Tennis | Wimbledon 2022 | Alcaraz, Sinner and Kerber face stern opening tests on day one

By Tony Fairbairn at Wimbledon

  • Jannik Sinner [10] v Stan Wawrinka [WC]
  • Angelique Kerber [15] v Kristina Mladenovic
  • Carlos Alcaraz [5] v Jan-Lennard Struff
LONDON, ENGLAND – Jannik Sinner, Angelique Kerber and Carlos Alcaraz all face stern opening round tests on day one of Wimbledon.

 

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Jannik Sinner [10] v Stan Wawrinka [WC] H2H & Match Fundamentals

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Jannik Sinner [10] v Stan Wawrinka [WC] H2H: Wawrinka leads 2-0
Wimbledon 2022 London, England
Grass (O) Prize Money: £50,000
Third on Court Two (15:00 BST) BBC Sport

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Jannik Sinner has had a positive start to the season with a deep run at the Australian Open and Roland Garros reflecting a consistent first half of the year. However the Italian’s season has been derailed with an injury against Andrey Rublev at Roland Garros derailing his year with that being followed by an opening round exit to Tommy Paul last week in Eastbourne. Now the young hopeful will look to boost his grand slam title winning credentials with a good run at Wimbledon.

First for Sinner is Stan Wawrinka with the three-time grand slam champion slowly finding his groove again after returning from injury. Wawrinka produced a good run in Rome and put on a great performance to edge out Frances Tiafoe at Queen’s Club. Now Wawrinka will look to join an immortal list of names to have won a career grand slam by attempting to win the Wimbledon title over the next couple of weeks.

The match-up favours Wawrinka as his smart returning neutralises Sinner’s power-play and forces him into errors. This is also Sinner’s weakest surface so there is a real chance here for Wawrinka to earn a confidence-boosting grand slam win. The only question mark here is Wawrinka’s stamina and whether he can go the distance if required.

Prediction: Wawrinka in four sets.

 

Angelique Kerber [15] v Kristina Mladenovic  H2H & Match Fundamentals

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Angelique Kerber [15] v Kristina Mladenovic H2H: Kerber leads 4-2
Wimbledon 2022 London, England
Grass (O) Prize Money: £50,000
Third on Court One (17:00 BST) BBC Sport

Angelique Kerber loves this time of year and her semi-final run at SW19 in 2021 was a reminder to everyone that on her day she is one of the most deadly grass court players in the world. After a dismal season for the most part, the last few weeks have seen the German boost her confidence as she searches for another grand slam title.

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First up for Kerber is Kristina Mladenovic who is a player that knows on her day can be a dangerous player to play against. Mladenovic has slowly built confidence in doubles and although she lacks the same consistency and ferocious power she once had, this could be the start of the motivation and comeback she needs.

This will be a tough match for Kerber and it will take time for the German to work her way into the match and find the angles. However given Mladenovic’s lack of wins on the regular tour, it’s hard to see anyway for her to outsmart or outhit the stubborn former champion.

Prediction: Kerber in straight sets.

 

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Carlos Alcaraz [5] v Jan-Lennard Struff H2H & Match Fundamentals

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Carlos Alcaraz [5] v Jan-Lennard Struff H2H: Struff leads 1-0
Wimbledon 2022 London, England
Grass (O) Prize Money: £50,000
Second on Court One (14:30 BST) BBC Sport

Carlos Alcaraz has proven to be one of the hottest talents in tennis over the last couple of months after beating both Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal in Madrid and even though Roland Garros ended in disappointment, there was a lot for the Spaniard to be positive about. However grass court tennis is a different scenario for Alcaraz and he will know that there is a lot to prove in order for him to establish dominance all year round. Can he breakthrough on the grass at SW19?

First up for Alcaraz though is the powerful German Jan-Lennard Struff. The German has just comeback from injury and is looking to get back to his all-court power that has seen him test the very best in the world in the past. Struff possess effortless power from the baseline as well as silky skill from the net. Now the German looks to rediscover some of that form and deliver a deep result at SW19.

This will be a tough opening match for Alcaraz that will ultimately be an early test to see if he can go far at Wimbledon. However given Struff’s lack of fitness and form, Alcaraz should come through this early scare and advance.

Prediction: Alcaraz in four sets.

 

 

 

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