Today’s Wimbledon Picks — Day Five (Jul 4)

The intense action at Wimbledon continues on Friday, as the first block of third-round matches at the All England Club gets underway.

A dramatic opening week in the men’s competition has seen a number of seeded players suffer early eliminations, but which players will seize their opportunity and book their spot in the second week at the Grand Slam?

Today’s Wimbledon Picks

Mattia Bellucci vs. Cameron Norrie

Cameron Norrie has been a winning pick for us in each of the last two rounds, and the Brit’s excellent form could carry him through to the next round on Friday.

The 29-year-old upset the odds in the previous round after battling back from a set down to eliminate American contender Frances Tiafoe. However, Mattia Bellucci will carry an obvious threat.

The big-serving Italian was a straight sets winner in the previous round, easing through against 23^rd seed Jiri Lehecka. But, the preference is for the Brit to secure his spot in the second week at Wimbledon.

Andrey Rublev vs. Adrian Mannarino

There will be a growing sense that the draw is opening up for a shock winner in the men’s competition this summer, and a strong case can be made for Andrey Rublev.

The Russian has dropped just two sets on his way to this stage, and he showed excellent character to bounce back to overcome South African Lloyd Harris in the previous round.

Adrian Mannarino already has plenty of experience at Wimbledon this summer after overcoming three qualifying matches to reach the main draw. However, in his first match against a top player, we could see the 37-year-old exiting the competition.

Aryna Sabalenka vs. Emma Raducanu

The standout match at Wimbledon on Friday will see former U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu take on world number one Aryna Sabalenka.

Raducanu looked back to her very best in the previous round after dominating former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova to win in straight sets. This is a major step up against Sabalenka, but in her current form, she could throw down an interesting challenge.

However, the preference remains for the top women’s player in the world, as Sabalenka has a game that looks perfectly tailored for the grass surface.

Elise Mertens vs. Elina Svitolina

A fascinating clash between two experienced stars is set for the third round on Friday, as Elise Mertens and Elina Svitolina collide. Mertens has dropped just a single set on her way to this stage, and she battled back to overcome Ann Li in the previous round.

However, Svitolina looks to be the logical play. The grass-court specialist has dropped just ten games on her way to the third round, and she boasts an excellent record at Wimbledon, having reached at least the quarterfinal stage in three of her four appearances since 2019.