Wimbledon R1 previews and predictions: De Minaur vs. Duckworth, Korda vs. Mpetshi Perricard

Alex de Minaur makes his 2024 Wimbledon debut against fellow Australian James Duckworth on Tuesday, while in-form American Sebastian Korda takes on Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. The Frenchman got in as a lucky loser.

(9) Alex de Minaur vs. (LL) James Duckworth

Alex de Minaur snagged one of the few grass-court titles up for grabs during the brief season on the lawns. The world No. 9 boasts a 33-12 record on the season, including a pair of titles in Acapulco this winter and in s’Hertogenbosch on grass just a few weeks ago. The Aussie has come into his own in 2024. He even managed to make inroads on clay this year, with a quarterfinal showing at Roland Garros. His previous best result in Paris was the second round.

De Minaur is good on grass, and he is poised to make some noise at the All-England Club this year. His draw is favorable, he comes in rested after a quick exit at Queen’s Club, and he is just generally in excellent form. Fellow Aussie James Duckworth isn’t likely to create a disturbance for De Minaur. The world No. 81 had to come up through qualifying and just managed to squeak into the main draw as a lucky loser.

Cheryl pick: De Minaur in 3

Ricky pick: De Minaur in 3

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(20) Sebastian Korda vs. (LL) Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard

Sebastian Korda might be the most in-form grass-court player of the season. While he didn’t come away with a title, he made the final in s’Hertogenbosch and the semis at Queen’s Club a week ago. Korda was involved in a memorable if bizarre match at Wimbledon against Karen Khachanov in 2021 in which there were 13 service breaks in the fifth set alone. The American came up short and hasn’t managed to perform well at the All-England Club since.

Korda begins his 2024 campaign against a tricky opponent in Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. The world No. 58 is zooming his way up the rankings. The Frenchman, who formerly spent his time on the Challenger circuit, came out of nowhere to win the clay-court title in Lyon. He lost in qualies but got a lucky-loser spot in the main draw.

Korda might get off to a slow start, but look for the favorite to find his rhythm eventually. He will want to get it done in four rather than see the match go to a decider, as reminders of the Khachanov match won’t be welcome.

Cheryl pick: Korda in 4

Ricky pick: Korda in 5

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