Wimbledon 2022 Day 3: Men's singles predictions ft. Novak Djokovic vs Thanasi Kokkinakis, Tallon Griekspoor vs Carlos Alcaraz
The schedule for Day 3 of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships is finally out. 64 players remain in the men's singles category and 32 of them will play their second-round fixture on Wednesday.
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray will begin their matches on Centre Court in the first slot of the day session. Meanwhile, ninth seed Cameron Norrie is also expected to feature in the day session slot, but on Court 1.
Centre Court erupts as @andy_murray books his place in the second round
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The remaining fixtures of the draw on day 3 will be played across 18 courts, starting at 1pm local time (5:30 pm IST, 8 am ET).
Without further ado, here are the predictions for some key men's singles matches on Day 3 of the 2022 Wimbledon Championship:
#1 Novak Djokovic vs Thanasi Kokkinakis
Top seed Novak Djokovic will look to continue his quest for a 21st Grand Slam title against Thanasi Kokkinakis in the second round.
Djokovic took a while to reach his best form but got the job done without too much fuss against Soon Woo Kwon in four sets. The Serb defeated Kokkinakis in their only meeting in the third round of the 2015 French Open.
He should be able to beat the Australian comfortably considering his lack of experience on the surface, registering his first win at Wimbledon in the first round.
Predicted winner: Novak Djokovic
#2 Casper Ruud vs Ugo Humbert
Casper Ruud and former World No. 25 Ugo Humbert will lock horns in the second round at the All England Club. Humbert leads the head-to-head 2-1 against the Norwegian tennis pro. This could be a tricky contest for both players, considering their previous record, grasscourt prowess and form at present. The momentum seems to be on Ruud's side, who should be able to sneak into the third round.
Predicted winner: Casper Ruud
#3 Carlos Alcaraz vs Tallon Griekspoor
Fifth seed Carlos Alcaraz will take on World No. 53 Tallon Griekspoor in the second round. The duo's head-to-head is tied at 1-1, with Alcaraz winning their previous encounter in the qualifying rounds of Estoril last year.
Alcaraz had to work extremely hard for his win in the first round against Jan-Lennard Struff, which might have helped him acquire good form on a relatively new surface for him. While Griekspoor is a capable grasscourt players, Alcaraz's tenacity, foot speed and a seemingly improved serve should help him reach the third round.
Predicted winner: Carlos Alcaraz
#4 Cameron Norrie vs Jaumie Munar
British No. 1 Cameron Norrie will square off against Jaumie Munar in the second round of SW19. Munar defeated the ninth seed in their only meeting at the 2019 Rio Open.
However, Norrie has picked up his game since then and has been playing at a higher level lately. He should be able to oust the Spaniard, who won his first match at Wimbledon on Monday and usually performs well on claycourts.
Predicted winner: Cameron Norrie
#5 Andy Murray vs John Isner
Two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray will face World No. John Isner in the second round. The Brit dominates the head-to-head 8-0 against Isner but the duo are meeting on grass for the first time in their careers.
Murray took some time to settle his nerves against James Duckworth, dropping the first set against the Australian but grew in confidence as the match progressed. He should be able to outwit the big serving American, whose form heading into Wimbledon has been poor.
Predicted winner: Andy Murray
#6 Frances Tiafoe vs Maximilian Marterer
World No. 28 Frances Tiafoe will battle it out against former World No. 45 Maximilian Marterer in the second round of Wimbledon. The American has defeated the German twice in the past and will fancy his chances of winning for a third time against the German.
Predicted winner: Frances Tiafoe
#7 Alexander Bublik vs Dusan Lajovic
World No. 38 Alexander Bublik will square off against World No. 64 Dusan Lajovic in the second round at Wimbledon. Lajovic leads the head-to-head 1-0 against the Kazakh player, winning their only encounter at the 2021 Australian Open in four sets.
However, Bublik has played more matches on grass this season and is a capable grasscourt player unlike the Serb, making him the favourite to come out on top.
Predicted winner: Alexander Bublik
#8 Jiri Vesely vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
Former World No. 35 Jiri Vesely will face off against 23-year-old Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the second round at Wimbledon. The Spaniard pulled off the first big upset of the tournament after toppling seventh seed Hubert Hurkacz in a thrilling five-set encounter.
Vesely defeated a fatigued Federico Coria, who won a challenger event in Italy just a day before his first-round encounter against the Czech. This will be their first ever meeting on tour and Davidovich Fokina is expected to add to his impressive win and progress to the third round.
Predicted winner: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
#9 Jannik Sinner vs Mikael Ymer
World No. 13 Jannik Sinner will take on Swedish tennis pro Mikael Ymer in the second round. Sinner leads the head-to-head 2-1 against the 23-year-old and this will be their first match on grass against each other.
The Italian showed off his elite skill set to knock out three-time Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka in the first round. He seems to be in better form than the two players and should secure a place in the next round.
Predicted winner: Jannik Sinner
#10 Reilly Opelka vs Tim Van Rijthoven
Fifteenth seed Reilly Opelka will square off against Rosmalen Grass Court Championship winner Tim Van Rijthoven in the second round at Wimbledon. The duo have never faced each other before. The Dutchman is yet to lose a match on grasscourt this year but faces a tough challenge to advance further on his Grand Slam debut.
The tie hangs very much in the balance. But considering their playing style and experience in Grand Slams, the big-serving Opelka might snap Van Rijthoven's win streak and secure a place in the third round.
Predicted winner: Reilly Opelka