Marin Cilic versus Philipp Kohlschreiber

If one were selecting a dark horse to waltz away with the Wimbledon title, a person could do a lot worse than picking Marin Cilic.  He started the year off slow, but he began to find his form on the clay and following his finalist appearance in Queen's, is looking in fine form on the grass.  He is back at his career-high ranking of world no. 6, and as a former US Open Champion, has proven he has the goods to go seven rounds at a major.  His big booming serve, powerful groundstrokes, and comfort level at the net are all tools that have helped him go deep in London in the past and bode well for his chances of doing so again this year.

 Despite these factors in his favor, however, he cannot afford to look beyond the first round where he faces Philipp Kohlschreiber. The German may have slid outside of the Top 50, but he is a former Top 20 player.  He is also a former champion at the Halle event, so he is clearly comfortable on the grass.  He can make inroads with his forehand, but it is one-handed backhand, when at his best, that he is able to utilize to open up the court and create space against his opponents.  Perhaps the most important aspect that Kohlschreiber has going for him in this contest though is that he owns a 6-3 record against Croat.  In fact, he won their most recent meeting, which came last year on the quick indoor courts of Rotterdam. So, while current form definitely favors Cilic getting through this one, it is by no means a foregone conclusion.

Victoria Azarenka versus Catherine Bellis

This is a match sure to attract quite a bit of attention.  On one side of the net is Victoria Azarenka, who is playing in just her second tournament since giving birth last December.  She is a two-time Australian Open Champion, a former world no.1, and she has been to the final four here at Wimbledon.  Her opponent is young American Catherine “CiCi” Bellis, a player from whom many expect great things.  She made a splash at the US Open last year when she came through the qualifying to reach the third round, and she matched that result this year in Paris.  Based on her semifinal showing a few weeks ago in Mallorca, she is capable of playing some respectable grass-court tennis as well. 

The American has a nice, all-around game that has helped her quickly rise to world no. 40 in the rankings, and she has only continued to improve with each passing week.  Of course, she is playing someone in Azarenka, who also has a solid game with few, if any holes.  The Belarusian has a little more firepower and does a great job of hugging the baseline.  She has vastly more experience playing matches of this magnitude, too.  For these reasons, Azarenka would normally be considered the clear-cut favorite.  But as noted earlier, this is just her second tournament back.  It is Bellis who has more match play under her belt, which gives this match more of a 50-50 feel.  It is hard to bet against Azarenka with all her experience and all that she has accomplished, but this match certainly presents the American with her best look yet at defeating a top player and moving through to the second round of Wimbledon.

Fernando Verdasco versus Kevin Anderson

With sixty-four first-round matches to contest, it can be easy for some to get lost in the shuffle.  One such match that could fall prey to that is the encounter between Fernando Verdasco and Kevin Anderson, but it might not be a bad idea for fans to keep tabs on this one.  They are evenly-matched, with Verdasco holding a 3-2 lead in their rivalry, and their only meeting at a major went the distance and was won by Anderson. The surface would seem to favor Anderson's odds of winning and evening his rivalry with the Spaniard. 

At 6'8” he already enjoys an advantage on serve, but even more so here on the grass.  He is also better at playing the quick points and is slightly more skilled at the net, which again, is rewarded on this surface.  That is not to say that Verdasco will not have looks, however.  He is an offensive-minded player with a flat backhand, and he loves to rip his forehand any chance that he gets.  He hits big, and his own net skills are one of the most underrated aspects of his game.  He ought to be feeling confident after his surprising run at Roland Garros too, and will be hoping to repeat the feat here in London.  Both men can do some damage in this section of the draw, but only one will get the chance.  Verdasco is the seed and has had more success, but an upset feels like it could be in the cards.  Anderson is the superior grass-court player, and if he brings his best, that will see him through this opening match.