2019 Wimbledon Championships: Roger Federer vs Jay Clarke Second Round - Preview and Prediction
One of the most highly anticipated tennis tournaments in the world, Wimbledon resumed its loyalty with some exciting action on July 1, 2019. There were plenty of surprises and shock upsets in the men's draw as some high profile names exited the tournament with the likes of Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Stanislas Wawrinka crashing out after losing their respective matches to lower ranked players.
The women's draw was not spared of upsets and the seeds did not have a smooth passage either as Noami Osaka, Caroline Garcia, and Aryna Sabalenka crashed out, losing in straight sets to their less fancied opponents.
Eight-time champion Roger Federer did not have an easy start either against his 22-year-old opponent Lloyd Harris, with the latter claiming the first game 6-3. Federer trailed initially as he was slow off the blocks and was not placing the ball in the perfect position.
However, he soon hit the straps as he made most of Harris' calf injury, which saw the South African struggling to give his 100% that severely hampered his movement and court coverage.
Federer's opponent in the second round, Jay Clarke of Great Britain, currently ranked 169th as per the ATP rankings is no push over on grass given the fact that he reached the mixed doubles semifinals in Wimbledon 2018.
He is an experienced campaigner though he is only 20 years. He has won a couple of challenger titles and has also featured in the qualifiers of almost all the grand slam tournaments. Clarke entered this competition as a wildcard and will be keen to give Federer a serious challenge.
However, Federer boosts and improves his overall game with each round, especially in a top major like Wimbledon and he has an advantage owing to his vast experience and flawless prowess on grass- a surface where he has won numerous titles in his career.
On the matchday, Clarke will need to be consistent and fast off the blocks and could be causing quite a surprise if he manages to steal a set from the Swiss legend. He will be playing his first ever contest against Federer and will be looking to make the most of the opportunity at hand.
Prediction- Federer to win in 3 sets.
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