The second round of Wimbledon is upon us, and it is already looking like we could be in store for another frenzied Grand Slam. No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka squares off against young American McCartney Kessler in what should be a terrific encounter. As always, we at LWOT offer our roundtable predictions for every match on the slate. But who will advance?
Wimbledon Day 3 Predictions
Jelena Ostapenko vs Antonia Ružić
Amanda
After a chaotic first-round win, Jelena Ostapenko may not be playing her best tennis, but she is certainly fighting in every moment. Antonia Ružić had good fortune with the withdrawal of Emma Raducanu and took advantage of a first-round lucky loser opponent. Still, Ostapenko is a tougher challenge, and it’s hard to see Ružić getting through this matchup on grass.
Prediction: Ostapenko in 3
Jordan
This match will be on Ostapenko’s racket, as is usually the case. The Latvian was chaotic and imperfect against Harriet Dart but narrowly scraped through. Ružić is less comfortable defending than Dart, which might make this more comfortable for Ostapenko.
Prediction: Ostapenko in 2
Janice Tjen vs Daria Kasatkina
Amanda
Janice Tjen notched a straight-set upset in the first round, while Daria Kasatkina played a three-setter against an opponent ranked nearly 300 spots below her. Kasatkina’s level isn’t where it needs to be against the top players, and Tjen is in good enough form to take advantage.
Prediction: Tjen in 2
Jordan
Tjen was superb against Leylah Fernandez. Kasatkina will bring better defense but less capable hitting than the Canadian did. I narrowly favor Tjen to win a tight match.
Prediction: Tjen in 3
Karolína Muchová vs Shuai Zhang
Amanda
Karolína Muchová and Shuai Zhang just played each other two weeks ago in Berlin, and Muchová won handily in straight sets. Muchová has only been playing better since then, and it’ll be a tough ask for Zhang to flip the script.
Prediction: Muchova in 2
Jordan
Zhang’s triumph over Bianca Andreescu at this stage of her career was outstanding. However, I do not think she has much chance against Muchová. The Czech is playing much better than Andreescu, and her variety suits a matchup against Zhang.
Prediction: Muchová in 2
Aryna Sabalenka vs McCartney Kessler
Amanda
McCartney Kessler’s first-round win was an impressive 6-0, 6-0 showing, but her opponent’s level on grass is far from the level of Aryna Sabalenka. Sabalenka looked solid in her opening match and won in straight sets the last time she played Kessler, and she’s looking set for the second week of this tournament.
Prediction: Sabalenka in 2
Jordan
Kessler generated some attention by beating Oleksandra Oliynykova 6-0, 6-0 in the previous round. However, she benefited from a terrible performance from the Ukrainian. Sabalenka will more than likely be too good for her.
Prediction: Sabalenka in 2
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane – Imagn Images
