2024 Wimbledon Men's & Women's Round Two - Thursday Matches
ATP Singles :
Comesana vs Walton :
The first round at Wimbledon was so chaotic that Comesana’s win against Rublev may not have been the biggest surprise. Still, this is the type of win that we haven’t seen on tour in a very long time. Comesana has just started to make it into tour events, and thus far on clay he has only enjoyed minor success. His game reminds me a bit of Navone and Burruchaga (not surprising given they play for the same country (Argentina) and he’s a very steady baseliner who doesn’t really do anything special but makes you earn the win.
For Comesana to beat Rublev in the biggest grass tournament of the year with almost no experience on grass is unreal, and the poise he showed throughout is what got him there. Rublev has been in a slump and he looks very frustrated on court, but Comesana wasn’t gifted this match. He beat Andrey, and I think that was what was more frustrating. Now after playing one of the biggest names on tour, he plays one of the smallest. Adam Walton has dominated the Challenger tour on hardcourt in Australia and Asia, and now he’s through to the second round of a major after a solid win against Coria. Playing clay-court specialists in multiple rounds is a big gift, but I expect this match to go much differently than the first. Coria’s timing was poor, and while he saw a few break points he never ever had momentum or flow. Walton’s serve carried him through, but here he has a very difficult test.
There is a phenomenon on tour which is both odd and logical where players beat a huge name, and then crash out the following round. There is a sense of achievement and a level of success that is “acceptable” to end with sometimes, and this floats in sometimes when we’re losing. Losing in the finals hurts, but it’s still a good result. Losing in the second round is rough, but making it there on your first attempt and having Rublev in your pocket is huge. The logical side is that tournaments get tougher round by round. If you beat someone good, the next round you are likely to play someone solid. I don’t think Comesana crashes here. He served better than you’d expect against Rublev, and despite not being the tallest person, grass rewards any serve hit with pace, the trajectory doesn’t really matter. Walton would be a big favorite here because of the conditions, but I don’t think I’ve seen a level from him that will blow Comesana off the court. He’ll have a much easier time in the beginning holding serve, but I think he get worn down eventually. It really feels like there’s a more elaborate technical analysis here, but I just believe that Comesana’s resilience and ability to reflect power and extend rallies will pay dividends over a long match. If not, I think we have to move Walton into a new tier, and expect that he remains on tour for quite some time. Right now him and Fearnley’s offenses look the best of the new hopefuls, but he’s been at the Challenger level for a while so he needs to prove it here. Comesana in 5.
Darderi vs Musetti :
Darderi had a long day with Jan Choinski, and it wasn’t until late in the match that the big man started to become playable. A major part of Darderi’s game is dragging his opponent into extended rallies, and on grass you can’t really force someone into that if they have good pace. It’s a huge bonus for Luciano to be getting points on grass, but it’s also a promising sign for his development as a player that he’s doing well off clay. Here, he plays someone who might be able to out-Darderi him. Lorenzo Musetti has been playing great on grass for over a month now, and his ability to defend and impressive variety of slices and dropshots are making him a good second tier player on the organic fuzz. I say second tier because his defensive approach to the game will cost him against the real contenders. Grass is a game of offense, and you’re supposed to be scoring in 1-2 swings of the racquet generally. Musetti has a good matchup here because he serves bigger than Darderi and hits harder off both wings, and he’s a bit faster. He has a good draw too with Walton and Comesana waiting. This is a good spot for him and there’s not a lot to expect him to lose. Musetti in 3-4.
Mpetshi Perricard vs Nishioka :
Huge win for Perricard in round one. Korda is pretty well known at this point for crashing out in an early round while looking 4% puzzled, but for Perricard to turn around his recent struggles from the past few weeks and grind through multiple tiebreakers with one of the tour’s better grass-court players is really impressive. Point blank, Perricard is a great player when he’s comfortable. His backhand is excellent when he has time, and his skill at net is a joy to watch. His serve makes him a threat to anyone who isn’t a top tier returner, and so he may be able to keep this run going. Nishioka managed to win his first round, but he’s about as reliable as Korda. Yoshi gets upset at minor things, he laments his luck quite vocally out there, and I think overall he’s in need of a vacation. Working for him here is his gamestyle. He has good results against servers, and he doesn’t (can’t) end points quickly. He’ll be able to serve Perricard’s backhand every time, and moving him around in long rallies can take his legs in a long match.
Perricard just played 5 with Korda, so questions about his fitness will get answered here. If he hits a wall, Nishioka can beat him in a hard to watch 4 setter. If not, I really do like Perricard here. He’s shown a very high level, and people in a good service rhythm don’t tend to lose it round to round. Nishioka will have to manage his emotions and be very careful on serve, and I don’t see him doing the first against a frustrating opponent with a lot of power. Perricard in 4.
Tsitsipas vs Ruusuvuori :
Everyone who needs an easy draw this round is getting one. Ruusuvuori and McDonald was a long 5 set struggle in round one. Ruusuvuori is tough to watch right now. He’s clearly capable of a high level, but he makes random errors and sends the ball long when there just isn’t a great reason for it. I don’t think Tsitsipas is doing much better, and his backhand is not great on grass at all. Here, Tsitsipas should roll, but perhaps playing in a spot with no pressure to win will let Ruusuvuori compete and find his game again. When he was playing well, he barely missed a shot and the pace of his ball could bother opponents. Here, all he needs to do is isolate Tsitsipas’ backhand. Simple plan, but I don’t think he’s shown the type of consistency to really benefit from Stef’s errors. Tsitsipas will score much more readily on serve, and he should close this one out in 3-4.
Fritz vs Rinderknech :
These two are very similar in their approach. Big easy repeatable service motions. Huge swings on the forehand that generate a lot of spin and pace. Solid backhands that mostly only go cross-court but don’t cost them the match too much. The difference for me is in movement. Fritz is covering the court much better than Rinderknech can, and that’s a big key here in a serving battle. If one guy has an edge in baseline rallies, his options when returning are much simpler. Rinderknech needs to hit good returns to beat Taylor, and Taylor just needs to block the ball back into the court and work from there. I don’t want to disparage Rinderknech’s game too much, but I think he’s just a slightly less athletic version of Fritz, and even for an ex-hater like me it’s easy to see that Fritz has leveled up on tour. Fritz in 3-4.
Cobolli vs Tabilo :
Cobolli and Hijikata was a good quality match, but it seems like Cobolli’s defense made it hard for Rinky to really end rallies. It’s a problem if you can’t score on Cobolli, because he doesn’t exactly remain conservative if he gets a full swing. He moves the ball well and his footwork is very proactive. If he gets control, you are going to run until the rally is over. It sets up an interesting match here against the type of offense that’s expected to beat Flavio. Alejandro Tabilo looks very comfortable lately on grass, and he’s serving well. His match against Evans took a while, but Evans never had the lead in any set.
For Dan, it’s time to hit the drawing board. His service motion looks flat and it’s kinda predictable. When he’s sent wide he’s making errors off what he would consider routine shots. Maybe he’s having knee issues and just can’t make those dynamic moves anymore, but if he’s healthy it looks like he’s just a little burnt out. Some extra Challenger tournaments would help him get sharp again, and playing a lower tier opponent would give him the freedom to implement his shots and find new patterns. I love watching him play, but lately it looks like he’s out there because he has to be rather than because he wants to be.
I like Cobolli this match, which is wrong. I’m a sucker for someone who plays every point like it’s match point, and that’s how he operates. Tabilo’s serve and forehand are huge weapons, but defensively he isn’t the best. I think Cobolli can wear him down and this feels similar to the Walton Comesana match. Tabilo’s best tennis wins, but I think it’ll take 3-4 hours to get past Cobolli and Tabilo has played a lot of tennis recently. Cobolli in 5.
Draper vs Norrie :
I honestly caught 0 of Ymer Draper until the fifth set. It didn’t matter how many sets he won, I just didn’t believe Ymer could beat Draper. He just doesn’t commit to playing offense for an entire match, and Draper is playing it every point. This next match is just about unforced errors and forced errors. Norrie is not playing great this season, and it hasn’t really changed over the last few weeks. His only path past Draper is to outlast him and tire him out, which is really tough if he’s not his automatic self. The bad Norrie fluffs the ball up, is tentative, and makes some rally ball errors. The bad Draper injury withdraws, but when he plays he’s usually excellent. He has a huge serve, and his backhand has improved a lot. Norrie will back himself in the long rallies here, but Draper’s conditioning and patience has gotten a bit better. If Draper can get the first set, I think he can run away with this. Norrie would upend all the slump talk and get his year back on track with a single win here, but I don’t think he gets it without some luck. Draper in 4. It’s hard for me to see Norrie winning a bunch of games in a row unless Draper is tired, and if he’s tired it’s because Norrie is playing well, which thus far this 2024, he isn’t. It’s possible, and he’s had success against him in the past (two wins in 2021), but Cam needs to prove it.
Giron vs Zverev :
Both players have a serve. Both players have a forehand. Both players have a ba … … nvm. Giron is playing solid and you can score a lot with a good serve/forehand combo, but if you want to beat the best players your backhand needs to be solid. Giron is in excellent form here and Zverev is a bozo so this will likely be decided by a single break in each set, but Zverev does everything better than Marcos and he was serving excellent in the first round. Zverev in 3-4.
Hurkacz vs Fils :
This should be an excellent shootout. Fils, after a dismal clay season, is finding his best tennis. When he’s playing well he serves solid and has great power. He’s still making some mistakes forcing the issue on offense, but against Hurkacz, you don’t have to be perfect, you should have to be good enough. There’s a level of serve/pace that can score on Hubert, because as a taller fellow his lateral movement isn’t up to tour level. He’s made tremendous improvements to his baseline game and is able to minimize mistakes on his backhand now, which is a pretty good move as it’s his biggest weakness. I do think this match has some set trading in it with the caliber of the two offenses, but playing a server in a 5th set is always a disastrous situation and Hurkacz over the course of a long match will find his service rhythm. Fils’ aggressive style will get him looks at the finish line but the errors he’s tossed in over the past few months might pop up when they’re not wanted. Hurkacz in 4-5.
Safiullin vs Machac :
I think honesty’s important in these, and this is one I have no idea about in terms of outcome. They’ve played once before, with Safiullin winning in 3 on hardcourt in Marrakech 2022. Neither one of them is having a good grass season, and both struggled with the conditions in round one. Safiullin needed a comeback from 2 sets to 1 to beat Cerundolo, and Machac was down 4-0 in the final set against Goffin before Goffin went full Goffin. If you’ve ever seen the gif from Atlanta with the kid giving the peace sign and disappearing, that’s basically what Goffin does in matches sometimes. In a first round I’d probably like Machac. He’s much quicker around the court than Safiullin, and movement matters on grass. Safiullin has the big powerful serve and groundstrokes, so Tomas needs to play better here than he did against Goffin. Safiullin is operating at a higher level, but I don’t think there’s much to separate these two. I think it’ll be a close contest, and it’ll be clear early on in the match who is going to win. If Machac is getting into rallies and defending well, he should outlast Safiullin. If he’s having trouble with his backhand timing (sometimes can get error prone) because of the low sliding bounces, then he’s likely to get blown out as Safiullin is not as forgiving as Goffin on serve. Safiullin in 4 is my guess for now. Machac doesn’t seem to have mastered the surface yet, so it’s hard for me to say he’s going to expose Safiullin’s movement.
Pouille vs Kokkinakis :
This is an even matchup for me. Both of these guys have a huge serve and a rocket of a forehand, both spew unforced errors into the net and long when they are out of position, and both have a fairly weak backhand for the tour level. They both just survived 5 set matches, so there’s no extra fatigue issues for either. Pouille seemed to be a slow starter in his last match, which could be costly against Thanasi. Kokkinakis had to fend off a ton of break points against FAA, but while Felix is prone to errors, he’s a better defender than Pouille. Whoever blinks first is going to lose this in each set, but I don’t necessarily think either one of them is automatic enough to avoid blinking at least once per set. I probably just lean into experience here and the guy who’s been competing on tour more often. Kokkinakis in 5.
Munar vs De Minaur :
Good win for Munar. Billy Harris was the hot hand on tour, but Munar made it clear early on he was just going to keep the ball in play as much as he could. Harris got a bit fatigued, and that was all Munar needed to remain focused. Here, Munar gets to experience what Harris went through. There isn’t really anything Munar can do to score on De Minaur, so he’ll have to force the issue to score. Alex played three close sets with Duckworth, but I honestly might have Duckworth beating Munar so this should go to the Aussie. De Minaur in 3-4.
Rune vs Seyboth Wild :
Lengthy come from behind win for Seyboth Wild against last week’s hero Paul Jubb, and it sets up a match that would have been tricky in the first round. Rune’s level is always a question mark these days, but he looked very sharp in round one. Granted, Soonwoo Kwon is not an active player anymore, but Rune winning in straight sets is generally a good sign. Despite some puzzling approaches to matches, Rune is one of the second tier candidates to win any event, and tennis is better when he’s ballin. Seyboth Wild and Rune are near contemporaries in a sense as both came up around the same time on clay, but Rune has gotten to a much higher tier and his game on grass is more cohesive. Thiago will compete well here I think because his skill and tennis is high level, but Rune should have an easier time breaking serve. Rune in 4.
Halys vs Khachanov :
I don’t want to be the balls for this one. Khachanov and Karatsev was a close match, and Aslan unfortunately had to withdrew in the 4th set. He seemed to hurt his knee on a fall in the 3rd, and we here at blurryturtle wish him a speedy recovery. Khachanov isn’t as good on grass as he is on hardcourt, but he’s playing well this week. That high level will be needed as he’s facing a player who is hitting their best form. Quentin Halys was priced to beat Eubanks, and he did so quickly. He’s serving well, but the real story for me is his returning. He’s hanging in and crushing returns, and he was able to read Chris’ delivery over and over. To me, that means Khachanov is in trouble. The difference (and the possible edge) in this one is Khachanov’s baseline durability. He was able to trade well against Khachanov’s power, and Halys is not the mover than Aslan is.
This is a spot where Halys needs every tiebreaker they get to, because in a long match Khachanov might be able to win more rallies. On the flipside, Karen has struggled with the low bounces here. He struggled returning against Karatsev, and Halys is really playing better than him by far right now. It’s a big spot for Halys, and he’s just good enough here to have even chances of winning. I’m closing my eyes and typing his name in. His returning and his status as a servebot look good enough to win at least two sets, and Khachanov has been fairly unreliable this season. Halys in 4. If it goes 5, he’s done.
Etcheverry vs Popyrin :
This is another tough one to call. Popyrin is supposed to be better on grass, Etcheverry is supposed to be more consistent than he’s been lately, and they both are really not at their best this season. Popyrin tends to lose to consistency and palyers who can make him play the extra ball, and that’s usually Etcheverry’s thing. On grass though, he isn’t really that sharp. He still serves okay and hits big, but you can see that he’s really holding his swings up waiting to see where the ball is. Players with huge swings have trouble on grass, and losses to Billy Harris and Shang are right about the level that Popyrin can bring if he plays well. At the same time, Popyrin has dumped matches to Fonseca and Murray. Great draw for both players, but Popyrin is serving slightly better (80% first serve percentage) so I think he can get this. Backing Popyrin is like expecting Bublik to play hard, but Popyrin in 5.
Fearnley vs Djokovic :
Fearnley fan club here. Get in before it’s too late. Everyone was unsure of Djokovic in round one. RIP my inbox for doubting him, but the quick comeback after knee surgery had me and at least a few others questioning how he’d fare. Against Kopriva, he looked excellent. Vit didn’t play his best, and his style seemed to feed perfectly into Djokovic. He didn’t hit that big, and he looked to extend points. Overall, he seemed like the moment got to him, and honestly Djokovic does not give you much to work with so it’s not surprising. Now Novak plays an unknown Brit who has mostly been winning at the challenger level, so another straight set win is expected. I’m not so sure though. RIP my inbox again, but I think Fearnley will make this really exciting.
It was my first time watching him, and he impressed me. The dude has an excellent serve, and a really fast forehand. His backhand is solid, and the thing that jumped out to me was how fluid his game is on grass. He’s extremely comfortable on the surface, and employs dropshots and slices when necessary. Moro Canas played well and tested Fearnley constantly, but he couldn’t snag a set. While I don’t think Djokovic is in danger of losing, Fearnley does have the game to score on him. The serve will get negated as the match goes on because Djokovic tends to get a read on most player’s deliveries, but it’s good enough to score early. His forehand is sharp enough to really expose any hesitation in Djokovic’s movement, and his background on grass and the crowd at his back will keep him from panicking and forcing shots. Djokovic in 3-4, but Fearnley should win at least 10 games here, and if his game translates to hardcourt he might be challenging for a spot in the top 100 by the middle of next season.
WTA Singles :
Swiatek vs Martic :
Swiatek served well in round one, and while her first serve percentage was only 54 she only faced 4 break points (saved 3). Her next match is a bit tougher as Petra Martic is playing decent ball. Kenin is good, but she hasn’t brought her highest level recently. If a player is having to think about executing, it’s easier to beat them. Martic will thrive when she has time, and her offense and forehand is a lot better than Kenin’s. Her best tennis is just good enough to pressure Swiatek, but her court coverage will be a problem. Martic isn’t the fastest mover along the baseline, and Swiatek holds her swings a long time so it’ll be tough for Martic to defend. Swiatek in 2.
Putintseva vs Siniakova :
Kerber managed to keep Putintseva out there a long time, despite looking rough at the start, but Yulia is playing great tennis right now. She’s covering the court well and she hasn’t lost a match yet on grass. Despite winning a title in Birmingham, Siniakova will likely be the toughest match she has faced. Siniakova isn’t always sharp, but grass helps every aspect of her game. She moves well, and she redirects the ball really well down the lines. She’s crushing the ball right now and managed to beat a dangerous qualifier in straight sets in the first round. These two are 35th and 36th in the rankings, and there shouldn’t be a lot to separate them here. For me, Siniakova has a little more pop on her serve and hits bigger. Putintseva taking a more defensive approach makes her a bit less error prone, but both of these players are capable of long rallies and the person hitting bigger tends to get more bad bounces on grass. This is very up in the air, but I like Siniakova in 3.
Garcia vs Pera :
There will be a bunch of highlights in this match. Garcia will be happy to have gotten through in straight sets, and honestly getting through at all was in question at times. Blinkova was up a break several times and served for the second set, but she just struggled to keep Garcia’s forehand from becoming a factor at the end. It sends through a Caroline Garcia who wasn’t expected to have great success here, but one whose talent and ability make her a tough out anyway. Pera managed to outduel Potapova, and though they were 4 years ago, she leads the h2h against Garcia. I imagine because she’s a lefty she’s more able to isolate Garcia’s backhand, and that is really the route to defeating Garcia. It’s interesting to see two very inconsistent offenses get through, but both are pretty unplayable when they get a short forehand. I think Pera’s win against Potapova was a bit stronger than Garcia’s against Blinkova, so I give her a slight edge. If Garcia wins here though, she has a chance against Ostapenko. Pera vs 3.
Snigur vs Ostapenko :
Snigur’s game is perfect for grass, but she tends to run out of steam on serve late in the match. This will be a big issue in this matchup, because Ostapenko really crushes second serve returns. And first serve returns. And every shot during the rally. And muffins. Ostapenko looked really exhausting to play against Tomljanovic, and the run should continue here. Snigur’s offense is tricky enough to compete early, but Jelena is probably too much for her here. Ostapenko in 2-3.
Collins vs Galfi :
Collins is having a tremendous year, and she started off strong here by beating Tauson in 2. Galfi has a lot of power, but it’s a similar equation to Tauson. Once Collins starts making her move, and once Galfi’s first serve percentage drops, this match goes to Collins. If Galfi can keep her percentage as high as round one though, this will be close. She served 73% first serves in, which is among the highest #s turned in in round one. I don’t think she can defend well enough to win, but she can definitely run away with a set if she serves that well again. Collins in 3.
Osorio vs Haddad Maia :
Lauren Davis had a lot of experience on grass, but Osorio ran through her fairly easily. Activity on tour played a big role in this, as Osorio was just sharper. Up next is a match Osorio is projected to lose, but Haddad Maia’s style might let Camila battle effectively. BHM is a heavy hitting lefty, who wins on consistency and a great forehand. If she plays well, I don’t think Osorio has much of a chance, but she’s been good and bad this year so there’s no guarantee of her best tennis here. Haddad Maia in 3.
Krejcikova vs Volynets :
Hmm. This whole slate is pretty tough, but this is one that is very clouded because of the first round. Kudermetova played great, and had a great number of breaks and break points against Krejcikova, but she just couldn’t close out. Krejcikova was hitting her forehand well, and she seemed to sharpen up on the big points. The errors and shanks were still there, but it’s some of the better tennis Krej has played recently. That makes a match against Volynets tricky, because Katie is the ideal player to outlast Krejcikova and earn the errors that live on that side of the court. While I believe this, she didn’t exactly dominate against Carle in round one. The second set was 7-5 and I think Krejcikova would have won in a lopsided affair if she’d met Carle. While Kudermetova hits bigger and serves way better than Volynets, she also spray way more errors. She has only one approach to score, which is hitting hard. Volynets mixes it up and her main focus is keeping the ball in play, so Krejcikova may control things more but every one of her forehand shanks and timing errors will be a problem. The name and the ability are there, but I don’t quite believe in Krejcikova’s level remaining consistent. I think she gets worn down here. Volynets in 3.
Bucsa vs Bouzas Maneiro :
Bouzas Maneiro quietly beat the defending champ in round one. It was a great performance, and while Marketa can sometimes be a bit off, she played decent. JBM basically hit every big shot she needed to, and she never eased off on the pace. It’s the type of tennis that sets her up to make the third round, and with Krejcikova / Volynets waiting, this could turn into a huge run. Bucsa has the game to beat anyone, but it seems like she doesn’t often win more than 1-2 points in a row. She’ll hit a clean forehand winner, then send one long. She’ll hit an ace, then double fault. Her play has improved each season, so the future is bright, but right now she’s not totally reliable. There’s a possibility that playing a compatriot who’s a bit younger will let her play free, but that may work in the same direction for Bouzas Maneiro.
I like the younger player here because of her offensive ability. Bogdan had Bucsa beat, had match points, and was up several times. Her own inability to serve for effect hurt her, but it just seemed that every time she got the lead she would make a few unforced errors. JBM plays a much simpler game, and her serve/forehand are a bit more varied. I think she’ll exploit Bucsa’s movement and maintain her level a little steadier than her opponent, and get the win in the end. Bouzas Maneiro in 3.
Rybakina vs Siegemund :
This one is simple. Rybakina should win in straights. The tricky part is that Siegemund tends to dig in when the odds are against her, and her tenacity and ability to move the ball can bother most opponents. Basically, it would be a huge surprise if Siegemund even won a set, but she won’t just give up. Rybakina in 2.
Wozniacki vs Fernandez :
Hopefully next round is easier because this one is complicated. Fernandez is back playing good tennis, and at the same time Wozniacki is finding her best game. Woz managed to shut down Alycia Parks in a major way, a player who I half thought could go on a run here. Fernandez should definitely win a long match here, but why? Wozniacki’s backhand is better than hers, and she plays more consistent. Fernandez can serve more effectively, and the 73% she landed on first serves against Bronzetti is a number that might let her win. For me, Fernandez plays great but the sheer volume of tennis that Wozniacki will make her play may cause her game to revert. Caroline has cleaner contact in general, and I think she’ll do the right amount of game management as far as pace of play to keep from getting fatigued. Wozniacki in 3.
Kalinskaya vs Bouzkova :
I’m okay getting surprised here, because I think Kalinskaya is as good as Bouzkova from the baseline, but with a more effective forehand. Bouzkova won both their previous meetings (one was a forfeit though), but it seems like Kalinskaya is playing the best she ever has this season, and Bouzkova’s serving isn’t exactly good enough to close Anna out even if she gives up a break. Since Bouzkova defends so voraciously, I think this will be close, but I like Kalinskaya.
Avenesyan vs Samsonova :
Kalinina did not look 100% for this tournament. The players aren’t supposed to enter if they’re not healthy to play, but the 4 checks at the majors are a big portion of players guaranteed salary for the year so it’s not surprising some people enter anyway. Avanesyan won easily, and she’ll be on defense for most of this match but that’s not a disastrous place for her to be. Samsonova hits the ball huge, and while she dropped a set to Masarova, she ended the match playing at a high level. Since Avanesyan struggles a little on serve, and Samsonova has a huge game and is favored to win even during her frequent slumps, this feels like an uphill battle for Elena. She’ll defend and see what happens, but it will take a letdown for Samsonova to lose here. Samsonova in 2.
Jabeur vs Montgomery :
With Montgomery playing the best tennis of her life, every round is a new question mark about how high she can rise. Playing Ons Jabeur is a huge step up, but as much as this is a test for Montgomery, it’s one for her veteran opponent too. Jabeur’s focus can lapse at times, and Montgomery being lefty makes this pretty interesting. Nobody is breaking down Jabeur’s forehand, but her backhand can default to slicing and she can bail out of rallies with dropshots. Robin is pretty quick so this strategy won’t be so effective. Montgomery serves well, and her forehand is capable of taking the ball down the line in a similar manner to Haddad Maia and Draper. Gadecki really should have won a set against her, but missed simple shots on break points. She goes big on every shot, and this means she isn’t automatic in a big situation. Since Gadecki got close, I think Jabeur is a bit too much, but this should be fun. Jabeur in 2 close sets.
Niemeier vs Svitolina :
Niemeier served 63% first serves in round one, and only faced one break point. Golubic was very error prone here, but it was largely Niemeier’s power that caused her to go for a bit too much. If you let Jule get a full swing, she’s pretty unplayable. She’ll need to be against Svitolina, because Elina is still one of the best defenders on tour. I think Linette winning a set off Svitolina means Niemeier can, but from what I’ve seen lately the errors will come eventually if she’s pushed, and Svitolina is the pushiest. Svitolina in 3.
Boulter vs Dart :
Rematch of Nottingham here, which many people will have forgotten was very close. The first set in that match featured 8 breaks of serve and a tiebreaker with 5 minibreaks. The second set featured an early break and Boulter managed to hang on and even the score at 7-6, 4-6. The third was a 7-5 battle which honestly could have gone either way. Here, Boulter is playing great and Dart has been flying under the radar, but I expect this to be close once again. Tatjana Maria could have beaten Boulter if she had a stronger serve, and Boulter is a better server than Dart but it still will take a lot of tennis for her to get through. I expect Boulter to win because she hits bigger and serves better, but Dart is very familiar with her game. Boulter in 2-3.
Wang Xinyu vs Pegula :
Somehow these two have not played yet on tour, which is odd considering the success they both enjoy on similar surfaces. If the court is fast, Xinyu Wang is effective. Her forehand is absurdly smooth and powerful, and although it mostly goes cross-court, it has that Delpo effect to it where the spin on the bounce creates an even wider angle. Her backhand isn’t consistent, but she hits it hard and her whole approach is to constantly hit big. It’s like a more technically traditional version of Ostapenko. Again Pegula, she should have bright points and stretches of games go in her favor since Pegula stays pretty steady with her strategy and doesn’t deviate much. Pegula hits solid and defends. If she has time, her flat hitting is really effective on grass. She doesnt serve that well, but it isn’t a liability at this level either. I’d buy tickets for this match, and I think Wang is dangerous when she’s on, but I think Pegula will outlast her similar to the Niemeier Svitolina match. Pegula in 2-3.