Centre Court
Daniil Medvedev (5) vs Alexandre Muller
Medvedev comfortably won his first round match against Aleksandar Kovacevic, serving 16 aces en route to a straight sets win. Medvedev’s second round opponent Alexandre Muller also came through his opening match in straight sets against Hugo Gaston. However, Gaston is no Medvedev. The world number 5 has one of the best return games on tour so Muller will be under pressure in all of his service games. Medvedev’s serve is stellar too and if it’s firing, Muller will have a hard task breaking it.
Prediction – Medvedev to win in 3 sets
Emma Navarro (19) vs Naomi Osaka
Emma Navarro is playing the best tennis of her career in 2024. She won her first WTA title in January and reached the fourth-round of last month’s French Open. Navarro has continued her rise up the rankings on the grass courts, reaching the semi final at last week’s tournament in Bad Homburg.
In comparison, Naomi Osaka’s standout moment during her comeback to the tour this year has to be her match against Iga Swiatek at the French Open. Osaka came within one point of winning that encounter.
Given her lack of success outside hard-courts, very few people gave her a chance in that match. Not only did she outplay the best clay courter in the world, she reminded the tennis world why she is a four-time major champion. If Osaka hadn’t had this moment against Swiatek, I might have picked Navarro to win this match given her consistency and better grass-court form coming into the tournament.
However, Osaka has shown us time and time again that she doesn’t need form to perform. It will be a close match but I think Osaka will just edge it with her superior tennis level.
Prediction – Osaka to win in 3 sets
Jannik Sinner (1) vs Matteo Berrettini
In one of the most anticipated matches of the second round, the world number 1 faces arguably the most dangerous unseeded player in the men’s draw, the 2021 Wimbledon finalist, Matteo Berrettini. Although injuries have plagued Berrettini in recent years, his run to the Stuttgart Open final two weeks ago has shown me enough signs that he’s getting back to playing the tennis which took him to number 6 in the world.
Berrettini’s style of play is rewarded on grass courts. He possesses one of the biggest forehands on tour and if the Italian’s serve is firing, he is extremely hard to break. Sinner will most certainly have his work cut out. Consistent pressure is the key to beating Berrettini. Luckily for Sinner, his game is built around this. If Sinner returns well and keeps Berrettini under pressure, he should be able to come through Berrettini. If not, he could well be in for a long night on Centre Court.
Prediction – Sinner to win in 5 sets
Court 1:
Carlos Alcaraz (3) vs Aleksandar Vukic
The defending champion faced a tough test against Mark Lajal in the first-round. This should have sharpened the Spaniard as he faces Aleksandar Vukic. Vukic reached last week’s semi-final in Eastbourne so has good grass-court form leading up to this year’s tournament. He also possesses a good serve which could help him to keep this match close. Having said this, I can’t see anything else than an Alcaraz win.
Prediction – Alcaraz to win in 3 sets
Coco Gauff (2) vs Anca Todoni
After last year’s first-round exit to Sofia Kenin, Gauff will be looking for a deep run this fortnight. The American reached the fourth-round in 2019 as a 15-year-old but hasn’t managed to progress any further at SW19. This year could be the year to change this. Gauff dispatched fellow American Caroline Dolehide in the first-round with ease and she should do the same against Todoni. Todoni has progressed through qualifiers to reach this year’s second-round which is an amazing result for the teeanger, who is playing in her first ever major.
Prediction – Guaff to win 2 sets
Emma Raducanu vs Elise Mertens
This is a tough match to predict. On one hand you, have Elise Mertens, one of the most consistent performers at major tournaments. Mertens has reached the fourth-round 14 times of a major tournament in the last 6 years, which included two trips to the second week of Wimbledon in 2019 and 2022.
On the other hand, you have the unpredictable Emma Raducanu. Since shocking the world and winning the 2021 US Open, Raducanu has struggled with injury and consistency on tour. However, Raducanu collected her best win on paper last week against Jessica Pegula. Both players are competent on the grass so this will be a very close match. I’m slightly edging with Raducanu, but only just.
Prediction – Raducanu to win in 3 sets
Matches to watch
Stan Wawrinka vs Gael Monfils
It’s been 19 years since Stan Wawrinka and Gael Monfils played their first match at the All England Club. If you’d told both players that they’d be playing Wimbledon that many years later, I think they’d both laugh at you. Well, here they are and this is sure to be a cracker. Both players have struggled on the grass in the past, with Wawrinka’s best result at SW19 coming in 2014 and 2015 where he reached the quarterfinals.
Monfils’ only second week appearance came in 2018 when he reached the fourth-round. Monfils played some good tennis last week to reach the semi-final of Mallorca, and picked up a very solid win against 22 seed Mannarino in the first-round of this year’s
Championships. He looks to be in better form heading into this match so I will go with the Frenchman to outlast the big-hitting Swiss.
Prediction – Monfils to win in 4 sets
Sloane Stephens vs Diana Shnaider
The 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens has struggled on the grass in recent years. The only time she reached the second-week of Wimbledon came 11 years ago. The 20 year-old, Diana Shnaider has been playing some scintillating tennis on the grass this year. She picked up the WTA 500 title in Bad Homburg last week with some impressive wins against Donna Vekic, Dayana Yastremska, Paula Badosa and Angelique Kerber.
Shnaider has continued this success at Wimbledon. Playing in her first main-draw at SW19, Shnaider defeated former finalist, Karolina Pliskova. That is no easy feat. As good as Stephens can be, her inconsistency and lack of grass form will be exploited against the in-form Shnaider.
Prediction – Shnaider to win in 2 sets
Linda Noskova (26) vs Bianca Andreescu
A popcorn match between two formidable players. Two weeks ago, the 19-year-old Noskova pushed Ons Jabeur all the way on the grass-courts of Berlin. Bianca Andreescu has only played a handful of matches this year after returning to the tour at the French Open but has looked good. Andreescu reached the final of ‘s-Hertogenbosch, narrowly losing to Samsonova in the final.
This is a very hard match to predict as both players have looked good in recent months, but I’m going to go with Andreescu. Andreescu has slightly more grass court experience and I think this may help her to overcome the youngster.
Prediction – Andreescu to win in 3 sets
