(1)Andy Murray vs (LL)Alexander Bublik
One of the biggest questions heading into Wimbledon is how will Andy Murray hold up physically. After pulling out of an exhibition at the Hurlingham Club, Murray was seen struggling during a practice session just days before he’ll be taking the court against young Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan. Bublik, who lost in the final round of qualifying to Daniel Brands (13-11 in the 5th set) received entry as a Lucky Loser after Pablo Cuevas withdrew. The defending champ will have to be ready from the start as he’ll face an opponent in Bublik playing with nothing to lose.
(5)Stan Wawrinka vs Daniil Medvedev
Stan Wawrinka is entering Wimbledon short of match play on the grass. After losing to Feliciano Lopez at Queen’s Club, Wawrinka is hoping the expertise of Paul Annacone (former coach of Roger Federer) can help him take his game on grass to another level. He’ll face the 21-year-old Russian Daniil Medvedev, who seems to be quite comfortable on this surface. After knocking off Nicolas Mahut last week, Medvedev has wins this week over Americans Sam Querrey and Steve Johnson. It’ll be a tall order for the 52nd ranked player in the world when he takes the court Monday, but from what we’ve seen so far he looks capable of pulling off the upset.
(7)Marin Cilic vs Philipp Kohlschreiber
Marin Cilic is entering Wimbledon fresh off a disappointing loss to Feliciano Lopez in the finals of Queen’s, in which he held a championship point in. He faces a player in Kohlschreiber that would be considered as a “dangerous floater.” This will be the 10th meeting for the two with Cilic leading the H2H 6-3. Kohlschreiber (now ranked #57) hasn’t had his best season, but the 2012 Wimbledon quarterfinalist isn’t a name Marin Cilic likes to see next to his in the first round.
(23)John Isner vs (Q)Taylor Fritz
After missing eight weeks with a knee injury, Taylor Fritz took the court again for the grass court season. The young American used the rehab time as a training block to get stronger physically. Fritz, who is working with Mardy Fish, got through qualifying relatively easily dropping, only one set en route. He’s matched up against big serving American John Isner. This will be the second meeting for the two, with Isner winning the first last year on the hard courts in Atlanta 7-5 6-4.
(8)Dominic Thiem vs Vasek Pospisil
Dominic Thiem is looking to bounce back after losing in Antalya to #221 ranked Ramkumar Ramanathan in under an hour. Even after winning Stuttgart in 2016, Thiem still doesn’t seem comfortable on this surface. You have to wonder if all the matches Thiem played during the clay swing is taking a toll on him at the moment. On the other hand, Vasek Pospisil is a player who’s comfortable on grass and can prove to be a tough opponent early in the tournament.
(29)Juan Martin Del Potro vs Thanasi Kokkinakis
Fan favorite Juan Martin Del Potro will be making his first grass court appearance of the season when he takes the court on Tuesday against Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis. Del Potro, a former Wimbledon semifinalist, has the game to cause trouble on this surface, but the question with him is whether he can last through the grueling two weeks at a Slam. Kokkinakis, who missed time as well, recorded the best win of his young career last week when he beat Milos Raonic 7-6(5) 7-6(8) at Queen’s.
(22)Richard Gasquet vs David Ferrer
Richard Gasquet and David Ferrer aren’t two players you’d typically find playing against each other in the 1st round of a Slam. This season’s struggles has Ferrer outside the top 32 and is another “dangerous floater.” With Gasquet’s recent form, I don’t know how much of a match this will actually be as he seems to be peaking at the right time on his best surface.
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