Day 3 of Wimbledon this year will see a lot more than the scheduled 16 women’s matches. Due to the rain the first few days, plenty of matches have been pushed off from Tuesday to Wednesday. We’ve already shared our thoughts on those matches with you, so today we present our predictions for the 16 Round 2 matches scheduled. We look at four matches in this article, and the other 12 are split between three other articles. One features Venus Williams vs Ons Jabeur, the second headlines Elena Rybakina vs Claire Liu, and the third features Marria Sakkari vs Shelby Rogers. Predicting this set of matches are Jim Smith, Damian Kust, and Yesh Ginsburg.
Wimbledon Day 3 Women’s Predictions
Irina-Camelia Begu vs Petra Martic
Damian:
Begu avoided having to finish her match on Tuesday, but this probably shouldn’t be that much of a factor this early in the tournament. Begu’s win/loss record on grass is quite awful, leading me to believe that Martic’s variety and ability to mix up patterns will see her through here.
Prediction: Martic in 2
Jim:
Petra Martic was not quite at her best in the first round, but did enough to get the better of 6-7 6-4 6-3. The 26th seed may need to improve when she takes to the court against Irina-Camelia Begu, who played well to beat Katie Volynets in the first round, but expect Martic to have enough in her arsenal to get the better of the Romanian.
Prediction: Martic in 3
Yesh:
Martic doesn’t love the grass and hasn’t found her 2019 French Open form yet, though she had a good run this year as well. Still, she’s finding her footing and is good enough to withstand anything Begu can do.
Prediction: Martic in 2
Lauren Davis vs Madison Keys
Damian:
Keys’s hyper-aggressive playstyle allows her to have most of her matches almost entirely on her racket. It shouldn’t be different here and in the opening round against Katie Swan she was great at mixing up the power with the consistency.
Prediction: Keys in 2
Jim:
Lauren Davis was in superb form in her opener, thrashing British wild card Jodie Anna Burrage for the loss of only three games. But Madison Keys should provide a sterner test. The 26-year-old looked assured in her first-round win over Katie Swan and she should have the power to hit through Davis’ defenses.
Prediction: Keys in 2
Yesh:
Keys is tough to predict. She’s such a strong player, and she’s almost impossible to hit through when she’s playing well. Unfortunately, she hasn’t found her best form in a few years, and has struggled with injuries. Still, she’s playing well enough and should be powerful enough to send off her compatriot here.
Prediction: Keys in 2
Ludmilla Samsonova vs Jessica Pegula
Damian:
Samsonova got a week of rest after that sensational run to the title in Berlin and she doesn’t appear to be slowing down. Pegula’s a tricky opponent, though, and she’s also in the middle of the best season of her career. The Belarusian’s weapons should be enough but she needs to maintain her level from two weeks ago.
Prediction: Samsonova in 3
Jim:
Jessica Pegula made light work of Caroline Garcia in the first round, but she will not find things so straightforward against Ludmilla Samsonova. The Russian is in the form of her life after winning the title in Berlin and maintained her momentum by beating Kaia Kanepi 6-4 6-2 in the first round. Crucially, she looks that much more assured on the grass than Pegula.
Prediction: Samsonova in 3
Yesh:
Two women who are equally talented, in good form right now, and seem to love the grass. This should be a great battle that could be a classic match. Who will win? It’s honestly a total coin flip. It could go either way.
Prediction: Pegula in 3
Aryna Sabalenka vs Katie Boulter
Damian:
Boulter is a great talent and she could definitely win a few rounds here. The draw is brutal though and after Sabalenka’s insane 48 winners performance against Niculescu, I’m starting to believe that the Belarusian might be very hard to stop here.
Prediction: Sabalenka in 2
Jim:
Wild card Katie Boulter battled hard to secure her spot in the second round and repay the faith showed in her by the All England Club and LTA. However, it is hard to see her getting the better of Aryna Sabalenka. The Belarusian’s formidable power was on full display in the first round and Boulter simply does not have the weaponry to match.
Prediction: Sabalenka in 2
Yesh:
Boulter is a local hero, and Sabalenka doesn’t love the grass, surprisingly enough. The home crowds could make this a little interesting, but Sabalenka should be able to power through in the end.
Prediction: Sabalenka in 3
Main Photo:
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