For the Day 5 Panelist Predictions of women’s matches, click here.
32 men are left in the draw as Wimbledon hits Round 3 on Friday. Last word on sports contributor Niall Clarke is back to make more predictions on the five best matches tomorrow. Joining him this time are freelance journalists Manuel Traquete and Elliot Cornish.
Nick Kyrgios vs Milos Raonic
Niall: A rematch of last year’s quarter final which saw Raonic come through in four sets. Kyrgios is a better player now than he was 12 months ago, but I can still see him getting frustrated by the massive serve of Raonic. There will be a lot of tiebreaks, but I see Raonic having too much in the end.
Prediction: Raonic in 4
Manuel: A rematch of last year’s quarterfinal. Back then, Raonic won a relatively tight 4-setter, with Kyrgios struggling to do anything against the Canadian’s massive serve; a year later, Raonic has just come back from a foot surgery and doesn’t look in the best shape, but you’d still expect Kyrgios to have very little answers to his serve. The opposite is true as well though, a very tight match is expected, featuring at least a couple of tiebreaks. A Kyrgios win wouldn’t really constitute a big upset, but you’d have to back the more experienced Raonic to come through here.
Prediction: Raonic in 4
Elliot: In a repeat of their quarter-final from last year, this time around Raonic is slightly undercooked from a lack of match practice while Kyrgios has cruised through his opening two rounds. Their serves mean breaks are likely to be at a premium so this one will probably go to at least four. I fancy the Australian to get revenge from 12 months ago and pick up another big scalp.
Prediction: Kyrgios in 4
Stan Wawrinka vs Fernando Verdasco
Niall: Wawrinka is not as good on grass as elsewhere, but his serve has gotten him through a lot of matches over the past 12 months. Verdasco’s game is slightly more suited to this surface, but he is a shadow of his former self and had to play two long matches to get here. With that said he also serves big, so can frustrate Wawrinka. Ultimately though, I expect the Swiss to come through.
Prediction: Wawrinka in 3
Manuel: Two big servers and hitters, in very different moments of their careers. Wawrinka’s confidence has never been higher, while Verdasco’s form and mental strength seem to plummet by the tournament. With that said, if the Spaniard has a decent day this will likely be a very close match as is often the case when two big hitters with average return and defence face each other. Still, everything points to a Wawrinka win here.
Prediction: Wawrinka in 4
Elliot: Verdasco fought hard to sneak past Dominic Thiem but a match against the French Open champion promises to be much tougher. So far, Wawrinka has eased through while the Spaniard has been made to graft hard in two tough five-setters and could perhaps be a little weary. For Verdasco to have a chance, his serve and forehand must fire and if he can do that then he will cause problems and maybe nick a set, but I can’t see past a Wawrinka victory.
Prediction: Wawrinka in 4
Grigor Dimitrov vs Richard Gasquet
Niall: Interesting match between two players that promised so much, but have so far failed to deliver according to that hype. Gasquet has never lost to Dimitrov and has caused the Bulgarian tons of problems. Dimitrov is in his element on grass, but there is a match-up issue here mainly due to the backhand. So I am going to go with Gasquet.
Prediction: Gasquet in 5
Manuel: Two players who were billed as the next Federer but have never come close to deliver on such hype. Dimitrov reached the semi-finals last year, but his form in 2015 has been nowhere near that. Gasquet is also a former semi-finalist at Wimbledon, all the way back in 2007, and he has a 4-0 H2H record over the Bulgarian. This is another match that should be pretty close, but Gasquet’s form seems a bit better in recent months and his BH should hold up better in the rallies, making him a slight favourite to pull through here in my eyes.
Prediction: Gasquet in 4
Elliot: Both have reached semi-finals at Wimbledon before, but on current form, repeating that in 2015 seems doubtful. Neither has dropped a set so far in the tournament though and a stylish match full of entertaining shot-making should be in order – the backhand battles should be a delight to watch. With little other grass form to speak of ahead of this Slam, this bout strikes as a bit of a toss-up. I reckon Dimitrov will edge it, but wouldn’t be surprised if Gasquet is triumphant either.
Prediction: Dimitrov in 5
Marin Cilic vs John Isner
Niall: Both big serves, so breaks will likely be few. Cilic is the better returner though, which could prove to be a difference maker in this match. I think this match will see a lot of tiebreaks which means it will likely come down to nerve. I am going to go with Cilic here by virtue of his superior return.
Prediction: Cilic in 5
Manuel: There won’t be a lot of tactical nuance in this match to put it mildly; both players have huge serves, Cilic also has a very good return but that won’t matter all that much with Isner on the other side. Tiebreaks are pretty much an inevitability, and the history of this match (5-0 Cilic) suggests that the Croat is likely to win the big points, with his superior ability off the ground the key factor. If this match goes into a 5th set, it could be a very, very long one.
Prediction: Cilic in 5
Elliot: After surviving a mighty scare against Ricardas Berankis, Cilic’s job looks set to get tougher still in his third round contest with the big serving Isner. Both possess mighty deliveries and that hints at tiebreaks galore. On that basis, the Croat’s fragility on Wednesday doesn’t bode well whereas the American has won all six sets he has played so far, leaving him in good shape. Cilic hasn’t performed at the level which saw him reach the last eight at SW19 last year, never mind that which took him to US Open glory. Isner may well turn him over.
Prediction: Isner in 4
David Goffin vs Marcos Baghdatis
Niall: Quite interesting to see that Baghdatis has beaten Goffin twice this year despite the Belgian being the superior player. Unfortunately, I question whether Baghdatis can muster enough game to beat Goffin with the current injury.
Prediction: Goffin in 3
Manuel: Baghdatis has beaten Goffin twice this year, including at the Australian Open, and he’s generally the more comfortable player of the two on grass as well. However, he got injured at Nottingham last week and has played 9 sets already at Wimbledon, including a comeback from 0-2 down against Millman. You’d expect the younger and fitter Goffin to use that to his advantage against a player who’s known for his very suspect fitness. If Baghdatis were fully fresh, I’d expect him to take this, but as it stands it’s very questionable just how much he has left.
Prediction: Goffin in 4
Elliot: Goffin has waltzed through so far but the Belgian has never beaten Baghdatis and has lost to him twice in 2015 alone – including at the Australian Open. The Cypriot produced a stirring comeback from two sets down to beat John Millman last time out and is a tricky customer, despite no longer playing at the standard that saw him to the semis nearly a decade ago. I would make Goffin a slight favourite in this one as he seeks to make the last 16 of a Slam for the second time, but Baghdatis’ perfect record against him makes me think he will prevail again.
Prediction: Baghdatis in 4
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