The 2021 Championships is here and SportsTips.com are previewing the best six games of each round at Wimbledon. Read below to check out our picks for the three best men’s and women’s games for Round 1 of the 2021 Championships!
It is opening day of the Championships and it is certainly going to be a different tournament then people would have expected, with some highly ranked players from both the men’s and women’s draw pulling out.
On the men’s side of the draw, both Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem will not be playing. On the women’s side of the draw, Naomi Osaka and Simona Halep will not be taking part.
This leaves the door more ajar for a player to claim their first Grand Slam title. But on the flip side, it does make moving through the tournament a lot easier for the top seeds who are still left.
Enjoy our free tennis picks and predictions for each round of the 2021 Wimbledon tournament.
Round 1 Tennis Picks For Wimbledon: Men’s
Tallon Griekspoor vs Alexander Zverev (4)
The quest for Alexander Zverev’s first major title begins in the first round clash against Tallon Griekspoor. Zverev is having a great season so far, and he has won 24 of his total 34 matches. Although it seems like grass isn’t a preferred surface for Zverev, as the tournament he played in the lead up to Wimbledon, in Halle (on grass), he was eliminated in the last 16.
Zverev has not won a tournament on grass yet, and he has not made the second week of Wimbledon on four of his five starts. If you look just at his performance in the majors recently, you will see he almost always runs deep. He knows when it’s time to lift his game and does so accordingly.
We’re ready for you.#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/oMWvwVflTl
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 27, 2021
Looking at Zverev’s opponent, Griekspoor is currently ranked 124 in the world, and had to battle through three rounds of qualifying to make it into the main draw at Wimbledon. This will be just the second time Griekspoor has made it into the main draw of a major tournament.
The pair have never met each other on the court, so the head to head currently stands at 0-0. As we are likely to see in a number of matches throughout the first and second rounds, the difference in skills and experience is mammoth. Zverev is going to be simply too good for Griekspoor and we expect an easy victory here for the German.
Tennis Pick: Set Betting – Alexander Zverev 3-0 (-170)
Jan-Lennard Struff vs Daniil Medvedev (2)
If you looking for an in form player on the grass surface, then look no further than 2nd seed Daniil Medvedev, who will take on Jan-Lennard Struff in the first round. Medvedev is running in hot at the moment, after claiming his first ATP tournament on grass, at Mallorca.
The Russian has won two title this year and will be looking to add a major to that list. He made the final of the Australian Open earlier in the year, as well as the quarterfinals more recently at the French Open. Despite all these great recent results, looking back at his previous efforts at Wimbledon, he has not been able to get past the third round.
Looking at Medvedev’s opponent, Struff, he has really struggled on grass recently, getting knocked out of the first and second rounds of Mallorca and Halle, respectively. But looking at other surfaces, Struff surprised many when he made it to the fourth round of the French Open, so he will be drawing on that experience as he comes up against the 2nd seed.
The pair have met four times previously with Medvedev leading that tally 3-1. However, it was Stuff who won the most recent clash, coincidentally played on grass, at the tournament in Halle, 7-6(6), 6-3. So the German will come into this clash with confidence, and the knowledge has beaten his opponent before.
Medvedev has got a serve that will put Struff in his place, and the amount of points won on first serve in his previous tournaments in just incredible. But Medvedev’s mentality can be his weakness, and if Struff can expose it, he may just get his foot in the door. We still think Medvedev will come out on top, but the German could steal a set (or two) off him.
Tennis Pick: Total Sets – Over 3.5 (-126)
Novak Djokovic (1) vs Jack Draper
Novak Djokovic is back to defend his title, after the tournament was cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19. He will be vying for the third consecutive championship in a row. He is on his way to win all four Grand Slams this year, after winning the Australian Open earlier in the year, and the French Open earlier in the month.
Djokovic is in such a dominant form it is hard to see who will stop him at Wimbledon, especially considering that Nadal has pulled out. The Serb is in such good form he was able to beat the king of clay himself in the final of the French Open! He has also shown he has the best grit and determination on tour, as he was able to come back from two sets down on two separate occasions at the French Open.
“Wimbledon inspires me to play my best”
Novak Djokovic is aiming for his 20th Grand Slam at The Championships#Wimbledon | @DjokerNole pic.twitter.com/FYFXiZcyiD
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 27, 2021
Djokovic will take on up and coming Brit, Jack Draper. Draper is currently ranked 250th in the world. The 19 year old has got a bit of form leading into this match, beating the likes of Jannik Sinner and Alexander Bublik at Queen’s earlier in June. But he will definitely be up against it come round one of Wimbledon.
This will be the first time that Djokovic and Draper will play each other, with the head to head standing at 0-0. It is difficult to see where Draper can get a foot in the door for this match. Djokovic will be just too good in all aspects, and he is deservedly the top seed. The Brit will definitely have the crowd on his side, but that is probably all he will have.
Tennis Pick: Total Sets – Under 3.5 (-290)
Round 1 Tennis Picks For Wimbledon: Women’s
Ashleigh Barty (1) vs Carla Suárez Navarro
Ashleigh Barty returns after a fairly disappointing run at the French Open, thanks to injury. Barty’s chances of winning Wimbledon increased dramatically after Halep announced her withdrawal from the tournament. She is currently the equal favourite to win Wimbledon, at +700, with Serena Williams also at +700.
Barty’s first round opponent is veteran Carla Suárez Navarro, and by no means will this game be a walk in the park for the Australian. Interestingly, both players choice not to partake in tournaments leading up to Wimbledon, so it is difficult to gauge how both players will perform on grass.
The thing that will be on the Australian’s mind will be how her shoulder will hold up during this tournament. But if you look back to events earlier in 2021, she has truly been on fire, she has made the final of four tournaments, and has gone on to win three of them. Barty’s best result here at Wimbledon has been the fourth round, so she will obviously looking to better that this time around.
Suárez Navarro has announced that this will be her last season of her professional career, and will be looking to go out with a bang at Wimbledon. She has made it to the fourth round of Wimbledon three times out of a total of 11 appearances. The pair have never played each other, adding another layer of interest to this first round clash. On paper the Australian should win easily, but we just aren’t that sure, we will be looking to total sets for the value.
Tennis Pick: Total Sets – Over 2.5 (+410)
Aliaksandra Sasnovich vs Serena Williams (6)
So begins another attempt for Serena Williams to win that elusive 24th Grand Slam title, when she takes on Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the first round at Wimbledon. Williams has had no preparation on grass court before this major, and this will be her first game back since her shock departure from the fourth round at the French Open.
Williams hasn’t won a Grand Slam since the Australian Open in 2017, and with potentially limited time left in her professional career, she will be doing all she can to get one last title to be the undisputed GOAT. Wimbledon has been a friendly tournament for Williams in recent years, and with the defending champion, Halep, already out, she is the equal favorite to win, alongside Barty.
Serena Williams predicts a tough battle as she targets Grand Slam No.24#Wimbledon | @serenawilliams
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 27, 2021
Looking to Sasnovich, she hasn’t had they good of a season so far with her win-loss record for the year, 11-11. She played in one grass surface tournament leading up to Wimbledon and she lost in the first round, so she doesn’t really have that much match time on grass under her belt either. The pair have never played before this meeting, and Sasnovich is yet to record a win against a top 70 player.
Sasnovich’s style is suited to the grass surface, but they will certainly not be enough to tame the force that is Williams. Williams has too strong of a game to even let Sasnovich get a look in throughout this first round clash. Williams should be able to get through this match comfortably.
Tennis Pick: Set Betting – Serena Williams 2-0 (-280)
Xinyu Wang vs Sofia Kenin (4)
The fourth seed of Sofia Kenin will take on unseeded Xinyu Wang in the first round of Wimbledon. Kenin had a fantastic 2020, making her mark in women’s tennis by winning the Australian Open and the runner up at the French Open, but in 2021 she has not been able to follow this form up.
Kenin will be looking to turn her season around with a run deep into the second week of Wimbledon. She has been battling injuries and illnesses all throughout this year, so many fans are hoping she can have a smooth run in at least one major tournament this year! Despite making it to the fourth round of the French Open, she is yet to play on grass leading up to Wimbledon, so many are questioning her form on this surface.
Wang is relatively unknown, but showed her potential in the qualifying rounds at Wimbledon as she didn’t drop a set in her three games and only had her serve broken three times. While it is a whole other ball park when it comes to the main draw, she has got to be going into this game with at least some confidence. The pair have also never played each other, so the head to head is 0-0.
Wang will have a tough time beating Kenin in this opening round clash. Kenin is quick on her feet, and she has ample more experience than her opponent. The only point of concern is her lack of match time on a grass surface, which is currently at 0! Wang will not just roll over, so the American needs to be sharp from the get go and not start spraying balls if things don’t go her way.
Tennis Pick: Set Betting – Sofia Kenin 2-0 (+100)
If you are interested in more news for Wimbledon then make sure you visit our tennis hub page, we’ve got all the details you need!
*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
