As ever, excitement is building ahead of the first day at the Championships and, as always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the slate, including Danielle Collins vs Julie Grabher, Iga Swiatek vs Zhu Lin, Jessica Pegula vs Lauren Davis, Coco Gauff vs Sofia Kenin, Venus Williams vs Elina Svitolina and Caroline Garcia vs Katie Volynets. But who will book their place in the second round?
Wimbledon Day 1 Predictions
Victoria Azarenka vs Yuan Yue
Damian: Azarenka has been in struggle town recently, although it does feel like she’s played a few good matches and wasn’t really rewarded for it. Yuan doesn’t have the game to trouble her, but she’ll have the momentum after coming through the qualifying. Might be tougher than expected.
Prediction: Azarenka in 3
Jordan: Azarenka hasn’t had many results of more since her run to the semi-final at the Australian open. But her grass court class is demonstrated by her two semifinals and many other wins at Wimbledon. Her Chinese opponent has yet to win a match at Wimbledon. Experience should come through.
Prediction: Azarenka in 2
Andreas: Azarenka’s vintage Australian Open fortnight seemed to indicate a potential massive comeback to the top, yet she’s disappointed as of late. A decade after her peak form and surmounting to the top of women’s tennis, it’ll be interesting to see whether she can make a run. This is a good opener for her, as Yuan is relatively inexperienced at WTA tour level.
Prediction: Azarenka in 2
Camila Osorio vs Elisabetta Cocciaretto
Damian: For a clay specialist, Osorio actually seems to be pretty good on the grass too. Her craftiness and good movement allow her to stay relevant, especially when she’s facing a player who won’t exactly blow her off the court. Cocciaretto probably won’t.
Prediction: Osorio in 3
Jordan: Osorio has a third round appearance at Wimbledon to her name in 2021. Her Italian opponent is the higher ranked of the players, and had her best Grand Slam result at Roland Garros a few weeks ago. This one is a toss up. I’ll back Osorio to win a very tight match.
Prediction: Osorio in 3
Andreas: Cocciaretto surprised fans in her French Open first round match, taking out tenth seed Petra Kvitova. Meanwhile, Osorio’s career high ranking came last year, and she hasn’t been able to replicate her top form since. With momentum leaning towards the Italian, look for Cocciaretto to make the second round in a tight match.
Prediction: Cocciaretto in 3
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Diane Parry vs Harriet Dart
Damian: Dart had a couple of very solid runs this grass swing and while her game isn’t a natural fit for these courts, she’s known for excelling at home or in team-based competitions. She should find her way to the second round here with relative ease.
Prediction: Dart in 2
Jordan: This should be a fun match despite the respective rankings of 94 for Perry and 142 for Dart. Both have reached the third round previously. Perry has an elegant one handed backhand that is a thing of beauty on grass, while Dart has played well in recent weeks in front of her home crowd. Dart to win narrowly.
Prediction: Dart in 3
Andreas: Dart has taken full advantage of her favored surface, also using the home crowd to guide her through matches. The Brit’s made some sneaky runs in grass court tournaments, as such should pull her through this match. Parry hasn’t done much on the WTA tour as of late.
Prediction: Dart in 2
Marketa Vondrousova vs Peyton Stearns
Damian: We’ve only seen Stearns in two grass matches and she didn’t look amazing. The American’s got a big game though and Vondrousova’s playstyle isn’t at its most effective on the surface. This could have been a huge upset alert if Stearns looked better in the warm-ups. She can do it, but it’s not a vote of confidence right now.
Prediction: Stearns in 3
Jordan: This is an interesting one to call. 2019 French Open finalist Voundrousova has struggled at Wimbledon and has a playing style not suited to the grass, although she did reach the quarterfinal in Berlin a couple of weeks ago. Stearns is making her first main draw appearance at Wimbledon and is an unknown quantity. The experienced player to hang on.
Prediction: Vondrousova in 3
Andreas: Vondrousova holds a disappointing 1-4 record on Wimbledon, with her best results easily on the clay. While Stearns is new to grass courts, her powerful game should do a lot of damage here. Expect the American to adjust well to the grass, as Stearns should win this.
Prediction: Stearns in 2
Main photo credit: Peter van den Berg-USA TODAY Sports
