Wednesday at Wimbledon will see both British number ones take to Centre Court. This is the first year in a long time that Great Britain has a legitimate contender for the championship in both the men’s and ladies’ draw.
Elena Vesnina vs. Victoria Azarenka
Azarenka is 7-0 lifetime against Vesnina, so at first glance this may seem like a one-sided affair. But let’s consider that Azarenka is just coming off a year away from the sport after giving birth, and Vesnina has become a different player over the past year. The Russian made it all the way to the semifinals at last year’s Wimbledon, and won the biggest title of her career at Indian Wells in March. Azarenka appeared nervous and a bit rusty in dropping the opening set of her first round match to Cici Bellis, but responded nicely and soundly won the next two sets. Before the Centre Court action begins at 1:00pm local time, I would recommend checking out this first match on No.3 Court at 11:30am.
Dominika Cibulkova vs. Jennifer Brady
Another good option to start off the day is the first match on No.18 Court. After winning the biggest title of her career at the 2016 year-end championships in Singapore, Cibulkova has struggled in 2017. She was only 14-14 on the year coming into Wimbledon, and she went 0-3 through three grass court warm-up events. Cibulkova is a fighter who has prevailed in two recent pro-longed third set battles at the All England Club. Last year she outlasted Agnieszka Radwanska 9-7 in the third in one of the best matches of the entire year, saving match point along the way. And just two days ago, she defeated Andrea Petkovic in the opening round, also by a final set score of 9-7. Jennifer Brady made some noise earlier this year by making the fourth round of the Australian Open in her first-ever major draw. She then threatened to upset Kristina Mladenovic in the first round of the French Open in a thrilling match that, of course, went to 9-7 in the third. This could be a good one between two very strong competitors.
Johanna Konta vs. Donna Vekic
Konta has completely changed her career trajectory over the past two years, as she’s ascended into the top ten and is the first legitimate British contender for the ladies’ title in several decades. She will arrive at Centre Court with a lot of pressure on her, as well as the often overwhelming focus of the British media. The expectations may be too much for Johanna to deal with, especially considering she’s only 2-5 lifetime at Wimbledon. Konta took a nasty spill just last week in her semifinal against Karolina Pliskova in Eastbourne, bringing her status for The Championships into question. But the British number one looked just fine in her first round match on Monday. Vekic arrives at SW19 coming off the biggest title of her career on the grass in Nottingham just a few weeks ago, where she defeated Konta in the final. It will be fascinating to see how both ladies perform under Centre Court’s spotlight on Wednesday.
Andy Murray vs. Dustin Brown
The men’s British number one will follow the women’s British number one on Centre Court. After facing a quirky player on Monday in Alexander Bublik, who littered Centre Court with his unorthodox shot selection, Murray’s second round opponent will play in a similarly unconventional way. Dustin Brown has thrilled crowds for years on the lawns of the All England Club with his chip and charge style, which often sees Brown diving for the ball. Brown can be a threat on the grass: he defeated Rafael Nadal here two years ago. Murray describes Brown as a good friend off the court, but one wonders if he’ll find his on-court play frustrating. Adding to the suspense in this one are more questions surrounding Murray’s health. He came into Wimbledon nursing a hip injury, and video surfaced online Tuesday of Murray limping off the practice court. Let’s hope we don’t have another Centre Court retirement on Wednesday, as this could be a really fun match if both players are at their best.
Rafael Nadal vs. Donald Young
The last match scheduled on Centre Court will see a 15-time major winner against a player who has struggled for many years, but is finally finding some consistency on the tour. Nadal looked very strong on Monday in his first grass court win since two years ago, but previous years have shown he can be prone to early-round upsets at The Championships. Donald Young has disappointed many who expected him to become a top American player, but the 27-year-old is quietly putting together his strongest season to date. However, Monday’s first round win for Young was only his second victory in seven main draw appearances at SW19. I do not expect Young to seriously challenge Nadal, but this will give us a better indication of just how serious a threat Nadal could be to win his third Wimbledon title.
