Day 3 at Wimbledon will see the second round begin in both the women’s and men’s singles draws. The first round already produced plenty of upsets, especially on the women’s side of the tournament. What does the second round hold? As always, our writers are here to share their thoughts on all the matches. We split Wednesday’s matches between this article and three others–featuring Anett Kontaveit vs Jule Niemeier, Emma Raducanu vs Caroline Garcia, and Maria Sakkari vs Viktoriya Tomova. Predicting these matches are Damian Kust, Jakub Bobro, and Steen Kirby.
Wimbledon Day 3 Women’s Predictions
Elise Mertens vs Panna Udvardy
Damian:
Elise Mertens will be trying to keep her incredible streak of consecutive round-three appearances at the Slams going. While the Belgian hasn’t been in excellent form this year, this is a very favorable draw against Panna Udvardy, who’s lacking grass-court experience.
Prediction: Mertens in 2
Jakub:
Mertens looked shaky in her first round, getting breadsticked in the first set by Maria Camila Osorio Serrano, who ended up retiring in the third set. The Belgian gets a nice draw here though, Udvardy got her first slam win here over Tamara Zidansek. Despite not being at her best, I think we will see Mertens make the third round here for the fourth-time in a row.
Prediction: Mertens in 3
Steen:
Not sure what you’re going to get from these players in this matchup; neither Mertens nor Udvardy have impressed lately. This unpredictable matchup likely ends in a Mertens victory as she has a higher ceiling to her game.
Prediction: Mertens in 2
Diane Parry vs Mai Hontama
Damian:
Mai Hontama qualified for the main draw but with Clara Tauson’s retirement, it doesn’t feel like she’s had a tough test yet. Diane Parry has recently reached a grass semifinal in Gaiba and looked in fine form dispatching Kaia Kanepi. Her aggressive style could work well here.
Prediction: Parry in 3
Jakub:
Hontama got a bit lucky with the draw, playing just five games before Clara Tauson retired from their first-round match. Parry actually looked quite good in her win over Kaia Kanepi despite her struggling a bit this season and has a nice chance to make the third-round here.
Prediction: Parry in 2
Steen:
What an opportunity for these players, Hontama qualified and thus has won four straight; Parry was solid on grass in the lead up to this tournament, reaching a semifinal. Neither player is overly well known, so I’ll back Hontama’s immediate form.
Prediction: Hontama in 3
Anhelina Kalinina vs Lesia Tsurenko
Damian:
This all-Ukrainian matchup seems very tough to pick from. Both women reached the quarterfinals at Eastbourne just before going to Wimbledon. Lesia Tsurenko’s got the experience to take this and she also plays a more unpleasant ball.
Prediction: Tsurenko in 3
Jakub:
An all-Ukrainian derby here, Kalinina coming back from a set down against Anna Bondar while Tsurenko dismissed the potentially dangerous Jodie Burrage. The two have actually never faced each other before but with Tsurenko’s first match and grass experience, the 33-year-old is the favorite for me.
Prediction: Tsurenko in 3
Steen:
Both players were solid in the lead up to Wimbledon. Tsurenko has won eight matches on grass on grass this year. Kalinina is a tough opponent, but I’ll go with the upset. Make it nine for Tsurenko.
Prediction: Tsurenko in 2
Ons Jabeur vs Katarzyna Kawa
Damian:
Katarzyna Kawa managed to take out Rebecca Marino by moving the ball around the court and not letting the Canadian produce her big blows. Ons Jabeur is a much more versatile opponent though and should be able to dictate the rallies against the Pole with relative ease.
Prediction: Jabeur in 2
Jakub:
Jabeur really set the tone in the first round to show that those Roland Garros nerves are not coming back. Kawa did really well to defeat Rebecca Marino, only her second career slam main draw victory. I would be surprised if the Pole really troubled Jabeur here, the Tunisian is a real contender for the title.
Prediction: Jabeur in 2
Steen:
Jabeur won both their H2H meetings Kawa has won four straight coming from the qualifying tournament, and she’s a solid grass court player. Jabeur has won six straight herself, though, and is quickly putting the disappointment of Roland Garros in the rearview mirror. She looks too formidable to lose here.
Prediction: Jabeur in 2
Main Photo from Getty.
