The ATP’s tournament at Queen’s Club, named the Aegon Championships, hasn’t fully finished the first round, and the same is true in Halle, Germany, at the Gerry Weber Open. As a result, our tennis picks from yesterday are still ongoing in one match, although two others have been decided. We still have Juan Martin Del Potro going for us in his showdown with John Isner today, but we did end up losing our first two picks. We had Nick Kyrgios to upend Milos Raonic in what was expected to be a close matchup, and while it was a narrow result, it wasn’t a positive one for us. Kyrgios won the first set before dropping the final two 6-4, 6-4. We also had Gilles Simon to beat Kyle Edmund and while each of them split the first two sets, Simon packed it in for the third set and ended up losing it 6-1.
So it’s on to Wednesday as these two ATP 500 tournaments swing into action on Wednesday with a lot of different competitions. Here are some of the more high-profile tennis picks on the card.
HALLE FIRST ROUND: Dominic Thiem vs. Joao Sousa
There is a question being asked by a lot of tennis bettors right now: When will Dominic Thiem slow down? It’s really quite amazing. Thiem is playing tennis every week. He played the week before the French Open. He played the first week after Wimbledon and won Stuttgart, beating Roger Federer in the semifinals. Thiem is taking virtually no time off from tennis. He went deep at the French Open, playing in the semifinals on the second Friday of that event. Now, days after winning a rain-delayed Stuttgart final on Monday, Thiem takes the court on Wednesday to start his Halle tournament. This is very much a trap for Thiem, who might be physically flat, emotionally flat, or both after surviving the weather in Stuttgart. You’re probably not going to see Thiem play at his best. It feels like a match in which he should struggle. However, this is where betting on Thiem against a player other than Djokovic or Murray or Wawrinka makes sense: He knows how to fight. Thiem lost the first set of his Stuttgart quarterfinal against Mikhail Youzhny and came back to win. He lost the first set against Federer and came back to win. Opponents are playing tough tennis against him, but Thiem almost always has the answer, despite playing every week and not giving himself a chance to wind down a bit. Sousa might take this match three sets, but Thiem has to be trusted with the ability to eventually get the job done. Take Thiem for your tennis picks.
Pick: Thiem in three sets
HALLE FIRST ROUND: Roger Federer vs. Jan-Lennard Struff
This should be a routine match for Federer, who didn’t win Stuttgart but got ample match practice with three tests, ending with the loss to Thiem in a tight three-setter. Federer said after the Stuttgart tournament that he was feeling physically better, and that his very recent back injury – which caused him to miss the French Open and stop his streak of consecutive majors played at 65 – is healing. As long as Federer is healthy and therefore able to focus on the court and the task in front of him, he should do well. Can Struff bother him? It’s not very likely, so take Federer with your tennis picks.
Pick: Federer in straight sets
QUEEN’S CLUB SECOND ROUND: Janko Tipsarevic vs. Marin Cilic
This is a matchup in which Tipsarevic, a former top-10 player, will get to play the 2014 U.S. Open champion. It’s a big opportunity for Tipsarevic to make a name for himself once again. Tipsarevic’s career was sidetracked by injuries, and even when he played, he didn’t seem to be everything he once was. He’s capable of getting better, but it takes enormous effort. Cilic should be able to win a lot more points on serve and establish an advantage he’ll keep throughout the match. Cilic is the better choice for your tennis picks in this spot.
Pick: Cilic in straight sets
