TennisSection previews the 2021 Wimbledon Championships as Novak Djokovic (1) meets Kevin Anderson in the Second Round on Wednesday June 30th, 2021.
Top seeded Serbian Novak Djokovic will face Kevin Anderson of South Africa in the Second Round here at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships. This will be a repeat of the 2018 Wimbledon Final, where Djokovic defeated Anderson in straight sets. The tall South African has struggled mightily with injuries and loss of form over the past few years but is always a threat on the faster surfaces due to his huge serve. Can he pull off the massive upset here and advance to the Third Round?
Novak Djokovic is ranked #1 in the ATP world rankings, and is the top seed here at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships. The Serbian star is one of the greatest players in tennis history, and will be seeking to equal the Grand Slam title record which is currently shared by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal with a win here. He is also still in contention to win a historic Golden Slam (winning all four Grand Slams plus the Olympics in the same year), something that has never been done before. He was surprisingly tested early on by the teenage Brit Jack Draper, dropping the first set in a shaky performance before righting the ship to win the next three comfortably. He knows that he will have to be much improved here against the experienced Kevin Anderson, who would likely make him pay for such a drop in concentration.
Kevin Anderson is a former top 5 player on the ATP Tour, but due to various injuries has seen his ranking slide out of the top 100. Anderson has been very consistent throughout his career, and is a two-time Grand Slam Finalist. He will be hoping that his injury woes are behind him as he seeks to return to his rightful spot inside the top 50. Since his return to the tour he has found the going tough, and lost in the Qualifying Rounds at Eastbourne. The South African surprisingly lost the first set in the First Round against Marcelo Barrios Vera of Chile, a Qualifier. Despite that, he will be delighted to have won after all his struggles, but knows that he will be up against it here against the best player in the world Novak Djokovic.
This will be the twelfth meeting between the two players on the ATP Tour, with the world number one leading the head to head series 9-2. They have played three times on grass with the Serbian winning all three, including a fantastic match in 2015 where he came back from two sets to love down. Unfortunately for Kevin Anderson, the injuries have really taken a toll and he is no longer the player he once was. His serve will likely keep him in the match for brief periods, but Novak Djokovic is simply too good at the moment and I see him winning in straight sets here. He is perhaps the best returner on tour, and I see him neutralizing the South African’s serve, and will advance to the Third Round here at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships.
Free Tennis Pick and Prediction: Novak Djokovic to win
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