Defending champion Jannik Sinner will open proceedings on centre court in what will be his first match since he bowed out unexpectedly from the French Open. He got the better of his biggest rival (Carlos Alcaraz) in the final and it was the first time since 2017 that Novak Djokovic did not compete in the last match of the tournament. The 7-time winner is also in action to today with the most notable matchup being Cilic versus Medvedev.
No tennis since his dramatic exit at Roland Garros is concerning for Sinner and although the UK is not known for its warm weather, the forecast is for the temperature to be hovering in the mid 20’s throughout the first week which is stinking hot for London. The world number one does have the advantage of a 4-0 record against Kecmanovic which includes a crushing 6-1 6-4 6-2 win on this very court two years ago. On that occasion Sinner won almost 70% of 2nd serve return points while Kecmanovic was unable to generate a single break of serve. Regardless, it may take time for Sinner to find his rhythm which makes Kecmanovic to win a set the right play.
Best Bet: Kecmanovic To Win A Set – YES
Djokovic and Sinner are the only two former champions in the draw and neither has played a competitive match on grass leading in. That hasn’t been an issue for Djokovic in the past but the struggles were evident from his opening match at the French Open. Dropped a set to both Mpetshi Perricard and Royer before losing to Fonseca in five. Routine straight set wins are a thing of the past for Djokovic and we have not seen him break serve as regularly as in the past. A tiebreaker in one of the three sets would not be a surprise. Want to be on the Overs.
Best Bet: Over 30.5 games ($1.73)
The H2H reads 4-1 in the favour of Medvedev with the most recent meeting coming earlier this month in s-Hertogenbosch. Medvedev needed three sets to win that one with a total o 7 breaks of serve in the match – significantly higher than you would expect in this matchup. The pair also battled it out in Wimbledon in 2021 with Medvedev able to overcome a two sets deficit to win a five set thriller. Medvedev has struggled the majors in the last 18 months with four 1st Round losses in his last six major appearances. That includes a loss to Bonzi in his opening match here a year ago. Cilic is a former finalist here so we will be taking him with the start.
Best Bet: Cilic +4.5 ($1.80)
Norrie will be part of a select group to be flying the British flag over the next fortnight but he is unlikely to last very long. Has lost his last 5 matches on the ATP Tour including a 7-6 6-2 loss to Davidovich Fokina at Queen’s. His first round assignment is Michael Zheng – a name only tennis die hard fans would know but he does have an interesting history. He has come through the qualifiers here and this can be more relevant at Wimbledon as the final round of qualifying is a best five sets format. More importantly, he was the runner-up in the juniors here back in 2021 which highlights his ability to play on grass. One of his tactics in the qualifiers was to attack on 2nd serve return points. It is a weak area of Norrie’s game and could leave him vulnerable. Upset alert.
Best Bet: Zheng WIN ($2.20)
Sinner v Kecmanovic: Kecmanovic To Win A Set – YES
Wu v Djokovic: Over 30.5 games ($1.73)
Cilic v Medvedev: Cilic +4.5 ($1.80)
Zheng v Norrie: Zheng WIN ($2.20)
Jodar v Gill: Gill To Win A Set – YES ($1.68)
Kovacevic v Van de Zandschulp: Kovacevic +1.5 Sets ($1.75)
Mochizuki v Basing: Sets Mochizuki 3-1 ($2.60)
Nava v Buse: Nava WIN ($2.20)
Rublev v Safiullin: Rublev WIN ($1.57)
Shapovalov v Carreno-Busta: Carreno Busta +5.5 ($1.90)
Svrcina v Tien: Over 30.5 games ($1.75)
Van Assche v Fucsovics: Fucsovics -3.5 ($1.75)
Vukic v Brooksby: Vukic +4.5 ($1.82)
Muller v Paul: Sets Paul 3-0
Rinderknech v Tarvet: Rinderknech WIN ($1.72)
Borges v Boyer: Over 37.5 games ($1.80)
Gaston v Tsitsipas: Gaston WIN ($2.75)
Kwon v Landaluce: Under 38.5 games ($1.90)
Medjedovic v Ofner: Over 40.5 games ($1.83)
Ruud v Hurkacz: Hurkacz WIN ($1.44)
Ugo Carabelli v Medira Aguilar: Ugo Carabelli WIN ($1.98)
Quinn v Darderi: Quinn WIN ($1.62)
Walton v Prizmic: Walton WIN ($2.20)
Auger-Aliassime v Shevchenko: Shevchenko To Win A Set – YES
Bautista-Agut v Fonseca: Fonseca -1.5 Sets ($1.44)
Davidovich Fokina v J.M Cerundolo: Davidovich Fokina -5.5 ($1.82)
Struff v Baez: Over 38.5 games ($1.87)
De Jong v Hijikata: Under 37.5 games ($2.00)
Nakashima v Pinnington Jones: Set 1 Score After 4 games 2-2 ($1.75)
