate to beat David Goffin on the clay courts of Monte Carlo last year, but was a little better in seeing off this opponent in 2020 at the ATP Cup. I do find it tough to back someone who can be as vulnerable on serve as Daniel Evans can be, but he should be the player with the superior fitness at this stage of the season and I think that shows up against an opponent he knows he can beat.

It is a big spread, I have no qualms about that, but I do think the British player can move through to the Second Round as he wears down David Goffin in this Day 2 contest.

Nick Kyrgios - 1.5 sets v Liam Broady: The restrictions in Australia meant Nick Kyrgios took large chunks of the 2021 season to become involved in charity work and setting up his foundation and that meant a lot of time off the Tour. He was supposed to play in the warm up events before the start of the Australian Open, but Nick Kyrgios admitted he had picked up a positive test for Covid and that means he has played no competitive tennis since being dumped out of the US Open last year.

A turbulent relationship off the court looks to be behind Nick Kyrgios and he has loved to play in Australia throughout his career, with both factors likely to see the best from the enigmatic player. He had an even longer lay off between his last 2020 match and the Australian summer in 2021 and Nick Kyrgios played well enough to believe he can find the tennis needed to win this First Round match here.

Failing to play any competitive tennis is a worry, but Nick Kyrgios did say he had no symptoms from Covid and the hope is that he will be ready to compete at a high level. He has had issues with his asthma this month too so the preparation has been far from ideal, but a huge serve will always give Nick Kyrgios a chance to win matches and especially with a loud crowd behind him.

He is a favourite to beat Liam Broady in the First Round, but the layers are not entirely sure about the Nick Kyrgios fitness judging by the odds. Liam Broady should be battle hardened having come through the Qualifiers and especially as the British player had to shake off losing the first set in all three matches won in Melbourne.

While he made a career high World Ranking at the end of 2021, Liam Broady has yet to crack the top 100 as a professional player and there is a considerable gap to bridge. Liam Broady has a decent enough return, but it is a different test against someone who serves as big as Nick Kyrgios, while the lefty has a serve that is perhaps more vulnerable than it should be on the hard courts.

The Qualifier has yet to beat anyone Ranked inside the top 100 in Melbourne this week and it has been a difficult test for Liam Broady throughout his career. While you have to respect the fact that Broady won two matches against top 100 Ranked opponents on the hard courts in 2021, you also cannot ignore the numbers which show Liam Broady held 73% of service games in those matches on this surface, while only breaking in 13% of return games.

If Nick Kyrgios is anywhere near his full readiness to compete, which I expect he will be in his home Grand Slam, I think it would be a big surprise if he cannot win this in three or four sets.

Roberto Bautista Agut - 7.5 games v Stefano Travaglia: A strong showing in a tournament in the build up to the Australian Open last season helped Stefano Travaglia into a career high World Ranking in February. Things have changed for him since then and the struggles to compete consistently above the Challenger Tour look to be beyond the Italian.

A nation that has produced some big name young stars, a veteran like Stefano Travaglia is going to have to work very hard and pick up some big wins to avoid slipping back out of the top 100 in the World Rankings. That drop will mean having to join Qualifying events for the big tournaments and it will likely mean a return to the Challenger level for a player that has had a real taste of the big events on the Tour over the last twelve months.

Stefano Travaglia has a 1-3 record in preparation for the Australian Open and the real concern is that none of the defeats came to anyone Ranked inside the top 60.

That is far from the case in the First Round at the Australian Open where Stefano Travaglia has been paired with Roberto Bautista Agut, another veteran of the Tour, but one who has considerable more success than his opponent. It will be difficult to imagine Roberto Bautista Agut getting back into the top ten of the World Rankings, but he is a solid top 20 Ranked player and the Spaniard is someone who is pretty adept on all surfaces.

He helped Spain reach the ATP Cup Final and Roberto Bautista Agut won four of the five matches in that tournament as he builds his competitiveness up for this tournament. There was a decline in the hard court numbers in 2021 compared with previous seasons, but the Spaniard served well in the ATP Cup and those matches were against some of the better players on the Tour.

Roberto Bautista Agut is someone who is comfortable returning the ball on the hard courts and I think he can put Stefano Travaglia under pressure in this one. These two met on a grass court in 2021 and it was a comfortable win for Roberto Bautista Agut with the feeling that this match is going to trend in a similar direction.

I do think the underdog can cause some problems with his own return, but in 2021 Stefano Travaglia held just 69% of the service games played on a hard court against top 50 Ranked opponents. That is where this match is expected to be lost and especially if Roberto Bautista Agut can pick up from where he left off serving at the ATP Cup.

In their sole meeting, Roberto Bautista Agut won 84% of the service points played and anything close to that mark should see him cover this spread with some room to spare.

MY PICKS: Casper Ruud - 6.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Andy Murray - 1.5 Sets @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 6.5 Games @ 2.05 Coral (2 Units)

Daniel Evans - 5.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Nick Kyrgios - 1.5 Sets @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Roberto Bautista Agut - 7.5 Games @ 1.72 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Alex De Minaur - 6.5 Games @ 1.95 Coral (2 Units)

Marketa Vondrousova - 5.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Australian Open Update: 4-1, + 4.10 Units (10 Units Staked, + 41% Yield)

Australian Open Tennis Day 1 Picks 2022 (January 17th)

The Australian Open might be the first Grand Slam event of the season on the Tennis calendar, but there is no doubt that the tournament has been overshadowed to this point.

After ten days of back and forth, the World Number 1, the defending Champion and the nine time previous winner in Melbourne, Novak Djokovic, has been told he must leave the country. Honestly, it is a complete travesty with the way things have gone over the last few days and I would not be entirely surprised if Novak Djokovic never plays at this tournament again.

Like many, this is going to take a few days to really digest and I do think the early days of the tournament are going to be involving many journalists asking players for their thoughts on the situation.

I will have a fuller post for the Day 2 selections, but the Grand Slam has creeped around and that means Day 1 Picks from the First Round can be read below.

Rafael Nadal - 7.5 games v Marcos Giron: Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic will not be playing in Melbourne this year and that means Rafael Nadal has the chance of moving ahead of his rivals in terms of overall Grand Slam titles won. Unfortunately for the Spaniard, the Australian Open is the Grand Slam he has struggled at the most and I think it would take some effort for Rafael Nadal to come through and win the tournament.

He has just found a player or two too good in the second week of the Australian Open, but this is a tournament in which Rafael Nadal has played well early. He won a title in preparation for the tournament, so confidence is not going to be an issue for the former World Number 1, and I think this is a match in which he can make a strong start.

Marcos Giron is not a player that can be easily dismissed, but he is 0-2 in matches played in 2022 and it is a big test for any player lower down the Rankings to take on a top 20 opponent early in a Grand Slam. The only real hope for the American is that Nadal is perhaps a little nervous early in a big tournament, but even that feels like a stretch for Marcos Giron who has held just 60% of the service games played in Australia so far this season.

His numbers are usually much better behind that shot, but Marcos Giron is likely going to be put under pressure by Rafael Nadal who is an effective return player and one who will not take a game off.

When he has played the top players on the Tour on the hard courts, Marcos Giron has really struggled with his own return of serve and I think that could be key for Rafael Nadal when it comes to covering this spread. Rafael Nadal has broken in 32% of return games played on his way to a title win in Melbourne, although none of the opponents he has faced have been Ranked inside the top 95 and so I do think Marcos Giron is going to be a player that will hold his own a little bit more.

However, I do think this is a very tough match for the underdog and I think Rafael Nadal is going to exert his pressure on the American the longer this match goes. The spread looks like it could have been a game or more higher than it is ahead of this First Round match, but it still may be a close run thing for Rafael Nadal who may need to come through a tough opening set before beginning to really let his tennis flow.

Hubert Hurkacz - 6.5 games v Egor Gerasimov: He may be best known as being the player who handed out a bagel to Roger Federer at Wimbledon, but Hubert Hurkacz is a top ten Ranked player in his own right. He has won a big title on the hard courts before at Masters level and the tall, Polish player will feel pretty comfortable in the match up.

You can't really put too much stock in the performances at the ATP Cup- Hubert Hurkacz crushed two players who are Ranked outside the top 600, but went 1-1 against the two top 20 players he met in that tournament. The preparation for the Australian Open has been a little mixed with that in mind, but Hubert Hurkacz has played well in all four matches which has to be good news for the confidence of a player that will be looking to make serious moves at Grand Slam level after the strong tournament at Wimbledon last July.

2021 was a solid year on the hard courts for Hubert Hurkacz and he is a player that will roll pretty far thanks to strong serving numbers. I expect that to be a key in this First Round match, but I also have to respect relatively decent return numbers on this surface after Hurkacz broke in 21% of return games played on the surface last year.

It is certainly something that will encourage him against Egor Gerasimov who has had a couple of decent showings in tournaments that have been played in Adelaide in preparation for the Australian Open. The Belarusian reached the Quarter Final of one of the two tournaments he has played, and Egor Gerasimov has been up against some good competition which will help the belief.

However, he has lost both previous matches against Hubert Hurkacz and that includes a relatively straight-forward loss at the US Open in August. Four breaks of serve in favour of the higher Ranked player helped Hubert Hurkacz win comfortably and he has broken in 50% of return games played against Egor Gerasimov, which is huge.

I expect Gerasimov to be better in this match, but it may not make too much of a difference if he cannot get into the Hurkacz service games and the feeling is that it may result in a relatively comfortable win for the top ten player.

Aslan Karatsev - 6.5 games v Jaume Munar: Twelve months is a long time in Tennis, but you have to credit Aslan Karatsev and the way he has handled himself after propelling himself into the limelight. Strong performances at the end of the 2020 season on the Challenger Tour was a huge confidence booster for the Russian, but not many would have taken Daniil Medvedev seriously when he spoke about having a secret weapon at the last ATP Cup.

However, Aslan Karatsev more than backed up those claims with a stunning run through to the Semi Final at the Australian Open and it took Novak Djokovic, the eventual Champion, to end the run.

For most it may have been tough to back up an unexpected success, but Aslan Karatsev has had a very big year and he is into the top 20 going into the Australian Open in 2022. There will be a real confidence going into the tournament where he will need to defend some big Ranking points after Aslan Karatsev won the title in Sydney a couple of days ago, although it is not ideal that he has had to travel to Melbourne and play on the opening day of the tournament.

The title win will help though and the numbers produced by Aslan Karatsev on the hard courts over the last couple of years gives him a big edge over Jaume Munar. The latter has produced a 3-2 record on the hard courts in preparation for the Australian Open, but the draws have been kind to Jaume Munar and this is far from an easy match for him.

The two players met at the US Open last year and it took Aslan Karatsev four sets to beat Jaume Munar, although he was the much stronger player with more break points created and I do think the Russian will be too good.

It is a big spread for a player that can be a little loose behind serve, but I do think Aslan Karatsev has a return which can put him in a position to do so as long as he doesn't play the kind of set that saw Jaume Munar pull clear at the US Open. He should be able to have success putting the Munar serve under some pressure consistently and I think that will see Aslan Karatsev find the performance to cover this mark.

Gael Monfils - 8.5 games v Federico Coria: Winning a title in Adelaide to open 2022 has backed up what was a stronger second half of the season for Gael Monfils in 2021. The veteran may have missed his window to win a Grand Slam title, but the title in Adelaide will give him confidence in a section of the draw that will be without Novak Djokovic.

The very least expectation for Gael Monfils has to be reaching the business end of the tournament now the top Seed is out of the draw and the way the tournament is shaping up. The early retirement in the second tournament in Adelaide is not a massive concern because it may have just been the fatigue of winning the title before that, and Gael Monfils is right to be set as a significant favourite in this First Round match.

He beat Federico Coria at the US Open pretty comfortably last year and the underdog is someone who has struggled on the hard courts throughout his career. A first match in 2022 may mean there is not much motivation for Coria to push himself when he considers his struggles on the surface and I do think it may see him check out of the match mentally.

Last season Federico Coria held just 63% of his service games played on the hard courts, and he was broken in 50% of the service games played against Gael Monfils at the US Open. The major problem for the Argentinian is that he has not really been able to impose himself on the return game either and it has meant Federico Coria has been well beaten in many matches on the surface.

The Frenchman's serve looked to be working well already in the Australian summer and Gael Monfils has always been an effective returner on the hard courts. His athleticism and ability to play strong defensive tennis can frustrate opponents and break down their game as they push for the lines and I think Gael Monfils will be able to do the same to Federico Coria, much as he did in New York City when the two met in the First Round.

Gael Monfils is playing better tennis now than he was back in August and I think that also shows up as he covers a very big mark in the First Round in Melbourne.

Paula Badosa - 4.5 games v Ajla Tomljanovic: The home crowd may feel their main hope of seeing an Australian Champion at the Open this season is the top Seed in the Women's draw, but another hope will begin their campaign on Monday. The eyes will be on the Rod Laver Arena where Ashleigh Barty is playing, but it is the second match in the night session on Margaret Court Arena that will feature Ajla Tomljanovic.

A career best World Ranking of Number 39 is not really suggesting that Tomljanovic is a potential Grand Slam Champion in the making, but the atmosphere should be a really good one. The Australian fans will be keen to get behind their player and look for the upset, but Paula Badosa is a much improved hard court performer and I do think she is going to have too much for Ajla Tomljanovic in this First Round match.

Paula Badosa won the title in Sydney beat four top 30 Ranked players in that run, which will obviously boost the confidence of the higher Ranked performer in this match.

There is room for improvement though and Paula Badosa has to find a way to protect her second serve a little better than she has managed in 2022 so far. Those are from a small sample of matches, but Badosa has had to get a lot more out of her return game to win matches because of the issues that can come up when the second serve is being attacked.

Ajla Tomljanovic has not played poorly in the opening tournaments of 2022, but she has been an inconsistent player on the hard courts. There are times when Tomljanovic looks like she is ready to take the next step in her career, but at the same time there are moments when she has struggled when the pressure builds and I do think it can be tough to play in front of the home fans when the expectation is perhaps higher than it should be.

These two players met in Sydney and the return of both players was massive to the outcome of the match- both played well on that side, but Paula Badosa earned more break points and I think she is playing at a level that may be difficult for Ajla Tomljanovic to keep up with.

Make no mistake, this is a big spread for a player to cover when the serve is perhaps not firing as well as it has been for Paula Badosa, but I do think the title win in Sydney will provide the boost needed to push on and beat Ajla Tomljanovic for a second time in Australia this year. The Spaniard only just covered on the day, but I think she may have just enough to do that here too, even with the spread perhaps a game higher than where I would be really comfortable.

MY PICKS: Rafael Nadal - 7.5 Games @ 1.70 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Hubert Hurkacz - 6.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Aslan Karatsev - 6.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Gael Monfils - 8.5 Games @ 1.75 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Paula Badosa - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

NFL PlayOff Picks 2022- Super Wild Card Weekend 2021 (January 15-17 2022)

The NFL PlayOffs begin on Saturday in mid-January and there looks to be some very strong games to be played over the Super Wild Card Round of the post-season.

Las Vegas Raiders @ Cincinnati Bengals Pick: The final seconds of the last game of the 2021 regular season looked like it could wind down to the tie that would have eliminated the Pittsburgh Steelers and taken the Los Angeles Chargers to the PlayOffs alongside Divisional rivals the Las Vegas Raiders (10-7). However, one more big run in Overtime was good enough for the Raiders to set up a Field Goal to eliminate the Chargers and it was a victory that meant avoiding facing the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Wild Card Round of the PlayOffs.

Instead the Raiders will have to travel to take on the AFC North Champions the Cincinnati Bengals (10-7) who should have their key players well rested. The Divisional crown was wrapped up in Week 17 and the Bengals were not in a position to move into the top two Seeds in the Conference and so a decision was made to make sure Cincinnati are ready for this PlayOff Game.

Both the Bengals and Raiders have had little PlayOff success in recent years and for both Derek Carr and Joe Burrow this will be the first taste of the post-season in the NFL. Cincinnati won't be too concerned with Joe Burrow, who won the National Championship with the LSU Tigers, but you can't ignore how tough first time starters have found life in the post-season in the professional rank and it is something that both starting Quarter Backs will have to deal with on Saturday in the opening PlayOff Game of the 2021 season.

This is the second time the Raiders and Bengals are meeting after Cincinnati won big on the road, but this time they will be getting to host the game. The weather could be a real factor for a team coming out of Nevada and not being accustomed to the kind of cold that will be around in Ohio in January too and both of those factors will have people leaning towards the Cincinnati Bengals.

However, I do think the Raiders can match up well with this Cincinnati Bengals team on both sides of the ball and that could see them make this a much more competitive affair than the home game which was won by the Bengals by double digits. Key players are back for Las Vegas and they have momentum having won the last game of the regular season to secure their place in the post-season.

Like last weekend, the key for the Las Vegas Raiders is making sure they do not move too far away from the Offensive game plan- they have to make sure Josh Jacobs gets his touches at Running Back and the Offense does not become too one-dimensional too early and hope Derek Carr is having one of his better days in the office.

I am not convinced about Derek Carr despite the fact he can be very good at his best- ultimately he is not consistent enough to believe in. However, the Raiders can set him up in a strong position by running the ball with Jacobs who will be facing a Bengals Defensive Line which has just struggled to contain the run down the stretch.

Putting Derek Carr in third and manageable spots makes things so much easier for a team that does not have the deep threat they would have done earlier in the season, but the likes of Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller are capable of making plays to keep the chains moving. The Quarter Back is also playing behind a strong Offensive Line which will offer him some time to make his throws down the field and I do think the Las Vegas Raiders can have success in this one as they look to advance.

It also should be pointed out that the Las Vegas Raiders have earned their spot in the post-season thanks to the performance of the Defensive unit, even more so than Derek Carr and the Offensive unit. The Raiders have really played well down the stretch, although they will be the first to admit that Joe Burrow and the Bengals will provide a very stiff challenge.

Like the other side of the ball, Las Vegas do feel like they match up well with the Bengals here too and that is taking nothing away from Joe Burrow and how well he has played this season. Cincinnati have some very talented skill players, but they were thankful to a really big performance from Joe Mixon when winning on the road earlier this season and that may be tough to replicate when you think of the much improved performances of the Las Vegas Defensive Line.

This comes at the same time when the Bengals Offensive Line has just struggled to open consistent holes for their Running Back and have also had some issues in pass protection. The Raiders have a pass rush that can get after the Quarter Back without the need to send extra rushers and that is very important for the road team as they look to make plays against Joe Burrow and cover his skill players at Receiver.

The Bengals played well enough down the stretch to think they will have some success, but I think the Raiders match up pretty good and that should mean they can make some plays to keep this one close. Both teams will feel they have something to prove having struggled to make the PlayOffs in recent times, but the pressure of being a favourite for a first time Quarter Back playing in the NFL post-season may just weigh on Joe Burrow a bit more than the underdog Derek Carr.

I can't help but respect the level reached by the Bengals this season, but the Raiders are 6-2 against the spread in their last eight as the road underdog and I think they can keep this close with the points they have been given.

Buffalo Bills @ New England Patriots Pick: Two AFC East teams have made it through to the NFL PlayOffs and the Divisional rivals will be facing one another one more time in 2021, this time with a lot more on the line. The Buffalo Bills (11-6) and the New England Patriots (10-7) both beat the other on the road, but it is the Bills who went on to win the Division and that means they will get the chance to host this game.

A defeat at the Miami Dolphins in Week 18 knocked the Patriots down into the Number 6 Seed in the AFC and that means missing out on a potential game in Cincinnati rather than having to face the Bills again. Bill Belichick and Sean McDermott will not have too many secrets from the other and the weather is going to be extremely cold in Buffalo, much like it was when these teams met here in the regular season.

There is a key difference which should aid Buffalo a lot more than it did when they were beaten by the New England Patriots back in Week 13- on that day, the wind meant neither team had much success throwing the ball and the Patriots won with three passes thrown by Mac Jones, but in this Wild Card Game it is going to be cold, but not windy.

That is a huge boost for the Buffalo Bills who will be looking for Josh Allen to lead them to another win over the New England Patriots having thrown for over 300 yards in a row win at the Patriots. While Bill Belichick is the kind of Coach that has become known for taking away key pieces of an Offense his team are facing, Josh Allen has been tough for the Patriots to corral and I think he will be a key for the Buffalo Bills as they look to have another deep run in the post-season.

Josh Allen won't have it easy and had to throw the ball plenty of times to pick up his yards in the win over the Patriots in Foxboro, but I think he can offer the Bills plenty of balance. They do tend to run the ball with their Quarter Back rather than Devin Singletary or Zack Moss, but the Bills should be able to pick up some strong yards on the ground in this one and especially if Allen loosens the New England Defensive Line a little more by getting to a hot start throwing the ball.

There are enough passing options to keep the chains moving for Buffalo even if Stefon Diggs and Dawson Knox are limited and I do think Josh Allen has a strong PlayOff outing. It will mean the pressure is on the New England Coaching staff to prevent Buffalo from piling up the points as it feels like the Patriots can only win a low-scoring game.

It is my opinion anyway and the Patriots cannot afford to let this game get out of hand early as they look to keep Mac Jones from having to do too much in his first Quarter Back start in the NFL PlayOffs. The young player has had a good year, but there is still much to learn and it is clear that the Patriots are going to rely on their strong Offensive Line and ability to sub in Running Backs to run the ball efficiently in order to win games.

Mac Jones will know he is going to need to throw the ball a lot more than he did in the first visit to Buffalo, but New England are going to know they will need to run the ball plenty of times if they are going to win this game. It has been one of the weaknesses of the Buffalo Defensive unit when it comes to stopping the run and I think that is really important to note and could be a major factor in this game as long as it is close.

Things change dramatically if the Patriots have to lean on Mac Jones and the passing Offense to get the job done and it does not favour New England in that situation. The Buffalo Secondary is very good and they will feel they have a clear edge if they can put the Patriots in a position where they have to throw the ball to stay in the game.

That would also see the Buffalo pass rush come into play and I do think the AFC East Champions will have the edge in this Wild Card Game and can move past New England with a cover on the night.

New England do have a very good record in Buffalo when it comes to the spread, but those were largely in the Tom Brady era- you still cannot ignore the fact that the Patriots have covered in their two games here since Brady moved on to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers too. However, Buffalo have blown out the Patriots twice in Foxboro in that time and I do think Mac Jones could have some issues in his first ever PlayOff start.

The Patriots are also playing off a loss and have performed well in that spot, but Buffalo match up well with them and I think the 11-5-2 record against the spread in their last eighteen as the home favourite is important. Buffalo have to avoid mistakes early and, if they can do that, I think they can win and cover this spread.

Philadelphia Eagles @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers Pick: The experience edge at Quarter Back is very much with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (13-4) as the last Super Bowl Champions begin their post-season adventure at the end of the 2021 season. They could become the first team in almost twenty years to win back to back Super Bowl titles and in Tom Brady they have the last Quarter Back to achieve that during his long spell with the New England Patriots.

Not many will rule out the Buccaneers from winning it all again, although the injuries to key skill players and the fallout from the Antonio Brown situation does hurt the team. Tampa Bay have momentum with their strong end to the regular season and Tom Brady is capable of making a star out of other Receivers on the Offensive unit, but the injury to Leonard Fournette is another challenge for the Buccaneers to overcome.

Tom Brady will feel he can still exploit the Philadelphia Eagles (9-8) who were blown out in Week 18 as they rested starters in preparation for the return to the post-season. The Defensive Line continues to be the strength of the Eagles on this side of the ball and they will at least believe they can force Tom Brady to have to move the chains with his arm, even if that is something that is entirely possible.

The Eagles have a Secondary which has struggled at times and I do think the Buccaneers are going to be difficult to slow down at home. Tampa Bay only played at home in the Super Bowl in the 2020 PlayOffs, but they should be good enough to earn at least two during this year and every chance that the Buccaneers will be hosting three NFC PlayOff Games before the Super Bowl in Los Angeles.

Tom Brady is hugely experienced and the Buccaneers will not panic when he has the ball, but the Philadelphia Eagles are not going to be as sure about their Quarter Back. Jalen Hurts has not played a post-season game for the Eagles before and those first time Quarter Backs can have a very difficult, eye-opening experience in those games.

Philadelphia will have a very clear game-plan though and that is to run the ball as often as they can- Jalen Hurts is a mobile Quarter Back himself, but the Eagles have a committee at Running Back led by Miles Sanders who have sparked the team into the PlayOffs. Earlier this season they did not have the same commitment to the run, but the Eagles have been very strong over the last few weeks and the Offensive Line enjoys grading the road.

In recent years the Buccaneers Defensive Line has been a strength of the team, but there have been one or two more holes up front and I expect the Eagles to have some success exploiting those. As long as the game is close, the Eagles should feel they can lean on the run to keep Brady and the Buccaneers Offense cooling off on the sidelines.

Jalen Hurts is going to have to make some big throws too at times to keep the Buccaneers honest, but he is playing for an Eagles team that have been money when set as the underdog in the PlayOffs.

I hate opposing Tom Brady and his Tampa Bay team are 6-1 against the spread in their last seven as the home favourite, but having more than a Touchdown start with the road underdog looks big. As good as the Buccaneers were in winning the Super Bowl last season, they had some close challenges in the run to the big game and I think there is every chance this could be a competitive one too.

San Francisco 49ers @ Dallas Cowboys Pick: There is so much history attached to games between the San Francisco 49ers (10-7) and Dallas Cowboys (12-5) and they will meet in the post-season once again. The Dallas Cowboys largely controlled the NFC East and were comfortable Divisional Winners, but the 49ers had to fight and claw their way into the post-season and it took an Overtime win in Week 18 against rivals the Los Angeles Rams to earn a place in the PlayOffs.

Now they are here, the 49ers look like being one of the more dangerous Wild Card teams in either Conference and I do think they will believe they can match up pretty well with the Dallas Cowboys. Take away the win over the second string Philadelphia Eagles in Week 18 and you have to note that the Dallas Cowboys have had some inconsistent form from the Offensive unit, which will encourage the 49ers.

A Cowboys defeat to the Arizona Cardinals may give the San Francisco 49ers the kind of blueprint they need to beat the hosts and I do think the 49ers are playing with a confidence that could be tough to shake away. Jimmy Garoppolo has seemingly played under pressure all season at Quarter Back, but he is avoiding the back-breaking mistakes that can litter his game and he will not be asked to win the game.

Instead the 49ers will make sure they establish the run and look for that to set up play-action and screens that can keep the Quarter Back out of trouble. The run is very important to the San Francisco game-plan if only to slow down the pass rush threat that the Cowboys have up front, while it may make an aggressive Secondary just have to think twice before they try and make plays to turn the ball around.

I do think San Francisco will have success moving the ball, but I think it is the much improved performances of the Defensive unit which may end up being the key to the outcome of this Wild Card Game. I like the Dallas Cowboys Offense and there is no doubt the kind of talent they possess, but the Offensive Line has not been as good at opening up the run as they have been in recent seasons and Ezekiel Elliot and Tony Pollard could be contained by a much improved San Francisco Defensive Line.

Dak Prescott has plenty of Receivers who can get open, but it is a different test throwing down the field from third and long rather than third and manageable, especially as the 49ers have had the pass rush ramp up. The Dallas Offensive Line has been pretty good when it comes to pass protection, so I do think Prescott will have time, but the 49ers have used the pressure up front to get better play out of the Secondary and will feel they can keep this one close.

It feels like a game that could be the closest one of the Wild Card Round and I do think the underdog could bare their teeth.

Dallas have had a very good season, but they are just 6-5 against non-Divisional opponents and San Francisco look to be playing with momentum heading into the PlayOffs. I would suggest paying the price to get the hook on the 3 point spread in a game that could come down to a Field Goal either way, but the underdog still looks the better play.

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Kansas City Chiefs Pick: It truly felt that Ben Roethlisberger was playing the final snaps of his career a couple of weeks ago in an emotional win for the Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7-1) against the Cleveland Browns. Things were going to have to work out in strange ways for the Steelers to make the PlayOffs going into Week 18, but they beat their rivals the Baltimore Ravens in Overtime and the Jacksonville Jaguars upset the Indianapolis Colts to give them hope.

However, the Steelers couldn't have been feeling that good when the Raiders and Chargers Sunday Night Football game went into Overtime knowing a tie would mean both of those teams made the PlayOffs at the expense of Pittsburgh. A walk off Field Goal win for the Raiders with time expiring was enough for Pittsburgh and they may feel they have nothing to lose now they have made the post-season.

So now Big Ben has one more shot at trying to add to the Super Bowls he has won in his time with the Steelers, although they are a huge underdog against the Kansas City Chiefs (12-5) who won the AFC West, but failed to win the AFC Number 1 Seed. The Chiefs will be hosting at least two home PlayOff Games though and I do think they are going to be very confident in their chances of progressing through the post-season.

Patrick Mahomes and the Offensive unit looks to be getting healthier some aspects and they are also a team that has built some chemistry, but this is a huge spread for the Chiefs to cover. They did crush the Pittsburgh Steelers at home last month and that will not be far from the minds of the players or the fans, but I also think the Steelers will feel they can offer much more resistance in this one.

TJ Watt did not have the kind of impact he would have wanted in that game, but I think the Steelers Defensive Line will feel they can at least harass Patrick Mahomes and force him to make some mistakes. Those are not very frequent though and I still think the Chiefs will be able to move the ball and score plenty of points, although they are perhaps not the team to really expose the Steelers like others could.

It has been very possible to crack the Steel Curtain this season and hammer the run home, but the Chiefs are a team that prefer throwing, which is not a massive surprise considering they have Patrick Mahomes behind Center.

Running the ball is going to be the key for the Pittsburgh Steelers to see if they can extend drives and keep the Chiefs powerful Offensive unit on the sidelines. Najee Harris is expected to suit up and in recent games it has been possible for teams to run the ball against this Chiefs Defensive Line, while the Pittsburgh Offensive Line ended the season with strong showings on the ground.

Najee Harris has to keep the team in front of the chains with the clearly declined Ben Roethlisberger at Quarter Back. It has meant the passes have been coming out pretty short, but those can be successful if the team is in front of the chains, while the Receiving department will be boosted by JuJu Smith-Schuster who can play out of the slot and make plenty of yards after the catch.

Those quick throws have also kept Roethlisberger upright and I think the Steelers should be more competitive than when they were blown out in this Stadium in December. It would be a huge surprise if the Steelers upset Kansas City, but this is a huge spread and a backdoor cover for the road team cannot be ruled out.

Opposing Patrick Mahomes is very tough considering how quickly he can help the Kansas City Chiefs score points, but I expect the veteran Pittsburgh Steelers to give them all they can handle in this one.

Arizona Cardinals @ Los Angeles Rams Pick: The Super Wild Card Round of the NFL also gave the League a big new television contract as we will have a Monday Night Football game in the post-season for the first time. The selection was for two Divisional rivals to meet in that inaugural game and neither the Arizona Cardinals (11-5) nor the Los Angeles Rams (12-6) will feel they have a lot of momentum going into the post-season and that can be critical to the chances of going very deep.

Both were beaten in Week 18 and those defeats came in live games- the Rams loss ended a winning run of five games, but the Cardinals are under more pressure with four losses in their last five games and you can understand why the Los Angeles Rams are considered favourites. In the regular season, both had wins on the road against the other though and I think the familiarity with the Rams will suit the Arizona Cardinals who were the last team to lose a game in the NFL this season.

Injuries have not really helped the Cardinals and the loss of DeAndre Hopkins was a bitter blow to the Offensive unit that had started the season looking as good as any out there. Kyler Murray has played well at Quarter Back, but losing someone who can make all the catches like Hopkins has hurt his level as much as anyone on this team.

Chase Edmonds should be ready to go for the Cardinals to give them a boost at Running Back, but it feels like it will come too soon for James Connor. That is a major blow for Arizona who are going to try and run the ball against a tough Rams Defensive Line, but Edmonds will at least offer something for Arizona.

This is a team that is based around being able to run the ball well and making sure that the Offense is throwing out of third and short spots rather than having to pick up big yardage. Getting ahead of the chains will give Kyler Murray a real chance of exploiting the Secondary, but it will perhaps be more important to slow down the Los Angeles pass rush which is going to be devastating if the Cardinals are playing from obvious passing situations.

While there have been some struggles Offensively, the Cardinals have at least looked at their Defensive unit and will believe those players give them a chance to keep this one competitive. There is no doubt that Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams are not playing as well as they once were, even though they had won five in a row before the loss in Week 18, and I do think the Cardinals match up pretty well with them on this side of the ball.

Teams have been able to run the ball against Arizona, but the Rams are more likely to want to use the quick passing game to keep the chains moving. Los Angeles have not had the best Offensive Line when it comes to looking to run the ball, although Cam Akers is back and could offer them a spark. Unfortunately it may not be ideal with the Cardinals looking to activate JJ Watt back onto the Defensive Line on Monday and the pressure will be on Matthew Stafford to come out and have a big game at Quarter Back.

Matthew Stafford has been an upgrade on Jared Goff, but he will be under no illusions that his legacy will be cemented on whether he can take the Rams one step further than Goff did and win the Super Bowl. Cooper Kuup and Odell Beckham Jr give Stafford some very strong Receiving weapons, but I think the Quarter Back is not yet over some of the issues he has been having with his back and that has contributed to the numbers slumping somewhat.

Those Receivers mentioned will find some gaps to exploit, but it could be another close game between these Divisional rivals who know exactly what to expect from the other. The Arizona Cardinals did out-gain the Los Angeles Rams in both games played this season and I think Kyler Murray and company may have a touch more balance Offensively which makes the points on offer look appealing.

The road team is also 5-1-1 against the spread in the last seven between the NFC West rivals.

Arizona are 18-6-3 against the spread in their last twenty-seven as the road underdog and I do think they will feel they have been underestimated going into the post-season. While Sean McVay has been a very good Head Coach at helping his team bounce back from losses, the Rams have been a touch over-rated and that has seen them go 3-7 against the spread in their last ten as the favourite and I think the Arizona Cardinals may be able to do enough to keep this one competitive throughout.

MY PICKS: Las Vegas Raiders + 5.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (2 Units)

Buffalo Bills - 4.5 Points @ 1.91 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Philadelphia Eagles + 7.5 Points @ 1.91 William Hill (2 Units)

San Francisco 49ers + 3.5 Points @ 1.83 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Pittsburgh Steelers + 12.5 Points @ 1.91 William Hill (2 Units)

Arizona Cardinals + 3.5 Points @ 1.91 William Hill (2 Units)

Week 18: 6-6, - 1.16 Units (24 Units Staked, - 4.83% Yield)

Week 17: 3-4, - 2.46 Units (14 Units Staked, - 17.57% Yield)

Week 16: 6-4, + 3 Units (20 Units Staked, + 15% Yield)

Week 15: 8-3, + 8.64 Units (22 Units Staked, + 39.28% Yield)

Week 14: 6-2, + 7 Units (16 Units Staked, + 43.75% Yield)

Week 13: 2-1, + 1.64 Units (6 Units Staked, + 27.33% Yield)

Week 12: 5-6, - 2.74 Units (22 Units Staked, - 12.45% Yield)

Week 11: 0-6, - 12 Units (12 Units Staked, - 100% Yield)

Week 10: 5-5, - 0.88 Units (20 Units Staked, - 4.40% Yield)

Week 9: 2-5, - 6.28 Units (14 Units Staked, - 44.86% Yield)

Week 8: 1-6, - 10.18 Units (14 Units Staked, - 72.71% Yield)

Week 7: 2-1, + 1.64 Units (6 Units Staked, + 27.33% Yield)

Week 6: 3-4, - 2.64 Units (14 Units Staked, - 18.86% Yield)

Week 5: 4-2-1, + 3.28 Units (14 Units Staked, + 23.43% Yield)

Week 4: 7-3, + 6.46 Units (20 Units Staked, + 32.30% Yield)

Week 3: 7-3, + 6.68 Units (20 Units Staked, + 33.40% Yield)

Week 2: 6-5, + 0.98 Units (22 Units Staked, + 4.45% Yield)

Week 1: 3-6, - 6.46 Units (18 Units Staked, - 35.89% Yield)

Season 2021: 76-72-1, - 5.48 Units (298 Units Staked, - 1.84% Yield)