It's been a great week so far at SW19 and the quality of tennis is improving as each day passes. So far we've seen some of the main contenders of both draws eliminated as Thomas Berdych was beaten in round one while Sam Stosus and Caroline Wozniacki were also beaten early. Tomorrow is sure to provide us with some more top matches and possibly provide some more major upsets. I'm going to take a look at some of the games taking place and give my predictions for each match. To start I'm going to go through some of the schedule and talk about who is due to play and then I'll discuss some matches individually in detail.
On Centre Court we have three matches to be decided as Serena Williams, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal all return to court for their second round encounters. Williams faces Hungarian Melinda Czink in what should be a relatively straight forward game for the former champion. Williams returned to Grand Slam tennis in style with a comfortable win over Barbora Zahlavova Strycova having lost in the first round of her last major in Paris. Following that match home favourite Andy Murray takes on big serving Ivo Karlovic in what could be a tricky game for the Scot. If the 6'10 Croat serves a high percentage of first serves then he will be tough to break down but Murray is a strong returner of serve and will fancy himself to make it through. Second seed Rafael Nadal then takes to the court against Lukas Rosol in what should be a one sided contest. Rosol doesn't contain enough variety to trouble Nadal and it should be an easier task than his encounter with Bellucci on Tuesday. On Court 1 we have some very competitive matches beginning with Maria Sharapova who is looking to finish off her match with Tsvetana Pironkova leading 7-6 3-1 from tonight. Sharapova saved 5 set points in the first set as Pironkova looked to have control but couldn't close it out. If Pironkova can get a good start tomorrow then I wouldn't rule out her chances of coming back but a good start is essential. Sharapova needs to start off quick herself to close it out and hit the practice courts to prepare for Friday. James Ward takes on Mardy Fish afterwards in a match which Ward should be totally outclassed by the American who has had some health scares in recent months. Sam Querrey and Milos Raonic square off third on Court 1 in a battle of the big hitters. Querrey is rediscovering his form in recent months and I think he is in for a good Summer when he reaches the American hard courts but for Wimbledon his run ends tomorrow. Raonic has a huge serve that is proving very effective on the grass and he also possesses all the qualities that Querrey doesn't have. Raonic should progress from this war of attrition. Home girl Elena Baltacha faces a monumental task to reach round three as she takes on defending champion Petra Kvitova. Kvitova started sluggish in her opening game but she recovered sufficiently and found her range by the end and I think she will dispose of Baltacha ruthlessly. Other women who should be successful are Victoria Azarenka who faces Romina Oprandi and Marion Bartoli who takes on Mirjana Lucic. On the men's side we should see wins for Andy Roddick against Bjorn Phau, David Ferrer against Kenny De Schepper and Phillip Kohlschreiber against Malek Jaziri.
Some of the best matches of tomorrow will take place on the show courts where there are games which are almost too close to call. One match I think everyone should watch is the opening game on Court 9 where Finn Jarkko Nieminen faces American comeback sensation Brian Baker. Baker spent over five years out of the game with injuries and had to have multiple surgeries and feared he would never get to play again. However, last year he got back on the court ad began a long process which led him to an incredible return to action where he has had some good success. Having qualified for his first Wimbledon he is in round two with a great chance to make it through to a fourth round meeting with Rafael Nadal. Nieminen is a solid player that won't give you the game you have to earn it. He played some good tennis on the clay this year and had a great win over Feliciano Lopez in round one. I think Baker will be the winner of this one after a gruelling encounter but certainly one worth watching.
Another match that should be of high quality is on Court 12 where stylish Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis takes on Queens semi finalist Grigor Dimitrov. Dimitrov was always compared to Roger Federer but never lived up to the hype while Baghdatis made a Grand Slam final in Australia losing to the great Federer. Dimitrov has been steadily improving this season in my opinion and I think his game looks very good on the grass. This match is very difficult to call as Baghdatis has got great ability which has seen him play well here in the past but Dimitrov is young and determined and is playing with a sense of freedom which makes him a joy to watch. I am giving a slight nod to Dimitrov in this one but it will be close, possibly five sets.
Varvara Lepchenko and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova face off on Court 17 in a match which contains two talented women capable of big things. Lepchenko has improved significantly since gaining American citizenship last year and had a stunning run at Roland Garros reaching round four and will be hoping for similar results here at Wimbledon. Pavlyuchenkova is a talented youngster who needs to begin fulfilling her potential. She has played well this season but has lost to a lot of the top players. Her last two tournaments have been more consistent than normal for her which is a step in the right direction and I think she is capable of making a very good run here. This one should be a very entertaining match and I expect Pavlyuchenkova to get through in three sets.
Court 18 plays host another high quality match as Ekaterina Makarova looks to continue her goo grass court form against German Angelique Kerber. Makarova has been outstanding this year with a quarter final run at the Australian Open and lenghty runs in Miami and Sydney before reaching the semi finals in Birmingham and the quarter final in Eastbourne where she lost to Kerber. Kerber herself is on an amazing run. She has risen up the rankings dramatically in the past twelve months and now sits inside the top ten. This season she has reached four semi finals and won two titles in Paris and Copenhagen and was a finalist in Eastbourne. During that time she's beaten Sharapova, Bartoli, Kvitova, Venus Williams, Wozniacki, Jankovic and Li all of whom are top class players. Kerber is pushing towards the summit of the sport and I expect her to progress to another quarter final at least here. Makarova will be a stiff test but one which she should pass with flying colours.
So that's a look at some of the matches taking place tomorrow and it's clear to see there is a lot to look forward to.
Bet of the Day: David Goffin to beat Jesse Levine at 4/9 is my bet of the day for Thursday. Goffin is a talented young Belgian that should have too much for Levine. This game just beats the price for Mardy Fish to beat James Ward. Fish was apparently sick after his win Tuesday which is turning me off backing him but 1/3 is very generous.
Accumulator of the Day: Brian Baker (vs Nieminen), Gilles Simon (vs Malisse), Angelique Kerber (vs Makarova) and Aleksandr Dolgopolov (vs Paire) all to win works out around 5/1.
Potential Upset of the Day: Francesca Schiavone to be beaten by Kristyna Pliskova is currently 7/4. The Italian looks very beatable on the grass and I think Pliskova might upset the odds.
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