The third round of Wimbledon begins on Day 5. At the end of the day, eight men will have booked their Manic Monday spots. But who will those eight men be? Our writers share their thoughts on all the matches. We predict four matches in this article and four matches in a separate article. Predicting today’s matches are Harsh Bhoot, Damian Kust, and Yesh Ginsburg.
Wimbledon Day 5 Men’s Predictions
Fabio Fognini vs Andrey Rublev
Harsh:
Expect some scintillating ball striking from both ends. But players are aggressive baseline players and I think that’s where Andrey Rublev wins this one for me. Fabio Fognini is a solid player but Rublev just takes the Italian’s game to a better consistent level of hitting. Fognini will realize he has to include a whole lot of different shots to change the tempo of the rally but that should only delay the victory for Rublev who’s been playing great so far.
Prediction: Rublev in 4
Damian:
This should be good. Fognini has a decisive lead in the head-to-head, but they have never faced each other on grass and most of these took place before the Russian became a top player. It’s probably Rublev’s weakest surface (small sample size) but he’s playing so well that perhaps he can succeed on it as well. He’ll also give his best in every point, which is not quite certain when it comes to his opponent.
Prediction: Rublev in 5
Yesh:
This could be really fun. Of course, that’s always true about Fognini’s matches, and always for different reasons. If the Italian plays well, he can make this into a great match. Rublev isn’t great on grass, but he’s powerful and moves okay on the surface already. However, Fognini likes to bring his best in bigger matches, and he’d love a chance to move on to the second week.
Prediction: Fognini in 4
Karen Khachanov vs Frances Tiafoe
Harsh:
Frances Tiafoe has already taken out a top seed and Karen Khachanov could be the next one. The American is playing sublime tennis and it shows in his two straight sets victories so far. Karen Khachanov is a great baseliner but his extreme grip makes it tough at times for him hit a linear ground stroke without imparting too much spin. Tiafoe on the other hand hits a flat ball easily and is the better net player. Expect Tiafoe’s run to continue.
Prediction: Tiafoe in 4
Damian:
Khachanov has enjoyed a comfortable draw until this point, while the same can’t be said about the American, who had to dispatch Tsitsipas in the opening round. Not dropping a set against Pospisil and the aforementioned Greek is extremely impressive and combined with his recent win at the Nottingham Challenger, it all speaks about Tiafoe’s great form at the moment.
Prediction: Tiafoe in 4
Yesh:
The American pulled off a huge upset in the first round, and followed it up with another solid win. Khachanov has so much potential but his level hasn’t been great for a while now. Tiafoe, meanwhile, is playing better than he ever has before. He should be able to move on.
Prediction: Tiafoe in 4
Cristian Garin vs Pedro Martinez
Harsh:
It’s refreshing to see Cristian Garin finding ways to win on grass. The Chilean plays his best tennis on clay but he’s much too talented to be a force on only one surface. It’s a winnable third round for Garin against Pedro Martinez. Credit to the Spaniard for making it till here and he’s an exciting prospect but Garin should eventually be too strong for Martinez.
Prediction: Garin in 4
Damian:
Both men rarely succeed outside of clay and they’ve been very fortunate with their draws here. As it stands, one of them might soon have an opportunity to meet the World No. 1. Garin’s serve has been surprisingly effective this week, he also has a lot more success on grass in the past with successful Wimbledon qualifying campaigns.
Prediction: Garin in 4
Yesh:
Neither player loves the grass, but Martinez is way more of an outlier here. Garin shouldn’t have too much trouble in this one.
Prediction: Garin in 3
Andy Murray vs Denis Shapovalov
Harsh:
Andy Murray has given it his all to reach the third round here. The former World No. 1 is certainly off of his best game but his will to win is intact. Perhaps most importantly for Murray coming into this match is play well when in the lead. Denis Shapovalov did reach the semifinals last week in the Queen’s Club Championships and the Canadian’s first strike tennis makes for exciting viewing. Murray should extend this match to a decider on the back of his tough mental spirit but Shapovalov should have more in the tank late in the fifth.
Prediction: Shapovalov in 5
Damian:
You can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but the old dog is doing really well at adapting to his current physical abilities and working his way around them. It’s not unthinkable that he can get Shapovalov as well, after all the Canadian is not the best grass-court player out there and remains wildly inconsistent at times, which plays into Murray’s playstyle well. Wishful thinking? Maybe.
Prediction: Murray in 4
Yesh:
Andy Murray really impressed at the end of his last match. He’s adapting to his new limitations and playing really well on the grass, which was always his favorite surface. Shapovalov has the power to keep Murray uncomfortable, but the Brit has beaten far better players throughout his career. This isn’t Murray at his 2016 level, but with a home crowd and good serving, he should be able to pull off the upset.
Prediction: Murray in 4
Main Photo from Getty.
