Wimbledon R1 previews and predictions: Kyrgios vs. Goffin, Fritz vs. Hanfmann

Nick Kyrgios will be playing just his second match of the season when he takes the court against David Goffin in round one of Wimbledon on Monday. The first order of play at the 2023 event also includes Taylor Fritz vs. Yannick Hanfmann.

(WC) David Goffin vs. (30) Nick Kyrgios

Kyrgios and Goffin will be squaring off for the fifth time in their careers and for the first time in almost six years when they finally meet again in the Wimbledon opening round on Monday afternoon. The head-to-head series stands at 3-1 in favor of Kyrgios, who prevailed three times on outdoor hard courts across 2016 and 2017. However, Goffin won their most recent encounter via a 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 Davis Cup decision on an indoor clay court in Belgium toward the end of the 2017 campaign.

Fast forward to 2023 and neither man is anywhere close to peak form. Goffin is 32 years old and struggling down at No. 123 in the rankings, having been plagued by physical problems for several seasons. Kyrgios knows a thing or two about injuries, as well; in fact, the 28-year-old Australian has played just one match in 2023 mainly because of a knee issue. He lost 7-5, 6-3 to Yibing Wu in Stuttgart and did not look anywhere close to 100 percent in the process. Even on grass, it’s hard to see this version of Kyrgios blowing Goffin off the court in swift fashion. If the Belgian can turn this into a relatively long match, he should have the edge from a physical standpoint–and will definitely have the edge from a mental standpoint.

Pick: Goffin in 5

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Yannick Hanfmann vs. (9) Taylor Fritz

Fritz made significant headlines at Wimbledon last summer, going all the way to the quarterfinals before falling to Rafael Nadal in five sets. What will the ninth-ranked American do for an encore? Fritz is likely in store for another strong performance, as he is playing well and armed with a favorable draw as the No. 9 seed. Although Grand Slams have not been kind to him overall, the 25-year-old can take confidence from his 2022 showing at the All-England Club.

Up first for Fritz on Monday is Hanfmann, who dominated their only previous meeting 6-4, 6-1 just a couple of months ago on the red clay of Rome. Of course, Hanfmann is at his best on clay and the story will probably be much different on grass. That’s not to say the 31-year-old German is hopeless on the green stuff; he is coming off a semifinal effort in Mallorca. Still, over the course of a best-of-five contest a more rested Fritz should eventually gain the upper hand without too much trouble.

Pick: Fritz in 4

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