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The tennis tournaments at the Paris Olympics start with 15 men’s singles matches on Saturday. 64 men will begin their quest for Gold, and we’ll rapidly get to the winner in a bit over a week. As always, we here at LastWordOnTennis will predict all of the matches for you. We split the 15 matches into four articles. The other articles feature Novak Djokovic vs Matthew Ebden, Carlos Alcaraz vs Hedy Habib, and Daniil Medvedev vs Rinky Hijikata. Predicting these matches are Damian Kust, Shane Black, and Yesh Ginsburg. Who do you think will move on to Round 2?

As a special for the Olympics, we will also be predicting all of the other Day 1 matches, including doubles. We will link to our other Olympic predictions at the bottom of the article. Enjoy!

Novak Djokovic Defeats Cameron Norrie to Get to Wimbledon Final - The New  York Times

Paris Olympics Men’s Day 1 Predictions

Felix Auger-Aliassime (Canada) vs Marcos Giron (United States)

Damian:
Two players who aren’t that good in slower clay conditions, but it still feels like Auger-Aliassime is a class ahead. Giron just picked up that maiden title in Newport and might be playing a bit pressure-free here. His baseline shots just aren’t that good though and this is a surface where you need that consistent depth.
Prediction: Auger-Aliassime in 2

Shane:
Giron is coming off his maiden title in Newport. His consistency from the ground is at an all time high. However, Auger-Aliassime has found his form over the past few months. He reached the second week of the French Open and should feel confident in his game on the clay.
Prediction: Auger-Aliassime in 3

Yesh:

Giron somehow always finds his best tennis for the biggest events. His best tennis isn’t enough to really trouble the Canadian, though.
Prediction: Auger-Aliassime in 3

Dan Evans (Great Britain) vs Moez Echargui (Tunisia)

Damian:
Echargui got this chance by winning the African Games and against most of the draw, he wouldn’t really stand a shot. Evans is very average on clay though and is in the middle of a truly horrendous season. But he knows how to peak when he’s playing for his country and will likely grind this out if he needs to.
Prediction: Evans in 2

Shane:
Evans has not had the best season, but he is the heavy favorite against the World No. 373. Echargui has only beaten one Top 100 player in his career. If Evans doesn’t implode, he should have no problem in this match.
Prediction: Evans in 2

Yesh:
Even on clay, Evans is just too good in this matchup. It won’t be close.
Prediction: Evans in 2

Novak Djokovic will face Daniil Medvedev in the US Open final. It's a  rematch from 2021 | AP News

Damian:
Skip. Ebden hasn’t played a singles match in two years and while he was in the Top 40 back in the day, his clay win rate for the whole career is about 33%. The most interesting thing here will be whether Djokovic is wearing the knee brace, but even that won’t tell us much about his form going into the rest of the event.
Prediction: Djokovic in 2

Shane:
Is Djokovic 100% healthy? Likely not, but that should not matter in this first-round matchup. The 24x Grand Slam champion is on the hunt for Olympic Gold.
Prediction: Djokovic in 2

Yesh:
Djokovic has given no indication that he’s retiring anytime soon, but this is almost certainly his final Olympics. After winning Bronze in 2008, his Olympic results have been disappointing, to say the least. I don’t know if he can win Gold this year, but it’s his last chance for the one achievement missing from his illustrious career. He’s not falling at the first hurdle.
Prediction: Djokovic in 2

Serena Williams made a stunning appearance at the 2024 ESPY Awards alongside her husband, Alexis Ohanian, and their 6-year-old daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr.

The tennis legend graced the red carpet in a stunning black gown by Armani Privé while her husband opted for a timeless black Gucci suit.

Meanwhile, Olympia stole the spotlight in a silver Dolce & Gabbana dress, paired with metallic silver sandals.

Alexis Ohanian Shares Pic Featuring Olympia and Serena Williams

As the host of this year’s ESPY Awards, Williams has had her hands full. During an interview with ABC News’ Will Reeve, aired Wednesday on “Good Morning America,” she opened up about the excitement and challenges of her new role.

“It’s really busy and it’s really fun to be Serena right now,” she said. “I love it.”

Balancing her professional commitments with motherhood has been a rewarding journey for Williams. After retiring from professional tennis, she welcomed her second daughter, Adira, last year.

Alexis Ohanian Is Right About the Impossibility of Work-Life Balance

In a candid conversation with Time in 2022, Serena discussed the tough decisions women often face when raising a family. “It comes to a point where women sometimes have to make different choices than men if they want to raise a family,” she explained. “It’s just black and white. You make a choice or you don’t.”

Serena also shared a humorous anecdote about Olympia’s reaction to her retirement. “Olympia doesn’t like when I play tennis,” she revealed, noting that her daughter was visibly excited when she announced her retirement. “It’s hard to completely commit when your flesh and blood is saying, Aw.”

After the favorite, Iga Swiatek´s elimination, two unlikely underdogs stand two matches away from lifting their first Grand Slam Trophy.

The Polish five-time tournament favorite was eliminated two sets to one by the world’s 35th-ranked Yulia Putinseva in the tournament´s third round. The upset shook up the tournament bracket, and while Putinseva was eliminated in the next round by 14th-ranked Latvian Jelena Ostapenko, the upset has rocked the Wimbledon predictions of many.

Anyone´s tournament to win

The upset made waves in the tennis world as many had Swiatek slotted as the likely favorite. Putinseva was not the only upset, however, Coco Gauff, who holds second place in the ATP power rankings was eliminated by 17th-ranked Emma Navarro. Most notable among the Cinderella stories, however, are those of Barbora Krejcikova and Donna Vekic.

Krejcikova ranked 31 in ATP´s rankings, and Vekic, ranked 37, are two underdogs that have held on and continued to advance through the rounds. They now find themselves in the semifinals, two games away from lifting Wimbledon´s Women’s Singles Trophy, dubbed the Venus Rosewater Dish.

Two familiar faces in finals

Across the lawn, Vekic will face off against Italian 7th-ranked Jasmine Paolini. For Paolini, she will hope to take home her second title of the year after winning the Dubai Women’s Singles Tennis Championships in February. She has cruised through the competition so far, having won all of her matches in straight sets.

Elena Rybakina will face off against Krejcikova on the other side of the Bracket. Ranked currently 4th in the world, Rybakina has been having a very successful 2024 season, with a 35-7 record in major tournaments. She has also won a collection of silverware this far in the season, lifting trophies at the Brisbane International, Abu Dhabi Open, and the Stuttgart Open.

The semifinal matches will both take place at six p.m. on Thursday, July 11th, with the final taking place on Sunday, July 13th.

Top seed Iga Swiatek reached the third round of the women’s singles with a tenacious straight-set win over Petra Martic on Centre Court at Wimbledon.

Croatian Martic pushed the Polish world number one in moments but lost her serve late in both sets in Swiatek’s 6-4 6-3 win.

She also needed a lengthy medical timeout for a back injury in the opening set.

Swiatek’s victory extended her formidable win streak to 21 matches.

The 23-year-old is a five-time Grand Slam winner, although she has struggled on grass in the past, and has never advanced beyond the quarter-finals at SW19.

Swiatek will face Yulia Putintseva in the third round with the Kazakh player upsetting Czech 27th seed Katerina Siniakova 6-0 4-6 6-2 earlier on day four.

Elsewhere in the women’s draw, American fifth seed Jessica Pegula became the highest-ranked casualty at this year’s singles when she was beaten by world number 42 Wang Xinyu.

The Chinese player won 6-4 6-7 (7-9) 6-1 on court three to set up a third-round tie with Britain’s Harriet Dart.

Pegula had looked in formidable form on grass, reaching the final of Eastbourne and winning her first-round tie at Wimbledon in just 49 minutes.

Caroline Garcia, the 23rd seed from France, was also knocked out, losing 6-3 3-6 6-4 to world number 97 Bernarda Pera of the United States.

Iga Swiatek

But plenty of other seeds recorded dominant straight-set wins on a wind-affected day in SW19.

Elena Rybakina, champion in 2022, beat German Laura Siegemund 6-3 3-6 6-3.

The Kazakh player will next face former world number one Caroline Wozniacki in the next round.

The Dane, 33, beat Canadian 30th seed Leylah Fernandez 6-3 2-6 7-5.

Ons Jabeur, runner-up at the past two Wimbledons, dispatched American Robin Montgomery 6-1 7-5.

The Tunisian 10th seed will take on 21st seed Elina Svitolina in the third round after the Ukrainian overcame German Jule Niemeier 6-3 6-4.

American 11th seed Danielle Collins beat Hungary’s Dalma Galfi 6-3 6-4 and will take on 20th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia next after the Brazilian benefited from a walkover.

Madison Keys, a quarter-finalist last year’s, beat China’s Wang Yafan 6-2 6-2, while 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko defeated Ukraine’s Daria Snigur 6-3 6-0.

Iga Swiatek and Petra Martic will meet in the second round of Wimbledon. Prediction for the match of these tennis players is made by Dailysports experts.

Iga Swiatek

The Polish tennis player is trying to dominate in women’s tennis, especially powerful she spent the ground part of the season, winning tournaments in Madrid, Rome and Roland Garros. Swiatek is on a streak of 20 wins, with few realizing how she can be stopped. Before Wimbledon, the athlete took a break for rest, so she did not play grass tournaments, which is quite risky.

In the first round she managed to defeat Sofia Kenin – 6:3, 6:4, as you can see from the scoreline, it was without a rout. Sventek is deservedly the first racket of the world, and after all she is only 23 years old.

Iga Swiatek

Petra Martic

The Croatian athlete looked very promising in her time, although she did not have a brilliant career. The peak of her achievements was a place in the top 20, now the athlete is 33 years old, now she is only 85th in the world ranking. The tennis player did not have strong tournaments in the current season, even had to endure a series of five defeats.

In the first round, Martic defeated Francesca Jones from the third hundred of the world ranking, and only in three sets – 3:6, 6:1, 6:2. There are doubts that the Croatian can give a fight to the world ranking leader.

Interesting facts about the match and history of head-to-head meetings

  • The sportswomen played each other three times, in all cases Sventek won, once the tennis players also played at Wimbledon, then the Polish won 6:2, 7:5.
  • Swiatek has 46 wins in 50 games this season.
  • Martic has won just 11 meetings out of 25 matches this year.

Iga Swiatek vs Petra Martic Prediction

The Polish tennis player is given symbolic odds, Iga is really in brilliant form. But Martic is definitely not able to give a fight to the first racket of the world. I bet on the victory of Swiatek with a -6.5 games.

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