Rome Masters Tennis Picks 2025 (Thursday 15th May)

Another mixed day of results at the Rome Masters means the Picks for the tournament remain in the black, although not been able to add to some of the earlier successes.

There are just four days remaining in the Italian capital and then there will be a short break until the French Open begins on Sunday 25th May- the tournaments next week will be left for watching purposes as far as the Tennis Picks are concerned and the full focus will have turned to the second Grand Slam of the season.

Soon enough the Tour will move onto the grass courts and the build towards Wimbledon, but so many are going to be heading to Paris believing they can win a major tournament and that can only be good news for the fans. Grass remains a specialist surface and so the real contenders may be contained to a handful of players, but in Paris there are so many players looking in good shape and this should mean an entertaining viewing tournament, although one that can be tough to negotiate when making daily Picks from the event.

Before all of that, the Rome Masters needs to be concluded and Thursday looks a tough day- four matches are scheduled, but only one selection will be made from the second of the WTA Semi Finals.

Coco Gauff - 2.5 games v Qinwen Zheng: It might have been a win that will put another bit of momentum into Qinwen Zheng's career having got the better of the World Number 1 for the first time. The confidence can only be increased from the fact that she was a deserving winner and the Gold Medal Winner from the Paris Olympic Games will be a genuine threat to win the upcoming French Open.

Qinwen Zheng can really make a statement in Rome if she can back up her win over Aryna Sabalenka by beating the second best player in the world.

Seeing off the Madrid Champion will have been a huge boost for Qinwen Zheng, but beating the Runner Up in the next Round would only see her price shorten for success at a Grand Slam for the first time. Much will depend on the Zheng serve and whether she can continue to back it up as well as she has in this tournament, but this is expected to be a stern examination for the World Number 8.

Coco Gauff had a solid win over Mirra Andreeva in the Quarter Final and she has won three matches in a row without dropping a set.

Much like her fellow top ten Ranked opponent, the key for Coco Gauff is to continue protecting the second serve as she has done in this tournament. The American has clearly shown an aggressive and productive approach to her return of serve, but that is always going to be something Coco Gauff is comfortable doing when she knows she is able to roll through her own service games.

Qinwen Zheng does have a very good first serve, but she is looking for a big opener and that has seen her make 52% of her first delivery in the tournament. It is a number that needs to be improved so Coco Gauff is not getting a foothold in return games, and that is where the Semi Final could be won or lost.

Both previous matches between the players have been competitive, but it has been Coco Gauff who has created the majority of Break Points. One of those matches took place here in Rome twelve months ago and the higher Ranked player was able to come through a competitive opening set before pulling away from Qinwen Zheng and this could be another match that follows that kind of pattern.

Two players who should be there or thereabouts when the French Open reaches the last few days will be looking to lay down a marker here, but the edge feels like it is with Coco Gauff and she can come through a tough Semi Final.

MY PICKS: Coco Gauff - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Rome Update: 11-8, + 1.29 Units (19 Units Staked, + 6.79% Yield)

Rome Masters Tennis Picks 2025 (Wednesday 14th May)

Two selections were made on Tuesday and they returned at 1-1, which meant a slight loss on the day.

Overall the Rome Masters remains in a positive position and we are now into the Quarter Final Round for both the ATP and WTA events being run here, although with one Fourth Round match to be completed after the rain delays in the Italian capital.

Both selections made on Wednesday come from the WTA Quarter Final matches that have been scheduled with the two ATP Quarter Finals looking like they could be very competitive.

Aryna Sabalenka - 4.5 games v Qinwen Zheng: She may not have been at her absolute best in the last two Rounds, but Aryna Sabalenka is set to head to the French Open feeling like the player to beat. The World Number 1 has yet to win a Grand Slam away from the hard courts, but picking up the title in Madrid and backing that up with this run to the Quarter Final in Rome will have given her so much confidence.

While Iga Swiatek has struggled for form, Aryna Sabalenka has looked very comfortable on every surface on which she has competed in 2025.

Winning titles will always make players believe that much more in what they are doing, but the win in Madrid isn't always the best indicator as to how someone will perform in Paris at the second Grand Slam. That clay court tournament in the Spanish capital has long felt different to most European clay events due to the conditions, but Aryna Sabalenka's run in Rome is a much clearer indicator of how tough she is going to be to beat.

Not being at her best and still winning matches can only aid Aryna Sabalenka if things get tough at the French Open and she will be keen to keep control of the head to head with a potential rival for the Championship.

This is the first time Sabalenka and Qinwen Zheng will be playing on a surface other than a hard court and the respect for the latter will come from the fact she won Olympic Gold playing at Roland Garros last summer. The World Number 8 had been lacking some form on the clay courts in the lead up to Rome, but Qinwen Zheng has impressed in her three wins at the tournament and is now looking to snap the six match losing run against the Belarusian standing across the net.

There have been some competitive meetings in that time, but Qinwen Zheng has not served well enough to control the aggressive nature of Aryna Sabalenka.

Nothing is too wrong with the first serve when it lands, but the Zheng second serve can be vulnerable and that is where Aryna Sabalenka can strike.

During this run to the Quarter Final, Qinwen Zheng has really impressed with her returning, but she would be the first to admit of the qualities of the Aryna Sabalenka serve and how much of a step upwards this represents compared with the serves she has faced so far.

In their previous meetings, that Sabalenka serve has dominated the numbers and the run of wins on the clay can be pushed one more forward with another solid win over this fellow top ten Ranked opponent.

Coco Gauff - 1.5 games v Mirra Andreeva: It feels like Coco Gauff is a veteran of the Tour having made her breakthrough when she was very young, but the soon to be new World Number 2 is still only 21 years old.

She will certainly understand what Mirra Andreeva is going through as another youngster who made a big impression far before she turned 18 years old and who will have to handle the same expectations that Coco Gauff has dealt with in her own career.

The Russian player turned 18 years old at the end of April and she has everything in her tennis to have a real big impact at every Grand Slam event she plays. With a fairly open French Open coming up, Mirra Andreeva will have her backers when it comes to winning a maiden Grand Slam title, but she will have something to prove in this match up.

For now it is Coco Gauff who has had the better of the head to head with three wins from three matches played, including a strong win in Madrid in the previous tournament. That was also a Quarter Final win and the American took full advantage of the conditions to break down the Mirra Andreeva game and it will give Coco Gauff a huge amount of belief as she looks to lay down a marker to all by trying to win the tournament here in Rome.

Coco Gauff has shown a real comfort in playing on the clay courts over the last fifteen months and she has improved on some pretty good numbers that were set last year. There has been a bit more solidness behind the second serve, which can be so important on a surface like clay, and Coco Gauff has also been slightly stronger when it comes to the return and this adds up to a dangerous player.

No one should doubt the qualities of Mirra Andreeva when it comes to performing on the clay courts and her own numbers have been very impressive overall and during this run in Rome. She is not afraid of taking on the best players on the Tour on the clay courts either, but Andreeva's serve is still developing and that is something that Coco Gauff has tended to expose in their meetings.

Opposing Mirra Andreeva is not easy considering the talent she has, but she is facing a very good Coco Gauff and a player who has that appetite to try and stay on top of what could be a rival for the next decade.

Mirra Andreeva has played well in her three wins in Rome, but Coco Gauff may still be operating at a slightly higher level and she can frank that win in Madrid by beating the younger player in a second Quarter Final in succession.

MY PICKS: Aryna Sabalenka - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 William Hill (1 Unit)

Coco Gauff - 1.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Rome Update: 10-7, + 1.42 Units (17 Units Staked, + 8.35% Yield)

NBA Playoffs 2025- Second Round Picks Game 5-7 (Tuesday 13th May-Tuesday 20th May)

This has been a really difficult Second Round to negotiate, but it has not been a week in which there has been a lot of luck behind the selections either.

Whether it is some questionable late officiating, or teams blowing monster leads, it has been a Second Round where the NBA product has really been in the limelight and without necessarily interesting viewers as much as it should.

Living, or dying, by the three point shot has become such a feature of the sport, but there are times when it has produced truly ugly performances. On Sunday the Thunder and Nuggets combined to hit 2/33 three pointers taken in a horrible first half and you can see why ratings are down across the board when games are all played in very similar ways.

It also means relying on shooters to perform and that makes the NBA Picks that much more difficult to negotiate and it has been a real down period during this Playoff run.

Every Series is going to have a Game 5 to be played, so the Conference Finals are set to start next week, and we could see at least one upset through the Second Round after the Cleveland Cavaliers fell into a 1-3 hole.

The Oklahoma City Thunder may also be in some danger at 2-2 with the 2023 Champions Denver, although the Thunder have looked the better team and have got home advantage back following a split of two games hosted by the Nuggets.

NBA Playoffs 2025- Second Round Picks Game 5-7 (May 13th-20th)

Tuesday 13th May

Indiana Pacers @ Cleveland Cavaliers Game 5 Pick: Just when you think you have an idea of where this Series is heading, the Cleveland Cavaliers came out and produced an embarrassing first half effort.

They had dominated the previous two games, albeit having to settle for a split, and the Cavaliers looked to have momentum with the injured trio of Darius Garland, De'Andre Hunter and Evan Mobley back in the rotation.

None of those players covered themselves in glory and the task looks to have become even greater for the Cleveland Cavaliers after Donovan Mitchell was forced to miss the second half of Game 4. It has been Mitchell keeping the Number 1 Seed from completely unravelling, but without his Offensive firepower, Game 4 got away from the Cavaliers and they are now on the brink of elimination.

Returning home may give the team a boost, but the Cavaliers lost both games played here in the Series and all eyes are on Donovan Mitchell and whether he will be able to suit up.

The MRI will take place on Monday to determine his availability and it will be that much tougher for the Cavaliers if Donovan Mitchell is forced to sit out.

After a couple of poorer outings, the Indiana Pacers regained control of the Series by making the necessary adjustments and they continue to operated as a dangerous Offensive outfit. Spreading the ball around and exploiting the holes in the Defensive scheme helped the Pacers dominate from the opening tip on Sunday evening and they will have little fear of trying to win another road game.

Turnovers were critical in the win on Sunday and it may be asking too much for the Cleveland Cavaliers to cover this mark, especially if Donovan Mitchell is limited at best.

Favourites have not had the best time covering in Game 5 of the Second Round in recent years and those being asked to lay at least 5.5 points are just 11-17 against the spread in this situation.

Teams bouncing back from heavy losses have tended to play well in Game 5, but the Cleveland Cavaliers have been hit hard throughout this Series and they may have to battle right to the wire to simply win, with the cover looking that much tougher to achieve.

Denver Nuggets @ Oklahoma City Thunder Game 5 Pick: Are there fatigue issues at play in this Series?

Playing in Denver is always tough, but back to back games hosted by the Nuggets and the early start for the Game 4 clash all factored into the performance of the two teams. There is a bit more rest time before Game 5, which is played back in Oklahoma City, and the top Seed in the Western Conference showed they can win 'clutch' games just as much as they can blow teams away.

This could be a pivotal moment for the Thunder who have to be very happy with how they are performing Defensively, especially with room for improvement on the Offensive side of the court. They have not found it easy against this Championship-hardened Denver team and aside from the Game 2 blowout, it has been an Offensive struggle for the Thunder.

They can thank their Defensive intensity for levelling up this Series and Oklahoma City have to be excited with the way they have controlled and contained Nikola Jokic. You are never going to shut him down, but the Thunder are forcing turnovers and not allowing Jokic to feel any kind of comfort on the court, which is leading to the Serb to push a little too hard.

Denver know they need Nikola Jokic at his best with the others around him contributing in fits and spots, but not showing the consistency that may be needed to win this Series.

The under has been the play in the last two games as the accumulation of basketball has built up and that may be the case again in Game 5.

You can never tell when the Oklahoma City Thunder are ready to produce an Offensive masterclass, but it has been a tough Series for the top Seed. Memories of 2024 are perhaps weighing them down a little bit too and both Defensive units will feel they can put enough stops on the board to give their team an opportunity of winning.

The total number has dipped significantly from Game 3, but it may not have gone far enough to avoid a third straight 'under' from coming through.

Wednesday 14th May

New York Knicks @ Boston Celtics Game 5 Pick: No one can ever enjoy seeing an athlete go down with an injury and Jayson Tatum's MRI is going to determine how long the top Boston Celtics player is going to be missing. Not many expect him back for the Playoffs, never mind this Series, but the clearly suffering Tatum could be missing for several months if the injury is nearly as serious as it looked.

The Boston Celtics blew yet another big lead in the second half as they fell to 3-1 behind in this Second Round Series and the defending Champions return home looking to stave off elimination.

Being able to do that without Jayson Tatum is going to be extremely challenging, especially after Tatum was putting together the best performance in the Series in Game 4 and all of the pressure is on his team-mates. They did win eight of ten regular season games that were missed by Tatum and Boston also earned a win over Orlando in the post-season without him, but this is a much sterner test and the Celtics have to be much, much better Defensively if they are going to at least force a Game 6 back at Madison Square Garden.

That was the talk in the Boston locker room having failed to make any kind of stand in the second half of the Game 4 loss and allowing the New York Knicks to have their best Offensive performance of the Second Round by some distance. Losing Jayson Tatum will mean adjustments need to be made on this side of the court having given up too many Offensive Rebounds in Game 4 and the Boston Celtics have to use the energy of the home crowd to try and avoid becoming the latest defending Champion that has failed to reach the Conference Finals in the following season.

New York will feel they have the chance to close the Series as long as they still within touching distance of the Celtics going into the Fourth Quarter.

Clutch play has been the key for the Knicks throughout the Playoffs, but they will just have to be careful about thinking too far ahead or believing they have knocked the fight out of the Celtics, especially with Jayson Tatum expected to be sidelined.

Credit has to be given to the Knicks for fighting back as they have, but it does mean they have been at least 14 points behind in each of the four games played in the Second Round. They will accept that the Boston Celtics can get streaky, but the Knicks arrive here knowing that the favourite has struggled to cover the spread in Game 5 of the Second Round in recent years.

Hosts set as big favourites have had their issues, but the spread is down considerably from Game 1 and 2 after Tatum's injury. This has to be something that the Boston Celtics take inspiration from as they look to keep the Series alive and there remains a feeling that the Celtics will be in a position to have a big lead at some point in Game 5.

They have not been able to close the Knicks down, but you have to believe Boston will double down on the Defensive intensity in this one back at home. The Celtics have not allowed New York to score more than 100 points through the first three games of the Series (in regulation anyway) and the defending Champions may have one last big effort left in them.

Teams that have lost by at least 7 points in Game 4 have bounced back with an 18-6 record against the spread in the last twenty-four occasions that has happened and this Boston team is still good enough to force one more game at Madison Square Garden.

Golden State Warriors @ Minnesota Timberwolves Game 5 Pick: As soon as Steph Curry left Game 1 with a hamstring issue, the Series took a major shift in favour of the Minnesota Timberwolves. They may have lost the opening game, even with Curry playing just 13 minutes, but Minnesota have been the much better team in the last three games and now stand one win away from a return to the Western Conference Finals.

Draymond Green spoke about not wanting to rush Steph Curry back and instead for the Golden State Warriors to fight for as long as needed before their best player can return to the rotation.

There has been nothing wrong with the effort being put in by the Warriors, but without Curry, the Offensive side of the court has been a real struggle.

The final scoreboard has looked close in the last couple of games, but Minnesota Timberwolves had a 20 point lead in Game 4 moving into the Fourth Quarter and they were never in danger of dropping any of the last three games. Unlike Golden State, the team are looking healthy and in rhythm and the Timberwolves will be looking to close out another veteran, Championship team in five games having done the same to LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in the First Round.

Being back at home to close the show gives Minnesota the edge and they have been much more comfortable than the Golden State Warriors on both sides of the court. Adjustments made in the second half in Game 4 saw the Timberwolves take complete control of the Series and it is very difficult to know what kind of changes Golden State Head Coach Steve Kerr can make now.

Minnesota just need to clean up some of the turnovers that were allowed in Game 4 and doing that should put them in a position to win this one in a similar manner as to how they crushed Golden State here in Game 2.

On that day, the Timberwolves showed off their depth and they will be keen to avoid having to go back out on the road and instead prepare for the Western Conference Finals. The other Second Round Series is heading for at least six games, so it is a good chance for Minnesota to earn some rest and they might have too much for the Warriors again.

You can never completely rule out the capabilities of a team with the experience that Golden State have, but it feels a tall task without Steph Curry and that has been evident through the last three games.

Thursday 15th May

Oklahoma City Thunder @ Denver Nuggets Game 6 Pick: It has been a real battle of a Second Round Series with the Oklahoma City Thunder trying to show how much they have learnt from their exit in this Round of the Playoffs twelve months ago. With some of the top Eastern Conference teams struggling, a real opportunity has opened up for those in the Western Conference and the Thunder have long looked the team best equipped to win a Championship.

Proving that on the court is always the challenge and the Thunder are being given everything they can handle by the 2023 Champions Denver Nuggets, although the younger Oklahoma City team may feel they have broken the back of the Series with the pivotal Game 5 win.

That makes it back to back wins for the Thunder to take a 3-2 lead, but it is also the manner in which they were able to win Game 5 that feels very important. They were down double digits in the Third Quarter and as many as 8 points behind with less than eight minutes remaining in the Fourth Quarter, while the Thunder then closed with a strong run to show they can come up trumps in the clutch for a second game in a row.

Oklahoma City have shown a real confidence in their depth and you do have to wonder how much the Denver Nuggets have left, even as they prepare to host Game 6 of the Series.

Having struggled at times in the Series, Nikola Jokic produced a massive game for the Nuggets with 44 points scored and 15 boards brought in, but the Thunder were happy to restrict those around the Serb. Jamal Murray played his part, but Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr, Christian Braun and Russell Westbrook were a combined 11/39 from the field with 27 points scored and all are going to need to be a lot better if the Nuggets are going to be able to force a Game 7 back in Oklahoma City.

The lack of rest and recovery between games makes that challenging and the two teams may not be as strong as they were Offensively in the last game. Even then, the total points came up short of the line set and we could see something similar in Game 6.

The last fourteen Game 6s played in the Second Round have finished 10-4 in favour of the 'under', while Denver may take some encouragement from the way they have been pushing the Thunder in the last three games. Stronger Defensive effort may be needed to slow down the three point efforts from the Number 1 Seed, which proved to be very important to the final outcome in Game 5, and we could see a bit more fatigue built up in this one.

It can only aid the chances of this Game 6 finishing below the total points line set and that is the play for a second straight time in this Series.

Friday 16th May

The Second Round of the Playoffs are coming to a close and it has been a frustrating Round for the NBA Picks.

It really hasn't helped that a meaningless bucket at the end of another Minnesota-Golden State game has turned a winning selection into a push or a losing selection. The numbers could have been considerably different with some late drama being avoided, but it is what it is and we have to focus on the two Series that are still being played with the Indiana Pacers and Minnesota Timberwolves waiting in the Conference Finals.

Boston Celtics @ New York Knicks Game 6 Pick: It should not have come as a great surprise that the defending Champions Boston Celtics had a big response to falling 3-1 down in this Second Round Series and knowing that star player Jayson Tatum has a long recovery time in front of him.

Being at home would have helped the team rally together, but they now have to travel to Madison Square Garden for Game 6 on Friday evening and forcing a 'win or go home' game back at the TD Garden is going to be a huge challenge.

There was a lot to like from Game 5 with the likes of Jaylen Brown and Derrick White helping the team open quickly.

However, the spark really came from Luke Kornet from the bench who had 10 points and 9 Rebouns, while adding 7 Blocks that really got the crowd into the game. It is the kind of impact that players can produce in the Playoffs when playing at home, but the test for Kornet is going to be backing that up in a hostile environment.

There were other big contributors on the night as the Celtics completed their blowout, but now we will see how much the defending Champions really believe in their capabilities of going much further without Jayson Tatum.

New York will not be panicking with two more shots to close out the Series, although it does feel important to try and close out a Playoff Series at home for the first time this century. The Knicks had actually kept things very close in the first half and looked primed to strike, but Jalen Brunson produced five fouls in the Third Quarter and was gone in the Fourth Quarter, while the Knicks also had Karl-Anthony Towns on the bench for long stretches.

Players like OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges struggled in Game 5, but they will feel much more comfortable in the home setting and that should help the Knicks. Keeping out of foul trouble is also very important for the Number 3 Seed who know they will be hosting the Indiana Pacers in a revenge Series in the Eastern Conference Finals if they can beat the Celtics.

Looking too far ahead is not something to you come to expect from the Coaching staff of the Knicks and this is a team that will want to try and avoid being down double digits again. They have shown their ability to fight back, but a Tatum-less Boston team should be more manageable for the New York Knicks to deal with now that some of the emotion has been used up.

Madison Square Garden can create some pressure on the home team when the expectations are high, as they will be on Friday, but it does feel like the Celtics role players will have a step back and that will afford the Knicks the opportunity to move through to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Sunday 18th May

Denver Nuggets @ Oklahoma City Thunder Game 7 Pick: The late regular season firing of Michael Malone raised eyebrows, but those involved in the decision making already felt justified when the Denver Nuggets came through a Game 7 success in the First Round of the Playoffs.

That does not mean the 2023 Champions would have been happy just to be here and they have played with a genuine belief that they could beat the Number 1 Seed in the Western Conference.

Game 6 saw the Nuggets put together a solid performance having lost the last two games in the Second Round Series and they have forced this elimination game opportunity. With the way the Playoffs have been shaking out, the Nuggets may feel another Championship opportunity will open up if they can upset the odds on Sunday and the team will head back to Oklahoma City with a real confidence around them.

Aaron Gordon pulled up in the Fourth Quarter, but felt pretty confident that the hamstring issue will be dealt with and he will be ready to go. The Nuggets need everyone if they are going beat the Oklahoma City Thunder, but they will be playing with two days of rest, which is important for a veteran team, and that should also be enough time for Jamal Murray to come through the illness that almost ruled him out of Game 6 on Thursday.

There is plenty of pressure on the young Oklahoma City Thunder and they need a couple of players to come out of a relative slump as they bid to work their way into the Western Conference Finals. Another Second Round defeat in the post-season would be tough to swallow and that does build pressure around a team that missed the first close out opportunity that was available to them.

Adjustments can be made with two days between games, and the Thunder have shown they can come through tough moments to win important games. We may need to see all of that again if they are going to match expectations and surpass the Playoff run of 2024, but it may prove to be another game in which the Oklahoma City Thunder are pushed all the way.

One blowout has been recorded by the Thunder, but the rest of this Series has been incredibly competitive and that may not change.

The last twelve Second Round Series that have had a Game 7 has seen the Game 6 winner go 10-2 against the spread, while the favourite is just 4-8 against the spread. The scoring came thick and fast early in Game 6, which contributed to a relatively comfortable 'over', but Game 7s have tended to be tighter affairs and that makes the points being given to the Denver Nuggets all the more appealing.

Avoiding getting into a hole when the Thunder are rolling is key, but enough has been seen from the Nuggets to believe they can keep this competitive and have a late opportunity to perhaps even upset the odds outright.

MY PICKS: 13/05 Indiana Pacers + 7.5 Points @ 1.91 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)

13/05 Oklahoma City Thunder-Denver Nuggets Under 221 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

14/05 Boston Celtics - 4.5 Points @ 1.90 Betfair Sportsbook (1 Unit)

14/05 Minnesota Timberwolves - 11.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

15/05 Denver Nuggets-Oklahoma City Thunder Under 218.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

16/05 New York Knicks - 2.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

18/05 Denver Nuggets + 7.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Second Round: 8-14-1, - 6.64 Units (23 Units Staked, - 28.87% Yield)

First Round: 20-19, - 0.72 Units (39 Units Staked, - 1.85% Yield)

Play In Tournament: 3-3, - 0.28 Units (6 Units Staked, - 4.67% Yield)

Rome Masters Tennis Picks 2025 (Tuesday 13th May)

On another day, the Tennis Picks could easily have ended with a 0-4 record on Monday, but some luck landed in favour of the selections and the final 3-1 return is a positive one.

Naomi Osaka should have won her match in all honesty- it was a miss while leading 4-2 in the final set tie-breaker that turned the match against her, but she won 7 more points than Peyton Stearns and it is yet another unfortunate loss suffered since returning to the Tour.

A final set 6-1 score helped Hubert Hurkacz cover, despite dropping the second set by the same scoreline. He won the first set 6-3, but served at 5-1 before seemingly losing his way, although the late rally saved the Pick.

Both Jannik Sinner and Mirra Andreeva had tough tests before covering big numbers of their own, but you have to be honest and appreciate some of the fortune that was needed.

It puts the Rome Masters in a decent spot, but using that luck and building on it is the key to ensure a winning tournament ahead of the French Open. On Tuesday there is another loaded schedule to get through, but two Picks have stood out from the rest and those can be read below.

Alexander Zverev - 1.5 games v Arthur Fils: This looks a quality Fourth Round match and one that will offer the French crowd something as they look for the next stars who will push to try and win the French Open in the years ahead. This match is taking place at the Rome Masters, but the second Grand Slam of the season is fast approaching and there has been plenty to like about the performances of Arthur Fils.

The young Frenchman has yet to win a main draw match at the French Open, but his development on the clay courts looks pretty impressive in 2025. He reached the Final in Monte Carlo, so will know how it feels like performing on the red dirt in friendly environments, and Arthur Fils has been able to follow that up with a Semi Final run in Barcelona and put two more wins on the board in Rome.

Two of the three clay court defeats this season have been against Carlos Alcaraz, the defending French Open Champion, and that can only encourage the home fans to really believe in Arthur Fils and his capabalities.

Beating the Runner Up from the 2024 French Open Final can only increase that confidence, but this a significant test for Arthur Fils against one of the top clay courters on the Tour.

It has not been the best few weeks on the surface for Alexander Zverev, but he won another title in Munich and the World Number 2 will most definitely feel he is peaking as we approach the French Open. His defeats to Matteo Berrettini and Francisco Cerundolo on the European clay have been in close matches and there remains a lot to like about the numbers that Alexander Zverev is producing on the red dirt.

He will have a respect for the capabilities of Arthur Fils and it was the youngster who won their match in Miami in March, while they are 1-1 in previous clay court matches.

The last of those was also won by Fils, but he needed to save 21/22 Break Points played that day and took almost all of the chances that he was able to generate on the return. Overall there has been a clear edge in the serving numbers in favour of Alexander Zverev and that could be key for the higher Ranked player to come through with a win and earn his place in the Quarter Final.

Arthur Fils has had some big wins on the clay already this season, which deserve a lot of respect, but Alexander Zverev may edge this one in three sets.

Alex De Minaur - 2.5 games v Tommy Paul: Both of these players are more comfortable on the faster surfaces, but that is not to say that Tommy Paul and Alex De Minaur have not shown solid form on the clay courts.

The proof is that this match is being played in the Fourth Round and the two players have produced some very solid numbers on the surface over the last fifteen months. It should mean two confident players are heading out to the court in Rome, although the extra belief may be with Alex De Minaur having never been beaten by Tommy Paul on the pro Tour.

The Australian has produced some very solid numbers on the clay courts in 2025 and his three losses have been against Lorenzo Musetti (twice) and Carlos Alcaraz. Those are two players that are expected to have deep runs at the French Open and so De Minaur has to feel his current level is decent enough to push through to the second week of the Grand Slam that begins at the end of the month.

Over the last twelve months, Alex De Minaur has found improvement in his serve and that has entrenched him inside the top 10 of the World Rankings. That improvement has also been clear on the clay this season and it makes the World Number 8 dangerous with his ability to get plenty of balls back in play on the return.

Tommy Paul also deserves his credit for the way he has become a solid clay courter, but that has yet to be tested when playing some of the stronger players on the Tour.

The key to the match is that Alex De Minaur looks to be the superior return player and that may give him the edge at key moments.

Five wins from five previous meetings against Tommy Paul has really been based on the fact that Alex De Minaur has been the much better return player in those matches. The last three have needed to be decided over the distance, but they have not played for a couple of years and the feeling is that Alex De Minaur has made the clearer improvements in that time.

This should mean Alex De Minaur is comfortable enough in the match up and he can do enough to cover this handicap mark on his way to another clay court Quarter Final.

MY PICKS: Alexander Zverev - 1.5 Games @ 1.75 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Alex De Minaur - 2.5 Games @ 1.90 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Rome Update: 9-6, + 1.67 Units (15 Units Staked, + 11.13% Yield)

Rome Masters Tennis Picks 2025 (Monday 12th May)

The second week at the Rome Masters begins with two really busy days as the entire WTA Fourth Round is played on Monday alongside the remaining ATP Third Round matches.

Tuesday will feature all of the ATP Fourth Round matches and the big names continue to focus on putting a strong tournament in the books to lay down a marker for the French Open. We are now under two weeks away from the First Round beginning in Paris at the second Grand Slam of the season and a very open tournament is set to take place, which can only be a positive for the fans who will be attending and following over the fortnight.

The two Sunday Picks came back with a 1-1 record which means a very narrow profit is still being held onto at this last big event before the French Open gets underway. However, there is plenty of work to get through before the Tour moves through the Italian capital and the hope is that Monday can put some momentum behind the selections moving into the weekend.

Naomi Osaka - 1.5 games v Peyton Stearns: The Rome Masters has moved into the second week and that means Fourth Round action begins for those playing in the WTA event.

This remains the last big chance to put down a marker for the upcoming French Open and some of the biggest names on the Tour remain in action.

There is no doubting the power of the Naomi Osaka name, although it has been a struggle for her to get back to the consistency that once helped her take home four Grand Slam titles. They were all won on the hard courts and playing on the clay has long been something that Osaka has struggled with, but a title has been won on the surface prior to the event in Rome and two wins here will only help the confidence.

It has to be remembered that Naomi Osaka pushed Iga Swiatek all the way in their match at the French Open in 2024 and she is capable of using a big serve to at least set things up on the slower surface compared with her favoured hard courts.

In the Fourth Round, Naomi Osaka is up against Peyton Stearns, a player who has put plenty of wins on the board in this clay court season and who is about to set a new marker for a career-high World Ranking. Last year, the 23 old American won a title on the clay and reached the Third Round at the French Open and Stearns has to be further respected for winning six of eight matches on the surface in 2025.

This should be a tough match for both and they are going to be very reliant on serving well to try and keep the opponent under pressure.

Naomi Osaka has not been quite as good on the return, but her first serve feels like a big difference maker and that may be the way this Fourth Round match develops. Both players would feel much better on the hard courts, but the performances have been solid on the clay and it may be a match where Osaka's serving gives her the edge across three sets and it could be enough to see the former World Number 1 cover this handicap mark.

Mirra Andreeva - 4.5 games v Clara Tauson: Bigger expectations are always that much tougher to be met and there is some pressure on Mirra Andreeva to deliver, even at her tender age.

Once you move into the top ten of the World Rankings, people are going to expect you to go deep into the biggest events and Mirra Andreeva has all of the qualities needed to win a Grand Slam title as soon as this calendar year. There is a target on her back though, which may mean facing opponents that bring their best tennis to the court every time they see Andreeva across the net, but the World Number 7 has shown a really good temperament.

After breezing through the first set and being pushed in the second, Mirra Andreeva was able to get on top of Linda Noskova in the Third Round. Now she takes aim at another younger player on the Tour who could be a rival for years to come, and Mirra Andreeva would to keep the wins ticking over against Clara Tauson.

Both previous wins have been relatively comfortable on the scoreboard and Andreeva may feel she has more of an edge over Clara Tauson on a clay court compared with a faster surface.

Clara Tauson has won two matches in Rome having lost the previous two matches played on the clay, and her returning numbers have not been to the level that is going to be needed to win a big Fourth Round match like this one.

Last year the World Number 23 reached the Fourth Round at the French Open, so Clara Tauson can clearly perform on the surface, but this has not been a good match up for her and Mirra Andreeva is a solid clay courter.

She should have more returning success than in the previous two matches, especially on the clay, but Tauson has to be concerned about how ineffective her serve has been in the defeats to Mirra Andeeva.

We could see more of that in this Fourth Round match and Mirra Andreeva could secure another strong win against this rival.

Hubert Hurkacz - 2.5 games v Marcos Giron: Injury has just made things difficult for Hubert Hurkacz over the last several months and he has missed much of the clay court season.

However, a solid Second Round win over Pedro Martinez is a reminder of the kind of comfort that the Pole displayed on the red dirt in 2024.

Serving well is always the key for Hubert Hurkacz, but he should also be pretty comfortable with the match up against an opponent who has shown little appetite for playing on the clay courts.

Prior to the two wins in Rome, Marcos Giron had won just two of the six matches played on the clay courts in the build up to the French Open. He did win more matches than he lost on the surface two years ago, but in the main Marcos Giron accepts this is a period of time on the Tour in which he tends to suffer plenty of early defeats.

The win over compatriot Taylor Fritz will give Marcos Giron confidence and being able to handle a big server like that could set him up for more in this Third Round contest.

We know how much Hubert Hurkacz relies on his serve, but there will be considerable pressure on Marcos Giron to make sure he is looking after that aspect of his tennis. He will be well aware that in three losses to the Pole, Marcos Giron has really struggled to get himself into the Hurkacz serve and the comfort on the surface should give the Seeded player the edge.

Jannik Sinner - 5.5 games v Jesper De Jong: He is playing at a career best World Ranking mark and Jesper De Jong has taken advantage of being given a Lucky Loser spot in the Rome Masters by winning two matches here. That means he is set for another improvement in the World Ranking from the current Number 93 next to his name and the Dutchman may feel he is playing with 'house money'.

The two wins here in the main draw have been solid victories for De Jong, but this is a huge step in terms of level of opponent now that the World Number 1 is standing in his way.

Returning from a three month suspension in front of the home fans who adore him will certainly have helped Jannik Sinner, but he will also be aware that tougher tests will be coming up. A controversial ban was accepted and so many of his peers, as well as fans, have not been happy with the deal done that allowed Jannik Sinner to compete and win the Australian Open and then return in time for the second Grand Slam of the season.

Unsurprisingly, Jannik Sinner did not have the easiest Second Round match, but the victory will help and he was able to crush Jesper De Jong at the Australian Open in 2024.

He lost just six games in cruising past De Jong and the returning numbers on a much faster surface should mean Jannik Sinner enters this match with a lot of belief and confidence.

The timing was not quite right on the return in the Second Round, but having that match under his belt should help the Italian. Jannik Sinner will feel that the match is going to be played on his terms and he has to be encouraged by the drop in service numbers produced by Jesper De Jong when he has faced a top 100 Ranked opponent on this surface over the last twelve months.

In that time frame, the likes of Alexander Zverev and Andrey Rublev have recorded strong wins over Jesper De Jong and Jannik Sinner may follow suit.

MY PICKS: Naomi Osaka - 1.5 Games @ 2.00 William Hill (1 Unit)

Mirra Andreeva - 4.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Hubert Hurkacz - 2.5 Games @ 1.75 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Jannik Sinner - 5.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Rome Update: 6-5, + 0.25 Units (11 Units Staked, + 2.28% Yield)

Rome Masters Tennis Picks 2025 (Sunday 11th May)

The Rome Masters continue and there is another busy day of tennis in the Italian Capital.

The two selections from the host of matches to be played can be read below after a solid Saturday to turn the week around and move the profit/loss from the red into the black.

Elena Rybakina - 4.5 games v Bianca Andreescu: Both of these players are former Grand Slam Champions, but injuries have really held back Bianca Andreescu.

She enters the tournament in Rome as the World Number 121 having reached a peak of Number 4 in October 2019 and the Canadian is still only 24 years old. Back to back wins to move through to the Third Round will have given Bianca Andreescu a boost in confidence, but this is another significant obstacle for her to overcome.

There will be no doubt about that after Bianca Andreescu was beaten by Elena Rybakina in Madrid and the former also suffered a very early exit at a Challenger event that Andreescu took in between the two Masters events.

The higher Ranked player has not been in great form of late, but Elena Rybakina won the tournament in Rome two years ago and she was a solid winner in the Second Round.

The match up has also suited Elena Rybakina having won all three previous matches against Bianca Andreescu with the first serve being a dominant part of those wins. It was the case last time out when the players met in Madrid and that has allowed Elena Rybakina to have success with her aggressive style of play.

Nothing has been happening easily for Elena Rybakina in recent weeks, but the relative comfort level of this kind of match up should help in her bid to move into the second week of the event.

Mirra Andreeva - 4.5 games v Linda Noskova: Two very young players on the Tour meet for the fourth time and you have to give Mirra Andreeva a real edge in this Third Round match.

Her overall form across the clay court season has been much stronger than Linda Noskova's, while the 18 year old Russian has pushed through to the top 10 in the World Rankings.

A real concern for Linda Noskova ahead of this match is the vulnerability of the second serve and that is something that Mirra Andreeva will be looking to exploit. It has been a real problem for Noskova in the previous three matches played against Mirra Andreeva and the World Number 30 is simply not returning well enough to cover for that vulnerability.

She has been able to challenge Mirra Andreeva, and it has to be noted that the World Number 7 has not been at her absolute best over the last month. Mirra Andreeva is still developing into the kind of server she is going to be on the Tour, and that has allowed opponents to put her under some pressure.

Even then, the talent edge is with Andreeva against most opponents and that has allowed her to win the big points and put up strong scores across the board.

This is a big spread all things considered, but Mirra Andreeva is capable of breaking serve enough times to secure the cover. Linda Noskova is talented and has to be motivated in trying to beat the younger player making the big headlines on the Tour, but she may come up short for a third time in a row in this Third Round match.

MY PICKS: Elena Rybakina - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Mirra Andreeva - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Rome Update: 5-4, + 0.25 Units (9 Units Staked, + 2.78% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2025- Anthony Cacace vs Leigh Wood (Saturday 10th May)

The whole weekend might not have been as successful as a combined effort, but it was important for some of the leading names in Boxing to get out and compete.

Ryan Garcia's upset loss to Rolly Romero has disrupted some of the plans that Turki Alalshikh may have had for later in the year, but Canelo Alvarez was able to come through his fight and we finally heard an official announcement for his next fight against Terence Crawford, which had long been rumoued.

The Time Square event did not work as well as would have been hoped, while there isn't much Canelo could have done about facing an opponent who literally refused to engage for Twelve Rounds. William Scull might have received much more respect for his performance if he had looked to win the fight, but it was clear almost immediately that he felt a win would be simply hearing the final bell.

In saying that, Canelo Alvarez did not exactly impress with his inability to cut off the ring nor his own output, or lack of output, and Bud Crawford has to feel pretty confident in earning the upset as he moves up a couple of Divisions.

The most interesting fight of the long weekend turned out to be the one featuring Naoya Inoue after his Second Round Knock Down- he came back very strongly to secure the Stoppage, but it is another reminder that fighters booking bouts down the line can come unstuck by tempting fate.

He is due back out on the same weekend that the Canelo-Crawford fight has been scheduled, although once again a clash will be avoided with the fight in Vegas taking place on Friday night and Naoya Inoue set to be out on Sunday in Japan or Saudi Arabia.

The weekend proved to be another tough one for the Boxing Picks in what has been a poor season so far- there is still more than half of the 2025 calendar year to get through, but it is still frustrating and something that needs to be turned around pretty quickly if the year is to end with another positive number.

May is another busy month of action and the usual mid-summer break looks a little shorter than usual with some decent cards set for June and July. That offers an opportunity for the Picks, although one that has to be carefully negotiated to get things moving in the direction we are aiming to go.

Anthony Cacace vs Leigh Wood

It has been a very different eighteen months for Anthony Cacace and Leigh Wood and that is down to the activity, or inactivity of the latter.

Of course Anthony Cacace has really put some momentum into his career very late on thanks to some big wins over Joe Cordina and Josh Warrington and those kind of wins have just pushed him to the forefront of the domestic scene. He had won a World Title as well, but Cacace decided to vacate that in order to chase the bigger paydays and one of those is coming up on Saturday.

Antony Cacace will be going into enemy territory, but he should be the more natural at the weight class with Leigh Wood moving up following a win over Warrington of his own.

He looked to be on the way to a defeat before finding a punch to force the Stoppage, but that fight took place in October 2023 and at 36 years old, you do have to wonder how much is left in the tank.

Eight Stoppages in twenty-three wins may suggest Anthony Cacace does not punch as hard as some of the others in and around the Super Featherweight Division, but that number has long been dismissed. Most accept that Cacace punches plenty hard and that could give him the edge in a bout where it should not take too long to find the other Boxer in the ring.

This is where we could see the inactivity hurt Leigh Wood and he was being hurt in recent fights.

There also has to be some concern that the Wood injuries have piled up over the last eighteen months and the fighter himself has spoken about his time coming to an end as a professional. No one will doubt his toughness and the home fans should be right behind Leigh Wood, but even that may not be enough to keep Anthony Cacace from building the momentum and a late Stoppage for the more active fighter is potentially the outcome.

On the undercard in Nottingham, Ezra Taylor can get the better of the contest with a fellow unbeaten fighter and he can continue his move up the Rankings with a Stoppage win.

All of the momentum looked to be behind Liam Davies, but he was upset in his last bout and is looking to bounce back against unbeaten Kurt Walker.

This is not going to be easy, but Davies has shown his qualities before the defeat to Shabaz Masoud and he may be able to break down an opponent stepping up a couple of levels.

We also have an event being run in San Diego which features a World Champion defending his title and another bout where an Interim World Champion will be crowned in what looks a pretty deep Lightweight Division.

Emanuel Navarrete has spoken about his struggles to make weight as the Super Featherweight World Champion, but a venture to Lightweight lasted a single fight when he was beaten for a vacant World Title. He came back to defend his WBO World Title with a crushing win over Oscar Valdez, but Navarrete had to make weight at a second attempt ahead of this defence.

His opponent is unbeaten, but at 36 years old, Charly Suarez is stepping multiple levels even if he has taken some encouragement from the fact the Champion is tight at the weight.

However, it is going to be very tough to keep Emanuel Navarrete from pushing forward and Charly Suarez may just find out how tough the World level can be.

There has been a long hope of how far Raymond Muratalla can go as a professional and the promoters are firmly behind him as he looks to pick up an Interim World Title.

This does feel like the time for Muratalla to really put some momentum into his career and he faces Zaur Abdullaev who has won nine fights in a row since his sole professional loss to Devin Haney.

At 31 years old, you have to think Abdullaev understands that he may not get too many more opportunities to join the elite in the Division and that should mean a willingness to push forward and see if he can put a dent in the unbeaten home fighter.

The problem is that Raymond Muratalla hits plenty hard and has been a pretty good finisher when that chance presents itself.

We should have a decent fight between two Boxers looking to move into a position to face some of the other Champions in and around the Lightweight Division, but the expectation is Raymond Muratalla can push through and secure a Stoppage to really make a statement to potential rivals.

After returning from a pretty bad beating at the hands of Brian Norman Jr, Giovanni Santillan should be able to make it two wins from two.

His Mexican opponent might offer a bit more resistance compared with Fredrick Lawson, but Santillan should still be able to move through the gears pretty quickly as he looks to get back with one of the Welterweight leading contenders.

MY PICKS: Anthony Cacace to Win by KO/TKO @ 4.33 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Ezra Taylor to Win by KO/TKO @ 1.80 Ladbrokes (2 Units)

Liam Davies to Win Between 7-12 @ 3.10 William Hill (1 Unit)

Emanuel Navarrete to Win by KO/TKO @ 2.05 Bet365 (2 Units)

Raymond Muratalla to Win by KO/TKO @ 1.80 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Boxing 2025: 17-46, - 23.70 Units (77 Units Staked, - 30.78% Yield)