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, Andy Murray vs Ryan Peniston, Holger Rune vs George Loffhagen, 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
Nicolas Jarry vs Marco Cecchinato
Jack:
Both Nicolas Jarry and Marco Cecchinato prefer clay but it’s clearly Jarry whose game better translates to grass. The Chilean’s booming serve will consistently rush the one-hander of Cecchinato. There might be a bit of to-and-fro as both players accustom to the conditions but Jarry feels like the safer bet.
Prediction: Jarry in 4
Damian:
Jarry’s ground game is actually way better when he has time to set up for his strokes, but a big serve will always come in handy on grass. Especially as he’s facing Cecchinato. who’s yet to win a Wimbledon match in four appearances.
Prediction: Jarry in 3
Andreas:
Cecchinato’s game certainly fails to shine on grass, with the Italian’s best results on the clay. While Jarry also prefers the clay courts, his big serve and aggressive forehand will benefit him. Cecchinato will have to keep points long in order to force errors.
Prediction: Jarry in 3
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Marc-Andrea Huesler vs Yosuke Watanuki
Jack:
Marc-Andrea Huesler survived the clay season to get rewarded with the grass season. Okay, he’s already sustained a few tough losses but, on paper, his game should be extremely difficult to live with. Yosuke Watanuki is a quality ball-striker who will be able to trade blows with the Swiss but Huesler’s got the power to take the win here.
Prediction: Huesler in 5
Damian:
Underrated match of the round? High-risk, high-reward play styles with two brilliant serves and lots of venturing into the forecourt. Watanuki has a better chance of making a splash in this event, but I don’t like the matchup for him with how messy his returning has been recently.
Prediction: Huesler in 5
Andreas:
Definitely a toss-up match, with both players at similar levels in their careers. Watanuki has a 50% win rate on grass contrary to Heusler’s losing record, and he’s more of the veteran in this one, even if he’s new to Grand Slam level. Watanuki also comes in as a lucky loser, with likely some renewed confidence. With that, Watanuki should come in as a slight favorite.
Prediction: Watanuki in 4
Jiri Lehecka vs Sebastian Ofner
Jack:
It’s hard to know how to rate Jiri Lehecka. He looks like an exceptional player but there is an unfinished feel to his game, leaving me unable to back him fully from match to match. Sebastian Ofner backed up his round of 16 at the French Open with a run to the final in Ilkley, proving the run was no fluke. I’m backing the upset.
Prediction: Ofner in 5
Damian:
This one should be really good too. Ofner almost won the Wimbledon wild card in Ilkley, but the organizers decided to give it to him anyway. Rightfully so as he’s had a big run at SW19 in the past and is the slight favorite in his opener for me, even against someone of Lehecka’s class.
Prediction: Ofner in 5
Andreas:
Both players had solid French Open campaigns, with Lehecka stunning Jan-Lennard Struff and Ofner reaching the fourth round. More notably, Lehecka made the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. Giving the edge to the Czech, as Ofner’s game can be exposed simplicity on the fast grass courts. Lehecka has an exciting young game that could do damage here.
Prediction: Lehecka in 4
Dominic Thiem vs Stefanos Tsitsipas
Jack:
Dominic Thiem’s descent continues. It’s been a long time since a truly inspiring run from the world #90 and it seems unlikely to happen on grass, where his currently vulnerable forehand could be greater exposed. Stefanos Tsitsipas may not be in love with Wimbledon but he’s still quality enough to stave off any fight from the Austrian.
Prediction: Tsitsipas in 3
Damian:
Big names, but are we really expecting this match to be of high quality? These two have never done well at Wimbledon and they’re not exactly at their strongest right now. Tsitsipas will probably serve his way to a win here though, the 2023 version of Thiem on grass doesn’t sound like a threat.
Prediction: Tsitsipas in 4
Andreas:
This is a battle of the “out-of-sorts,” with both players a shadow of their former self. Tsitsipas is closer to his top form, as he is still comfortably in the Top 10; yet, his form has wandered off over the past couple weeks. Thiem hasn’t won a match at Wimbledon since 2017, and past form indicates he won’t break his losing record this time.
Prediction: Tsitsipas in 3
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
