Fabio Fognini and Thanasi Kokkinakis take their talents to the grass courts of Wimbledon and have interesting round 1 matches in London. We have predictions for every day 1 match including Andy Murray’s first round match.
Casper Ruud vs Albert Ramos Vinolas
Jakub Bobro: Neither player is very good on grass despite the Norwegian’s newfound status as a slam finalist. Ramos-Vinolas leads the head-to-head 4-1, defeating Ruud time after time. It’s a tough one to call but with how much Ruud struggles on the surface I see the experienced Spaniard coming through. Ramos-Vinolas in 5
Damian Kust: Casper Ruud famously said that grass is for golfers, but this is a very nice opener for him. Even though he doesn’t like the surface, neither does Albert Ramos-Vinolas, who owns an 8-21 career record on the lawn. It’s a brilliant opportunity for Ruud to progress to the second round without a big struggle. Ruud in 3
Thanasi Kokkinakis vs Kamil Majchrzak
Jakub: Kokkinakis has had some highlights this season, winning his first ATP title in Adelaide and making the fourth round of Miami out of qualifying. It’s been a tough season for Majchrzak as he has struggled to win consistently on the main tour. The Australian is the favorite for me, defeating the Pole in Wimbledon qualifyin four years ago, Kokkinakis in 4
Damian: One of the underrated matches of round one. Kamil Majchrzak hasn’t been in great form recently, but he’s a usually very solid grass-courter. Thanasi Kokkinakis has more upside though, particularly if the serve and forehand combination is firing. Kokkinakis in 5
Jay Clarke vs Christian Harrison
Jakub: Clarke gets the opportunities on grass with wildcards to British events but the Brit has really struggled the past two seasons winning just two out of ten matches. Harrison looked solid in qualifying, especially in wins over Dalibor Svrcina and Daniel Masur, earning his first wins on grass in four years. Despite Clarke’s home advantage, I see Harrison coming through here. Harrison in 4
Damian: Phenomenal chance for both. Jay Clarke’s got a decent serve, but his strokes are loopy and he rarely steps out of his comfort zone, which shows in his grass records (9-27). Christian Harrison should have the upper hand, aided by the momentum from the qualifying.
Harrison in 4
Fabio Fognini vs Tallon Griekspoor
Jakub: Fognini has had a tough time his season despite his two semifinals in Rio and Belgrade but the Italian did have to retire from his second-round match at Roland Garros. Griekspoor went 6-3 in his first full grass season, beating Alex Molcan twice. The Dutchman won their meeting at the Australian Open and I expect him to be victorious here again. Griekspoor in 3
Damian: With no grass-court warm-ups, it’s fair to say Fabio Fognini isn’t treating this event that seriously. Tallon Griekspoor has been putting in the hours at ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Halle, and Mallorca. This should pay off for the Dutchman. Griekspoor in 4
Main Photo from Getty Images
