Ashleigh Barty vs. Anna Blinkova
July 1, 2021 9:00 am EDT
Will we see a big upset very early on here at Wimbledon by the relatively unknown Anna Blinkova, or will Ashleigh Barty build on her first round match as she aims to find her best form and get herself in strong contention for the title?
Anna Blinkova cruised through her first round match, beating Timea Babos in straight sets 6-2/6-2. Blinkova is not very well known, mainly focusing on smaller WTA tournaments. However, she will know that if there is ever going to be a chance for her to cause a very big upset and knock out the World No.1, Barty, at a Grand Slam, it is going to be here at Wimbledon as Barty is only playing her first few matches after her return from a hip injury. Can Blinkova come out here and give it her absolute best in the hopes of causing the upset?
Ashleigh Barty came through a tight 3 set first round match against Carla Suarez Navarro, beating the Spaniard 6-1/6-7/6-1. Ashleigh Barty will be happy with that performance even through it went to 3 sets because she was able to bring out her best tennis at the vital times. Ashleigh Barty will know that once she gets a couple strong matches under her belt she should be ready to be at her best and be very competitive here in Wimbledon. However, she will need to ensure she does not lose very early and prevent herself from competing for the title.
This is going to be the 1st meeting between both players, and it is going to be a very entertaining one. Both players will believe in themselves coming into this match, and I think Blinkova might be able to steal a set here if she is at her best. However, I still see Ashleigh Barty getting the win here. Ashleigh learns quickly from her mistakes and she will not let her guard down as she did in the second set in the first round. Barty will win this match and she will gain some more momentum as she enters the third round here in Wimbledon.
Liam Elyes's Free Pick: Ashleigh Barty
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