The Wimbledon crowd will be hoping for another memorable Andy Murray performance when he takes the court against Denis Shapovalov on Friday. Andrey Rublev and Fabio Fognini are also aiming for a place in the second week.
(10) Denis Shapovalov vs. (WC) Andy Murray
Another Wimbledon, another summer of Murray mania…. Not even a three-year absence from the tournament has halted what was once a tradition at the All-England Club: Murray making a run through the championships and doing so in dramatic fashion. The 34-year-old Scot kicked off this fortnight with a 6-4, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 defeat of Nikoloz Basilashvili in which Murray blew a 5-0 lead in the third set. He then outlasted Oscar Otte 6-3, 4-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 on Wednesday night.
Up next for the world No. 118 is a first-ever meeting with Shapovalov on Friday. If Murray is 100 percent, this is a winnable match. Shapovalov has been mediocre at best this season and he needed five sets to beat Philipp Kohlschreiber on Tuesday before getting a walkover from Pablo Andujar. Being able to hold up physically in a five-setter was encouraging for Murray, but it remains to be seen how he will recover. Shapovalov has the benefit of being well-rested thanks to Andujar’s withdrawal, so the Canadian would likely have the edge in another long match.
Pick: Shapovalov in 5
(26) Fabio Fognini vs. (5) Andrey Rublev
Rublev and Fognini have quietly put together an extensive head-to-head history heading into Friday. They have faced each other seven times, but only one meeting has come since the end of 2019 and they have never squared off at a Grand Slam. Fognini has won five of their seven previous encounters, but since Rublev became the real Rublev they have clashed just once and the Russian rolled 6-1, 6-2 in the final of this year’s ATP Cup.
There is no reason to think the tide will turn back in Fognini’s favor. Although the 34-year-old Italian is an all-court player, he has never been at his best on grass. He has done well to defeat Albert Ramos-Vinolas and Laslo Djere this week, but against Rublev he can’t get away with a 6-0 walkabout in a set like he did against Djere. Since dropping his opening set to Federico Delbonis, Rublev has been dominant. The world No. 7 followed up that 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 victory by beating Lloyd Harris 6-1, 6-2, 7-5. Especially on this surface, Rublev will have too much firepower for Fognini.
Pick: Rublev in 3
Leave a Reply