Roger Federer’s bid for a record eighth Wimbledon crown remains right on track after beating Guido Pella in the first round on Monday. The 17-time Grand Slam champion will look to seal a spot in the round of 32 when he takes on Briton Marcus Willis in an intriguing showdown this coming Wednesday.
Read on below for an in-depth breakdown of this second-round matchup and while you’re at it, you can check out our round of 64 previews of Djokovic vs. Mannarino and Raonic vs. Seppi.
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Third seed Roger Federer stormed into the Wimbledon last 64 with a comprehensive 7-6 (5), 7-6 (3), 6-3 win against Guido Pella on Monday. It was a superb performance from the Swiss maestro who needed just two hours and five minutes to produce the straight-sets victory. Federer, who recorded his first win against Pella, blasted 51 winners and won 81 percent (34-of-42) of his net points. What proved to be the difference in the match, though, was Federer’s incredible serve. Federer won 88 percent of his first serve points against Pella.
Next up for Federer is a second-round showdown with unseeded Marcus Willis. This will be the first meeting between Federer and Willis in the ATP Tour. For Federer to defeat the hometown favorite, he needs to improve on his play on the receiving end. He converted just one of his 10 break opportunities against Pella in the previous round.
Marcus Willis barged into the second round of Wimbledon with an improbable 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Ricardas Berankis on Monday. It was an impressive performance from Willis who is ranked a lowly 772 in the world. With the victory, the Briton advanced to the second round of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time in his career.
To make this fairy tale even grander, Willis’ reward for his first-round exploits is a blockbuster clash with Wimbledon legend Roger Federer. For Willis to record the mother of all upsets against the tennis superstar, he will need to continue his excellent play on the service end. He won 71 percent of his first serve points against Berankis. Willis’ net play was also impressive in that match, winning 22 of his 40 net points against the Lithuanian. Willis must bring that same kind of aggression this coming Wednesday if he is to score a massive upset against Federer.
Willis is 8-2 in his last 10 matches.
Writer’s Prediction
Federer (-8,000) wins in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3, 6-1.
