A place in the second round at Wimbledon is on offer on day two for the 64 women in action across the All England Club. As always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the slate, including Elena Rybakina vs Lois Boisson, Madison Keys vs Kayla Day, Iga Swiatek vs Taylor Townsend, Serena Williams vs Maya Joint, Linda Noskova vs Ella Seiderl, Amanda Anisimova vs Lina Gjorcheska, and Alexandra Eala vs Renata Zarazua. But who will live to fight another die?
Wimbledon Day 2 Predictions
Elina Svitolina vs Daria Snigur
Zain: Daria Snigur’s flat groundstrokes can be effective, especially on grass, which rewards aggressive hitting. But Elina Svitolina has been playing like a top-eight player throughout the year so far and should use her higher floor level to get a victory here.
Prediction: Svitolina in 2
Ilemona: The all-Ukrainian matchup should produce plenty of entertaining baseline rallies. Snigur has the game to trouble opponents on grass, but Svitolina’s movement and consistency should allow her to absorb the pressure before taking charge.
Prediction: Svitolina in 2
Jordan: Svitolina is usually very solid in the early rounds of Grand Slams. Snigur does not possess anything special to surprise her more illustrious opponent. This should be a straightforward victory for the Ukrainian against her compatriot at Wimbledon.
Prediction: Svitolina in 2
Diana Shnaider vs Eva Lys
Zain: Eva Lys, on her day, can be an effective counterpuncher. But this year so far, she has struggled with physical issues. Diana Shnaider, on the other hand, is coming into the tournament off a great run at the French Open. And if she uses her aggressive baseline game and implements her lefty angles, she should win this match.
Prediction: Shnaider in 2
Ilemona: Shnaider has continued to establish herself as one of the tour’s rising stars, bringing controlled aggression to every surface. Lys has improved significantly over the last year, but Shnaider’s heavier ball should help her dictate the majority of exchanges.
Prediction: Shnaider in 2
Jordan: This is one of the most interesting opening round matchups. Shnaider has a better record on grass, but Lys’s talent makes her dangerous on any surface. Nonetheless, Shnaider starts as the more likely winner.
Prediction: Shnaider in 2
Anhelina Kalinina vs Kamila Rakhimova
Zain: Both players will look to stick to the baseline and dictate play from there, using patterns that are advantageous to themselves. As such, I expect a competitive battle. Although I can see Kamilla Rakhimova grinding out points, I expect Anhelina Kalinina’s cleaner hitting to come out on top.
Prediction: Kalinina in 3
Ilemona: Both players enjoy constructing points from the baseline, but Kalinina has generally been the steadier competitor in longer matches. Her ability to change direction off both wings could be enough to edge a competitive encounter in the first round at Wimbledon,
Prediction: Kalinina in 3
Jordan: Kalinina tends to play her best tennis on clay. Rakhimova will hope to disrupt her opponent by getting a lot of balls into play. She is backed to do that enough to prevail.
Prediction: Rakhimova in 3
Elena-Gabriela Ruse vs Caty McNally
Zain: Elena-Gabriela Ruse will look to dictate play from the baseline using her heavy groundstrokes, while Caty McNally will look to mix things up using her variety from the back of the court to good effect. Ultimately, I think Ruse has both the baseline ability and the defensive capabilities to get a well-earned win and reach the second round here.
Prediction: Ruse in 3
Ilemona: McNally’s willingness to attack the net makes her a dangerous player on grass whenever she is healthy. Ruse has shown solid recent form, but McNally’s variety and comfort on faster courts give her a slight advantage at Wimbledon.
Prediction: McNally in 3
Jordan: McNally has a game suited to grass when she is performing well. That contrasts with Ruse’s powerful forehand working best on clay. The American’s variety should work well in this matchup.
Prediction: McNally in 2
Main photo credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
