Day 2 at the Wimbledon Championships marks the start of the second half of the draw, as players begin their main draw campaigns. Big-serving American Ben Shelton leads the way against Alex Bolt. Elsewhere, we have prediction articles featuring Jannik Sinner vs Luca Nardi, Novak Djokovic vs Alexandre Muller, Dan Evans vs Jay Clarke, Tommy Paul vs Johannus Monday, Lorenzo Musetti vs Nikoloz Basilashvili, Ugo Humbert vs Gael Monfils, and Jack Draper vs Sebastian Baez. But who will advance to the second round?
Wimbledon Day 2 Men’s Predictions
Grigor Dimitrov vs Yoshihito Nishioka
Ilemona
This one’s all about feel — Dimitrov glides on grass, but Nishioka’s speed can turn points into scrambles. If Grigor’s timing is off, the match could get tricky. But when he’s on, he makes it look easy.
Prediction: Dimitrov in 5
Damian
Nishioka hasn’t won a match since February, Dimitrov hasn’t played since retiring at the French Open. God knows which one of them will be fit for this clash, maybe the answer is neither. The Bulgarian’s undeniably the better grass-court player, but this could be a match decided away from these factors and might as well end in retirement from one of them.
Prediction: Dimitrov in 4
Shane
Dimitrov has always been very smooth on the grass. Nishioka is an elite competitor, but the smoothness of the Bulgarian takes it.
Prediction: Dimitrov in 4
James McCabe vs Fabian Marozsan
Ilemona
McCabe will try to keep things aggressive, but Marozsan’s shot tolerance could wear him down. Grass might not be the Hungarian’s best surface, but he’s got the tools to adapt. Could be tighter than expected.
Prediction: Marozsan in 5
Damian
Time for Marozsan to pick up his first Wimbledon win? Why not. McCabe posted a good win over Barrios Vera in the final qualifying round and has plenty of experience on the surface, so the Hungarian has to stay cautious. But he’s got the skillset to be successful on grass and can take the racket out of McCabe’s hands if he’s playing well.
Prediction: Marozsan in 4
Shane
I love Marozsan’s game. His big serve pays dividends on the grass. McCabe is an aggressive player who will not be afraid to attack, but the Hungarian’s power will be too much to overcome.
Prediction: Marozsan in 5
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Sebastian Ofner vs Hamad Medjedovic
Ilemona
Ofner’s been steady on grass before, while Medjedovic will look to dictate with pace. If it turns into a slugfest, it’s anyone’s match. Whoever handles the big points better likely edges it.
Prediction: Ofner in 5
Damian
Nice power-hitting contest and it’s sadly unclear if Ofner is fit after his collapse against Navone last week. Assuming he is, this just could be very close with both preferring a similar approach to the game. Medjedovic hits a better ball, but also likes a bit more time on the strokes and overplays the dropshot a lot. Flip a coin.
Prediction: Medjedovic in 5
Shane
Both players blast the ball from the baseline, which sets up for a very fun first-round match. Medjedovic has the slight advantage from the ground and is more fit.
Prediction: Medjedovic in 4
Ben Shelton vs Alex Bolt
Ilemona
Bolt knows the surface and the crowd will be with him, but Shelton’s firepower is hard to contain. If the Aussie can neutralize the serve early, things could get tense. Still, quick points might rule the day.
Prediction: Shelton in 5
Damian
Bolt has played 134 professional matches on grass in his career. That’s experience that almost nobody else in the draw has (bar Djokovic, Evans, Mannarino). But last year when he qualified to face Ruud, the quality gap was too visible. It might be less apparent here with a more serve-based matchup, but I can’t quite back him to win.
Prediction: Shelton in 4
Shane
Shelton seemingly plays his best tennis at Slams. Given how big he hits the ball, he should be a mainstay in the Wimbledon second week.
Prediction: Shelton in 3
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke – Imagn Images
