Angelique Kerber versus Kirsten Flipkens

One of the most prevalent topics on the WTA has been the shocking decline of Angelique Kerber.  After a career-year in 2016, the German has struggled to win matches in 2017.  There has been nowhere for her to hide either, as a combination of the absence of some of the big stars along with overall inconsistency from the rest of the field have meant that she remains the top player on the WTA.  It also puts her that much more under the microscope here at Wimbledon, where she is the defending finalist.  There is a sense that she is ripe for an upset, or at least, her opponent Kirsten Flipkens is hoping that is the case on Thursday.  The Belgian has had her own problems finding regular success on court of late, a situation that has not been helped by the occasional niggling injury. 

But she is a wily veteran, whose talent took her all the way up to Number 13 in the rankings just four years ago.  She has a fair bit of variety in her game, especially from the backhand wing, and she is not shy about moving forward.  Grass suits her game well, and she is a former semifinalist at this event.  In short, she has the goods to garner the upset if the top seed is off her game.  But Kerber is a grinder and has evolved into a great competitor, as evidenced by what fans saw from her in 2016.  Her defense is second to none, and she has learned to be more aggressive, something she looks to be even more so on the grass.  She can do a better job of opening up the court and staying in the rallies than the Belgian and has the more all-around solid game.  She is definitely low on confidence, but with a 2-0 edge against Flipkens – including a three-set battle here in 2014 – she should feel reasonably confident about getting the victory here and perhaps taking another step towards turning around her season.

Gael Monfils versus Kyle Edmund

Wherever in the world Gail Monfils competes, he can be assured of enjoying plenty of fan support.  He can be a nightmare for a coach with some of the things that he does on court but his flashy brand of entertaining tennis is a joy for spectators to behold.  Even so, he is likely to find the crowd firmly behind his second-round opponent, home favorite Kyle Edmund.  Edmund really announced his arrival last season.  He was the hero that kept Great Britain in the Davis Cup hunt last summer when Andy Murray opted to rest, and he earned his first berth in the second week of a major at the US Open, defeating both Richard Gasquet and John Isner along the way.  He has struggled to replicate that success in 2017 though, slipping ten places from his career-high ranking of Number 40, but most believe he is too talented not to turn things around in his favor.  He is going to have his work cut out for him if he is to start turning it around here against Monfils, however. 

The Frenchman is clearly playing the better tennis and came into this event on the heels of a finalist appearance in Eastbourne.  He owns a decisive edge in the movement department as well as in the battle of the backhands.  He gets more mileage out of his serve and generally more juice on his ground strokes.  There continues to be some concern regarding his knee, and as alluded to earlier, Monfils can be his own worst enemy.  If the knee does hamper his movement or he does log one of those puzzling efforts that have plagued him throughout his career, Edmund could end up delighting the British fans with the upset.  Just do not bet on it.

Dominic Thiem versus Gilles Simon

People are always on the lookout for the next big star to hit tennis, and there are many who believe that Dominic Thiem could be among that group of next generation players to begin regularly vying for slam titles.  The Austrian has already reached the final four of Roland Garros the last two years, and he has established himself in the Top 10.  In addition to that, he has accrued some impressive victories over the sport's greatest legends.  Despite all of that, however, he has found it difficult to make any inroads at Wimbledon. In part, that may be because the grass does not always allow him the big wind-ups that he frequently employs.  The ball does not sit up as regularly in the strike zone as he would like either.  Still, with all his weapons, there is no reason he cannot enjoy success here.  He just needs to find the belief, and he has been handed a draw to do that this year at Wimbledon.

It is not that he will be taking Gilles Simon, his second-round opponent, lightly.  It would be at his peril to do so.  The Frenchman has been to the second week of a major on multiple occasions, including at Wimbledon where he is a former quarterfinalist.  He has a reputation as a backboard, often goading his opponents into going for too much, but also keeping them off balance with a sudden injection of pace.  Unfortunately for him, Simon does not have anything with which to hurt Thiem.  It is the eighth seed who boasts greater firepower from the ground and on serve, and he is a better player in the forecourt.  If he plays within himself, he is going to control the outcome of this contest by racking up the winners and forcing the Frenchman into errors.  But the key will be whether he can play within himself beginning to end.  Simon at his best can test the resolve of any player, so the onus will be on Thiem to stay patient and wait for his opportunities.  If he does that, he is going to find himself in the third round with a very good look at making the second week.