Wimbledon 2022 Day 2: Men's singles predictions ft. Rafael Nadal vs Francisco Cerundolo, Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Maxime Cressy

The schedule for Day 2 of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships is finally out. 64 of the 128 players in the men's singles category will play their first-round fixture on Tuesday.

World No. 4 Rafael Nadal will begin his campaign on Centre Court in the first slot of the day session. Meanwhile, Mallorca Championship winner Stefanos Tsitsipas and Queen's Club Championship titlist Matteo Berrettini are also expected to feature in the day session slot but on Court No. 1.

The entire first half of the day 2 draw will be played across 18 courts, starting at 1pm local time (5:30 pm IST, 8 am ET).

Without further ado, here are the predictions for some key men's singles matches on Day 2 of the 2022 Wimbledon Championship:

#1 Rafael Nadal vs Francisco Cerundolo

Seeded second, Rafael Nadal will begin his quest for a third Wimbledon title against World No. 42 Francisco Cerundolo. The two have never faced off against each other before, but this should be an easy win for Nadal.

Previews: The Championships - Wimbledon 2022

Cerundolo has only played one match in preparation for Wimbledon and lost to Tommy Paul in three sets at the Eastbourne International and the Argentine has a mediocre record on the surface.

Nadal played two exhibition matches at the Giorgio Armani Hurlingham Classic, managing to beat Stan Wawrinka in straight sets but losing to Felix Auger Aliassime in three.

Predicted winner: Rafael Nadal

#2 Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Alexander Ritschard

The 2022 Mallorca Championships winner will take on qualifier Alexander Ritschard in the first round of SW19. This will be the first meeting between the two players, but Tsitsipas will go in as the clear favourite, especially after the Greek's run of form heading into Wimbledon.

Predicted winner: Stefanos Tsitsipas

#3 Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Maxime Cressy

Sixth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime will square off against Eastbourne International finalist Maxime Cressy and the duo have never faced each other before. While we can expect an intriguing contest between the two in-form players, the higher-ranked Auger-Aliassime is expected to sneak past the American.

Prediction winner: Felix Auger-Aliassime.

#4 Matteo Berrettini vs Christian Garin

Previews: The Championships - Wimbledon 2022

World No. 11 Matteo Berettini beat World No. 43 Cristian Garin in their previous meeting at the 2021 Madrid Masters. He is likely to dole out a similar result on Court No. 1 at the All England Club in their first round encounter.

Predicted winner: Matteo Berrettini

#5 Taylor Fritz vs Lorenzo Musetti

World No. 14 Taylor Fritz will lock horns with Italian Lorenzo Musetti in the first round. They have never faced each other before and it will be a tricky contest for both players but considering his form and a second title on grass in Eastbourne, Fritz is expected to win this battle.

Predicted winner: Taylor Fritz

#6 Diego Schwartzman vs Stefan Kozlov

World No. 15 Diego Schwartzman is the favourite to outfox 24-year-old Stefan Kozlov, who won both his qualifiers to secure a main draw berth. The duo have never faced each other, but the experienced Argentine should be able to get the job done against the American in the first round.

Predicted winner: Diego Schwartzman

#7 Marin Cilic vs Mackenzie McDonald

French Open and Queen's Club semifinalist Marin Cilic will take on Mackenzie McDonald in the first round of SW19. The Croat defeated McDonald in their only meeting at the 2019 Australian Open second round and the 2017 Wimbledon finalist will be poised to repeat that performance this time around.

Predicted winner: Marin Cilic

#8 Nick Kyrgios vs Paul Jubb

World No. 45 Nick Kyrgios will begin his campaign at Wimbledon against wildcard Paul Jubb. The pair will be facing each other for the first time but the Australian should be able to register a commanding win considering his current form and his opponents' lack of experience on the main tour.

Predicted winner: Nick Kyrgios