Wimbledon Day 4 expert picks, including Shapovalov vs. Paire and Nishikori vs. Tomic

Ricky Dimon of the Grandstand and Joey Hanf of Cliff Drysdale Tennis make their picks for four of the best matchups on Thursday at Wimbledon. What was once Andy Murray’s part of the draw remains intriguing with a second-round showdown between Denis Shapovalov and Benoit Paire.

Benoit Paire vs. (26) Denis Shapovalov

Ricky: There won’t be a second-round match with more flair than this one. Shapovalov is often worth the price of admission by himself and Paire is must-see television for any fan who likes having no clue what he or she is going to witness on any given day. Paire, who reached the fourth round last year and has been to the third round on three other occasions, faced Jason Jung instead of Andy Murray on Tuesday and won in straights. Shapovalov picked up a very impressive grass-court victory over an in-form Jeremy Chardy. The Canadian should win because he will quite simply have fewer mental hiccups. Shapovalov in 4: 3-6, 6-2, 7-5, 7-5.

Joey: This one should be fun; two shotmakers who certainly know how to entertain a crowd. I was very impressed that Shapovalov got through Chardy in the first round, while the Frenchman has been playing maybe the best tennis of his career the last few weeks. Paire’s draw was much easier to navigate; Jung is a great story, but not the toughest test. The concern for Paire is injury, as he had heavy taping on his leg and didn’t move great. Still, I think many underestimate just how good of a server Paire is, and that allows him to get a lot of free holds on grass. Shapovalov is a player who often plays into form, and I think he’ll be able to expose the Paire forehand throughout this match in the big moments and on return. Paire certainly could play incredible from out of nowhere; we’ve seen it before, but I don’t see it happening here. Shapovalov in 3: 7-6(4), 6-3, 6-3.

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(LL) Bernard Tomic vs. (24) Kei Nishikori

Ricky: It would not be at all shocking if Tomic gets wiped off the court here, but this could be a great one if he comes out motivated. The Aussie is well-documented force on grass, with three trips to the second week at Wimbledon–including one to the quarterfinals in 2011. He is also coming off a semifinal performance in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. Tomic is a respectable 2-2 lifetime against Nishikori, who was hardly impressive in a four-set win over Christian Harrison on Tuesday. Tomic in 5: 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3.

Joey: Two opposite ends of the “how hard can your work” spectrum! Nishikori often overplays and overtrains, while Tomic has made no secret that he has not given full effort in his career. However, the Tomic of 2018 has looked quite competitive in every match I’ve watched him play, and he seems to have a little sense of motivation to prove some people wrong. Tomic’s game is clearly suited to grass; he hits with virtually no topspin at times and loves the slice backhand. His sliding serve gets help on the grass, and he is very competent at net. Grass for Nishikori, on the other hand, has never been all that promising. While he certainly looks to be getting better in his comeback, I don’t think he’s going to like this matchup at all. Tomic gives you no rhythm, which is exactly what Nishikori needs to play his offensive game. The Aussie in an “upset.” Tomic in 4: 6-4, 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-5.

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(5) Juan Martin Del Potro vs. Feliciano Lopez

Ricky: Lopez’s career is winding down at 36 years old and with a ranking of 70th in the world. But if there is one surface he cannot be discounted on, it’s grass. The Spaniard is coming off consecutive quarterfinal appearances in Stuttgart and Queen’s Club and he made quick work of Federico Delbonis in his Wimbledon opener. But few players have been as good as Del Potro in 2018 and the Argentine thrashed Peter Gojowyczk on Tuesday. Del Potro will hit too big on too consistent of a basis for Lopez. Del Potro in 4: 7-6(5), 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-4.

Joey: There is absolutely no denying that Lopez is still a serious player on grass. Potentially no player utilizes the slice better than Lopez, both in an aggressive and defensive manner. However, Del Potro’s dramatically improved slice has also become a really effective neutralizing shot. That will be the pattern I am looking out for most in this match; when Lopez slices down the line to Del Potro’s backhand, will the Argentine hit over it, or slice it back? If Del Potro can get enough forehands, clearly he is going to dictate this match–but Lopez could cause him issues if he can come to net maybe 50 to 60 times with a large portion of those approaches to the backhand side. Still, I think Del Potro’s going to hold serve very easily, himself, and win a few more of the big points. Should be a tight match. Del Potro in 4: 6-7(6), 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-3.

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Julien Benneteau vs. Frances Tiafoe

Ricky: Benneteau has not been amazing at this tournament, but he has been good enough such that it would be fitting if his final Wimbledon ended with something like a loss to Novak Djokovic on the second Monday as opposed to against Tiafoe on the first Thursday. The Frenchman erased Marton Fucsovics in his opener, while Tiafoe upset Fernando Verdasco in four sets. Both results suggest this will be a good one. Benneteau’s grass-court experience and veteran guile will likely see him through. Benneteau in 4: 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(6).

Joey: Both men must like their chances and opportunity in this one. With Dominic Thiem out of the draw and in their section, the winner of this match has a great shot at the fourth round. Benneteau has seemingly looked like a younger version of himself after announcing that he would retire at the end of the year, playing some great tennis at big tournaments. He is moving really well and his flat groundstrokes are effective on grass. Tiafoe picked up a great win over Verdasco in the first round, and from what I’ve seen is really learning how to adopt his game to grass. His hitting partner/coach Zach Evenden is from the UK and had him over there very early working on the slice, coming to net, and shortening up his forehand take-back. The results have been very strong. Tiafoe needs to extend this match as long as possible; he is fitter and has found a lot of confidence in tight matches this year. Tiafoe in 5: 3-6, 6-2, 7-6(2), 5-7, 8-6.

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