Jelena Jankovic - Jie Zheng

Yesterday was a big upset for me, because my picks totally screwed up. But today's offer is very interesting and I had a big problem to chose anything. Well, let's see how today it will go. From ladies draw just one match and as I see many tipsters agree with me. It isn't a surprise, because if someone saw Jankovic against Arvidsson will tell that current no. 2 don't posses too good stamina at this time. Jelena really struggled against Swedish girl, of course Sofia played her highest tennis but still just before match end Jankovic looked awful, she even had some problems with breathing. In match she made a lot of unforced errors which isn't normal for her standard game, where she is like a wall on base-line. Of course we have to count that JJ many times in many tours gave such signals that she feel sick, bad and other and even with that she reached high phases of such tours, but yesterday she was close to loss and if she will play like that today, more classy from Arvidsson Chinese Jie Zheng will use it for sure. Zheng in this season is just awesome, in my opinion she is rushing to take from Na Li no. 1 in China. Since Rolland Garros she lost only to Serena Williams and twice to Safina. In Wimbledon she was able to beat Ivanovic, and as we remember Ivanovic also struggled badly in match before with Zheng. Jelena need to improve her game strongly or Zheng will use her errors on her side. 

Pick: Jie Zheng to win the match at 3.20 with William Hill: 2/10

Nicolas Almagro - Sam Warburg

23 years old Spaniard proved that he is ready and healed up with beating playing good tennis Frank Dancevic. Almagro serve was just awesome. Many aces, none breaks and for whole 3 sets Nicolas hold good concentration. Almagro is the one of clay courters that should play good also on fast surfaces. Great serve, nice movement on court and skills from clay game is already enough to be dangerous on hard. Almagro always had big problems with his mentality, he like to loss already won points and some time his acting is just unnatural. But against Dancevic I couldn't believe how mature Nicolas was. Maybe this injury changed him a little. I know it is only one match, but Dancevic wasn't playing bag, I would even say he was playing better than his normal style. Almagro stayed calm, focused and for whole 3 sets didn't show anything of psyche weakness. If he will play like this today I have no worries about the result, because Sam Warburg is a little weaker opponent that current no. 1 in Canada. Warburg lately was losing to players like Bogomolov, Vemis or Peya which aren't top class to be honest. In first round he luckily meet Tipsarevic who retired in tour before US Open and as we saw he didn't cured this and had to retire after first set. Even if hard is Warburg favourite surface Almagro is so much better skilled player that we can't use that argument for Sam's side. Of course in Wimbledon Almagro disappointed, when after first round he lost 2:3 to Garcia-Lopez, but I think hard is a little better to fit Almagro preferences of play, a besides I really liked his game in first round. Stay focused, Nicolas, stay focused...

Pick: Almagro to win 3:0 in sets at 2.50 with BlueSQ: 4/10

Radek Stepanek - Chris Guccione

And all advantages that Guccione had in first match are gone now. Of course still he is quite taller than his today opponent but the difference isn't such big, and besides Stepanek on hard knows well how to equal such disadvantages of height. Still we have to say that Chris poses great serve, he served nearly 35 aces, but I wouldn't call him classy-serve-player like Isner, Karlovic or Llodra. Australian with small and not very skilled Levine had few problems, he lost a set, they equally fought in two tie-breaks. Stepanek is another world and it won't be such easy like with Jesse Levine. Radek just love to play on hard and probably he feels the best on Flushing Meadows courts. His last year battle with Djokovic was just epic and if last year finalist was only able to stop him in thrilling 5 setter that means something. In spite that Stepanek lost all in first round of his last 3 tours I believe in his form, skills and huge experience. He lost to players like Lopez, Llodra and Andreev. Llodra is a big server but much more classy than Chris so we can't say that Radek don't know how to play against strong-serve players. Stepanek style serve&volley is still very dangerous. Under the net he should finish Guccione who don't seems to poses enough abilities to stop Czech attacks. In first round Stepanek without problems beat wall-exchanging Potito Starace and I think against Guccione bit fellow he won't meet problems too. The only risk that something will went bad in tie-break, because it is always a kind of lottery. 

Pick: Stepanek to win 3:0 in sets at 2.50 with CentreBet: 3/10

Tommy Robredo - Marat Safin

Yes, I remember well how I was writing to you that Robredo is worth not much on hard but still not much don't means nothing and I expect that Robredo specific style will come well against mad-Marat game. H2h show that Robredo even on hard was finding way to beat Marat even in times when Russian was in top of ATP. Tommy leads 3-1 and twice he won on hard. Safin after Wimbledon slowed down again and he didn't convinced me in tours before US Open that he is ready to fight here like he used too in England. Loss to Tursunov is not a shame, but with Gremelmayr and injury with Fognini gives more hopes for Tommy. Very long and thrilling match against Spadea in first round. Marat argue a lot with referee, he even left a court for a while, he was able to win this but Robredo concerning to their styles will be much harder opponent. Robredo maybe don't poses great serve, but he is doing not much unforced errors and if he catch a day he knows how to exchange, exchange and exchange more hits. He also didn't shine before US Open losing with Soderling, Cilic and Seppi, but here in US Open much nicer he looked against Zverev beating him without many problems, and Zverev in last tours was showing some decent tennis. Only 17 unforced errors on Robredo account looks good. I believe that if he was able to beat Safin in times of his glory, now when Safin isn't presenting great he will do this too.

Pick: Robredo to win with -1.5 set handicap at 2.30 with Bet-at-home: 2/10

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga - Carlos Moya

I won't say that this is pick of the day, but I can see some value in this pick. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is back on court and I hope knee problems won't catch him again. Nig French-man didn't played for a while and here's a big risk because I'm betting this only on base of watching his match against Ventura in first round. We all know big French-man style. His tennis is very effective and crowd love him, but in spite of other players that play effective his magic hits many time hit the court which amazed everyone especially at Australian Open where he reached final. Of course terrible surgery for sure lowed his form but I believe after seeing him that he is able to go through today's opponent. Against Ventura he won 3:1. In first set Ventura quickly break him in early games and had a leading of 4-2. Tsonga was looking quite sleepy, but point after point he started to get flashes of game like we used to see before his injury. He manage to get 6-6 result and lost the tie-break, but Ventura was playing great and he is a experts in tie-breaks because he didn't lost a tie-break in this season and won 7. Few wrong decisions with volley direction buried this tie-break. After that Tsonga started to control the game and didn't gave too much chances to Spaniard. In final set Ventura didn't survive game speed and gave up easily. But still I think Tsonga isn't totally new and he prepared some form for this Grand Slam. French-man is a kind of player that from match to match in every tour is starting to play better, faster, harder, and his confidence is growing. I expect he will play even better today against Moya, who maybe is a harder opponent that Ventura but still I rate him in Jo-Wilfried range. Carlos Moya best times passed and let's face it. I have big respect to this player but in my opinion he should end his career few month ago. In last few months he noticed only two good performances in Hamburg and not long time ago in Cincinnati. He beat Tipsarevic, but according to Serbian informations Janko was playing injured. He beat Davydenko, I won't write some spy stories, but we all know that Nikolay from time to time is losing matches where he is a favourite. He bite a set from later title claimer Murray and that means that he is still a classy player but also I still remember his match against Haas, where he struggled so badly, so many errors and such weak second serve. In Los Angeles loss to Amer Delic who shouldn't be a threat for him after good time in Cincinnati. Here in US Open I really didn't like his game against Quereshi. Quereshi a player who can be any threat only on grass in my opinion. And still Carloss lost a set, had to win one in tie-break and who would know how it could end if Quereshi would poses better stamina. If Carlos won't present good 2'nd serve Tsonga will punish him. The better will win but I can see value in betting on Tsonga.

Pick: Tsonga to win at 1.90 with Unibet: 5/10

Pick: Tsonga to win 3:0 in sets at 5.50 with William Hill: 2/10