After an intriguing start to the 2021 Wimbledon Championships, the action is set to continue on day four. As always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the schedule, including Victoria Azarenka vs Sorana Cirstea, Daria Kasatkina vs Jelena Ostapenko and Andrea Petkovic vs Barbora Krejcikova. But who will reach the third round?
Wimbledon Day 4 Predictions
Ashleigh Barty vs Anna Blinkova
Jim: Ash Barty was not at her crisp best in the first round with the emotion of playing against Carla Suarez Navarro both apparent and entirely understandable. But when it mattered most, she played some very good tennis. More of the same should see her past Anna Blinkova easily enough.
Prediction: Barty in 2
Damian: Barty’s match against Suarez Navarro had its ups and downs, but it’s unlikely she will have to face such opposition again here. Her deadly slice should really frustrate the Russian and as the Australian seems to have recovered from her French Open injury, she’s one of the top contenders to win the whole thing.
Prediction: Barty in 2
Fraser: Barty did brilliantly to overcome the emotional storm surrounding her encounter with Suarez Navarro in the first round. The Aussie is undoubtedly favourite to lift the trophy at Wimbledon this year given her level so far in 2021. Blinkova is a solid player at her best, but she has been far from it this year and her game is a bit too one-dimensional for grass. This should be an easy win for Barty as she looks to make yet another deep run in a Grand Slam.
Prediction: Barty in 2
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Karolina Muchova vs Camila Giorgi
Jim: This could be a big fortnight for Karolina Muchova. She made a convincing start to her campaign against Zhang Shuai, but this may be a more testing affair. Camila Giorgi is a dangerous opponent on the grass and in good form. But Muchova has that much more variety and that should be just about enough to see her safely into the third round.
Damian: Giorgi is an opponent no one wants to face in the early rounds of a Slam. The Italian’s lacking consistency but most of the matches she plays are on her racket through the hyper-aggressive playstyle. The surface should give her a slight edge here.
Prediction: Giorgi in 3
Fraser: I have Muchova as a dark horse at Wimbledon this year. The Czech made the semi-finals of the Australian Open this year and has played Slam-worthy tennis in fits and bursts ever since. She has a great slice and an effective serve, two key weapons on this surface. Giorgi is a tough opponent who can give anyone issues given her all or nothing approach. However, I think Muchova has too much craft and variety for the Italian to be able to overpower her consistently enough to win two sets.
Prediction: Muchova in 3
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Clara Burel vs Kaja Juvan
Jim: Clara Burel is having some week at Wimbledon. The Frenchwoman started her tournament in the qualifying where she had to battle hard for her three wins. But she was rather more comfortable in dismissing Ellen Perez in the first round of the main draw. Kaja Juvan stunned Belinda Bencic out of nowhere, but Burel has been the more consistent grass-court performer. Expect her run to continue.
Prediction: Burel in 3
Damian: After a successful qualifying campaign, Burel did really well to fend off another triumphant negotiator of the Roehampton gauntlet in Perez. But it’s nothing compared to how excellent Juvan was in her upset over Bencic and if she can bring that level to her second round, she should prevail.
Prediction: Juvan in 3
Fraser: Juvan scored a great win over Bencic in her last match and has looked like a safe bet to lock down a place in the women’s top 100 this year. The young star is still adjusting to life on the WTA Tour and can occasionally go missing. However, her opponent is equally inexperienced at this level which should work in her favour. Burel is a talented young player but has yet to show the consistency needed to become a regular at the top of the women’s game. Expect Juvan to move on here.
Prediction: Juvan in 3
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Nao Hibino vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich
Jim: It’s hard to really assess Aliaksandra Sasnovich’s first-round performance with her match with Serena Williams lasting just six games. Nao Hibino, meanwhile, snapped a four-match losing streak by beating Bernarda Pera in the first round in three sets. But Sasnovich probably has the higher ceiling of the two and the Belarusian will surely not want to waste the chance created by Williams’ unfortunate withdrawal.
Prediction: Sasnovich in 3
Damian: The Belarusian only played six games in her first-round match, benefitting from Williams’s injury. As such, her level remains rather tough to estimate. She’s definitely the player with the higher ceiling, but Hibino used to perform very well in Japanese ITFs on grass. It’s a toss-up, but I’ll stick with the more talented player.
Prediction: Sasnovich in 3
Fraser: Sasnovich will undoubtedly be a little surprised to find herself in this match after benefitting from Williams’ retirement. She is now the better player in this match and the firm favourite to come through given the level she can play at. Hibino is a respectably tough opponent, but I can only see this going one way.
Prediction: Sasnovich in 2
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