A few tasty picks from the Wimbledon draw today, and we've got opinions on all three. Which of these do you think goes the distance?
WTA Wimbledon Predictions
Jessica Pegula vs Cori Gauff
Head-to-head: Pegula 5-3 Gauff
Pegula leads this rivalry pretty comfortably, and a few of those wins have come on the bigger stages where Gauff tends to feel the weight of expectations. On grass specifically, neither player is a natural, but Pegula's flatter ball and willingness to take time away from her opponent actually translate reasonably well to the surface. Gauff can go on runs and she's a fighter, but her game asks a lot of herself on grass and errors tend to creep in.
I think this one goes three sets, Gauff takes one of them, but Pegula's consistency through the middle of matches is just too much to handle.
Prediction: Pegula in 3
Naomi Osaka vs Karolina Muchova
Head-to-head: Osaka 3-3 Muchova
Perfectly split H2H, which makes this one genuinely difficult. Osaka has been more active recently since her return and has shown flashes of her old level, but Muchova on grass is a different problem entirely. Her variety, her sliced backhand, the way she changes pace mid-rally, it all plays beautifully on this surface and she reached the French Open final not long ago showing she can handle pressure matches.
That said, Osaka will make it uncomfortable at times, but Muchova wins this.
Prediction: Muchova in 3
Marie Bouzkova vs Elise Mertens
Head-to-head: Bouzkova 2-1 Mertens
Bouzkova leads the head-to-head and is no stranger to grass, but Mertens has quietly been one of the more reliable performers on this surface for years, consistently making deep runs without much fanfare, and I feel like that experience carries real weight here. She's not flashy, but she keeps the ball in play, mixes her game well, and doesn't give you free points. Bouzkova can be streaky and if the first set slips away she tends to struggle to reset.
Hard to see this being particularly tight at all, and Mertens gets through in three.
Prediction: Mertens in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © Rob Prange/AFP7 via ZUMA Wire