Tennis Betting Advice - April 2025
Timings and markets have conspired against us this week...
Thursday 17th April 2025
I could have written you half a dozen emails this week, but the tournament timings - and bookie markets - have conspired against us…
Two nights running, I’ve sat with my laptop out, post-10 o’clock news, refreshing my browser windows and waiting for the bookies’ latest Outright Winner markets to appear…
Alas, the timings went against us. Sometimes, it goes that way. Unlike the Grand Slams, where the markets, mercifully, stay ‘live’ during play. For the weekly ATP & WTA Tour events, the bookies take down their outright markets during matches…
And when you get tournaments taking place in Europe, with 10am morning starts and often 10pm+ finishes (UK time) as we’ve had this week - that can leave a very small sliver of time for yours truly to compile an article and bet advice… and that’s assuming the bookies act fast to reinstate said markets. Which isn’t always the case…
Of course, once I’ve got my selections and write-ups prepared, I then need to make sure I build in enough time for you to be able to receive, see, and act on the advice. No point me slaving over an email until the early hours of the morning, only to leave a tiny amount of time for you to rush to get your bets on before the markets disappear again…
And I’m very aware that you will have work and tasks to do, commitments and distractions of your own… time schedules to adhere to, tasks and responsibilities that rightly sit higher in your breakfast-time thoughts than, Has Oliver sent me a tennis email today?
In other words, I can’t - won’t - send you an email with betting picks in it, less than an hour before I know that markets and prices will be unavailable.
I just wanted to make sure I let you know about that timing issue this week. And believe me, although you’ve only had one bet selection and email from me, I can assure you that many hours of thinking time and research have gone in here at my end. It’s all part of the process…
We also have to consider price. And - call me bloody-minded - but I can’t help but stick to my guns here. For example…
Several of the players we’ve backed as recent Ones to Watch selections are in action again this week. And still very much contention in their respective tournaments as I write (remember - with the day’s outright betting now suspended until late tonight)...
Last week at the ATP 1000 event in Monte-Carlo, we were on exciting French youngster Arthur Fils at 66/1. He got to the quarter finals, and came very close to beating eventual champion and the pre-tournament favourite, Carlos Alcaraz...
This week at the ATP 500 in Barcelona, 20-year-old Fils went off at just 16/1. He’s into the quarter finals again…
Similar cases in Barcelona right now include our beaten 33/1 semi-finalist in Monte-Carlo, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. As well as 20/1 Holger Rune, who pulled out ill for us last week - but has now returned to good health it appears, set to play in the quarter finals on Friday.
This week in Spain, Davidovich Fokina and Rune both went off at 14/1. Compared to bigger prices when we were last on them…
I could go on - but you get the point. No violins here. I’m just telling it as it is.
The good news, next week, after Easter - we’re off to Madrid. And it’s a big one. With both the men and women in action for this joint ATP and WTA ‘Masters’ 1000 event. One of the key clay-court stop-offs on the route to next month’s French Open…
The women’s Mutua Madrid Open starts on Tuesday. The men’s 1st round starts on Wednesday.
And with Madrid following the new, extended 1000-grade format of running for the best part of two weeks. We will have plenty of chances to swoop in with our Outright Winner, Each Way Ones to Watch selections. Either before a ball is hit, or during the tournament, be it with evening updates if necessary.
With extra time to also work with, as many of the top players will be seeded with byes through to round two. Meaning bigger prices for the lesser-known names we target, with odds that are more likely to stick around for a few days, until the shocks and upsets start, once the star names get involved…
P.S
I’ll be back later today with a Ones to Watch EXTRA - Notes from the Tour piece for you.
Enjoy the tennis…
Best wishes,
Oliver Upstone