Day 2 at Wimbledon will see the conclusion of the first round. That means there are 32 men’s matches on offer on Tuesday, and–as always–we here at LWOT will share our thoughts on all of them with you. We split the day’s 32 matches between eight articles. The other seven articles feature Carlos Alcaraz vs Jeremy Chardy, Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Dominic Thiem, Andy Murray vs Ryan Peniston, Alex de Minaur vs Kimmer Coppejans, Daniil Medvedev vs Arthur Fery, Cameron Norrie vs Tomas Machac, and Frances Tiafoe vs Yibing Wu. Predicting this set of matches are Jack Edward, Damian Kust, and Andreas Pelekis. Who do you think will advance?
Wimbledon Day 2 Men’s Predictions
Francisco Cerundolo vs Nuno Borges
Jack:
As he proved in Eastbourne, Francisco Cerundolo’s forehand is a weapon on each and every surface. Nuno Borges has shown grass isn’t his forte and will likely be fighting an uphill battle against the power of the Argentine.
Prediction: Cerundolo in 4
Damian:
Cerundolo just won Eastbourne and demonstrated he can play across all three surfaces. When that forehand is on, the conditions don’t matter. However, this is a slightly tricky opener coming off a title and it will probably last a bit longer than expected.
Prediction: Cerundolo in 4
Andreas:
The Eastbourne champion, Cerundolo has skyrocketed to the Top 20 over the last season. Many fans learned the Argentine’s name for the first time last Wimbledon, as he took Nadal to a fourth set on the Centre Court. Cerundolo’s next push will certainly be a quarterfinal appearance, and his big forehand can definitely make that a possibility. To have any shot, Borges will have to serve well to keep him in this.
Prediction: Cerundolo in 4
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Matteo Arnaldi vs Roberto Carballes Baena
Jack:
Matteo Arnaldi’s insane forehand pace should work well on grass plus the Italian will be well warmed up after coming through qualifying. Roberto Carballes Baena has been making improvements to his game, however, specifically to notch more wins on the faster surfaces of the tour. It’ll probably be quite close but I’m backing the Spaniard’s experience and serve to come through.
Prediction: Carballes Baena in 5
Damian:
What a fantastic opportunity for Arnaldi. The Italian’s serve improvements just make his ceiling so much higher than before, especially in faster conditions. He qualified despite an extremely hard R1 opponent in Juncheng Shang. Carballes Baena has never won a match at Wimbledon and he’s not about to change it.
Prediction: Arnaldi in 3
Andreas:
Another battle more associated with the hallowed outer court vibes of the French Open, this match is a big opportunity for either player. Arnaldi has more of a giant killing game and youthful experience. While Beana likely will have the stronger mentality due to his plentiful years on tour, grass will make it a struggle for the Spaniard to get over the line.
Prediction: Arnaldi in 4
Ilya Ivashka vs Federico Coria
Jack:
Ilya Ivashka may be a little out of form but his firepower should be explosive on grass. Federico Coria is a relatively soft first round for the Belarusian to find his range this Wimbledon.
Prediction: Ivashka in 3
Damian:
Coria is 0-4 on grass in his career with all four matches coming at Wimbledon. As he’s returning from an injury now and still quite far off his best, it doesn’t seem like he can turn things around here. Even with Ivashka’s mediocre form.
Prediction: Ivashka in 3
Andreas:
Ivashka has an underrated game, displayed in his big serve. His first Grand Slam second week appearance came at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships, and he’ll surely want to replicate that. Meanwhile, Coria is yet to win a match on grass, and has only played one match on the surface, exemplifying his insecurity on the fast green. That should make Ivashka the heavy favorite.
Prediction: Ivashka in 3
Holger Rune vs George Loffhagen
Jack:
Holger Rune is a versatile enough player to bring an extremely high level to any surface he plays on. Whilst grass may not suit his plan A, Rune will still give George Loffhagen a taste of competition against a Top 10 player. Loffhagen may light up for a set but I trust Rune to play offensively enough.
Prediction: Rune in 4
Damian:
Loffhagen is having the month of his life, but that choke against Van Assche in Eastbourne doesn’t make me feel confident in his upset chances. He can be brilliant in patches and Rune still has a bit to learn when it comes to playing on grass, but this looks unlikely.
Prediction: Rune in 3
Andreas:
Loffhagen is an unfamiliar face on the ATP tour, as a British wild card into this event. It gives fans a nostalgic flashback to Marcus Willis, a player nowhere near the top who became one of Wimbledon’s top stories. Unlike Willis, Loffhagen will bring a new and motivated game style to a likely show court crowd, something that may rattle Rune. The Brit won’t have enough to win this match, but Rune’s vulnerability to hostile crowds could make this tougher than one might think.
Prediction: Rune in 4
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
