We’re down to the last 16 competitors in Wimbledon, and Roger Federer continued to impress with his stellar play on grass after a four-set victory over Sam Groth. Meanwhile, Roberto Bautista Agut set his date with the seven-time Wimbledon champion by handily dispatching Nikoloz Basilashvili in straight sets.
Who will prevail between the Swiss sensation and the Spanish standout? Read on as we break down the upcoming matchup between Federer and Bautista Agut. There’s a lot more in store at Wimbledon’s men’s singles draw on Monday, so be sure to also check out our previews for Stan Wawrinka vs. David Goffin and Marin Cilic vs. Denis Kudla as well.
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Roger Federer vs. Roberto Bautista Agut Betting Preview
Where: All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London
Father Time must be on Roger Federer’s side, as the Swiss superstar continues to have a phenomenal season at the ripe old age of 33. Federer, who’s looking for a record eighth title at Wimbledon, is not showing signs of slowing down in his bid for another dominant run at the All England Club.
[sc:Other240banner ]The Swiss veteran held his ground against hard-hitting Aussie Sam Groth in his third match at Wimbledon this past Saturday. The match saw Federer get served by a scorching 147 mph service winner from Groth (the second fastest serve in Wimbledon history), but the World No. 2 kept his composure throughout the match and still came out on top 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-2.
Federer held his own by unleashing his stellar serve in Saturday’s match, as he converted 60 out of his 67 first serve point attempts (a staggering 90 percent conversion rate). The veteran also limited his unforced errors to just eight, while Groth committed 19 of them. In addition, Federer’s dominance on Saturday was further highlighted by him not having to face a break point at all throughout the entire match.
The grass is always greener on Federer’s side of the court as well. The third set of Saturday’s match was actually just the first set that Federer has lost in this tournament, and just the second set he’s lost in eight matches played on grass this season. Federer is undefeated on grass this 2015, and he even came fresh from his fifth title win of the year just this past June at the lawns of the Gerry Weber Open in Germany.
Going up against Roberto Bautista Agut on Monday shouldn’t pose as a big threat to Federer’s run at Wimbledon. Federer has won both of his career matches against Bautista Agut; both matches were held last season, and the Swiss champion won both of those Round of 16 matches at the Shanghai Masters and the U.S. Open against the Spaniard in straight sets.
It’s been a rocky season for Roberto Bautista Agut, but he seems to be turning things around at just the right time. After coming back from being down two sets in his second round matchup against Benoit Paire, the 27-year old Spaniard quickly took care of business with a 7-6(4), 6-0, 6-1 third round straight-sets victory over Nikoloz Basilashvili.
Bautista Agut has now won two of his three Wimbledon matches this year in straight sets, as that come-from-behind victory in the second round certainly gave the World No. 22 a never-say-die attitude that yielded great results on Saturday. Bautista Agut had great control in his third round match against the 23-year old upstart from Georgia by succeeding in five of his six chances at points on net, and six of nine break point attempts. Basilashvili also did Bautista Agut a favor by committing 26 unforced errors.
In order for the Spaniard to have a good shot at defeating Federer, he must be aggressive from the get-go. Bautista Agut is 74-12 after he wins the first set, and only 18-62 if he loses it. Being under the spotlight of a famed event such as Wimbledon also doesn’t seem to faze Bautista Agut, as he currently has a respectable record of 19-11 in Grand Slam events.
And even with two early exits this season in tournaments played on grass, Bautista Agut has still fared well on lawns in his career with a 13-5 record. In comparison, though, Federer has an even more remarkable 139-19 career record on the verdant turf.
Writer’s Prediction
Federer (-2,000) cruises his way to the Wimbledon quarterfinals with a straight-sets victory over Bautista Agut.
