Expect an exciting day at the All England Club. As always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the slate, including Holger Rune vs Kwon Soon-woo, Andrey Rublev vs Fransisco Comesana, Alexander Zverev vs Roberto Carballes Baena, Hubert Hurkacz vs Radu Albot, Andy Murray vs Tomas Machac, Alex de Minaur vs James Duckworth, and Novak Djokovic vs Vit Kopriva. But who will reach the second round at Wimbledon?
Wimbledon Day 2 Predictions
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Taro Daniel
Jim: Stefanos Tsitsipas, after a promising start to his career at Wimbledon, has failed to kick on, though he did match his career-best effort last year by reaching the fourth round. Taro Daniel, meanwhile, has never won a match at the All England Club. Tsitsipas should have the edge here.
Prediction: Tsitsipas in 3
Damian: Tsitsipas on grass is a bit of a mystery as he can always run into a big server and struggle mightily on the BH return. But some of the tennis he played at Wimbledon last year was just astonishing and he has that gear in him as well. Matchups like Daniel don’t seem to fall into danger zone for him, there’s not much the Japanese can do to hurt the seed.
Prediction: Tsitsipas in 3
Yesh: Tsitsipas has a lot to prove as he’s falling behind the tier of potential elites. He’s still close to it, though, so he’ll have no trouble here.
Prediction: Tsitsipas in 3
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Francisco Cerundolo vs Roman Safiullin
Jim: Like most of his countrymen, Francsico Cerundolo is more at home on clay than on the grass. But he is such a clean ball-striker that he has proven more adaptable than some and could do some damage at Wimbledon. Roman Safiullin will be a tricky opponent, but Cerundolo is that much better at tempering his aggression with accuracy, which should prove the difference.
Prediction: Cerundolo in 4
Damian: Two players who are extremely erratic and you have absolutely no idea what they’re gonna bring on a given day. Cerundolo has historically done okay in the longer format with the extra leniency it gives him, but the same can be said about Safiullin’s game profile. This one is just gonna be gut feeling.
Prediction: Cerundolo in 5
Yesh: Safiullin came out blazing at the start a few years ago, but he’s regressed to a middling player since then. Then again, Francisco Cerundolo hasn’t sustained his best form from a year ago either. On grass, I’ll take the bigger hitter. Barely.
Prediction: Safiullin in 4
Jack Draper vs Elias Ymer
Jim: It will be interesting to see how Jack Draper copes with the pressure of expectation at Wimbledon. One suspects that anything short of a run to the second week will be a disappointment after his thrilling win over Carlos Alcaraz at Queen’s. He should be able to negotiate this first hurdle easily enough.
Prediction: Draper in 3
Damian: This is Draper’s moment. It’s okay for him to lose to Zverev or Fritz of course, but he absolutely has to get there. Ymer did well to qualify in what’s been a baffling season of two big runs and lots of blowout losses. This will likely fall into the latter category; Draper has every tool in his hands here.
Prediction: Draper in 3
Yesh: Draper is ready to be the next face of British tennis. He can’t do that if he falls at the first hurdle at Wimbledon.
Prediction: Draper in 3
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Alexei Popyrin vs Thiago Monteiro
Jim: Alexei Popyrin delivered a wayward performance against Andy Murray in the first round at Queen’s, but did play some good tennis in the qualifying there, winning both his matches in straight-sets. Thiago Monteiro, meanwhile, enjoyed a good spell on the clay, but it is hard to see him replicating that on the grass.
Prediction: Popyrin in 4
Damian: Monteiro was playing the best tennis of his career recently and he sometimes produces these unexpected wins on hard or grass. Popyrin isn’t impenetrable here if the Brazilian serves well, but it’s still a match where the position of the favourite is pretty clear.
Prediction: Popyrin in 4
Yesh: Popyrin looked ready to join the ranks of the elite a few times over the last few years, but it’s never stuck. Still, he likes the grass a lot better than Monteiro, so he should be fine in this one.
Prediction: Popyrin in 3
Main photo credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports