DARIA KASATKINA V VICTORIA AZARENKA
Eleventh seed Daria Kasatkina and 19th seed Victoria Azarenka – both prevented from playing at Wimbledon last year due to the ban on Russian and Belarusian players – meet in a third-round blockbuster.
Two-time Australian Open champ Azarenka is the $2.50 outsider but boasts a 3-0 record against Kasatkina, winning matches at the 2016 Fed Cup, 2019 Madrid Masters and 2020 Rome Masters.
Kasatkina has been in hot grass-court form, however, reaching the Eastbourne International final last week and disposing of Caroline Dolehide (6-1 6-4) and Jodie Burrage (6-0 6-2) so far at Wimbledon. She was a quarter-finalist here in 2018.
Azarenka, a Wimbledon semi-finalist in 2011-12, has made it to the last 32 after surviving a scare against Yue Yuan in the first round (6-4 5-7 6-4) then demolishing Nadia Podoroska (6-3 6-0).
The 33-year-old proved she is very much still a force by making the Australian Open semis in January, but she arrived at Wimbledon on a 4-9 run stretching back to February.
Kasatkina deserves her favouritism in light of her fine form in recent weeks, but Azarenka will undoubtedly make her work hard for the fourth-round berth.
Tip: SGM – Back Kasatkina to Win and Over 21.5 Total Games @ $2.74
ELINA SVITOLINA V SOFIA KENIN
Despite boasting modest current WTA rankings, former top-five players Elina Svitolina and Sofia Kenin have made impressive progress to Wimbledon’s third round and represent big potential hurdles for big-name contenders deeper in the tournament.
Svitolina has been outstanding since returning from a year’s maternity break, winning the Internationaux de Strasbourg and reaching the French Open quarters.
Despite a limited grass-court build-up, she has accounted for Venus Williams (6-3 6-4) and 28th seed Elise Mertens (6-1 1-6 6-1) so far this week. The 28-year-old was a Wimbledon semi-finalist in 2019.
World No.128 Kenin had the tennis world at her feet after winning the Australian Open and making the French Open final in 2020, but she has endured injury and form issues since.
But despite patchy results in recent months and having to battle her way through three qualifiers last week, the 24-year-old has made it to the third round at Wimbledon for the first time. She stunned seventh seed Coco Gauff 6-4 4-6 6-2 then defeated Wang Xinyu 6-4 6-3.
Kenin was made to work hard by Wang, but a superb second serve dug her out of a few holes.
As the scoreline against Mertens suggests, Svitolina will be looking to find more consistency in her performance – but she was looked absolutely top-shelf when it all clicks.
Svtiolina leads the head-to-head 3-2 (all matches were played in 2019) and her sustained level of form over the past six weeks renders her excellent value as a slight outsider here.
Tip: Back Svitolina to Win @ $2.10
JASON KUBLER V NICOLAS JARRY
Aussie Jason Kubler and 25th seed Nicolas Jarry are vying for a likely Wimbledon third-round date with world No.1 Carlos Alcaraz.
The 30-year-old Kubler was a fourth-round bolter at Wimbledon last year and warmed up for a repeat performance on grass by reaching the Surbiton Trophy quarters and winning the Ilkey Challenger.
World No.77 Kubler outlasted Ugo Humbert (who had dumped him out of the Libema Open a few weeks earlier) in a five-set tussle in the first round on Wednesday.
Chilean Jarry broke into the top 30 for the first time thanks to a fruitful clay swing, winning the Geneva Open and making the last 16 of a grand slam for the first time at the French Open. He tuned up on grass with a quarter-final run at the Halle Open that saw him beat Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Jarry overcame a slow start to eliminate Marco Cecchinato – a renowned battler on any surface other than clay – 4-6 6-2 6-4 6-1 in the opening round.
The 27-year-old remains regarded as a clay specialist himself, but the $1.53 favourite’s overall formline in recent months and efforts on grass so far suggest he’ll be too good for the plucky Kubler.
Tip: Back Jarry to Win 3-1 @ $4.00
MATTEO BERRETTINI V ALEX DE MINAUR
Alex de Minaur made a compelling case to produce a career-best Wimbledon run by reaching the Queen’s Club Championships final two weeks ago, but the 15th seed has been dealt a tough draw. To earn a likely third-round date with Alexander Zverev, he first must beat 2021 finalist Matteo Berrettini.
NSW’s de Minaur reached the fourth round at the All England Club last year and started this grass swing in hot form, rolling Holger Rune in the Queen’s Club semis before going down to Carlos Alcaraz. He outlasted Kimmer Coppejans 6-7 6-3 6-3 7-6 in the first round.
The 24-year-old fired down 14 aces in the rain-delayed fixture and showed excellent poise to close out an unexpectedly tough match.
Currently ranked 37th, Berrettini has battled injury problems since his four-set loss to Novak Djokovic in the ’21 Wimbledon decider. He made the Australian Open semis and US Open quarters in 2022 but has missed the past two French Opens and last year’s Wimbledon.
A two-time winner of both the Stuttgart Open and Queen’s Club Championships, the Italian was eliminated in the first round of the former tournament and pulled out of the latter this year as he strives to work his way back to full fitness.
A 6-7 6-3 7-6 6-3 win over Lorenzo Sonego (who dumped him out in Stuttgart) in the first round on Tuesday was not without drama, blowing up at the umpire over the slippery surface.
The head-to-head is one-all – Berrettini won 6-4 6-4 in the 2021 Queen’s Club semis, while de Minaur prevailed in straight sets at the 2022 ATP Cup.
Berrettini is unquestionably one of the sport’s best grass-court players on his day and his booming serve presents a big obstacle for de Minaur. But the Aussie also plays his best tennis on this surface and Berrettini hasn’t quite proved he’s over his injury issues.
Tip: SGM – Back de Minaur to Win and Under 40.5 Total Games @ $2.81