Wimbledon Tennis Day 8 Picks 2024 (Monday 8th July)

The tournament is moving into the second week and we will have the Quarter Final line up completed by the end of Day 8 at The Championships.

Rain has been an issue, but it has also been at a time when the Singles tournament is still in a position to be right on schedule.

Weather issues should not be a problem at all on Monday, although the rest of the Wimbledon event may need to be completed under the roofs of Centre Court and Court One.

Alexander Zverev - 1.5 games v Taylor Fritz: The Ladies draw has been decimated with upsets littered around the tournament, but the top names are still going strong in the Fourth Round at Wimbledon on Day 8 of The Championships.

Quarter Final spots have already been secured by Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, but it is an opportunity for other members of the top four places in the World Rankings to earn their own places in the last eight.

First up on Centre Court as far as the Men's tournament is concerned is Alexander Zverev, and the current World Number 4 could yet improve his World Ranking at the end of the tournament. In previous years it has been a tough Grand Slam for Alexander Zverev, but he is playing with the confidence of a player that has reached the French Open Final and who has had success on the surface before, albeit outside of SW19.

One issue that may still be a potential thorn in the side of the German is the left knee issue having slipped with a serious looking impact in the Third Round win over Cameron Norrie. Having a day of rest between matches will help Alexander Zverev in what is expected to be a very tough Fourth Round match against a confident opponent.

Taylor Fritz has played well on the grass before and he is riding a seven match winning run on the surface having won the title in Eastbourne just before Wimbledon began. There will still be some real regret at failing to beat Rafael Nadal in the Wimbledon Quarter Final two years ago, but Fritz did not have the best grass court season in 2023 and has suffered a defeat to Jordan Thompson at Queen's Club.

The win over Alejandro Tabilo in the Third Round was impressive and Taylor Fritz is continuing to get plenty out of his serving, although he will be facing a tough challenge on the return against this Alexander Zverev serve.

In the previous eight matches between Fritz and Zverev, it is the latter who has had a big advantage when it comes to the serving numbers and that has helped the German win five of those matches. They met at Wimbledon in 2021 and Alexander Zverev was able to recover from a set down to beat Taylor Fritz in four sets in the Third Round, although it should be noted that the American player is much improved now.

Five sets were needed when these two met at Wimbledon back in 2018, and Alexander Zverev was able to get the better of that match too.

There is little doubt that this is another match that could go pretty deep with both players capable of serving at a very high level. The total line is in a good spot, but there is also a reason to believe that Alexander Zverev might have a bit more quality over Taylor Fritz and ultimately back up the slight edge that the layers believe he has over this opponent.

With both serving at a high level, the feeling is that Alexander Zverev can find a way to get a few more returns into play and find a way to neutralise some of the rallies. That will be key to the outcome of the match and Zverev can earn a maiden Quarter Final spot at Wimbledon as he reaches that stage at all Grand Slam events in his career.

Novak Djokovic - 4.5 games v Holger Rune: The seven time Wimbledon Champion has not been at his top level during the first week at this Grand Slam tournament, but Novak Djokovic has found a way through the draw.

Despite the injury that forced a withdrawal at the French Open, Novak Djokovic has looked like he is playing with enough freedom to have a real tilt at winning the Wimbledon title for an eighth time.

He is perhaps changing his style to ensure that he is not having to play long, drawn out points and aggravate any lingering issue, but Novak Djokovic has been effective. Dropping two sets over the first three matches is perhaps not what we have always come to expect from the former World Number 1, but he has found a way to keep control of matches against overmatched opponents.

That will not be the case in the Fourth Round when Novak Djokovic faces Holger Rune, a young opponent who has two pro wins over Djokovic.

Novak Djokovic has won the other three matches between himself and Holger Rune, but he will be aware that this is a player that can be very tough to beat at his best. The Dane did have come from two sets down in the Third Round, while Holger Rune was beaten in his first match at Queen's Club, but he will still believe that he has the tennis to at least test the favourite.

Holger Rune did reach the Wimbledon Quarter Final last year so clearly is capable of performing at a good level on the grass courts, while he may feel he can offer more of a threat against the Novak Djokovic serve than he did in that defeat against Carlos Alcaraz.

However, there is also a feeling that Novak Djokovic is rounding into form to have a real go at trying to win this title again, and he is playing with an aggression that may give him an edge.

In previous matches between Djokovic and Holger Rune, the former has held 83% of the service games played compared with 75% for Rune. On a grass court, you would still have to give the Number 2 Seed a bit more of an advantage and he can get the better of Holger Rune with a solid victory in this Fourth Round match.

Elena Rybakina-Anna Kalinskaya over 20.5 games: The 2022 Wimbledon Champion is still playing in the 2024 tournament and Elena Rybakina is a strong favourite to win a second Grand Slam title here.

She has been considered a part of the big four on the WTA Tour, but the other three players in that group have all exited the Wimbledon draw before the Quarter Final. Dangerous players like Ons Jabeur and Madison Keys are also out and Elena Rybakina's experience may give her a real edge over the rest of the draw.

In saying that, this Fourth Round match has the potential to be really awkward for Elena Rybakina as she prepares to face Anna Kalinskaya.

The latter might be making some headlines through her relationship with Jannik Sinner, but that will not do Anna Kalinskaya any justice to her own level. The World Number 18 is ready to make another move in the World Rankings having reached the Fourth Round here and Anna Kalinskaya reached the Final on the grass courts of Berlin before losing a tight match against Jessica Pegula.

She was playing pretty well in Berlin, while Anna Kalinskaya's confidence won't have been dented with three wins in the draw in Wimbledon and all without dropping a set. The serve has been working well and that is going to be key for Kalinskaya if she is going to find a way to upset the odds in this Fourth Round match that opens Centre Court.

We know that strong serving and powerful groundstrokes are going to be flying from the Elena Rybakina side of the net.

That will be important for the former Champion if she is going to regain her crown on the grass courts of Wimbledon and this could be a competitive match and one that surpasses the total games line set.

Previous matches between Elena Rybakina and Anna Kalinskaya have been very competitive and there is every chance that this one will be the same. The layers are anticipating a potentially comfortable win for the 2022 Champion, but Anna Kalinskaya can play her part in front of a big crowd and this might be a match that features at least two very competitive sets.

Elina Svitolina - 3.5 games v Xin Yu Wang: She reached the Wimbledon Semi Final in 2019, but Elina Svitolina had different priorities to deal with off the court which meant her World Ranking had dropped and a Wild Card was needed last year.

In a stunning run, Elina Svitolina was able to reach the Semi Final again and she was firmly a crowd favourite. This is still the case in 2024 and many will be hoping that Svitolina can win a maiden Grand Slam title now that the British representatives are all eliminated.

One of those players was eliminated by Xin Yu Wang in the Third Round- she came from a set down to beat Harriet Dart.

At this stage of her career, Xin Yu Wang has been known for her Doubles play rather than her Singles performances, but reaching the Fourth Round at Wimbledon means another jump in her World Ranking is expected at the conclusion of the tournament. Another victory will give Wang an opportunity to move into the World's top 32 and that would mean a potential Seeding when the US Open begins at the end of August.

Winning this Fourth Round match will be challenging for Xin Yu Wang when you think of the amount of tennis already played in the tournament. She has needed three sets in all three wins at Wimbledon and there were signs that Wang was struggling in her eventual win over Harriet Dart, who will feel she missed her chances to earn the victory in the Third Round.

Elina Svitolina should have the confidence to take the opportunities after consecutive straight sets win with the latter against Ons Jabeur looking like strong form. It was the eventual Wimbledon Champion who beat Elina Svitolina last year in the Semi Final, but she has been able to fly a little more under the radar in 2024 and that has only been a benefit for the World Number 21.

There was not a lot of positive form ahead of the Wimbledon tournament, but that was the case last year and Elina Svitolina can find a way to break down an opponent who has already invested a lot at this event.

MY PICKS: Alexander Zverev - 1.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Novak Djokovic - 4.5 Games @ 1.95 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Elena Rybakina-Anna Kalinskaya Over 20.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Elina Svitolina - 3.5 Games @ 1.95 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Wimbledon Update: 14-14, - 3.56 Units (56 Units Staked, - 6.36% Yield)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 7 Picks 2024 (Sunday 7th July)

It’s been a couple of busy days so selections are out later than I would have hoped, although still way before matches are due out on court.

I will update the Wimbledon totals in the Day 8 thread.

Madison Keys - 3.5 games v Jasmine Paolini: So much has changed for the World Number 7 since she last played Madison Keys in Dubai in February 2023.

Jasmine Paolini was able to win just two games in a comfortable defeat to Madison Keys, but the Italian was the World Number 64 on that occasion and she had to Qualify for the main draw.

Twelve months later, Jasmine Paolini was winning the title in Dubai to show that she is much more than a clay court player and the improvements of the last year have been clear to see. Even playing on the grass, which has been unfamiliar to Paolini, has posed little problems thanks to the confidence in her own tennis.

She had a run to the Eastbourne Semi Final in the week prior to the third Grand Slam of the season beginning and Jasmine Paolini, the French Open Runner Up, is now playing in the second week at Wimbledon too. Three wins in SW19 will have really boosted Jasmine Paolini and she is playing in the weaker half of the Ladies draw which will mean confidence in reaching back to back Grand Slam Finals.

Jasmine Paolini has been playing well and her ability to get returns into play and then the speed around the court have made her very difficult to beat.

However, Madison Keys poses the biggest threat to the Italian so far in the tournament and Keys has won all three matches here without dropping a set.

The styles are very different- Jasmine Paolini will work hard for her points and use defence and speed to turn things around, while Madison Keys has a big serve and booming groundstrokes. The key, pardon the pun, for the American is going to be avoiding leaking too many Unforced Errors as she perhaps feels she has to go for the lines to break through the Paolini defences, but serving well is also important for Madison Keys to allow her to play first-strike tennis.

The Keys second serve can sometimes be vulnerable and that is what Jasmine Paolini will look to exploit, but the former has beaten one Italian player already this past week and that should stand her in good stead as to what to expect from this Fourth Round opponent.

Make no mistake, Jasmine Paolini is playing at a much higher level than Martina Trevisan, but Madison Keys will know what is needed to win this kind of match.

Nothing ever comes easy for the World Number 13 and Madison Keys can sometimes be guilty of putting too much pressure on herself and ultimately capitulating within a match. That is a concern against someone like Paolini who will always look to make an opponent play one more ball, but Madison Keys may just have the edge on the grass courts to work her way past the higher Ranked of the two players.

Coco Gauff - 4.5 games v Emma Navarro: The bottom half of the Ladies draw might be the weaker of the two going into the Fourth Round, but this final Quarter looks incredibly tough.

Three American players are involved and three of the top 13 in the World Rankings are playing in this section just to reach the Semi Final.

Coco Gauff has looked every bit the kind of player that has been tipped up to reach the Wimbledon Final after Aryna Sabalenka withdrew on the eve of her own First Round match. Winning is one thing, but Coco Gauff has been winning in dominant fashion and that will have given her a lot of confidence as she chases a place in the Wimbledon Quarter Final for the first time.

There were moments in the Third Round when Gauff looked a little rattled by the home crowd who were firmly behind British player Sonay Kartal, but a strong second set underlined the status of the World Number 2.

Before that Third Round match, Coco Gauff admitted she had seen very little of her opponent but that is not going to be the case in the Fourth Round against the fast improving Emma Navarro.

Playing College Tennis before joining the Tour has been a very positive approach for a number of players on both the ATP and WTA Tour and Emma Navarro is the latest. She was the Collegiate Champion in 2021, while the improvement as a professional is underlined by the fact that Navarro was outside the top 50 of the World Rankings at Wimbledon in 2023, but is the World Number 17 this time around.

While she will not be thinking about a loss, Emma Navarro is going to be at a new career World Ranking mark at the end of the tournament even in a Fourth Round defeat and being Seeded at the US Open will be a big achievement. The 23 year old played well on the grass courts of Bad Homburg in preparation for Wimbledon when reaching the Semi Final, but Emma Navarro will know that this is a big test of her credentials.

She will not be intimidated having crushed a four time Grand Slam Champion Naomi Osaka in the Second Round and she avenged her Semi Final defeat to Diana Shnaider at Bad Homburg by beating the same opponent from a set behind in the Third Round.

Much like Coco Gauff, Emma Navarro will be very familiar with the tennis she is expecting to see and will be determined to be much stronger than when winning four games on the Auckland hard courts back in January against this opponent. She has improved from Number 31 in the World Rankings, but the key will be to find a way into the Coco Gauff serve and that is where the World Number 2 might have enough of an advantage.

The second serve was attacked relentlessly in the Third Round and Coco Gauff is capable of doing the same in this one, while the top Seed in the bottom half is serving very well.

With the crowd back behind her, Coco Gauff might just have a bit too much for Emma Navarro at this stage of their respective careers and that should see the higher Ranked American come through with a solid win.

MY PICKS: Madison Keys - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Coco Gauff - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 6 Picks 2024 (Saturday 6th July)

This thread should have been out earlier, but the rain on Day 6 means the matches have yet to get going.

Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard-Emil Ruusuvuori over 43.5 games: Getting to the second week of a Grand Slam is a big achievement for any player, even the very best in the business. For those further down the World Rankings, the points achieved can be a huge boost in their bid to play at other big events throughout the year, while there is little doubt that a strong Grand Slam run will build some confidence.

It is confidence that Emil Ruusuvuori will appreciate having had a tough year on the Tour with his World Ranking plummeting to Number 87. The reality is that Ruusuvuori has not really fulfilled the potential that many felt he had with his career best World Ranking still 'only' being World Number 37, but the drop off is alarming and that has made the two wins produced this week important for him.

Being unseeded means having to play tough competition right from the off in any Grand Slam event and Emil Ruusuvuori beat the World Number 11 Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Second Round. That win has opened up the draw in this section of the bottom half of the Men's tournament, but the Finn has to back it up against a new name on the Tour.

Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard is one of a number of new names for French tennis fans to get behind with the old guard moving either into retirement or on the brink of retirement. Strong Challenger level performances have helped Mpetshi Perricard quietly move into the top 60 of the World Rankings and he won a clay court title at the main ATP level in the build up to the French Open.

He was actually Ranked outside of the top 100 when winning the title in Lyon, but the early loss at the French Open would have still stung. It also meant Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard was not Ranked high enough at the Wimbledon cut off to earn direct entry into the Wimbledon main draw and he has played three Qualifiers last week.

The Frenchman won two of those before losing to a compatriot in the Third Qualifying Round, but Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard has taken advantage of a Lucky Loser spot in the draw. A huge serve has been key to his successes at Wimbledon this past week and the upset of Sebastian Korda in the First Round has helped Mpetshi Perricard build confidence to take into the rest of the tournament.

He is the favourite in this Third Round match, but this is expected to be a tight match with both players capable servers, but lacking some real bite when it comes to the return. On the grass that is really expected to show up and this match should fly over the total games line as long as we see four sets, which has to be in play with tie-breakers likely needed in at least two of the first three sets.

Even in the slightly cooler, wetter conditions around Wimbledon this weekend, both Emil Ruusuvuori and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard have the serving qualities to contain what has been limited return games. There is plenty on the line for both players with an opportunity to play in the second week at this Grand Slam, and it could be a titanic battle to decide which of the two is playing on Monday in the Fourth Round.

Arthur Fils - 1.5 sets v Roman Safiullon: One really strong tournament, especially at Grand Slam level, can skew a World Ranking mark and that is the case for Roman Safiullon in his return to Wimbledon.

He might enter the tournament as the World Number 44, but it has been an inconsistent twelve months since reaching the Quarter Final here at Wimbledon. That means that despite the run to the Third Round in 2024, Roman Safiullon's live Ranking is actually down at Number 67 and he will be under some pressure to avoid that slippage during this tournament.

Most players won't really think about the live Ranking and Roman Safiullon clearly has enjoyed playing at Wimbledon over the last two tournaments. He has beaten one Seed, which has opened up this section of the draw, and there is a real opportunity in front of Safiullon.

The Third Round match is against another of the up and coming young French players and one with a lot of expectation being carried on his shoulders. Arthur Fils has flashed plenty of his talent, but he is just 20 years old and so there is still the matter of clearing up some of the inconsistencies in his tennis.

Unlike his opponent, Arthur Fils is picking up Ranking points already with his run to the Third Round and the aim for the Frenchman has to be securing a Seed for the US Open and then building on the 2024 season. He did reach a career best World Ranking in May, but a poor showing at Roland Garros prevented Arthur Fils from earning a Seed at Wimbledon.

Despite that, his win over Hubert Hurkacz in the Second Round will have given the youngster a lot of belief in his game and that is after reaching the Quarter Final in Halle.

Arthur Fils is capable of serving very well and that is even more impactful on the grass, while this match up may be one he enjoys having beaten Roman Safiullon twice already on the Tour. On both occasions it was Safiullon Ranked the higher of the two, but that narrative has changed ahead of this Third Round match and the match up numbers are certainly very much in favour of the Frenchman.

Despite being the lower Ranked player in those two previous matches, Arthur Fils has been able to hold 94% of his service games compared with just 70% for Roman Safiullon. Prior to Wimbledon, Roman Safiullon had been struggling for confidence and the feeling is that he might still be a touch fragile against an opponent who has given him problems in the past.

Nothing is ever that easy on the grass courts, but Arthur Fils should have the abilities to secure a place in the Fourth Round in SW19 with a victory in three or four sets on Day 6 at The Championships.

Novak Djokovic - 5.5 games v Alexei Popyrin: The seven time Wimbledon Champion was a doubt to even arrive at the tournament in the build up to the third Grand Slam of the season. And in the Second Round, Novak Djokovic was given a lot more food for thought than anticipated by a young British player who has had limited experience on the ATP Tour.

Ultimately Novak Djokovic was able to move through to the Third Round and he will not be overly concerned about dropping a set to Jacob Fearnley. The match was perhaps tighter than expected, but Djokovic found the right tennis at the right times to earn a spot in the Third Round and the familiarity of the opponent across the net will certainly help Djokovic.

Alexei Popyrin has not had things all his own way at Wimbledon over the last week, but he found a way to eliminate a Seed in the Second Round.

However, the Australian will be well aware that a win over Tomas Martin Etcheverry is one thing and beating Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon is another all together.

He has to take some confidence from the way he was able to challenge Novak Djokovic at another Grand Slam where he has felt very comfortable. Back in the opening month of the season, Alexei Popyrin won a set against Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open, although it was the Serb who was relatively comfortable on his way past a home hope.

The danger that Alexei Popyrin brings to the grass courts is clear from the fact that he has taken sets from Andy Murray and Tommy Paul over the last month on this surface. He was beaten in both though and Novak Djokovic is perhaps a little under-rated in this one when it comes to the handicap mark set.

Even if he was to drop a set, Novak Djokovic has been serving well enough to keep Alexei Popyrin under pressure and we know how strong a return player that the former World Number 1 can be.

Dealing with the Alexei Popyrin serve will be tough, but Novak Djokovic has broken in 20% of return games played against this opponent and the Second Round win might just have made sure Djokovic has refocused. He would not have known much about his last opponent, but that is not the case in this Third Round match and Novak Djokovic can just remind the rest of the draw that he is here to win and not simply to compete.

Iga Swiatek - 5.5 games v Yulia Putintseva: For all of her obvious qualities and the fact she has won five Grand Slam titles, there is a vulnerability about World Number 1 and top Seed Iga Swiatek when it comes to playing on the grass courts.

Her best performance at Wimbledon is reaching the Quarter Final twelve months ago, but Iga Swiatek does not carry nearly the same aura as she does when entering a clay court.

She will be favourite to win the Olympic Gold Medal when the Paris Games are played at Roland Garros, but Iga Swiatek will be looking to prove herself on the grass at Wimbledon. A decision was made to play no warm up tournaments ahead of the third Grand Slam of the season, but Iga Swiatek has not allowed that to affect her level and two solid wins over Sofia Kenin and Petra Martic has to give her confidence.

This Third Round match may be another step up in level of opponent, especially as Yulia Putintseva has won all seven matches played on the grass courts in 2024. Any player who has secured a title on the surface will have confidence and Yulia Putintseva has always been a solid player on the grass.

However, it should be noted that none of the seven wins have been against an opponent Ranked inside the top 35 and so facing the World Number 1 will feel like a real step up in class.

The pressure will feel that much more when Yulia Putintseva remembers that she has lost all four previous Tour matches against Iga Swiatek and struggled to be very competitive in any of those.

Playing on the grass will help, but Putintseva has failed to win a set against the World Number 1 and she has only won 52% of the service points played. This likely means being under pressure almost all of the time and it can be one that breaks a player emotionally, while there may not be the belief for the underdog to find a way to turn things around against one of the strongest frontrunners on the WTA Tour.

Twelve months ago, Iga Swiatek did show she can be very good on the grass and can have too much for opponents to cope with. It has been tougher in 2024, but the two wins under the belt will just give the top Seed a chance to build on the performances produced so far and Swiatek may end up pulling clear for the win.

MY PICKS: Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard-Emil Ruusuvuori Over 43.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Arthur Fils - 1.5 Sets @ 2.50 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Novak Djokovic - 5.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Iga Swiatek - 5.5 Games @ 1.75 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Wimbledon Update: 14-8, + 8.44 Units (44 Units Staked, + 19.18% Yield)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 5 Picks 2024 (Friday 5th July)

The sun was shining on Thursday, although it was perhaps windier than some of the tennis players would have hoped, and that has allowed Wimbledon to get back on track.

Andy Murray's time at the tournament took another step towards the exit door after his early defeat in the Men's Doubles and the Mixed Doubles is the only draw left for the two time former Singles Champion.

The organisers made sure there was a proper tribute video ready to go and a number of players were also welcomed onto court to offer Andy Murray his best as a top career moves into the final month before retirement is called.

Day 5 looks like it could be considerably wetter than the Thursday and that could be problematic, especially ahead of a potentially wet weekend. The Third Round could be hit hard with players having to play on consecutive days, and that could be an issue for those who have not been scheduled on the two main show courts.

Daniil Medvedev - 1.5 sets v Jan-Lennard Struff: The Second Round win was much tougher than expected for Daniil Medvedev and he was in a bit of bother when trailing by a set and a break.

However, the World Number 5 has reached six Grand Slam Finals and also the Wimbledon Semi Final in his career and you can only do that by figuring out problems on the court. He showed all of that in the Second Round and Daniil Medvedev battled through, much like he tends to do on a week by week basis on the Tour.

Being one of the top players, Daniil Medvedev will tend to be scheduled to play on the show courts, but the feeling is that he prefers NOT to play on Centre Court. There is a belief that Centre is playing slower than Court One, although being on the main show court in SW19 may help in this case against a very dangerous opponent.

Jan-Lennard Struff almost cracked the top 20 of the World Rankings for the first time in his career thirteen months ago, but he has fallen out of the Seeded positions these days. Injury has not helped, but a run to the Quarter Final in Halle where Struff was narrowly beaten by Jannik Sinner perhaps indicates that there is going to be a turnaround in the drop in World Rankings.

Nothing has been easy for Jan-Lennard Struff at Wimbledon in the first two Rounds, but he will have gained some confidence from winning matches. That helps in the tight moments, and there are likely going to be a few of those in this match against one of the top Seeds.

The serve is going to be a key weapon for both of these players, but you have to give Daniil Medvedev a significant edge on the return. Ultimately that could be key to the outcome of the match and in their previous eight matches on the Tour, it is Medvedev who has a real advantage when it comes to the numbers that lead to breaks of serve.

They have met twice on the grass courts too and both in 2021- Jan-Lennard Struff beat Daniil Medvedev in straight sets at Halle, but it was the latter who earned revenge with a four set win over the German here at Wimbledon in the First Round.

Once again, Daniil Medvedev has been able to hold a significant amount of games more than Jan-Lennard Struff in those two matches and that is likely going to be the case on Day 5 at The Championships.

Tie-breakers may be needed, but Daniil Medvedev can move into the second week at Wimbledon again with a win in three or four sets against a potentially dangerous opponent.

Carlos Alcaraz - 6.5 games v Frances Tiafoe: There will be plenty of people thinking back to the 2022 US Open Semi Final played between Carlos Alcaraz and Frances Tiafoe which was won by the Spaniard in five sets.

He ended up winning his maiden Grand Slam at that event and Carlos Alcaraz has gone from strength to strength on the Tour, even if he arrives at Wimbledon as the World Number 3. At the moment Alcaraz holds both the French Open and Wimbledon titles, but defending the latter is all that is on the mind.

Peaking too early at a Grand Slam can be problematic and there is little doubt that Carlos Alcaraz is happy to work his way into the tournament. He had to get through two tough sets in his First Round win over the World Number 269 and Carlos Alcaraz needed to win a tie-breaker to take the first set in the Second Round before moving through the gears.

A match like this one should mean we see the defending Champion come out with a lot more focus right from the off and he will certainly appreciate the threat that Frances Tiafoe can bring to the court.

It has been a tough twelve months for the American who is in danger to slip further down the World Rankings and miss Seeding for the US Open coming up in August. Earlier this week, Frances Tiafoe made it clear that he feels he has been underperforming and losing to 'clowns', which would not have gone down very well with his fellow professionals, but he is not facing a circus act in this Third Round.

Prior to Wimbledon, Frances Tiafoe had only won two matches in the same tournament on two occasions in 2024 and that has seen him start the year as the World Number 16 and drop down to his current Number 29 mark.

To be fair to Frances Tiafoe, he has not played badly on the grass in the lead up to Wimbledon, but he has just lacked the confidence when the big moments have arrived within matches. The serve can be a big weapon when at his best, but Tiafoe has had difficulty on the return and that is likely to be exposed by Carlos Alcaraz.

Even in the five set win at the US Open a little under two years ago, Carlos Alcaraz dominated the numbers and actually won the match by a NINE game margin. It would not be a surprise to anyone if we need to see at least one Breaker in this Third Round match, especially if it is needed to be played under the roof with more rain expected in SW19, but eventually the feeling is that Carlos Alcaraz will create enough Break Points to be in a position to cover a big handicap mark.

Twelve months ago, Frances Tiafoe was well beaten in the Third Round at Wimbledon by Grigor Dimitrov and the defending Champion may just roll through the gears and wear down an opponent that may not have the confidence to stay with him.

Coco Gauff - 6.5 games v Sonay Kartal: Any player that is able to work through the Qualifiers and win two main draw matches at a Grand Slam deserves a lot of respect and Sonay Kartal is deserving of some of the extra attention she has earned at Wimbledon.

She began the tournament on the edge of dropping out of the top 300 in the World Rankings and there has been a real worry that the British player would have to think about calling time on her career. Despite the quality of tennis she can play, injuries have been a big factor that has prevented Sonay Kartal from putting some steam behind her performances and to find the consistency needed.

Even if Sonay Kartal was to lose on Day 5 at The Championships, she will be playing on a new career high World Ranking at the end of Wimbledon. There is still considerable work for Kartal to do if she is going to break into the top 100 and earning direct entry into Grand Slam events, from where you can build further, but for now the concentration has to be on playing for as long as possible at her home Grand Slam.

There was little doubt that this match would be placed on a show court, although Sonay Kartal may be a touch disappointed that Court One has been selected rather than Centre Court.

Despite that, Coco Gauff will offer a stiff challenge for the home hope and the performances in the first two Rounds have been ruthless. As mentioned in the last few days, Gauff likely cannot believe the opportunity in front of her in the bottom half of the Ladies draw and the World Number 2 is playing with the confidence that will make her very difficult to beat.

In the four sets won this week, Coco Gauff has dropped just six games and the only concern may be the little amount of Sonay Kartal that she or her team will have seen.

However, the American has shown that she can work things out pretty quickly and the level shown on the grass makes it very hard to believe Kartal can keep this one much competitive than the last two opponents Coco Gauff has faced have managed to do.

Sonay Kartal has played well, but she is going to need to serve at a very high level to put Coco Gauff under any pressure and the spotlight can sting when you are a player that is not used to being the focus of big crowds. The home crowd will make sure they get behind Kartal, but Coco Gauff is very popular at Wimbledon too and her level might be too high for a player that has massively overachieved by reaching the Third Round at Wimbledon this summer.

The handicap is a big one, but Coco Gauff has shown she is comfortable being a frontrunner and it has allowed her to motor through matches.

MY PICKS: Daniil Medvedev - 1.5 Sets @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Carlos Alcaraz - 6.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Coco Gauff - 6.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet365 (2 Units)

Wimbledon Update: 13-7, + 8.24 Units (40 Units Staked, + 20.60% Yield)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 4 Picks 2024 (Thursday 4th July)

The European 'summer' has not been the most impressive and both Grand Slams in Paris and London have been impacted by the poorer weather.

The forecast over the next few days will make the Wimbledon organisers a little nervous, especially if they are not willing to change the time they start matches on both Centre Court and Court One, the only two with roofs to keep matches ticking over.

Conditions are far from ideal for the players too with the quick changes between warm days and wet days changing how the courts are playing.

At least Day 4 looks nicer all around and will help to try and get the tournament back on schedule having see some First Round matches held back into Day 3 and the potential for some Second Round matches needed to be completed before the same players have to go out on Day 5 when the Third Round begins.

Alexander Zverev - 5.5 games v Marcos Giron: It was slightly odd to hear Alexander Zverev suggest he has played at Wimbledon in previous years with little expectation of having a long stay in the tournament.

This has perhaps contributed to a relatively poor record at this Grand Slam and especially considering we have seen Alexander Zverev play well enough in Halle to believe he should be more competitive on the grass courts. He has only reached the Fourth Round twice, but Zverev is playing in the bottom half of the draw and will be expecting to reach his first Quarter Final in SW19 at the very least.

He reached the French Open Final last month and was close to winning a maiden Grand Slam, and a run to the Semi Final in Halle means he has plenty of grass court tennis under the feet. Alexander Zverev was a comfortable First Round winner at Wimbledon and he will be considered a strong favourite to see off Marcos Giron, although some care has to be taken around this Second Round match.

The American is a solid, if unspectacular, grass court player and that means Marcos Giron will be confident of taking advantage of an opponent that is not reaching the level expected.

Marcos Giron reached the Quarter Final in Halle and he has held 90% of his service games played on the grass prior to this Grand Slam. He has upset Holger Rune at Wimbledon in the past too so this is not going to be an easy player to dismiss, especially after Marcos Giron found a way to come from a set behind to beat a British player in the First Round.

This will still feel like a step upwards for Marcos Giron, who has lost his sole previous match against Alexander Zverev. That was also in a Grand Slam event at the Australian Open, but the first two sets were incredibly competitive and we could see something similar here.

However, it was Alexander Zverev who eventually took full control of that First Round match in Melbourne in February 2021 and the German should have the serving prowess to keep Giron under pressure.

Alexander Zverev's break percentage in grass matches over the last month has been pretty disappointing, but scoreboard pressure can be built up in this Second Round match and the final scoreline might look like it was an 'easy' win for the World Number 4, even after an actual competitive match.

Holger Rune - 5.5 games v Thiago Seyboth Wild: His first season on the grass was extremely forgettable, but Holger Rune knows he has the tennis to be dangerous on the surface and that is underlined by his run to the Quarter Final at Wimbledon in 2023.

Preparation for the tournament was pretty disappointing, although Rune was a very comfortable First Round winner and he is going to be expected to be too strong for Thiago Seyboth Wild.

The Brazilian is much happier on the clay courts, and that is the surface on which Thiago Seyboth Wild wins the majority of his numbers and certainly plays his best tennis. He has won matches on the grass courts, but finding the consistency on the surface has been beyond Seyboth Wild in the past and he has already invested plenty of himself to earn a spot in the Second Round at Wimbledon.

In the First Round, Thiago Seyboth Wild trailed home hope Paul Jubb by two sets and he was a couple of points away from defeat on a few occasions in the third set. Somehow he found a way to win the tie-breaker, but Thiago Seyboth Wild had to spend over four hours on court and the physical and emotional effort needed to win that First Round match may mean there is not a lot left in the tank.

Holger Rune will be looking to take advantage of that and at the same time continue his serene progress at Wimbledon ahead of bigger challenges in the draw.

His Fourth Round loss in Paris would have been a blow, but Holger Rune is still going to have enough all around tennis to believe he can get the better of this opponent. The expectation is that Rune will be able to get his teeth into a few more return games, as he did in the First Round, while the 21 year old is able to get the most out of his serve on this surface.

Thiago Seyboth Wild has nothing to lose and should be competitive early, but he might have been well beaten in the First Round if Jubb had converted his chances in the third set tie-breaker and Holger Rune is expected to be too good for him in this Second Round contest.

Lorenzo Musetti - 1.5 sets v Luciano Darderi: Two Italian players have been playing in the Second Round at Wimbledon on Wednesday and two more will be facing off in the same Round, albeit this time on Thursday.

Jannik Sinner and Matteo Berrettini would have arrived at Wimbledon with genuine ambitions to win the title, but the same cannot really be said for Luciano Darderi.

The World Number 37 has had a fantastic year on the Tour and reached a new career high World Ranking mark last month, but playing on the grass courts is still a work in progress for Darderi. He will be inspired by the successes that some of his compatriots have had on the grass, but this may be something of a learning experience for him.

Lorenzo Musetti reached the Final at Queen's Club last month and he was also a Semi Finalist in Stuttgart- these runs have bettered his performances in 2023 when Musetti reached the Quarter Final at both of those events and he will certainly feel he can surpass the Third Round run at Wimbledon this time around.

It has been an inconsistent twelve months for Lorenzo Musetti who has slipped ten places in the World Rankings, although the runs over the last month have just reversed some of the slippage. Confidence is not a problem, but Musetti has just perhaps hit a wall after strong moves early in his career.

He came from a set down to win his First Round match, although it should be noted that Lorenzo Musetti's grass court numbers are not quite as good in 2024 as they were last year, despite the superior results this season. He is still playing at a good level though and it should be one that is too much for Luciano Darderi to handle.

Luciano Darderi certainly showed his character in winning his First Round match in five sets against a player that would have received plenty of support from the home crowd. However, beating the World Number 174 is a much different task to beating a Seeded player in the Second Round at Wimbledon and Lorenzo Musetti will be given further confidence having beaten his compatriot on a clay court in May.

The win was close on the scoreboard, but Lorenzo Musetti had a considerable edge in terms of the performance and he is the superior grass court player of the two.

While sets are expected to be competitive, Lorenzo Musetti should be able to find a way past his compatriot in three or four sets into the Third Round for a second year in a row.

Ons Jabeur - 4.5 games v Robin Montgomery: A two time Wimbledon Finalist, recent years have been difficult for Ons Jabeur in coming so close to winning a Grand Slam title but falling short. Losing Finals here in 2022 and 2023 hurt, especially the last defeat and the soon to be 30 year old may feel the window is potentially closing to become a Grand Slam Champion.

If Ons Jabeur had been in the bottom half of the draw, you would perhaps make her favourite to reach the Final in SW19 for a third time in a row.

However, she is unfortunately in the tougher top half of the section and Ons Jabeur has been struggling for some consistency on the court with injuries perhaps contributing to that. Two years ago she was the World Number 2, but this year Jabeur enters the tournament as the World Number 10, although this is a player that will have some aura when she enters the courts at Wimbledon and others may yet have to deal with that as much as Ons Jabeur herself.

A relatively easy win in the First Round will have given the Tunisian some confidence and her numbers had been impressive on the grass courts over the last month before an injury forced a mid-match withdrawal against Coco Gauff in Berlin.

It certainly suggests Ons Jabeur is still playing at a level that will be tough for Robin Montgomery to deal with and especially with her relative lack of experience of playing on this surface.

The 19 year old American is the current World Number 161, but Montgomery did reach the Quarter Final in a couple of grass court events in preparation for playing at Wimbledon. Those runs have given Robin Montgomery some confidence and enough to see her through three Qualifying Rounds before a First Round win, although it should be pointed out that the left hander has not beaten any opponent Ranked inside the top 100 at this Grand Slam.

She did manage to beat some of the top 100 Ranked players in the pre-Wimbledon tournaments, but this is a huge task for Robin Montgomery against someone who has enjoyed playing at this Grand Slam as much as Ons Jabeur.

That knowledge will certainly give Ons Jabeur the edge in this Second Round contest and the feeling is that she will put the pressure on Robin Montgomery to break her down, and eventually come through with some comfort.

MY PICKS: Alexander Zverev - 5.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Holger Rune - 5.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet365 (2 Units)

Lorenzo Musetti - 1.5 Sets @ 1.66 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Ons Jabeur - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Jessica Pegula - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Wimbledon Update: 9-4, + 8.22 Units (26 Units Staked, + 31.62% Yield)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 3 Picks 2024 (Wednesday 3rd July)

Everyone wants to be able to finish a career on their own terms and that is especially the case for athletes and even more so when it comes to the individual sports.

Unlike Boxing, we don't see our heroes beaten down in the same manner as a fighter who goes on too long, but it doesn't make it any easier for Tennis players to be able to accept their own mortality.

Andy Murray has made it clear for several months that this is going to be his last year on the Tour as his body has failed to shake off the injuries that would have allowed to compete as he would like. He made it clear that it will either be at Wimbledon or at the Olympic Games when time would need to be called, but a cruel twist of fate meant Murray picked up an injury at Queen's Club and ultimately that has meant he is not going to play the Singles tournament for the last time.

A two time former Wimbledon Champion, Andy Murray is not the only loved player that has failed to be able to leave this tournament on his own terms.

Ultimately that is the issue with Tennis- you cannot make any plans when an injury in the later stages of a career are that much more impactful.

There is no way Roger Federer would have wanted his last memory on Centre Court being on the end of bagel at the end of a straight sets defeat to Hubert Hurkacz, while seven time Wimbledon Champion Pete Sampras was beaten in the Second Round on Court Two in what turned out to be his last appearance here.

At least Sampras was able to win the US Open a couple of months later and he eventually decided he had nothing left in the tank so could end on a 'high', although without the celebrations that accompanied the likes of Serena Williams.

This was always the issue with Andy Murray putting a final end date on his time on the Tour, unlike Rafael Nadal who continues to insist he is unsure if he has played his last match at the French Open.

It is a real disappointment for the fans, who would have wanted to show their appreciation for Andy Murray's efforts, although they will have another opportunity when he lines up next to brother Jamie for the Men's Doubles.

Maybe there is still room for a perfect sign off at Wimbledon after all!

Day 3 moves into the Second Round of the tournament and that means the top half of the Men's draw and the bottom half of the Ladies draw are in action again.

Aryna Sabalenka's late withdrawal has really opened the bottom half up and it would not be a surprise if we are to get a surprising Finalist once again.

Coco Gauff will be the clear favourite to plow her way through the draw, but she has suffered some upsets on the surface and it really could be any of a handful of players that take advantage.

The late withdrawal has certainly hurt the draw with the Ladies top half looking extremely loaded in comparison and that is a shame.

However, it is also an opportunity for players to have a big impact at the third Grand Slam of the season and also means there is a new pressure that many will be dealing with in anticipation of having a strong run.

The Men's draw is largely intact in the top half, but there is also one mouthwatering Second Round match coming up on Day 3 which should be on a big show court for the fans to enjoy.

Coco Gauff - 6.5 games v Anca Alexia Todoni: She may have admitted to feeling some nerves ahead of the First Round match at Wimbledon having lost in the opening Round twelve months ago, but you would not have guessed that was the case for Coco Gauff.

A dominant First Round win saw the World Number 2 through to the next Round and the withdrawal of Aryna Sabalenka has certainly opened the bottom half of the draw.

Coco Gauff will not want to think too far ahead and leave herself vulnerable to an upset, but it would be a surprise if she is not able to make the second week at Wimbledon again. That was the outcome in her first two appearances at Wimbledon in 2019 when announcing herself to a wider public and in 2021, although Coco Gauff has been disappointingly beaten in the last couple of years before the Fourth Round.

She has already reached the Semi Final at the first two Grand Slams of the season having won the US Open last year, and Coco Gauff has to believe that is the least she should achieve at Wimbledon.

Next up is young Romanian Anca Alexia Todoni, the World Number 142 who is set for a new career best World Ranking at the end of this tournament. Four wins in a row, three in Qualifiers, will be a boost for Todoni who is playing in just her second grass court tournament, but this is a considerable step upwards in terms of level of competition.

For starters Anca Alexia Todoni has beaten four players who are all Ranked outside the top 100, and she has yet to face a top 50 Ranked opponent.

There is some potential here when you think Anca Alexia Todoni is 6-1 against top 100 Ranked opponents, although the majority of those matches have been on the clay courts. This time she will be playing on a big show court and against a player who has the qualities to add to the Grand Slam won at the US Open and Coco Gauff should make that tell in this match.

It is a big handicap mark, but Coco Gauff is capable of winning a set with a couple of breaks of serve more than Anca Alexia Todoni and that should put her in a position to cover even with a more competitive second set. The American will want to just remind the rest of the bottom half of the Ladies draw that she is the player to beat without Aryna Sabalenka in the draw and Gauff can win well.

Madison Keys - 5.5 games v Yafan Wang: The type of tennis that Madison Keys is able to play is always going to make her a threat on the faster surfaces and she has had plenty of successes on the grass courts. Twelve months ago she was a Quarter Finalist at Wimbledon having won the title in Eastbourne, while she was a Semi Finalist in Eastbourne prior to this Grand Slam beginning.

In saying all that, Madison Keys might be a touch disappointed with the competitiveness of the First Round win over Martina Trevisan, who is a clay court specialist.

Ultimately the key, pardon the pun, is winning and the American will believe the bottom half of the draw is very much open for her to have a really deep run at Wimbledon again.

There are one or two challengers in her section, but Madison Keys has to believe she can at least reach the Quarter Final where the likelihood is that Coco Gauff will be waiting.

However, to do that, Madison Keys has to just knuckle down and she will not want to overlook Yafan Wang who won thirteen grass court matches in 2023.

This year has been more challenging for Yafan Wang who had lost all three matches prior to Wimbledon before beating Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in the First Round. It was a real battle for Yafan Wang who had lost all six grass court sets played prior to the third Grand Slam of the season and so there is still a real gap to bridge to someone as comfortable on this surface as Madison Keys.

Getting enough first serves in play will at least put Madison Keys under some pressure, but the real key to the outcome of this Second Round match is how well Yafan Wang is able to return. In her three matches on grass last month, Wang was only able to win 32% of return points played and she could be put under immense pressure by Madison Keys, which may lead to scoreboard pressure to build up.

When these players met on a hard court back in September 2018, it was Yafan Wang's inability to get her teeth into the Madison Keys serve that saw the American come through with a comfortable win. While things have changed in the almost six years since they last met, Yafan Wang is perhaps still vulnerable to the big serving that Madison Keys can produce and that may see the World Number 13 come away with a relatively comfortable win.

Grigor Dimitrov - 5.5 games v Juncheng Shang: It was perhaps a tougher First Round win than expected by the layers, but Grigor Dimitrov was pretty comfortable all things considered.

He is going to be favoured in this Second Round match and will be looking to build on the performance against Dusan Lajovic.

Limited grass court matches in preparation for Wimbledon can be a concern for some players, but Grigor Dimitrov is very experienced on the surface and has all of the tennis tools needed to be effective. At his best, the serve can be a very dangerous weapon and Dimitrov has the movement and balance to really hurt opponents on the return.

All of that will be needed to see off Juncheng Shang, the World Number 91 who has put plenty of grass court wins on the board over the last month.

The 19 year old left hander was a straight sets winner in the First Round and did reach the Quarter Final in a Challenger in Nottingham before doing the same at Eastbourne in an ATP tournament in the lead up to Wimbledon. Juncheng Shang suffered a competitive defeat to Taylor Fritz, although he will appreciate the fact that Grigor Dimitrov is a more dangerous return player on the surface.

The serve has been effective for Juncheng Shang, which will make him dangerous, but he was pretty comfortably beaten by Billy Harris and Jacob Fearnley in matches played over the last month. Those defeats are difficult to shake off and the feeling is that Grigor Dimitrov might have a bit too much all around quality on the grass for a young player who is still finding his feet on the Tour.

Nothing ever comes easily for Dimitrov and it will be important to make a strong start to prevent Juncheng Shang from building his way into the match through increased confidence.

If he can do that, the Bulgarian should have enough to wear down this opponent on his way through to the Third Round on Friday.

Jannik Sinner-Matteo Berrettini over 38.5 games: As soon as the draw for the Wimbledon tournament was made, the match that stood out as a potentially huge one for the Second Round involved two Italians right at the top of the draw.

It is Jannik Sinner who arrives at Wimbledon as the World Number 1 and top Seed in the draw, but he will be well aware of the quality and the threat that his compatriot will pose. Matteo Berrettini may not be in the Seeded positions, but this is a player who has loved playing on the grass and has won titles and reached the Wimbledon Final before in his career.

Injuries and a loss of form have been an issue, but Berrettini was impressive in his First Round win and he will be very comfortable playing on Centre Court. He had little grass court preparation last year, but Matteo Berrettini was still able to reach the Fourth Round at Wimbledon and took the opening set against eventual Champion Carlos Alcaraz before going down in four sets.

This time around, Matteo Berrettini has reached the Final in Stuttgart before a relatively disappointing early loss in Halle, but he continues to showcase grass court pedigree that made him a dangerous floater in this draw. Serving well will be the key for Berrettini who has held 94% of service games played on the grass before Wimbledon and he will need to find a way to put Jannik Sinner under pressure.

Winning the title in Halle will have given Sinner real belief and he did reach the Semi Final here last season when losing a much more competitive match than the straight sets defeat to Novak Djokovic would have suggested.

The World Number 1 was a Quarter Finalist at Wimbledon in 2022 before the Semi Final run in 2023 and Jannik Sinner will certainly be targeting to go at least one better this time around. He did surprisingly drop a set against Yannick Hanfmann in the First Round, and Sinner will know that he needs to just increase the level of the return if he is going to win a Grand Slam here.

Serving has not been a problem with 97% of games held in winning the title in Halle and that is likely going to be key for Jannik Sinner to just contain the threat Matteo Berrettini is able to bring onto the court.

Jannik Sinner did beat Matteo Berrettini in straight sets on the hard courts of the Canadian Masters last August, but the latter will feel it came down to the Break Point performances on the day.

Matteo Berrettini was able to win 68% of service points played in that defeat and the grass courts are expected to aid him that much more.

The former Finalist does have all the tools needed to win at least a set in this match and Jannik Sinner will be plenty confident too so there is a feeling that this Second Round contest is every bit as good as anticipated.

If both players are able to win at least one set as expected, the two players should serve well enough to move into a position to surpass the total games line set.

MY PICKS: Coco Gauff - 6.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Madison Keys - 5.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Grigor Dimitrov - 5.5 Games @ 1.85 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Jannik Sinner-Matteo Berrettini Over 38.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Jasmine Paolini - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Donna Vekic - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Wimbledon Update: 4-4, - 0.30 Units (16 Units Staked, - 1.88% Yield)

Wimbledon Tennis Day 2 Picks 2024 (Tuesday 2nd July)

We are moving into Day 2 and another day of tennis friendly conditions, although wetter weather could hit London in the Second Round.

Before that, the top half of the Ladies draw and the bottom half of the Men's draw will both be completed with the selections below.

Jessica Pegula - 5.5 games v Ashlyn Krueger: The top four players on the WTA Tour have separated themselves from the rest of the field, but they have not dominated the winner's circle at Wimbledon. That will give others hope in the third Grand Slam of the season, although the draw does have a very lopsided feel to it after events outside of the control of the organisers.

Aryna Sabalenka's late withdrawal has really opened the bottom half of the draw for Coco Gauff, but it is the top half that will be playing on Day 2 and there are plenty of obstacles around.

The World Number 5 may feel she deserves higher billing than being a potential 'spoiler', but Jessica Pegula has only recently returned from injury and she has regularly fallen short when in strong positions within Grand Slam tournaments. The American has reached the Quarter Final at every Grand Slam, including at Wimbledon twelve months ago, but Pegula has never reached a Semi Final at a major and that makes it hard to believe in her ability to come through a loaded half of the draw.

Playing on the grass is a positive for Jessica Pegula who returned to the Tour and won a big event in Berlin last month. A relatively early defeat in Eastbourne will not be a massive concern and Jessica Pegula is expected to get the better of her compatriot in this First Round match at SW19.

Ashlyn Krueger should be respected as a player that has won a grass court title in 2023, although she will have been massively disappointed to have lost in Wimbledon Qualifiers. She has moved into the top 100 of the World Rankings since then, but this last month has been tougher for Krueger on the grass courts and this is a significant step up for her.

The only time these players have met on the Tour ended with Jessica Pegula securing a solid win and the feeling is that the higher Ranked player is still going to have an edge. It will not be easy if Ashlyn Krueger comes out and plays her absolute best tennis, but Jessica Pegula has all of the know-how on a grass court to secure her place in the Second Round with a win and a cover.

Andrey Rublev - 8.5 games v Francisco Comesana: The last couple of months have been very difficult for Andrey Rublev and he has perhaps been struggling mentally more than physically.

Getting down on himself, Andrey Rublev has capitulated at times and this has to be a real concern for his supporters ahead of the next Grand Slam. He was extremely upset with his Third Round defeat in Paris at the French Open and Andrey Rublev has only played one match on grass in the build up to Wimbledon.

That was another losing effort against Marcos Giron, but Andrey Rublev did reach the Quarter Final at Wimbledon last year and this opening match looks a very good one for him to work his way into the tournament.

Francisco Comesana had moved into the top 100 of the World Rankings when the Wimbledon cutoff point came around, but he has fallen back down to World Number 127. That alone is not the issue for Francisco Comesana, but this is a player who has never played a professional grass court match and that is going to be tough to overcome against a top 10 Ranked opponent.

The Argentine also missed a month of the Tour in May and his sole match since returning has been a defeat on a clay court in Perugia in a Challenger event. With further clay court events likely to be on the mind of Francisco Comesana in the weeks ahead, it is very tough to believe he will be putting in the kind of effort to stay in the tournament at Wimbledon if things begin to get out of control.

Over the last twelve months, all but six of the matches played by Comesana have been on a clay court and Andrey Rublev should have the knowledge of playing on a grass court that he can exert on this match.

This is a very big spread when you think of how quickly service games can be dominated on a grass court, but the Francisco Comesana serve may not be as effective as Rublev's and that should show up on Day 2.

Alejandro Tabilo - 1.5 sets v Daniel Evans: Previous form on the grass courts had not indicated that Alejandro Tabilo was ready to win a title on the surface, but the Chilean managed that on Saturday in Mallorca.

It underlines the kind of confidence that Alejandro Tabilo has put together on the Tour and he is playing at a career high World Ranking with perhaps more to come.

Last year Alejandro Tabilo was beaten in the First Round of Qualifying at Wimbledon, but he is now one of two players who have reached the Final in a tournament played on hard courts, clay courts and grass courts. His performances in Mallorca will have really boosted the confidence of the player, while the loss at Queen's Club to Tommy Paul does not look too bad when considering the American went on to win the tournament.

The biggest challenge in this First Round contest may be facing the home crowd who will be firmly behind Daniel Evans, even on a day when the Wimbledon headlines may be focusing on Andy Murray.

Daniel Evans has been struggling for form and had to withdraw mid-match at Queen's Club and has not played since then. He has dropped down to World Number 61, but the Evans form over the last twelve months is highlighted by the fact he was World Number 21 in August last year.

He was not playing too badly before the injury issue at Queen's Club, but the overall Daniel Evans performances on the grass over the last month have been disappointing. There is little doubt that Evans has lost some confidence and the defeats to players Ranked at 123 and 283 is a real concern for the British player.

In his last appearance at Wimbledon, Daniel Evans was beaten in four sets in the First Round and there is every chance Alejandro Tabilo will have too much for him in 2024.

This would actually be his third straight First Round loss at Wimbledon and Alejandro Tabilo's confidence can see him work his way through in three or four sets on Tuesday.

MY PICKS: Jessica Pegula - 5.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Andrey Rublev - 8.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Alejandro Tabilo - 1.5 Sets @ 1.83 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Ricky Hijikata @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Wimbledon Update: 3-2, + 1.50 Units (10 Units Staked, + 15% Yield)