We are going to be treated to 32 great women’s matches on Day 1 of Wimbledon on Monday. We will see players from World #2 Coco Gauff to qualifiers ranked outside the Top 100. As always, we here at LastWordOnTennis will share our thoughts on all of the matches with you. We split the 32 matches between eight articles. Our other articles feature Coco Gauff vs Caroline Dolehide, Victoria Azarenka vs Sloane Stephens, Emma Navarro vs Qiang Wang, Mirra Andreeva vs Brenda Fruhvirtova, Aryna Sabalenka vs Emina Bektas, Bianca Andreescu vs Jaqueline Cristian, and Paula Badosa vs Karolina Muchova. Predicting these matches are Jordan Reynolds, Steen Kirby, and Yesh Ginsburg. Who do you think will win?
Wimbledon Day 1 Predictions
Qinwen Zheng vs Lulu Sun
Jordan:
Zheng is not as comfortable on grass compared to other surfaces, having only managed three wins in her ten matches in the surface. However, she did beat Naomi Osaka in Berlin in the lead up to Wimbledon. This is a great chance for Zheng to get a fourth victory on grass against an opponent who does not possess her natural talent.
Prediction: Zheng in 2
Steen:
ITF level player Lulu Sun has made a big jump up to 123 in the rankings and has qualified for a Grand Slam; the former University of Texas standout is talented, but Qinwen Zheng is a top 10 player, Zheng is 19-11 on the year but has just three career wins on grass, that will give Sun some hope, but this is still a step up from the qualifiers to pull an upset.
Prediction: Zheng in 3
Yesh:
Zheng is now a Grand Slam finalist and an impressive player in her own right, even if she’s had a slight lull since the Australian Open final. Even so, she should more than easily cruise through this match.
Prediction: Zheng in 2
Taylor Townsend vs Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
Jordan:
Both players have powerful playing styles, although neither plays their best tennis on grass. At her best though, I favor Pavlyuchenkova more. Her track record on the surface is better, and she is less likely to have dips in her level throughout the match.
Prediction: Pavlyuchenkova in 3
Steen:
18-15 on the season, 22-28 in her career on grass with a past quarterfinal, Pavlyuchenkova is a solid player at this level and against this caliber of opponent. Townsend has a losing record on the season and has never reached the top 50 of the WTA. Pavs should start well.
Prediction: Pavlyuchenkova in 2
Yesh:
This should be a fun match. Townsend has quietly been improving recently, which not many expected after her early career didn’t go as planned. She’s going to have a battle against another player who never met her full potential, though Pavlyuchenkova has a higher ceiling and has developed much better.
Prediction: Pavlyuchenkova in 2
Irina-Camelia Begu vs Lin Zhu
Jordan:
Begu is currently ranked outside the Top 100, but she has had some good results on grass throughout her career. Zhu is a hard court specialist who usually struggles when she plays outside her favorite surface. Despite her superior ranking, I think there is a big chance of an upset here.
Prediction: Begu in 2
Steen:
Begu is 12-19 in her career on grass; the veteran player has been solid and winning matches when she’s been healthy and active this season, but her time on tour has been limited. Zhu is a poor 10-18 on the season, and 6-10 in her career on grass. If Begu is healthy she should march to victory.
Prediction: Begu in 2
Yesh:
This could really go either way, as neither player loves the grass and both have real potential with varied styles. I’ll take the player with more experience, but I’m not confident about it.
Prediction: Begu in 3
Naomi Osaka vs Diane Parry
Jordan:
This is a tricky opening round for Osaka. Parry reached the semifinal in Nottingham and has a game that suits grass. The difference might be Osaka’s powerful serve, since returning is the weakest part of Parry’s game.
Prediction: Osaka in 2
Steen:
A semifinalist in Nottingham, Parry’s 15 match wins on the season is a career high at WTA level. Osaka is 15-12 in her comeback season thus far and has a 13-11 career record on grass. Osaka’s surface is generally not the Wimbledon surface, and Parry is having a good season; look for the “underdog” to get a win.
Prediction: Parry in 2
Yesh:
Don’t let Osaka’s ranking fool you. She’s a great player and will find her way back to the elite of the game soon enough. She has Parry outclassed and it will show.
Prediction: Osaka in 2
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
