Day 3 of Wimbledon sees the start of the women’s second round. This half of the draw was absolutely crushed in Round 1, and who knows what surprises await us in Round 2. There are 16 matches on Wednesday, and we here at LastWordOnTennis share our predictions on all of them for you. We split the 16 matches between four articles. The other three articles feature Coco Gauff vs Anca Todoni, Naomi Osaka vs Emma Navarro, and Madison Keys vs Yafan Wang. Predicting these matches are Jordan Reynolds, Nurein Ahmed, and Manuel Traquete. Who do you think will win?
Wimbledon Day 3 Predictions
Linda Noskova vs Bianca Andreescu
Jordan:
Andreescu has a good playing style for managing Noskova’s power. The Canadian’s athleticism and counterpunching can nullify her opponent if she is at her best. I think Andreescu will have enough to progress.
Prediction: Andreescu in 2
Nurein:
What a match this will be. Noskova is one of the best young talents on Tour. Andreescu when she is on, she can pull every shot in the book. I’ve seen enough from the Canadian coming to this tournament to believe she’ll make a deep run here provided her fitness is not hampered.
Prediction: Andreescu in 3
Manuel:
Andreescu had a nice win in the first round but she is very far from the kind of form that saw her win the US Open back in 2019. Noskova is currently the superior player and should prevail in a tight match here.
Prediction: Noskova in 3
Sloane Stephens vs Diana Shnaider
Jordan:
Shnaider’s victory against Karolina Pliskova in the opening round means she has won six matches in a row on grass. But Stephens is capable of stopping her if she believes in herself. The former US Open champion’s movement, combined with her ability to use heavy topspin or slice if necessary is capable of disrupting Shnaider. I do think this will be a close battle though.
Prediction: Stephens in 3
Nurein:
Stephens made the most of her opening match after a change of opponent. But this has always been the American’s trickiest surface and Grand Slam. Shnaider is in red-hot form right now after winning in Bad Homburg and is not missing a lot.
Prediction: Shnaider in 2
Manuel:
Shnaider has been steadily rising and comes into this tournament fresh off a title in Bod Homburg. She is one of the most promising young players on tour and looks primed to have a decent run here.
Prediction: Shnaider in 3
Lulu Sun vs Yulia Stardoubtseva
Jordan:
Sun stunned Qinwen Zheng in the previous round. Backing up surprise victories can be tough, but she is backed to win once again. The 23-year-old impressed me so much that I believe she will build on the momentum from the previous round.
Prediction: Sun in 2
Nurein:
Who had these two qualifiers to play each other in the second round when the draw was made? Certainly not me. Lulu Sun caused quite the shock on Monday, ousting a Top 10 seed. But Starodubtseva is not getting credit for beating Van Uytvanck, who is a perennial threat on grass. I’ll back the Ukrainian. She’s probably impressed me the most.
Prediction: Stardoubtseva in 3
Manuel:
On paper, this is one of the least glamourous Round 2 matchups, with two qualifiers ranked outside the Top 120 facing each other. However, it should definitely be a very interesting and unpredictable match, with both players giving it their all for this rare chance of a Slam run.
Prediction: Sun in 3
Emma Raducanu vs Elise Mertens
Jordan:
Raducanu was not at her very best in the last round. She will almost certainly need to raise her game against Mertens, who is a solid player on all surfaces. The Briton’s best level is the better of the two, but I have a feeling that Mertens’ consistency could catch Raducanu cold here.
Prediction: Mertens in 3
Nurein:
Raducanu had the best preparation of any player at this year’s Wimbledon. While her peers were playing at Roland Garros, she was already practicing on grass. I think that decision will be vindicated at this tournament. Mertens is no longer the force she once was, and I expect the former US Open champion to prevail.
Prediction: Raducanu in 2
Manuel:
Raducanu scored an excellent win in the first round here and has a chance to make a run here in her home Slams as she keeps looking to replicate her US Open 2021 title run. Mertens won’t be an easy opponent, though, and it should be a very close match.
Prediction: Raducanu in 3
Main Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
