Day 5 at Wimbledon usually means the start of the third round, but this year we’ll get a mix of second- and third-round matches due to the rainy first week. We get 16 men’s matches on Friday, eight from each round. However, we were expecting three of those matches to be played on Thursday, so we’ve already predicted those in other articles (including Carlos Alcaraz vs Alexandre Muller and Cameron Norrie vs Christopher Eubanks). We are going to predict the other 13 matches for you now, split between four articles. In addition to this article, the others feature Holger Rune vs Roberto Carballes Baena, Jannik Sinner vs Quentin Halys, and Novak Djokovic vs Stan Wawrinka. Predicting these matches are Jordan Reynolds, Yesh Ginsburg, and Damian Kust.
Wimbledon Day 5 Men’s Predictions
Matteo Berrettini vs Alex de Minaur
Jordan:
Berrettini’s level was uncertain before the tournament, but he defeated the man who hammered him a few weeks ago, Lorenzo Sonego, in the first round. De Minaur plays best on the grass and should be favored. I’m going for an upset, though, for Berrettini.
Prediction: Berrettini in 5
Yesh:
Matteo Berrettini, with his huge serve and forehand, is one of the best in the world on grass. He’s a Wimbledon finalist for a reason. The only reason to doubt him is his health, and he looked fine in his opening match. He’ll go far here.
Prediction: Berrettini in 3
Damian:
Berrettini looked so much better than in Stuttgart when he beat Sonego in the opening round. Tough to say if that will continue, but his level was excellent. His game is still of a higher caliber than de Minaur’s, so maybe if it turns out he’s truly back and ready for this…
Prediction: Berrettini in 5
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Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs Botic van de Zandschulp
Jordan:
Davidovich Fokina dispatched the talented young Frenchman Arthur Fils surprisingly easily in Round 1, while the Dutchman won a tough five setter. Not an easy one to call, I’m going for the Spaniard in a very tight match.
Prediction: Davidovich Fokina in 5
Yesh:
Botic van de Zandschulp is not currently close to his best. He did well to get to this round, but beating a player like Davidovich Fokina is probably too much to ask for his current inconsistent level.
Prediction: Davidovich Fokina in 3
Damian:
Davidovich Fokina played a stellar match to take out Fils in the opening round. His ability to counter-punch on this surface should be really helpful here too. Van de Zandschulp managed to pull through against Zhang, but his level wasn’t great and he’s not that high on confidence right now.
Prediction: Davidovich Fokina in 3
Daniel Elahi Galan vs Mikail YmerJordan:
The consistent Ymer pulled off a stunning upset against Taylor Fritz in the last round. Galan is slightly mercurial and can be great one minute, not so good the next. Ymer to be too steady.
Prediction: Ymer in 4
Yesh:
Mikail Ymer pulled off an amazing comeback from down two sets against Taylor Fritz. The only concern might be fatigue, coming back the day after playing a five-setter. On pure tennis level, though, Ymer should be a heavy favorite.
Prediction: Ymer in 3
Damian:
Ymer pulled off the comeback against Fritz and his movement is such an asset on grass. This is a big opportunity for both. Galan isn’t like the other clay specialists, especially with his serve and forehand combo. I’ll take the solid Swede, but it’s not a vote of confidence.
Prediction: Ymer in 5
Andrey Rublev vs David Goffin
Jordan:
Rublev has gone under the radar somewhat with not many having him among the favorites. But his big first serve and flat shots are dangerous on grass. Goffin has made the most of his wildcard and it is great to see him playing well again. But I think Rublev will overpower him.
Prediction: Rublev in 3
Yesh:
Andrey Rublev is playing amazing tennis right now. Goffin likes the grass and should pose a challenge to just about anyone, but Rublev is one of the few on just another level right now.
Prediction: Rublev in 3
Damian:
Goffin made the quarterfinals in his last two Wimbledon appearances and maybe he’s about to do it all over again. Rublev is playing some fine tennis this week, but grass isn’t ideal for him. He’s fully capable of taking this though with how erratic Goffin is recently. Tough call.
Prediction: Goffin in 5
Main Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
