It’s an all-German clash as Oscar Otte serves it up against Peter Gojowczyk on day 1 of the Wimbledon Championships in London. We have predictions for every day 1 match including Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic’s opening matches.
Nikoloz Basilashvili vs Lukas Rosol
Damian Kust: Nikoloz Basilashvili is vulnerable to upsets and if Lukas Rosol serves lights out, he really could make the second round here. He was in very fine form in the qualifying campaign and will keep this one close (at least). Basilashvili in 5
Jakub Bobro: The Georgian has struggled mightily this season, going 10-20. Basilashvili’s form did not pick up on grass with his Andrey Rublev upset being offset by his loss to Mats Rosenkranz a week later. The 36-year-old Rosol has fallen off over the past three seasons but everyone will remember his iconic upset over Rafael Nadal a decade ago. The Czech did make it out of qualifying and could very well be the winner here. Rosol in 5
Oscar Otte vs Peter Gojowczyk
Damian: Should be very straightforward. Oscar Otte grabbed a last-minute seeding at Wimbledon and got rewarded with a pretty easy first-round matchup. Peter Gojowczyk is dangerous on faster courts, but most of the year his form has been awful and a huge dip in the rankings is coming after the US Open. Otte in 3
Jakub: An all-German derby here with two players in very different forms. Otte made two semifinals in Stuttgart and Halle, including wins over Denis Shapovalov and Karen Khachanov. Gojowczyk has won just five out of 20 matches this season, finishing in qualifying at both of the aforementioned events. This should be a good win for Otte. Otte in 4
Aljaz Bedene vs Maximilian Marterer
Damian: Aljaz Bedene is wrapping up his career this year, even though his level is still rather competitive. Maximilian Marterer had a qualifying section full of clay-courters, but it’s entirely possible that his lefty serve will just reign supreme in this one. Marterer in 4
Jakub: Bedene is continuing his comeback efforts at Wimbledon where he reached the third round last season. Marterer came out of one of the easier sections in the qualifying draw. Despite that and his lack of previous grass results, I see the German as a favorite. He beat whoever he had to beat and Bedene has struggled for wins this season. Marterer in 4
Ryan Peniston vs Henri Laaksonen
Damian: Ryan Peniston showed he’s capable of taking advantage of easier ATP Tour draws in recent weeks. The Brit has yet another one here with Henri Laaksonen in very poor form of late. Peniston in 4
Jakub: Peniston showed himself as a solid grass court player this year, pulling off main tour upsets over big names such as Casper Ruud or Holger Rune despite the fact that he is mostly a Challenger Tour player. Laaksonen is not a threat on the surface and is just generally struggling this season, 9-19 on the season. Peniston should win this match in front of his home crowd. Peniston in 3
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