Monday means Day 1 of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships. Half of the first round will be contested, which means we get to see 32 men’s matches. As always, our writers here at LWOT will try to share our thoughts on all of the matches for you. We split the 32 matches between eight articles. Our other articles for Day 1 feature Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Filip Krajinovic, Lorenzo Musetti vs Juan Pablo Varillas, Nick Kyrgios vs David Goffin, Hubert Hurkacz vs Albert Ramos-Vinolas, Casper Ruud vs Laurent Lokoli, Andrey Rublev vs Max Purcell, and John Isner vs Jaume Munar. Predicting this set of matches are Jack Edward, Damian Kust, and Andreas Pelekis. Who do you think will advance?
Wimbledon Day 1 Men’s Predictions
Dusan Lajovic vs Jan Choinski
Jack:
Time is Dusan Lajovic’s best friend and grass courts do not afford him that luxury. Jan Choinski isn’t the kind of player to rush his opponents however, though he has had ample opportunity to warm up on this surface. Lajovic will be vulnerable as Wimbledon progresses but he should come through this one.
Prediction: Lajovic in 4
Damian:
Neither player loves the grass, so for them to meet in round one is actually a solid opportunity for both. Lajovic seemed healthy again during the exhibitions, so along with the experience he probably deserves the slight nod. After all, it hasn’t been a bad season for him.
Prediction: Lajovic in 5
Andreas:
Lajovic has shied away from what is certainly his worst surface, neglecting to play a grass court tuneup. Meanwhile, Choinski has taken advantage of his home court advantages, receiving multiple wildcards to get a test at ATP level. While yet to win a Tour-level match on grass this year, he has the upper hand being match-tested and comfortable on the fast green. Add in the fact that he has a home crowd behind him, and Choinski could be a striking upset pick.
Prediction: Choinski in 5
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Benjamin Bonzi vs Harold Mayot
Jack:
Benjamin Bonzi at his best could have been dangerous here. He’s been away from the Tour for a while, however, and will likely be quite rusty. As with many of the qualifiers, Harold Mayot will be well warmed up and could hit big enough for the upset.
Prediction: Mayot in 4
Damian:
Mayot isn’t really among the most dangerous qualifiers, but he pushed through his section with real ease. This is also a great draw for him with Bonzi struggling physically of late. He’s probably the favorite right now.
Prediction: Mayot in 4
Andreas:
This is a fantastic opportunity for either Frenchman to gain some momentum in 2023 with a win here. While Bonzi is the heavy favorite with his ranking, he dealt with some injury concerns forcing his withdrawal from Roland Garros, and his ranking has slipped from his career high of #43. On the other hand, Mayot looked great in qualifying, not dropping a set and taking out seed Duckworth comprehensively. Giving the slight edge to Bonzi with his Grand Slam experience, yet don’t rule out an upset.
Prediction: Bonzi in 5
Oscar Otte vs Dominik Koepfer
Jack:
Oscar Otte may have flown down the rankings but he’s picked up where he left off last year by taking his unorthodox booming serve into the grass season. Dominik Koepfer may be winning plenty of matches but Otte is just too reliable on serve.
Prediction: Otte in 4
Damian:
Otte needed that qualifying run so much as he was just 6-18 for the year. Koepfer isn’t going to go down without a fight though and has an excellent grass record himself, winning Ilkley back in 2019. I’ll back Otte to use that confidence from the qualies to prevail here.
Prediction: Otte in 5
Andreas:
Otte’s traditionally played solid tennis on the grass, losing in five to Andy Murray in 2021, and reaching the third round last year. His form has dipped since then, with Otte forced to play qualifying. Koepfer similarly dipped from his peak level from 2021, yet reached a semifinal in Nottingham this year on the grass. While a Challenger tournament is certainly disparate from the ATP level, having match experience will absolutely help him.
Prediction: Koepfer in 4
Novak Djokovic vs Pedro Cachin
Jack:
Novak Djokovic could have been given a banana skin in his first-round but will draw a sigh of relief at Pedro Cachin. The Argentinian is a great clay-courter with a mean forehand but doesn’t have the chops on serve to keep up with the seven-time champ.
Prediction: Djokovic in 3
Damian:
This should be relatively straightforward. Cachin has that underrated serve that he can use to be better than expected on grass, but it just seems impossible for him to execute his game at a quality that would let him hang with Djokovic here.
Prediction: Djokovic in 3
Andreas:
While Djokovic is undoubtedly the heavy favorite for this match and ultimately the whole tournament, it’s important to add that he’s dropped a set in his last two Wimbledon first round campaigns, against Kwon and Draper. There’s a chance that a nervy Serb could play his C-level game dealing with pressure as the opener of Center Court, yet his opponent is yet to win a match on grass. With that, the Serb could drop a set if he displays some sloppy tennis, but most likely Djokovic should cruise easily in what will be step one to his 24th Major.
Prediction: Djokovic in 3
Main Photo Credit: Peter van den Berg-USA TODAY Sports
