Expect plenty of entertaining tennis on day one at Wimbledon with 32 matches on the schedule. As always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match, including Carlos Alcaraz vs Fabio Fognini, Frances Tiafoe vs Elmer Moller, Daniil Medvedev vs Benjamin Bonzi, Joao Fonseca vs Jacob Fearnley, Holger Rune vs Nicolas Jarry, Matteo Berrettini vs Kamil Majchrzak, and Alexander Zverev vs Arthur Rinderknech. But who will advance?
Wimbledon Day 1 Predictions
Taylor Fritz vs Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard
Ateet: An extremely tough first-round match for the American #1, Taylor Fritz, and he will have to be at his best to avoid an upset. Perricard’s serve on grass can be unplayable, and Fritz might not get enough chances to break. However, Fritz himself is a great server and will like his chances to clutch it out in tiebreaks.
Prediction: Fritz in 4
Damian: Fritz might be dominating in the grass-court warm-ups and Mpetshi Perricard has been struggling for wins, but that’s never a matchup you want to see in your opening round. The Frenchman has a high chance of just making this a tie-break lottery and made the fourth round last year as a lucky loser. It’s way closer to being a flip than it should be.
Prediction: Fritz in 5
Ilemona: Mpetshi Perricard has the serve to trouble anyone on grass, and if he lands enough of them, this could get tight. Fritz has more experience at this level, but won’t want to get dragged into a tiebreak battle. Small margins could decide it.
Prediction: Fritz in 4
Embed from Getty Images
Henry Searle vs Ethan Quinn
Ateet: Both players are making their first main draw appearance at Wimbledon and will look to get off to a strong start. Wild card Henry Searle will have the crowd support, which makes him dangerous, but Quinn has more experience on this surface.
Prediction: Quinn in 5
Damian: Quinn’s game hasn’t quite worked on grass yet, but he certainly has potential to play well on
this surface with his big forehand and his willingness to come forward. It’s enough to make him the favorite against the junior champion of 2023, seems like Searle will likely push him somewhat close though.
Prediction: Quinn in 5
Ilemona: Both are talented and still growing into their games, so this feels like a close one. Searle will have home support, while Quinn brings more tour-level experience. It might come down to who settles quicker under the spotlight.
Prediction: Quinn in 5
Mattia Bellucci vs Oliver Crawford
Ateet: Mattia Bellucci got his first main draw win on grass in Eastbourne recently and is the favourite on paper going into the match against Oliver Crawford, who is making his main draw debut. The Brit has got some nice wins against solid opponents recently at the challenger level. However, winning three sets against a skilled player at this level won’t be easy.
Prediction: Bellucci in 5
Damian: Crawford is definitely one of the weaker wildcards in the field as his game just doesn’t suit the grass that well. He’s solid all-round but the lack of a standout trait has been hurting his potential to grow. Bellucci’s variety can stand out on a natural surface and he should feel pretty comfortable attacking against the Briton here.
Prediction: Bellucci in 4
Ilemona: Neither player has a lot of grass-court pedigree, but Crawford has shown a bit more consistency lately. Bellucci can mix things up well when he’s on, though. Expect some swings in momentum here.
Prediction: Bellucci in 5
Embed from Getty Images
Felix Auger-Aliassime vs James Duckworth
Ateet: Felix Auger-Aliassime will be more confident going into Wimbledon after securing some much-needed wins recently. James Duckworth has a good grass-court game, but his serve is not as potent, and the Canadian will get looks to break it often.
Prediction: Auger-Aliassime in 4
Damian: Auger-Aliassime has endured some tough losses at Wimbledon of late with three consecutive first-round exits, but this should be where he breaks the streak. Duckworth can play and he’s a decent grass-courter, so it’s not like it’s a complete gimme. But the Canadian just executes similar patterns at a much higher quality.
Prediction: Auger-Aliassime in 4
Ilemona: Duckworth is gritty and won’t go away easily, especially on grass where his game suits the surface. Felix Auger-Aliassime is still trying to find rhythm this year, so nothing is guaranteed. If he starts slow, this could get complicated.
Prediction: Auger-Aliassime in 5
Main photo credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
