If any top player needs to be ready for her opener, it's Muguruza. Yes, she's the No. 2 seed, she’s coming off her first major title, at the French Open, and she reached the final at Wimbledon last year. She also beat the 67th-ranked Giorgi the last time they played in straight sets. But the Italian won their other two meetings, and if she’s clicking, she can belt just about anyone off the court. Giorgi’s 8-5 record at Wimbledon is her best among the Slams, and Muguruza’s grass-court preparation has consisted of just one outing, a quick defeat to Kirsten Flipkens in Mallorca. Is Muguruza the next No. 1, or the next Mary Pierce? We’ll get an idea over the course of this fortnight. I think she’ll suffer a scare on Monday, but not a loss.
Winner: Muguruza
Like Muguruza, the 10th-seeded Keys has a chance to go all the way at Wimbledon. Also like Muguruza, though, the huge-hitting American first needs to clear what could be a deceptively high first-round hurdle in her opener. Siegemund is ranked just 41st and is a clay-courter at heart; she reached the final in Stuttgart and the round of 16 in Madrid this spring. But she also beat Keys, 6-4 in the third set, in Charleston. Keys, champion on grass in Birmingham last weekend, should be alert to the danger.
Winner: Keys
There could—OK, there will—be fireworks of one sort or another on little Court 8 when these two guys start slugging. Sock and Gulbis have never faced each other, but neither is the shy and retiring type, and neither tends to play it safe with their shot selection. This one should be in fifth gear right from the start. Each has a solid serve; Gulbis has the better backhand and more variety, especially with his drop shot; but Sock has the game-breaking stroke in his forehand. Gulbis had a nice run to the fourth round in Paris, but he's just 6-8 at Wimbledon for his career. It’s a tough draw for both players, and one that probably won’t be over quickly, but Sock, who is ranked No. 26 to Gulbis’s 61, is the favorite.
Winner: Sock