Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the ATP Wimbledon match.
Mariano Navone may be ranked lower, but he’s already caused an upset by eliminating a seeded player in the first round. Repeating that feat against world No. 52 Pedro Martínez is a tougher ask — but not out of the question.
Pedro Martínez Portero
Martínez faced British wildcard George Loffhagen in his opener and took some time to figure him out, dropping the first set before finding his rhythm (2:6, 6:2, 6:4, 6:2). This is only the second time the 28-year-old Spaniard has progressed beyond the first round at Wimbledon, so it's already a milestone.
Mariano Navone
For Navone, reaching the second round marks a career-best at Grand Slam level. The 24-year-old Argentine is still relatively new to the ATP Tour — his full-time breakthrough only came in 2024 after years on the ITF circuit. His four-set win over Denis Shapovalov was a statement, though it must be said that his three career wins over top-50 players all came on clay.
Pedro Martínez Portero vs Mariano Navone Prediction
That said, grass is hardly home turf for Martínez either. Both players are more comfortable on slower surfaces, which should lead to a scrappy, error-prone contest. Their two previous meetings on clay were long, both going to three sets and exceeding 30 games each. At a Grand Slam — with best-of-five format — expect the match to drag into the 40-game territory.
