Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the ATP Wimbledon match.
Felix Auger-Aliassime continues to rebuild his form after a disappointing clay-court stretch, and Wimbledon presents the perfect opportunity to prove he belongs in the top 30 — perhaps even the top 20. His first-round opponent is James Duckworth, an Australian who isn’t even ranked inside the top 100.
Felix Auger-Aliassime
The Canadian has been producing standout tennis on grass this season. He reached the semi-finals in both Stuttgart and Mallorca. Crucially, he has dealt with lower-ranked opponents efficiently: he beat world No. 78 Arthur Rinderknech in straight sets (7:5, 6:3), as well as Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (6:4, 6:4). He’s also cut down on unforced errors — averaging just 16.6 per match at his last tournament.
James Duckworth
Duckworth, by contrast, has spent most of the grass season either in qualifiers or at low-tier events. While he pushed Davidovich Fokina close in their latest clash (7:6, 3:6, 4:6), that performance was more an outlier than a norm. Not long before that, he was routed by fellow Aussie Christopher O’Connell (6:7, 0:6), racking up 13 unforced errors in a single set. In Stuttgart, he exited in the first round at the hands of Justin Engel— a player ranked outside the top 200.
Felix Auger-Aliassime vs James Duckworth Prediction
The gulf in quality is stark. Auger-Aliassime is motivated to go deep at Wimbledon and won’t be looking to waste time against a beatable opponent. A straight-sets win is the logical call, and the odds are appealing.
