Wimbledon is getting into the second round and we already have a matchup that happened twice in Grand Slam finals this decade, as Stefanos Tsitsipas takes on 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic. We’ll also cover the Felix Auger-Aliassime vs. Dino Prizmic match along with our betting predictions.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. Novak Djokovic
- Round: Second Round
- Expected Start: 17:20 CEST
This is arguably one of the most high-profile second-round match in recent Grand Slam history. Due to recent shifts in the rankings, 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic finds himself as the No. 7 seed, resulting in this early clash with Tsitsipas that has fallen in the ranks recently.
Djokovic has historically dominated their rivalry (12-2 H2H total) but they have actually never met on grass.
While these two usually met closer to the end of tournaments, nowadays neither player looks like major title contenders.
Tsitsipas played well in the win over Hugo Gaston 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 on Monday, and hopefully we can see a comeback from the former world no 3 this season. However, I’m not sure he is ready for an opponent of Djokovic’s caliber just yet, espcially not on grass.
Prediction: While I like the recent form of Tsitsipas, I think this will be tough. He’s always had a hard time against Novak and it won’t be any easier on grass. I predict a bit closer match than the odds suggest and I think he can take a set. I’ll go for a 3-1 Djokovic win and a bet on Game Hcp Tsitsipas (+6.5).
Felix Auger-Aliassime vs. Dino Prizmic
- Round: Second Round
- Expected Start: 16:20 CEST
On the other side of the draw, Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime enters as the No. 3 seed this year. He faces the 20-year-old Croatian Dino Prizmic that we know can cause upsets.
Auger-Aliassime’s game is well built for grass. His strong serve and flat, heavy groundstrokes won him plenty of success on this surface earlier in his career, including a Wimbledon quarterfinal run. He will look to dictate points early and keep Prizmic on the defensive.
Prizmic, currently ranked No. 89 in the world, is a tough player to face, something he showed in the clay season. He would be a higher ranked player if it wasn’t for injuries. Handling Auger-Aliassime on a slick grass court will be a massive test though
Prediction: Prizmic will cover a lot of ground and force Felix to hit the extra ball, but Auger-Aliassime’s experience on grass and his dominant serve should give him too many free points to slip up here. I would expect a straight-sets or tight four-set win for the Canadian.
