ROUND 2.....
5* - Sonego / Humbert OVER 38.5 (-110)
One of the more intriguing matches on Wednesday. Ugo and Lorenzo will look to hit the cover off the ball. Who can hit the biggest, for the longest? That's the real question. Sonego and Humbert each have put up one win in their head-to-head matches. The pair last met on April 11, 2023, with Sonego finishing on top 3-6, 7-5, 7-5. At the end of April, Lorenzo defeated Hugo in Monte Carlo in a brilliant three-set fight. And it is possible that something similar will happen this time. I do give a slight nod to the Frenchman, but I think it'll be a slugfest, so I'll play the Over. I think this one goes 5 sets.
5* - Arnaldi / Shapovalov OVER 37.5 (-117)
I've said this time and time again here. I have faded Shapovalov many times. He is a head-case and you just don't know when the wheels will fall off. This doesn't mean the guy doesn't give effort. The Canadian’s form has been poor leading in and it will be interesting to see how he deals with the rising star of the Italian - Matteo Arnaldi, 14-3 on clay since the start of April. I think Arnaldi will be a tough out but with how little experience the Italian has on the biggest stages, but to me it's a toss up on who comes out on top in this match. It should be a fun back & forth battle.
5* - Sloane Stephens ML (-160)
I personally think the Russian, Gracheva is overrated. Gracheva's success comes on the hard courts. Her forehand isn't as effective on the shower surfaces. On the other hand, we got Sloane. She has reached the Finals before at Roland Garros. Sloane Stephens also made it clear after her opening match that she's not here to mess around. She dispatched Karolina Pliskova by smashing her in straight sets (6-0, 6-4). She moves well on the clay, has the ability to turn up the aggression, works the ball around the court and isn’t rushed into committing unforced errors nearly as much. This is Sloane's favorite surface and I'll gladly back her to keep progressing through the draw.
3* - Lucas Pouille ML (+315)
I'm not sure if any of you have read the story or know much about the Frenchman, Lucas Pouille. Pouille was not the same player as he was before surgery and the 29-year-old later explained that he was battling depression and turned to alcohol to deal with the pressures of being a professional tennis player. Seems like a different player out there now, and feels like a "second chance" after beating Rodionov in the final round of qualification for the French. Lucas was a former World #10 and before the French was ranked #670. What a difference a few years makes. Cam Norrie also doesn’t really have the toolkit to overwhelm any player, which makes his margins for error quite thin. With a raucous French crowd behind him (who know his story), the local countryman Pouille is worth a solid bet for me to pull off the major upset.
1* - 4 Team Parlay: Humbert OVER 38.5 + Shapovalov OVER 37.5 + Stephens ML + Pouille ML (+2287)