Wimbledon day three predictions & tennis betting tips: Broady can give Ruud a run for his money

Where to watch

Live on BBC One, BBC Two & BBC iPlayer, from 11am Wednesday

Best bets

Liam Broady +6.5 games on handicap v Casper Ruud
2pts 4-5 bet365

Liam Broady to beat Casper Ruud
0.5pt 9-2 BoyleSports

Jannik Sinner to win 3-0 v Diego Schwartzman
2pts 8-11 bet365

Elina Svitolina to beat Elise Mertens
1pt 13-10 bet365

Wimbledon day three preview 

With rain having limited play on the opening two days, Wimbledon organisers have a backlog to deal with, but action on the show courts will be unaffected.

Novak Djokovic made a serene start to his quest for a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon title when beating Pedro Cachin in straight sets on Monday and expectations will be for him to repeat the feat against his round-two opponent Jordan Thompson.

Women’s world number one Iga Swiatek dropped only four games when beating Lin Zhu in her opening contest and the Pole is unlikely to be troubled by Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo in the last 64.

Liam Broady v Casper Ruud predictions

Having made the third round of last year’s Wimbledon, Liam Broady further enhanced his grass-court credentials when easing past Frenchman Constant Lestienne in straight sets in their All England Club curtain-raiser on Monday.

The reward for that scalp is a date with last month’s French Open runner-up Casper Ruud, but the Norwegian world number four isn't as feared on grass as he is on clay.

Ruud required four sets to see off first-round opponent, French qualifier Laurent Lokoli, and that was only his second Wimbledon win on what is his fourth appearance in the London major.

Last year Ruud fell in the last 64 against Ugo Humbert and Broady, who is sure to be roared on by a passionate home crowd, may have a stronger chance of landing an upset than the odds imply.

Broady is a handful on these courts and even if unable to spring a surprise, a 6.5-game handicap start underestimates the potential closeness of this contest.

Jannik Sinner v Diego Schwartzman predictions

While Ruud may have to dig deep to advance to round three, eighth seed Jannik Sinner can ease to a comfortable success over the diminutive Diego Schwartzman.

Sinner announced himself as a potential Wimbledon champion of the future when making the quarter-finals last season, when he led Djokovic by two sets to nil only to lose.

The 21-year-old made light work of Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the opening round, winning 6-2 6-2 6-2, and a similar display should ensure another emphatic victory over Schwartzman, who has been on a steady decline.

The Argentinian is at his most vulnerable on grass, having failed to go beyond the third round in seven previous attempts, and his three meetings with the strong-serving Sinner have all resulted in straight-set defeats.

Elise Mertens v Elina Svitolina predictions

In what was her first Grand Slam start since giving birth in October, former world number three Elina Svitolina showed all of her ability and hunger remains as she reached the quarter-finals of the French Open last month.

The 28-year-old kickstarted her Wimbledon adventure with a 6-4 6-3 win over five-time champion Venus Williams and her recent resurgence makes her a lively outsider against Belgian 28th seed Elise Mertens, who trails 3-2 in their personal series.

Svitolina was a Wimbledon semi-finalist in 2019, so should have few problems translating her peak performances to the grass, and only four defeats from 16 matches since the beginning of May suggests she is in excellent touch.

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