The Wimbledon tennis tournament is going to have play on Middle Sunday for just the fourth time in the event’s storied history. A few second-round matches have to be played on Saturday, which means third-round matches have to be played on Sunday in order for the tournament to catch up in time for the fourth round on Monday. Looking back at our tennis picks from Friday, all three of our matches were rained out so our selections will carry over to Sunday. You can click here to see our full analysis of the women’s matches we like but we’re banking on Kiki Bertens to discard of Simona Halep, Lucie Safarova to advance past Jana Cepelova and Madison Keys to beat Alize Cornet.
These next three matches are third-round matches, meaning Middle Sunday isn’t an issue for them. Let’s see who will make the second week of Wimbledon. Here are our tennis picks for Saturday.
Agnieszka Radwanska vs. Katerina Siniakova
This is a match filled with intrigue, because Radwanska was extremely shaky in her most recent match. She faced three match points against Ana Konjuh, an 18-year-old who was just beginning to get a taste of Wimbledon pressure. Radwanska escaped each of those three match points after trailing in the third and final set. She worked her way even, and then broke Konjuh at 7-7 to take an 8-7 lead and then serve out the match for a 9-7 win in the third set. A lot of people will doubt Radwanska, who has never done well at Grand Slam tournaments. A lot of analysts will also point out that Radwanska finally pulled ahead in part because Konjuh injured herself at 7-7, 15-40, stepping on a ball when trying to hit a shot. Radwanska is not in the midst of her most convincing form, so some people might go to Siniakova here. However, Radwanska escaped on a day when she was not at her best. When a highly-ranked player gets past a tough opponent or a match in which she struggled – Radwanska is seeded third – she generally plays well the next match unless the opponent is Serena Williams or someone similarly strong. Give the nod today to Radwanska for your tennis picks.
Pick: Radwanska in three sets
Eugenie Bouchard vs. Dominika Cibulkova
This is a matchup which occurred at the U.S. Open, also in the third round last September in New York. Bouchard was coming off a season of struggles. She did nothing of note at the 2015 Australian Open, the 2015 French Open, or 2015 Wimbledon. She entered the 2015 U.S. Open in search of her game, and she didn’t have great prospects. Yet, she won a tight match against Cibulkova, highlighted by a very close first set that was on the razor’s edge the whole time. Bouchard won that match, and she seemed to be on her way up the ladder. However, she then slipped at an off-court facility and suffered a concussion which basically ended her 2015 season. You can bet that Bouchard will be highly motivated to once again beat Cibulkova. This is a close match, but Bouchard will compete well and should find a way to advance. Take her with your tennis picks.
Pick: Bouchard in three sets
Sabine Lisicki vs. Yaroslava Shvedova
This is a matchup which occurred a few years ago at Wimbledon. Lisicki asked for a medical timeout and was able to win a close match after receiving treatment from a trainer. Even when she wasn’t at 100%, she was still able to take care of Shvedova and what’s important to note is that Shvedova hasn’t exactly climbed the ladder since then. Both players are still about where they were.
Don’t expect Lisicki to enter into physical distress this time. She always plays well at Wimbledon and should be able to play the way she wants to. She’s not consistent enough to have full confidence in her but on all other fronts, this appears to be a match she should easily win. Take her with your tennis picks in this spot.
Pick: Lisicki in three sets
