Day 3 of Wimbledon this year will see a lot more than the scheduled 16 women’s matches. Due to the rain the first few days, plenty of matches have been pushed off from Tuesday to Wednesday. We’ve already shared our thoughts on those matches with you, so today we present our predictions for the 16 Round 2 matches scheduled. We look at four matches in this article, and the other 12 are split between three other articles. One features Aryna Sabalenka vs Katie Boulter, the second headlines Elena Rybakina vs Claire Liu, and the third features Venus Williams vs Ons Jabeur. Predicting this set of matches are Jim Smith, Damian Kust, and Yesh Ginsburg.
Wimbledon Day 3 Women’s Predictions
Ekaterina Alexandrova vs Maria Camila Osorio Serrano
Damian:
The Colombian is having a stunning breakout season, but this is hardly her best surface. On grass, the sheer power of Alexandrova will probably make this match a nightmare for her.
Prediction: Alexandrova in 2
Jim:
Maria Osorio Serrano is principally known for her ability on the clay, but the Colombian impressed in battling through the qualifying and then recovered from a slow start to beat Anna Kalinskaya 1-6 6-0 6-4. Ekaterina Alexandrova, however, looked very sharp in dismissing Laura Siegemund in the first round and should have too much quality for the qualifier.
Prediction: Alexandrova in 2
Yesh:
I was really impressed with the young Colombian in her opening match. She’s still getting used to the grass, but her talent is as undeniable as it is elite. This will be a great chance to show it on the biggest stage in tennis.
Prediction: Osorio Serrano in 3
Madison Brengle vs Sofia Kenin
Damian:
Kenin missed the grass-court warm-ups but it looks like she won’t be wasting much time adjusting. She already owns a WTA title on grass and her double-hander is a weapon to be reckoned with. Brengle might be left without enough answers here.
Prediction: Kenin in 3
Jim:
Slowly but surely, Sofia Kenin looks to be getting back into contention. She has never been a flashy player and the margins between success and failure are quite small. But she has been on the right side of those margins increasingly often over the last few weeks. Expect her to be so again when she takes on Madison Brengle.
Prediction: Kenin in 3
Yesh:
Kenin finally looks back in full form. The grass impedes her game somewhat, but her slices are more lethal than ever on the surface. Expect her to frustrate her opponent before controlling the match late.
Prediction: Kenin in 3
Karolina Pliskova vs Donna Vekic
Damian:
My gut feeling about Pliskova going deep this year still stands. A victory like against Zidansek where she had to clutch out the first set can only help her, and Vekic hasn’t been in great form anyway, although she did catch some fire in the grass season.
Prediction: Pliskova in 3
Jim:
Karolina Pliskova had to dig deep to get past French Open semifinalist Tamara Zidansek. It was a win she badly needed, but it is hard to see her backing it up against Donna Vekic. The Croatian has a solid record at Wimbledon and played very well in the first round to brush aside Anastasia Potapova. If she can find that level again, expect her to book her place in the third round.
Prediction: Vekic in 3
Yesh:
Pliskova hasn’t played well in a while. Vekic, meanwhile, hasn’t played in a while in general. She’s making her way back into the game, though, and she loves the grass courts. Look for an upset here.
Prediction: Vekic in 3
Marria Sakkari vs Shelby Rogers
Damian:
Potentially one of the matches of the round, but looking at it historically, Wimbledon has been by far Rogers’s worst slam. The American is a regular at providing upsets, but I don’t think this will be one.
Prediction: Sakkari in 3
Jim:
Maria Sakkari made a very impressive start to her campaign at Wimbledon, losing just two games as she swept past Arantxa Rus. Shelby Rogers will likely offer more resistance, with the American’s power ensuring she can always do damage to opponents. But Sakkari has the more complete game and should be the player to reach the Round of 32.
Prediction: Sakkari in 2
Yesh:
Sakkari didn’t win the French Open a few weeks ago, which was honestly a bit surprising coming into the semifinals. The Greek doesn’t seem down from that at all, though. She looked as dominant as ever in her opening match, and expect that to continue.
Prediction: Sakkari in 2
Main Photo from Getty.
