By Chris Oddo | Sunday, June 28, 2015
Novak Djokovic will open Centre Court on Day 1, facing German Philipp Kohlschreiber.
Photo Source: Clive Brunskill/Getty
On each day of the Wimbledon we will provide you with notes on three matches to watch, plus notes and numbers to keep you well-equipped for the day ahead.
SEE THE COMPLETE DAY 1 SCHEDULE HERE
1. Novak Djokovic vs. Philipp Kohlschreiber, 1st Match Centre Court
How in the world is Novak Djokovic going to deal with Philipp Kohlschreiber without having played a tour-level event on grass since last year? Well, he’s won Wimbledon two times in the past with the very same preparation, so Novak should be fine. But his 1st-round matchup is just about as tricky as they come at Wimbledon. In Kohlschreiber, Djokovic gets a world-class player that has a 46-26 career grass-court record and has a Wimbledon quarterfinal (2012) to his name.
The Serb owns a 6-1 lifetime edge over the German, including five in a row, but they’ve never met on grass. Djokovic, bidding to become the sixth man in Open Era history to own three or more Wimbledon titles, owns a 45-8 record at Wimbledon, and he has not lost in the first round of a major since the Australian Open in 2006. He probably won't lose on Monday, but this is not a sleepwalk into the second-round matchup by any means. Djokovic will need to be sharp, and he'll need to be sharp early, to keep this match from getting interesting.
2. Belinda Bencic vs. Tsvetana Pironkova, 2nd Match, Court 18
All eyes will be on bedazzling teen Belinda Bencic as she looks to follow through on her maiden title at Eastbourne, achieved just one day ago. But Bencic will face a very difficult opponent in Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova, an eclectic yet effective player on the grass who is a former Wimbledon semifinalist. Pironkova owns a 14-9 lifetime record at the AELTC, and reached back-to-back quarterfinals in 2010-2011. Bencic, making her second main draw appearance at the Championships (reached third round last year), has accumulated an impressive 11-2 record on grass this season, including a runner-up performance at ‘s-Hertogenbosch to go with her Eastbourne title.
The matchup shouldn’t trouble Bencic too much; she’s an all-court player who moves great on the grass and has all the shots. But the fact that the Swiss has just gone through what might have been the three most physical weeks of her career could open the door for a letdown. If that happens, the experienced Pironkova will be ready to pounce.
3. Grigor Dimitrov vs. Federico Delbonis, 3rd Match, Court 1
If there ever was a time for Dimitrov, a semifinalist at Wimbledon a year ago, to get his game moving in the right direction, this is it. He’s playing against a player who has never won a tour-level match on grass, has a favorable draw, and most important, he’s blessed with the tools to make him a great player on grass. At 24, the Bulgarian is still relatively young. But he won’t be forever. He needs to seize this opportunity and get back to winning matches, pronto.
By the Numbers
193 Number of Grand Slam matches that Novak Djokovic has won. With a title, the Serb can become the 7th man in history to own 200 wins at the majors (Rafael Nadal is entering the tournament with 195).
145 Combined victories that Serena Williams and Venus Williams have earned at Wimbledon in singles action. Venus has 73 and Serena has 72. They are No. 1 and No. 2 among active players.
5 Number of teenagers in the men’s singles draw, of which three (Kokkinakis, Chung and Zverev) are in action on Day 1. The last time five teenagers played in the men’s singles draw at Wimbledon? 2008 (Cilic, Del Potro, Nishikori, Gulbis and Young)