Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the ATP Wimbledon match.
Karen Khachanov enters the second round of Wimbledon amid a wave of upsets that has already seen several favourites — including Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev — crash out. As a result, the Russian’s section of the draw now looks like a golden opportunity to make a deep run. First, though, he needs to take care of qualifier Shintaro Mochizuki, who has already turned a few heads.
Shintaro Mochizuki
The Japanese player has picked up four wins at this year’s tournament, though his opponents have been clearly inferior in terms of ranking and class. In the first round, he was two sets down against Giulio Zeppieri before launching a comeback — but the effort cost him plenty of energy. His grass-court record in 2025 is solid (11 wins and 2 losses), but his only match against ATP-level opposition ended in a heavy defeat to Marin Čilić (2:6, 3:6).
Karen Khachanov
Khachanov looked composed and methodical in his opening match, dispatching Mackenzie McDonald in straight sets (7:5, 6:4, 6:4). The Russian fired 11 aces and won 77% of points on his first serve. His game now features more aggression and better control from the baseline. Against players ranked outside the top 100, Khachanov has won six of his last seven — a positive indicator ahead of facing world No. 144.
Shintaro Mochizuki vs Karen Khachanov Prediction
Given his superiority in all aspects and with a promising path ahead in the draw, Khachanov should be able to wrap this one up quickly against a fatigued opponent.
