Ricky’s picks for Day 2 at Wimbledon, including Tsitsipas vs. Thiem

On paper, Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. Dominic Thiem is the marquee first-round matchup at Wimbledon. But will it be the same on the court? We will find out on Tuesday.

Here are my previews and picks for two of Tuesday’s best matchups.

Dominic Thiem vs. (5) Stefanos Tsitsipas

Thiem’s comeback from a 2021 wrist injury has not gone well, but one of the better matches he has played in the last two seasons has come against none other than Tsitsipas. They recently squared off on the red clay of the Madrid Masters, where Tsitsipas prevailed 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(5) to pull within 5-4 in the overall head-to-head series. 

Both mean really need a win in what will be their first-ever grass-court meeting. Tsitsipas played all three weeks on grass prior to arriving at the All-England Club and won just a single match while losing to Richard Gasquet, Nicolas Jarry, and Yannick Hanfmann. Thiem has worked his way back inside the top 100 (91st), but the 2020 U.S. Open champion is a disastrous 7-14 at the ATP level this year and has lost five of his last six matches overall (Challengers included). Tsitsipas isn’t great on grass, but he should still get the job done given Thiem’s struggles.

Pick: Tsitsipas in 4

Matteo Berrettini vs. Lorenzo Sonego

It will be Berrettini’s second consecutive match against Sonego when the two Italians meet again on Tuesday afternoon. Berrettini, the 2021 Wimbledon runner-up to Novak Djokovic, played only one warmup event on grass and lost right away in Stuttgart via a 6-1, 6-2 decision against Sonego.

Although Berrettini has won their three other contests, unfortunately for him that recent Stuttgart result tells the most relevant story. He has been plagued by injuries and his record this year stands at a modest 7-7. Since Acapulco in early March, Berrettini has won just two matches on the main tour (both at the Monte-Carlo Masters). Sonego is a stellar grass-court performer and he should once again have no trouble capitalizing at the expense of a struggling opponent.

Pick: Sonego in 3

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on Twitter at @Dimonator.