Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the ATP Wimbledon match.
Nikoloz Basilashvili (ATP No. 126) pulled off one of the biggest shocks of the opening round by knocking out seventh seed Lorenzo Musetti. Now, he faces another Italian — Lorenzo Sonego — who will no doubt be keen to avenge his compatriot’s early elimination.
Lorenzo Sonego
Sonego (No. 43) eased through his opener against Portugal’s Jaime Faria (No. 116) with a dominant straight-sets victory: 6:3, 6:4, 6:2. The Italian was clinical on serve, landing 81% of his first serves and racking up 15 aces. He kept his unforced errors to a minimum — just 12 — while firing 38 winners. It was a near-flawless performance, albeit against limited opposition.
Nikoloz Basilashvili
Basilashvili, meanwhile, stunned Lorenzo Musetti (6:2, 4:6, 7:5, 6:1) with a brilliant all-round display. His serve was lethal — 15 aces and a 95% win rate on service games. He also converted 80% of his break points and played with supreme confidence throughout. While consistency has rarely been his strength, the Georgian looked completely in control and dictated much of the tempo.
Lorenzo Sonego vs Nikoloz Basilashvili Prediction
Right now, Basilashvili is riding high and looks dangerous. Sonego had an easy start, but this next round will be a far sterner test. A straightforward win for the Italian seems unlikely — Basilashvili has the firepower and momentum to make this a close affair.
