We've got three picks from the Wimbledon qualifying draw today at the HSBC Championships in London. Grass court tennis is back, and qualifying always throws up some interesting battles between players who rarely get to show what they can do on this surface. Which of these guys do you think has the cleanest path through?
HSBC Championships - London Qualifying Predictions
Dino Prizmic vs Rinky Hijikata
Head-to-head: First meeting
Prizmic is the higher-ranked player here and has been one of the more exciting young names on tour this year, but Hijikata has looked genuinely comfortable on grass in the past and that matters a lot in qualifying where the conditions are everything. Prizmic is primarily a baseliner and the transition from clay to grass can take a few matches to click, especially for someone his age still building tour experience.
I think Hijikata's comfort on this surface gives him enough of an edge to squeeze through, though it won't be straightforward.
Prediction: Hijikata in 3
James Duckworth vs Aleksandar Vukic
Head-to-head: Duckworth 2-2 Vukic
These two know each other well and the series is perfectly split, so the surface probably tips this one. Duckworth has spent a lot of his career on grass and his flat, direct ball-striking suits the pace of the surface better than Vukic's game does. Hard to see this being competitive at all once the grass starts doing its thing, and that favors Duckworth.
Prediction: Duckworth in 3
Martin Damm vs Daniel Merida Aguilar
Head-to-head: First meeting
Merida Aguilar holds the ranking advantage coming in, but Damm has a serve that can be a real problem on grass and qualifying rounds often come down to exactly that. That said, Merida Aguilar is a clay-court build of player and there's nothing in his recent results to suggest grass is where he's at his best. Damm should still find a way to get through here, even if it takes three sets to do it.
Prediction: Damm in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © Dennis Agyeman/AFP7 via ZUMA Press Wire