Tuesday at Wimbledon we will witness the potential end of Petra Kvitova’s career as she takes on Emma Navarro in the first round. British hope Francesca Jones is also in action as the greatest grass court event on the planet continues its opening week. We have predictions for every match of the first round.
Petra Kvitova vs Emma Navarro
Manuel: This is arguably the biggest match of the first round. While Navarro is the far superior player at this point in their respective careers, Kvitova is a proven force on grass, with two Wimbledon titles to her name, and is an opponent no player would like to face at this stage regardless of age or form. Navarro in 3
Nurein: This is Kvitova’s last Wimbledon and, in all probability, her farewell match at SW19. I’ve followed the Czech since her return, and she’s clearly lacking in match sharpness and she doesn’t have the legs anymore to go the long haul. And she’s playing one of the fittest players on tour. Navarro is a three-set specialist, and she’ll be favored to progress if this goes the distance. Navarro in 3
Yesh: What a brutal draw for both women. Kvitova is a two-time champion who is hanging up her racket shortly. Navarro is a potential dark horse title threat with her excellent all-court game. Can Kvitova dig out one more exceptional match at SW19? Honestly? Maybe. Kvitova in 3
Marta Kostyuk vs Veronika Erjavec
Manuel: Erjavec had a very nice run through qualifying to get to this main draw, but under normal circumstances this should be the end of the line for her, with Kostyuk being a significant step up in level. Kostyuk in 2
Nurein: Kostyuk was a disappointment at the French Open, but she can put things right at Wimbledon. This is a dream draw for the Ukrainian who should use the experience to her advantage. Kostyuk in 2
Yesh: Kostyuk is a powerful player who should really flourish on the grass. Erjavec might have potential but she should be outclassed here. Kostyuk in 3
Kaja Juvan vs Irina-Camelia Begu
Manuel: Ranking-wise, this is arguably the lowest level match of the round, but it should be far more interesting than many predict. Juvan played some really nice tennis in qualifying and should be able to advance here. Juvan in 2
Nurein: Juvan has been in and out of the tour in recent years with two untimely setbacks. But the Slovenian is a massive talent and if she gets a decent spell of form, she will be in the Top 50. Begu has struggled to get going this season and Juvan is in a prime position to inflict more pain. Juvan in 2
Yesh: This should be a good match. Begu is a crafty player who might be slightly past her prime, but still can play well. Juvan has a lot of potential but seems to have hit a bit of a ceiling. Juvan in 2
Yuliia Starodubtseva vs Francesca Jones
Manuel: This should be a very close match, decided by small details and execution on the big points. The two players have similar levels and plenty of match play on grass this year so there is very little to separate them here. Starodubtseva in 3
Nurein: This is an intriguing match with Francesca Jones expected to draw a lot of crowd support. We know Jones’ grip mechanics can work wonders on grass and Starodubtseva has a tricky problem to solve. I’m going with home advantage here, it could be the difference maker. Jones in 3
Yesh: Francesca Jones, for all she seems to hate the grass, has some good results on the lawn this season. She might be able to pick up a win against the Ukrainian in front of a home crowd. Jones in 3
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
