Friday at Wimbledon will see the start of the third round, as the elites separate themselves while fairy tale runs take shape… or end. There will be eight men’s singles matches on Day 5, and we predict all of them. We split the matches between two articles, with the other article featuring Novak Djokovic vs Arthur Rinderknech. Predicting these matches are Harsh Bhoot, Nurein Ahmed, and Tope Oke. Who do you think will advance?
Wimbledon Day 5 Predictions
Tommy Paul vs Hubert Hurkacz
Harsh:
Hurkacz is still very dangerous on grass but Paul looks in fine form. Hurkacz may use his serve to stretch this match but Paul looks very solid at the moment.
Prediction: Paul in 4
Nurein:
Hurkacz has not had the best of seasons, but you would be mistaken to write him off on grass. This is the surface where the Pole is at his most dangerous. Paul’s counterpunching ability allows him to stay competitive against almost anyone, but this matchup favors the big-serving Hurkacz.
Prediction: Hurkacz in 4
Tope:
Hubert Hurkacz survived a nervy tiebreak scare against Sebastian Ofner but has looked every bit the dangerous floater since, and his serve gives him a puncher’s chance against anyone on grass. Tommy Paul owns the head-to-head but this is uncharted territory for both on this surface, and his clean form through two rounds suggests he’s ready to grind out the long exchanges. Expect a tight, serve-heavy battle that could tip either way, but Paul’s return game and composure in big moments should be enough to edge it.
Prediction: Paul in 5
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs Marton Fucsovics
Harsh:
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina entered Wimbledon having won Mallorca and is in decent form. He is yet to drop a set and the Spaniard should be the favourite entering this match. Fucsovics may make it interesting for a set with his aggressive tennis but Davidovich Fokina is in better form.
Prediction: Davidovich Fokina in 4
Nurein:
With a maiden ATP title finally in the bag, that should take the pressure off Davidovich Fokina’s shoulders and the Spaniard has already equaled his career-best achievement at Wimbledon. Fucsovics is good enough to make this physical and complicated, but Davidovich Fokina is in the form of his life.
Prediction: Davidovich Fokina in 4
Tope:
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina is red-hot right now, riding a seven-match streak straight off his maiden title in Mallorca into a lopsided 6-3 6-0 6-3 romp over Marozsan. He faces a battle-tested Fucsovics, who ground past a physically-labored Learner Tien in four sets, but the Hungarian’s grittiness may not be enough against a Spaniard playing this level of tennis. Backing Davidovich Fokina here.
Prediction: Davidovich Fokina in 4
Joao Fonseca vs Roman Safiullin
Harsh:
Fonseca did not have a good warm up to Wimbledon but the Brazilian has started strong here. Safiullin has punched above his weight but he has already played a lot this week and Fonseca should be able to gain control from the baseline more often than not.
Prediction: Fonseca in 3
Nurein:
Safiullin is a very underrated grass-court player. When you consider that he’s got a Wimbledon quarterfinal on his resume, then you absolutely cannot ignore his chances. But after a trio of five-set matches, the Russian is at a disadvantage. He’s coming up against the fresh legs of Fonseca who was exceptional in the first two rounds.
Prediction: Fonseca in 4
Tope:
Joao Fonseca’s teenage flair meets Roman Safiullin’s grit in this one, and after grinding through back-to-back five-setters, the Russian has already proven he thrives when matches go long. But the Brazilian hasn’t dropped a set all tournament and is timing the ball beautifully on grass, making him tough to derail. Expect Safiullin to make Fonseca work for every point, though the 19-year-old’s superior form should see him through ultimately.
Prediction: Fonseca in 5
Jannik Sinner vs Jenson Brooksby
Harsh:
Sinner looked good in his second round as compared to the first. The defending champion should start as the overwhelming favorite against Brooksby, who is unorthodox but lacks any firepower to go toe-to-toe with Sinner.
Prediction: Sinner in 3
Nurein:
Sinner’s title defense has come under real threat, but the Italian will most likely be very pleased with how he navigated some difficult moments in his opening match against Kecmanovic and a tight affair against Borges. Sinner’s sustained aggression should be too much for the tireless Brooksby.
Prediction: Sinner in 3
Tope:
Jannik Sinner is into Round 3 carrying two grinding, tie-break-heavy wins and a foot injury nobody’s fully explained away, and Jenson Brooksby’s the last player he wants across the net right now. The American is a genuine grass-court craftsman who just breezed past a seeded opponent. Their only prior meeting came back in 2021, a straight-sets Sinner win in Washington, and this is their first-ever Slam encounter. Expect Brooksby’s funky angles and variety to test Sinner’s rhythm early, but the World No. 1’s class and grass-court pedigree should see him through eventually.
Prediction: Sinner in 4
Main Photo Credit: Peter van den Berg-USA TODAY Sports
