On offer in the men’s draw on day four at Wimbledon is a great selection of matches, including heavyweight battles and overlooked gems, and here at LWOT we are offering our predictions for 16 of the most intriguing clashes. That includes Roger Federer’s clash with the unheralded Jay Clarke, Rafael Nadal’s chance for revenge on Nick Kyrgios and Japanese #1 Kei Nishikori’s contest with home hope Cameron Norrie. Predicting this slate of four matches are Jim Smith, Yesh Ginsburg and Steen Kirby.
Wimbledon Day Four Predictions
Mikhail Kukushkin vs John Isner
Jim: Isner, who returned after a long period out with a foot injury, looked impressive in dispatching Casper Ruud in straight sets. But Kukushkin will provide him with a real test. The Kazakh’s flat, aggressive shots off both wings make him dangerous on a grass court. But Isner’s serve gives him a supremely reliable weapon and it should carry him through in this one.
Prediction: Isner in 4
Yesh: Isner looked very ginger in his first match. It’s not clear if he was just being overly cautious, or if his foot isn’t fully healed yet. Either way, his serve and strong forehand (and a resurgent backhand) should power him past Kukushkin.
Prediction: Isner in 4
Steen: Isner has never lost to Kukushkin, despite still being partially limited in his recovery from a foot injury his serve will help him grab a win.
Prediction: Isner in 3
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Gilles Simon vs Tennys Sandgren
Jim: The defensively minded Simon may not be the most obviously natural grass-courter, but he has had some fine results on the surface, not least making the final at Queen’s Club last month. He can inject surprising power into the ball when he needs to and is surely, with good reason, the strong favourite ahead of this clash.
Prediction: Simon in 4
Yesh: Simon is generally solid on grass, but he really struggled in his opening match against Salvatore Caruso. Sandgren started out slow, but closed out his opening match strong. Unless Simon raises his level, this might be an early exit for him.
Prediction: Sandgren in 4
Steen: Simon is on grass against an opponent he’s never lost to in Sandgren Anything is possible but Simon would be a good pick for the suicide tennis pool this round.
Prediction Simon in 3
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Dominik Koepfer vs Diego Schwartzman
Jim: Koepfer is hardly a household name, but he played well to beat Filip Krajinovic in the first round, earning his maiden win at a Major in the process. Schwartzman, meanwhile, has been displaying a newfound affinity for grass-court tennis this season and his four-set win over Matthew Ebden was on of the best of his grass-court career. His excellent returning and ability to take the ball on the rise should serve him well in this clash.
Prediction: Schwartzman in 3
Yesh: Koepfer took advantage of mistakes by Filip Krajinovic to get to the second round. The German looked comfortable on the grass, but he now faces a player who’s just better than him overall.
Prediction: Schwartzman in 4
Steen: Koepfer is in incredible grass-court form, he just won a challenger and will challenge the Argentinian here. But Schwartzman isn’t in bad form on the surface himself though, and his win over the serve-volleying Ebden was impressive. Fatigue might just catch up with the German.
Prediction: Schwartzman in 3
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Marin Cilic vs Joao Sousa
Jim: Cilic may have come into this year’s Wimbledon in rather poor form, but the Croatian is never better than when the pressure is off. His game is perfect for grass-court tennis and as long as he is playing with confidence, he is a hard man to stop. Sousa too can handle himself on the grass, but he seems likely to be out-muscled by the 2018 runner-up.
Prediction: Cilic in 4
Yesh: Cilic needed two tiebreaks to beat a tough opening opponent in Adrian Mannarino of France, but managed to come through in straight-sets. It will get easier for the former finalist in the second round up against the Portuguese Sousa.
Prediction: Cilic in 3
Steen: Cilic has never lost to Sousa and he’s far better on grass. This one won’t be close.
Prediction: Cilic in 3
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