It has been an entertaining start to the Championships and the exciting action at Wimbledon should continue on day three with 16 second-round matches on the schedule. As always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match, including Tallon Griekspoor vs Carlos Alcaraz, Andy Murray vs John Isner and Jannik Sinner vs Mikael Ymer. But who will secure their place in the third round in SW19?
Wimbledon Day 3 Men’s Predictions
Novak Djokovic vs Thanasi Kokkinakis
Jim: Novak Djokovic was not at his very best against Kwon Soon-woo in the first round, but the Serbian came through relatively unscathed and it is not that uncommon for him to make a slow start at Wimbledon. Thanasi Kokkinakis, meanwhile, is a fine player, but it is hard to see how he will consistently hurt Djokovic enough in the baseline exchanges to make an impression in this match.
Prediction: Djokovic in 3
Damian: Kokkinakis has some serious assets like the serve and forehand combination, but somehow he’s never done that well on grass courts. Even if Djokovic looked quite vulnerable against Kwon, beating him in the best-of-five sets format just seems like too much of a challenge for the Australian.
Prediction: Djokovic in 3
Jakub: Djokovic began his campaign for a fourth consecutive Wimbledon title with a win over Kwon. The Serb did not play his best tennis but managed to win without much trouble regardless. Kokkinakis got his first Wimbledon win here, beating Kamil Majchrzak in straight sets. It will be interesting to see how Kokkinakis tries to take the Serbian out but I expect Djokovic to come through again.
Prediction: Djokovic in 4
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Alexander Bublik vs Dusan Lajovic
Jim: Alexander Bublik will surely like his chances in this match. Dusan Lajovic can play on the grass – he once took a set off Roger Federer on Centre Court – but this is not a good matchup for Serbian who thrives on rhythm and needs time on the ball. Bublik will give him neither
Prediction: Bublik in 3
Damian: Bublik has a brilliant draw to go deep here. The Kazakh easily blasted through Marton Fucsovics and has been looking a lot more motivated than usual recently. Lajovic has never done that well on grass and is here courtesy of an injury sustained in their match by Pablo Carreno Busta.
Prediction: Bublik in 4
Jakub: Bublik opened Wimbledon in style, dismantling Marton Fucsovics in pretty easy straight sets. Lajovic played just two sets as Carreno Busta retired from the match. The Serb did beat Bublik at the Australian Open last year but grass makes the Kazakh a favorite here.
Prediction: Bublik in 4
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Tommy Paul vs Adrian Mannarino
Jim: This should be a very good watch. Adrian Mannarino is always tough to contend with on the grass, with his flat groundstrokes and ability to re-direct his opponent’s power very useful tools. Tommy Paul does not want for power, particularly on the forehand side, and if he is at his best he may be able to hit Mannarino off the court. But the Frenchman is the likelier victor.
Prediction: Mannarino in 4
Damian: One of the underrated matchups of the round. Paul is coming off a solid grass season with quarterfinals at Queen’s and Eastbourne, while Mannarino is a nightmare to play on this surface with the unpleasant lefty spins and flat strokes. The veteran might just have enough to trip the (relative) youngster up.
Prediction: Mannarino in 5
Jakub: Paul looked good in the lead-ups, earning wins over Jannik Sinner and Denis Shapovalov. The American brought that form to his first round as well, beating Fernando Verdasco in straight sets. Mannarino has reached the second week here three times in the past but was pushed to five sets by qualifier Max Purcell. It is a tough one to call but I will lean towards Paul here on current form.
Prediction: Paul in 5
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Nikoloz Basilashvili vs Quentin Halys
Jim: It is good to see Quentin Halys beginning to make an impact at the highest level. The Frenchman has always had the talent for it, but earlier in his career perhaps lacked the necessary application. But he will probably find Nikoloz Basilashvili less obliging opposition than Benoit Paire, who he beat in the first round. The Georgian has a solid grass-court record and his power off both wings should see him safely past Halys and into the third round.
Prediction: Basilashvili in 4
Damian: This is looking really tight with both players able to go from amazing to barely keeping the ball in play in the span of just a few minutes. Halys has the slightly more reliable weapons (especially his serve), while Basilashvili when on could just punch him off the court with his baseline game. Really tough call.
Prediction: Halys in 5
Jakub: Basilashvili came back from two sets to one down against a 36-year-old Lukas Rosol, who came out of qualifying. Halys broke into the top 100 after having a very strong first half of the season on the Challenger Tour. The Frenchman beat Paire in straight sets. This one is close to a coin flip for me but I will go with the Georgian here.
Prediction: Basilashvili in 5
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