The third slam of the season is upon us as the second round of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships begins on Day 3. The All England Club draw has given us some scintillating Round 2 matchups, including Stan Wawrinka vs Gael Monfils. As always, we at LWOT have our roundtable predictions for all the Wimbledon action. Ateet Shrivastava, Damian Kust, and Shane Black offer their insights.
Wimbledon Men’s Day 3 Predictions
Casper Ruud vs Fabio Fognini
Ateet
Casper Ruud played a brilliant match to win his first grasscourt match of the season. He served extremely well which helped him set up his forehand. He got more comfortable in his movement as the match went on. Not many people would have expected Fabio Fognini to win in straight sets on grass but Fognini is capable of these surprises. Both Fognini and Ruud are not great on grass but Ruud should back himself to beat the Italian.
Prediction: Ruud in 4
Damian
Ruud can play decent stuff on grass if he puts his mind to it and he might be able to win a few rounds here, almost purely on the quality of his serve and forehand. Fognini played a nice match against Van Assche, but to take out someone like Ruud might be too tough for him physically at this stage. Especially with the Norwegian possessing so much more weaponry than Fognini’s previous opponent.
Prediction: Ruud in 4
Shane
Fognini looked dominant in his Round 1 win, something his supporters were happy to see. Ruud has always been susceptible to losses on the grass, and a confident Fognini is no walkover. I will back the upset here, with the Italian looking to rip his forehand early and often.
Prediction: Fognini in 4
Ugo Humbert vs Botic van de Zandschulp
Ateet
Ugo Humbert had to grind hard for his win in the first round against an inspired Alexander Shevchenko. Humbert has the tools to succeed on grass and he will be hoping to make a good run here. Any win for Botic Van De Zandschulp these days is a big win, as he has been struggling a lot recently and did not register a win in his last two Grand Slams. Humbert has found this match-up very comfortable to deal with and should win this one in an easier manner than his last match.
Prediction: Humbert in 4
Damian
Humbert made a bit of a mess of that Shevchenko round one and you’d usually expect him to win that more efficiently on grass. What matters is that he’s in the second round and his draw still looks pretty open for now. Van de Zandschulp has been struggling most of the season and it would be one of his best wins in 2024 if he took out someone like Humbert on a slick court.
Prediction: Humbert in 4
Shane
Ugo Humbert, as the No. 16 seed, seems incredibly underhyped coming into this event. He has always been solid on the grass and should be seen as a second-week dark horse. Van de Zandschulp has had an up-and-down season but is always dangerous on this surface. Give me the Frenchman in a back-and-forth contest.
Prediction: Humbert in 5
Lloyd Harris vs Ben Shelton
Ateet
Lloyd Harris won an insane match with one of the best match points ever. He came back from down two sets to win his first main draw match of the year. Harris is an excellent grass courter and would like his chances to win in the second round. Ben Shelton will thank the suspension of play due to bad light as he found a way to come back from down two sets to one against Mattia Bellucci. I have Harris as the favourite here.
Prediction: Harris in 5
Damian
Shelton’s return game was completely off again on day 1 vs Bellucci and he only recovered after they suspended the match until Tuesday. Having to wrap it up yesterday likely isn’t a big deal for him physically, but Harris might be an even tougher opponent. He’s playing with a lot of confidence having won Surbiton and will be slamming serves at Shelton just like Bellucci did, while being more consistent than the American off the ground as well.
Prediction: Harris in 5
Shane
Ben Shelton needed two days to survive his first round battle. That said, the win should give him confidence going forward. Harris has already played four matches at the All England Club, and after a five-stter in Round 1, you have to wonder how his legs will hold up.
Prediction: Shelton in 4
Stan Wawrinka vs Gael Monfils
Ateet
The two oldest players in the draw meet each other for the first time in 5 years. These two have never met on grass so this will be an exciting encounter to witness. It’s satisfying to see these two win matches without struggling and they did just that in their first-round match. This can go either way, although Monfils will like his chances better if the match goes longer.
Prediction: Monfils in 5
Damian
Wawrinka is barely winning matches this year, but still had way too much quality for Broom in the opening round. This all-veteran matchup could present a nice opportunity for either player. Seems like it’s Monfils who simply has more game left though and he’s just coming off a nice run in Mallorca. This rivalry was always pretty tight as well, Wawrinka didn’t dominate it even in his prime.
Prediction: Monfils in 4
Shane
Stan Wawrinka vs Gael Monfils in the second round of a slam in 2024? Sign me up. Wawrinka has been the better grass-court player over his career, but Monfils has been in better form this year. Expect a back-and-forth battle, but I believe Monfils has the movement and legs to outlast Wawrinka.
Prediction: Monfils in 4
Main Photo Credit: Jerry Lai – USA TODAY Sports
