By Jacob Atkinson
- Carlos Alcaraz [3] v Mark Lajal
- Caroline Dolehide v Coco Gauff [2]
- Jannik Skinner [1] v Yannick Hanfmann
WIMBLEDON, UK – Defending Wimbledon champion, Carlos Alcaraz, begins his campaign against the Estonian qualifier, Mark Lajal, ranked at 269 in the world rankings.
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Carlos Alcaraz [3] v Mark Lajal | H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Carlos Alcaraz [3] v Mark Lajal | H2H: First Meeting |
| Wimbledon | UK |
| Grass | Prize Money: £60,000 |
| Centre Court at 1:30pm BST | BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Red Button and BBC iPlayer |
Carlos Alcaraz returns to the grass court swing after an unanticipated and early exit from Queens on the 20 June. The Spaniard didn’t play the best we have seen of him on the surface, losing to Jack Draper in the second round of the tournament. However, his odds are looking promising, facing a player that’s just seven days younger than him and making his main draw debut at Wimbledon.
Mark Lajal made his first main draw at Wimbledon after beating Francesco Passaro 5-7 6-3 6-3, Henrique Rocha 7-6 6-3 and James Duckworth 6-4 6-4 6-4. The Estonian played an extremely promising level of tennis throughout the qualification process. To beat Duckworth in straight sets shows the qualifier is confident within his game heading into this clash.
With an impressive record of 17-3 on the grass court surface, Alcaraz will be a force to be reckoned with during the time at SW19 no doubt. His incredible speed and forceful groundstrokes are difficult to deal with at Wimbledon. Lajal also has a strong 5-2 record on grass this season.
Prediction: Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets.
Caroline Dolehide v Coco Gauff [2] |H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Caroline Dolehide v Coco Gauff [2] | H2H: Gauff leads 2-0 |
| Wimbledon | UK |
| Grass | Prize Money: £60,000 |
| Third on Centre Court, not before 5pm BST | BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Red Button and BBC iPlayer |
Second seed Coco Gauff will face her compatriot Caroline Dolehide, in the first round of women’s singles for their third meeting. Gauff leads 2-0 in their battles on the WTA tour so far, however, both wins for Gauff were on her favourite hard court where she has had so much success, including her first Grand Slam win at the US Open last year. Perhaps this clash has got more than meets the eye on grass.
Dolehide walks into the match with a 10-17 record so far this season, with seven of her losses coming from her last ten games. She has struggled at SW19 in the past failing to get past the first round with her two appearances at the Slam.
On the other hand, Gauff’s 32-10 record has helped skyrocket her up to a career high of number two in the WTA rankings, becoming a favourite to win the competition.
Gauff will likely rely on her movement and ability to extend rallies, waiting for the right opportunity to unleash her powerful groundstrokes. Her backhand, particularly down the line, could be crucial in neutralising Dolehide’s forehand.
Dolehide will aim to take control early in points, using her forehand to dictate play and put pressure on Gauff. Her success may depend on her ability to maintain a high first-serve percentage and minimise unforced errors.
Prediction: Gauff in straight sets.
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Jannik Sinner [1] v Yannick Hanfmann | H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Jannik Sinner [1] v Yannick Hanfmann | H2H: Sinner leads 1-0 |
| Wimbledon | UK |
| Grass | Prize Money: £60,000 |
| Third on Court 1, not before 4:30pm BST | BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Red Button and BBC iPlayer |
Jannik Sinner’s grass court season started off with a bang when he won his maiden grass court title at Halle last Sunday. The Italian seems to be dominating the tour wherever he goes this season, and the grass court swing seems to be no different.
The top seed’s first round matchup is against Yannick Hanfmann, who has struggled with form on the ATP singles tour this season. The German’s early first round departure in Mallorca last week sees his grass court game at a mismatch for the Italian. Hanfmann will need to regroup and refigure his game if he has any chance of beating the current world no. 1 in the first round.
Sinner will look to take control from the baseline, using his powerful groundstrokes to push Hanfmann around and dictate the tempo of rallies. His ability to absorb pace and redirect it effectively will be crucial against Hanfmann’s aggressive style.
Hanfmann will aim to leverage his serve and forehand to keep points short and prevent Sinner from settling into a rhythm. His strategy will involve taking risks and playing aggressively to disrupt Sinner’s baseline dominance.
Prediction: Sinner in straight sets.
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