Three to See, Wimbledon, Day 2: Barty, Fritz, Querrey make debuts

Before each day's play at Wimbledon 2019, we'll preview three must-see matches.

Thiem is the No. 5 seed, and is coming off a trip to a Grand Slam final, at Roland Garros. Querrey is currently ranked No. 65 and, at 31, would seem to be on the downslope of his career. But many prognosticators, including this one, believe this match is a toss-up. Thiem is just 5-5 at Wimbledon, has lost in the first round there twice, and has never been past the round of 16. Querrey, by contrast, thrives on grass like no other surface. He’s 19-11 at Wimbledon, reached the semis there in 2017, and is coming off a strong run to the final in Eastbourne last week. The American’s bludgeoning power works better on this surface than Thiem’s heavily spun, dipping and diving power. But don’t count Thiem out quite yet; he’s 3-1 against Querrey, and he won their last meeting, on an indoor hard court in 2018, in straight sets.

Winner: Querrey

In Fritz, you have a 21-year-old American in the midst of a breakthrough; last week he won his first ATP title, in Eastbourne, and is sitting at a career-high ranking of No. 31. After grinding his way through Europe this spring, Fritz has found a groove on his serve and forehand, and found the confidence to hit them when he needs them; the most impressive aspect of his Eastbourne run was how many break points he saved. On the other side of the net, in Berdych, you have a 33-year-old Czech who is in the midst of winding down his impressive career. He’s ranked No. 110 now, and hasn’t played a main-draw match since Indian Wells in March. But he’s also a former finalist at Wimbledon, and has more than 600 wins in his 17 years on tour.

Winner: Fritz

Barty has looked borderline unbeatable since the start of the French Open, and her effortlessly versatile game should be a natural fit on Wimbledon’s perennial rye. But she’ll also be venturing into unfamiliar territory in a couple of ways: She has never been the top seed or world No. 1—i.e., the putative favorite—at a Grand Slam; and she is just 2-3 at Wimbledon, and has yet to advance past the third round. Saisai Zheng isn’t the easiest first-round opponent, either; she’s ranked No. 43 right now, has been as high as No. 38, and has pushed Barty to three sets in two of their previous three meetings. But even if she’s tight, Barty’s reserve of confidence is probably deep enough to pull her through.

Winner: Barty