Wimbledon 2021 presents perhaps one of the final opportunities to see Feliciano Lopez serve and volley on grass, he takes on Britain’s own Dan Evans in the first round. Our panelists have predictions all of the matches from the first day of the tournament including Novak Djokovic’s match.
Andrey Rublev vs Federico Delbonis
Pablo Mosquera Hasselbaink: Like his lefty compatriot Bagnis, Delbonis is not a fan of grass court tennis. Per Tennis Abstract, he’s 0-9 for his career. No reason to be alarmed if you are a Rublev fan it seems. The Russian is coming off of a final run in Halle, which has surely boosted his confidence following a disappointing Roland Garros. Rublev in 3
Anurag Sahay: Statistically, Rublev has a particularly impressive record against left- handed opponents and if he wins the first set he is about 10% more likely than most on the tour to win the match. Why do we even need these numbers? It is Rublev. Rublev in 3
Pedro Martinez vs Stefano Travaglia
Pablo: Martinez Portero was run over by Nicola Kuhn in Mallorca. That doesn’t bode well for his Wimbledon prospects. Conversely, Travaglia has passed the eye test this past few weeks, despite his losing record. He pushed eventual champion Matteo Berrettini to a 7-6 7-6 decision at Queen’s, then beat Guido Pella and lost to Roberto Bautista Agut in Mallorca. Travaglia in 4
Anurag: Any second thoughts here? Martinez is yet to win a match on grass. This should be a routine match with the Italian cruising past Martinez in straight sets. Travaglia in 3
Jiri Vesely vs Yannick Hanfmann
Pablo: His recent results suggest he’s not quite at that level, but the last two times he played at SW19, Vesely reached the R16 (2018) and R32 (2019). The Czech lefty has validated his grass credentials, whereas former USC great Hanfmann is must still answer some questions before earning my trust on the surface. Vesely in 4
Anurag: Vesely has a lot of experience under his belt, especially at the All England Club. That alone gives him a huge advantage over the German who has had a horrendous record on grass. His form is a bit off though, so I give Hanfmann a set. Vesely in 4
Dan Evans vs Feliciano Lopez
Pablo: If this isn’t on Center Court or Court One, I riot. Unquestionably one of the best matches of the day. A three-time quarterfinalist (2005, 2008, 2011), Lopez is still going strong in his age-40 campaign. I can’t wait to see the slice down-the-line battles between him and Evans. Nobody is due anything in pro tennis. Every win must be earned on court through sweat and tears, but the Brit has the ability to go deep on grass and it may happen this year. Evans in 5
Anurag: The Brit is enjoying a blast this season, but one can speak for the veteran’s record on grass. Lopez is arguably better placed to win this match, especially given Evans’ experience on grass. Lopez in 4
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