Tuesday, July 1

Sports Mole previews Wednesday’s Wimbledon second-round match between Aryna Sabalenka and Marie Bouzkova, including predictions, head-to-head and their tournament so far.

Two-time Wimbledon semi-finalist Aryna Sabalenka avoided a first-round upset to set up a fourth meeting with 2022 quarter-finalist Marie Bouzkova on Wednesday. 

The top seed defeated in-form Carson Branstine, who vanquished French Open semi-finalist Lois Boisson and former Grand Slam champion Bianca Andreescu en route to the main draw, and will meet Bouzkova, fresh off dispatching 2024 Wimbledon semi-finalist Lulu Sun on Monday.

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Match preview

Just when Sabalenka feared that she might have to face a deciding set against an opponent who had momentum after coming through stern tests in qualifying, she raised her game at 5-5 in the second set en route to a 6-1, 7-5 victory. 

The qualifier’s nerves were palpable in the first set, evidenced by a string of unforced errors, which made the favourite’s work easier in her first match since losing to eventual Berlin champion Marketa Vondrousova in June. 

The upshot of Sabalenka’s 43rd victory of 2025 and her 50th as the women’s No. 1 sees her joining Martina Hingis, Serena Williams, Lindsay Davenport, Justine Henin, Caroline Wozniacki, Victoria Azarenka, Ashleigh Barty and Iga Swiatek as the ninth to reach half a century of victories as the top-ranked player in the 2000s. 

The two-time semi-finalist at SW19 in 2021 and 2023 has not lost a second-round match at a Grand Slam since the 2020 US Open, where she was defeated by countrywoman Azarenka, marking a streak of 16 majors. 

Bidding to avoid the ignominy of an early exit, the Wimbledon favourite, who was runner-up in both Australia and Paris, seeks to improve her 15-5 Championships record and to secure another victory in her bid to build momentum en route to hopefully reaching a title match at SW19 at the end of it all.On the other side of the net is Bouzkova, a former quarter-finalist at this event, who defeated 2024 semi-finalist Sun 6-4, 6-4 to reach the second round for a fifth time in six appearances. 

After reaching the last eight three years ago, the Czech player has never quite managed to replicate that performance in the previous two years, advancing to the fourth round in 2023 and being beaten by Anna Kalinskaya in last year's second round. 

The 26-year-old enters Wednesday with a 10-5 overall record at the Championships, and she must deliver high-level tennis to achieve an 11th overall success at the event. 

Having had limited competitive match action on grass prior to this fourth meeting with Sabalenka, the former world No. 24 and current No. 48-ranked player faces an uphill challenge in improving her 16-13 win-loss record for the season at the expense of many observers' favourite at SW19. 

Nevertheless, two of the Czech player's 11 career wins over top-10 players have come on the lawns of Wimbledon, where she defeated No. 8 Danielle Collins in 2022 and No. 5 Caroline Garcia in 2023, offering the 26-year-old much-needed encouragement before playing the world No. 1.

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Tournament so far

Aryna Sabalenka:

First round: vs. Carson Branstine 6-1 7-5

Marie Bouzkova:

First round: vs. Lulu Sun 6-4 6-4

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Head To Head

Brisbane (2025) - Quarter-finals: Sabalenka 6-3 6-4 

Washington (2024) - Semi-finals: Bouzkova 6-4 3-6 6-3 

Miami Open (2023) - Round of 32: Sabalenka 6-1 6-2 

Sabalenka leads her head-to-head with Bouzkova, claiming victories in Miami in 2023 and Brisbane in January this year, either side of the Czech player’s upset victory over the top seed in Washington last year. 

All three meetings have taken place on hard courts, adding a layer of uncertainty for both women ahead of their first encounter on grass at the Championships. 

Bouzkova has enjoyed double figures in wins over top-10 players, notably last notching one against Sabalenka in Washington, and she seeks a 12th success over an elite player to upset the Belarusian superstar.

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We say: Sabalenka to win in two sets

It is difficult to argue against any outcome other than a Sabalenka victory; the world No. 1 has not lost in a second-round match at a major since the 2020 US Open, and the two-time Wimbledon semi-finalist's 16 Grand Slam streak is expected to extend to 17 at the expense of 2022 quarter-finalist Bouzkova. ID:576579:1false2false3false: from db desktop :LenBod:collect5994:

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