Andy Schooler picks out his huge tennis tips for the first-round matches at this week’s ATP Tour events in Rotterdam, Dallas and Buenos Aires.
Andy’s Monday Huge Tennis Tips: Feb 9th 2026
There were a few long shots which made my shortlist this week. In Rotterdam, Ugo Humbert leads Daniil Medvedev 3-1 across their previous three meetings, although I’m a bit put off by the slower conditions in Rotterdam. Meanwhile, Tommy Paul will surely be a bit jaded in Dallas having been in Hungary on Sunday with the USA Davis Cup team. He played on clay there and must now adjust to the considerably faster hardcourt surface, although he’ll have very little time to do so. However, opponent Jenson Brooksby, a former finalist at the event, hasn’t started the year well.
Huge Tennis Tips: Taylor Fritz v Marcos Giron
So, instead, I’m turning to the match which first caught my eye. Giron looks a big price to topple top seed Fritz in Dallas, an event at which he’s beaten him before. Giron is a former finalist here (in 2024), while he’s also played in a semi-final and quarter-final since the tournament moved to Texas in 2022. Crucially, he’s started 2026 really well, making the last four in both Hong Kong and Auckland before losing in five sets to eventual quarter-finalist Learner Tien in the first round of the Australian Open.
Fritz, on the other hand, has continued to struggle with tendintis in his knees, an affliction which was bothering him at the end of last season. The short off-season clearly hasn’t been long enough for him to rest sufficiently. Fritz actually leads 5-2 on the head-to-head but Giron has nearly always been competitive – three of his last four losses have been tight, three-set affairs. With Fritz just 4-3 in Dallas in his previous appearances, I think Giron is worth a shot here at close to 2/1.
Huge Tennis Tips: Camilo Ugo Carabelli v Francisco Comesana
Two Argentines clash in the first round in Buenos Aries. Ugo Carabelli is the seeded player in this match-up but he’s also the underdog and I’m not too sure why. The sixth seed was a consistent threat at these lower-ranked clay events in 2025, making semi-finals in Rio and Santiago during this ‘Golden Swing’ in South America in February. And in the summer, he then went and made the last four in both Bastad and Umag.
Comesana is no mug on this surface but his record isn’t as good and you have to go back to Cincinnati in August to find the last time he won back-to-back matches on the main tour, which says something about his form. So, too, does the fact that last week he lost to world number 268 Pedro Boscardin Dias at the Challenger tournament in Rosario, one at which Ugo Carabelli made the final.
Perhaps the layers feel that effort will have left him spent for this week but I believe he’ll be fully motivated about playing in his home country’s one-and-only ATP Tour event and ready to push himself hard again. Add in the fact that Ugo Carabelli won their only previous encounter (albeit several years ago now) and, I can’t get away from the feeling that the prices are the wrong way round.
Huge Tennis Tips: Zizou Bergs v Fabian Marozsan
Across the Atlantic in Rotterdam, Bergs opened as underdog but has now gone slight favourite. However, he still looks worth backing. He was impressive Down Under, helping Belgium reach the last four of the United Cup, thanks to wins over Felix Auger-Aliassime and Jakub Mensik. He also pushed Hubert Hurkacz at the Australian Open.
Last season, Bergs made the semis in Marseille on indoor hard at this time of year and while Marozsan is no mug, I feel he’s vulnerable here. One suspects the layers have noted his 2-0 lead on the head-to-head but both of those matches were played on clay and, to me, the in-form Bergs is a decent price to turn the tables on this surface.
Huge Tennis Tips: February 9th 2026
Giron to beat Fritz @ 2.9 with kwiff
Ugo Carabelli to beat Comesana @ 1.95 with kwiff
Bergs to beat Marozsan @ 1.78 with kwiff
Please note that the information provided in this Huge Tennis Tips article is for entertainment purposes only. We do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information provided. Any action you take upon the information on this article is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any losses and damages in connection with the use of our article. We do not encourage gambling and remind you to gamble responsibly.
18+ | BeGambleAware.org
