Wimbledon, today’s programme: Berrettini on the pitch at 18.30 against Zverev

Matthew Berrettini will have the honor of playing on court no. 1 the awaited third round match at Wimbledon with the German Alexander Zverev, seed no. 19, which precedes him in the standings by 17 positions (21 against 38). Appointment at around 6.30 pm since it will be the third match after Medvedev-Fucsovics (2.00 pm) and the women’s match between Blinkova and Sabalenka. The match shouldn’t be played with the roof closed despite the weather forecasts suggesting a possible return of the rain after two days of respite. The probability of precipitation, in fact, is higher between 12 and 16. Then, finally, the sun should return. The risk, therefore, is that the program suffers a sharp slowdown especially on the lateral fields, without coverage.

Berrettini is 1-4 down in previous meetings: in 2019 the only victory
of the Roman, who has returned to play at very high levels, will try to subvert the predictions against an opponent with whom he has always suffered (he is 1-4 down in the previous games) and who also evokes bad memories: the last time they faced each other, in fact , at the ATP Finals in Turin 2021, the Roman was forced to retire, down 6-7, 0-1, due to the usual abdominal problem. The only success of the blue dates back to 2019 when in Rome, on clay, he won 7-5, 7-5 in the second round. Then all knockouts, the hottest in the Madrid 2021 Masters 1000 final in which he sold 6-7, 6-4, 6-3. To give Berrettini courage is the greater aptitude for grass where he boasts 83% of successes (38 wins and 8 defeats) against 66% of his rival (33-17), semifinalist this year in Halle.

Medvedev has an unfinished business with Fucsovics, Alcaraz is back

Medvedev (n.3) has an outstanding score with the Hungarian Fucsovics who, the last time he faced him, unexpectedly ousted him in the first round at Roland Garros 2020, beating him in 4 sets (6-4, 7-6 , 2-6, 6-1). On Saturday the n. 1 in the world Carlos Alcaraz who will have to tame the giant (he is 1.98 tall) Chilean Nicolas Jarry (n. 25). After him, the two finalists of 2022 will play: first it will be the turn of the Tunisian Ons Jabeur (n. 6), opposed to the Canadian Bianca Andreescu then the outgoing champion Elena Rybakina (n. 3) very favorite against the British Katie Boulter.

Tsitsipas and Rune, insidious matches against Djere and Davidovich Fokina

Three other matches deserve particular attention: on field n. 2 (second match after Kvitova-Stevanovic, scheduled for 12), Stefanos Tsitsipas (n. 5) will have to confirm his progress on the surface after beating Murray in 5 sets: also because the Serbian Laszlo Djere, who took the satisfaction to eliminate a difficult client like Ben Shelton, in the last few outings he has forced two solid rivals like De Minaur (in ‘s-Hertogenbosh) and Medvedev (in Halle) into third place. The duel between Frances Tiafoe (n. 10) and Grigor Dimitrov (n. 21), who is ahead 2-1 in the previous matches, also promises a show. Finally on the field n. 3 (second match after Haddad Maia-Cirstea, scheduled for 12) the talented Holger Rune (n. 6) will be back on stage who will have to take on the insidious Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who this year surprised him in the second round of the Madrid Masters 1000 prevailing 7-6, 5-7, 7-6 after more than 3 hours of battle.