Home hero Andy Murray takes on journeyman battler James Duckworth on day 1 of Wimbledon, Fernando Verdasco also plays as we have predictions for every day 1 match from the grass court Grand Slam including Novak Djokovic’s match.
Andy Murray vs James Duckworth
Damian Kust: It’s all about the health with Andy Murray here, but he proved in Stuttgart that he’s still capable of great things on grass. If he’s fully fit, this isn’t a matchup he should struggle in, especially as James Duckworth is also making his way back from an injury break. Murray in 3
Jakub Bobro: Not only did Murray win Wimbledon twice before, he also defeated Duckworth twice before in their previous matches. The Brit looked solid in his warm-uos, reaching the final of Stuttgart and semifinals of Surbiton. Duckworth had a tough time on grass this season, going 2-4. Last year, the Australian went to the third round at Wimbledon. This should be a decent test for Murray but I expect the former No. 1 to come through. Murray in 3
Tommy Paul vs Fernando Verdasco
Damian: At this stage of his career, fast courts probably help Fernando Verdasco as he’s been trying to keep the points shorter and play with plenty of aggression. This isn’t a given at all for Tommy Paul, but he should be able to outlast the veteran Spaniard. Paul in 4
Jakub: Paul is set to play his first Wimbledon main draw but did well in warm-ups, reaching the quarterfinals at Queen’s Club and Eastbourne, earning wins over Denis Shapovalov and Jannik Sinner. The 38-year-old Verdasco has made the second week ago five times since his first appearance in 2003. The Spaniard did not impress in his lead-up events though. Paul should be a strong favorite here. Paul in 4
John Millman vs Miomir Kecmanovic
Damian: Miomir Kecmanovic has a difficult relationship with grass, despite being the runner-up at Antalya 2019. John Millman would usually be favored to take this, but the Australian is just out of form right now. This one could get messy, but Kecmanovic hasn’t looked convincing at all in Halle and Mallorca. Millman in 5
Jakub: Millman has had a tough couple of seasons, going 13-18 in 2022. The Australian took early losses at the Nottingham and Ilkley Challengers but looked in Eastbourne, where he beat Sebastian Korda. Kecmanovic is not a grass expert, never going past the second round outside of his 2019 Antalya final run. I see Millman as a slight favorite though Kecmanovic’s retrieving skills will be tough to beat, even on grass. Millman in 5
Benoit Paire vs Quentin Halys
Damian: We’ll see how big a mark Quentin Halys can leave on the main circuit, but the Frenchman should like his draw here against Benoit Paire. His big serve and attacking playstyle fit grass pretty well and he’s improved a ton mentally. Halys in 4
Jakub: An all-French derby here though Paire is unpredictable at the best of times but the 33-year-old retired from his last match at the Milan Challenger a week ago. Halys is having a great season with a lot of Challenger Tour success though he had a tough time on grass with his win over Denis Kudla being the only highlight. The 25-year-old is the better player at this point in their careers though we have seen Paire make runs here before. It’s a tough one to call but I will lean towards Halys. Halys in 3
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