On the men’s side, the first round of Wimbledon was full of five-setters and chaotic matches, and the margins will only get smaller in the second round. Here are the top five second-round matches:
5 Best Men’s Second-Round Matches at Wimbledon
(22) Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs Fabian Marozsan
No. 22 seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Fabian Marozsan won their respective first-round matches in straight sets to set up a rematch of last week’s Mallorca semifinal. It was a close match, with Davidovich Fokina taking it in three sets and going on to win his first ATP title. With so little time in between the two matches, the matchup should be fairly similar and just as close as their Mallorca clash. And without the pressure of being titleless, Davidovich Fokina could bring an even higher level.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs (7) Novak Djokovic
A matchup that has featured twice in Grand Slam finals is now in the second round of Wimbledon. It’s been far from Stefanos Tsitsipas’ best year, as he’s fallen far from his standard ranking, but that doesn’t take away from the intrigue of this matchup. Novak Djokovic played well in his first round, but looked shaky and showed some vulnerability, while Tsitsipas’ first round was shockingly straightforward and dominant. If they bring those levels to this match, things could get interesting. For Tsitsipas, the key is to find his forehand in rallies and end points quickly before Djokovic can target his backhand. To get a win feels highly improbable, but a tough, familiar matchup might be what Tsitsipas needs to play his best tennis.
Zachary Svajda vs Kamil Majchrzak
Kamil Majchrzak has had strong results on grass the last few seasons and upset No. 30 seed Alejandro Tabilo in the first round. In excellent form, he’s running into Zachary Svajda, a player coming off the best Grand Slam run of his career. This is a huge opportunity for both players in an increasingly open section of the draw, and tension will be high as both try to take advantage. The head-to-head is currently split at 1-1, and Svajda won their last match on grass despite Majchrzak being extremely comfortable on the surface and, on paper, the slight favorite.
(15) Jakub Mensik vs Grigor Dimitrov
15th seed Jakub Mensik rarely makes things easy for himself at Grand Slams, and that could translate to an exciting match against Grigor Dimitrov. Dimitrov, who has been dealing with injuries for most of the season, picked up some form ahead of Wimbledon and had a fairly straightforward first-round win. Both of the matches Mensik and Dimitrov have played were extremely close. If Dimitrov is playing healthy, he can seriously challenge Mensik and take advantage of Mensik’s tendency to drag out best-of-five matches.
Matteo Berrettini vs (20) Arthur Fils
It wasn’t the easiest first-round match for Matteo Berrettini as he faced Stan Wawrinka, but he came through in four tiebreak sets, further showcasing his ability to compete on grass. Against No. 20 seed Arthur Fils, though, it may not be enough just to have a strong serve to rely on, as Fils is a much stronger mover than Wawrinka and can trouble Berrettini with his all-court game. These are both players who constantly deal with injuries, and being able to compete in this tournament means a lot to them, heightening the stakes.
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke – Imagn Images
