Day 1 of Wimbledon is one of the most hectic days on the tennis calendar. Half of the first round–32 men’s matches and 32 women’s matches–will be completed on Monday. As always, we’re here at LWOT to share our thoughts on all of them for you. The women’s matches are split between eight sets of predictions. In addition to this article, we have articles featuring Karolina Pliskova vs Tamara Zidansek, Garbine Muguruza vs Fiona Ferro, Jessica Pegula vs Caroline Garcia, Iga Swiatek vs Su-Wei Hsieh, Madison Keys vs Katie Swan, Venus Williams vs Mihaela Buzarnescu, and Sofia Kenin vs Xinyu Wang. Predicting this set of matches are Andrew Watson, Anurag Sahay, and Damian Kust.
Wimbledon Women’s Day 1 Predictions
Mona Barthel vs Lin Zhu
Andrew:
I think this would be the last match I would visit on the grounds today. Both players are in awful form. Both players have horrid grass court records. Barthel gets the nod as a result of a 2-0 H2H record and a better serve.
Prediction: Barthel in 2
Anurag:
Not much separates the two ladies with regards to their current form. Neither has enough match practice on grass. The German is only a shadow of the player she was eight years ago when she reached a career-high ranking. Nonetheless, she might prove to be too good for Zhu.
Prediction: Barthel in 2
Damian:
A very tough call and one of the weakest opening-round matchups. However, Zhu was just dreadful in her losses to Greet Minnen and Christina McHale in recent weeks.
Prediction: Barthel in 3
Shelby Rogers vs Sam Stosur
Andrew:
The American had a… not stellar 2021, but I still think that she should have too much for the veteran Aussie. Being back at SW19 may inspire Rogers, considering her recent excellent performance here.
Prediction: Rogers in 2
Anurag:
The Australian has a better Slam record, but that does not merit her passing the Rogers test. The American, who is in fine form, should get the better of Stosur.
Prediction: Rogers in 2
Damian:
The Australian is really struggling at this point, and while there will always be glimpses of the players she once was, that’s all they are at this point–glimpses. Rogers is probably way too solid to lose this.
Prediction: Rogers in 2
Maria Camilla Osorio Serrano vs Anna Kalinskaya
Andrew:
Both players came through qualifying but between their matches five of the six went to three sets so both women are battle-hardened to say the least. This match could go the distance as well but I am just leaning to the slight bit of extra experience and slightly more convincing qualifying performances of the Russian to edge the match here.
Prediction: Kalinskaya in 3
Anurag:
This should be close. There is very little to separate these two players. How about predicting after the first set finishes? Just saying. Kalinskaya’s experience should come into play.
Prediction: Kalinskaya in 3
Damian:
A fascinating matchup between two qualifiers where Osorio Serrano is just learning to play on grass, while Kalinskaya has quite a lot of experience for her age. The Colombian’s hard-fought campaign at Roehampton might have drained her a bit too much.
Prediction: Kalinskaya in 3
Petra Kvitova vs Sloane Stephens
Andrew:
A massive clash for Round 1; most people would expect to see a match like this in the second week. I like Kvitova for the title but she has to jump this tough hurdle first. Stephens showed some good form in Paris but her record on grass over the last three years hasn’t been a winning one. Kvitova on the other hand has one of the best grass court win rates in the tournament, 75%. If the Czech is fully fit and ready then she has the game that should win this match and go deep.
Prediction: Kvitova in 3
Anurag:
Can the spindly Kvitova regain her Wimbledon glory this year? The American might find it hard to negotiate Kvitova’s serve and mighty forehand. It is also hard to imagine the two-time champion crashing out at this juncture. Kvitova, one of only two women in the draw to have won the Championships on multiple occasions, has a deep emotional connection with Wimbledon. If she can summon the ball-striking from her outing in Bad Homburg, she should see Stephens off.
Prediction: Kvitova in 3
Damian:
It’s a blockbuster (sort of), but on grass, you just have to take Kvitova. The two-time Wimbledon champion has to be the big favorite here, especially as Stephens didn’t bother playing a warm-up event.
Prediction: Kvitova in 2
Main Photo from Getty.
