Three first-round picks from Wimbledon today, and we've got a decent mix of straightforward calls and matches that could genuinely go either way. Let's get into it.
WTA Wimbledon Predictions
Jaqueline Cristian vs Iva Jovic
Head-to-head: First meeting
Cristian is a solid player and her ranking is nothing to dismiss, but Jovic has had a genuinely impressive rise this season and the 17 next to her name reflects real results, not a fluke. Grass isn't Cristian's best surface, and Jovic's aggressive, flat ball-striking tends to work well on fast courts where she can take time away from opponents before rallies develop.
That said, Cristian competes hard and this being a first-round match with all the nerves that come with Wimbledon means it probably won't be clean. I think Jovic gets through, but not without a fight in at least one set.
Prediction: Jovic in 3
Magdalena Frech vs Anna Kalinskaya
Head-to-head: Frech 2-1 Kalinskaya
Frech actually leads this head-to-head, which is the kind of thing that makes Kalinskaya's backers a little nervous. Still, Kalinskaya on grass is a different animal. Her flat, low ball is genuinely difficult to handle on this surface, and Frech has generally been better on clay than on faster courts, so the conditions shift the balance here more than the H2H might suggest.
Kalinskaya in 3 feels right. Frech will be competitive and her H2H record shows she's capable of beating Kalinskaya, but the surface edge is hard to ignore.
Prediction: Kalinskaya in 3
Magda Linette vs Mirra Andreeva
Head-to-head: Linette 1-3 Andreeva
Andreeva has won three of the four meetings and she's only gotten better since. Ranked fifth in the world at 17, she's become so good at not panicking in long rallies, and her movement on any surface is exceptional. Linette is experienced and won't go quietly, but hard to see this being competitive at all given the gap between them right now.
Andreeva wins this comfortably, all things considered.
Prediction: Andreeva in 2
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © Matthieu Mirville/ZUMA Press Wire