It promises to be an entertaining fourth day at the All England Club with a number of star names set to take to the court at Wimbledon. As ever, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the slate, including Holger Rune vs Thiago Seyboth Wild, Alexander Zverev vs Marcos Giron, and Thanasi Kokkinakis vs Lucas Pouille. But who will book their spot in the round of 32?
Wimbledon Day 4 Predictions
Novak Djokovic vs Jacob Fearnley
Ateet: Novak Djokovic played a positive match and his knee looked good, not in full flight yet. He tried at times to take it easy on the knee. But pretty much the optimal start for him. His serve and return looked great and, that would do the job for him against most players, including his second-round opponent, Jacob Fearnley, who has been playing well this grass season at the Challenger tour.
Prediction: Djokovic in 3
Jordan: Djokovic brushed off any worries about his knee injury from the French Open with a dominant victory in the opening round. Fearnley will already feel like this tournament is a success after getting to the second round. He can play freely in what is likely to be a straight sets loss to Djokovic.
Prediction: Djokovic in 3
Damian: Fearnley looks like college has turned him into a real threat during the last season and it was good to see him repeating that Nottingham form against Moro Cañas. This will be too much for him though and it’s part of why the Djokovic draw is so good that there’s little to no danger awaiting him in the first few rounds.
Prediction: Djokovic in 3
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Cameron Norrie vs Jack Draper
Ateet: Cameron Norrie got a comfortable win in his first-round match, but he has been in woeful form this year and will be desperate to halt this alarming slide down the rankings. Norrie will be extra motivated for this match as Jack Draper has overtaken him as the British #1. Draper did not have an easy first round and had to battle to the end to win in five sets. But if he stays aggressive, he should win this match.
Prediction: Draper in 4
Jordan: Draper was not at his best in the previous round, but he dug deep to get the job done in five sets. If he plays better against Norrie, Draper should be confident of overcoming his compatriot. Norrie is having a difficult year, and Draper’s power and grass-court prowess give him a great chance of winning.
Prediction: Draper in 4
Damian: Norrie’s form recently was surprisingly poor and some of the losses he picked up during the grass season were just shocking. In that sense it’s a mismatch, but maybe the older of the Brits can enjoy that feeling of no one looking at him right? All the eyes are on Draper and based on his round one, he might not be handling it too well. I still don’t think I can pick the upset here though.
Prediction: Draper in 4
Yoshihito Nishioka vs Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard
Ateet: Yoshihito Nishioka reached the quarterfinals in Eastbourne last week and continued the good form against Nuno Borges in the first round. Mpetshi Perricard displayed a serving masterclass to upset the in-form Sebastian Korda in five tight sets. He not only hits big first serves but also big second serves, which makes it hard to break him. He can trouble anyone if he serves like this and Nishioka would be easier to deal with than Korda.
Prediction: Perricard in 4
Jordan: Mpetshi Perricard’s playing style makes him a nightmare draw for anyone, as Sebastian Korda experienced in the last round. Although all his matches are tight, I am confident he will beat Nishioka. The Japanese player’s serve is very attackable, meaning Mpetshi Perricard will probably get chances off it. Combine that with the Frenchman’s massive serve and it becomes a tough matchup for Nishioka.
Prediction: Mpetshi Perricard in 3
Damian: Such a contrast of styles, which should make for a much more entertaining affair than Mpetshi Perricard beating Korda in round one (the first break of serve came in the fifth set). Nishioka has the hand skills to return the monster serve a little bit better than the American did, but it still feels like he’ll mostly be playing catch-up due to how insane the Mpetshi Perricard weapons are.
Prediction: Mpetshi Perricard in 5
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Adam Walton vs Francisco Comesana
Ateet: Adam Walton played a great match to beat Federico Coria in straight sets. This was Walton’s first win at a Grand Slam. Francisco Comesana pulled the biggest upset of the week as he beat Andrey Rublev in four sets. Comesana rattled Rublev with his brilliant defense and backhand slices. Comesana will go into this match with a lot of confidence and is the favourite to win.
Prediction: Comesana in 4
Jordan: Can Comesana back up his amazing triumph against Andrey Rublev? He is probably a slight favourite to do so. Walton has risen up the rankings and is having a great year. But the level Comesana showed against Rublev might give him the confidence he needs in the tight moments here.
Prediction: Comesana in 4
Damian: Comesana’s first round performance was just incredible – he found his confidence again and was serving out of his mind to beat Rublev. That killer slice was also something we hadn’t seen from him on clay, and he felt so natural on grass despite only playing his second ever pro match on the surface. If he can play something like that again, the chance is there as Walton (outside of a good serve) is a very passive player off the ground.
Prediction: Comesana in 4
Main photo credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
