The second round of Wimbledon is upon us, and it is already looking like we could be in store for another frenzied Grand Slam. Novak Djokovic escaped in Round 1; can he do it again when he squares off against Stefanos Tsitsipas? As always, we at LWOT offer our roundtable predictions for every match on the slate. But who will advance?
Wimbledon Day 3 Predictions
Daniil Medvedev vs Daniel Merida
Zain
Daniil Medvedev had a clinical performance in the first round, and now he faces Daniel Merida, a player who traditionally does his best work on clay. This match will largely be played from the baseline, and on grass, Medvedev should have the tools to reach the third round of Wimbledon.
Prediction: Medvedev in 4
Manuel
On paper, this is a huge mismatch, even if Medvedev has been prone to early Slam upsets in recent times. Merida should have nothing to trouble him here.
Prediction: Medvedev in 3
Botic van de Zandschulp vs Roman Safiullin
Zain
Roman Safiullin rolled back the years in the first round when he defeated Andrey Rublev in five sets. Now, against Botic van de Zandschulp, this is a match in which both players like to serve big and dominate with their forehands. As they play a similar style, I expect this match to have patches where either player asserts their dominance from the back of the court. But ultimately, I think Safiullin edges this one out.
Prediction: Safiullin in 5
Manuel
Safiullin notched a fantastic win over Rublev in the first round and will be looking to make another deep Wimbledon run, as in 2023. But Zandschulp himself tends to raise his level in Slams, and this could well be a very long match.
Prediction: Safiullin in 5
Arthur Rinderknech vs Martin Damm
Zain
Martin Damm has the serve and aggressive firepower to make this match quite competitive. But Arthur Rinderknech, with his own serving ability and aggressive all-court play, should be able to have enough success to hold the upper hand in a best-of-five match. Expect the Frenchman to advance to the third round after a long battle.
Prediction: Rinderknech in 5
Manuel
Rinderknech hasn’t had a great year, but his game can be very effective on grass, and with his weapons, he should be able to advance here.
Prediction: Rinderknech in 4
Novak Djokovic vs Stefanos Tsitsipas
Zain
This matchup used to be a mainstay in the second week of Slams a couple of years ago, but given Stefanos Tsitsipas’ decline, we now see it in the second round. Even at his best, Tsitsipas had trouble against Novak Djokovic, as the Serbian could target his one-handed backhand and dominate on return. And although Djokovic is no longer at the peak level he was years ago, he should still have enough from both the baseline and his precise serving to reach the third round without any major hiccups.
Prediction: Djokovic in 4
Manuel
A matchup that happened twice in Slam finals this decade is now taking place as early as round 2. Even in his prime, Tsitsipas would struggle to compete with Djokovic on grass, so now his chances are even lower.
Prediction: Djokovic in 4
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke – Imagn Images
