Grand Slam Professional Tennis Predictions and Picks by Nick Bollettieri. US Open, French Open, Wimbledon, Australian Open

Since she made her great run to the third round at Miami, many of you have asked about Michelle Larcher de Brito, and when she is going to play again. Well, the 15-year old NBTA student will look to recapture some of that magic this week in Estoril. She will be playing in front of her home crowd in Portugal, and will face Croat Sanda Mamic in the first round. This is a good draw for Larcher de Brito, as she will be the favorite to win a WTA match for the first time in her career. Up until now, Larcher de Brito has always been the lower ranked player, but not in this match. Mamic comes in ranked #471, while Larcher de Brito is #234. It will be interesting to see how she handles the pressure of being the favorite as well as playing in front of her family and friends.

Another young Portuguese native, Gastao “Pepe” Elias, received a wild card on the men’s side. Elias, 17, also makes the NBTA his home. He comes into the tournament ranked #613 in the world, and will face eighth-seeded Michael Berrer in the first round. Yesterday, Elias got to practice with Roger Federer on the stadium court. What a thrill for the young man to get to hit some balls with the world’s best. If you haven’t gotten a chance to see Elias play, please do. The kid is so smooth and his talent level is right up there with the best in the world. The way he moves and hits the ball, he reminds me of Richard Gasquet.