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The second round of Wimbledon is set to begin and the excitement continues on Wednesday!
I’ve found value on two of Wednesday's matchups —Swiatek vs Sorribes Tormo and Mertens vs Svitolina.
Read on for my 2023 Wimbledon expert predictions.
Match times are subject to change. Read here for tips on viewing Wimbledon matches.
2023 Wimbledon Picks
Iga Swiatek (-3500) vs Sara Sorribes Tormo (+1280)
10:30 a.m. ET
Iga Swiatek easily beat Lin Zhu 6-1, 6-3 to kick off her Wimbledon campaign. Swiatek won 67% of her service points and was only broken once. The Pole also won 55% of her return points, breaking on five occasions.
Swiatek, while not known for her grass prowess, now has a 13-6 career-record on the surface. She hits precise serves and plays with controlled aggression from the ground, especially her forehand. Swiatek is quick, anticipates well and has a high tennis IQ.
The problem for Swiatek on grass is she's much less experienced than on other surfaces. She can be rushed on her forehand and opponents are more easily able to keep the ball out of the Pole's strike zone. Players that change the pace of play and don't allow Swiatek to dictate can frustrate her.
Sara Sorribes Tormo defeated Martina Trevisan 6-3, 6-1 in the first round. Sorribes Tormo won 66% of her service points and wasn't broken. In addition, the Spaniard won 51% of her return points, breaking four times.
Sorribes Tormo is 22-17 as a professional on grass. Though the Spaniard is known for her consistency, Sorribes Tormo's variety is what makes her most dangerous on grass. While underpowered at times, Sorribes Tormo hits a low-bouncing backhand slice and isn't afraid to put the ball in awkward positions before moving forward.
Swiatek should win this match, but this line is too big. Sorribes Tormo is more experienced on grass and has the game to make Swiatek somewhat uncomfortable.
Sorribes Tormo is top-10 on the WTA Tour this year in the percentage of return games, break points converted, first and second-serve return points won and overall return points won. She should get plenty of Swiatek's returns into play and mitigate the Pole's serving edge.
And the Spaniard has the backhand slice to keep the ball out of Swiatek's strike zone along with the net-rushing prowess to change the pace of play and make her uncomfortable.
Pick: Sorribes Tormo +7.5 games (-132 via FanDuel)
Elise Mertens (-160) vs Elina Svitolina (+132)
12 p.m. ET
Elise Mertens beat Viktoria Hruncakova 7-6(2), 6-2 in the first round. While Mertens won 44% of her second serves and hit nine double faults, she did win 79% of her first serves. In addition, the Belgian won 47% of her return points and broke on five occasions.
Mertens has a lot of experience on grass with moderate success, as she is 31-26 on the surface as a professional. Mertens' serve is mediocre, but she is able to back up her serve well, and even dictate from her backhand wing.
She is very solid from the baseline and has a high grass-court tennis IQ, understanding the right times to move forward and utilize her court-craft. Mertens' variety is outstanding, showcasing a strong net game, which makes sense given her three Slam doubles titles.
Elina Svitolina defeated Venus Williams 6-4, 6-3 in the opening round. Despite winning just 61% of her first serves, Svitolina won 64% of her second serves and was only broken twice. The Ukrainian also won 51% of her return points, breaking serve on five occasions.
Svitolina is experienced on grass, but the former Wimbledon semifinalist is only 18-21 for her career on the surface. She is consistent and defends well on grass. The Ukrainian can also produce modest power from both wings, although she has more control over her backhand.
But, Svitolina does lack some firepower, which is particularly noticeable on grass, and she can sometimes become too defensive. Svitolina also lacks some variety and isn't crisp at net.
Svitolina has played just two matches on grass since 2021, lacking recent experience on the surface. Couple that with a game that, 2019 Wimbledon aside, has not worked particularly well on the fast, low-bouncing surface, and this is certainly seeming like a tall order for the Ukrainian.
She certainly didn't seem totally comfortable with her movement on Monday and got destroyed in her only other grass match this season – a 2-6, 0-6 loss to Linda Fruhvirtova in Birmingham.
Mertens can match Svitolina's baseline consistency and won't be afraid to go toe-to-toe with the Ukrainian's backhand wing. In addition, Mertens is the savvier player with the better variety. She's better able to change the pace of rallies using slices, net play and placement.
Pick: Mertens -2.5 games (-110 via FanDuel)
