Wimbledon 2024 Day 3: Women's singles predictions ft. Marta Kostyuk vs Daria Saville

The 2024 Wimbledon Championships, the year's third Grand Slam and the only one played on grass, has kicked off. Most first-round matches have been completed, with a few remaining for Day 3 (July 3), which also features several exciting second-round matchups.

A lot of big names will be in action, including Naomi Osaka, Coco Gauff, Marta Kostyuk, Barbora Krejcikova, Elina Svitolina, Madison Keys, Daria Kasatkina, Jasmine Paolini, and others. All of them are solid competitors, expected to captivate the audience with outstanding performances.

With that in mind, let's explore how some matchups on Day 3 of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships might unfold.

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Wimbledon 2024 women's singles predictions for Day 3

#3 Elina Svitolina vs Magda Linette

Elina Svitolina

Elina Svitolina has had a somewhat average season so far this year, with her best result being a runner-up finish at the ASB Classic in January, where she lost to Coco Gauff in the final. Since then, the Ukrainian has struggled to make an impact with her performances.

Svitolina's Grasscourt Swing journey began at the Bad Homburg Open after exiting in the fourth round of the French Open, where she faced a disappointing first-round loss to Caroline Wozniacki. She will now enter Wimbledon with hopes of securing her maiden Grand Slam, kicking off her campaign against Magda Linette.

Linette, meanwhile, has had a relatively stronger season than her opponent on average, reaching the final of the Open De Rouen and the quarterfinals in Strasbourg. However, she comes to London following two subpar performances at the Libema Open (Round of 32) and the Eastbourne International (Round of 16).

It promises to be a tough battle between the two, but Svitolina is expected to come out on top and advance to the second round.

Prediction: Elina Svitolina to win in three sets.

#2 Jasmine Paolini vs Greet Minnen

Jasmine Paolini

Jasmine Paolini will face off against Greet Minnen in the second round of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, with the former entering the match as the clear favorite.

Paolini has been enjoying one of the best seasons of her career this year. She won the title at the Dubai Tennis Championships, made a quarterfinal appearance at the Stuttgart Open, and reached the final of the French Open, losing to Iga Swiatek. The Italian's campaign at the London Major started decently, following a semifinal appearance in Eastbourne, as she defeated Sara Sorribes Tormo 7-5, 6-3.

Meanwhile, Minnen began her grasscourt campaign at the Libema Open, reaching the quarterfinals, followed by a Round of 32 exit at the Eastbourne International. She then entered Wimbledon, defeating home favorite Heather Watson 7-5, 6-4.

While the Belgian is capable of posing a threat to even the top players on her best days, Paolini's greater experience at the Grand Slam level may give her the edge.

Prediction: Jasmine Paolini to win in straight sets.

#1 Marta Kostyuk vs Daria Saville

Marta Kostyuk

Marta Kostyuk has had a remarkable season thus far, reaching the finals of the San Diego Open and Stuttgart Open, as well as the semifinals in Indian Wells and the quarterfinals at the Adelaide International and the Australian Open.

However, her performances in the grass court tournaments leading up to Wimbledon, such as the Berlin Open and Nottingham Open, were not as successful, with exits in the Round of 32 in both. Nevertheless, she started her SW19 campaign with an impressive 6-3, 6-2 victory over Rebeca Sramkova.

Daria Saville, on the other hand, has had a challenging season with her best performance so far being a semifinal appearance at the Hobart International back in January.

She kicked off her grasscourt campaign at Nottingham, exiting in the Round of 16, and Birmingham, where she was eliminated in the Round of 32. She also failed to qualify for the main draw at Eastbourne, losing to Sofia Kenin in the qualifiers. However, she appears to have found her stride at Wimbledon, defeating Peyton Stearns 6-4, 6-2 in the first round to set up a clash with Kostyuk.

Kostyuk is the clear favorite to win, given her strong form in 2024 compared to Saville's. The Ukrainian's exceptional movement and shot-making ability make her game well-suited to grass, giving her a significant advantage over the former World No. 20.

Prediction: Marta Kostyuk to win in straight sets.