The blockbuster Wimbledon second-round battle between Rafael Nadal and Nick Kyrgios will take place on Thursday. Roger Federer is also in action, as he continues his campaign against British wild card Jay Clarke.
Nick Kyrgios vs. (3) Rafael Nadal
Wimbledon is not wasting any time making major headlines. Upsets have been taking place left and right in both the men’s and women’s draws, and now Nadal and Kyrgios are set for a second-round showdown on Thursday. This is the seventh career contest (3-3 head-to-head) between the less-than-friendly competitors, including their second at the All-England Club. Kyrgios stunned Nadal 7-6(5), 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-3 in 2014 (fourth round) and he most recently prevailed 3-6, 7-6(2), 7-6(2) earlier this season in Acapulco. Two of the Spaniard’s three victories have come on clay, with the lone exception being a 6-2, 6-1 demolition in thee 2017 Beijing final.
With a coveted matchup against Nadal on the line, Kyrgios still could not stay focused the entire way against fellow Australian Jordan Thompson on Tuesday but he managed to survive a 7-6(4), 3-6, 7-6(10), 0-6, 6-1 roller-coaster. Nadal, playing for the first time since capturing his 12th French Open title, trounced qualifier Yuichi Sugita 6-3, 6-1, 6-3. The world No. 2 is not happy with Kyrgios right now either on or off the court, making him especially eager to avenge his brutal loss in Acapulco. Even though Kyrgios will be similarly motivated, his form–or lack thereof–right now is such that he cannot be expected to continue picking up wins over the top players in the world.
Pick: Nadal in 3
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(WC) Jay Clarke vs. (2) Roger Federer
Unlike Nadal, Federer did not turn in an especially convincing performance in his opener on Tuesday. The 20-time Grand Slam champion lost the first set to little-known opponent Lloyd Harris before coasting the rest of the way to get the job done in four. Federer, who is seeking his ninth Wimbledon title, followed up a relatively encouraging clay-court swing by triumphing on his old grass-court stomping grounds of Halle two weeks ago.
The No. 2 seed’s friendly draw continues on Thursday with Clarke, a 20-year-old Brit who obviously needed a wild card to get into the main draw. Ranked 169th, Clarke scored just his second career ATP-level victory by beating qualifier Noah Rubin 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-4 in round one. This will be nothing more than an awesome experience for the youngster, and it’s an experience that won’t last much longer than an hour and half.
Pick: Federer in 3 losing 8-10 games
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