Wimbledon day 2 features Jordan Thompson against countryman Nick Kyrgios, and Rafael Nadal vs Yuichi Sugita as matchups worth watching. Our panelists Harsh Bhoot, Steen Kirby, and Yesh Ginsburg offer up their predictions. (Don’t worry, we have predictions for three other sets of matches too. One features Roger Federer vs Lloyd Harris, the second highlights Sam Querrey vs Dominic Thiem, and the third headlines Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs Bernard Tomic.)
Rafael Nadal vs Yuichi Sugita
Harsh: Rafael Nadal didn’t like when he was bumped down to No. 3 and he’s going to hate it even further after seeing the draw. In a mercurial quarter with threats looming large, the two-time Wimbledon champ would likely take it match by match. Yuichi Sugita won’t make it easy as grass is easily his best surface but Rafa should find a way to reach the second round. Nadal in 3
Steen: Nadal at Wimbledon has been shaky in the past few years of his career, and Sugita will be hungry to prove himself, however, there is still a massive talent gap here and you can’t go against a Nadal rout, even on grass. Nadal in 3
Yesh: Yuichi Sugita isn’t the easiest of opponents for Nadal to face on grass, but he doesn’t quite have the power to be a real threat. This will entirely depend on Nadal’s form, though, as he can struggle in Wimbledon’s early rounds. Nadal in 3
Nick Kyrgios vs Jordan Thompson
Harsh: The all-Australian battle is one of the more exciting first round clashes purely because of the enigma that is Nick Kyrgios and the grass court form of Jordan Thompson. You never know which Nick Kyrgios is going to turn up but if he wants to set a showdown with Rafa he’ll have to play much much better than he has this season. Thompson would be confident heading into this match and should have enough to get past Nick Kyrgios. Thompson in 4
Steen: Kyrgios is not in good form, he’s always been capable of playing incredible tennis on grass, but Thompson is great on the surface as well and he’s actually playing well right now. Kyrgios is the bigger name but many Australians now believe Thompson has the brighter future ahead, he should win this one and show the rest of the world why. Thompson in 4
Yesh: This is the biggest match of the day. Not because of who is in it, but because of who the winner will face. Can Nick Kyrgios keep his wits about him long enough to earn a second-round meeting with Nadal? I’m guessing yes, but with Kyrgios that’s all it ever is–a guess. Kyrgios in 3
Gilles Simon vs Sal Caruso
Harsh: Gilles Simon takes on his French Open 2019 conqueror Salvatore Caruso and will be eager to avenge that loss. Simon has form to bank on reaching the final at Queen’s and the quarters at Eastbourne. Caruso on the other hand is yet to win a main draw match on grass this year. It should be an easy win for Simon. Simon in 3
Steen: Caruso will be happy to be here, but as long as he’s fit, Simon, who is at home on this surface, will routine the dirtballing Italian and quickly reach the second round. Simon in 3
Yesh: Caruso had a dream run at the French Open, but beating Gilles Simon on grass is a rough ask. Simon somehow manages to turn even grass matches into a grind, and he can usually come out on top. Simon in 3
Dan Evans vs Federico Delbonis
Harsh: In his career Federico Delbonis is 0-7 on grass court matches clearly highlighting he doesn’t enjoy grass as much as clay. His opponent, British Daniel Evans would be keeping that stat in mind hoping to continue that trend. Evans showed glimpses of his best form at Eastbourne bowing out in the quarters to Edmund in three sets. Delbonis lost in the first round at Antalya and his Wimbledon woes seems it’s going to continue. Evans in 4
Steen: Evans is slowly but surely returning to the best level of his career, playing at home and on a surface that he’s comfortable on, he’s the favorite against the steady but unimpressive Argentine. Evans in 4
Yesh: Dan Evans is trying to get back to where he once was. With a decent matchup in front of his home fans, he should be able to advance at least one round here. Evans in 4
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