The feature match on Wimbledon‘s center court for day 1 of the tournament is defending champion Novak Djokovic vs Philipp Kohlschreiber, a capable grass court player who will be aiming for the upset. Feliciano Lopez and Milos Raonic also start their tournaments in London, and our panelists Steen Kirby and Yesh Ginsburg are on hand to offer their predictions. We also have predictions featuring Gael Monfils, Alexander Zverev, and Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Novak Djokovic vs Philipp Kohlschreiber
Yesh: Djokovic got a rough draw to open the tournament, but he’s just too good to fall here. Don’t be surprised if the strong-serving Kohlschreiber keeps things close, though. Djokovic in 4
Steen: Djokovic has a h2h Wimbledon win in his favor when it comes to this matchup, and despite playing in a couple of grass court tournaments prior to this one, Kohlschreiber has not won a match on the surface this year. Father time is weighing on Kohli’s career, and Djokovic should be able to win this match rather routinely. Djokovic in 3
Andreas Seppi vs Nicolas Jarry
Yesh: Seppi is a solid player, but he’s aging and grass never was his favorite. Jarry is a rising star with a huge serve. He’s tall, so the low bounce could trouble him a little, but expect the youngster to move through. Jarry in 4
Steen: This should be a competitive matchup, Jarry has shown some ability on the grass despite preferring clay, and Seppi has had a poor season overall. I expect the Chilean to grab the win. Jarry in 4
Milos Raonic vs Prajnesh Gunneswaran
Yesh: Raonic returns to Wimbledon and gets a good draw to start. Gunneswaran is talented and is doing wonders for Indian tennis, but he can’t touch Raonic on grass. Raonic in 3
Steen: Raonic continues to struggle to stay fit, but he’s more than capable on this surface and Gunneswaran hasn’t yet gained the experience needed to win a match like this. As long as Raonic can physically compete, he’ll win his opening match. Raonic in 3
Feliciano Lopez vs Marcos Giron
Yesh: Feliciano Lopez is clearly on the last legs of his career, at least in singles. He still plays well on the grass, though, and that should be enough to move past Giron. Lopez in 3
Steen: The qualifier Giron can’t be happy to have to face one of the few grass court specialists in men’s tennis. Lopez won’t be an active singles player for much longer, but he’s long excelled on grass, including the singles title he just lifted at Queens Club. Look for Lopez to keep the momentum going. Lopez in 3
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