Pick of the Day: Sorana Cirstea vs. Sonay Kartal, Wimbledon

On Day 1 of Wimbledon, world No. 31 Sorana Cirstea will take on qualifier Sonay Kartal. This isn’t a popcorn match by any means, but it feels like a good opportunity to back a small underdog. While Cirstea is seeded, she has lost her last five matches. That includes two straight-set defeats on grass, in Birmingham and Eastbourne. Cirstea isn’t in good form entering this event, and she’ll now take on a London local.

Kartal seemed like a player that would have had a good case for a wild card, and there were fans clamoring for her to get one. But the 22-year-old ended up in the main draw through qualifying, a run that should only benefit her. Kartal earned wins over Suzan Lamens, Sijia Wei and Erika Andreeva, the latter a convincing 6-3, 6-1 beatdown, and it was also Kartal’s first Top 100 win. The Brit should be brimming with confidence, and there’s no reason she can’t beat Cirstea.

Cirstea is a very good all-around player, but her game isn’t exactly built for grass. Cirstea relies pretty heavily on spin, and that’s not the right recipe on this surface—unless it’s a low-bouncing slice. Meanwhile, Kartal will look to match Cirstea’s aggression, and her heavy forehand should be the biggest weapon on the court.

Cirstea is just 29-36 on grass in her career, but more importantly, her form is nowhere near where it needs to be right now. She is just 12-15 this season, and her winning percentage is the lowest it has been since 2020. Cirstea was a player that seemed like she was prime for an upset before the draw, and seeing who she drew only makes me feel better about that.

Pick: Kartal ML (+100)