There should be plenty of entertaining tennis for the fans to enjoy on day three at Wimbledon. There are 16 matches on the schedule and, as ever, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for all of them, including Taylor Fritz vs Gabriel Diallo, Cameron Norrie vs Frances Tiafoe, and Carlos Alcaraz vs Oliver Tarvet. But who will reach the round of 32?
Wimbledon Day 3 Predictions
Arthur Fery vs Luciano Darderi
Ateet: Luciano Darderi has only played five-setters in his Wimbledon career, and he played another one against Roman Safiullin in the first round. He hopes to end this trend and get a more comfortable win against Arthur Fery, who got his first win here in the first round. No player is a clear favourite in this one, but I am going with the Italian.
Prediction: Darderi in 5
Damian: Fery posted a big win over Alexei Popyrin and has a chance to keep going. While his experience at this level is minimal, his career would be at a completely different stage right now if not for all the injuries. He’s crafty and aggressive despite not being that tall. An opponent who doesn’t know much about this surface? Big opportunity.
Prediction: Fery in 4
Ilemona: Fery’s grass-court game looked sharp in his opener, and the home crowd will give him a boost, but Darderi’s recent rise in confidence makes him a tricky opponent. The Italian doesn’t have much grass experience, but his baseline power could test Fery’s all-court play. This could be closer than rankings suggest.
Prediction: Fery in 4
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Nicolas Jarry vs Learner Tien
Ateet: Nicolas Jarry made his first comeback from a two-set deficit in a Grand Slam as he upset the eight seed, Holger Rune. Jarry got better with each set and started to make more inroads against Rune’s serve. Tien comfortably dispatched his compatriot Nishesh Basavareddy after a hard-fought first set. This should be a fascinating encounter due to the contrasting styles of both players.
Prediction: Tien in 5
Damian: The contrast of styles here is marked and makes this match difficult to predict. Jarry came back to beat Rune from 0-2 down and maintained the level from his flawless qualifying campaign, but will need to handle all these slices and variation of pace coming from Tien here. Not sure he has enough patience for it and if he can bend the knees that low consistently.
Prediction: Tien in 5
Ilemona: Jarry took care of Rune in five sets, using his serve and forehand to keep things on his terms. Tien impressed with a composed win over Basavareddy, handling the occasion well. This one could hinge on how much pressure Tien can absorb from the baseline.
Prediction: Jarry in 4
Joao Fonseca vs Jenson Brooksby
Ateet: Fonseca continues his trend of fantastic first-round performances in Grand Slams as he comfortably took out the dangerous local player, Jacob Fearnley, in straight sets. Fonseca will hope to carry this momentum and make a deep run this time. Brooksby played a great match against Tallon Griekspoor, but Fonseca’s power might unsettle his consistency.
Prediction: Fonseca in 4
Damian: Brooksby defeated Mallorca champion Tallon Griekspoor comfortably and neutralized his power like a professor. He’ll need to do something similar against Fonseca and with the Brazilian still lacking experience, the chance is there. But the firepower of the 18-year-old is getting stronger by the minute and he might just have too much of it.
Prediction: Fonseca in 4
Ilemona: Fonseca’s explosive game is fun to watch, but Brooksby’s crafty, counterpunching style could frustrate the young Brazilian. Brooksby’s grass-court nous might be the difference. Don’t be surprised if this turns into a battle of nerves.
Prediction: Brooksby in 5
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Jiri Lehecka vs Mattia Bellucci
Ateet: Jiri Lehecka played one of the worst sets of his season to go down a set against Hugo Dellien, but got back to his usual level immediately and won the next three sets comfortably. He should be able to avoid any other hiccups and win in straight sets against Mattia Bellucci.
Prediction: Lehecka in 3
Damian: Lehecka has a great shot at a run here, but struggling to defeat Dellien might not be the best omen. Nonetheless, it was only his return game that was an issue in that match. Bellucci has a nice grass-court skillset too, but would need to apply his game a lot more effectively than he has a of late to become a proper threat here.
Prediction: Lehecka in 4
Ilemona: Lehecka looked confident in his four-set win over Hugo Dellien, striking clean and taking control of points early. Bellucci showed real fight to edge past Crawford in four. If Lehecka keeps up his tempo, Bellucci might find it hard to stay with him physically.
Prediction: Lehecka in 4
Main photo credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images
