Emil Ruusuvuori and Alejandro Tabilo will have no days off after completing their first-round matches at a rain-delayed Wimbledon event on Wednesday. Next up for them, respectively, are Stefanos Tsitsipas and Flavio Cobolli.
Emil Ruusuvuori vs. (11) Stefanos Tsitsipas
Tsitsipas and Ruusuvuori will be going head-to-head for the third time in their careers when they clash in the Wimbledon second round on Thursday. Both of their previous meetings have come on indoor hard courts, with Tsitsipas prevailing 6-2, 6-2 in the 2022 Stockholm semifinals and 7-5, 6-1 early last season in Rotterdam.
Although grass is not a great surface for either player, it certainly doesn’t help Ruusuvuori in his effort to turn the tide. The 87th-ranked Greek still has a losing record on it all time (13-14) after battling past Mackenzie McDonald from a match point down on Wednesday. Tsitsipas also doesn’t love this surface, but he has quietly compiled a decent 26-18 record on it. The 11th-ranked Greek had no trouble with Taro Daniel in round one on Tuesday, cruising 7-6(5), 6-4, 7-5. Tsitsipas probably isn’t playing consistent enough tennis to put Ruusuvuori away quickly, but the favorite should advance.
Pick: Tsitsipas in 4
Flavio Cobolli vs. (24) Alejandro Tabilo
Tabilo is in the midst of by far his best season on tour and he is doing it on every surface. The 27-year-old Chilean has captured the first two ATP titles of his career on hard courts (Auckland) and grass (Mallorca) to go along with a semifinal run at the Rome Masters. Tabilo’s triumph this past weekend in Mallorca propelled him into the top 20 for the first time in his career (19th).
The left-hander took care of a less-than-100-percent Dan Evans 6-2, 7-5, 6-3 on Wednesday and will now face Cobolli for the second time. They recently squared off on the red clay of Madrid, where Cobolli got the job done 5-7, 6-4, 6-4. The 22-year-old Italian is also playing by far the best tennis of his young career, so this promises to be one of Thursday’s best matches. With Tabilo a mere 3-5 lifetime on the lawns, a slight edge goes to a red-hot Tabilo.
Pick: Tabilo in 5